Shelf Chefing Tips for Weight Control
Used ta kinda fit
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Hmm... Wonder why the vest won't close?
Bear here... I am thinkin I need to manage my weight. I have lots of experience and tools for weight control. I just have to use them, again. I'm interested in helping and inspiring others to get healthier and control their weight too. Sounds like a good page for OTH.
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Now it's way too tight
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From Bear:
Hi everybody...
Why call this page weight control instead of weight loss? My humble story, shortened...
In the last 20 years my weight has gone up and down. I am 6' 4" tall. In 2000 I was at my highest weight, around 416 lbs. In 2012, I was at my lowest weight, around 300 lbs. I am now around 340 lbs. Some would say I have dropped 116 lbs. and others would say I dropped around 70 lbs. By my knowledge of what went on over those years, and by using "Bear math," I know I have dropped around 950 and regained 900 of them there pounds back. I was in better condition in my mid 40s than I was in my 20s to late 30s. Now I'm in my fifties, and my knees and ankles are acting up. Losing weight will help. My main goal is to get down to 280 lbs. by late April or May. Then NEVER be above 290 lbs again. If I can do that I will have achieved Weight Control. If I can write something on this page that helps just one person with their weight control too, even better.
Before we move on…
... Just letting you know that I hope to encourage, not offend. I am a blunt guy and sometimes I curse to highlight an idea, not to offend. I will be sharing my adventures and some tips on weight control. Some stories are victories, some are traps to be wary of. I am large. I am tired of being large and fat. I can get older, be large and still be healthy and active, those are my major goals. Sayen it bluntly, I don’t need to be thin or look like a model to have self-worth, I just want to be better conditioned for survival. Moving on…
My theory is simple. I want to change my health for the better. In Shelf chef terms, most plans out there are like grilling, which is high activity, to get ready fast. My plan is more like barbequing. Low and slow. It takes time for the magic to happen. If you can change to a healthy lifestyle you won't need to diet to feel better. If you unleash your inner COOK OF ANARCHY on weight issues you can come up with fun weight control ideas that work for you. It could save you a lot of money on buying diet books.
Hi everybody...
Why call this page weight control instead of weight loss? My humble story, shortened...
In the last 20 years my weight has gone up and down. I am 6' 4" tall. In 2000 I was at my highest weight, around 416 lbs. In 2012, I was at my lowest weight, around 300 lbs. I am now around 340 lbs. Some would say I have dropped 116 lbs. and others would say I dropped around 70 lbs. By my knowledge of what went on over those years, and by using "Bear math," I know I have dropped around 950 and regained 900 of them there pounds back. I was in better condition in my mid 40s than I was in my 20s to late 30s. Now I'm in my fifties, and my knees and ankles are acting up. Losing weight will help. My main goal is to get down to 280 lbs. by late April or May. Then NEVER be above 290 lbs again. If I can do that I will have achieved Weight Control. If I can write something on this page that helps just one person with their weight control too, even better.
Before we move on…
... Just letting you know that I hope to encourage, not offend. I am a blunt guy and sometimes I curse to highlight an idea, not to offend. I will be sharing my adventures and some tips on weight control. Some stories are victories, some are traps to be wary of. I am large. I am tired of being large and fat. I can get older, be large and still be healthy and active, those are my major goals. Sayen it bluntly, I don’t need to be thin or look like a model to have self-worth, I just want to be better conditioned for survival. Moving on…
My theory is simple. I want to change my health for the better. In Shelf chef terms, most plans out there are like grilling, which is high activity, to get ready fast. My plan is more like barbequing. Low and slow. It takes time for the magic to happen. If you can change to a healthy lifestyle you won't need to diet to feel better. If you unleash your inner COOK OF ANARCHY on weight issues you can come up with fun weight control ideas that work for you. It could save you a lot of money on buying diet books.
The Elements of Change...
I have found change happens in four steps. When we feel the 1. NEED/DRIVE for change, we 2. WANT to make change. 3. PLANNING helps guide that change and 4. TAKING ACTION provides proof of the change we want to make. This may sound a little weird but I like to have the four steps related to the elements (Hey, it works for me.):
FIRE = PRIMAL NEEDS (Sounds way cooler than basic needs, don't ya think?)
WATER = WANTS AND DESIRES (Do you really know yourself?)
AIR = PLANNING AND THOUGHT (Inspiration form self and others.)
EARTH = TAKING ACTION (The mental and physical things you can measure and control.)
I keep track of these elements with my best friend, the first tool for getting healthy, a weight/ health JOURNAL. They are useful for keeping track of how you feel and statistics of how much you have changed. I use a 1 or 3 subject notebook kids use in school. (Kids still use notebooks these days, don’t they?) You can get them in most stores that have school supplies. GET ONE ASAP!
FIRE = PRIMAL NEEDS (Sounds way cooler than basic needs, don't ya think?)
WATER = WANTS AND DESIRES (Do you really know yourself?)
AIR = PLANNING AND THOUGHT (Inspiration form self and others.)
EARTH = TAKING ACTION (The mental and physical things you can measure and control.)
I keep track of these elements with my best friend, the first tool for getting healthy, a weight/ health JOURNAL. They are useful for keeping track of how you feel and statistics of how much you have changed. I use a 1 or 3 subject notebook kids use in school. (Kids still use notebooks these days, don’t they?) You can get them in most stores that have school supplies. GET ONE ASAP!
To Remember What You Know, Write it Down...
THE DIARY SECTION
A long time ago, some English dude wrote a play which included the line "... To thine own self, be true." That line is the heart of the DIARY SECTION of the journal for a healthier life, in my opinion. The better you know yourself the easier it is to be true to yourself. If you know your primal needs (FIRE) and your wants and desires (WATER) you will be aware of when you are acting against yourself. To make change you have to HONESTLY look to the past to see what your triumphs and mistakes were and learn from both. HONESTLY SEE YOURSELF, then judge yourself in a BRUTAL YET LOVING WAY TO DESCRIBE THE PRESENT. If you are AWARE of what you really need and want. you are ALERT to it, you know it, and you are able to express it in writing that hopefully you can understand when you reread it later. (Don't laugh, sometimes my notes suck and I can't figure them out. Frustrating? Yep.) A WARNING: I like lists, sometimes I like them too well. I rewrite them over and over instead of getting the project done. Be AWARE of that trap.
My DIARY, in the front part of the journal, has free writing on my goals, numbers I can transfer to the better organized stats section if I want to, plans, history, setbacks, achievements, and more. Health is more than just weight. The right attitude and asking the RIGHT questions can help more than just tracking numbers. The following are questions that deal with FIRE and WATER, that you might want to answer in your journal.
A long time ago, some English dude wrote a play which included the line "... To thine own self, be true." That line is the heart of the DIARY SECTION of the journal for a healthier life, in my opinion. The better you know yourself the easier it is to be true to yourself. If you know your primal needs (FIRE) and your wants and desires (WATER) you will be aware of when you are acting against yourself. To make change you have to HONESTLY look to the past to see what your triumphs and mistakes were and learn from both. HONESTLY SEE YOURSELF, then judge yourself in a BRUTAL YET LOVING WAY TO DESCRIBE THE PRESENT. If you are AWARE of what you really need and want. you are ALERT to it, you know it, and you are able to express it in writing that hopefully you can understand when you reread it later. (Don't laugh, sometimes my notes suck and I can't figure them out. Frustrating? Yep.) A WARNING: I like lists, sometimes I like them too well. I rewrite them over and over instead of getting the project done. Be AWARE of that trap.
My DIARY, in the front part of the journal, has free writing on my goals, numbers I can transfer to the better organized stats section if I want to, plans, history, setbacks, achievements, and more. Health is more than just weight. The right attitude and asking the RIGHT questions can help more than just tracking numbers. The following are questions that deal with FIRE and WATER, that you might want to answer in your journal.
FIRE QUESTIONS
FIRE = PRIMAL NEEDS (Still sounds way cooler than basic needs). We all have primal (basic) needs and I associate that with the element of FIRE. The main primal needs are survival and self-worth and they push us into action to achieve goals. My major FIRE Need: I don’t need to be thin or look like a model to have self-worth, I just want to be better conditioned for survival. Getting old doesn’t bother me, getting decrepit does.
Knowing what drives you can make you alert and aware more often than not. Here are some FIRE questions to answer in your diary:
If you answered these questions or came up with your own in the diary journal section, you will have a better view of what your other “primal” needs are.
FIRE = PRIMAL NEEDS (Still sounds way cooler than basic needs). We all have primal (basic) needs and I associate that with the element of FIRE. The main primal needs are survival and self-worth and they push us into action to achieve goals. My major FIRE Need: I don’t need to be thin or look like a model to have self-worth, I just want to be better conditioned for survival. Getting old doesn’t bother me, getting decrepit does.
Knowing what drives you can make you alert and aware more often than not. Here are some FIRE questions to answer in your diary:
- Is living longer worth it? You may think this is a weird question but I have a story:
- How fast do you need to lose the weight? How fast is healthy?
- Do you really need to pay for more health expenses due to illness caused by being overweight?
- What weight is healthy? Use some common sense…
- What are good short term goals? What are good long term goals?
- Do I just need to be thinner or do I need to be better conditioned?
If you answered these questions or came up with your own in the diary journal section, you will have a better view of what your other “primal” needs are.
WATER QUESTIONS
Now for emotional needs = WATER. Sometimes we need a pat on the back and the other times we need a kick in the ass.
We reward and sometimes punish ourselves with food. Emotional eating is a real thing…
I have celebrated with food until I was way too full. I have been depressed and ate until I knew I would be sick before morning. I have been bored, and while sitting in front of the TV, finished a whole family sized bag of chips, sometimes with a ¼ block of cheese or a full pack of Oreos, double stuffed.
Today (1/22/20), I got mad about having to fix the bathroom sink, and, even worse, I had to leave the house to buy the proper tool for the job, twice. At the first store I really wanted ice cream, a lot of it. I controlled myself, and it didn’t hurt that most of the ice cream at this store sucked and was expensive. At the second store my mind set was, "F this, I deserve a treat for this crap." A bag of chips and king sized candy bar should do the trick, and they did. I finished the bar and got a quarter way through the chips when I realized these were not going to help the weight loss and they weren’t all that great. I am not perfect, but I did stop eating the chips halfway home, kind of a win.
Survival isn’t the only reason to be healthy. WATER questions help find what makes you tick. Here are some WATER questions to answer:
What else motivates you? Journal it in the diary section. Motivations and goals change over time. When your motivations or goals do change, you have a record to look back at and see patterns. I know I usually am able to drop weight for 3 months, then lose interest. I hope not to gain all the weight I lost, then start again. I am now working on breaking that pattern. Shouda, woulda, and coulda will no longer be excuses for me.
Now for emotional needs = WATER. Sometimes we need a pat on the back and the other times we need a kick in the ass.
We reward and sometimes punish ourselves with food. Emotional eating is a real thing…
I have celebrated with food until I was way too full. I have been depressed and ate until I knew I would be sick before morning. I have been bored, and while sitting in front of the TV, finished a whole family sized bag of chips, sometimes with a ¼ block of cheese or a full pack of Oreos, double stuffed.
Today (1/22/20), I got mad about having to fix the bathroom sink, and, even worse, I had to leave the house to buy the proper tool for the job, twice. At the first store I really wanted ice cream, a lot of it. I controlled myself, and it didn’t hurt that most of the ice cream at this store sucked and was expensive. At the second store my mind set was, "F this, I deserve a treat for this crap." A bag of chips and king sized candy bar should do the trick, and they did. I finished the bar and got a quarter way through the chips when I realized these were not going to help the weight loss and they weren’t all that great. I am not perfect, but I did stop eating the chips halfway home, kind of a win.
Survival isn’t the only reason to be healthy. WATER questions help find what makes you tick. Here are some WATER questions to answer:
- What is your relationship with food? Do you see it as reward or punishment?
- Is happiness a real goal?
- Can getting to know yourself improve your life?
- What will others think when they see me working out?
- What triggers me to overeat?
- My views on drinking alcohol, other than I like to do so:
- Do I deserve to be healthy?
- Who cares if I’m around?
What else motivates you? Journal it in the diary section. Motivations and goals change over time. When your motivations or goals do change, you have a record to look back at and see patterns. I know I usually am able to drop weight for 3 months, then lose interest. I hope not to gain all the weight I lost, then start again. I am now working on breaking that pattern. Shouda, woulda, and coulda will no longer be excuses for me.
THE STATISTICS SECTION
That’s it for the DIARY section, on to the STATISTICS. You can choose numbers or feelings from your diary section and put them in a chart form to keep better track of your progress. This is about how you think and get resources for a productive plan (AIR) and what you do (EARTH).
THE AIR
You want a good plan to getting the weight controlled, right? You are a source of good planning. You journaled in the diary section about what motivates you, FIRE and WATER. A good plan deals with those and also looks for good advice from others. How do others lose weight? When do you take their advice and when do you say no thank you (or F-ck you if someone is being an a--hole). I hope you see this page as good advice.
There are a lot of weight loss ideas that you can find in books and on the internet. Some are healthy and others can kill you. I have read and spent lots of money on lots of books, most generally say, "Do it my way... follow this book to the letter and all will be well,.. I know what looks best for you... almost no fat is best... no carbs is best…Don’t you want to look great in a thong? (No, I don’t…) Here, buying this powder or belonging to that gym is your answer." Basically their fad will help you. I call bullshit. (See? Still blunt…) I have bought many books and videos. (See below) I have taken some ideas from parts of some of those books. I kept what worked for me and got rid of the dross.
That’s it for the DIARY section, on to the STATISTICS. You can choose numbers or feelings from your diary section and put them in a chart form to keep better track of your progress. This is about how you think and get resources for a productive plan (AIR) and what you do (EARTH).
THE AIR
You want a good plan to getting the weight controlled, right? You are a source of good planning. You journaled in the diary section about what motivates you, FIRE and WATER. A good plan deals with those and also looks for good advice from others. How do others lose weight? When do you take their advice and when do you say no thank you (or F-ck you if someone is being an a--hole). I hope you see this page as good advice.
There are a lot of weight loss ideas that you can find in books and on the internet. Some are healthy and others can kill you. I have read and spent lots of money on lots of books, most generally say, "Do it my way... follow this book to the letter and all will be well,.. I know what looks best for you... almost no fat is best... no carbs is best…Don’t you want to look great in a thong? (No, I don’t…) Here, buying this powder or belonging to that gym is your answer." Basically their fad will help you. I call bullshit. (See? Still blunt…) I have bought many books and videos. (See below) I have taken some ideas from parts of some of those books. I kept what worked for me and got rid of the dross.
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Books can be a way to see what you are doing in a different way. The Yoga for Guys book is definitely different than other yoga books. One book I had was a 12 rules for weight loss book. Since I like lists I read it and took what worked for me. I was also happy to see what I was actually doing that worked for me and some of what I was doing was on the author's list worded a different way.
I used to have at least 10 times more health books than what you see here. I have probably spent over $1000 on fitness and diet books and videos. Theresa has some with Richard Simmons DVDs. Some I used, some just sat there so I got rid of what I didn't need anymore. |
Our cat Princess is wondering why I have so many books. They have nothing to do with her getting attention so they are worthless, right?
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Examples of advice from others:
The Biggest Loser… That show started my motivation for losing weight. Their first book was great. It had a calorie chart for losing weight. It had some good nutrition information, some good exercises, and inspirational stories. The videos were OK. Most of the other books and the actual show after a while, was crap. Too…much… drama! Not enough guidance on workouts or nutrition and a lot of marketing. I am not going to be able to go somewhere for a month or more of training 24 hrs. a day and a lot of the weight loss was through starvation. Not for me.
40/20/20 diet… My beginner book for nutrition. Your calories should be 40% carbs, 20% protein, and 20% fat. A good plan based on balanced eating that had way too much math for me to keep up with.
**DDPY (Diamond Dallas Page Yoga)… He inspires people! It’s yoga with isometrics and calisthenics. It’s a low impact workout that works. He has workouts for people who can’t get out of bed, he has chair workouts, and standing workouts. All workouts can be adjusted to different levels. It’s up to you how hard you push yourself. I recommend looking him up on YouTube then seeing if you can spend the money on his DVDs. I don’t have that much money, but I have his book Yoga for Regular Guys.
The Biggest Loser… That show started my motivation for losing weight. Their first book was great. It had a calorie chart for losing weight. It had some good nutrition information, some good exercises, and inspirational stories. The videos were OK. Most of the other books and the actual show after a while, was crap. Too…much… drama! Not enough guidance on workouts or nutrition and a lot of marketing. I am not going to be able to go somewhere for a month or more of training 24 hrs. a day and a lot of the weight loss was through starvation. Not for me.
40/20/20 diet… My beginner book for nutrition. Your calories should be 40% carbs, 20% protein, and 20% fat. A good plan based on balanced eating that had way too much math for me to keep up with.
**DDPY (Diamond Dallas Page Yoga)… He inspires people! It’s yoga with isometrics and calisthenics. It’s a low impact workout that works. He has workouts for people who can’t get out of bed, he has chair workouts, and standing workouts. All workouts can be adjusted to different levels. It’s up to you how hard you push yourself. I recommend looking him up on YouTube then seeing if you can spend the money on his DVDs. I don’t have that much money, but I have his book Yoga for Regular Guys.
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I also remember workouts from martial arts and many years of football. I come up with my own workout routines. For eating, there are calorie counting books out there, look through some, and see what ones work for you. Theresa typed up a list of foods we like and eat often so it is easier to count those calories. What resources from your past do you have to use?
In case you are interested, Princess decided enough was enough on personal appearances... Here are some the calorie counting tools we have used. |
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I'm thinken some information (more AIR) from professionals in health care (health guideline stats) would be good information to share now.
Weight isn’t the only thing to work on. It’s a good idea to see your doctor to see what condition you are in. They have better equipment than you do for cholesterol, blood pressure, and resting pulse beat. Here is some health information for you.
The strength of your heart dictates your condition and is measured by two things, resting heart beat per minute (RBM) and blood pressure. Both can get too high or too low. Opinions on what is too high and low can change with time and studies. For blood pressure the Doctor is the professional, talk to them. The Doctor can also show you how to measure your pulse so you can check your resting heart rate correctly at home. What I found on the internet from the American Heart Association is if your heart beats over 100 times per minute while you’re at rest, you may be screwed if you don’t see a doctor, soon. There are different opinions to levels of ok RBM, lookup a chart or ask your doctor during a visit. What I found is that the RBM is usually between 60-100 beats for adults, the lower the better. Trained professional athletes can be around 45 RBM. Along with weight, stress and smoking can raise your numbers. So quit smoking and chill out, we got weight to lose.
Weight isn’t the only thing to work on. It’s a good idea to see your doctor to see what condition you are in. They have better equipment than you do for cholesterol, blood pressure, and resting pulse beat. Here is some health information for you.
The strength of your heart dictates your condition and is measured by two things, resting heart beat per minute (RBM) and blood pressure. Both can get too high or too low. Opinions on what is too high and low can change with time and studies. For blood pressure the Doctor is the professional, talk to them. The Doctor can also show you how to measure your pulse so you can check your resting heart rate correctly at home. What I found on the internet from the American Heart Association is if your heart beats over 100 times per minute while you’re at rest, you may be screwed if you don’t see a doctor, soon. There are different opinions to levels of ok RBM, lookup a chart or ask your doctor during a visit. What I found is that the RBM is usually between 60-100 beats for adults, the lower the better. Trained professional athletes can be around 45 RBM. Along with weight, stress and smoking can raise your numbers. So quit smoking and chill out, we got weight to lose.
- According to the American Heart Association (AHA) your maximum safe beats per min (BPM) when working out should be 220 minus your age. (Examples: if I’m 50, 220-50 = 170BPM max. If I’m 60, 220-60= 160 BPM max.) That’s why you see a lot people working out with monitors. They are trying to stay in the perfect range (the max -20) to get maximum benefits. To strengthen your heart and lose a little weight the AHA recommends: Walking or light aerobics 150 minutes or more a week. (That’s 30 or more minutes 5 or more days a week.) If you are able, you could do jogging/ running or step aerobics for 75 minutes or more a week. (That’s 25 or more minutes 3 or more times a week.)
- More knowledge for consuming (Heh, just keep reading, I punned…) A calorie is the measurement of energy you take in through eating and drinking, and burn through daily activity. According to the Mayo Clinic (Does anyone else find it funny a US health institute sounds like an unhealthy condiment? Moving on…) 3,500 calories = 1 pound and a moderately active body (exercising at least a half hour at least three times a week) burns around 2000 calories a day just in being alive. If you constantly take in too many calories without burning enough you will gain weight to the point of being unhealthy, inactive, and possibly thinking life sucks, so why not end it. If you knew how many calories you need to survive, then reduce your calorie intake by 500, or burn 500 extra calories a day, and you could lose 1-2 lbs. a week. It's a nice start, too bad there is more to it than that. If you don’t eat right or don’t keep moving, you could lose muscle instead of fat. You need to eat carbs, protein, and fat (the good kinds) to survive and keep your cholesterol down.
My turn to give advice. Here are some beginner plans that are working for me:
WORKING THAT FIRST STAT WHICH IS WEIGHT:
Have a starting date and starting weight. First rule of weighing yourself: One bad number won’t hurt you unless YOU LET IT GET TO YOU and you start screwing up. GET THROUGH IT AND GET BACK TO A PRODUCTIVE ATTITUDE. Just sayen...
When & how often should I weigh myself?
Short answer: find a time that's best for you and weigh at least once a month (or more if that doesn't freak you out enough to cause you to quit.)
MY LONG ANSWER: Once a month is good enough to keep track of in a long term weight loss project. Twice a month is good if you like keeping track of more numbers. I keep a track once a week to see where I'm at for my monthly goal that I keep THE OFFICIAL track record of. I have weighed myself every day for a while when I felt the need. I admit, it's a little obsessive and can cause stress, so I don't recommend it for everyone.
Tips on HOW to weigh-in... First thing in the morning is the best time for me. I haven't drank or eaten anything and my weight is more honest than before I go to bed. What you wear can affect your number if your scale is really accurate (2 ounces can raise or lower your number). I like to wear more during the weekly weigh-ins and just underwear for the monthly one. If my weekly numbers are good it is more likely I will get what I want on the important day. (By the way... body weight can change up to 5 pounds up or down in a day depending on time of day, hydration, and meal size.)
One bad number won’t hurt you unless YOU LET IT GET TO YOU and you start screwing up worse (an emotional WATER tidal wave). GET THROUGH IT AND GET BACK TO A PRODUCTIVE ATTITUDE. Just sayen...)
Here is how I planned and see my first two months so far…
(AIR) My plan A for dropping weight: (Fire & Earth) Be aware of what I am eating now and how much activity I have in my life. Reduce the calories by reducing portions, stop eating an hour before bed, reduce desserts and increase activity enough that when I start working out I won’t hurt myself. (Maybe do some of the yoga poses a couple times a week or start martial arts forms?) Weigh in every day to check progress on keeping to my weight loss schedule of 4-5 lbs. a month. (Water) If I screw up and binge or don’t drop a pound a week, no worries, just do better the next day, be patient with myself! What if I plateau for two weeks or don’t lose at least 4 lbs. a month? I know I need to go to plan B, which is to increase activity to increase metabolism or start keeping a closer track on my calories and possible calorie counting. I GOT THIS…
Still typing so here is the plan for month three... (AIR) plans for March... EGADS! Carona 19... I STILL GOT THIS! More time at home means more time to work out, learn to cook with what I got, and get this page done and on the site. BONUS! We can get a daily plan to involve exercise time, fun time, relax time and projects time. We can still e-mail, Facebook, call people, keeping up on the news and with friends, no problem. New goal (FIRE or WATER, don't overthink it...) is to be noticeably thinner when I go back to work. Yep, I STILL GOT THIS...
WORKING THAT FIRST STAT WHICH IS WEIGHT:
Have a starting date and starting weight. First rule of weighing yourself: One bad number won’t hurt you unless YOU LET IT GET TO YOU and you start screwing up. GET THROUGH IT AND GET BACK TO A PRODUCTIVE ATTITUDE. Just sayen...
When & how often should I weigh myself?
Short answer: find a time that's best for you and weigh at least once a month (or more if that doesn't freak you out enough to cause you to quit.)
MY LONG ANSWER: Once a month is good enough to keep track of in a long term weight loss project. Twice a month is good if you like keeping track of more numbers. I keep a track once a week to see where I'm at for my monthly goal that I keep THE OFFICIAL track record of. I have weighed myself every day for a while when I felt the need. I admit, it's a little obsessive and can cause stress, so I don't recommend it for everyone.
Tips on HOW to weigh-in... First thing in the morning is the best time for me. I haven't drank or eaten anything and my weight is more honest than before I go to bed. What you wear can affect your number if your scale is really accurate (2 ounces can raise or lower your number). I like to wear more during the weekly weigh-ins and just underwear for the monthly one. If my weekly numbers are good it is more likely I will get what I want on the important day. (By the way... body weight can change up to 5 pounds up or down in a day depending on time of day, hydration, and meal size.)
One bad number won’t hurt you unless YOU LET IT GET TO YOU and you start screwing up worse (an emotional WATER tidal wave). GET THROUGH IT AND GET BACK TO A PRODUCTIVE ATTITUDE. Just sayen...)
Here is how I planned and see my first two months so far…
(AIR) My plan A for dropping weight: (Fire & Earth) Be aware of what I am eating now and how much activity I have in my life. Reduce the calories by reducing portions, stop eating an hour before bed, reduce desserts and increase activity enough that when I start working out I won’t hurt myself. (Maybe do some of the yoga poses a couple times a week or start martial arts forms?) Weigh in every day to check progress on keeping to my weight loss schedule of 4-5 lbs. a month. (Water) If I screw up and binge or don’t drop a pound a week, no worries, just do better the next day, be patient with myself! What if I plateau for two weeks or don’t lose at least 4 lbs. a month? I know I need to go to plan B, which is to increase activity to increase metabolism or start keeping a closer track on my calories and possible calorie counting. I GOT THIS…
Still typing so here is the plan for month three... (AIR) plans for March... EGADS! Carona 19... I STILL GOT THIS! More time at home means more time to work out, learn to cook with what I got, and get this page done and on the site. BONUS! We can get a daily plan to involve exercise time, fun time, relax time and projects time. We can still e-mail, Facebook, call people, keeping up on the news and with friends, no problem. New goal (FIRE or WATER, don't overthink it...) is to be noticeably thinner when I go back to work. Yep, I STILL GOT THIS...
AND NOW FOR THE EARTH ELEMENT
EARTH is about ACTION: You can want and plan until the cows come home but it don’t mean squat if you don’t do something about it! The Earth element is about doing something that can be felt and seen. You do, you assess. If you need to, you replan, and do it again. Check your ego at the door. Take action, just do something. The first and last Element. It's where you find out for sure what works. You can see the results of what you do and adjust accordingly.
There are three parts to Earth, which you can work on. The first is ATTITUDE. What you listen to or eat is INPUT. What energy you expend is your OUTPUT. Why do I have INPUT before OUTPUT? You can eat 500 calories a lot faster than you can burn them. Makes sense to me...
EARTH is about ACTION: You can want and plan until the cows come home but it don’t mean squat if you don’t do something about it! The Earth element is about doing something that can be felt and seen. You do, you assess. If you need to, you replan, and do it again. Check your ego at the door. Take action, just do something. The first and last Element. It's where you find out for sure what works. You can see the results of what you do and adjust accordingly.
There are three parts to Earth, which you can work on. The first is ATTITUDE. What you listen to or eat is INPUT. What energy you expend is your OUTPUT. Why do I have INPUT before OUTPUT? You can eat 500 calories a lot faster than you can burn them. Makes sense to me...
ATTITUDE
ATTITUDE changes everything, for better or worse.
If I can change my attitude from “I have to do this or die” to “This could be a fun adventure, to live longer and feel better while having more adventures” I can win on all four elemental levels, AND SO CAN YOU…
I CONTROL HOW I FEEL. There are days when I start out thinking… "I love it when a plan comes together." This is usually when I reach a long term goal and am feeling good. Good enough to stop doing the good things and fall back into bad habits. Then I realize it is harder to get into my car because my gut is bigger and I think "Oh.. F-ck, I gotta rethink this" and get back to the good habits. (It’s also why I have lost 950 lbs. and gained back 900 in the last 20 years.) A productive attitude can take you a long way…
It also helps to have some thick skin. (Not a pun!) If you screw up, admit it and get back on plan with as little complaining as possible. Simple! You like yourself, remember? I know people can be a--holes. If someone makes fun of you it’s their problem, not yours! Just smile and be happy you are not them. If you smile and say, "I’m working on it," then get back to what you were doing, you win. If you feel the need to add “Fuck you” or “go piss off,” do so. If it escalates into a brawl, remember fighting IS OUTPUT and a form of workout, so swing away and good luck. OK, that could get you banned from where you work out, so fighting might not be the best idea. But you do get the idea of a thick skin, right?
ATTITUDE changes everything, for better or worse.
If I can change my attitude from “I have to do this or die” to “This could be a fun adventure, to live longer and feel better while having more adventures” I can win on all four elemental levels, AND SO CAN YOU…
I CONTROL HOW I FEEL. There are days when I start out thinking… "I love it when a plan comes together." This is usually when I reach a long term goal and am feeling good. Good enough to stop doing the good things and fall back into bad habits. Then I realize it is harder to get into my car because my gut is bigger and I think "Oh.. F-ck, I gotta rethink this" and get back to the good habits. (It’s also why I have lost 950 lbs. and gained back 900 in the last 20 years.) A productive attitude can take you a long way…
It also helps to have some thick skin. (Not a pun!) If you screw up, admit it and get back on plan with as little complaining as possible. Simple! You like yourself, remember? I know people can be a--holes. If someone makes fun of you it’s their problem, not yours! Just smile and be happy you are not them. If you smile and say, "I’m working on it," then get back to what you were doing, you win. If you feel the need to add “Fuck you” or “go piss off,” do so. If it escalates into a brawl, remember fighting IS OUTPUT and a form of workout, so swing away and good luck. OK, that could get you banned from where you work out, so fighting might not be the best idea. But you do get the idea of a thick skin, right?
ATTITUDE CHECK: Are You Making Reasons to Win or Excuses to Lose?
A better ATTITUDE will overcome the same old excuses you have that have led to failure and can create reasons to succeed. Here are some widely accepted excuses that I no longer accept:
A good tool is to make a list of what sucks worse than working out…
I know you have a different list than I do, possibly longer, of different attitudes that prevent you from reaching your goals. Go ahead and journal them, I’ll wait…
... Cool, back at it...
- Think you’re too old?
- I don’t fit in at the gym, I’m self-conscious around others.
- What if the gym is too expensive or too far away?
- Diet food sucks, it doesn’t taste right.
- I have an eating disorder that I can’t help.
- You are in a wheelchair or can’t get out of bed?
- WORKING OUT SUCKS!
A good tool is to make a list of what sucks worse than working out…
- Not being able to do activities as well as you want to.
- Small bus and plane seats suck…
- Not being able to take care of yourself or needing others to drive you around sucks.
- Constant leg pain or getting sick because of weight constantly. Acid Reflux really sucks!
I know you have a different list than I do, possibly longer, of different attitudes that prevent you from reaching your goals. Go ahead and journal them, I’ll wait…
... Cool, back at it...
FOOD IS OUR FUEL...
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INPUT
The INPUT section of EARTH is about controlling what you eat and drink. You need a good balance of carbs, protein, and fat (the good kinds) to survive. There are a lot of different opinions out there about the portions of each. If you want to learn more, find a health website that is not trying to sell you anything. Their facts won't be skewed towards a product. Here are some quick basic notes on what I found from the Mayo clinic (The name still sounds like they should be into potato or tuna salads), WebMD, and others...
How is the best way to eat? Here are three tools/tips that helped me.
1. Do portion control.
If you eat less now and live longer you will have more meals to have more eating experiences. If you are not into health research and just want to get started with weight loss, the best way to start is by knowing what is normal eating and drinking for you (the journal is your friend), then reducing the portions so you’re less full than normal. Over time, being a little hungry can shrink the stomach to the point that a larger meal will make you uncomfortable. It is OK to be a little hungry, but not OK to starve yourself. Being too hungry over time will put your body in starvation mode and can really screw it up. Here are some ideas, stories about, and pictures about using smaller portions to shrink your stomach without hurting yourself:
Here are some photos with some tricks for portion control:
The INPUT section of EARTH is about controlling what you eat and drink. You need a good balance of carbs, protein, and fat (the good kinds) to survive. There are a lot of different opinions out there about the portions of each. If you want to learn more, find a health website that is not trying to sell you anything. Their facts won't be skewed towards a product. Here are some quick basic notes on what I found from the Mayo clinic (The name still sounds like they should be into potato or tuna salads), WebMD, and others...
- Carbohydrates - Needed for energy. Fuels the brain, kidneys, heart, and nervous system. Helps keep cholesterol in check. Fiber helps clean out the intestines.
- Proteins - building blocks for muscle, bones, cartilage, skin, and blood. Boosts metabolism and reduces appetite.
- Fat - Keeps body warm, helps absorb some nutrients. Also helps mental abilities. Saturated and Trans fats are usually solid at room temp and known as the bad fats. Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats can lower cholesterol in your system.
- Sodium - We need salt, around 1,500 mg is healthy. The average American eats around 3,400 mg, 70% of which is from processed foods.
- Water - Dehydration can lead to loss of mental and emotional functions (you have seen movies about being lost in the desert right?). There are foods that have high water content. Water, not power drinks or soda, also helps the kidneys and liver flush toxins out of the body. (Not to over share, but, when I'm fully hydrated, the dumps come out bigger and easier, just sayen.)
How is the best way to eat? Here are three tools/tips that helped me.
1. Do portion control.
If you eat less now and live longer you will have more meals to have more eating experiences. If you are not into health research and just want to get started with weight loss, the best way to start is by knowing what is normal eating and drinking for you (the journal is your friend), then reducing the portions so you’re less full than normal. Over time, being a little hungry can shrink the stomach to the point that a larger meal will make you uncomfortable. It is OK to be a little hungry, but not OK to starve yourself. Being too hungry over time will put your body in starvation mode and can really screw it up. Here are some ideas, stories about, and pictures about using smaller portions to shrink your stomach without hurting yourself:
- Remember, it is ok to not eat everything on your plate. Don’t feel guilty.
- Start with smaller portions and go back and get smaller 2nds if you need to.
- I used to eat a large four topping pizza with a 2-liter of soda while watching a movie. To reduce this, I started buying medium pizzas, then went to sharing the large with somone or getting a small for just myself. Now, Theresa and I split a medium or small and have salad to go with it. Smaller portions, less calories, better food, and I didn’t worry about calorie counting, yet.
- I love ice cream and used to buy it by the 5 gallon bucket and finish that bucket within three days by myself. To cut back, I bought the ½ gallon container and finished that in two bowls during one TV show, hopefully only once or twice a week. Still not great, but a lot less calories and I got the ice cream I wanted. Now I only buy by the pint, less than twice a week, or, Theresa found 60 calorie mini Dove bars. I try for one or less a day. It’s better than when I started and I don’t feel deprived of anything.
- Story about picture 1, below: I used to drink all my soda, beer, whatever out of the center mug pictured. I thought it was huge, so I could use it to show that drinking out of the quart jar on the left instead was reducing portions. I took a picture and everything! AFTER using the picture I decided to test how much went into my "Macho Mug". It was a quart or less. Don't I feel stupid. Check ATTITUDE, ADJUST... Actually, not stupid, just reeducating my vision. If I want to think I am drinking a lot I can fill the larger looking glass with the same calories as my normal glass. Definitely a win if I use knowledge as a tool..
Here are some photos with some tricks for portion control:
Trick 1, Vision... Use smaller bowls, plates, and glasses. It takes less food to make the smaller plate and bowl look full. The large bowl holds four cups of food, the smaller one holds about 2 cups. If I need to I can fill the quart jar 1/2 full and add ice so it seems totally full.
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Trick 2, Lazy Butt... I like to nibble while using the computer. Now I put the snack into a smaller bowl. If I run out and want to nibble more I have to stop my progress and get off my Lazy Butt to go get more snacks.
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Trick 3, Not from the bag ... I can go through each of these containers of chips in one sitting, no problem. Each has over 1000 calories in them. The trick is to fill a small container then mark the bag and try to get at least four or more marks/snacks per bag.
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Trick 4, Stretch it out... I give myself 600 calories of ice cream a week. One pint equals 600 calories. One small ice cream bar is 60 calories. Do I want the calories all at once or have 10 snacks at different times?
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Trick 5, To go... This is one of Theresa's favorites. When you go out to eat bring a to go box with you, or when you forget them as we sometimes do, ask the serving person to bring one before or with the meal. You can put 1/2 the meal away (since restaurant portions are so large), enjoy the rest and be less likely to eat more than you want to since it's not sitting on your plate. (Theresa says the page looks better if the print takes up the same height as the picture. She is the professional. Soooo... Yaddayaddayaddayadda... Yadda yadda, Yadda Yadda Yaddayaddaya... ... Screw it... too much typing... I'm putting a big gap in the center...) On to the next tip... |
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2. EAT MINDFULLY
Paying attention to how and when you eat is eating mindfully. Eat slower with fewer distractions from your food. If you know how to listen, your body will tell you when it is full before your mind thinks your body is full. If you pay attention to the taste of the food, the flavor or texture will change in a way you won’t like, which means your body has reached taste satiety, stop eating. What is on your plate can be saved for a snack later or thrown out. (Smaller portions helps you throw less food away.) Yes, we were trained to clear our plates but, it’ IS O…K… to throw some food away.
Theresa and I took a three month course on eating mindfully. It had other tips that I've found useful:
- Don’t snarf or eat from a package. (See the Trick 3 photo above.) Read the amount of portions per container. The packaging can fool your mind. If I’m not paying attention I can eat a large bag of chips in one sitting, sometimes two.
- Stop eating or snacking an hour or more before you go to bed. (Brush your teeth and have water next to you during the last TV show if that helps.) It gives your body more time to digest the food.
Being mindful is about paying attention to how you feel during and after eating. If you feel like crap you need to change the type of foods you are eating. Sorry, no pictures for this tip. I'll make up for that on the next tip...
Paying attention to how and when you eat is eating mindfully. Eat slower with fewer distractions from your food. If you know how to listen, your body will tell you when it is full before your mind thinks your body is full. If you pay attention to the taste of the food, the flavor or texture will change in a way you won’t like, which means your body has reached taste satiety, stop eating. What is on your plate can be saved for a snack later or thrown out. (Smaller portions helps you throw less food away.) Yes, we were trained to clear our plates but, it’ IS O…K… to throw some food away.
- We used to get in front of the TV and eat dinner. I like to eat while watching TV. Theresa also likes to not have dirty dishes in front of her during TV. So we used to stop during the show to clean up, which was very irritating for me. I like to get through the show without interruptions. We now wait five to ten minutes before the TV goes on. It gives us a chance to taste the food and talk about how good it is or what might be done to make it better. Theresa gets more satisfaction from the food and she usually eats less, finishes, and cleans the dishes before the show starts so I don’t have to wait in the middle of a show. Win, win…
Theresa and I took a three month course on eating mindfully. It had other tips that I've found useful:
- Don’t snarf or eat from a package. (See the Trick 3 photo above.) Read the amount of portions per container. The packaging can fool your mind. If I’m not paying attention I can eat a large bag of chips in one sitting, sometimes two.
- The large bag of chips usually is the family size with at least 10 portions, a lot of calories. My goal is to make that bag last for at least five sittings, it’s the same calories but they're spread out over three to five days.
- I used to buy two large candy bars or three regular ones depending on cost, and eat them all in under 10 minutes. Now I get one, sometimes a king size, cut it into six or more pieces, then take at least five or more minutes per piece, really tasting the candy. Sometimes I get busy and it takes me an hour to get through the whole thing and I don’t feel the need to go buy another one. This also works on donuts people bring into work. Just cut one into six pieces and take your time. I did this a few weeks ago, I even grabbed a second doughnut but couldn’t finish it because I was full and I could feel the bad effect the sugar was having on my stomach.
- Stop eating or snacking an hour or more before you go to bed. (Brush your teeth and have water next to you during the last TV show if that helps.) It gives your body more time to digest the food.
Being mindful is about paying attention to how you feel during and after eating. If you feel like crap you need to change the type of foods you are eating. Sorry, no pictures for this tip. I'll make up for that on the next tip...
Saved da Best Tip for Last... True Control Comes From Knowing How to Cook
3. Learn how to cook
If you want total control of what goes into your body, find what you like, learn how to use seasonings, and you can make food that is better for you, tastes great, and is less expensive than a restaurant. Ever go to a gas station for a cup of coffee and get a couple of hot snacks that kinda taste like crap? I have. Now, most days, I get up early enough to make my own coffee and make a sandwich or a wrap from last night’s leftovers. It costs less, I can eat and drive, and the healthier food tastes better. Win, win…
Most of my meals used to be at restaurants. A lot of restaurants use fat and salt or MSG to increase flavor, and ask if you want appetizers that are a meal in themselves. You get more calories, they make more profit. Now most of my food is home cooked, which saves me money and calories. Restaurants used to be a treat once a week, nowadays most people eat out twice a day!
I used to go out to eat steak. I would get the largest I could, the porterhouse, with all the fixings. The first step I used to change this was to order the smaller steak (T-bone is slightly smaller), then I worked my way down to the ribeye or fillet minion. And I tried for the healthier, non-fried sides. Now I cook or grill steaks at home. It's a lot less expensive and I can control what my side portions are. In the kitchen, I decide how much salt, fat, and sugar goes into my food and I know what the ingredients are and where they come from.
I started cooking on an outdoor grill, then found I liked it so much I gave the kitchen a try too. I’m glad I learned how to grill. Everything tastes better over open flame. Some of my favorite things I grill besides steak? Corn, cabbage, wild edible plants, pizza, onions, grilled cheese sandwiches, smoked baked beans, the tomatoes and tomatillos we use to make homemade salsa, grilled flatbread, Portabella or other large mushrooms, and more… Here are some food pictures from our kitchen and my grill…Do these look good?
If you want total control of what goes into your body, find what you like, learn how to use seasonings, and you can make food that is better for you, tastes great, and is less expensive than a restaurant. Ever go to a gas station for a cup of coffee and get a couple of hot snacks that kinda taste like crap? I have. Now, most days, I get up early enough to make my own coffee and make a sandwich or a wrap from last night’s leftovers. It costs less, I can eat and drive, and the healthier food tastes better. Win, win…
Most of my meals used to be at restaurants. A lot of restaurants use fat and salt or MSG to increase flavor, and ask if you want appetizers that are a meal in themselves. You get more calories, they make more profit. Now most of my food is home cooked, which saves me money and calories. Restaurants used to be a treat once a week, nowadays most people eat out twice a day!
I used to go out to eat steak. I would get the largest I could, the porterhouse, with all the fixings. The first step I used to change this was to order the smaller steak (T-bone is slightly smaller), then I worked my way down to the ribeye or fillet minion. And I tried for the healthier, non-fried sides. Now I cook or grill steaks at home. It's a lot less expensive and I can control what my side portions are. In the kitchen, I decide how much salt, fat, and sugar goes into my food and I know what the ingredients are and where they come from.
I started cooking on an outdoor grill, then found I liked it so much I gave the kitchen a try too. I’m glad I learned how to grill. Everything tastes better over open flame. Some of my favorite things I grill besides steak? Corn, cabbage, wild edible plants, pizza, onions, grilled cheese sandwiches, smoked baked beans, the tomatoes and tomatillos we use to make homemade salsa, grilled flatbread, Portabella or other large mushrooms, and more… Here are some food pictures from our kitchen and my grill…Do these look good?
You won't find this dining out. Brussel sprouts with bacon and eggs. A lot less calories than hash browns, which are usually dry.
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Beets work too. Ya think this looks kinda Master Cheffy?
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A simple, yet unique sandwich for lunch...
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Into the not so simple? There is a lot to chose from when you can create your own options...
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Why buy the same old roast beef when you can create different flavors of pit beef? You get to control how much salt goes in...
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Grill extra chicken for sandwiches or salads. (Marinade chicken in yellow mustard, some soy sauce, garlic and onion powder for 2 hrs or overnight. Damn fine chicken...)
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... Also some damn fine steaks! If you are vegetarian or vegan, grilled portabella mushrooms goes well with steak sauce...
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Want some sides for those steaks? Grilled corn and zucchini. I have also grilled cabbage and onions for a decadent salad...
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If you learn how to can, you can make salsas or...
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... Create fresh, unique, sauces for pasta.
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Ever go out to get this kind of brushetta bar? I don't think so...
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... Don't even get me started on varieties of pizza.
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Are soups and stews a comfort food? You can make them better than the canned salty stuff...
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Salads gone wild! Check our wild edibles page to put the wild back in your salad.
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Want to have better dressings for the salads? Theresa shows you how to do it on our making dressings page.
If you want more info on my philosophy on cooking here is a link to my Shelf Chef page. Here is a link to our recipes page. As you can see in the picture, there are a lot of books ready to teach you about cooking. There is also a lot of advice on the internet for free. Doing the pictures for this section was making me drool. Enough about eating, now it's time to learn how to burn the calories off with your OUTPUT. |
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We Gotta Move it, Move it...
OUTPUT
OUTPUT is what you do to burn calories. It’s your safe activity level. You should start getting active. To me the most important thing is to add movement to your day, and at least 5 to 15 minutes at a time, just move more. Crank up the tunes and walk quickly around the house, do calisthenics, dance like nobody’s looking, do yoga poses or whatever, for at least three songs. If you spend a lot of time at a computer set a timer for 40 min. and get up and walk around for a couple minutes so you don’t get stuck for hours at a time with no motion. At work, be the person who walks out the trash, or use the stairs, or if you can get away with it, make more walking back and forth time. If you can and want to, get a second job that has more activity, with more moving and extra pay, it’s definitely a win. If you have kids, create time to actually chase the little suckers around. Hopefully they will run out of energy before you do. Guys, house work is activity, sweep and share the burden.
How important is being and staying active? This is what I went through last year…
Remember when I said you should see your doctor? It’s REALLY important to see him or her if you want to start an intense exercise program. They have better equipment than you do. If there is a chemical imbalance he or she can detect it and give you meds if needed. If you start faster than your heart can take, the heart may go boom, and you are dead. So much for weight control. Check with the doctor.
Moving on…
For those who haven’t worked out and don’t know the vocabulary, here are the three things, with lingo, tips, and personal stories, that I work on for my OUTPUT: strength, cardio, and flexibility/dexterity.
STRENGTH
Strength is usually the next thing (after weight) that I like to keep track of in the stats section of my journal. It is usually improved by weight lifting. To build muscle you have to tear it down then give the water and proteins in your body time to rebuild it back up, bigger. That is why you should lift every other day. Those who are experienced know how to lift everyday using different muscle groups. In each exercise you do an amount (weight), a number of times (reps), then take a break (set), do more sets if needed.
EXAMPLE of bench pressing: BENCH 150 / 3 SETS of 10 reps. This means that after you warm up, you will make the bench bar weight = 150 lbs. You will bench press 10 times (reps) before stopping, (that is 1 set). You will repeat that process two more times, if you can. If you can, AND feel you could do more, you can increase the weight next time.
Remember, always warm up at least 5 to 10 min and always give your body time to heal. If you can't finish the set that is called muscle failure. It means you are pushing current limits and breaking down more muscle. The weight you can only do one rep of is considered your Max. ALWAYS have a spotter who will watch out and help you if needed when you are going for max on free weights.
Here is (AIR) a beginner plan to get started...
If you think the above plan is too slow remember, when lifting weights, A SLOW START IS BETTER THAN NO START AND IS A LOT SAFER THAN TOO FAST OF A START. You want to strain, not feel pain. Start slow and build up even if you are experienced. I have bench pressed 300 lbs. and I have maxed a dumb bell bench with 100 lb. in each arm and it felt great! (WATER). Knowing that shit ain't happening now is a reality check on my ego (more WATER). I have a plan (AIR) to start slow enough not to harm myself. My planned OUTPUT (EARTH) is that I am going to bench 1 or 2 sets of 10 reps at low weight (start at 10 lbs. per arm, dumb bells are all I have now), do at least 4 sessions to get used to the motion, then slowly work up to at least one set of 6 reps at my highest dumb bell weight at home (40 lbs.) Here are some stories from my experience when I did NOT plan so well…
In college, when I quit football, I stopped lifting, for three or more months. Then I found a weight program I liked and wanted to try it out. The exercises were three sets of 10 reps at 60% to 70% of your max. I had an idea of what that was, when I was lifting four months ago. I went for it. I was young enough to be able to bounce back fast from light injuries. Right? Heh… I suffered a week of not being able to bend or straighten my arms without help. I had to pull or push against my other arm to bend or straighten the arm I wanted. Ever had to roll your head around real fast in your hands to shampoo your hair because your arms weren’t working right? I have…Exceptionally NOT pleasant.
Remember when I said you should have a workout partner when lifting heavy free weights? At a gym, by myself, I was benching two hand dumbbells at 80 lbs. each. I almost lost control of them. The owner was nearby and saw me struggle and saved my ass, and gave me a tip on how to lift better. I could have been hurt in so many different ways if he wasn’t there. My brother, who was experienced and could bench around 300 lbs., was trying a different grip and dropped over 100 lbs. on his jaw and head. Lucky his partner moved the weight off and my brother was OK. You get the idea on lifting safely, right? on to the next OUTPUT...
OUTPUT is what you do to burn calories. It’s your safe activity level. You should start getting active. To me the most important thing is to add movement to your day, and at least 5 to 15 minutes at a time, just move more. Crank up the tunes and walk quickly around the house, do calisthenics, dance like nobody’s looking, do yoga poses or whatever, for at least three songs. If you spend a lot of time at a computer set a timer for 40 min. and get up and walk around for a couple minutes so you don’t get stuck for hours at a time with no motion. At work, be the person who walks out the trash, or use the stairs, or if you can get away with it, make more walking back and forth time. If you can and want to, get a second job that has more activity, with more moving and extra pay, it’s definitely a win. If you have kids, create time to actually chase the little suckers around. Hopefully they will run out of energy before you do. Guys, house work is activity, sweep and share the burden.
How important is being and staying active? This is what I went through last year…
- I had a job where I stood most of the day for an 8 to 10 hr. shift five to six days a week. Not a problem for me. I quit that job and took about 6 months off. During that time I was very inactive. I watched a lot of TV, read books, and only did the chores I felt I had to. I still did everyday things but not much else. I also gained around 15 pounds. I found another job where I was standing a lot. I figured, I’ve done this for 7 years, and was lazy for only 6 months, no problem. WRONG!! My legs were aching halfway through the day. It took a while to get out of my car and wobble to the door when I got home. The next day my knees and ankles were in pain. It took me over 4 weeks to get to having only the slight aches in my legs that I was used to at the other job.
- When I wake up, before I get out of bed, I roll my ankles to loosen them up. I lay on my back with my arms in the air and make fists, then open hands, and roll my wrists to loosen up my arms. I sit up and roll my neck each way to loosen the kinks and do shoulder rolls. If I’m feeling energetic when I walk to the bathroom, I will high step while swinging my arms more than normal. It’s five minutes that helps me wake up. I call it the “wakey wakey workout” and I keep track of how many days I do it in my journal.
- Getting up from the ground is a good thing to be able to do. I was told by a trainer if I did that 6 times I would get more of a workout than some people get all day. Here is my Getting Up workout. Lay on the floor on your back then roll right and get up, lay back down then roll left and get up, that’s one. Repeat four times. When you feel like it, go for more. Six is more than a lot of people do and 15 is fantastic. I do it for warm ups when I work out. (My goal by the end of March is to do 1 to 3 sets of 10, five or more times a week.)
Remember when I said you should see your doctor? It’s REALLY important to see him or her if you want to start an intense exercise program. They have better equipment than you do. If there is a chemical imbalance he or she can detect it and give you meds if needed. If you start faster than your heart can take, the heart may go boom, and you are dead. So much for weight control. Check with the doctor.
Moving on…
For those who haven’t worked out and don’t know the vocabulary, here are the three things, with lingo, tips, and personal stories, that I work on for my OUTPUT: strength, cardio, and flexibility/dexterity.
STRENGTH
Strength is usually the next thing (after weight) that I like to keep track of in the stats section of my journal. It is usually improved by weight lifting. To build muscle you have to tear it down then give the water and proteins in your body time to rebuild it back up, bigger. That is why you should lift every other day. Those who are experienced know how to lift everyday using different muscle groups. In each exercise you do an amount (weight), a number of times (reps), then take a break (set), do more sets if needed.
EXAMPLE of bench pressing: BENCH 150 / 3 SETS of 10 reps. This means that after you warm up, you will make the bench bar weight = 150 lbs. You will bench press 10 times (reps) before stopping, (that is 1 set). You will repeat that process two more times, if you can. If you can, AND feel you could do more, you can increase the weight next time.
Remember, always warm up at least 5 to 10 min and always give your body time to heal. If you can't finish the set that is called muscle failure. It means you are pushing current limits and breaking down more muscle. The weight you can only do one rep of is considered your Max. ALWAYS have a spotter who will watch out and help you if needed when you are going for max on free weights.
Here is (AIR) a beginner plan to get started...
- Chose 8 exercises you want to do. Have at least 1 exercise for legs, and 2 for core training. Always journal the date and weight used, I usually have my stat journal with me when I work out.
- Just using the bars or a very light weight, do 1 set of 10 reps for each exercise. This gets your body used to the motion. Take the next day off.
- If you don't feel any strain or muscle aches, up the weight by 5 to 10 lbs. Get used to the exercise motions. Record the weight and if you could do more- the Stat journal section remembers better than your mind. Take a day off. If you feel strained the next time, you are at a good weight. If not, keep adding 5 to 10 lbs. during workout days until you feel the slight aches or reach muscle failure.) Keep doing 1 set of 10 for at least 3 sessions. (If you don't have weights to add, then do the exercises slower. Count to 3 or 5 on the down motion, then the push. If that isn't enough go up to sets of 12 or 15 reps.)
- When you feel ready, add 1 set of 10 reps. (If you can't finish the second set that's fine- record how many reps you could do.) When you can finish and have done both sets for two sessions and feel OK, add a third set. When you are able to do all three sets for two or three sessions, you are ready to up the weight. Good stat journaling helps you keep track of what exercises to advance on and when.
- When warmed up, add 5 to 10 lbs. to the exercises you are ready to go up in weight, and do 3 sets of 6 reps. Do that until you think you can go up reps. (I usually use the first set to get warmer, then test myself on the later sets. Here is a sample of my progression sets: 6 6 6 , 6 6 8 or 10 , 6 6 10 , 6 8 10, 8 8 10, 8 10 10, 10 10 10 at least 2 sessions, then add weight and start at 6 6 6 and work your way up to 10 10 10.)
If you think the above plan is too slow remember, when lifting weights, A SLOW START IS BETTER THAN NO START AND IS A LOT SAFER THAN TOO FAST OF A START. You want to strain, not feel pain. Start slow and build up even if you are experienced. I have bench pressed 300 lbs. and I have maxed a dumb bell bench with 100 lb. in each arm and it felt great! (WATER). Knowing that shit ain't happening now is a reality check on my ego (more WATER). I have a plan (AIR) to start slow enough not to harm myself. My planned OUTPUT (EARTH) is that I am going to bench 1 or 2 sets of 10 reps at low weight (start at 10 lbs. per arm, dumb bells are all I have now), do at least 4 sessions to get used to the motion, then slowly work up to at least one set of 6 reps at my highest dumb bell weight at home (40 lbs.) Here are some stories from my experience when I did NOT plan so well…
In college, when I quit football, I stopped lifting, for three or more months. Then I found a weight program I liked and wanted to try it out. The exercises were three sets of 10 reps at 60% to 70% of your max. I had an idea of what that was, when I was lifting four months ago. I went for it. I was young enough to be able to bounce back fast from light injuries. Right? Heh… I suffered a week of not being able to bend or straighten my arms without help. I had to pull or push against my other arm to bend or straighten the arm I wanted. Ever had to roll your head around real fast in your hands to shampoo your hair because your arms weren’t working right? I have…Exceptionally NOT pleasant.
Remember when I said you should have a workout partner when lifting heavy free weights? At a gym, by myself, I was benching two hand dumbbells at 80 lbs. each. I almost lost control of them. The owner was nearby and saw me struggle and saved my ass, and gave me a tip on how to lift better. I could have been hurt in so many different ways if he wasn’t there. My brother, who was experienced and could bench around 300 lbs., was trying a different grip and dropped over 100 lbs. on his jaw and head. Lucky his partner moved the weight off and my brother was OK. You get the idea on lifting safely, right? on to the next OUTPUT...
CARDIO
Cardio is a mix of stamina and speed. Working on cardio increases how far you can go, how fast, and for how long. It makes a stronger heart. (Remember the RBM and blood pressure?) Track numbers of how far and how fast you can go walking, jogging, biking, swimming, etc... (Do I want to be faster or do I want to be able to go for a longer time? Both are valid questions.)
(AIR) My example plan of walking: I know I can walk a mile in 20 min. (EARTH) Do it 3 to 5 days a week. I want to walk one mile in 10 min., if that is possible, without running. I want to see how far I can go in 20 min. My ultimate goal is to work up to 2 or 3 miles in 30 minutes, and if I can, maintain a 2 - 3 mile (pushing for 3 miles) in 30 min. walk three or more days a week to maintain fitness over the summer. Yep, I have examples of what can happen if you start doing cardio too fast…
From the time I was 8 years old to my second year of college, I played football and lifted weights from time to time. In football you start out with two weeks of two practices a day. When I didn’t walk or run much over the summer, when the "two a days" started I paid for it with a week or two of shin splints. That is when your shins literally feel like they are coming apart while you stand or walk.
Twice in my late 40’s I have tried to walk too far and run before my legs were ready for it:
The first time I had been walking 2 to 3 miles a few times a week to lose some weight. My car didn’t start and Theresa needed her car for the day. I figured it would be a good challenge to walk 5 miles on the bike path to get to work. I did some fast walking so I wouldn’t be late and had no problems. I got there on time and had something to brag about and I was cocky enough to think I could walk home after my shift, where I stood all day. By mid-shift I was really hoping for a ride home. A light case of shin splints and some muscle aches had begun. Luckily someone took pity on me and gave me a ride home. A win for my ego but my legs and back paid for it with pain.
A few months later my mind said it couldn’t hurt if I tried to do some 40 yard jogging sprints after walking 20 min. I was warmed up. I figured I could do a "slow" sprint, not all out, just about 60%. What could go wrong? Stupid, stupid, mind. I pulled something in my leg and didn’t sleep well that night because my legs kept reminding me, at that age, I’m a dumbass for trying too much too soon. I told my chiropractor about what happened. He confirmed by telling me "Hey dumb ass (or was it idiot child?), where do you need to sprint at your age? Stick to walking."
Along with that shining example of encouragement, he let me in on a little secret. The more FLEXIBLE your joints are at an older age, the better you can get around. If you have good ankle and knee flexibility you will be less likely to wobble when you walk. Which is good cause I ain't interested in doin the splits!
Cardio is a mix of stamina and speed. Working on cardio increases how far you can go, how fast, and for how long. It makes a stronger heart. (Remember the RBM and blood pressure?) Track numbers of how far and how fast you can go walking, jogging, biking, swimming, etc... (Do I want to be faster or do I want to be able to go for a longer time? Both are valid questions.)
(AIR) My example plan of walking: I know I can walk a mile in 20 min. (EARTH) Do it 3 to 5 days a week. I want to walk one mile in 10 min., if that is possible, without running. I want to see how far I can go in 20 min. My ultimate goal is to work up to 2 or 3 miles in 30 minutes, and if I can, maintain a 2 - 3 mile (pushing for 3 miles) in 30 min. walk three or more days a week to maintain fitness over the summer. Yep, I have examples of what can happen if you start doing cardio too fast…
From the time I was 8 years old to my second year of college, I played football and lifted weights from time to time. In football you start out with two weeks of two practices a day. When I didn’t walk or run much over the summer, when the "two a days" started I paid for it with a week or two of shin splints. That is when your shins literally feel like they are coming apart while you stand or walk.
Twice in my late 40’s I have tried to walk too far and run before my legs were ready for it:
The first time I had been walking 2 to 3 miles a few times a week to lose some weight. My car didn’t start and Theresa needed her car for the day. I figured it would be a good challenge to walk 5 miles on the bike path to get to work. I did some fast walking so I wouldn’t be late and had no problems. I got there on time and had something to brag about and I was cocky enough to think I could walk home after my shift, where I stood all day. By mid-shift I was really hoping for a ride home. A light case of shin splints and some muscle aches had begun. Luckily someone took pity on me and gave me a ride home. A win for my ego but my legs and back paid for it with pain.
A few months later my mind said it couldn’t hurt if I tried to do some 40 yard jogging sprints after walking 20 min. I was warmed up. I figured I could do a "slow" sprint, not all out, just about 60%. What could go wrong? Stupid, stupid, mind. I pulled something in my leg and didn’t sleep well that night because my legs kept reminding me, at that age, I’m a dumbass for trying too much too soon. I told my chiropractor about what happened. He confirmed by telling me "Hey dumb ass (or was it idiot child?), where do you need to sprint at your age? Stick to walking."
Along with that shining example of encouragement, he let me in on a little secret. The more FLEXIBLE your joints are at an older age, the better you can get around. If you have good ankle and knee flexibility you will be less likely to wobble when you walk. Which is good cause I ain't interested in doin the splits!
FLEXIBILITY AND DEXTERITY
Flexibility and dexterity can be kept track of in your stats section of the journal by what you can do. Flexibility is stationary (touch toes while standing straight-legged, how close can I get my toes to my shin, can I do the splits, can I reach the middle of my back with my hand, etc.). Dexterity is flexibility in action (can I catch or throw a ball well, how good are my dance moves, how fast can I get up from the floor, etc...). It’s more about motion than numbers.
Here are two examples about staying active, one big win and one big fail...
When I was in martial arts I was the biggest guy in the room at around 310 lbs. I knew I was slow and wasn't worried about it because I was determined and I liked going to class. I just did the best I could and kept trying to be better. One day we were doing an exercise where we ran in place then dropped to do push ups and got up quickly to run some more. The instructor told everyone to stop and watch me do the exercise. I'm thinking "Oh shit, what's wrong?" But I did the exercise the best I could. When I was done, he told everyone else they had no excuses. Why is the biggest guy there, who is a little older, going faster than most of the higher ranked students? Get to work. I was better and more flexible than I thought. That was one of the best days I had in class and it kept me motivated, for six months.
Then I went to a competition in Texas and got hurt. I was kicked in the ribs so much it hurt to move, but not bad enough to go to the doctor. I didn’t want to hurt more, so I stopped going to classes. I lost my FIRE and my WATER was in self-pity mode. I tried to go back after a few months off but my head and heart wasn’t in it. If I had checked my ego at the door and tried while not at my best, I could have kept training and would be in better condition or possibly in great condition and would have had a brown or black belt before moving to Wisconsin. ATTITUDE, coulda woulda and shoulda, never know…
Oh… I tried getting back into mixed martial in my mid 40’s. The idea was good and bad. I'm thinking it's like my old school. Lots of warm ups and drills and forms so I can get back into shape. No problem. WRONG! Not as young as I used to be and the drills required more contact. My rib went out when a brown belt kicked the pad I was holding. During grappling a smaller guy landed on top of me and again the ribs got hurt. This time I continued going to the class and recovered instead of missing time and wasting my money. Big ATTITUDE win. I realized I wasn't preconditioned to the contact and didn't have enough money to continue the classes that were only two or three times a week. I did have a notebook and took notes on what I learned so even if I forgot I could reread and practice at home. Big journal win.
My best tip on flexibility is to be warm BEFORE you stretch. If you get moving for 10 minutes or so to loosen up you are less likely to pull a muscle and you are more likely to stretch further and thus become more flexible. Do your stretching as the last part of your workout. (AIR)
Speaking of workouts here are some more tips and plans for workout types...
Flexibility and dexterity can be kept track of in your stats section of the journal by what you can do. Flexibility is stationary (touch toes while standing straight-legged, how close can I get my toes to my shin, can I do the splits, can I reach the middle of my back with my hand, etc.). Dexterity is flexibility in action (can I catch or throw a ball well, how good are my dance moves, how fast can I get up from the floor, etc...). It’s more about motion than numbers.
Here are two examples about staying active, one big win and one big fail...
When I was in martial arts I was the biggest guy in the room at around 310 lbs. I knew I was slow and wasn't worried about it because I was determined and I liked going to class. I just did the best I could and kept trying to be better. One day we were doing an exercise where we ran in place then dropped to do push ups and got up quickly to run some more. The instructor told everyone to stop and watch me do the exercise. I'm thinking "Oh shit, what's wrong?" But I did the exercise the best I could. When I was done, he told everyone else they had no excuses. Why is the biggest guy there, who is a little older, going faster than most of the higher ranked students? Get to work. I was better and more flexible than I thought. That was one of the best days I had in class and it kept me motivated, for six months.
Then I went to a competition in Texas and got hurt. I was kicked in the ribs so much it hurt to move, but not bad enough to go to the doctor. I didn’t want to hurt more, so I stopped going to classes. I lost my FIRE and my WATER was in self-pity mode. I tried to go back after a few months off but my head and heart wasn’t in it. If I had checked my ego at the door and tried while not at my best, I could have kept training and would be in better condition or possibly in great condition and would have had a brown or black belt before moving to Wisconsin. ATTITUDE, coulda woulda and shoulda, never know…
Oh… I tried getting back into mixed martial in my mid 40’s. The idea was good and bad. I'm thinking it's like my old school. Lots of warm ups and drills and forms so I can get back into shape. No problem. WRONG! Not as young as I used to be and the drills required more contact. My rib went out when a brown belt kicked the pad I was holding. During grappling a smaller guy landed on top of me and again the ribs got hurt. This time I continued going to the class and recovered instead of missing time and wasting my money. Big ATTITUDE win. I realized I wasn't preconditioned to the contact and didn't have enough money to continue the classes that were only two or three times a week. I did have a notebook and took notes on what I learned so even if I forgot I could reread and practice at home. Big journal win.
My best tip on flexibility is to be warm BEFORE you stretch. If you get moving for 10 minutes or so to loosen up you are less likely to pull a muscle and you are more likely to stretch further and thus become more flexible. Do your stretching as the last part of your workout. (AIR)
Speaking of workouts here are some more tips and plans for workout types...
- Cardio and stretching is good to do every day. Try for at least 10 min. and work up to at least 40 min. a day. Just to let you know you can break up that 40 minutes. Two 20 min or three 10 to 15 min sessions is better than not moving.
- Strength training, especially if you reach muscle fatigue, needs recovery time. Start 2-3 times a week every other day. If you are going heavy I suggest two days a week and two days apart like Mon and Thurs or Tues and Fri for extra recovery time.
- If you want to mix cardio with strength in the same workout time start with warm ups and 5 min cardio. Then do 2 or 4 strength exercises. Then five min cardio, then do 2 or 4 strength... continue this cardio / strength pattern until you are done with strength exercises. Finish with some stretching exercises to cool down. If you want to work out 6 days a week, do cardio one day then strength or strength with cardio the next.
So Much For Normal...
If you don't have weights or live in a small house or apartment you can let your inner Cook of Anarchy out to play and come up with different, possibly weird, ways of getting movement and workouts into your life…
Yep, it's worth repeating. Crank up the tunes and walk quick around the house, do calisthenics, dance like nobody’s looking, do yoga poses or whatever, for at least three songs. If you spend a lot of time at a computer set a timer for 40 min. and get up and walk around for a couple minutes so you don’t get stuck for hours at a time with no motion. At work, be the person who walks out the trash, or use the stairs, or if you can get away with it, make more walking back and forth time. If you can and want to, get a second job that has more activity, with more moving and extra pay, it’s definitely a win. If you have kids, create time to actually chase the little suckers around. Hopefully they will run out of energy before you do. Guys, house work is activity, sweep and share the burden. Again, use your imagination and get moving. Ooooo… this time there are pictures…
Yep, it's worth repeating. Crank up the tunes and walk quick around the house, do calisthenics, dance like nobody’s looking, do yoga poses or whatever, for at least three songs. If you spend a lot of time at a computer set a timer for 40 min. and get up and walk around for a couple minutes so you don’t get stuck for hours at a time with no motion. At work, be the person who walks out the trash, or use the stairs, or if you can get away with it, make more walking back and forth time. If you can and want to, get a second job that has more activity, with more moving and extra pay, it’s definitely a win. If you have kids, create time to actually chase the little suckers around. Hopefully they will run out of energy before you do. Guys, house work is activity, sweep and share the burden. Again, use your imagination and get moving. Ooooo… this time there are pictures…
It may not look like it but I am being active and burning calories. Yardening work counts as workouts.
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Of course there is the northern winter workouts. I have often worked up a good sweat doing this.
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Got a spare hour a day? How many workouts do you think this was?
...And Hunks of wood can be used as free weights. BONUS!! |
If you are going to walk around the house you might as well bring a friend along for the ride. Hmm... Guess I shoulda done some cleaning before the photo...
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Got milk? Got the containers! We don't need no stinkin dumb bells, these are 8 lbs. More if I can fill them with sand or cat litter...
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Furniture, Tables and chairs? Not just for sitting at anymore...
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Want adjustable weights? Put books or other objects in a cooler.
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Here I was at about 300 lbs. That was my lowest weight in over 30 years. I will get there again and hit my goal of 280 by fall this year!
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That's it...
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I wanted this page done in one month and it took me almost three.
As you can see in the photo (right) I had some distractions and this page is a lot longer than I thought it was going to be. Feel free to tell others about this page if it motivates or helps you. Let me know if there are questions. Currently I have averaged 5 lbs. weight loss a month since I started writing this. Slow and steady wins the race. When the jacket fits I will post a picture with my stats. Type at ya later... |
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