We haven't had a dedicated fitness post in a while, so I thought I'd kick one off.
I'd mentioned a while back that I've made some progress in the weight loss category. On January 4th I weighed in at (a holiday-inflated, late-in-the-day inflated) 236. That was the highest I've ever been. This morning I weighed in at 206. The weight loss has been pretty consistent - about a pound a week, sometimes less, sometimes a little more (30 lbs over 24 weeks - that math works out).
The thing is, it has really only been small changes that have paid off. A quick list of some of those changes/factors that contributed:
1. I have essentially given up pop.
2. I had Covid (lost a few extra pounds that week, post-covid parsomia contributes to not wanting to eat so much).
3. Far less snacking at night. I'm not quite doing intermittent fasting, but I suppose it is structurally similar. A little bit of leeway with myself keeps it from feeling oppressive.
4. Lunches from home. I've often gone through spells where I don't plan ahead and/or go home for lunch, and that often leads to eating something from the gas station kitchen, or one of the few restaurants in town, or stopping at the grocery store and grabbing something microwavable. Philosofette has been at home over the past 6 months, and that's enabled a lot more attention to my lunchtime diet.
5. Finding small activity. More walks. I took Aquinas kayaking a few weeks ago. I started a small amount of lifting 2 times a week. I'm making sure I'm playing ball or tossing around the frisbee with my kids more often. Etc. Just finding little things, instead of feeling like I need to go for a run.
Ultimately, turning 40 was a really good motivator for me. I knew that was coming up, so I had a good goal in mind and I was able to stick with it. Then, I quickly set another goal and I'm working towards that. Keeping the goals at the forefront has been what has enabled the other changes.
I genuinely don't remember the last time my weight was this low. Probably at least 10 years - I think I came out of law school over 200 (law school was very unkind to me weight-wise). But even though I weighed about the same 10 years ago, I know that weight sat a lot better - it was more muscle, less fat - so I'm aware of how much further I have to go. Essentially, I'm happy, but not satisfied. Because, when it really comes down to it, I think the goal-setting has been as important as anything else.
Congrats!
I joined a pretty casual running club. I run with them on Saturdays. They go 10 miles. I go 5 or 6. I usually run from home so it has been nice to get out on some different trails in my area and to have a conversation while running.
congrats.
I've been hovering in the low-200s (up to like 206-208, down to 198-199) ever since my shoulder surgery about 7-8 years ago. Before that, I tended to over in the low-mid 190s.
Multiple orthopedic surgeries will take a toll on a guy's activity level, but I have been pretty good about taking a walk every morning (15-20 minutes on work days, 30-45 minutes on weekends) and doing a set of exercises when I get home. I've been less good about riding the stationary bike (my only form of more intense activity since COVID started and we gave up our gym membership).
I would love to get back down to the low-mid 190s, but ... I like eating too much. While I've mostly eliminated soda from my diet while working from home, I still tend toward the salty-crunchy snax and a nightly beer or cocktail. My bigger health concerns probably are workplace stress and not enough sleep. Not sure what I can do about the former, and it definitely shapes the latter.
Congrats, Philo!
Very inspiring and encouraging because your start and current weights are pretty applicable to something I would love to accomplish.
Congrats on the weight loss.
Nearing 40 and being diagnosed with diabetes has been similarly motivating for me. I got down around the low 220's, which puts me close to 30 lbs lost in two years. I'm eating much smaller portions and no seconds since I got out of the hospital and I've cut way back on the alcohol. (I'm allowing myself a glass of scotch once or twice a week). Combined with some good, hilly back roads to bike on and I am seeing a noticeable reduction in gut size to the point where I need a new belt.
My 30s were the worst for my health. When the kids get a little older, it is much easier to exercise.
I remember you mentioning this once previously, and it has definitely been borne out for me as well. It's also nice to have kids who are old enough to do things with. As mentioned, Aquinas and I went kayaking. I've got 3 kids in baseball/softball, so we go do some drills a few times a week, which just keeps that activity level a little higher. There are all sorts of things like that, now that they're older.
I wish I had gotten a stationary bike sooner because I'd been able to sneak in 30 minutes or so when the kids were younger. But yeah, much easier to go for an hour bike ride now. Working from home has helped that even more, though. Its one of the excuses I gave to convince HR that I should still be able to do it despite a return to work mandate starting this week.
Its one of the excuses I gave to convince HR that I should still be able to do it despite a return to work mandate starting this week.
That's a really good reason.
My club (JCC, Bloomfield) just finished maintenance on a pump in the pool and reopened after several days. I went in to get in my laps and found out that it was several degrees colder than usual. My first reaction was Crapola! but turns out it was one of my best swims in recent memory. There's the initial shock of the colder water, but after two laps it was refreshing and invigorating.
I can see swimming in cooler water being beneficial after the initial shock.
My achilleses (achillii? in any case, both of them now) don't show any signs of being able to run any time in the near future. I've been thinking about some sort of swimming, but I'd need to figure out two things: a good regimen, and cheaper but effective waterproof wireless headphones.
Cycling is extremely good for that particular tendon.
Congrats Philo! You are following my credo: eat less, exercise more.
Unfortunately Covid and life has put some pounds on me. Spring 2019 I was hovering near 160, although that was with intermittent fasting and wasn't sustainable. I settled in at a nice 168-172 range for most of 2019. Then Covid, working on my house, a move, and a new routine, all if which has impacted my ability to exercise, plus in my Covid boredom I fell into some not so great eating habits. Result I'm around 190. Ugh.
I think having Covid has impacted me significantly as I still have fatigue, plus age. My doctor said that at age 58, if I ate exactly what it did and exercised the same amount as I did at age 56, I would still expect to gain about 2 pounds due to metabolism slowing down.
Also I haven't been able to do yoga for over a year, and I think that's really important to my physical health. I'm a little surprised studios haven't opened up and I hope they do so soon. I just couldn't get into zoomed yoga classes. Finally I am a creature of routine and with the move and living on the 5th floor of a building, I haven't created the exercise routine I had at my house. For some reason bringing my bike down that elevator is different than walking to the garage.
I am going on my Peru trip in September and need to train for that. I have started walking the stairs in my building for 30 minutes. Basically I can do the the 8 flights of stairs up and down 5 times and my app says that's 550 feet of elevation gain, which isn't bad. I've been walking to for 5-8 miles too. So I'm getting there.
I was complaining to my boss about my weight gain and she said, you've done it before so you have a road map, just take it out and follow. Which is good advice. So eat less, exercise more. Hopefully I can get some yoga soon and I'l back back to the 170 range. My pants will be happy.