The Health Thread

[JohnnyA]

Usually something like this would go on the General Board, but I really never go there and think the people are mean. I like to think of this forum as my general board.

so anyways

I thought I'd make a thread where people could talk about how they have turned over a leaf and become healthier, any tips they have, any questions they have, stories.

On December 25 my brother gave me an amazing Mp3 player. It's a 1gig Samsung. I love the damn thing. So on Christmas day I decided to get healthy. I've never weighed myself, but I want to say that I was at 260. I am 6'1. I was a fatass, especially my face.

The Mp3 player gave me the motivation to get my ass to the gym. Here's what I've done so far to go from a 40 waist to a 36 waist. (my goal is to get down to a 33...and get more pussy at that, lol).

Totally cut out any type of soda...yeah yeah it's so obvious, but damn does that one thing alone make a difference. I also cut out any type of food that does nothing for a body (like potato chips, a cookie, mayo, whatever). Other then that I haven't really changed my diet, just smaller portions. So, if I want a hamburger I'll have a fuckin hamburger and smile about it. I find that the no-carb craze is...well just that, a craze. Cutting out carbs completely is silly and not a healthy lifestyle change. I'm trying to think long term, not just get the weight off and be done, but never go back to slimy things like soda.

ok, so that's the diet. Then I go to the gym almost every day. I always, no matter what, do cardio. At least 45minutes. I maxed out at 110minutes once, but that was insane. I use the elliptical machine the most, but always make sure to use the bike a bit so that my ass gets toned. Then have a weight day of arms, a day of shoulder and back, and a day of legs...all keeping with the cardio everyday.

So, that's my story and how I've gotten healthy. I feel fan'fuckin'tastic.

I also quit smoking cigarettes 14 days ago and let me tell you, my lungs feel like a million dollars. I am coughing up so much weird phlem, even to this day, but ever spit up of goo feels great.

So now I also run in the park and I keep injuring my left foor and inner thighs and shins. Any ideas on how I can stretch these better or make them not feel all messed up for days after a long run?

I'm feeling great about myself and would like to post some photos of myself again. I haven't done that since like 2 years ago.

 

[sseg]

getting in shape

When I was 25 I decided to make a commitment to change my lifestyle and eat healtheir and exercise more. I wasn't out of shape before, but my eating habits were atrocious. It's easier to make lifestyle changes slowly than to have some docter tell you you have to change or die when you're 45. I've never felt better about myself and my physical fitness now and it's deeply embedded into my life such that I can't imagine not being active.

As far as your legs go, ease in to anything that causes you pain like that. Don't ignore it or medicate it, it takes months and months to build ligaments, joints, and tendons, while you can add muscle in weeks. It's your body's way of telling you to slow down and back off it. Figure 6 months to a year to build up to higher intensity workouts, and LISTEN TO PAIN! You want your body to keep working for many years to come, don't sacrifice it now.

 

[JohnnyA]

Thank you. The Listen to the pain part is going to be important for me. I was more looking at the pain as "no pain, no gain" and also I was sort of punishing myself for getting big in the first place and so if I hadn't done that, then I wouldn't have to feel any pain.

 

[sseg]

pain

There's a difference between muscle pain as you switch from aerobic to anaerobic (takes 10-15 minutes for most people) and joint/ligament/tendon pain. You want to push the muscle pain. Then you have muscle pain from lactic acid and other waste product buildups, that you can ignore while you are pushing yourself. But do not ignore pain in or near joints! The surest death to your exercise resolve is to blow your knees/ankles/hips/elbows/shoulders/wrists. Pain that persists is not good. You want the burn while you are exercising, that's good pain.

Good luck with it. Exercise is addicting, and it sure as hell is one of the best ways I have found to elevate my overall mood, boost my libido, and increase my self-confidence. Don't use it as self-punishment as that will cause you to hurt yourself (as you are finding out).

 

[JohnnyA]

Thanks again. So I should probably go back to the machines and not run for now. It feels so damn good, but yeah having 240lb hitting on the joints and tendons can't be good. And if I mess those up my whole healthy lifestyle goes up in flames.

 

[sseg]

best part is...

If you start out slowly you build the joints/tendons/ligaments as you lose weight, so they seem to improve faster. I've had tendonitis in various
places on my body over the years and it takes *forever* to heal! One took almost a year and for the first 2-3 months I couldn't lift any weight with that arm in one direction. I got smart after that and started listening to my body, now if a joint starts to ache I back off for a few weeks then start over more slowly. There's some good sports medicine web advice out there, but there's also a lot of junk trying to sell you their product.

I'm waiting for a completely waterproof mp3 player so I can swim with
mine.

It is amazing how much better you can feel about yourself by losing even a little fat and starting to see some muscle definition, eh?

 

[sseg]

Thanks again. So I should probably go back to the machines and not run for now. It feels so damn good, but yeah having 240lb hitting on the joints and tendons can't be good. And if I mess those up my whole healthy lifestyle goes up in flames.

I wouldn't stop running completely, just cut back to the point where you don't feel the pain and then slowly work up from there. Cutting it in half and adding some other type of cardio in with it to compensate would be a good start.

 

[JohnnyA]

I'm not mad in this photo, I just don't know how to smile sometimes. My eyes always have that sad blue look to them.


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v372/CJMFilm20/john.jpg


you can see that my body is beat and the bags under my eyes don't look so great.

 

[sseg]

hey, if that's where you're starting from...

You're good looking as it is, when you get to the level of fitness you are happy with I'll bet you'll be fighting them off!

 

[naughtydog4u]

good on ya johnnyA!

and double good on ya for chucking out the coffin nails. that is one bitch of an addiction to get past, and this is from a drunk/junkie in recovery for a few years now. that nicotine jones is one hairy beast. but as for finding the right weight you have the sensable thing going on. it's all exercise and eating the rightfoods in the right amount, and the right foods is usually covered as long as you eat a variety. it helped me a lot when a doctor pointed out rhat your stomach is only about a cup or a cup and a half large, which is not very big, certainly nowhere near the size of portions you get in a restaurant. anyhow, good luck to you.

dog

 

[Wolfman1982]

Hmmm two years ago, I decided to change my lifestyle, meaning that I would eat healthier, and more of the healthy food, meaning more carrots salad lettace, cabbage (no to coleslaw).

And really getting in shape, so right now I am weighing about 130 kilos , yeah I know I am fat as hell, but I am also 186 centimetres in height. But I know I am FAT without a doubt.

for about 14 days ago, I kicked the smoking habit, with a roundhouse kick. and the first 3 days in cold turkey land was the worst, but other than that, it is going fine, but I do still sometimes want a cigarette while I am sitting around my pc at times.

But now again, after I couldn´t find my sisters Christmas present (an MP3 player) I decided today, to go out and buy an MP4 player. So I did , and I am happy again since I LOVE music

And I will never have an obesesity operation, even though where I am control weighed in Denmark (one day every month), at a hospital, there you can get such an operation. But I will fight will tooth and claw, not to get an operation, but instead drop weight like a hardball !

Heck, i saw a documentary about Houston in USA yesterday, and it scared the living crap out of me. So I will fight in every way possible to drop weight, instead of getting such an operation.