New Year's Resolutions

[Scotty]

Oh yeah, I forgot to mention breakfast. Get yourself a coupla high fibre, low sugar cereals, mix em up and have em every morning.

The mix of grains means they burn slowly over the morning and I'm never hungry before 12, can easily wait till 1pm for lunch. Also, fibre traps fat in the gut - up to 15% of your intake, as well as helping you shit like a champ.

Better to eat a healthy snack in the morning and reduce portion size at lunch as well. Helps keep blood sugar levels even, and doesn't let your body think you are fasting (when it does this it will try and store the food you give it).

And watch out for those high sugar breakfast cereals - we naturally think they are all healthy when some are approaching 20% sugar, and most are over 10%!

 

[PaarlBok]

Right this is the one that brought me back here. First good health. Then I promised myself I wont get stuck in the Aussies or Kiwis anymore. Let them talk kak as much as they want and I'll just ignore those feckers. :lmao: No honestly, less internet and just LOVE from the Oom.

Rugby wise a S14 for the Stormers (I'll buy me a Stormers jersey the day they win the S14), a 3 TriNation for the Bokke (mind you a win in NZ to make it 3 in a row will be good enough for me) & CC for WP.

Vokket this is not much asking. :nta:

 

[James Buchanan]

I tell you what, its bloody good to hear about similar sized blokes approaching this issue rather than hearing about how I can lose weight from some 75kg stick shaped gym instructor.

I've had similar problems to most. I knock of 5-10kg of weight and then deadlines, exams and other stresses kick in or I stop riding my bike over winter and it all starts to stack back on.

My theory for this year is to increase the 'incidental' exercise in my day, things like taking the stairs instead of the lift, walking to the shops, generally avoiding using my car, etc.. I'm hoping that because I am able to build it into my day to day routine it will be a more sustainable form of exercise than going to the gym or getting out for a ride or a run etc... (although I enjoy riding so I am doing that while the weather is not miserable).

I've also generally been rectifying my diet. I've been getting into cooking and good organic and seasonal type food recently, because I reckon it tastes a heap better. I'd like to believe that another plus side to this is that I am eating more of the good stuff - particularly veg - when its freshest and at its best. Which I am finding, makes it a lot easier to eat good stuff rather than be longing for a pie.

There's some good stuff in this thread though, I'm going to have to think about cutting desert entirely. I love my cheeses particularly, but its a good suggestion - they're rarely needed. Maybe only save them for special occasions.

 

[Scarfman]

Well, a month off the piss and some restraint about food has produced modest results.

Down from 98kg to 96kg.

Still plenty of work to do. Playing touch once a week, home exercises once a week. Walking most days.

 

[Lindommer]

Well, a month off the piss...

Well done, Scarfy, you might like to know I'm thoroughly enjoying things here in the Katoomba Men's Refuge. Bank took back the house and car, their Majesties are comfortably ensconced at my mother-in-law's residence somewhere in Sydney and I'm doing very well busking at Katoomba Railway Station.

It's a bugger that Law of Unintended Consequences, but you're losing weight, that's good. :angryfire: :angryfire: :angryfire:

 

[Scarfman]

Think of it as an adventure.

I promise to start drinking again before winter. Don't want you to freeze to death.

 

[Sully]

One month into the new year and things are going pretty well. I've gone from 117.5 Kgs to 114.5 Kgs I'm nearly jogging and regularly riding my Bike. I have also found a Swim squad and am going once a week at the moment. I have cut my time/Klm by about 15 Sec over 40 minutes but I am still travelling at about 6 minutes/Klm. I have decided to redo the 100 pushup challenge ( http://www.hundredpushups.com/index.html ) with correct form this time.

My biggest hassle has been "Friday Pie day" leading into take away night and then the weekend. But I have found if I write down what I'm eating I stop a bit earlier saving me a bit of effort through the week.

All in all I'm pretty happy with my progress and where I'm heading.

Goals for the year. Bridge to Brisbane in an Hour and maybe the byron bay ocean swim. after I see how the swimming goes a bit.

 

[Scotty]

Sully & Scarfy,

Do you think you are more power/speed (ie fast twitch) or endurance (slow twitch) type of athletes? Can you easily run quite fast (obviously taking into account excess baggage) or is it more simple to hit a medium pace and stick to it?

The answer to the question could help you choose the right type of training to get the best results. eg A power type of athlete will be able to push themselves harder doing things such as interval training and high weights with low reps, whereas they will struggle with long endurance exercise due to muscle soreness.

And of course we have to make sure we don't forget about building muscle (lean body mass) when we are trying to lose fat. The more muscle you have the more fat you will burn. Do some weights, particularly compound exercises at least once per week.

 

[Scarfman]

I'm defo more power than endurance. This is my piss-weak routine.

Once a week: 10 pushups (x3), 10 situps (x3), 10 "bath raises" (actually in the bath, I don't know what to call it, but it works the triceps and some deltoids/ dorsal / neck / back muscles) (x3).

Once a week: heavy bag x 15 mins

Once a week: touch footy

Five times a week: 30-40 minute walk

 

[Scotty]

Bath raises? Are they similar to dips?

 

[Scotty]

I'm no expert Scarfy, but have done some study and a bit of reading. I reckon you should get some weights and a swiss ball to do some proper resistance exercise. eg:

Bench Press
Bent over Row
Upright Row
Squat + Shoulder Press
Lunge
Bicep Curls or Bicep Curls + Lunge

Should only be doing 6 reps with 3 sets of each, with failure occurring on the last reps of the last set. Of course take it easy when you get started. Plus some core stuff on the swiss ball, make sure they are hard ones though, so you struggle to do 10 reps.

Either do this as one session or break it up into two sessions (get rid of one of the walks).

Then get rid of another walk and substitute for an interval training. Try running (3/4 pace or better) 200m, then walking or slow jog for 200m. Do this 5-6 times. This should only take around 10-15 minutes, or about 30mins with a warm up jog, stretch and warm down. Increase the distances over time to around 400m.

 

[Scarfman]

Yes, dips.

I thought a Swiss Ball was something I stick up arse. No?

Thing is - I love sport but hate exercising. I would rather stick a Swiss Ball up my arse than go jogging.

But you are right, of course. I'll think about what I can seriously attempt and write out a program. Cheers bro.

 

[cyclopath]

If it makes you feel better Scarfy, I am off the grog too. Not doing that Fast for February thing or whatever it is, just thought I'd go a month then see how it goes after that. Why? I really don't know, actually, it was kind of an impulse thing. Anyway, moral support and all that.

PS, A Swiss ball is about 60cm diameter, so you may struggle to achieve your previously stated challenge!!

 

[Gagger]

PS, A Swiss ball is about 60cm diameter, so you may struggle to achieve your previously stated challenge!!

There's a video doing the rounds in Amsterdam that would argue otherwise!

 

[Sully]

I'm more of a power guy but I spent years in the Gym and with no Gym partner I am simply not interested in doing it. Although I do still have some weights and Bars around and a swiss ball I could do something. I think I will wait until my weight is a bit lower before I start thinking about muscles.
I run Mon, Wed & Fri then either walk, ride, swim or run in between depending how I feel. I have no set rest days but I never do 7 days in a row and usually have 1 or 2 days off a week. I do push ups Mon, Wed & Fri and I am thinking of adding Crunches soon.

 

[Scotty]

I'm more of a power guy but I spent years in the Gym and with no Gym partner I am simply not interested in doing it. Although I do still have some weights and Bars around and a swiss ball I could do something. I think I will wait until my weight is a bit lower before I start thinking about muscles.
I run Mon, Wed & Fri then either walk, ride, swim or run in between depending how I feel. I have no set rest days but I never do 7 days in a row and usually have 1 or 2 days off a week. I do push ups Mon, Wed & Fri and I am thinking of adding Crunches soon.

You are doing a fair bit of work there Sully - good job, you are making me feel guilty. If you haven't already done so, give interval training a go instead of one of the runs. Then if you are really feeling like hurting your self put some hillls into the other run. Then you'll have one even paced run, one interval/high hr run, and one hill effort.

I think a lot of people make the mistake of not doing weights in their program because they want to loose weight first. But the reality is the older you get the more important it is to keep up the weight training, and increase muscle mass so it is then easier to lose fat or at least keep it at bay.

The key for me is to keep session times (weights or cardio) down to around 30mins. I can't talk at the moment though, as I've done less than one a week this year. Difficult to find time between 50 hr per week job, planning and design house renovations, having a one year old and a constant stream of international or interstate visitors. Thats my excuse, and I'm sticking to it.

Hang on, why am I wasting my time on here..............?

 

[Sully]

I do carry a bit of muscle still it's not all gone. but I will keep it in mind some weights wouldn't hurt. yes I do intervals but not hills for a while unless you count 5% on the treadmill which I have been using more because of the heat.

 

[Sully]

No real progress from Feb till now. I am about 114 Kgs and have just picked up my training again after letting it taper off. I have been maintaining instead of reducing. and I have not been strict in my eating habits either.
So I am back on the straight and narrow for 1 week now I am exercising more and eating A bit less and a lot smarter.

How is everyone else doing?

 

[DPK]

Anyone else trying to gain weight? I'm stuck at 78kg's.

 

[Scarfman]

Have you considered beer?

The trick is to start with moderate amounts, but to build up the regularity. Start with adding Thursday night to Friday and Saturday, then after a while, add Wednesday, then Tuesday, and so on. Soon enough, you should be able to keep down a 6-pack a night.

But then, your body will have got used to this, so to get hammered on a Saturday, you'll need to sink 10 or 12. This will set you up nicely for spending the following morning immobile. Revive yourself with bacon and eggs.

If you find this routine difficult, make sure to get married and have kids. Should make the beer go down a bit easier.