PT day today. Felt really good on the strengthening and stretching exercises. Today she had me lift small handweights while on the stability ball. Made me feel good when she was surprised at how many reps I could do. She actually complimented me on my upper body strength. Yay! 
Amesie…Ha! No running for me! I will be happy to pay for the trip and watch her run.
There are two issues that may be separate, though. Ideally, each of us can find an exercise schedule that we enjoy enough to be sustainable over the long haul. After 20+ years of trying it the other way, I am now convinced that it is nearly impossible to be fit and healthy with a lifestyle that doesn’t include exercise.
On the other hand, there are people that need to lose fat right now, due to immediate health issues: diabetes, blood pressure, etc. Those people may not have the luxury of taking all the time in the world and, for them, the most efficient ways of achieving fat loss could be really important.
<p>Speaking of my first day of intervals on the exercise bike. I should probably paint a picture for those who think this thread is too intimidating:</p>
<p>56 years old
smoked for 38 years
weighed 250 pounds
Literally could not walk a quarter mile without huffing and puffing
You couldn’t be less fit</p>
<p>That first day, I wore my WalMart Fruit of Loom cotton sweat pants (X-LARGE) and my WalMart Fruit of the Loom cotton t-shirt (X-LARGE). We had an old rickety exercise bike that my wife had bought at a church yard sale for $10 – the kind with a brake shoe tightened against the wheel with a knob for resistance. Every time I pedaled, my belly bounced off the top of my thighs. I was absolutely drenched in sweat and panting like a dog, bent over trying to get a breath after five minutes on the thing. It was so pathetic that I just had to laugh. </p>
<p>But, I just had the sneaking suspicion that I had to start somewhere, just jump in and start paddling like hell, and that, if I did, some months down the road, it would get a little easier. My goals that I wrote down that day in my iPod nazi workout journal:</p>
<p>*a) Enjoy exercising three days a week.</p>
<p>b) Lose 12 pounds to get started.</p>
<p>c) Walk a mile without getting winded.*</p>
<p>idad, you should take your show on the road and become a motivational speaker to groups of fat people.</p>
Great to read your story, interesteddad.
You have accomplished an incredible amount.
How tall are you?
<p>I used to be 5’8", but now it’s probably more like 5’7.5". The joys of getting older! :)</p>
<p>Lol…</p>
<p>That was a lot of weight for a guy who is 5’8".</p>
<p>I think my joints would have blown carrying that much weight.</p>
<p>I’m 5’8". :)</p>
<p>Revenge of the Low Carb Diet</p>
<p>Today’s workout</p>
<p>Dynamic stretches</p>
<p>3 Rounds</p>
<p>3 times stair sprints
30 heavy rope jumps</p>
<p>This did.not.go.well. Did the same workout 2 weeks ago and got this portion done in less than 5 minutes. I tend to do pretty well on sprint exercises, stairs, speed ladders, anything that requires a combination of quick feet and the ability to be relatively fast in short bursts, but this morning I had a lot of problems sprinting the stairs. HR felt like it skyrocketed and I could not get feet to move very quickly, summoning up the energy seemed really difficult. Ended up adding more than a minute on to my time.</p>
<p>Rest of the workout went okay.</p>
<p>6 rounds - 60 seconds on/60 second rest
Box jump (focused on using idad’s technique here)
Undulating rope
Crossing Knee to elbow hangs
Med ball hell raisers (14#)</p>
<p>I made the day of a young man at the gym. While I was on the treadmill, I saw this fellow lifting weights. The definition on his arms and shoulders was absolutely amazing – I’ve never seen anything like it. I could see every muscle, tendon, ligament. It was magnificent.</p>
<p>After my workout, I happened to pass him, so I stopped, tapped him on his shoulder and told him. He blushed! and was incredulous. </p>
<p>Maybe I made him feel good. I hope so; I’m in that mode right now.</p>
<p>^ I frequently point this out to women who are lifting. They can’t always see the definition in their back and shoulders (because unless you have a pretty unique mirror set up, who can?), but often, even just “normal fit” women have great definition so I make it my job to tell them.</p>
<p>Don’t know if at my gym that I would mention it to a guy, though. I am the only female in my class and most of the guys are 20 and 30 somethings, wouldn’t want to put them on cougar alert :eek:</p>
<p>Got my stretching and abs work in early this morning and my 4.25 miles at 8:35 pace. Smith Machine and free weights too. I sent email to my son asking if he wants to go to the YMCA tonight and am awaiting his reply. If so, then I get to do the weight machines and try some split squats. I say try as stuff is still sore.</p>
<p>Our fitness center got a new bodyfat measurement device so I tried it out. It came back with 24.77% bodyfat. At least I’m not overweight. I’m going to get bloodwork done one of these days and I will see if they can do a caliper test.</p>
<p>BTW, guys generally don’t point out features on other guys or gals unless they know them very well.</p>
<p>Idad, very inspirational! Guess all your blood chemistries showed stunning improvements, too ? How much weight did you lose and how long did it take you ?</p>
Well, I’m mentally in a new place, what with not working right now and all, so I figured, what the heck. I DO think I made his day, and maybe even his week.
I lost 90 pounds over an 18 month period. I’ve been stable now (plus or minus 2 pounds) for the last 8 months.
Alas, I was too chicken to get regular blood work, so I didn’t really have a good baseline. I was seven months and 55 pounds into the journey when I got my first blood work. Ironically, the second round after 15 months of weight loss showed low thyroid, so most of the 90 pounds was lost against a hormone undercurrent that would have made weight loss harder.
<p>Congrats, Idad, on such successful weight loss, especially with hypothyroidism!
Did cholesterol numbers decrease as you lost weight? Blood Pressure?</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>I can’t say for sure because I don’t know what they were at the start. I can only guess that they were pretty bad. By the time I got blood work done, eight months in, I had the typical low carb cholesterol levels: crazy low trigycerides, high HDL cholesterol, and high-ish LDL cholesterol. My LDL came down significantly since then, probably the result of getting my thyroid levels up, and, possibly, because my weight has stabilized.</p>
<p>Blood pressure has improved slightly over time.</p>
<p>Biggest change is resting pulse rate, which is now down in the range of 48-52 bpm and my heart rate recovery after strenuous exercise, which has improved dramatically (and might be the best single predictor of not dropping dead in the next five years).</p>
<p>No workout for me today. I’d exercised seven days in a row and that’s about my limit. So I took a nice nap instead of burpees and kettlebell swings…</p>
<p>Today’s numbers</p>
<p>Cals:1322
Fat:77 g
Carbs:53 g
Fiber:12 g
Protein:112 g
Sugars:17 g</p>
<p>CJane, you are mad off the charts with those grams of protein.</p>
<p>Good workouts for the last two days: yoga, cardio, and weights. Did a really tough session with the trainer yesterday (TRX moves alternating with KB for 50 minutes, followed by stretching and 40 minutes of cardio.)</p>
<p>When I got home, I had a letter with the results of the blood work from my physical. Depite losing 40 pounds and exercising consistently for the last 20 months, my total cholesterol was in the borderline high range. The better news was that the HDL cholesterol was good and my triglycerides were good too. Also had a CRP test (which is a measure of cardiovascular risk)–according to the results chart, I’m at a lower relative cardiovascular risk. Doctor also had the lab do a test that measured the bad cholesterol particles–the results there were good too (particles large and buoyant) I’m having a follow-up phone call with the doctor tomorrow, so I guess I’ll get more information, but I’m confused.</p>
<p>I’m really surprised at the increased total cholesterol (last time it was tested 3 years ago, it was fine). I’m wondering if the fact that I was injured for about six months and couldn’t exercise was what caused the increased cholesterol. I really hope that the doctor doesn’t prescribe medication and has me work on diet/exercise first.</p>