General Health and Fitness

[Psyre]

So what do you guys do as far as fitness goes. I use to be super active in highschool playing soccer and basketball year around, but now that I'm a junior in college I feel rather dead. I've gained 30 lbs since college and am really ready to get back in shape. I still run and swim but there has just been no change, I don't have time to spend 2hours a day conditioning like I use to. Also what are you eatIng habits like for those of you who do strive for a healthy lifestyle. I know mine needs to change. This semester I had classes and work from 8am to 7pm everyday, so when I got out of work, school caf was closed which would mean going to a restraunt which isn't too healthy, let alone only having time for 1 meal a day...

[Jero]

There's big thread about this already

[dorfmeister]

I do cardio for about an hour a day....lift kettlebells too but less consistently. I don't eat grains or sugar at all except I allow myself to eat anything I want from 6 pm to 11:59 pm every Friday.

[Jero]

What's wrong with grains?...and by no sugar I assume you mean no extra sugar, or things loaded down with it. Most all food has sugar.

[Psyre]

I think a popular issue with grains is the amount of carbs...

[colin]

I've gotten ridiculously out of shape over the last five years, I'm definitely in the worst shape of my life right now. But I quit smoking two months ago and I'm starting to feel generally better (ie I don't run out of breath climbing stairs anymore) and the girlfriend and I have decided that we're going to join a gym together in the next few days.

[Jero]

I think a popular issue with grains is the amount of carbs...

I see that as a good thing. Guess it depends on if your trying to keep weight down, or gain weight...me going for the latter.

[dorfmeister]

What's wrong with grains?...and by no sugar I assume you mean no extra sugar, or things loaded down with it. Most all food has sugar.

You can find a lot on the internet about what is wrong with grains.

http://bonfirehealth.com/whole-grains-sick-diabetes/

http://www.marksdailyapple.com/why-grai ... unhealthy/

No grains, no fruit, no alcohol, minimal dairy....only naturally occurring sugar....and grilled chicken and stuff like broccoli is not going to have a whole lot of that.

A usual day would be hard boiled eggs...maybe a salad with grilled chicken...some oil and vinegar for dressing....dressings can have lots of fat, dairy, and sugar so they can be problematic.....sometimes some tuna....no mayo....maybe some cashews or almonds during the day.

At night I eat chunks of grilled chicken or turkey and steam some frozen vegetables.

That is what I mean by no grains, no sugar. Of course there will be some naturally occurring sugars in some things.....but I try to avoid those as much as possible as well. Also try to eat as little dairy as possible.

If you think I am crazy you might change your mind if you tried it.....I feel way better.....mentally much sharper..... losing weight....this is a permanent way of eating for me......

I still do the 6 hour cheat......the idea is that this resets the metabolism.....and it is fun to eat all those things that I normally don't...I like to eat some ice cream...but then I go right back at 11:59 on Friday.....it is a short enough period of time that it does not seem to cause any problems.....but I don't put any limitations on what I eat in those six hours.

I am finding this sustainable....I have been eating this way since March 2011. It isn't any more expensive than how I was eating before in fact it might be cheaper.

My next goal is to stop eating artifical sweeteners and cut back on caffeine. That will be difficult as I really like Diet Coke.

[Psyre]

I did a week long trial run where I just kind of gauged what I could do food wise, now I am 3 days into the real diet/exercise routine. I have been swimming an hour a night (about 40 laps).

Diet wise, I really enjoy raw spinach leaves and grilled chicken, it's actually the kind of stuff I always get when I go to my campuses caf. I use vinegar and oil as dressing, because I have never been a big dressing person. Luckily this is stuff the caf always has too, the chicken being in their allergy/gluton free line. It's been really easy. The hardest part is just getting the motivation after a 12 hour day to go swim that hour, but I enjoy swimming enough to do it (I swam competitively for about 4 years).

A girlfriend of mine who is also trying to get back in shape (idk if she is out of shape I mean she is like 5'8 and 125..... ) and I have kind of instigated a challenge, where if we do this consistently for 4 weeks, we will get each other something and if one of us fails, they have to pay for our next date etc... So we picked up the "My Fitness Pal" app where we can keep track of what the other one eats/does for exercise, and it's really nice having that bit of a competition. Now some more friends want to get on it, which I think is great, having all the accountability partners.

[Dr. Sherman Sticks M.D.]

a few years ago, i ate basically nothing but sushi rolls for like 2 months. 2-3 times a day. it was the best i ever felt. i felt sharper, more energized. didnt get that "itis" when u house a giant cheeseburger and fries that makes u want to take an eternal nap.

i had to stop cause we moved away from my favorite sushi spot, and cuz i was gettin sick of fish.
i realize that this is probably not that healthy in the long term, eating fish everyday. but it was probably a lot better for me than what i was doing before.

[jfrey]

General rules I go by:

1. Every time I eat, at least 50% of the meal should be "colour" (fruit and/or vegetables).

2. If I can buy it "organic" I do. (I put "organic" in quotes, because most things technically aren't even if they say they are. Buying "organic" though is still typically better, as it is much easier to avoid many problem additives, pesticides, etc.)

3. I choose my meats based on what I have done recently or will do soon. Red meats (lean cuts) I have around exercise sessions. Although the biological protein value of most meats are around the same (high 70s to low 80s), I have found red meat to have the greatest impact on my work-outs. The rest of the time I rotate between grilled low fat chicken, and light fish. (When people say you can get just as much protein from things like beans or whatever, that isn't really true. Even if you eat the same amount of protein, your body is able to use less of it because of the comparatively low biological value.)

4. I eat minimal grains, but when I do, I always eat 12 or 15 grain blends depending on what is available at the store.

5. No soda. No candy. No pie. No doughnuts. No cake. No chocolate. No ice cream. No sweeteners of any kind. Etc.

6. I drink mainly water. It is better to drink a glass of water and eat a piece of fruit than to have a glass of fruit juice.

7. I eat 5-6 meals per day. These vary in size and content based on my daily activity.

8. I eat one or two handfuls of nuts, and raisins every day. The boron in raisins helps prevent certain forms of cancer. Nuts (in small quantities) are good for appetite management, and are also good sources of fiber, certain vitamins, and are good sources of protein relative to other non-meat foods.

9. I take a variety of vitamins, and supplements that help fill in any gaps in my diet, and also improve my exercise.

10. I take care to manage the amount of sodium I take in. It is one of the hardest things to keep at the correct level, because it is in so many things, and there is way too much of it.

[Psyre]

^ thanks man, all great input

[Psyre]

Just to keep everyone updated, today, this guy reached 7lbs lost. Let's keep up the good work!

[GardenoftheDead]

I run a lot. And I have a naturally speedy metabolism.

How else would I maintain 125 lbs. on a diet that includes at least two visits to a McDonalds a week?