Sugar how i will miss thee
polycounter lvl 18
Dont know how many of you guys work out or diet to be and look healthy.
I just recently began working out and eating well but now comes the biggest test for me,quitting sugar, ive done many things in my life which could have addictive qualities but the only real thing that i have been addicted to is sugar and now i have to quit it. This seems like the best opportunity ive ever had to slim down and i guess not look like the typical look of a game developer aka fat or unhealthy looking.
So who else fights this image and what do you do cause im looking for suggestions.
So far my daily regiment is 4 miles of biking two and from work,1 and a half hours of gym,mostly cardio and healthy eating.
So far when i arrived in Holland i was 328 and i am currently down 317 in a months time with this routine butthankfully being 6'4 it doesnt look as bad as it would if i was shorter.
one thing i notice living here is how bad for your health living in the states can be.
I just recently began working out and eating well but now comes the biggest test for me,quitting sugar, ive done many things in my life which could have addictive qualities but the only real thing that i have been addicted to is sugar and now i have to quit it. This seems like the best opportunity ive ever had to slim down and i guess not look like the typical look of a game developer aka fat or unhealthy looking.
So who else fights this image and what do you do cause im looking for suggestions.
So far my daily regiment is 4 miles of biking two and from work,1 and a half hours of gym,mostly cardio and healthy eating.
So far when i arrived in Holland i was 328 and i am currently down 317 in a months time with this routine butthankfully being 6'4 it doesnt look as bad as it would if i was shorter.
one thing i notice living here is how bad for your health living in the states can be.
Replies
Sure if you were to say the average american lifestyle is bad for you, I can agree to that. But it's not like it's impossible to eat healthily and exercise here. It comes down to most Americans being lazy. I'm 6'3" 185, and I don't really fit into the typical game physique just because I don't sit on my butt all day and drive a car to and from work, and I eat healthily.
Lazy is a catch all phrase when one doesnt want to be challenged with listening to others stories. Oh Im sure there are people who just eat. But there are others who also who cannot find the time or energy to put into healthness or education on how to be.
Anyhow JO420, sounds like you are on the right track. There are natural sugar alternatives you can investigate. Like honey or fruit juices. But it sounds like at this point you need to cut your carbohydrates down?
(Also if your cat is you smoking, that would help you out also)
here living a pedestrian life is quite possible and more convinient.
time and energy have alot to do with it but also in terms of portions and how food is prepared there are dramtic differences in europe and the states and availability is also much different.
and yes poop eating healthy in the states is not impossible but its way easier to do it here, for example every single tuesday in the part of town i live in the whole area is shut off and vendors sell all types of things like fresh fruits,veggies,fish,meats cheeses. It may be me but it feels easier to live a healthier life here,there junk food and fast food but no in numbers like in the states.
and the gyms here rock as well, for 31 euros a month i get access to the gym everyday,personal trainers who help without extra charges, a nutrionist,weights,cardio,boxing training area complete with a full ring,use of the boxing equipment,free boxing and areobic classes,saunas and even tanning beds.
oh yeah all the hot women here serves as motivation as well,i wonder when they deported all the fat chicks because ive seen 1 really out of shape woman but it was in amsterdam so she could have been american
EDIT:Oh yeah in terms of distance the gym i go to now is 10 minutes from work walking and 15 from the train station
Atleast thats what some research claimed.
J0420, you don't need to cut out sugar. In fact, it would be damn hard for you to do so. Pretty much every product has some amount of sugar in it. Even fruits and vegetables have high levels of natural sugars in them. It wouldn't be good to deny yourself a tastey bit of life, just because of 'image'. It's about moderation. Don't go eat a cup of sugar in one sitting.
It was pretty easy for me to cut it all out completely at first since I felt better right away. I think anyone could benifit from cutting fast food out of thier life. When I switched over to this diet my wife was kind of forced to not eat fast food by proxy. The results where really good for her, she feels better and has more energy.
Things I'd rather avoid:
artificial colors
artificial flavors
high fructose corn syrup
aspartame
benzoates
acesulfame potassium
phosphoric acid
brominated vegetable oil
hydrogenated oil
partially hydrogenated oil
any oil that isn't olive or coconut
any thing else that reads like a prescription drug
fast foods
My suggestion is read labels. If you don't know what it is, or what it does. Don't eat it. Shop organics.
J0420, you don't need to cut out sugar.
[/ QUOTE ]
Yes, you DO need to cut out sugar If you want to lose weight, or at least seriously cut down or stick to the good sugars. Most of us intake a) far too much and b) much more than we realise ). Javier, I can wholeheartedly recommend http://www.southbeachdiet.com/index3.asp and no, it's nothing to do with nonsense fad diets like Atkins. Alongside my workouts, I've gone from 177 to 173 pounds in a week. When you understand the science behind it, it totally makes sense and it totally works. I was addicted to sugar without even realising it and never thought there was much sugar in my diet. I work out like a man possessed and was getting results, but still had an overall higher body fat percentage than I wanted. Read this book If you're having trouble losing weight. Agreed with Elysium. Avoid anything processed really. White flours, anything that's partially hydrogenated. Any of that crap. Organic is the way.
Oxy, I live 30 miles away from where I work and am as fit as a fiddle. What's commute got to do with anything?! Poop could just as easily drive to work like most everyone else around him does but he chooses not to. That's just another lame excuse you can use as to why you're out of shape.
breakfast big breakfast,lots of toast whole wheat ,cheese lowfat,meats,jams and lowfat milk
then from then on every 2 hours i must eat a light snack,fruits or vegtables
lunch: wholewheat bread again,lowfat butter and more fruits
then back to two hour intervals snacks
and dinner i eat what i want and after 8pm i cant eat
oh yes and green tea since it raises you metabolisim
Like I said in my post, cutting down on sugar will help you lose weight. Occasional indulgence is another matter, and not something I even mentioned.
Oxy, I live 30 miles away from where I work and am as fit as a fiddle.
[/ QUOTE ]
Yea, and you also live in a very urban area with lots of health options around you and the money to spend for a better diet. You have the educational opportunities to realize how things work. (BTW Im in good condition also, so Im not trying to defend because Im so overweight junky)
What Im saying is we can use our own situation as proof one way or another. Each persons circumstances are different. Without knowing those circumstances its ignorant to claim laziness... to a point (me shudders as remembers Mojos FAT chick porn link [think BEYOND Fat]).
k love u, by by pretty lady.
Cutting down on natural sugar to safe moderate levels will help you cut lots of things. Like risk of cancer. Problem is, today most foods include processed sugars, which often have worse side effects, and are given in larger amounts than should normally be taken. HFCS is an epidemic in America. So avoiding large quantities of sugar, fat, or carbs, means avoiding most foods. Which leads to these bullshit diet fads. Eat natural organics, and stay active. If high fructose corn syrups is the 1st or 2nd main ingredient, put it back.
edit: anyone who claims eating an apple is risky, where as a dish of steak and potatoes is encouraged, has to be mentally impaired.
I've been trying to lose some weight and get back in shape for the last 2 months, and have had great success. I cut down on "empty" snacks, decreased portion sizes, began running stairs 2x per week, one distance run, and about 10 hours boxing/martial arts a week.
My starting weight was 235, currently 217, goal is 208 at which point I will once again look like an athlete.
The reason why I gained so much weight was due to the computer job (duh) in conjunction with the fact that I still ate like the high school athlete that I used to be. Not too surprising that I packed on a few pounds.
Now, a word on Atkins, which I tried for awhile. If you are sedentary, and plan on staying that way, Atkins may work OK for you. If you plan on doing intense exercise in conjunction with dietary changes, Atkins is a horrible program. You need some carbs to burn during exercise. When I was trying Atkins, I would bonk out after 15 minutes of exercise, even though my body was fully capable of doing much more. I simply had no sustained energy, and would get horribly fatigued, which puts you at higher risk for injury if you try to push through it. Bad. Just bad. I was much better off just decreasing my portion sizes, trying to be a bit healthier with what I was eating, and increasing my exercise level. Plus, this is a much easier program to stick with rather than trying to stick to some bizarre dietary restrictions.
Anyways.. You seem to be on the right track JO. Beeing aware of what you eat and gettin that daily exercise is really all you need. Its common sense really. Try think what the human body was originally meant to eat. Meat, fruits, vegetables nuts, berrys etc etc And work your way from there.
My only tip in the beginning is to not overdo it from the start so you loose motivation after a short while. Also gettin someone to work out with is a real good trick to stay at it.. Gl with the training man, maybe a before and after picture this christmas? (nude ofcourse
oh and Cubik. 17 pounds in a month? isnt that like 8 kg's? you were able to keep that weight afterwards?
I never had a problem with sustained energy, I was doing about 30 minutes on the exercise bike a day and still felt fine.
I guess some diets just work better for some people than others.
Personally, I don't consider cycling "intense" exercise, unless you are racing or going at about that intensity level.
I had really severe fatigue issues when trying to do exercise on Atkins. My exercise program is probably a bit more strenuous than most people on this board are used to, however. 3-7 mile runs, weights, stair running, 1.5 hour bike commute round trip, boxing or full contact stick fighting 5-7 rounds, 4 hours wrestling/Ju-Jutsu, miscellaneous shadow boxing, rope jumping, etc.
When on Atkins, I was fine doing weights and a bit of cycling. Whenever I needed a lot of energy for the more rigorous phases of my workout, I came up seriously lacking. I would bonk out, and couldn't finish the exercise. This becomes really obvious when you are working out with a training partner of similar abilities. If I was running, I'd get smoked. If boxing, stickfighting, or wrestling, I'd gas out.
At first, I thought that I was just having bad workout days. But I quickly figured out that for me, zero carbs = poor athletic performance. I began experimenting with more carbs on high intensity workout days, and the improvement in my performance was consistently better.
For me, it is just easier to watch what I eat a bit, and exercise more. And I definitely need carbs to exercise.
Imo is hard work and staying hungry the only way to go.
If you think you dont have the energy to do hard training
than you are just not quit there. After a week or so the adrenalin does its job.
In my case i need more diffinition, muscles are fine but overall iam a walking watertank.
Six pack is next but i just cant stand any rice with boild chicken anymore.
Even w/o sugar your still pale white, with glasses and long hair. You nerd
Atkins works, it's just downright fucking dangerous longterm.
What I did when I was dieting was park my exercise bike infront of my computer then play a game I could use a gamepad on as I cycled (it was Final Fantasy 8 at the time). It takes your mind off the cycling and sometimes there are the "I'll just do this little bit before I stop" moments, that can keep happening, so you end up cycling more than you intended
[/ QUOTE ]
DS and or PSP work great when at the gym. Personally I like my PSP, because I can watch a movie, play a game, or just listen to music as I go. It takes some getting used to, running and playing so make sure you have the wrist strap on the first few times =P
Yes, Atkins works for weight loss... so do tapeworms.
[/ QUOTE ]
LOL
Truthfully, the best way to get in better shape and health is to combine both a healthy diet with exercise. Fad dieting alone is fine for some people, for short term, "getting started", but all you're really doing is creating a "skinny fat person", but like others have said, it won't work if you're trying to change your body by working out. You need a diet that will give you energy. The results may take longer, but in the end, you'll have a body that can consume 2500 calories per day all on it's own. Muscle burns calories in your sleep.
but so far my will power has held i guess,around the office i no longer snack on things like Dutch Chocolate or Chocomel(chocolate crack) now im snacking on strawberries,kiwi,grapes and nuts.
Anyway, I'm wanting to put on more muscle and lose more fat, does anyone know any good resources to look into on a good way to do this? I can't afford to join any gyms here and was hoping there are decent exercises I can do at home. Short of stuff like lifting weights (ie. dumbells which I could probably afford) I'm not sure what exercies would be best to do.
Any tips? I wouldn't mind dropping off atkins again if need be.
Buy yourself a 10 dollar jumprope. It is a great workout that you can do while watching TV. I do it a ton during winter months instead of running when it gets really nasty and rainy. Try going for a half hour straight, it's a real challenge.
I do it a ton during winter months instead of running when it gets really nasty and rainy.
[/ QUOTE ]
Hoh hoh. Me real man. Me brave cold of seattle. Ryno weak man. Me crush him with rock. Hoh Hoh.
http://www.warriorforce.com/jumprope.wmv
Pushups, crunches and squats should be fine, I'll see if I can get one of those pullup bars to stick in my doorway. I don't really have room to use a jumprope though
But twice a week I do martial arts (sieken do) so the grappling should be enough exercise to make up for that hehe. I'll look into the vinyasa yoga. Thanks again.
http://www.muscletech.com/TRAINING/SWISS_BALL/Swiss_Ball.shtml
Daz, I agree. Heavy bag workouts are the best. I've got one hung in my garage, and it is great, even if my wife complains that it sounds like I'm going to knock the house down.
I've seen those ball things before, I'd just thought you could do the same exercises without the ball, I'll look into it more
Anyone done any chi kung? I've been doing zhan zhuang (though stopped over the summer when I was working). I feel good after doing it, I have more energy. Do you think it would be better to do that before or after exercise, be that pushups etc. or swiss ball stuff? I was thinking after, but I'm obviously no expert.
I'd recommend zhan zhuang, it sounds odd but you do feel good afterwards and can do it even when watching tv.