I am way out of shape...

[HCountyGuy]

Earlier tonight I got a hard reality check as to how far I've let myself slide out of being in even moderate shape. My wife and I are out of town so I can work on the applicant process for a new job. She started to display symptoms of an allergic reaction while at the hotel, so I beat feet to a nearby gas station to get some medicine to alleviate the issue. After getting back, I was far more out of breath than I should be for the short distance I ran, not even at full tilt. This, combined with my potential new job being moderately demanding in the cardio department has prompted me to take more serious getting in better shape.

What would be some recommendations from the members here on rebuilding my cardio, and on a potential clock of 2-3 months?

[BWT]

Earlier tonight I got a hard reality check as to how far I've let myself slide out of being in even moderate shape. My wife and I are out of town so I can work on the applicant process for a new job. She started to display symptoms of an allergic reaction while at the hotel, so I beat feet to a nearby gas station to get some medicine to alleviate the issue. After getting back, I was far more out of breath than I should be for the short distance I ran, not even at full tilt. This, combined with my potential new job being moderately demanding in the cardio department has prompted me to take more serious getting in better shape.

What would be some recommendations from the members here on rebuilding my cardio, and on a potential clock of 2-3 months?

I don't think you're going to be in 100% shape within 2-3 months but you can get a great head start or drop 20 lbs in that time and be well on your way.

My suggestion, download this app https://www.myfitnesspal.com/; I've used it twice successfully to lose weight and I'd recommend incorporating daily exercise such as 30 minutes of walking in the evening or something to that effect. I'd recommend setting your current weight, tracking what you'd like to realistically lose, and put everything into the app.

Obviously you can do more, but I can manage that and I work full-time, am also married, and am finishing my last semester part time in college.

It's not easy, but I've lost 10 lbs so far in about a month; I just have no time.

You have more than you think, and I'd recommend walking locally (say in your neighborhood or at your house).

The great thing about the app; success is somewhat addictive and once you start seeing measurable differences physically and weight differences it will excite you to keep going. Kind of a positive continual cycle.

I know there are guys way more ahead of the game than I, but I figure you're looking for a sustainable solution.

Consistency not intensity is the key to this game of maintaining fitness.

I propose a moderately paced approach that is sustainable.

God Bless,

Brandon

[Cowtown44]

Need more info. How old are you? How far out of shape? Height, weight? Any injuries holding you back? Do you do any exercise now?

[orionz06]

https://pointdriventraining.com/2016/01/01/point-driven-fat-loss/
https://pointdriventraining.com/2016/02/18/lets-build-a-cardio-base-with-lsd/

[1slow]

https://pointdriventraining.com/2016/01/01/point-driven-fat-loss/
https://pointdriventraining.com/2016/02/18/lets-build-a-cardio-base-with-lsd/

THIS ! Larry knows what he is talking about.

Also look at Dan Johns writings.

[StraitR]

https://pointdriventraining.com/2016/01/01/point-driven-fat-loss/
https://pointdriventraining.com/2016/02/18/lets-build-a-cardio-base-with-lsd/

Wow. The fat loss article was straight to the point, no BS, and perfect for my simplified knuckle-dragging self.

Starting the LSD article(s) now.

Thanks

[mtnbkr]

Wow. The fat loss article was straight to the point, no BS, and perfect for my simplified knuckle-dragging self.

Starting the LSD article(s) now.

Thanks

I breezed through the first article and it jives completely with what I've directly experienced over the last 11 years working to keep my weight in check.

Me:
Currently 5'10" and roughly 182lbs.
I go to the gym 2-3x weekly.
I run and/or bike multiple times per week.
I enter a few 5k races each year and generally finish in the top 3 in my age group and top 10% overall (running a 7:40 pace these days).

I graduated HS in 1991 at 140lbs (same height). By 2005, I was 225lbs. That prompted me to get my act together, so by doing nothing more than reducing calories to about 1500 per day, I started losing 2lbs/week and got myself down to 185 in a few months. I maintained 185-195 until 2014 when I picked up running. If I don't watch what I eat, I pork up to my current weight, but by making small reductions in my food intake, I can easily drop down to the low 170s. Conversely, increasing my activity level does virtually nothing to my weight. It's all about the food. Counting calories works.

Chris

[HCountyGuy]

Some really good information thus far, I'm greatly appreciative.

I'm 5'11" and about 240 these days, and pushing towards 27 this year. My mile time is horrid, coming in around the 9-10 minute area depending on how I'm doing that day. My exercise schedule is quite inconsistent, some days I get exercise in but more often than not I don't. My "diet" has been crappy up until recent when my wife and I both started making serious effort to eat better. This incident was a real eye-opener into my need to hardcore buckle down and get on a set exercise schedule. Cocky as it may sound, I'm confident I can get fairly squared away in 2-3 months if I truly dedicate myself to it.

[Hambo]

I found this: http://www.c25k.com/ There are a lot of 5K running plans, this one just has an app to tell you what to do. I don't know if I can run 5K in nine weeks, but I'm going to find out.

As far as losing weight goes, don't eat as much. That's not snark, it's just that simple. At one point I lost weight sitting on my ass on injury leave by just eating less and eating healthier foods.

[gtmtnbiker98]

What would be some recommendations from the members here on rebuilding my cardio, and on a potential clock of 2-3 months?Run!!!

[Gray222]

Burpees.

100 for time.

Twice a week for 3 months.

When you get into the 15ish minute range start adding weights to your ankles/wrists.

When you get into the 10-12 minute range, start wearing a plate carrier.

If you get under the 10 minute range you should start doing other stuff.

[TiroFijo]

- Go to the doctor for a checkup, take into account age and past injuries and take it easy. You are not 20 anymore.
- Eat less, and more healthy, but don't overthink it or stress too much. It is a long process and a lifestyle change, not a short term venture.
- Start running towards a doable goal, 5K at decent pace in 9 weeks is a very good start.
- Going to the gym always helps with fitness and strenght, but the most important thing is diet. You could burn lots of calories IF you were very fit and trained a lot, but you are not at that point. Streching, warm ups, sensible approach, are fundamental to avoid injuries that will set you back completely.
- Keep it simple, the waist size, scale ,and your performance on the run/gym are telling you everything you need to know.
- DO IT! And keep on doing...

[Nephrology]

I found this: http://www.c25k.com/ There are a lot of 5K running plans, this one just has an app to tell you what to do. I don't know if I can run 5K in nine weeks, but I'm going to find out.

As far as losing weight goes, don't eat as much. That's not snark, it's just that simple. At one point I lost weight sitting on my ass on injury leave by just eating less and eating healthier foods.

I've done the C25K thing many many times. It works great (when you can keep it up :)

[ford.304]

The most important thing about a fitness plan -- don't injure yourself!

If you're in the obese range by BMI, don't run or do burpees. Walk, swim, or bike. You'll kill your joints beating on them.

Nothing derails progress faster than having to sit on your ass because you have bad knees, or because you gave yourself tendinitis. Ask me how I know :P

The most important thing is to figure out what your goals are. Are you already close to a decent weight, and want to have more endurance? Look at couch25k, and make sure you're eating enough to support it.

Do you need to drop weight more than anything? You probably actually need to lose more weight than you think -- I thought I'd be in good shape when I dropped 10 pounds. Then 20... then 30... Losing weight is about diet more than anything, which is 90% calories in/out. Personally I found that doing too much cardio made the hunger pangs worse, so I stuck mostly to weight training for the majority of my fat loss. But that won't help your endurance.

Do you need to get stronger? Find a real linear progression program -- like Starting Strength, or Greyskull LP, or Strong Lifts. Don't use the junk the "trainer" at your gym is probably going to put you on.

reddit.com/r/fitness has some *amazing* advice in their wiki/faq. I highly recommend it.

[1slow]

Diet to lose weight.

LOG EVERYTHING YOU EAT AND DRINK, down to a single pretzel etc...


Physical training to build physical capabilities.

Get a check up. Injuries will hinder you so do not train carelessly. Linderman for weight loss and overall viewpoint.
Look up Dan John's 10,000 Kettlebell Swing Challenge. It will drop waist size and make you stronger. I am age 58 6' 182-185 pounds I have bad knees and arthritis in knees, elbows and base of thumbs and this was not abusive. It is not easy.

[UNK]

https://www.amazon.com/Skinny-Rules-Nonnegotiable-Principles-Getting-ebook/dp/B005OCYQR2?ie=UTF8&btkr=1&redirect=true&ref_=dp-kindle-redirect

Works like a champ.

[JCS]

First thing is to make an eating log. You can do it with an app but when you write down what you eat you will be shocked at how many unnecessary and bad calories you eat.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Robinson]

I'm 53 and getting old(er) makes it harder -- at least for me. For a few months I gave up running because a combination of the elevated heart rate and some mystery effect of the white noise at the office I work in was making my tinnitus spike like crazy. Now I work from home one day a week and I run that morning plus another morning during the weekend plus an evening.

I haven't been lifting because I have an injury of some sort on my right elbow that is taking forever to heal. One day at the gym I increased the weight on my dumbbell press and something went sproink. It hurts whenever I push or pull weight with that arm and it's been that way for a couple months now. I think it is finally starting to heal. Maybe. I'm sure I've lost some muscle in the meantime and I have no idea when I'll be able to start lifting again.

I've kept up with my martial arts training so at least that hasn't suffered.

This is all to say that it can sometimes be a struggle but it's worth it to get/stay active and do whatever you can to increase or maintain your level of fitness.

And I really like that linked article about fat loss.

[orionz06]

Diet is all you need to lose weight. I've wrecked myself countless times trying to outrun the garbage I ate as well as the bullshit breakfast I was lied to and told I needed.


Sent from my Nokia 3310 using an owl

[davisj]

I found myself in a similar situation in December but my "trigger" was different. Two days after Christmas my 34 year old cousin had a heart attack. Could have easily been mine. It woke me up to the reality that I needed to change everything NOW if I wanted to enjoy life and meet my grandkids one day ( my kids are 9 and 7).

As mentioned above, I downloaded the My Fitness Pal app which is awesome. Everything I eat and drink is logged as it holds me accountable. Diet, and by that I mean what you eat and NOT how many calories, is key.

As a baseline, I'm 41 years old, 6'3" and weighed 224.5# when I started this journey on January 1st. For exercise I started doing P90X simply because my wife and I bought it 5-6 years ago. Doing five correct push-ups was damn near impossible for me. Based on the P90X initial fitness test I was too out of shape to even start the program. Screw that, I did it anyway (with doctor's approval). Those workouts last roughly one hour each and are primarily body weight and cardio. I had to extend the first phase for three weeks bacause I was so out of shape, I actually did P111X!

I finished that program in April and have now started on P90X3. Same premise that X pet the workouts are 30 minutes each but are more intense. Again, primarily body weight (push-ups and pull-ups, some use of Dumbbells) and cardio.

YTD I've lost 22.5# but more importantly my overall fitness has improved dramatically. As I mentioned above, when I started I couldn't do five push-ups. Last Thursday I did 170 in 30 minutes while also working in pull-ups. My body composition has changed dramatically. While I've "only" lost 22.5# I've gained quite a bit of muscle.

This is where "diet" comes in...with P90X due to my height and starting weight I was eating 3,150 calories a day and still losing weight. With X3 I'm down to 2,700 calories a day and still losing weight. To build muscle increases metabolic burn longer than cardio you have to eat, a lot. IMO only working out 2-3 days week won't get you where you want to be. With both programs I work out six days a week. For reference, in addition to having a 9 year old and a 7 year old my wife works full-time and is also in graduate school so I'm basically acting as a single parent. Time management, getting my family onboard with why I need time to work out is key along with a routine. I'm up between 4:30 and 5:00 every morning. My wife leaves by 6:00 for work so I have to get my workout in before my kids get up and I get them fed, dressed and take them to school. There's no time in the evening due to helping them with homework and taking them to soccer and dance.

To make it happen you're going to have to decide and commit to a regular schedule. P90X/P90X3 are working for me but may not work for you. No matter, pick something and stick with it. The first test is the 4:30 alarm, what you do from there on determines your success or failure.

If you need a little additional motivation, or more accurately a mind set shift, check out this video excerpt from Jocko Podcast...Where Does Discipline Come From? https://youtu.be/_tE8kE8IfiY

ETA: A key piece of equipment is a heart rate monitor as it will help you measure progress and intensity. I use the Suunto Ambit3 Sport and Suunto's Moves Count app. Not cheap but I reasoned the money was better spent there than on another case of 9mm range ammo. You can also get one for ~$30 at Walmart. With the HRM and app I can track and see HR, effort, calories burned, VO2 and EPOC. These tell me if I'm getting better and also give me goals for each workout which are to burn more calories, increase training efficiency and spend more time in the "hard" and "maximal" range.

[Duces Tecum]

In my experience running, especially aerobic jogging doesn't transfer to bursts of great speed. If sprinting fitness is required, one must develop anaerobic sprint capacity.

That said, there can sometimes sometimes be workarounds. My knees are 200 years old and don't care much for impact. I swim for aerobic equivalentcy to LSD jogging. Biking might also work. That doesn't mean the skill sets are transferable. Swimming, for example, doesn't make me able to run just like running won't make me a swimmer. But I like to think that generally equivalent fitness levels can be reached, although once again, the skill sets aren't transferable.

In my case worn knees limit sprinting, perhaps even more than jogging. One (of perhaps many) workaround for this level of fitness are kettlebell swings. Swings build anaerobic fitness and translate directly to sprints.

http://www.strongfirst.com/is-there-a-perfect-swing-or-the-quest/

As long as you're doing KB swings, you might as well do a second exercise that will strengthen the entire body. Pavel Tsatsouline has written on this in his books Enter the Kettlebell and more recently, Simple and Sinister.

http://smile.amazon.com/Kettlebell-S...the+kettlebell (http://www.amazon.com/dp/0938045695/)

or . . .
http://tinyurl.com/zwy9olq (http://www.amazon.com/dp/0938045695/)

http://smile.amazon.com/Kettlebell-S...e+and+sinister (http://www.amazon.com/dp/0989892409/)

or . . .
http://tinyurl.com/zjobahx (http://www.amazon.com/dp/0989892409/)

I hope this is helpful, OP.

[9mmBrad]

Like others have mentioned start to log your calorie intake. This will let you see how much you are truly eating. Replace high calorie snacks with fruit.

For training look up Simple and Sinister. It is a book for a kettlebell program. You won't need but 1 or two size KB's to start with, it doesn't take a gym or much room at home, and even when you start out the program shouldn't take much more than 45min. When you have been at it for a bit the workout takes about 30min.

Like others have said getting in better shape does not happen over night it is a long process and it is a lifestyle change.

[9mmBrad]

John is a faster typer than I am! Lol

[orionz06]

Swings are awesome. Nothing worse than seeing folks at work here beating the ever living fuck out of their knees running off the crap they've been fooled into thinking is good.


As for logging food... It's worthless unless you use a scale and spend time confirming calories/weight are accurate. MyFitnessPal and many others allow users to edit values and half the time things are just wrong.

Also... Fuck fruit. It's sugar and it's a pain as it winds up triggering hunger.


Sent from my Nokia 3310 using an owl

[SMD]

You're getting great advice. I will add to the chorus of KB advocates. I've never found a more time-efficient way to attain a balance of strength and aerobic capacity. Form matters so learn the fundamentals carefully. Good luck. Be patient and never underestimate the power of rest and recovery.

[ford.304]

Swings are awesome. Nothing worse than seeing folks at work here beating the ever living fuck out of their knees running off the crap they've been fooled into thinking is good.


As for logging food... It's worthless unless you use a scale and spend time confirming calories/weight are accurate. MyFitnessPal and many others allow users to edit values and half the time things are just wrong.

Also... Fuck fruit. It's sugar and it's a pain as it winds up triggering hunger.


Sent from my Nokia 3310 using an owl

A food scale is super helpful. But I did pretty well measuring things once, and comparing it to the volumes I normally use. So I know my bowl holds 2 cups == X ounces of cereal or what-have-you. Then I don't have to measure every time. Or knowing that my yogurt tub is 24 oz and I used a third of it. Eventually I got pretty accurate eyeballing things. But to start out... you're 100% right.

[okie john]

The main thing is to start and don't stop. You'll hit plateaus. You'll eat more of the wrong stuff than you should. You'll have injuries and bad days at the gym.

If you keep going, then you'll improve. If you stop, then it's all over.


Okie John

[orionz06]

The main thing is to start and don't stop. You'll hit plateaus. You'll eat more of the wrong stuff than you should. You'll have injuries and bad days at the gym.

If you keep going, then you'll improve. If you stop, then it's all over.


Okie John

Very key. Back to diet... No matter the exercise frequency you're always gonna eat. Broken leg or squatting daily, still gotta eat.

Eating right is the work and it is work.

[breakingtime91]

I recently had to go on a gluten free diet for my skin. The diet has been great for me. I dropped 15 pounds, leaned out my muscle, and started focusing on strength type lifts and high intensity cardio. I still run because I think it's important for cardiovascular health but do it in moderation for my knees.

[John Hearne]

https://pointdriventraining.com/2016/01/01/point-driven-fat-loss/
https://pointdriventraining.com/2016/02/18/lets-build-a-cardio-base-with-lsd/

Shut up and do what Larry says.

[StraitR]

Shut up and do what Larry says.

Glad you hear you endorse this, John. I started today.

According to the linked BMR calculator in Larry's article, I use 1896 calories a day just breathing. At 4:40pm, I'm sitting on 490, and the odd part is I don't feel like ripping anyone's face off yet. Strange. I guess it's more mind over matter, at least on day one. Come midnight I'll probably be snarling, foaming from the mouth, and chewing on shoes.

ETA: Looking to cut 20 pounds.

[1slow]

Swings are awesome. Nothing worse than seeing folks at work here beating the ever living fuck out of their knees running off the crap they've been fooled into thinking is good.


As for logging food... It's worthless unless you use a scale and spend time confirming calories/weight are accurate. MyFitnessPal and many others allow users to edit values and half the time things are just wrong.

Also... Fuck fruit. It's sugar and it's a pain as it winds up triggering hunger.


Sent from my Nokia 3310 using an owl

I do not weigh my food. I log exactly what I consume so as not to fool myself about consumption. I weigh every day. Over time this tells me what is working for weight loss. This works for me YMMV.

[breakingtime91]

Glad you hear you endorse this, John. I started today.

According to the linked BMR calculator in Larry's article, I use 1896 calories a day just breathing. At 4:40pm, I'm sitting on 490, and the odd part is I don't feel like ripping anyone's face off yet. Strange. I guess it's more mind over matter, at least on day one. Come midnight I'll probably be snarling, foaming from the mouth, and chewing on shoes.

ETA: Looking to cut 20 pounds.

awesome!

[orionz06]

I do not weigh my food. I log exactly what I consume so as not to fool myself about consumption. I weigh every day. Over time this tells me what is working for weight loss. This works for me YMMV.

Point behind that was myself and many ran into issues not weighing. I don't now but I also know what I can and can't eat. Someone like my dad logging things into MFP went for months telling me I was full of shit because he was gaining weight. His servings and what he was saying didn't jive. The easiest and most foolproof way is to state what I stated. Your method is just fine and what most do once they're on a roll.

[1slow]

Point behind that was myself and many ran into issues not weighing. I don't now but I also know what I can and can't eat. Someone like my dad logging things into MFP went for months telling me I was full of shit because he was gaining weight. His servings and what he was saying didn't jive. The easiest and most foolproof way is to state what I stated. Your method is just fine and what most do once they're on a roll.

I agree with you in that, I believe we both believe that most people lie to themselves and others about what and how much they eat. I have learned to not do that. Weighing food helps cut the self deception.

[HCM]

I blame Chance for this:


http://youtu.be/10lV5Y-eKQY

[mtnbkr]

Glad you hear you endorse this, John. I started today.

According to the linked BMR calculator in Larry's article, I use 1896 calories a day just breathing. At 4:40pm, I'm sitting on 490, and the odd part is I don't feel like ripping anyone's face off yet. Strange. I guess it's more mind over matter, at least on day one. Come midnight I'll probably be snarling, foaming from the mouth, and chewing on shoes.

ETA: Looking to cut 20 pounds.

Give it a couple days. The "hate" phase takes a week or so to get through.

Chris

[SLG]

It's not just about calories. You have to eat food that will fuel you and your activities. Healthy fat is what does that. Cut the junk food and eat REAL food, that doesn't come in long term packaging. There's more to it than that, but it's a good start.

I used to eat 6000 (counted, measured) calories a day. About 1000 per meal, 6 times a day. I now eat half that, and often only two meals a day. I didn't have any weight to drop (I thought!) but I still lost weight and kept my strength. I'm also not hungry, and am a much happier person because of it. Banting Diet.

[HCM]

Speaking of two meals per day, what's the deal with all the hate on breakfast?

Like Ron Swanson, I like pretty dark-haired women and breakfast foods and can eat breakfast foods pretty much any time of day.

It's been a while, but I've successfully done the two meals per day thing skipping lunch. I don't have to eat the minute I get up, but if I don't eat breakfast within two or three hours of waking up I am even less pleasant to be around than normal. ;-)

So, is there any actual benefit to skipping breakfast versus skipping lunch or dinner? Or is it just a matter of personal preference?

[SLG]

Speaking of two meals per day, what's the deal with all the hate on breakfast?

Like Ron Swanson, I like pretty dark-haired women and breakfast foods and can eat breakfast foods pretty much any time of day.

It's been a while, but I've successfully done the two meals per day thing skipping lunch. I don't have to eat the minute I get up, but if I don't eat breakfast within two or three hours of waking up I am even less pleasant to be around than normal. ;-)

So, is there any actual benefit to skipping breakfast versus skipping lunch or dinner? Or is it just a matter of personal preference?

I eat a large, fatty breakfast every day I possibly can. It allows me to go 6-8 hours or more if need be, before I really want to eat again. I think it's kind of crazy to skip breakfast, but that's me. I'm not a nutritionist, or any kind of an expert on it, and I have very lucky genetics when it comes to this whole issue, so take that for what it's worth.

[ford.304]

Speaking of two meals per day, what's the deal with all the hate on breakfast?

Like Ron Swanson, I like pretty dark-haired women and breakfast foods and can eat breakfast foods pretty much any time of day.

It's been a while, but I've successfully done the two meals per day thing skipping lunch. I don't have to eat the minute I get up, but if I don't eat breakfast within two or three hours of waking up I am even less pleasant to be around than normal. ;-)

So, is there any actual benefit to skipping breakfast versus skipping lunch or dinner? Or is it just a matter of personal preference?

Personal preference. There's some level of science in that eating a little releases some level of hormones that encourage you to eat more, so by skipping breakfast you continue your fast from overnight and make it easier on yourself.. but really it's up to you.

Personally, I find that how much I eat for breakfast in no way influences how hungry I am at lunch time, even if's nothing but fat and protein, so it's the easiest meal for me to skip.

A lot of diets are about trying to make "eat fewer calories" easier psychologically more than anything. Protein and fat make you feel more full, for longer, than a similar number of calories of carbs. Fibrous vegetables fill up your stomach to trigger the "I'm full" leptin production without having many calories (in addition to the general health benefits of fiber).

Paleo/atkins type stuff mostly works because processed carbs are *incredibly* efficient in terms of energy per amount of food eaten. Take those away and you have to eat a lot more volume to gain weight.

Intermittent fasting works because if you can forget about eating one meal/day or day/week, you don't have to change the rest of your social habits to have a lower intake.

[orionz06]

Speaking of two meals per day, what's the deal with all the hate on breakfast?

Like Ron Swanson, I like pretty dark-haired women and breakfast foods and can eat breakfast foods pretty much any time of day.

It's been a while, but I've successfully done the two meals per day thing skipping lunch. I don't have to eat the minute I get up, but if I don't eat breakfast within two or three hours of waking up I am even less pleasant to be around than normal. ;-)

So, is there any actual benefit to skipping breakfast versus skipping lunch or dinner? Or is it just a matter of personal preference?

It's not hate by any means, it's more so accepting the true necessity and value for the day. I spent YEARS post college adapting to a chair and eating breakfast thinking it was proper. The idea that one needs is is just as bad as the idea that one shouldn't eat it. The reason people are rallying against it is we don't eat when we sleep and adding on a few hours to that, assuming we stop eating after dinner, leaves us a 2-3 meal window where we can really pig out on good stuff and lose weight. For me I cannot have a small meal as it just makes me hungry as fuck. I am better off not eating for 36 hours than I am having a 200 calorie meal.

Intermittent fasting is simply the easiest and simplest way to eat less. Pairing it with some other principle based diets and you can really set yourself up for success.

[StraitR]

Give it a couple days. The "hate" phase takes a week or so to get through.

Chris

Man, I'm usually at "hate" by the time lunch roles around everyday anyway. I'm not a big "wake up and eat" guy, so I don't usually eat anything until around 10am, and that's generally some kind of Clif/Kind/Special K bar stashed in my desk. By 1pm, I'm pretty much ready to rage quit work if I don't have a foot out the door for lunch. Same goes for dinner by about 7. Today was definitely different, and I think it's that I'm more focused on "not" eating than I am on "getting" to eat.

Here's my take on all this...

I didn't plan on starting any kind of a diet, or even see this coming, but that article struck a cord with me because it's so damn simple. I can do tough, I just hate complicated, so if it's just a matter of grinding it out, I'm all in.

I turned 42 in Jan, I'm 5'11" currently 194 lbs so I don't have a ton to give. I've been 5'11" - 175 since I was 17 years old up until I turned 38. I got married, stopped going to the gym, had my first kid, got a desk job and became much more sedentary. I've always eaten whatever I want, whenever I want, and however much I want. Clean or crap, my body didn't care. That's just not the case these days and it's a miracle I don't weigh 300lbs, especially given my bad habit of enjoying midrats pretty much every night. My wife, who works out regularly and eats clean, just shakes her head at my cholesterol and blood markers which are excellent and always better than hers (she's 31 ;)). But, based on my fast food diet I should be on all kinds of meds. That said, I work in the nutraceutical industry and have an appropriate supplement schedule for my poor diet, which I know helps a great deal. I am blessed with some good genetics in this way, but they can't stop or turn back time.

My daughter just turned four and it's getting harder and harder to keep up with her. I also have a seven week old son, and I want to be there for both of my kids. I'm already tired all the time, and I'm not getting any younger. I'm too sedentary because I'm tired and I'm too tired because I'm sedentary. Part of that is due to work, part is sleep schedule with the kids, but part is just plain laziness that has crept up and got the drop on me. I've spent my life active in organized sports and outside activities, lean and mean, but right now I have zero drive to do anything. My knees and back hurt on a pretty regular basis, and I blame that on my weight and lack of working out. I now realize I've gotten soft, and it just pisses me off. I need to lose these 20 pounds, get my ass back in gear, and that blog article was the spark.

So, thank you Cowtown and Orionz.

[spelingmastir]

Burpees.

100 for time.

Twice a week for 3 months.

When you get into the 15ish minute range start adding weights to your ankles/wrists.

When you get into the 10-12 minute range, start wearing a plate carrier.

If you get under the 10 minute range you should start doing other stuff.
I agree that it's a great(miserable) quick exercise but don't think that adding weight is necessary. I've had a goal to get to under five minutes and have gotten into the sixes. It's the least enjoyable exercise I do but it's a damn good full body workout.

[Gray222]

I agree that it's a great(miserable) quick exercise but don't think that adding weight is necessary. I've had a goal to get to under five minutes and have gotten into the sixes. It's the least enjoyable exercise I do but it's a damn good full body workout.

All the weight does is give you a slight modification to the workout. I was doing 14 minute routines and couldn't break it for the life of me, slapped on a plate carrier and within a month I was into the low 10's.

It is one of the best full body workouts out there, high impact, sure, but if you only have twenty minutes, spend 5 stretching and do this.

[FOG]

10 min of sandbag get-ups will get your HR up there. Rob Schaul prescribes that as a warmup often times but for a guy just starting out or if time is limited, it's a pretty intense session in and of itself.

Follow it with 5 min of burpees and finish off with 10 rounds of suicide sprints and now you're really getting in the gas tank.

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[spelingmastir]

All the weight does is give you a slight modification to the workout. I was doing 14 minute routines and couldn't break it for the life of me, slapped on a plate carrier and within a month I was into the low 10's.

It is one of the best full body workouts out there, high impact, sure, but if you only have twenty minutes, spend 5 stretching and do this.

Makes sense. Best to do it with a crappy carrier and since I'd sweat so bad that I'd want to throw it away.

[TheNewbie]

Don't feel to bad. I had never lost a foot pursuit until last week. It was embarrassing when he juked me and I fell and ate concrete. We finally caught him, but it had nothing to do with my ability to run at that point.

While I lift a decent amount of weight for my size, I realized I had not spent enough time on cardio. So this week I am running, sore body(ego) and all. haha