Health Thread

[Backthepack4ever]

Good job on the running. I have zero patience for running. I try but just cant. At work I'll do the elliptical but even that I lose focus.

Instead I have been hitting a heavy bag and have a battle rope in the back yard. I also been doing kettle bell swings for time. 100 swings with 84 pound bell and 100 pushups. Started about a month ago at 13 mins and change. Yesterday was 8:17.

My lifting i scaled the weight back and going higher reps. I've lost about 20 pounds but still fat ha

[BF004]

I am 100% not and never have been a runner, just started real small, walking on the treadmill at the gym back in February-March. Eventually started working in a few 60 seconds little jobs when in the mood, starting getting those up to like 2-3 mins, then 5 mins. Still not intentions of running whatsoever, but used that for my cool down after lifting weights. Did a half mile then a whole mile which was awful, finally decided to just go 3.1 miles. HAd to walk several times, got like 43 minutes, but it didn't feel awful, never was pushing it very hard. Then is just kind of stuck a little.

I've still never gotten this made up runner's high runners lie about because misery loves company, but I've gotten to the point where I just feel really good after.

[texas]

Yeah I hate running. Lifting is fun and sprints are cool but straight up jogging? No thanks

[salmar80]

Popped my hammy a bit.

I blame MM.

[TheGreenMan]

I've still never gotten this made up runner's high runners lie about because misery loves company, but I've gotten to the point where I just feel really good after.

Used to get it years ago when I started running. I don't get it anymore. Usually around the 2 mile mark I begin to think to myself "what the hell am I doing?".

But, yeah, after the run I feel great.

[Drj820]

I’m down 30 since new year. Been staying under 1500c most days, trying to get 10k steps per day, and lifting harder than I ever have. Kind of gotten a bit obsessed with it. I had gotten pretty out of shape so I still want to lose a few more, but mainly trying to get stronger now.

[BF004]

I’m down 30 since new year. Been staying under 1500c most days, trying to get 10k steps per day, and lifting harder than I ever have. Kind of gotten a bit obsessed with it. I had gotten pretty out of shape so I still want to lose a few more, but mainly trying to get stronger now.

Good for you!!



I am in great fear of the yo-yo diet, so I am focusing as much as I can on sustainable options. So I’m not big on the caloric restriction per se, focusing on the intermittent fasting (which definitely can reduce calories). But trying to generally eat healthier, less, when appropriate, etc.

Kind of working on a like 24-36 hour running clock in my head that will prevent my body from storing excess fat or carbs into fat, via whatever combination of exercise, diet quality and/or diet quantity.

[Drj820]

I’m down 30 since new year. Been staying under 1500c most days, trying to get 10k steps per day, and lifting harder than I ever have. Kind of gotten a bit obsessed with it. I had gotten pretty out of shape so I still want to lose a few more, but mainly trying to get stronger now.

Good for you!!



I am in great fear of the yo-yo diet, so I am focusing as much as I can on sustainable options. So I’m not big on the caloric restriction per se, focusing on the intermittent fasting (which definitely can reduce calories). But trying to generally eat healthier, less, when appropriate, etc.

Kind of working on a like 24-36 hour running clock in my head that will prevent my body from storing excess fat or carbs into fat, via whatever combination of exercise, diet quality and/or diet quantity.

Thank you! I understand that for sure, but it’s just my nature that I need to do it this way. I can’t really “casually transition” into things like diet and lifestyle changes. I am usually either all in or out. So when I decided I needed to get healthier it became sort of like an obsession. I need to set daily goals and be hard on myself if I didn’t accomplish them. I log my calories on the lose it app, and really don’t mind doing it at all. But my daily goal list may look as simple as:

1. Under calorie goal app gives me (usually 1500-1900c)
2. Work out
3. 10k+ steps
4. Call my mom
5. Read something that will make me smarter
6. No fast food

And then I just like feel like a slave to that goal list. It really helps me get it done. If I don’t write it out like that, I will pass by a Popeyes and smash a chicken sandwich and tell myself I’ve done a good job so far and this won’t hurt lol

I’m not really sure if it will be a yo yo diet or not because I’ve never really yo yo’d. I was always in really good shape. I was on my college cycling team for road bikes and used to do triathlons. But the last 5 years post college the desk job lifestyle, a knee injury, a pretty poor diet, and beer caught up to over time. So this diet is more me being tired of that and getting back to a place I am happy With myself, than like a constant cycle of losing/gaining/losing/gaining.

Over the past few years I’ve told myself I need to lose weight, but I feel for me the only way to actually do it is be hardcore about it ha. Wel see if it turns to a yo yo or I just enjoy this lifestyle better.

[Drj820]

Does anyone use a fitness tracker besides the Iwatch?

I do have an iPhone and not really sure why I’m not into iwatch. I think I just don’t like how Apple doesn’t play well with other brands and how they always try to squeeze extra dollars out of you. Example would be how chargers are $20, regular headphones no longer fit in the iPhone, and the new iPhone won’t even come with a charger. I don’t know it’s probably silly, but is an odd hang up I have.

I have the Garmin approach s20 which I love. But it’s a lower cost gps watch with the main purpose of being a golf gps. Tells distances on the course, keeps score, stats etc. The fitness aspect is extremely basic...miles walked, steps, calories, sleep etc. The thing I love about it over iwatch is it last a couple weeks before needing another charge.

I was with a friend yesterday hiking and he had this bad boy Garmin Forerunner 945. The thing was unreal. All the usual stats like milage, heart rate, activity zones, time, etc but also showed elevation changes, mapped our route, showed on the watch how to return to where we started. So many additional stat and chart breakdowns in the app.

It got me wanting something next level really bad. That 945 is super expensive though. I wouldn’t have to go that high end I don’t think.

Anybody got any reviews/recommendations for any advanced metric fitness trackers? Or reasons I’m wrong about iwatch and how it is awesome? Ha

I do not care about connecting the phone to the watch in terms of texts, calls, and emails. I like being away from that stuff when exercising.

Thanks for the recommendations!

[BF004]

I got my iwatch, series 2, on fb for $110 this spring.

Had basically all the same features as the 5, minus ekg, then just a bit slower, thicker, and smaller screen. I just saw no reason to by anything newer, which includes the 6 coming up.

As soon as they make the ability to download songs to your watch on Spotify so I don’t have to bring my phone on runs, then that could get me to spend big for it.

[Drj820]

I got my iwatch, series 2, on fb for $110 this spring.

Had basically all the same features as the 5, minus ekg, then just a bit slower, thicker, and smaller screen. I just saw no reason to by anything newer, which includes the 6 coming up.

As soon as they make the ability to download songs to your watch on Spotify so I don’t have to bring my phone on runs, then that could get me to spend big for it.

That is a great point about an older watch that is much cheaper will probably do just fine for me.

That whole deal with Spotify is another example of what I was talking about though. That is just them not playing nice and trying to force people to use Apple Music. Several newer model Garmins will allow you to download up to 1000 Spotify songs while on WiFi, and then play them over Bluetooth when out and about. I think that feature is very cool. But all those watches are probably as expensive as the newer iWatches.

Older model iWatch is something I should def be open to keeping my eye out for.

[Cdragon]

Started doing Keto on Oct 3rd 21. I'm in my 13th week and have dropped 55 lbs. Basically no carbs. I do intermittent fasting 99% of the time. 16 to 20 hrs, but I've also done 24, 27, 36, and 44 hrs. I want try a longer fast of 5 to 7 days while I still have enough fat to survive. Get the autophagy really going to tear apart the old worn out and broken material that isn't working, or working against me. And getting the Growth Hormones, Stem Cells, and Testosterone kicking in big time to rebuild my interior.

I've had no real problem with this. I was always a savory food guy to begin with and I eat steak, pork, lamb, salmon, chicken, eggs, bacon, whatever protein with good fats and lots of broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus, big salads. Rarely hungry, don't work out. But muscle been firming up. Thinking about going to a gym.

Cut my HBP med in half in the first 3 weeks. 30lbs went in the first 3 weeks and I'm probably dropping 2 lbs a week now. While I'll eventually have some carbs in the future I don't really see a reason to stop doing this. Eventually I'll get to the point where I'll have to eat enough fat for energy rather than the use the fat stored in my body cause that will be pretty much gone.

[texas]

Started doing Keto on Oct 3rd 21. I'm in my 13th week and have dropped 55 lbs. Basically no carbs. I do intermittent fasting 99% of the time. 16 to 20 hrs, but I've also done 24, 27, 36, and 44 hrs. I want try a longer fast of 5 to 7 days while I still have enough fat to survive. Get the autophagy really going to tear apart the old worn out and broken material that isn't working, or working against me. And getting the Growth Hormones, Stem Cells, and Testosterone kicking in big time to rebuild my interior.

I've had no real problem with this. I was always a savory food guy to begin with and I eat steak, pork, lamb, salmon, chicken, eggs, bacon, whatever protein with good fats and lots of broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus, big salads. Rarely hungry, don't work out. But muscle been firming up. Thinking about going to a gym.

Cut my HBP med in half in the first 3 weeks. 30lbs went in the first 3 weeks and I'm probably dropping 2 lbs a week now. While I'll eventually have some carbs in the future I don't really see a reason to stop doing this. Eventually I'll get to the point where I'll have to eat enough fat for energy rather than the use the fat stored in my body cause that will be pretty much gone.

I can't do keto. It screws with my blood sugar. And my brain needs those carbs. I know people who swear by it though, just not for me.

[Drj820]

Started doing Keto on Oct 3rd 21. I'm in my 13th week and have dropped 55 lbs. Basically no carbs. I do intermittent fasting 99% of the time. 16 to 20 hrs, but I've also done 24, 27, 36, and 44 hrs. I want try a longer fast of 5 to 7 days while I still have enough fat to survive. Get the autophagy really going to tear apart the old worn out and broken material that isn't working, or working against me. And getting the Growth Hormones, Stem Cells, and Testosterone kicking in big time to rebuild my interior.

I've had no real problem with this. I was always a savory food guy to begin with and I eat steak, pork, lamb, salmon, chicken, eggs, bacon, whatever protein with good fats and lots of broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus, big salads. Rarely hungry, don't work out. But muscle been firming up. Thinking about going to a gym.

Cut my HBP med in half in the first 3 weeks. 30lbs went in the first 3 weeks and I'm probably dropping 2 lbs a week now. While I'll eventually have some carbs in the future I don't really see a reason to stop doing this. Eventually I'll get to the point where I'll have to eat enough fat for energy rather than the use the fat stored in my body cause that will be pretty much gone.

Thats pretty awesome! Way to go!!

[NCF]

Started doing Keto on Oct 3rd 21. I'm in my 13th week and have dropped 55 lbs. Basically no carbs. I do intermittent fasting 99% of the time. 16 to 20 hrs, but I've also done 24, 27, 36, and 44 hrs. I want try a longer fast of 5 to 7 days while I still have enough fat to survive. Get the autophagy really going to tear apart the old worn out and broken material that isn't working, or working against me. And getting the Growth Hormones, Stem Cells, and Testosterone kicking in big time to rebuild my interior.

I've had no real problem with this. I was always a savory food guy to begin with and I eat steak, pork, lamb, salmon, chicken, eggs, bacon, whatever protein with good fats and lots of broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus, big salads. Rarely hungry, don't work out. But muscle been firming up. Thinking about going to a gym.

Cut my HBP med in half in the first 3 weeks. 30lbs went in the first 3 weeks and I'm probably dropping 2 lbs a week now. While I'll eventually have some carbs in the future I don't really see a reason to stop doing this. Eventually I'll get to the point where I'll have to eat enough fat for energy rather than the use the fat stored in my body cause that will be pretty much gone.

I started last March. Lost 50 lbs, but went off it in July. It was intended to be a break for a month to 6 weeks. Here we are today. Probably gained 30 lbs back and 15 of that probably in the past month.

Back on the horse today. Im looking to do a longer run this time. No excuses. Just keep it going. I also want to do some of the longer fasts. Feel like it won’t be that hard. I was never hungry once I got going and definitely felt so much better than I do now again.

The hardest thing for me is to cut the booze, but this is the time of year that I can always make it happen.

[wallyuwl]

Feeling the itch to get back lifting again. I only have 7 or 8 years left before my T drops too much to do it for more than health. My shoulder is holding me back, an injury since 2013 (with origins back to sophomore year high school) that finally is starting to get a little better with targeted massage. I think adding chiro, and if I can find a PT that will dry needle as much and where I want, would help a lot, too.

[Cdragon]

About a month in, my collar bone 'popped' into the correct place in the shoulder. Knees feel great. Hope to hit 200 sometime in March but I haven't been this low since the mid 80's when I spent 6 weeks loading cases of meat on pallets 12hrs a day. If there were any 60+ sports leagues around here I could be kicking some ass. Just got to get the wind back.

[Drj820]

Started doing Keto on Oct 3rd 21. I'm in my 13th week and have dropped 55 lbs. Basically no carbs. I do intermittent fasting 99% of the time. 16 to 20 hrs, but I've also done 24, 27, 36, and 44 hrs. I want try a longer fast of 5 to 7 days while I still have enough fat to survive. Get the autophagy really going to tear apart the old worn out and broken material that isn't working, or working against me. And getting the Growth Hormones, Stem Cells, and Testosterone kicking in big time to rebuild my interior.

I've had no real problem with this. I was always a savory food guy to begin with and I eat steak, pork, lamb, salmon, chicken, eggs, bacon, whatever protein with good fats and lots of broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus, big salads. Rarely hungry, don't work out. But muscle been firming up. Thinking about going to a gym.

Cut my HBP med in half in the first 3 weeks. 30lbs went in the first 3 weeks and I'm probably dropping 2 lbs a week now. While I'll eventually have some carbs in the future I don't really see a reason to stop doing this. Eventually I'll get to the point where I'll have to eat enough fat for energy rather than the use the fat stored in my body cause that will be pretty much gone.

I started last March. Lost 50 lbs, but went off it in July. It was intended to be a break for a month to 6 weeks. Here we are today. Probably gained 30 lbs back and 15 of that probably in the past month.

Back on the horse today. Im looking to do a longer run this time. No excuses. Just keep it going. I also want to do some of the longer fasts. Feel like it won’t be that hard. I was never hungry once I got going and definitely felt so much better than I do now again.

The hardest thing for me is to cut the booze, but this is the time of year that I can always make it happen.

Almost everyone i know that has gone on Keto has lost a lot of weight and then regained most of it when they are off the diet. I recently was not intentionally doing "keto", and it wasnt really keto because it wasnt high fat...but I have had to make some adjustments. This diet was very high in protein and did have almost no carb. It was:

Protein shake, tablespoon all natural PB for breakfast (PB helps absorb protein)
8 oz fish (tilapia, cod, tuna, salmon) for lunch
Protein shake, two hard boiled eggs snack
8 oz chicken dinner.

Then at lunch and dinner I could add as much as anything green that I wanted. I basically used salsa and hot sauces as the sauce for the chickens and my salads. No doubt the diet worked. lost 25 lbs really quickly. I was also lifting weights 4-5 times a week.

The problem is that without really wanting to be, it was throwing my body into "ketosis" by midweek, and on this plan...once a week you can eat whatever you want. The freeday is encouraged to rev that metabolism back up and keep you from going into "starvation mode" or something like it. So i would be in keto by mid week, then feast on saturdays and throw myself out of it, then back to keto by midweek...and man every single week by midweek i was feeling sick. I think they call it like the "keto flu" or something. Apparently it was worse for me because the fats you eat on keto help lessen it or something (just what i read). But i mean every single mid week for like 5 weeks straight i thought i had covid or something. So i really am adjusting to something I think can be more sustainable for me.

Instead of a day to feast, im adjusting that to just one meal per week. One meal I can go out to a restaraunt and do it as big as I please. That meal helps me stay grounded through the week as I can deny myself pleasure now, knowing that pleasure is coming soon enough. But in addition to that I am going extremely low carb, but not enough to go to ketosis. I eat a half cup of oatmeal for breakfast (27g carb) and an apple a day (25g carb) plus the veggies i eat usually does have some carbs.

I have found this is far less punishing on me when I do have alot of carbs, and it more sustainable for me...and my weight loss really hasnt slowed. All props to anyone who can do keto 24/7, but its a little too drastic for me to think I can keep it up in every setting for a long time. Props to those who do though!

[NCF]

Started doing Keto on Oct 3rd 21. I'm in my 13th week and have dropped 55 lbs. Basically no carbs. I do intermittent fasting 99% of the time. 16 to 20 hrs, but I've also done 24, 27, 36, and 44 hrs. I want try a longer fast of 5 to 7 days while I still have enough fat to survive. Get the autophagy really going to tear apart the old worn out and broken material that isn't working, or working against me. And getting the Growth Hormones, Stem Cells, and Testosterone kicking in big time to rebuild my interior.

I've had no real problem with this. I was always a savory food guy to begin with and I eat steak, pork, lamb, salmon, chicken, eggs, bacon, whatever protein with good fats and lots of broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus, big salads. Rarely hungry, don't work out. But muscle been firming up. Thinking about going to a gym.

Cut my HBP med in half in the first 3 weeks. 30lbs went in the first 3 weeks and I'm probably dropping 2 lbs a week now. While I'll eventually have some carbs in the future I don't really see a reason to stop doing this. Eventually I'll get to the point where I'll have to eat enough fat for energy rather than the use the fat stored in my body cause that will be pretty much gone.

I started last March. Lost 50 lbs, but went off it in July. It was intended to be a break for a month to 6 weeks. Here we are today. Probably gained 30 lbs back and 15 of that probably in the past month.

Back on the horse today. Im looking to do a longer run this time. No excuses. Just keep it going. I also want to do some of the longer fasts. Feel like it won’t be that hard. I was never hungry once I got going and definitely felt so much better than I do now again.

The hardest thing for me is to cut the booze, but this is the time of year that I can always make it happen.

Almost everyone i know that has gone on Keto has lost a lot of weight and then regained most of it when they are off the diet. I recently was not intentionally doing "keto", and it wasnt really keto because it wasnt high fat...but I have had to make some adjustments. This diet was very high in protein and did have almost no carb. It was:

Protein shake, tablespoon all natural PB for breakfast (PB helps absorb protein)
8 oz fish (tilapia, cod, tuna, salmon) for lunch
Protein shake, two hard boiled eggs snack
8 oz chicken dinner.

Then at lunch and dinner I could add as much as anything green that I wanted. I basically used salsa and hot sauces as the sauce for the chickens and my salads. No doubt the diet worked. lost 25 lbs really quickly. I was also lifting weights 4-5 times a week.

The problem is that without really wanting to be, it was throwing my body into "ketosis" by midweek, and on this plan...once a week you can eat whatever you want. The freeday is encouraged to rev that metabolism back up and keep you from going into "starvation mode" or something like it. So i would be in keto by mid week, then feast on saturdays and throw myself out of it, then back to keto by midweek...and man every single week by midweek i was feeling sick. I think they call it like the "keto flu" or something. Apparently it was worse for me because the fats you eat on keto help lessen it or something (just what i read). But i mean every single mid week for like 5 weeks straight i thought i had covid or something. So i really am adjusting to something I think can be more sustainable for me.

Instead of a day to feast, im adjusting that to just one meal per week. One meal I can go out to a restaraunt and do it as big as I please. That meal helps me stay grounded through the week as I can deny myself pleasure now, knowing that pleasure is coming soon enough. But in addition to that I am going extremely low carb, but not enough to go to ketosis. I eat a half cup of oatmeal for breakfast (27g carb) and an apple a day (25g carb) plus the veggies i eat usually does have some carbs.

I have found this is far less punishing on me when I do have alot of carbs, and it more sustainable for me...and my weight loss really hasnt slowed. All props to anyone who can do keto 24/7, but its a little too drastic for me to think I can keep it up in every setting for a long time. Props to those who do though!

Yeah, I feel your pain. I think what you are talking about is fat adaptation. A lot of people think that once you are in ketosis you are good to go, but really, when you first get there, your body has no idea how to use those ketones for sustainable energy so you usually just wiz them all out in the beginning. Most online sources estimate 2-6 weeks of sustained keto to become fat adapted. This is where your body develops the tools to use those ketones and also more efficiently begin burning your fat stores (as opposed to dietary fat) for ketone production. In your case, you probably weren't getting either, so explains why you always felt sick. This is also where, if you get to this spot, keto is awesome. You feel awesome all the time. You are never hungry. You eat healthy food for nutrition, not from some compulsive need to eat. It is very freeing.

I have done the diets the way you described, as well, with the cheat meal. It always mushrooms for me. The cheat meal becomes the cheat day. The cheat day leads to leftover Mondays, etc. Everyone has something that works for them. I have found, though, that in my case, I am an all or nothing kind of guy. I either care a lot and am all in or I convince myself I don't care and then all bets are off. As you can imagine, I do a lot of up and down on the scale. That is my goal for this year is to figure out a way to better sustain success and avoid long stretches of indifference.

[Drj820]

I started last March. Lost 50 lbs, but went off it in July. It was intended to be a break for a month to 6 weeks. Here we are today. Probably gained 30 lbs back and 15 of that probably in the past month.

Back on the horse today. Im looking to do a longer run this time. No excuses. Just keep it going. I also want to do some of the longer fasts. Feel like it won’t be that hard. I was never hungry once I got going and definitely felt so much better than I do now again.

The hardest thing for me is to cut the booze, but this is the time of year that I can always make it happen.

Almost everyone i know that has gone on Keto has lost a lot of weight and then regained most of it when they are off the diet. I recently was not intentionally doing "keto", and it wasnt really keto because it wasnt high fat...but I have had to make some adjustments. This diet was very high in protein and did have almost no carb. It was:

Protein shake, tablespoon all natural PB for breakfast (PB helps absorb protein)
8 oz fish (tilapia, cod, tuna, salmon) for lunch
Protein shake, two hard boiled eggs snack
8 oz chicken dinner.

Then at lunch and dinner I could add as much as anything green that I wanted. I basically used salsa and hot sauces as the sauce for the chickens and my salads. No doubt the diet worked. lost 25 lbs really quickly. I was also lifting weights 4-5 times a week.

The problem is that without really wanting to be, it was throwing my body into "ketosis" by midweek, and on this plan...once a week you can eat whatever you want. The freeday is encouraged to rev that metabolism back up and keep you from going into "starvation mode" or something like it. So i would be in keto by mid week, then feast on saturdays and throw myself out of it, then back to keto by midweek...and man every single week by midweek i was feeling sick. I think they call it like the "keto flu" or something. Apparently it was worse for me because the fats you eat on keto help lessen it or something (just what i read). But i mean every single mid week for like 5 weeks straight i thought i had covid or something. So i really am adjusting to something I think can be more sustainable for me.

Instead of a day to feast, im adjusting that to just one meal per week. One meal I can go out to a restaraunt and do it as big as I please. That meal helps me stay grounded through the week as I can deny myself pleasure now, knowing that pleasure is coming soon enough. But in addition to that I am going extremely low carb, but not enough to go to ketosis. I eat a half cup of oatmeal for breakfast (27g carb) and an apple a day (25g carb) plus the veggies i eat usually does have some carbs.

I have found this is far less punishing on me when I do have alot of carbs, and it more sustainable for me...and my weight loss really hasnt slowed. All props to anyone who can do keto 24/7, but its a little too drastic for me to think I can keep it up in every setting for a long time. Props to those who do though!

Yeah, I feel your pain. I think what you are talking about is fat adaptation. A lot of people think that once you are in ketosis you are good to go, but really, when you first get there, your body has no idea how to use those ketones for sustainable energy so you usually just wiz them all out in the beginning. Most online sources estimate 2-6 weeks of sustained keto to become fat adapted. This is where your body develops the tools to use those ketones and also more efficiently begin burning your fat stores (as opposed to dietary fat) for ketone production. In your case, you probably weren't getting either, so explains why you always felt sick. This is also where, if you get to this spot, keto is awesome. You feel awesome all the time. You are never hungry. You eat healthy food for nutrition, not from some compulsive need to eat. It is very freeing.

I have done the diets the way you described, as well, with the cheat meal. It always mushrooms for me. The cheat meal becomes the cheat day. The cheat day leads to leftover Mondays, etc. Everyone has something that works for them. I have found, though, that in my case, I am an all or nothing kind of guy. I either care a lot and am all in or I convince myself I don't care and then all bets are off. As you can imagine, I do a lot of up and down on the scale. That is my goal for this year is to figure out a way to better sustain success and avoid long stretches of indifference.

Awesome goal. I am on the same train really. I wish you well throughout the year!

I hope everyone that is on this mission will post updates on this thread as they feel like it, to help us all stay encouraged. I know Cdragons post fired me up to keep at it!