Dropping some weight & increasing fitness

[firffighter]

Well, the recent polls (average age of GG rider & diminishing vision) got me to thinking about my overall weight and fitness level at 41 years of age.

I have always carried a few extra pounds, even as a kid, but have always been in tip top shape. I played 3 sports all through high school and even played 3 years of small college basketball. I always hovered around the 175-180 lb. mark at 5'10", and played college ball at 165. After marriage I went up to 185 pretty quickly and over time got up to 200, although I still worked out and was very active. About 8 years into marriage and into my early 30's I went up to 220. I was less active and just got busy with teaching, coaching family. Then, I changed careers and became a firefighter. I dropped to 195 during my year of intensive firefighter training and was in the best shape of my life. Last week I stepped on the scale, after a long winter, very litte working out and lots of snacking, to find I am at an all time high of 235! Yikes. I still have not problem running 2-3 miles or doing any activities, including fire fighting or doing a 50+ mile ride, but I am just too heavy and need to make some serious changes before things get too out of hand.

My plan is to do what has always worked for me and to make some life-changes, not just loose weight. First off, I am committed to running. I have always run off and on over the years because it required no fee or gym and I could always fit in a run with my schedule. 4 years ago I dropped 25 lbs in 2 months by just running 4-5 days a week for 45 min. I have started a 1/2 marathon routine and am running about 20 miles a week.

Next, I am committed to not eating crap. I have always had a terrible sweet tooth and love to snack at night while watching TV. I have never been a fast food person and love fruits and veggies and we eat a well balanced diet at home and at the fire station, but I have always been a terrible snacker and pick pretty terrible choices for snacks like sweets and chips. I also dring a lot of diet coke. I am going to replace the junky snacks with things like fruit, almonds, etc. and begin drinking more water (crystal light) instead of the diet coke.

My goals are:

1) to get down to 200-205 by July/Aug and see how things feel. Ultimately, I would like the first number in my weight to start with a 1 instead of a 2.

2) become a runner. I want to tackle a 1/2 marathon this summer and try to do a marathon next year. I do hit the weights at work a couple of times a week and do a good a lot of stretching as well and will keep that up.

3) eat more heart healthy. Just become more aware of what I am eating, especially those snacks and diet coke.

4) do a long race (100 miler) this year and every year. Several opportunities in the NW for this with a variety of events.

I would love to hear from others who may be in the same boat or would like to join me in the challenge. I would also love to hear stories of other who have made similar changes or lost significant weight.

 

[jhendr3702]

right there with you... i am 48 yrs old 5'6 and am pushing 200.. i am pretty stocky but still... i would love to get back down to the 170 ish range.. i have arthritis and running is out for me.. i can bicycle, but that is about it.. I will tell you the best shape i have ever been in in my entire life was back when we rode and trained every weekend.. we raced enduros and rode every weekend about 60 miles.. not trail riding casual, but riding hard every weekend.. i probably lost 30 lbs in about 4 months when we started that and felt stronger than anytime in my life..
i gave up cokes completly about 3 yrs ago, dont even miss them .. we eat some fast food, but i dont like any of it, so not too much..

 

[husley]

Me too

My Wife started our weight-loss last year (she rides as well). She has lost 50 and I've dropped 25.

She (and subsequently I) had tremendous sucsess with the Weight Watchers App on the Iphone............yeah it might sound a little silly but it really did wonders to make us realize what we were eating (usually junk). Probably part of the reason it worked so well is because it was always with us, so if we ate out, she could calculate points. She even did it trail-side during a snack break.

Both been working out as well and it has helped tremendously with allowing us to ride longer. Two weeks ago she rode a Family Enduro and was riding as strong at mile 50 as she was at mile 5.

Our average mileage on a fun ride has gone from 35 to 50

So in a nutshell, we have been eating better and working out and it has made riding that much better

 

[Tlineman]

I'm 6'4" and have recently peaked at an all time high of 220lbs. I know that doesn't sound like a big number for 6'4" but its 220lbs on a 180lb frame. I'm only 28, and have a physically demanding job, and a young family. Although I can still ride the long course with no difficulty I'd like to be able to increase my last lap speed and feel better about my current weight. I attribute my gain to good ole delicious Canadian beer, by the dozen. I can't help myself. My goal is to be at 200lbs by the end of the summer by quitting drinking all together during weekdays and only a couple on weekends. I also have a killer sweettooth, and that needs to be tamed down. No more restaraunt food, and no more seconds at the dinner table. Unfortunately my job and family don't allow for any dedicated exercise time for me so I need to better regulate what goes in my mouth to lose the weight.

Man I sure could go for a cold Molson Canadian with all this playoff hockey on....... Go Canucks Go.

 

[webmaster]

I had to learn how to work out regularly and change my "lifestyle" after my double bypass last year... Age 50... I was 223 and have dropped to 195 - but want to get down to 180...

Weight gain or loss is all about calories - 3500 calories = one pound. Cut out 500 calories per day and you lose one pound per week. Or burn 500 more calories per day...

Then there is fitness - cardiovascular fitness means getting your heart rate into your target range for better than a half hour - every other day (they say 3-4 times per week...). Your target heart rate is based on your age and on-line calculators can be found... Having workout machines that can measure heart rate is good - I have a polar heart rate monitor - well worth the money. Strap goes around chest and sends signal to wrist watch display, etc.

I went through cardiac rehab - basically work out at the hospital under the direction and watch of a couple of nurses. I was on an ekg while exercising and a nurse checked my blood pressure before, during and after exercise. My blood pressure was good/low - which allowed me to get off some medications - beta blockers and made me feel confident to push myself a a little harder without being paranoid about my heart...

What I learned from this whole process is :

1. warm up is important - go slow at first to give your body time to adjust - your blood vessels dilate to carry more blood and hitting things hard when cold will result in injuries.

2. Cool down is just as important as the warm up... Go slow for 5-10 minutes at the end of your workout.

3. The recommendation is to only stretch out after working out when your muscles are warm - to avoid tears and injuries from stretching them when they are cold. I stretch lightly before exercise just to loosen up a little bit - then stretch out for 10-15 minutes at the end of the workout.

4. I am still figuring this one out - but working out aggressively burns different "stores" in your body than working out at a medium pace. Maybe it's an instinct from the past - if your body is stressed alot, it doesn't burn fat - you burn more immediate stores of energy (glucose/carbs, etc.). So I warm up, go hard (heart rate 125-135) , and then continue at a slower pace for an extra half hour to burn off more fat (heart rate 100-110). I mix it up between recumbent bike, treadmill at 10-12 degrees, and a concept II rower and occasionally do light weights.

As I have worked myself back into shape - I have built up muscle in my legs/back/shoulders. I want to get to 185 and then have a body composition test done. Weighed in a water tank to get accurate number for body fat percentage. My true goal is to get my body fat percentage down - focusing on weight can be discouraging as one converts fat into lean body mass (muscle). e.g. my weight doesn't always go down - but I still notice less fat in my face (cheeks and jawline) and how my clothes fit, etc.

First thing is for you to get checked out by a doctor - make sure your blood pressure is okay, etc.

Oh, and if you like to eat big meals - eating smaller meals more often will keep your metabolism up - and this helped me break through one "weight loss plateau" that I hit... Atwork, I'll grab a banana at about 3pm and at home, I like to eat green or red peppers or carrots as snacks...

One problem I have is that as I work out harder and now that I am working out every day , I am really, really hungry when I get home and end up pounding down too many calories - so my weight has been holding steady...


jeff

 

[roostafish]

I like reading all of this guys. Keep it up. One of the best things you can do is to write out your goals to make it clear, and keep a log of your workouts and your food intake. I like the weight watchers app. people use their smartphone, I think it's brilliant. Heck, I might even do that.

I'm a fitness freak and I'm obsessed with abs. I always want to see them. One thing I can add to all of what you guys said, is this. If you eliminate all carbohydrate intake after 2:00 P.M. and eat only protein and vegetables, you will be surprised how quickly you lean out.

 

[GMP]

I'm 5'9" 190 lbs, decent but not great shape. I work out daily, in a work subsidised health club. Usually run three miles on a treadmill then do either a gravitron upper body workout followed by Cybex shoulder and chest machines, or leg press (alternate days). Abs every day. Not the best plan but I try to get the most out of my available 45-60 min at lunch. I too starve after a workout, and usually hit the Itailain place across the street for a salad with chicken to eat at my desk.

The club just got this workout system called TRX. Its basically a set of straps with either hand grips or foot holds that hang from the ceiling, and you do a series of exercises usiing you own body weight, with an instructer that paces you. Picture pushups with your feet in stirrups off the floor, or pullups with your body at a 45 deg angle, its brutal! The key is you also have to stabilize yourself, so the core workout is incredible! I have a pretty strong upper body for my size, did a 20 min demo and it kicked my ass, some guys with me could not do all the exercises. This is probably the best thing I've done yet for a total body workout applicable to off road riding, its great. I just have to wait for enough interest at lunch for a class to start. Six week program of this with a trainer will put you in good shape.

 

[elemetal]

When our 4 yr old was born she was allergic to certain fats and proteins (went away after a year or so), so Mom couldn't eat any of certain things. Those things happened to be pretty major: no eggs, dairy or soy. If you look at the labels of just about anything (bread, crackers, any pre-made foods or canned goods) they typically have soy lecithin or whey (both not allowed) so we couldn't eat them. Both of us are active and in pretty good shape (6'4"@225) but with that food regime we both lost 25-40 lbs. Neither of us were exercising at all (newborn, no sleep or time) but we lost a lot of weight, that last 'little' bit that never seems to go away was gone. Nothing like eating protein and veggies only (no mayo on sandwiches, etc) to get the body tight.

I got to the point where I had to mentally tell myself to eat more 'cause I got down to 195 and was too thin (dropped 2 pants sizes). What I learned was: you can completely control your weight with food (rather than with exercise as I had done when younger); and as you get older (I'm 42 now) you have to rely on this method because life and metabolism make the exercise path way too hard to do. I don't get 4 hrs a week to work out, ever.

We had our second daughter 1 1/2 yrs later and had fallen off the original food plan some. Both of us had put some back on but I was still at 210 max (typically at 208). Our second had the same issue but less intense so we did the 'no dairy' thing again and got the same results. I was convinced at that point and no longer eat dairy on a regular basis (milk in my coffee, cook with butter once a week). I've stayed 2 sizes smaller in pants (38 to a 34) and can see immediate results when I do work out (push ups etc); my endurance has stayed the same even though I'm not doing much training and I feel way better overall.

Like webmaster said; 500 less calories a day equals a pound a week. If you can control what you eat the rest comes almost effortlessly. Remember though, it's a life change. Diet implies that it's temporary, that's why a diet never works; you always go back to your old ways when it's over.

You don't gain the extra weight overnight, the same goes for getting rid of it. Most people pick a plan that gets rid of the weight fast but it's unsustainable for the long run. Pick a plan that you can do and add to it as time goes by, never give up and don't look back.

My biggest diet issue is getting enough free time on the weekends to RIDE!!!

 

[tm_enduro]

All sound advise above. Additionally, getting hungry between meals is not a bad thing. Calorie control, and the type of calorie is key to success. Don't overestimate the amount of calories burned in a workout, and don't gorge after working out, instead eat lean protien (tuna, almonds, etc).
On riding days and days with long workouts, properly fuel your tank. I am hypoglycemic and a competative runner and former AA racer, as such I have found that slower burning protiens such as brown rice and eggs burn slowly enough to keep my tank full for a long time (I eat this before a 5K or a half marathon, or on any riding day). Skip the pancakes and syrup and sausage.
Again, if you are eating 1500 to 1700 calories a day to loose or maintain weight, stopping off for a 1100 calorie 5-guys burger & fries or a 1000+ calorie beer and pizza feast, you will be derailing yourself. Another rule of thumb is this, brown food (rice and beans are exceptions) = bad, green food = good.

 

[lankydoug]

I'm 47 years old 6'6" 215 lbs. I prefer to be around 200 and have recently crept up in weight due to a shoulder injury that has kept me from playing tennis. I'm just getting back to riding and although I could play tennis for 3-5 hours with no problem I am no where near in shape for an enduro or a hare scramble. My goal is to get fit enough to ride hard for an hour.

My general rule to a healthy life is to #1 do a constant activity every day that makes you sweat for an hour #2 pick something you care about for a hobby#3 maintain friendships and stay socially connected and #4 don't eat crap food. I've also found that the best way to get in shape for a sport is to play or practice that sport. Trail riding can accomplish the top 3 on the list in one swoop. One optional thing I added is to pick something brand new to learn every year or two to challenge your mind.

 

[firffighter]

Great responses, advice and encouragement. It is much appreciated.

I feel like this is the one part of my life I have not "conquered" so to speak. I have an amazing wife and 5 wonderful children, have a great career and am blessed with great friends, family and church. This weight thing has always hung over my head. I actually carry the weight "well", if there is such a thing and most people cant believe I weigh that much. I have been able to maintain an active lifestyle with work, riding, etc. , and my BP, resting HR and chloresteral numbers are all good. But, I know that it will catch up with me sooner than later and I dont want to get injured (usually backs go out due to overweight and weak abs) or worse have lasting health problems resulting from being overweight.

One thing that has been quite a negative influence is lack of sleep. As a firefighter at a busy station, in a major city, I get very interrupted sleep patterns 1/3 of my life. I definitely suffer from sleep deprivation, like many fire fighters, and it can result in poor eating habits. I do notice that the days off I am very tired, I eat more poorly. Not sure why, but I need to get a handle on that and they say if you work out first thing in the morning after getting off a bad shift of interrupted sleep, it helps with eating and energy.

Lots of great input that I will most certainly incorporate: No carbs after 2 pm, Weight Watchers or Calorie Counter App for my phone, warm up and cool downs, 500 less calories a day (guy I work with has lost 25 lbs since first of year by simply cutting 500 calories a day and burning 500 calories a day on treadmill), riding more often (tough, but I am going to try).

I am also considering signing up for a Yoga class once a week. I know this can be a little "granola" and I would fit the stereotype of a typical Portlandia, but I have heard great things from fellow firefighters and I would promise not to buy a Subaru Forrester or shop at Whole Foods

It is encouraging to hear other's stories and experiences and I usually dont post this kind of stuff on a website, but this seems like a safe place with great folks, so I thought "what the heck", I'll lay it out there.

 

[webmaster]

On the topic of "weight loss is all about calories" - there was a college professor who did a "twinkie diet" to illustrate losing weight is all about calories in and calories burned and not what you eat...

http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/11/08/twinkie.diet.professor/index.html

Also, initially it is easy to lose weight because your body first burns glycogen - which has water bound to it. So you lose the energy store + water weight at first...

Details from the mayo clinic website :

"During the first few weeks of losing weight, a rapid drop in pounds is normal. When calories from food are reduced, the body gets needed energy by releasing its stores of glycogen, a type of carbohydrate found in the muscles and liver. Glycogen holds onto water, so when glycogen is burned for energy, it also releases the water ? about 4 grams of water for every gram of glycogen ? resulting in substantial weight loss that's mostly water."


So you are not doing anything "wrong" when the weight quits dropping as fast after 2-3 weeks - it's just how the body works through what it has stored up....

The other thing that comes to mind is the injury/recovery cycle that I have gone through while getting myself back into shape. As we get older - it's easier to injure/strain something and takes much longer to heal up. This interrupted my workout routine several times. Hence the advice on getting a good warmup, etc.

Jeff

p.s. If you want some motivation to lose weight and drastically reduce your risk of coronary artery disease (plugged up arteries that supply your heart) - search on CABG (coronary artery bypass graft) or open heart surgery on youtube - and watch a doctor open up a guy's chest with the equivalent of a sawzall and a car jack... Trust me - it sucks...

 

[tm_enduro]

The other thing that comes to mind is the injury/recovery cycle that I have gone through while getting myself back into shape. As we get older - it's easier to injure/strain something and takes much longer to heal up. This interrupted my workout routine several times. Hence the advice on getting a good warmup, etc.

Jeff brings up a good point. As a lifetime competative runner, I see lots of folks that get injured. Being conservative and making easy days easy is imperative to continuing to run / exercise. I have seens lots of people drop weight and get in shape only to be derailed by injury and struggle with a reaccumulation of fat and loss of muscle. Most of us that can afford bikes can affort PT / medical services if we get injured, I encourage everyone to see medical assistance from an ATHLETIC trainer / chiro / doc when injured and get back on track.

 

[gg3]

Eat & drink whatever you want.
Buy lots of bling,re-valve etc. to compensate & take the short loops.
But seriously,really good stuff here for my age group.

 

[roostafish]

Lots of great input that I will most certainly incorporate: No carbs after 2 pm, Weight Watchers or Calorie Counter App for my phone, warm up and cool downs, 500 less calories a day (guy I work with has lost 25 lbs since first of year by simply cutting 500 calories a day and burning 500 calories a day on treadmill), riding more often (tough, but I am going to try).

I am also considering signing up for a Yoga class once a week. I know this can be a little "granola" and I would fit the stereotype of a typical Portlandia, but I have heard great things from fellow firefighters and I would promise not to buy a Subaru Forrester or shop at Whole Foods

.

Warning, eliminating carbs after 2:00, while very effective, is not as easy as it sounds. I found that without some kind of carb, I still wanted to eat, even though my stomach was full. May have been just my body protesting the lack of quick fuel, but it was really tough. Worth it though. After you reach your goal, you can add good carbs back in, but keep it smart and keep it good. Stay away from breads, noodles, white rice. Brown rice okay, Dave's killer bread, okay.

On Yoga, I don't care if it's granola, Yoga works, it is amazing fo your flexibility, and even your strength.

One thing though, if you buy a Subaru, make it an STI. If you get a Forrester, then all of my premonitions about you were correct.... You're a lesbian.

 

[GMP]

I'm starting a TRX training class next week, for six weeks. I expect to be whimpering like a kicked puppy after the first hour session. Then I will get one for home once I learn what works with the instructor.

http://www.trxtraining.com

I've done different things but this is really a big bang for the buck, in $$ and time spent. Designed by a Navy SEAL for training in the field, they know something about fitness.

 

[blitz11]

Here's my $0.02.

I'm 6'4" tall, run about 30 miles per week. Have run 7 marathons, fastest 3:24, slowest 3:50 after spending a week in the respiratory section of the hospital with my daughter 2 weeks before the marathon. I was sicker than a dog.

Running: make sure you don't do too much too soon. Get your base, then on the long run, just go an extra mile per week. I used to work my way up, then run 3, 23 mile runs 2 weeks before the marathon. Then taper (20, then 14) the two weeks before the marathon. You'll be conditioned to doing long runs, but well rested.

I grew tired of getting up at 2:30 AM to do my long run on Friday AM (so we could go ride dirt bikes on the weekend), so I quit running marathons. With traffic, our routine is to leave early Sat AM, ride all day, come home Sat PM late. Now i do longer runs on sunday.

My regime is still three, six-long mile runs per week, and one long run per week. In Minnesota, i drop off to 10 miles for my long run in the winter (i can't get water, and my water bottle freezes), then when I can get more water (when the park board installs handles on the pumps) and my water bottle stops freezing, i add mileage, going to 20 miles by june. After that, I'll do a 20 miler once per week, until the handles come off the pump.

Cycling. Running won't get you to lose weight like you can lose weight by cycling. If you're serious about weight loss, long medium to hard road rides will get you to drop weight. Cycling is actually more conducive to weight loss than running.

IF you wanna' run a great marathon, get a few 4-5 hour-long cycling efforts in the few weeks leading to your race. You'll train your body to burn fat, which is really helpful for that 26 mile effort.

Sugar. My wife is an awesome baker, but after the first of the year, i quit deserts. It's really hard at first, but after 2-3 weeks as i watched my weight drop, i didn't even want to look at it anymore. I've dropped 15 pounds since early January by just dropping deserts. The 195 to 180 pounds was easy, the next 10 will be difficult until i can free up time at work, finish my ignition, and get the road bike out of the basement. (I also bicycle commute 6 miles each way every day on my bicycle. It's good to get the metabolism going in the AM)

I snack on unsalted peanuts at work during the afternoon. Protein and a bit of fat in your blood will address those hunger pangs.

Hope that helps.

blitz

 

[firffighter]

Just thought I give a 2 week update.

I ran 15 miles per week and was able to get 1 ride in each week as well. A good start, and running is getting easier. Been doing 5/3mile runs and am ready to increase to a 4 mile run once a week.

Been really watching what I have been eating. Not easy! I have made some good changes, but also enjoyed a bit too much Easter dinner and dessert and blew it this Saturday night when we were entertaining out of town folks and went out for a nice meal.

Good new is that I have dropped 8 lbs. in the past 2 weeks!

Gotta keep it going!

 

[roostafish]

Just thought I give a 2 week update.

I ran 15 miles per week and was able to get 1 ride in each week as well. A good start, and running is getting easier. Been doing 5/3mile runs and am ready to increase to a 4 mile run once a week.

Been really watching what I have been eating. Not easy! I have made some good changes, but also enjoyed a bit too much Easter dinner and dessert and blew it this Saturday night when we were entertaining out of town folks and went out for a nice meal.

Good new is that I have dropped 8 lbs. in the past 2 weeks!

Gotta keep it going!

Give yourself one free day per week on food. That will help with scratching the bad food itch, and it won't do a lot of damage to your goal.

 

[HuskyDude]

Good new is that I have dropped 8 lbs. in the past 2 weeks! Gotta keep it going!

Well if that doesn't give us all incentive...