All-Purpose Health and Fitness Thread

[Cliff Hanger]

For whatever reason, I find that two days after is usually the worst. "Leg day+2" will probably always be my skip-the-gym day just to avoid walking to the gym.

[Red is Dead]

So I've been having trouble with my feet over the past few weeks.

 

I've been doing some light jogging/build up a sweat and lose weight/improve cardio - usual shit.

 

However, the dead skin on my heels cracked. Shortly followed by paper thin fissures down to the quick in the balls of my feet. Utter agony, and I'm keeping band-aid bandages in the black just to be able to walk.

 

Turns out, this is part of psoriasis vulgaris. Very rare to get on the feet. I've already got it in more common places like the base of the spine and the fingers.

 

Long story short - nothing i can do, except steroid cream and emollient cream to fix the dry dead skin. Cant really hack it at with a pummy stone, because the stress on the skin brings up inflammation which causes new fissures.

 

Deep, unbridled, unfettered joy.

 

Probably have to stop the jogging and move to cycling. Fun while it lasted and helped me lose half a stone in the two months i did the jogging.

[E.J.]

What about using an elliptical machine?

[Red is Dead]

That's also a thought.

[Cliff Hanger]

Set a couple of personal records this weekend; the only one really worth boasting about is that I squatted 135 for 40 reps (12, 12, 9, 7) today, marking the first time I've used 45lb plates on anything other than the leg press (which doesn't feel like it "counts" the same way as free weight stuff does). Took me 85 days from my first ever experience with free weights.

[Kevin Wilson]

I need to figure out how to get my weight loss to the 'next level' that won't make me hate life.  I have lost 75 pounds in the last 18 months and am at my lowest weight since being an adult, but I still have about 20 more to lose and in the last two months I have lost 0 pounds.  I haven't gained any either, just kinda chilling at 191.  I already run three days a week and make sure to get at least 10K steps a day to make sure I stay moving.  I know I have been cheating a little too often food-wise this summer so I am hoping by shaping that back up I can start going downwards again.  Things I can't/won't do is weights (I know it helps, just a personal thing, I absolutely hate weight lifting) or run any more than I already am (also hate running for no reason).  So I need to find a tennis or racquetball buddy, or find some other hobby that gets me moving.  I just got some resistance bands, that may be 'different' enough from lifting weights I may look online and see if I can find some exercises for them.

 

People keep saying to me "Kevin you're skinny!" which I guess is nice of them but it doesn't really help as I am still overweight, I am just thinn'er' than I used to be and people try too hard to be nice.  But it is starting to get on my nerves

[Super Ape]

So I had my first dietitian appointment yesterday; I rang in at 362.4 pounds, so I've been holding steady, albeit too heavy for the dietitan's scale to measure my body fat (which I was kind of hoping on).

 

I joked that my first goal was to dip to a weight where I could be read on her scale, but in all seriousness, my first goal is to get below 350 and make little baby steps by increments of ten until I get to a comfortable spot.  She gave me a list of portion size comparisons and ways to combat hunger pangs, so I'm ready to start the motion.

[evilwaldo]

I need to figure out how to get my weight loss to the 'next level' that won't make me hate life.  I have lost 75 pounds in the last 18 months and am at my lowest weight since being an adult, but I still have about 20 more to lose and in the last two months I have lost 0 pounds.  I haven't gained any either, just kinda chilling at 191.  I already run three days a week and make sure to get at least 10K steps a day to make sure I stay moving.  I know I have been cheating a little too often food-wise this summer so I am hoping by shaping that back up I can start going downwards again.  Things I can't/won't do is weights (I know it helps, just a personal thing, I absolutely hate weight lifting) or run any more than I already am (also hate running for no reason).  So I need to find a tennis or racquetball buddy, or find some other hobby that gets me moving.  I just got some resistance bands, that may be 'different' enough from lifting weights I may look online and see if I can find some exercises for them.

 

People keep saying to me "Kevin you're skinny!" which I guess is nice of them but it doesn't really help as I am still overweight, I am just thinn'er' than I used to be and people try too hard to be nice.  But it is starting to get on my nerves

 

 

Overweight is a hollow term to me.  You can look at a chart on a all which tells you that you should be X weight for X height as if it means anything.  The chart has no idea about your exercise history, build, eating regimen, etc.  

 

I seriously got into working out a year ago despite being in decent shape and wanting to lose 10 pounds.  Turns out I converted the fat into muscle and gained 10 pounds.  

 

If you are having problems losing those last 20 pounds it is probably because you are at your healthy weight.  Your body knows better than you.

[driver]

So I had my first dietitian appointment yesterday; I rang in at 362.4 pounds, so I've been holding steady, albeit too heavy for the dietitan's scale to measure my body fat (which I was kind of hoping on).

 

I joked that my first goal was to dip to a weight where I could be read on her scale, but in all seriousness, my first goal is to get below 350 and make little baby steps by increments of ten until I get to a comfortable spot.  She gave me a list of portion size comparisons and ways to combat hunger pangs, so I'm ready to start the motion.

You can do this, just stick with it. One thing that you need is motivation. In May of '12 I weighed in at 364 lbs. A little less than two and a half years later and I am at 255. If I can do it, then you can as well. I wish you the best because it is a huge challenge BUT it can be done.

[Ramsey]

 

So I had my first dietitian appointment yesterday; I rang in at 362.4 pounds, so I've been holding steady, albeit too heavy for the dietitan's scale to measure my body fat (which I was kind of hoping on).

 

I joked that my first goal was to dip to a weight where I could be read on her scale, but in all seriousness, my first goal is to get below 350 and make little baby steps by increments of ten until I get to a comfortable spot.  She gave me a list of portion size comparisons and ways to combat hunger pangs, so I'm ready to start the motion.

You can do this, just stick with it. One thing that you need is motivation. In May of '12 I weighed in at 364 lbs. A little less than two and a half years later and I am at 255. If I can do it, then you can as well. I wish you the best because it is a huge challenge BUT it can be done.

 

Good ON ya! Shit man, I thought my 50 pound drop was cool. You make me look like a pansy.

[driver]

Thanks. I'm a hell of a lot happier and it's a hell of a lot easier to move. Can't remember the last time I got winded either.

[Technico Support]

Random gym stupidity: My gym has two power cages.  There was a guy yesterday doing pullups using the bar in the cage.  Not bad, right?  Except his feet were on the other bar opposite it.  So he was essentially suspended 8 feet above the ground doing reverse pushups.  To illustrate:

 

 

So...dumb thing or dumbest thing?  If his hands slipped, he'd be going down right on his head.  There was nothing he was accomplishing there that couldn't be done closer to the ground using a Smith machine instead.

 

As always, I blame Crossfit for the rise in XTREME exercises like this. 

[Petey]

This seems appropriate: 

[Technico Support]

OH shit that is tremendous.  Is it time for a "dumb shit at the gym" thread?  I get the feeling it would be a few pages deep pretty fast.

[Bear Wyatt]

Ran my first 5K last night.  I've been doing a 5K every week on the treadmill for about 2 months now but doing it out in the open air is a lot different.  Especially with the humidity in Tampa.

 

Finished in 33:50.  Hoping to get down to the 30-31 minute range when I do my next one.

[piranesi]

Some real good news/bad news here.

Good:  For the first time in maybe seven years or so I weigh 195 pounds.  It's at least three years since I was under 200.  I am officially (at least as I'm going to put it) "In the mid to upper 100s"!  (195 is THE FUCKING MID TO UPPER 100s GODDAMMIT!!!).

Bad: Did a serious well-lit bald spot check for the first time in a couple of years and...it's not smaller.  Goddammit.  I start to fix one thing and some other thing fucks up.  Right now it's a Luke Harper, right in the middle.  But I can see the direction it's going.  Eventually, it's gonna be a Larry Fine.  For awhile I'll still have enough of a wall in front that I can look in the mirror and convince myself that's what people see.  Enough even that I can still style it and dote over it and in pictures I'll look fine.  But we all know that the world exists in three stupid dimensions, and those judgmental fuckers that make up the rest of humanity are sadly free to walk around to the side or back unimpeded like they own the goddamn place...and if I ever tilt my head forward a little...there will be "flopping."

This hurts because my hair is fucking gorgeous, and I've been doing remarkable things with it since the mid 80s, beginning with my era defining and sudden shift in 1986 from the Rick Springfield mini-mullet to the Judd Nelson double cowlick special and the equally sudden move to the Ken "Wahl of bangs" in 1987.  I kind of had my heart set on going full Dumbledore some day when I was old enough that no one would care enough to stop me.  But unless big floppy tassle hats come back in style, that's not going to happen because I'll need some cover for the center/front.

Now, this thing has been there in some form or other for at least nine years.  At least that's how far back I first caught sight of it in a security monitor and laughed at that poor stupid dope before realizing in a Serling-esque nightmare moment that that poor stupid dope was the back of me.  So, so far it's been slow growing.  But much like the melting of the polar ice caps, these things often reach a tipping point where the destruction starts developing exponentially.  I don't know when.  But I know a bad moon is rising.
 

[driver]

Congrats on the weight loss, piranesi. Don't let the retreating hair line get you down. Instead own it like that Member's Only jacket and those parachute pants you had thirty years ago.

 

My hair has been graying steadily over the past five years or so. If I let my hair grow out I'd have "Paulie Walnuts wings". Also I refer to the gray in my hair as "wisdom seasoning".

[Kevin Wilson]

I just discovered lentils.  OMG so good.  My weight loss is still stalled out so looking for new healthy foods to introduce into my diet, I think lentils will qualify.  I like them plain, I can imagine once I get some recipes they are really going to be great.

 

I did one day of Rushfit, thought I didn't push myself (took a break when needed, followed the 'alternative' version when needed).  Next day was sore, fine, but my thigh was sore for three days to the point I couldn't run (luckily I could walk through it, so I still could exercise some).  So yea, that is my body telling me to hold off on Rushfit at least until I just work up my muscles a bit more, I don't mind being sore the next day but going three days not being able to run is an issue.

[E.J.]

Some real good news/bad news here.

Good:  For the first time in maybe seven years or so I weigh 195 pounds.  It's at least three years since I was under 200.  I am officially (at least as I'm going to put it) "In the mid to upper 100s"!  (195 is THE FUCKING MID TO UPPER 100s GODDAMMIT!!!).

Bad: Did a serious well-lit bald spot check for the first time in a couple of years and...it's not smaller.  Goddammit.  I start to fix one thing and some other thing fucks up.  Right now it's a Luke Harper, right in the middle.  But I can see the direction it's going.  Eventually, it's gonna be a Larry Fine.  For awhile I'll still have enough of a wall in front that I can look in the mirror and convince myself that's what people see.  Enough even that I can still style it and dote over it and in pictures I'll look fine.  But we all know that the world exists in three stupid dimensions, and those judgmental fuckers that make up the rest of humanity are sadly free to walk around to the side or back unimpeded like they own the goddamn place...and if I ever tilt my head forward a little...there will be "flopping."

This hurts because my hair is fucking gorgeous, and I've been doing remarkable things with it since the mid 80s, beginning with my era defining and sudden shift in 1986 from the Rick Springfield mini-mullet to the Judd Nelson double cowlick special and the equally sudden move to the Ken "Wahl of bangs" in 1987.  I kind of had my heart set on going full Dumbledore some day when I was old enough that no one would care enough to stop me.  But unless big floppy tassle hats come back in style, that's not going to happen because I'll need some cover for the center/front.

Now, this thing has been there in some form or other for at least nine years.  At least that's how far back I first caught sight of it in a security monitor and laughed at that poor stupid dope before realizing in a Serling-esque nightmare moment that that poor stupid dope was the back of me.  So, so far it's been slow growing.  But much like the melting of the polar ice caps, these things often reach a tipping point where the destruction starts developing exponentially.  I don't know when.  But I know a bad moon is rising.

 

 

If it's any help, I heard the best thing to do with thinning hair is to make sure you always wash it with cold water, apparently hot water is like the worst thing for it. Also, try easing up on the shampoo. I've noticed my hair thinning and have been following this advice. While it hasn't been stopping the thinning, it has seem to slowed it down.

[Patrick B.]

Could have sworn I'd posted in this thread before but I guess not.

 

I'm terrible at impulse eating, especially with the vending machines at work having debit card slots.  That adds up.  Add in my limited budget and I'm shocked I haven't had a heart attack yet (I'm 37).

 

I'm trying to add salads to the culinary arsenal, but they currently consist of throwing a few lettuce leaves in a bowl and then drowning them in shredded cheese/bacon bits/ranch dressing/croutons.  Extra carbs are the last thing I need.

Adding more fruit to the diet; regularly bring apples and grapes in my work lunch.  Vegetables are something I'm really inconsistent about; every once in a while I'll cook up corn or peas but not nearly as often as I should.

 

I don't get nearly enough exercise...I have a desk job and my main activity at home is walking the dogs.  Said dog-walking consists of "hook up leashes, open door, try to keep up for the next half-hour or so until they finally decide to circle back around to the yard".

 

What are some good options for healthy eating on a limited budget?

[Kevin Wilson]

Could have sworn I'd posted in this thread before but I guess not.

 

I'm terrible at impulse eating, especially with the vending machines at work having debit card slots.  That adds up.  Add in my limited budget and I'm shocked I haven't had a heart attack yet (I'm 37).

 

I'm trying to add salads to the culinary arsenal, but they currently consist of throwing a few lettuce leaves in a bowl and then drowning them in shredded cheese/bacon bits/ranch dressing/croutons.  Extra carbs are the last thing I need.

Adding more fruit to the diet; regularly bring apples and grapes in my work lunch.  Vegetables are something I'm really inconsistent about; every once in a while I'll cook up corn or peas but not nearly as often as I should.

 

I don't get nearly enough exercise...I have a desk job and my main activity at home is walking the dogs.  Said dog-walking consists of "hook up leashes, open door, try to keep up for the next half-hour or so until they finally decide to circle back around to the yard".

 

What are some good options for healthy eating on a limited budget?

Beans and Oats.  Not together.  The nice thing about oats is you can add spices that have negligible calories (like cinnamon), I usually throw in a piece of toast or something.  Just don't drown it in butter.  Course I don't mean those prepackaged flavored oatmeals, I guess those aren't unhealthy but they aren't as good as just getting oats and making it yourself, and they are more expensive.

 

Lots of different types of beans are pretty healthy, as mentioned I just started eating lentils, the amount of meals you get out of one bag is crazy.  Comes out to like 30 cents a serving.  Plus the stuff you add to it like with oatmeal is generally healthy, I just put in onions and it was tasty.

[steve]

Canned tuna and the egg whites that come in the cartons are cheap ways to get a lot of protein.

 

Brown rice and whole wheat pasta are crazy inexpensive too whenever you want carbs.

[Patrick B.]

One of my biggest problems is that I just have no energy nowadays.  I know part of it is due to not getting enough sleep...I had a graveyard shift at a previous job that seriously threw my sleep patterns out of whack.  Now that I'm on a regular schedule, I have trouble getting to bed at a reasonable hour regardless of when I have to wake up.  The fun part is that my dogs are used to me feeding them in the morning, so they won't allow me to sleep in on the weekends...ugh.

[piranesi]

I just discovered lentils.  OMG so good. 

 

 

"Lentils are, like, really really nice man!"

[Super Ape]

Could have sworn I'd posted in this thread before but I guess not.

 

I'm terrible at impulse eating, especially with the vending machines at work having debit card slots.  That adds up.  Add in my limited budget and I'm shocked I haven't had a heart attack yet (I'm 37).

 

I'm trying to add salads to the culinary arsenal, but they currently consist of throwing a few lettuce leaves in a bowl and then drowning them in shredded cheese/bacon bits/ranch dressing/croutons.  Extra carbs are the last thing I need.

Adding more fruit to the diet; regularly bring apples and grapes in my work lunch.  Vegetables are something I'm really inconsistent about; every once in a while I'll cook up corn or peas but not nearly as often as I should.

 

I don't get nearly enough exercise...I have a desk job and my main activity at home is walking the dogs.  Said dog-walking consists of "hook up leashes, open door, try to keep up for the next half-hour or so until they finally decide to circle back around to the yard".

 

What are some good options for healthy eating on a limited budget?

http://erikaugust.com/thoughts/category/thirty-five-dollars-a-week/

 

This guy wrote a series of blog posts about eating well on $35 a week.  Difficulty level: he's an ultrarunner so making sure he gets calories is pretty much mandatory.  Obviously food prices may differ since he's in Boston and you're in the Midwest, but it's certainly worth a look.