Take care of yourself

Re: Take care of yourself (LiveSTRONG)

Rico,

There is a lot of good information here. However, I'd suggest before starting a supplement program that you take some time to understand what you're putting into your body now. How many calories do you take in a day? What's the breakdown in carbs, fats and proteins?

A 7- to 10-day diet diary would be the best way to do this. Write down everything you put in your mouth for a week to 10 days. Write the caloric content, too. Be anal about it, too. Tally everything at the end of the week and get averages. You'll probably be surprised at what you find.

It's easy to say we're going to take some supplements. But many of us, if we ate better, wouldn't need to spend money on supplements. Many of us take supplements instead of real food. Supplement should be in addition to the real food we're eating.

Also there should be an understanding of how well our bodies are processing the nutrients we're taking in.

If you can afford it, get blood work done by a certified clinical nutritionist/dietician. That might be the best way to tell if your body is processing nutrients the right way or if you might have some imbalances and the best way to attack those imbalances.

When I talk about an imbalance, somebody might not be able to process Vitamin C well. And it might because of an inability to process other nutrients. By reading reports on our blood, nutritionist/dietician can tell us what and why we might be lacking.

And to answer Riddick's question. There are a few of us with six packs who also carry notebooks.

 

Re: Take care of yourself (LiveSTRONG)

Well, this thread is dying. Time for some CPR

I raced my first criterium today. 30 minutes, followed by three laps. I finished near the back of the pack, but I didn't crash or finish last. That was a success for me. I was in the lowly C Flite with about 50 others. The A and B flites had about 75-100 racers each. My flite averaged about 24 MPH, I'm guessing the A Flite dudes cranked it up to 30 MPH for a 60 minute race. I have a long way to go before I'll even be close to those kids.

Pretty cool to see ~250 bikes turn out for the season's first race. Did a 15-mile ride to and from the venue with the team, so it was a good day in the saddle.

 

Re: Take care of yourself (LiveSTRONG)

I'll jump in here for a second and say my peace.

I was going through a job change over the holidays and New Year so I really fell out of my first real fitness program in some time. Went back over 230 which was a bummer.

Now that I've settled into a new gig with regular hours I've been able to cut back on sodas and sonic meals eight times a week to almost zero of either in a month.

I've dropped close to 10 pounds and have been in the gym for a week. It's amazing how fast you can tell a difference if you do cardio multiple times a week. I used to just plod along on the treadmill for a half hour. I've thrown inclines and intervals in and also have started swimming. It's easier now than it was a week ago but I'm still working up a good sweat.

The best thing I did was meet with a fitness instructor my first day at the gym. We did everything from heart monitor to flexibility and she's got me on a plan that caters to what I'm capable of doing. It's productive but it doesn't kill me. I can walk out of the gym and still be useful the rest of the day.

The NCAAT cut into my gym time on Thurs/Fri but I was back today and I didn't struggle as much as I thought I might.

My goal is to run in a 5K by June and a 10K in Oct/Nov. (That was a New Year resolution) Maybe I can work up to a half marathon by this time next year.

It's quite refreshing.

 

Re: Take care of yourself (LiveSTRONG)

Question for all:

As mentioned, I've been running and working out and I feel great. But here's a strange problem. Since I've started eating healthier and working out more, I'm losing weight. I don't want to get into those calorie shake things (too expensive) and I don't want to stuff myself constantly.

Any ideas? I have a PowerBar before every workout but I've lost 5 pounds in the last 3-4 weeks that I didn't want to lose.

(And yes I know I would get punched in the face by many people for complaining about my problem.)

 

Re: Take care of yourself (LiveSTRONG)

Bump for the benefit of rico (and anyone else who might benefit).

 

Re: Take care of yourself (LiveSTRONG)

rico,

do you mind if I merge this with the Take Care of Yourself thread so all the health tips are in one place?

 

Re: Take care of yourself (LiveSTRONG)

For those who are working out on the erg (ugh), I can offer a few tips. I rowed in college (including the Head of the Charles, Dad Vails and the NCAA Championships) on our school's top varsity boat. The best workouts are intermixed short bursts (anaerobic) with long volume type workouts. For the short workouts, try doing two minutes full pressure, followed by a minute's rest. Do 10-15 sets. I also like doing 500-meter bursts, full pressure, for 10-12 sets. Keep your splits under 2:00, preferably around 1:35-1:40.

For longer days, work on 10,000 meters and mixing in a Power 10 every few minutes. This will get your splits up and mix up the monotony of such a long piece.

Every once in a while, bang out a 2k just to see where you're at physically. My best (senior year) was a 6:21, but I doubt I could come within 20 seconds of that mark now.

 

Re: Take care of yourself (LiveSTRONG)

I merged this thread with rico\'s after he said he was fine with that.

 

Re: Take care of yourself (LiveSTRONG)

If the Creatine shakes are not an option, try carnation instant breakfast or ovaltine. It's a decent supliment to keep the calorie load high.

I'm kind of in your boat, too. I'm probably going through 3-4,000 calories per day, but now maintaining the weight between 195-200, yet fitting into the jeans much better than I was a year ago.

 

Re: Take care of yourself (LiveSTRONG)

Are you just doing cardio, or are you also trying to add muscle? You can lose fat, add muscle, and you'll gain weight while looking thinner.

I'd stay away from the instant breakfast stuff Idaho mentioned...loaded with sugar. I'm a huge fan of Met-Rx shakes....one packet in 16 oz water, shaken or in the blender with fruit....tastes like melted chocolate pudding, with 32g of protein and only 3g carbs....around 200 calories. They also make vanilla, but it tastes gross to me.

 

Re: Take care of yourself (LiveSTRONG)

I mentioned those things because he said the MetRX stuff was too expensive. But if you can find a bargain, they're better for the needs he's describing.

And, 21, you are so right about the fat loss/mucle gain. I've probably gained five pounds total in the last year, but I look much less chubby. My love handles are much smaller.