What do you guys do to stay in shape?

[Norma]

Hate to say it but the gym. I hate working out but a necessity. Cardio and weights.

 

[molested_cow]

I used to run 3 miles on one day and an hour of gym the next. Then I don't really want to go to the gym anymore because it's no longer free for me, so I keep running 3 miles on one day and swim 1500m the next. Some times, if time permits and if I feel ok, I will run and swim right after. I do miss weights and realized that my upper body strength isn't doing nearly as well as when I used to go to the gym. However, my endurance is improving.

Just came back from 2000m of drowning!

For me, keeping in shape is one thing although I simply can't get rid of that spare tire no matter what I do. I started doing these exercises because I need a way to vent and carve out some time for myself, to be left alone. So daily work out is really important to my sanity.

The other day I was visiting my grand parents and went for a run in the farm area. I just ran and ran and ran and before I knew it, I did more than 5 miles and not even feeling tired. I think it's really got to do with how I feel psychologically. I loved the farm area so running through the place was joy for me, but counting laps on the track just feels that much tougher.

Diet wise, it's hard to have total control when you got a mom who cooks great dinner. It's been tough, but I try to keep my portion small by planning to swim/run after the meal (with time gap of course).


Just want to add.... Gym can be annoying for a few reasons.
1.) Gets too crowded, got to wait for your turn.
2.) Sometimes kids come in (apartment gym) and mess around.
3.) Housewives' gossip while they do the step thingy. They like to talk about what processed food, like healthy choice and all that junk they ate that day and how much calories they took in. They then talk about alcohol and booze that they had at the pub. Then they talk about how they have no time for themselves since they have kids...
4.) Sweaty dudes who don't use a towel.....!!!

 

[nmoody]

Over the past two years I have lost about 45lbs. First 20lbs was me cutting soda out completely. The rest was a combination of WeightWatchers and mild gym activities. I used WW for their system, got a feel for what I should of been doing and now im pretty steady on my weight. WW isnt designed to make you drop tons of weight but instead slowly bring you down and give you the information you need to maintain your weight. If you dont want to do the meetings and crap there is just an online version which gives you some awesome tools for managing everything.

 

[ghache]

I eat well, and try to stay outside as much as possible. I jog/walk my dogs every possible day.

 

[paigew]

I just started the 'insanity' workout and omg it is freaking HARD! I'm doing it to lose my baby weight We also just ordered a vitamix so we will be juicing at least twice a day.

 

[Diddy2theJJ]

I did P90X for 1 year and and did two and a half rounds of it. The BEST workout and meal plan that I've ever been on. I lost 40 lbs and 2-3 inches off of my waist. It was definitely a commitment, but once I got used to it I looked forward to it. And the nice thing is, I wasn't hungry on it! You eat so well and have healthy snacks throughout the day and it works well.

That being said, I was single at the time so I had all the time in the world. I'm now engaged and working full time and doing photography part time...and I have gained all that weight back! Aaaarg. Frustrating, but I went in to the doc a couple weeks ago and I have high blood pressure and cholesterol. Me and my fiance are going to start eating healthy again and doing about 30 min of exercise a day and see how that goes. Probably just elliptical and then some situps/pushups etc to start out with and see if we can work up to something a little more intense.

Eating is my biggest challenge because I love frozen pizza, mountain dew, and snickers....not the best combo for losing weight! haha

 

[unpopular]

I really don't think the gym is necessary except for vanity. Eat right and don't drive everywhere and your body will maintain a healthy size regardless of what the BMI says.

There are several issues dealing with what we think of as "good health" and the BMI. First, the BMI is nothing really, it's just an arbitrary index. weight/(height)^2. That's nothing, really, just a ratio. It linearizes the charts doctors use, and "body mass index" makes this non-scientific screening tool sound more impressive.

Second, the "obesity epidemic" itself. What this shocking news doesn't tell you is that they changed the definition of overweight. While people may be getting heavier, statistics that say significantly more people are overweight or obese today isn't a reflection of weight, but rather of the changing definition of what that means.

There is also little evidence that this so-called epidemic has actual affects on our overall health. While death due to diabetes has gone up, death due to other weight related conditions such as heart disease and stroke have gone down since the 1950s. While the diabetes thing may sound significant, this is more likely due to diagnosis than an increase in diabetes. People used to just die of "old age". This is almost never the case any longer in the US.

The most "overweight states" states also states with the highest number of immigration and the years which the US saw the greatest increase in weight was also years which the US saw large numbers of immigration from Latin America. At least one study I have seen has shown that healthy hispanics tend to have a higher body mass index than non-hispanic whites. I believe that the overweight epidemic, especially in childhood obesity, is a reflection of our changing population, and not our changing lifestyle.

Finally there are a number of studies which indicate being "slightly overweight" is beneficial in some areas, that weight gain can be significantly tied to poor sleep and that weight gain can be significantly tied to stress - none of which are ever emphasized. This implies that our rush-rush suburban lifestyle which require us to wake up at obscenely early and get home late - which encourages up to stay up later as well - commute in heavy traffic for long distances while worrying about being late and how appointments will be made also have a significant affect on our weight, which may (and probably is) be just fine to begin with.

I'm not saying that I am the pinnacle of good health, I am pretty sedentary lately, especially with winter. But as I am walking from the bus stop and passed a gym, I have to wonder how much is that is really necessary if people would just get out of their cars and walk.

 

[JohnS.]

A work out won't get you anywhere if you're not willing to eat healthy.

I've got a bad back and shoulders and used to have bad knees so I'm limited to what I do. I went to physical therapy for my knees and went on my own after 6 weeks. They're doing much better. I decided to throw in a couple more exercises to work out my core along with the knees just to tighten my abs up. Otherwise I don't really exercise. My job requires a lot of walking/standing and some lifting (which isn't always necessarily a good thing but it keeps me active).

Otherwise I make healthier choices with food. I have actually LOST weight by eating healthier. I'm 5'6" and 138-140lbs. I used to be 145-150 maybe 5-6 months ago. I can't gain weight for the life of me. My metabolism is insanely high. Eat more frequently throughout the day but less at each meal. I eat at least 5-6 times a day minimum. On weekends it's a tad less because I sleep in longer (I get up at 6 during the week days for work) so it throws of my eating schedule a bit. I only drink water. I don't drink alcohol at all and I only have soda with foods that taste better with it (ie - pizza, wings, popcorn, etc.). But even then, I mostly drink water. Wheat instead of white bread, fruit instead of cookies, etc.

I've changed my eating habits to the point where I no longer have desire for the "yummy" foods. It's incredible. I used to have such a HUGE sweet tooth. I had candy every day! But now, a few cookies and I feel sick. I get cravings but I've maintained my eating so much that I have MUCH more self-control and can choose not to eat whatever. I still have burgers, Taco Bell, etc. several times through a month. Much better than eating it multiple times a week.

To all those that want to try to eat healthier, it takes a lot of self-control and takes a while to build it up. I used to HATE water. I drank soda and soda only for years. I forced myself to start drinking water and it tasted horrible. But eventually you get used to it and now I LOVE the taste of water.

 

[Diddy2theJJ]

Great post unpopular. I think it's a matter of perspective, and most people are focusing on the one point of view that the news is reporting which is a highly negative view (as most news seems to be...which is why I very rarely watch or read about it). Also with media pushing model type bodies people use that as a reference point to what they should look like and strive for, when that really is an unrealistic goal to achieve without putting in the amount of hours dedicated to exercise, that many of us don't have with working and raising a family etc.

 

[ClickAddict]

Most doctors tend to agree that the ideal BMI as a target is slightly low. (There was even a 2nd version of the BMI calculations which came out to address this if I recall) WW sets goals based on BMI (Or used to. I heard they did some major overhaul to their system a few years back) however they also say if your doctor reccomends different target weights they will follow those. My BMI was suppose to be something like 178 or 180. My doc told me that in the low to mid 190s would be a weight which would be acceptable. (Not ideal, but not causing stresss to my body) At the time (2 years ago) I was 275lbs. I am now 190lbs. (well perhaps 195 after the holidays but it fluctuates a bit here and there which does not concern me) At this weight, for my height and build, I would say I am carrying a few extra pounds, but in good shape. So 180 would certainly be possible withou much effort, but I've levelled off at around 190 and am enjoying my current exercise and diet regime so I don't feel the urge to try and go lower.

And as for how I lost the weight. Taekwondo, skiing, some biking the first summer but got a motorcycle after that and had a hard time on sunny days to get out the "slow" bike. Diet: portion control and switched from regular pop/soda to diet. (I'm a heavy pop drinker so this had a huge effect)

So in a nutshell: dont let BMI overly concern you. Find the weight you are comfortable with.

 

[c.cloudwalker]

I drink.

 

[unpopular]

I think it's a matter of perspective, and most people are focusing on the one point of view that the news is reporting which is a highly negative view

Most doctors tend to agree that the ideal BMI as a target is slightly low. (There was even a 2nd version of the BMI calculations which came out to address this if I recall)

I think that there is a monetary issue here as well. At the same time when the standards changed was also around the time when weight management medicine had become much more sophisticated than stimulants and liposuction at a time when there was a lot of anorexia awareness - as a result, there was less emphasis on emulating Twiggy and the rest of the super thin supermodels of the 1970s.

I think the pharmaceutical industry saw their market dry up and lobbied the CDC and FDA to create a market for these upcoming technologies by creating more "fat people" to treat.

 

[analog.universe]

Eat vegan and carry Zeiss lenses up a mountain. Works like a charm!

Seriously though, actually just hauling my body vertically, either hiking or climbing (or doing hills on a bike), is an intense and effective workout. Kind of hard if you don't live near real mountains, but if you do, there's nothing better. Plus the views along the way are always worth photographing. I've even got pelican cases that fit in the panniers of my bike so I can take the camera gear with me.

 

[Dillard]

Anyone on here ever try Crossfit? I've don't it for a while and saw awesome results. Now granted, there were a few days I thought about throwing in the towel. Haha But if anything it has taught me a lot of great work outs I can do on my on time at home. There were a ton of challenging workouts, burpee's for instance, that will surprisingly kick your ass time and time again

 

[Josh66]

I don't really do anything out of the norm to stay in shape... I don't 'exercise', but I do get a pretty good workout just from going to work and 'doing stuff'. I probably walk close to 2 miles a day at work, and then I'm always running up and down stairs too.

I pretty much eat whatever I want, though most of it is fairly healthy stuff - we generally don't have a lot of junk food in the house. We don't drink much soda either. A 2L bottle of Coke will last like 2 weeks, usually it's flat by the time we can finish it. Unless company is over - then it might last like an hour, lol. I mostly just drink water and beer. Between all the beer I drink and what I eat, I probably take in a ton of carbs... Probably the only healthy thing that we do on purpose is that we never eat fast food. My weight has been stable at 180lbs for about the last 10 years...