getting fit
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One other thing: the Body Mass Index calculator says at 5'11" and 185 I have a BMI or 26 which is "prone to health risks"* At 6'0" I have a BMI of 25 which is "desireable"* My actual height is something like 5' 11 3/4" so which is it? A difference of a single inch switches you from "prone to health risks" to "desireable"? Sounds nutty. *According to the Panel on Energy, Obesity, and Body Weight Standards published by American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. ¡El diablo está en mis pantalones! ¡Mire, mire! Real Mentats use only 100% pure, unfooled around with Sapho Juice(tm)! SELECT * FROM User WHERE Clue > 0 0 rows returned Save an Orange - Use the VCF!
BMI goes in bands - typically 20 - 25 is "OK", up to 30 is "overwieght" and over 30 is "obese". For a target BMI I would aim for the middle of the OK band, or about just below - say about 22.
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so this spring I finally got fed up seeing the 20 lb tire around my gut and decided to do something about it. I started running 2-3 times a week, and walking an addition 3 miles on the off days. Our spring was pretty cold this year in NYC so this was always that effective. Recently (the last 3 weeks) I have switched to running 4-5 times a week. This plus doing 15 X 8 sets of situps, plus an assortment of stretches and other situp like exercises for about 20 minutes after which I run. I am up to ~2 miles of running. So my question is: How long till I see some results? The running is slowing getting easier, though it's still a PITA. At best I'd say I've lost 6-7 lbs. I currently weigh in at 185 and I'm 6 feet tall. I'd like to drop down to 165. I'd like to get rid of the old gut too. Is there a better way to do this than running and situps? I am guessing it's going to take me at least all summer to accomplish this and take a fair amount of discipline to keep it off during the winter. ¡El diablo está en mis pantalones! ¡Mire, mire! Real Mentats use only 100% pure, unfooled around with Sapho Juice(tm)! SELECT * FROM User WHERE Clue > 0 0 rows returned Save an Orange - Use the VCF!
You're not going to get rid of the gut that way. Situps don't work like that. What you're developing is some really strong, tough abdominal muscles hidden under that tire. There's nothing wrong with that, and fat doesn't weigh much - it's still very healthy! I've heard that turning exercises will help to accelerate fat loss in the midsection, exercises like the old windmills they made us do in school where you touch your left toes with your right hand and vice versa, but having no large gut I haven't tried them personally. Generally, the fat will be burned off all over, as you reduce your total fat content. You won't see any weight loss at first, either, since right now you're replacing adipose tissue with muscle tissue, and muscle is far more dense than fat. When I first started exercising a few years ago by taking karate classes I was surprised to find that I gained weight even as my body fat percentage dropped to about 6%. It makes sense when you think about it, but it's not intuitively obvious. You're on a great course here, Jim, and you'll never regret it (unless you really don't want to extend your life by another 20 years or so). I think you are already seeing lots of results, just not the ones you were expecting. I'll bet you have more energy during the day, more endurance than before, and very likely a more positive attitude about life in general. If you want to improve things fatwise, take a close look at your eating habits - calories in minus calories burned equals stored calories (fat). There is no way around that equation, as energy is a conservative property of all objects. It's summer, and there are all sorts of yummy fruits and veggies out there that contain no fat, and only simple sugars in small quantities. Pig out on Nature's bounty and lay off the dumplings and Twinkies. Make the equation negative for a while, and keep up the great routine - you'll love the result. Congratulations on selecting a wonderful lifestyle change.:-D "...putting all your eggs in one basket along with your bowling ball and gym clothes only gets you scrambled eggs and an extra laundry day... " - Jeffry J. Brickley
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Jim Crafton wrote: Is there a better way to do this than running and situps? In the words of Eddy Merckx - 'Ride lots.'.
Yeah I wish! I love cycling, but living in Astoria and arguing with my wife about the safety of it make it less than appealing. Riding in Central Park *might* be an option but it's so damn crowded with pedestrians I'd be extremely nervous about be able to actually ride and far more worried about hitting someone. I suppose I cuold drive somewhere and then ride but driving through NYC/Queens traffic just to ride takes most of the enjoyment out of it, at least for me. ¡El diablo está en mis pantalones! ¡Mire, mire! Real Mentats use only 100% pure, unfooled around with Sapho Juice(tm)! SELECT * FROM User WHERE Clue > 0 0 rows returned Save an Orange - Use the VCF!
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Jim Crafton wrote: Is there a better way to do this than running and situps? You need to weight train. If you only do cardiovascular excersises, and you now look like a pear, you'll simply look like a smaller pear later. You have to weight train to develop your muscles. Muscle required a lot of energy to run, so the more muscle you have, the higher your metabolism goes, and the more fat you lose. Don't be deceived, though, you'll GAIN weight eventually as your muscle grows, because muscle weighs more than fat, so you can't think of your health in terms of your weight. At 6', it's not at all inconceivable that you'll end up at 210 lbs, but be in killer shape! Kyosa Jamie Nordmeyer - Taekwondo Yi (2nd) Dan Portland, Oregon, USA
Ignore my prev reply (if you see it, I tried to reply to LunaticFringes post). Jamie Nordmeyer wrote: You need to weight train. In theory I agree. However I know myself. I hate the gym with a passion. Currently running is a bit of a PITA only because it's difficult to get back into it, but I can tolerate it. Gyms however are places of utter and complete boredom to me. I've tried many times in the past and never lasted very long, I just hate them. I've tried weightlifting - in high school I weighed 135 and could bench 180. And looked like a complete rail. Also gyms are at least $100 a month here and that's just more than I can justify on something I'll end up either 1) completely loathing 2) get caught/distracted by staring at the glorius T & A that will undoubtedly grace said gym Jamie Nordmeyer wrote: so you can't think of your health in terms of your weight. True. And I need to keep that in mind. I have looked at signing up for Taekwondo at a local place near the subway. They also want aroudn 100 per month, but I'd be a lot more open to paying that as that I would consider a lot more enjoyable doing. ¡El diablo está en mis pantalones! ¡Mire, mire! Real Mentats use only 100% pure, unfooled around with Sapho Juice(tm)! SELECT * FROM User WHERE Clue > 0 0 rows returned Save an Orange - Use the VCF!
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so this spring I finally got fed up seeing the 20 lb tire around my gut and decided to do something about it. I started running 2-3 times a week, and walking an addition 3 miles on the off days. Our spring was pretty cold this year in NYC so this was always that effective. Recently (the last 3 weeks) I have switched to running 4-5 times a week. This plus doing 15 X 8 sets of situps, plus an assortment of stretches and other situp like exercises for about 20 minutes after which I run. I am up to ~2 miles of running. So my question is: How long till I see some results? The running is slowing getting easier, though it's still a PITA. At best I'd say I've lost 6-7 lbs. I currently weigh in at 185 and I'm 6 feet tall. I'd like to drop down to 165. I'd like to get rid of the old gut too. Is there a better way to do this than running and situps? I am guessing it's going to take me at least all summer to accomplish this and take a fair amount of discipline to keep it off during the winter. ¡El diablo está en mis pantalones! ¡Mire, mire! Real Mentats use only 100% pure, unfooled around with Sapho Juice(tm)! SELECT * FROM User WHERE Clue > 0 0 rows returned Save an Orange - Use the VCF!
you'll probably never get there, and I don't think you really want to. weight depends on a lot of factors: sex, body type, age, eating/drinking habits, health, amount of exercise. fit doesn't mean skinny and without asking about your age 165 for 6 feet looks a bit exagerate The way exercise works in losing weight is mainly that your body gets used to burning more calories. It is NOT about what you burn WHILE you exercise, is about the basic metabolic level: people who work harder or exercise often burn more energy while doing nothing as well than the lazy bunch. From what I read you need half a hour of decent exercise (something that would make you sweat) for at least 3 days in a row to produce a significant change. And breaks longer than 2-3 days will bring the level down again. That works both ways, if you work out you get a healthier appetite (and if you break your training routine the appetite takes a lot longer than 3 days to change :-( ). What you eat is also a problem, and it is a real problem. Try to use common sense and stay clear of fat-free, sugar-free, I.Q. diets. Just look around you and you'll that those diets are money producing confidence tricks that only work for those that write the books. The best thing is to avoid excesses and give your body what it needs (if you really crave something and don't eat it you'll only build up stress and once you make one mistake you won't be able to stop). Sea food is a good idea, also drink plenty of water and avoid too much soft drinks, tea and coffee. Also, if you start working out part of your body fat will get transformed into muscle. Different types of exercise produce different results, and your body type is also very important. For any kind of body shape changes, not only losing the love handles, you need to target them specifically. Walking is great for your social life (walking in the right neighborhoods, that is :-) ), but it doesn't do much for losing weight. Running is not a bad idea, but bad technique (sadly enough there good technique is required even for this) can get you in trouble with your knees. Good technique on the other side means that you spend a lot less effort for better results, if need to push yourself continuously. In my view (a lot of people will disagree) the best things you can do (all of them done together, not just one) are: - moderate running (just for cardio and mobility), biking or rollerskating are even better - swimming (it is cardio plus full body exercise in one) - crunches (read a book first, it's
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You're not going to get rid of the gut that way. Situps don't work like that. What you're developing is some really strong, tough abdominal muscles hidden under that tire. There's nothing wrong with that, and fat doesn't weigh much - it's still very healthy! I've heard that turning exercises will help to accelerate fat loss in the midsection, exercises like the old windmills they made us do in school where you touch your left toes with your right hand and vice versa, but having no large gut I haven't tried them personally. Generally, the fat will be burned off all over, as you reduce your total fat content. You won't see any weight loss at first, either, since right now you're replacing adipose tissue with muscle tissue, and muscle is far more dense than fat. When I first started exercising a few years ago by taking karate classes I was surprised to find that I gained weight even as my body fat percentage dropped to about 6%. It makes sense when you think about it, but it's not intuitively obvious. You're on a great course here, Jim, and you'll never regret it (unless you really don't want to extend your life by another 20 years or so). I think you are already seeing lots of results, just not the ones you were expecting. I'll bet you have more energy during the day, more endurance than before, and very likely a more positive attitude about life in general. If you want to improve things fatwise, take a close look at your eating habits - calories in minus calories burned equals stored calories (fat). There is no way around that equation, as energy is a conservative property of all objects. It's summer, and there are all sorts of yummy fruits and veggies out there that contain no fat, and only simple sugars in small quantities. Pig out on Nature's bounty and lay off the dumplings and Twinkies. Make the equation negative for a while, and keep up the great routine - you'll love the result. Congratulations on selecting a wonderful lifestyle change.:-D "...putting all your eggs in one basket along with your bowling ball and gym clothes only gets you scrambled eggs and an extra laundry day... " - Jeffry J. Brickley
Roger Wright wrote: was surprised to find that I gained weight even as my body fat percentage dropped to about 6% congratulations (real, honest envy here, not "blinking pink" CP sarcasm)! from what I read recently 6% body fat is the average basic level of body fat for men and it is unhealthy to go below that. the basic level for women was 12% according to the same book ;-). The book also said something about NFL players being actually too slim because their overtraining life style brings most of them below the 6% threshold OGR
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You're not going to get rid of the gut that way. Situps don't work like that. What you're developing is some really strong, tough abdominal muscles hidden under that tire. There's nothing wrong with that, and fat doesn't weigh much - it's still very healthy! I've heard that turning exercises will help to accelerate fat loss in the midsection, exercises like the old windmills they made us do in school where you touch your left toes with your right hand and vice versa, but having no large gut I haven't tried them personally. Generally, the fat will be burned off all over, as you reduce your total fat content. You won't see any weight loss at first, either, since right now you're replacing adipose tissue with muscle tissue, and muscle is far more dense than fat. When I first started exercising a few years ago by taking karate classes I was surprised to find that I gained weight even as my body fat percentage dropped to about 6%. It makes sense when you think about it, but it's not intuitively obvious. You're on a great course here, Jim, and you'll never regret it (unless you really don't want to extend your life by another 20 years or so). I think you are already seeing lots of results, just not the ones you were expecting. I'll bet you have more energy during the day, more endurance than before, and very likely a more positive attitude about life in general. If you want to improve things fatwise, take a close look at your eating habits - calories in minus calories burned equals stored calories (fat). There is no way around that equation, as energy is a conservative property of all objects. It's summer, and there are all sorts of yummy fruits and veggies out there that contain no fat, and only simple sugars in small quantities. Pig out on Nature's bounty and lay off the dumplings and Twinkies. Make the equation negative for a while, and keep up the great routine - you'll love the result. Congratulations on selecting a wonderful lifestyle change.:-D "...putting all your eggs in one basket along with your bowling ball and gym clothes only gets you scrambled eggs and an extra laundry day... " - Jeffry J. Brickley
Roger Wright wrote: What you're developing is some really strong, tough abdominal muscles hidden under that tire. Sigh... great. So when I take off my shirt at the beach I can honestly claim to have rock abs, while still looking like an utter dolt! Wonderful! Roger Wright wrote: I've heard that turning exercises will help to accelerate fat loss in the midsection, Well I do something like that. After I do my 8 X 15 of regular situps, I figured I needed something else, so I do 6 X 20 of a sort of "twist-up", essentially I am in a situp position, but leaning back and then do a twist with my upper body twisting 90 degrees to one side then the other keeping my arms bent and making a kind of punching motion. ¡El diablo está en mis pantalones! ¡Mire, mire! Real Mentats use only 100% pure, unfooled around with Sapho Juice(tm)! SELECT * FROM User WHERE Clue > 0 0 rows returned Save an Orange - Use the VCF!
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so this spring I finally got fed up seeing the 20 lb tire around my gut and decided to do something about it. I started running 2-3 times a week, and walking an addition 3 miles on the off days. Our spring was pretty cold this year in NYC so this was always that effective. Recently (the last 3 weeks) I have switched to running 4-5 times a week. This plus doing 15 X 8 sets of situps, plus an assortment of stretches and other situp like exercises for about 20 minutes after which I run. I am up to ~2 miles of running. So my question is: How long till I see some results? The running is slowing getting easier, though it's still a PITA. At best I'd say I've lost 6-7 lbs. I currently weigh in at 185 and I'm 6 feet tall. I'd like to drop down to 165. I'd like to get rid of the old gut too. Is there a better way to do this than running and situps? I am guessing it's going to take me at least all summer to accomplish this and take a fair amount of discipline to keep it off during the winter. ¡El diablo está en mis pantalones! ¡Mire, mire! Real Mentats use only 100% pure, unfooled around with Sapho Juice(tm)! SELECT * FROM User WHERE Clue > 0 0 rows returned Save an Orange - Use the VCF!
A while ago I came across The Hackers Diet, a guide to eating right and exercising. It's written by an Autodesk engineer and is probably pretty suitable for the kind of people that frequent codeproject. http://www.fourmilab.ch/hackdiet/www/hackdietf.html[^]
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Ignore my prev reply (if you see it, I tried to reply to LunaticFringes post). Jamie Nordmeyer wrote: You need to weight train. In theory I agree. However I know myself. I hate the gym with a passion. Currently running is a bit of a PITA only because it's difficult to get back into it, but I can tolerate it. Gyms however are places of utter and complete boredom to me. I've tried many times in the past and never lasted very long, I just hate them. I've tried weightlifting - in high school I weighed 135 and could bench 180. And looked like a complete rail. Also gyms are at least $100 a month here and that's just more than I can justify on something I'll end up either 1) completely loathing 2) get caught/distracted by staring at the glorius T & A that will undoubtedly grace said gym Jamie Nordmeyer wrote: so you can't think of your health in terms of your weight. True. And I need to keep that in mind. I have looked at signing up for Taekwondo at a local place near the subway. They also want aroudn 100 per month, but I'd be a lot more open to paying that as that I would consider a lot more enjoyable doing. ¡El diablo está en mis pantalones! ¡Mire, mire! Real Mentats use only 100% pure, unfooled around with Sapho Juice(tm)! SELECT * FROM User WHERE Clue > 0 0 rows returned Save an Orange - Use the VCF!
Jim Crafton wrote: get caught/distracted by staring at the glorius T & A that will undoubtedly grace said gym Yeah, there IS that. ;) Jim Crafton wrote: I have looked at signing up for Taekwondo at a local place near the subway Sweet! Make sure you look around, though, and really get a feel for your local schools. They're all a little different, of course, and it's important that you train at a place that you feel at home at. Kyosa Jamie Nordmeyer - Taekwondo Yi (2nd) Dan Portland, Oregon, USA
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Jim Crafton wrote: get caught/distracted by staring at the glorius T & A that will undoubtedly grace said gym Yeah, there IS that. ;) Jim Crafton wrote: I have looked at signing up for Taekwondo at a local place near the subway Sweet! Make sure you look around, though, and really get a feel for your local schools. They're all a little different, of course, and it's important that you train at a place that you feel at home at. Kyosa Jamie Nordmeyer - Taekwondo Yi (2nd) Dan Portland, Oregon, USA
Until the time I actually do this, do you have any exercises I could do at home? I took kung-fu when I was younger (from around 12-15), so maybe I remember a bit of that? ¡El diablo está en mis pantalones! ¡Mire, mire! Real Mentats use only 100% pure, unfooled around with Sapho Juice(tm)! SELECT * FROM User WHERE Clue > 0 0 rows returned Save an Orange - Use the VCF!