The Fitness Thread

[Newbridge Wolf]

Being doing dumbbells at home most nights for the past 3 months. 6 pack not quite there, but it's not too far away. Gone down to 30" waist from 32".

I've gone down from a 40 to, well a 38 waist. After months of running I'd only lost 6lb, down to 16.8 but I have been working the weights a bit so I've bulked up a little as well. I just can't loose my belly though.

The last time I was a 30' waist I was in school trousers

 

[EdgeOfTheAlps]

I don't think I could ever go vegan as I can't eat beans and thus it would be difficult to cut dairy out entirely. That would also require me to go through my clothes and check what's come from an animal and what hasn't and it would be a pain.

I'll look into those links, I appreciate the advice. What sorts of whole foods are the staples in your diet now?

Why can't you eat beans, a bowel issue or medical? Dairy is something I had a lot of previouslybut I'm glad I've got rid of it, too much fat and the calcium from milk is a double edged sword. I've replaced it with soy milk with calcium from seaweed.
I'm vegan purely for health reasons so I don't feel it necessary to replace leather, but I think you do become more aware of the other issues regarding mass production of meat so for me eating only high quality meat maybe only half dozen times of year is a bonus.
My staple has become whole grains like quinoa, brown rice, wholemeal pasta along with sweet potatoes and bog standard one's. There's actually loads of stuff around especially once you know what to look for. I think in the US you have even more variety than I have here in sausage sucking country.

 

[Alan]

Yeah, anytime I eat beans (of pretty much any sort) I have a mild allergic reaction that my doctors haven't been able to pin down. It's a bizarre circumstance.

Sweet potatoes I hadn't thought of. I'll have to add those to my usual shopping list. I've also been looking into growing lentils, as 26g of protein for every 1g of fat is an insane ratio.

 

[EdgeOfTheAlps]

Yeah, anytime I eat beans (of pretty much any sort) I have a mild allergic reaction that my doctors haven't been able to pin down. It's a bizarre circumstance.

Sweet potatoes I hadn't thought of. I'll have to add those to my usual shopping list. I've also been looking into growing lentils, as 26g of protein for every 1g of fat is an insane ratio.

That's a pain. I get bloating from beans if I eat a lot if them but so be it. Spinach, mushrooms and oats are other great sources of protein. Why do you need to keep dairy, or do you just want to?

 

[Alan]

That's a pain. I get bloating from beans if I eat a lot if them but so be it. Spinach, mushrooms and oats are other great sources of protein. Why do you need to keep dairy, or do you just want to?

I like most dairy. It's an easy go-to that usually doesn't require a lot of prep. And it tastes good. Not many snacks top a glass of milk with some pecans/almonds.

 

[Stan Hullis]

Went out running three times last week - only about 4k each time with a mix of running and walking.

Planning on getting upto 5k running before starting a 10k running programme. Been around the parks in Nottingham which has been nice - it's good to get out on an evening. I'm sure this enthusiasm will quickly die off as the nights draw in and it gradually gets colder although luckily for me there is a new exercise for less gym opening around 2 minutes walk from my place in the next month.

 

[Knockout Ned]

Knock the beer on the head, it'll drop off.

Not a popular course of action however...

 

[Stan Hullis]

I've knocked the midweek beer on the head. Only drink on a Friday/Saturday if I do have a drink. My main thing is snacked and portion size all the main side effects of being a greedy bastard!

 

[Knockout Ned]

Cup of tea and a handful of mixed dried fruit is just about enough to stave off the need to snack, makes you realise you didn't really need to break into a tube of Pringles!

I struggle week in, week out to keep off the beer Monday to Thursday particularly after any kind of training, just have to keep remembering how much more I appreciate it at the weekend. And eventually the quantity drops off when you don't want the volume anymore, to get replaced by whisky...

 

[Wolvensam]

Getting fit is something I desperately need to do - I'm not overweight by any means, but a couple of years ago I was at my fitness peak yet now I become absolutely exhausted from just walking up three flights of stairs.

I'm a member of my work gym for £30 a year but have only been once in two months (oops). Are there any decent running/cardio programmes out there that anyone can recommend? Preferably from personal experience as opposed to a "fad". I envy people who can pound 30-60 minutes on a treadmill without stopping, bearing in mind that 5 minutes has become something of a struggle for me.

 

[Stan Hullis]

Google Couch 2 5k Sam - it's on the NHS website.

That's what I am doing at the moment - started on week 1 last week and found it a little too easy so I'm jumping straight to week 3. You'll be pounding for 30 minutes in no time (fnarr).

 

[Wolvensam]

That looks great Stan, probably exactly what I need to be honest as I was thinking of starting to go to the gym 3 nights in the week after work. Week one sounds about what I can manage at the moment, shamefully!

 

[Stan Hullis]

Me and my girlfriend are both doing it and she has found it tough because she has never exercised at all! She's going to repeat week one and then move onto week 2 when she is comfortable.

All of the runs are about the same time though so I'm just going to go off and do my own thing whilst she runs week one and we'll meet up at the end. I find the podcasts really annoying though so just timing myself instead of listening to them!

 

[Wolvensam]

I used to be quite good - I have never been much of a runner but could manage 30 minutes on a cross trainer/rowing machine/bike and I used to go to exercise classes like pilates which really, really helped to tone me up. This is going back two years though, and ever since I've been with my boyfriend it's been more attractive to just stuff our faces with KFC, McDonalds and Pringles and let the waist size increase.

Another thing I struggle with is eating healthy. I'm good in the sense I love porridge and fruit, but it's difficult to throw together a decent salad when you have a strong dislike for tomatoes and cucumbers. It's hard to imagine lunch without a sandwich and a packet of crisps - I suppose soup could be a decent alternative, or pasta if I put in the effort to prepare it the night before.

 

[Knockout Ned]

Dinner is basically a tuna or chicken salad...leaf, tomato, cucumber, baby beetroot, olives, pumpkin and sesame seeds, more dried fruit and mixed nuts. Dressing of choice.

Bread and crisps are occasional bonuses if i've been lazy with the shopping, I could live without the cucumber but would probably miss the tomato. Sun-dried tomatoes a no go?

Gf adds a bit of pasta or cous cous to hers...

 

[The Saturday Boy]

I did couch to 5k - completed it and stopped running. 2 years on and I am trying ease into 10k. It takes doing something like this to realise just how unfit I am. 3 minutes running, 1 minute walking repeated 5 times looks fairly easy but I feel like I am running through water after the first run.

However, I know it gets better. Then gets worse. Then gets better.

Hopefully.

 

[Knockout Ned]

It never gets easier, you just get quicker!

Unfortunately I run like a duck, whenever I've worked my way up to 10k I have to take a month or two off to get over cartilage problems.

 

[Stan Hullis]

Just done 3.4k in 22 mins. Pretty pleased with that given my current level of fitness.

 

[Wolvensam]

Dinner is basically a tuna or chicken salad...leaf, tomato, cucumber, baby beetroot, olives, pumpkin and sesame seeds, more dried fruit and mixed nuts. Dressing of choice.

I like the sound of that, minus the cucumber anyway! I like sun-dried tomatoes so that could be a decent alternative.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Weight gain is a side effect of the tablets I'm on and I'm back tipping the scales at 13st 4lb now, which is at least a stone too heavy. Monday sees the start of a strict 3 mile a day running regime which I'll step up to 5 miles in 4-6 weeks.