Getting Fit on the Gray Side

[ColonelJack]

I used to think it was incredibly difficult to lose weight.  Then I saw this year's fall pictures at school, which showed me with more chins than a Chinese phone book.  Something clicked -- either my 50th birthday, or realizing that people watching my evening newscast see a blimp reading the news, or whatever -- and I decided then and there to make the evil weight go away.

It's a process ... I am under a doctor's supervision, and with his help have lost 104 pounds since the end of September.  I've done it on a 1000 calorie a day diet, with prescription phentermine (Adipex) to control my appetite.  I now qualify to wear AF blues -- and since rejoining CAP, I do.  (Pictures posted in the "Show Yourself" thread.)

If I can do it anyone can do it.

Jack

[Flying Pig]

Wow..  You dont even look like the same person. Loosing that much weight, do you actually feel lighter?  Or is the change slow enough that you dont notice?  I try to equate it to walking around with a 100lb weight and then dropping it. Probably not the same.

Thats great.

[Bobble]

I am pretty much in the same circumstances, being very, very close to the mid-century mark (50 yrs old), having a somewhat sedentary job (desk jockey 90% of the time), and still wanting to wear the AF-style uniform as the commander of a cadet squadron.

I would not be so quick to eliminate bicycling, either to work or for recreational exercise.  For myself, it works much better since there is a lot less stress on my joints than jogging/running.  I bike a bit over 20 miles round-trip (to work and back), and try to do it 2 or 3 times per week, weather and kid's school schedules permitting.  My previous job was about 26 miles from home, so I would drive part-way (how far depended on my motiviation at the time), park the car in a shopping center parking lot, and bike the rest.  Reverse to get home.  If possible, try to join up with someone else for the ride.  It's usually safer and more fun when two or more are riding together.  You could also bring the bike with you to work on the car, and then bicycle at lunchtime.  I actually keep a beater bike at work just for lunchtime biking. And please use a helmet!  I learned the hard way, and have the scars to prove it.

As an older guy, I try not to use the same types of excercise activity two days in a row.  I alternate the days of biking with jogging/running during lunch or after work.  I don't jog/run more than 5k at a time in order to minimize the possibility of getting injured due to repetitive stress.  My muscles take a bit longer to refresh and restore than in earlier years, and a joint or muscle injury that puts you off your exercise program for more that 2 - 3 weeks can be very demoralizing.

As for diet, I can't speak too much to that, but I do follow the advice that folks gave earlier, i.e., you need to burn as many or more calories than you take in if you want to be fit.  Pretty simple, but it can be a hard battle.  The 'water bottle at work' idea is also key for me.  There is an amazing amount of non-nutritive calaries (read-sugar) in so many drinks.

I run the CPFT mile run with the cadets, and they seem to appreciate having a senior out there with them.  I may not be fast (9:40 mile in t-shirt/BDU pants/combat boots), but I'm making the effort.

bobble

[EMT-83]

^ I applaud your running with the cadets, but in combat boots? That's an injury waiting to happen.

[Flying Pig]

Dude.....the Marines dont even run in Combat Boots anymore.  Your going to hurt yourself.  Dont ruin a good thing!

[ColonelJack]

Wow..  You dont even look like the same person. Loosing that much weight, do you actually feel lighter?  Or is the change slow enough that you dont notice?  I try to equate it to walking around with a 100lb weight and then dropping it. Probably not the same.

Thats great.

Thank you for your very kind words!  I do actually feel lighter.  Since it went so fast (it was not a slow process at all -- 104 pounds in eight months!) I have had two difficulties:  one, it seems that my center of gravity is offset, and until it resets (or I learn how to reset it) I find myself stooping a bit, or leaning to one side or the other, when I walk.  As soon as I become aware of it, I correct it, and make myself walk upright.  With time, it'll get better.

The other difficulty?  Every two weeks or so, I've had to buy a whole new wardrobe!!  (Not that that is a bad thing, of course ... Goodwill stocks a lot of neat clothes for little money!) 

Jack

[Flying Pig]

When I was in the Infantry, after long road marches with a pack we would take breaks and drop our packs.  For the first few seconds, you would loose your balance because you were all screwed up from carrying so much weight.  Same concept I guess.

So you did it all through diet, exercise and some medication?  No surgeries?

[ColonelJack]

Actually, I did it through diet and some medication.  The exercise is little more than walking my dog about a mile every evening.

It can be done!

Jack

[FlyingTerp]

I'm down about 90 lbs over the past 1.5 years.  The tippingpoint for me was when I started to develop severe back pain that made it difficult to walk.  Because of the physical issues I started losing weight without exercise.  I made a few (somewhat) simple changes.

• eliminate refined sugar and high fructose corn syrup
• replace simple starches with complex -  replace white rice with brown rice, pasta with real whole wheat pasta, white potatoes with sweet potatoes, etc

Once I dropped 30+ lbs and the pain lessened, I was able to integrate an exercise program.  Nothing extreme, just basic cardio and weight training.  No way I'll ever go back to being heavy.  I feel great.

Being able to wear the Air Force style uniform did motivate me.  Its more than just being able to wear it, but wearing it properly and looking like I belong in it.

[NEBoom]

<snip>
Its more than just being able to wear it, but wearing it properly and looking like I belong in it.

Big +1 from me.  It's just something with me, I won't wear the AF style uniforms unless I'm legal.  Don't know what it is, guess I spent too many years in that uniform, and I just don't want to do anything to bring discredit on it.

So until I cut the weight, Corporates are my uniform.  That's just how it is.

[Spike]

^ I am fit but because of my height I fall short of meeting weight requirements. So I sadly can not wear AF style, even though if I were in the AF, I could wear an AF uniform and be "fit to fight".

That's fine with me.  I hate that I can't wear the AF style, so I wear whatever corporate uniform makes me stand out from the group as much as possible. 

I do refuse to wear blue bdu's.  That is a pet peeve of mine.  If I was allowed to fight in BDU's for the past 10 years (and then ACU's) but can't wear them to a CAP meeting, I will not wear the "corporate alternative".  That is disrespectful in my mind.   

[BrandonKea]

I'm enjoying my "Bubba Mug" of H20 here at my desk. The hardest part about this now is the ridiculous caffeine withdrawl headaches... Bring on the Aleve!

[Stonewall]

I'm enjoying my "Bubba Mug" of H20 here at my desk. The hardest part about this now is the ridiculous caffeine withdrawl headaches... Bring on the Aleve!

There are some options to the caffeine issues.

Start mixing caff with decaf.  I hear people at Starbucks do it all the time.  I hear people asking for half sweet with half unsweet tea and half diet/regular cola.

Just an option.  I know it sucks, but if it helps, it helps.

[BrandonKea]

I'm enjoying my "Bubba Mug" of H20 here at my desk. The hardest part about this now is the ridiculous caffeine withdrawl headaches... Bring on the Aleve!

There are some options to the caffeine issues.

Start mixing caff with decaf.  I hear people at Starbucks do it all the time.  I hear people asking for half sweet with half unsweet tea and half diet/regular cola.

Just an option.  I know it sucks, but if it helps, it helps.

I was only drinking Diet Coke to begin with. I've since cut it out. I know it usually takes about a week to get over the withdrawl, I'll just have to tough it out.

It sounds weird, but I'm already somewhat noticing a difference. Maybe it's all in my head...

[Stonewall]

It sounds weird, but I'm already somewhat noticing a difference. Maybe it's all in my head...

It doesn't sound weird.  You'll lose weight and size pretty quickly and notice it.  It can be motivating to say the least.  The tough part is getting over the plateau a few weeks down the road when you go a couple weeks without losing anything.  In fact, you may gain something.  Don't let it discourage you.

[Bobble]

Flying Pig and EMT-83 -

Thanks for your concern regarding appropriate footwear for running.  I would posit, though, that for someone who jogs/runs on a regular basis using running shoes, running a mile in combat boots at a relatively easy pace once a month isn't that much of a risk.  But that's just my opinion.  Of course, I'm not about to run that distance barefoot anytime soon, but I found the article (linked) interesting:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/moslive/article-1170253/The-painful-truth-trainers-Are-expensive-running-shoes-waste-money.html

Hope this is not too far off topic.

bobble

[Flying Pig]

As long as your wearing good boots with good support.  Most modern military boots should be OK for short distances.  But dont try it in the old time leather jump boots.  When I was in the Marines we we occassionally did moto runs, slow, but long distances in "Boots and Uts".  Guys were getting chin splints and sore ankles.  That was in teh regular jungle boots.  Not exactly great for sustained running!

[Mustang]

As I said, I'd like to be a better role model for Cadets, and at the same time, not be a total useless blob. Thoughts?

Eat less calories than you burn each day.

Eliminate the energy drink from your diet.

Stop playing video games.

Go outside.

How's that working for you and your "gigantism", Bob?

[Mustang]

I do refuse to wear blue bdu's.  That is a pet peeve of mine.  If I was allowed to fight in BDU's for the past 10 years (and then ACU's) but can't wear them to a CAP meeting, I will not wear the "corporate alternative".  That is disrespectful in my mind.   

Time to get over yourself.  The Blue BDUs are a very nice looking uniform, perfect for CAP.

[NEBoom]

A while back a number of us on here were on Tranieo (http://www.traineo.com/).  Tedda set up a group ("Donut eating S'Members" or something like that).  It was fun while it lasted and I found it helpful to know some CAP friends were watching.  Kept me motivated and honest with myself.  Sort pf a positive Peer Pressure kind of deal.

<snip>

Haven't checked in there in a while so I'm not sure if the group still exists.  I would be interested in jumping in again if others will be there.

I finally got around to checking this out.  The group does still exist, but hasn't been active in over a year.  If anyone's interested you can find it at http://www.traineo.com/groups/362.  Hopefully we'll get some activity going again over there.