Tyler's Fitness Goal

[schro]

I know I've mentioned this before but "The Four Horsemen" (2nd song off of "Kill Em All") is my favorite Metallica song.

[Hawk]

My iPod for the gym always includes "FUEL" by Metallica.  I love that song for working out.

[PBurke]

you have fine taste young men. ha ha

[Hawk]

Speaking of music (not meaning to JACK THIS THREAD), but the wife and I went with a big group of friends to go see Aerosmith/Motley Crue in concert not long ago here in Dallas.  You talk about a GREAT SHOW with GREAT TUNES!   

[spaceape48]

Congrats on sticking with the plan Tyler. I can't say enough good things about weight training. My original weight was 255lbs at 5'10. Before I made my changes I didn't work out at all so that weight was mostly fat. My lowest weight I've been to since has been 208lbs, but since then I'm back up to 220lbs. I contribute this to a few slumps and slacking on my food intake. I've also been hitting the weights a bit harder here lately so I'm noticing that my muscle tone is improving so that likely also has something to do with it as well.

I try to keep away from processed foods and anything that comes in a bag or box. The more natural and fresh the better. Carrots, potatoes, and corn are the only veggies I try to stay away from. I'm not into fad diets like atkins and what not, but I do try to stay away from the breads and pastas. When I do eat bread it's whole grain wheat. Watch out for some wheat breads, because while they claim to be all natural, they are really just bleached and died and in fact are not whole grain.

Keep us up to date on your progress. Keep up with your plan and you should be seeing results quick-likely on a week to week basis. If not don't be dissapointed though, some weeks are rough but others you'll make up for it.

[Tyler]

Thanks Spaceape!

I'm very aware of the wheat bread that they put out on the market.  You even have to watch out for High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) that they use in a lot of commercially baked breads, including "organic" whole wheat bread.  I buy a brand of bread called Milton's and usually buy their Whole Grain bread (http://www.miltonsbaking.com/bread_products_whole_grain_bread.htm).  You'll notice in the ingredients that there isn't any HFCS.

Also, watch out for trans fats, specifically Partially Hydrated anything.  If you see Partially Hydrated mentioned in the ingredients, it has trans fats, even if the label says it doesn't.

[schro]

This is going to sound somewhat stupid, but if I could avoid becoming overweight without exercise, I'd totally do it. I really just exercise so I can enjoy life (wine & dine), and try to stay on this planet a little while longer.

I've been a runner all my life for both competition and pure enjoyment. The solitude of me, the road, and my tunes is something that is truly magical to me (Guess that's why Iron Maiden's "Lonliness of the Long Distance Runner" is such an awesome song to me). But, after two ACL reconstructions (indoor soccer), and feeling like my heart was going to explode after my last half marathon, I've gotten to the point that I am trying to drop 12 lbs (202 to 190) by the July and maintain it, nothing major. I figure 2 lbs a month for the first 6 months s/b a no-brainer. No more insane training sessions, crash diets, just trying to be smarter. Bottom line, if you can burn a little more k/cal than you take in, it should be a snap.

If you go nuts with beer. onion rings, or In & Out (Tyler), just run an extra two miles the next day and it all works itself out.

Peace Out,
Schro

[spaceape48]

If you go nuts with beer. onion rings, or In & Out (Tyler), just run an extra two miles the next day and it all works itself out.

Good advice. Before you eat that burger think about how it is going to cancel out that last workout you did- bet you'll think twice,lol. Keep your muscle up and you'll burn more calories too just sitting around. That's why I like weights so much, it's like you getting more for the effort and time. You burn calories while your lifting, but your still burning calories afterwards.

If I can sit on my bum and burn calories I'm a happy dude. 

[Tyler]

I hear ya Schro!  If I didn't have to exercise, I wouldn't, but I also want to try to stay on this planet a little longer.

Spaceape, you are very correct with the weight lifting and burning calories afterward.  That's why I also focus more on weight lifting than other exercises; that and I hate runnin 

I enjoy food and will always enjoy it.  So, I try to make enjoyable meals that are also healthy.  If I make spaghetti, I use whole wheat noodles and dark turkey meat , elk, or venison.  The taste is altered so little that you can barely tell, but the nutrition is much better.  I try to make 85 to 90% of my meals healthy, that way when I have an In-n-out burger, beer or some pizza, I don't have to fret over it.

Off to my spinach salad...

[spaceape48]

How is elk? Can't say I've had it. Venison is good stuff.

[Tyler]

How is elk? Can't say I've had it. Venison is good stuff.

Elk is great!  It's about half as gamey as deer, so if you cook it right, there's not much gamey taste to it.

[Tyler]

Status Update:

I weighed in this morning at 220 even.  That's a drop of 2.2 pounds from last week and back to where I was before the holidays hit...LOL.

What I found to be even better is that I lost 1/2 inch off my belly/waist and 1/2 around my hips.  This is what I'm really focusing on, not so much the weight.

[schro]

Congrats! Keep it up.

[Robmeister]

Status Update:

I weighed in this morning at 220 even.  That's a drop of 2.2 pounds from last week and back to where I was before the holidays hit...LOL.

What I found to be even better is that I lost 1/2 inch off my belly/waist and 1/2 around my hips.  This is what I'm really focusing on, not so much the weight.

Way to go!.....1/2 inch is better than 2.2 lbs.

I've found that in my case I average a 1/2 inch for every 5 lbs when I'm doing it right.

[Tyler]

I've never done this type of measuring before, so I don't know what the weight to inches ratio will be.  I do know that my legs are getting bigger because I can feel it in my pants.  I've been focusing a lot of my workout on my legs because it's such a large muscle group and will burn more calories.