Exercise and diet, I mean. Here I am, a 48 year old man who had to buy a new pair of jeans. I hate buying jeans. I like to keep the old comfortable pair for years. Be that as it may, I am now the proud owner of a third pair. Why did I need them? Waist no longer fit. Too big. Back when I was in my early 20's, I was a 32 width and 32 length (yeah, short legs). But now it's down to 31 waist 32 length. And they're comfortable!
It's only been two freaking months of exercise so far, and diet control. What I'm doing for exercise is simple. Three times a week, I head to the Y and do 35 minutes of cardio first. I've been sticking to the elliptical - I set it to random and level 15, and whenever it gets to the highest or second highest intensity, I pour out everything I've got. This intense burst usually only lasts for 10 seconds, but every once in a while that sucker will put THREE together and so I'll have to go for 30 seconds all out. After the initial cardio, I do whichever machines for the day (one day chest/arms; one day legs; one day back). I top it off with 15 minutes of stair climbing. Just over an hour usually to get finished. It is one powerful stress-buster - and just three times a week makes it not TOO crazy.
And then the diet. Not just eating Atkins, but making four adjustments: 1) eat ONLY at meal time (except for #2); 2) eat one apple each afternoon; 3) only one glass of wine per day - and not before 7 and (here's the hard part) NO BEER. Sundays I ease up somewhat on these, but basically stick to it even then. 4) Drink no less than 96 oz of water per day. The result has been dropping five pounds in these two months - and generally FEELING great!
I know I've thanked him several times before, but let me say it one more time: Christopher Hall, God bless you for challenging me to get back to it! Fabulously fit by 50 is our goal; and with two months under the belt, I'm thinking it's actually going to happen. Sweet.
That's great, although something doesn't quite add up. You dropped "five pounds" in two months, and have gone down three sizes in bluejeans?
ReplyDeleteDo you mean five pounds per month, for a total of ten pounds? Or am I confused?
"Just over an hour usually to get finished. It is one powerful stress-buster - and just three times a day makes it not TOO crazy."
ReplyDeleteWOW! How do you get anything else done? 3 hours of exercise a DAY? No wonder you've lost weight. ;-)
Karl
Alright, your fit boomer self has encouraged me to haul my lazy Gen X butt over to the weights. I just bought an exercise ball that is super strength, so you can use it as a bench for chest presses and the like.
ReplyDeleteNow I just have to blow it up.
Jim,
ReplyDeleteNo, down 2 sizes in jeans. Down five pounds for the two months. Waist seems to be where it's disappearing.
Karl,
Three days a week, one hour each day.
Lucciola,
You'll love the weights. Great stuff. Just remember to do it S-L-O-W-L-Y. You'll know its right when it "burns" by the end and you'll think you can't do one more - but you do anyway!
Great work Pastor!
ReplyDeleteThe stairmaster is a killer.
What is funny, is how when one makes exercise a priority that there is still time to get everything else done.
Keep it up.
You should try and run a 5K in the Spring as a goal, unless you hate running.
Thanks, Sarah. I'm kind of afraid to run - last time I tried, the knees let me know I was old. I had to stop after some weeks. Felt like bone on bone. The elliptical just doesn't have the impact and so the knees are loving it. Cindi is a runner though. She runs all over the place! And I think she did a 5k last year. Hope Abigail and Lucas (and the older kid, Mitch) are all doing well!
ReplyDeleteCongrats, though I'm jealous.
ReplyDeleteHi,
ReplyDeleteI aplaud you on your exercise and diet! I have stopped beating myself up for missing my "fabulously fit at 50" goal and being rather, "fabulously fat at 50". I am not working on fabulously fit at 51 : )
I have not had a smoke in almost 10 weeks! And when I first quit, I could not walk a mile at a slow pace without getting completely breathless! This morning, I walked / jogged 3.5 miles in 50 minutes and was barely out of breath when I quit.
I am back on Atkins and have lost 10 lbs in the last 6 weeks or so.. and feeling better than I have in a couple years.
But I had no idea you wore a 32 length pant! mmm... I wear a 32 length too... and I am taller than you! How did that happen? : )
Matt
oops... should really read those before I publish...
ReplyDeleteMeant to say I AM NOW working on fit at 51... : )
Sheesh! This is beginning to sound like The View.
ReplyDeleteThe day this blog gets a Joy Behar I'm unsubscribing. :)
ReplyDelete