All Purpose 'Get in Shape' Thread

[DerktheDerk]

So it's New Years Day, which of course involves being cliché an making resolutions you'll probably not keep! The big one seems to be losing weight/getting in shape. I know this is something I'm trying to stick with since I've became a lazy slob during the pandemic. I figured if you're like me and riding the cliché train, we can use this thread to ask questions/talk about our progress/etc.

I'll start the questions, I guess. For those of you in the know, what is the best recommendations you can make concerning the diet portion? I'm pretty good on the workout side of things, but I've always sucked at formulating a decent diet. The last time I lost a ton of weight, I did keto and then switched to just one meal per day. I felt like absolute garbage on both, so neither was sustainable. It doesn't help that I currently live in a food desert and it's really difficult to get food that isn't complete garbage. I'm not looking to get SUPER SHREDDED, I just want to develop a healthy diet plan that I can stick to without feeling like garbage or one that will cause me to go broke in food costs. 

[Bo Rida]

I joined the gym last year, went twice, covid hit, so did a lot of home videos.

Here's the yoga channels I like in a rough order of difficulty. The first and third on the list have 30 day challenges for the new year (Adriene's first video is a bit slow though).

Yoga With Adriene

Yoga With Kassandra
Yoga With Tim
Five Parks Yoga

Kino Yoga

I can't seem to settle on other types of fitness videos so I'll mostly let others post other types of workout but this channel is well liked.

Fitness blender

I recently started with this channel, not well known and low budget but has a warm up/cool down, modifications and an instructor that's goofy enough to keep me interested so I might do her 30 day challenge, although am more likely to just do the strength focused ones.

Kat Musni fitness

[agent817]

I didn't stop exercising even during the pandemic. Granted, I could do more, but I had been walking and running quite often.

[H-Virus]

I'm putting my stimulus check towards a new exercise machine, haven't decided what kind yet. Most likely a bike or elliptical.

[YAKMAN is ICHIBAN]

I bought a Weider Ultimate Body Works.

It’s sort of a budget version of a Total Gym, the Chuck Norris advertised machine that is an inclined sliding bench and cables.

Really like it so far.

I’ve also been doing squats to close off my workouts, up to 50 now.


I’d love a full squat rack/bench set up but that type of setup is expensive. So are dumbbells.

This year I dropped from 235 to 213 just by eating reasonable amounts of food, and maintained it over the holidays.

[Mighty Attack Tribble]

I've gotten myself some resistance bands and a mountain bike. Looking forward to spending my days off exploring some of the picturesque bike trails in the local area.

[chrom]

I need to lose some. Only problem is the place I normally went to closed a while ago. Opened the door one day and found everything gone without a trace.

No note, no message, nothing.

[DerktheDerk]

I also went the resistance band route. I bought those, a few kettlebells, and a punching bag. I did boxing training way back when and really enjoyed it. I've definitely lost all sense of form since I quit, though. Also, I can't jump rope at all now. It's depressing.

[fw91]

I mean round is a shape. But seriously I’ve been going to a gym the last month. Very safe for COVID times and strictly doing cardio. Feel a lot better even if I don’t look it yet

[Limity (BLM)]

To answer the OP's question, are you able to buy a foreman grill and make chicken? Or make eggs and turkey and just try different seasonings to keep it fresh?

It's cliche, but cooking your own food, and/or meal prepping really can help keep costs down while giving you a consistent diet to stick to.

Buying frozen fruits and veggies is also another great way to go. Also assorted nuts. Want a super healthy snack food? Buy popcorn kernels, throw some in a paper bag and pop them yourself in the microwave.

You said your food options are limited where you live, can you tell us what exactly your options are?

Meal frequency comes up a lot in these discussions. The rule of thumb of eating six small meals to keep your metabolism high is also a great way to keep your blood sugar high and possibly build up an insulin resistance and eventually diabetes. At the same time, one single meal a day is hardly healthy either. I stick with the usual breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

And the single easiest diet trick/hack/whatever, stop drinking pop.

[DerktheDerk]

Jan 2, 2021 20:25:17 GMT -5 Limity (BLM) said:

To answer the OP's question, are you able to buy a foreman grill and make chicken? Or make eggs and turkey and just try different seasonings to keep it fresh?

It's cliche, but cooking your own food, and/or meal prepping really can help keep costs down while giving you a consistent diet to stick to.

Buying frozen fruits and veggies is also another great way to go. Also assorted nuts. Want a super healthy snack food? Buy popcorn kernels, throw some in a paper bag and pop them yourself in the microwave.

You said your food options are limited where you live, can you tell us what exactly your options are?

Meal frequency comes up a lot in these discussions. The rule of thumb of eating six small meals to keep your metabolism high is also a great way to keep your blood sugar high and possibly build up an insulin resistance and eventually diabetes. At the same time, one single meal a day is hardly healthy either. I stick with the usual breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

And the single easiest diet trick/hack/whatever, stop drinking pop.

Thanks for responding! My options for buying for are Dollar General and Wal-Mart unless I drive out to a bigger city, which really isn't an option right now due to COVID surging around here. 

This is going to make me sound really stupid, but I had no idea popcorn was a healthy option. My wife and I used to pop our own popcorn a lot, then I did keto and stopped. I haven't drank any regular sodas in years. I do drink diet drinks when I'm at work because I 'need' the caffeine. Other than that, I drink coffee. I try to make myself drink at least four bottles of water per day, but to be honest, I can't stand water. I always have to put something in it like those flavor pouches (Crystal Light, etc.)

What do you recommend for breakfast for someone who doesn't normally eat breakfast? I'm always in a rush to get out the door in the mornings, so I usually just grab a protein bar or some other type of junk food disguised as something healthy. 

[Milkman Norm]

Jan 1, 2021 23:34:48 GMT -5 DerktheDerk said:

So it's New Years Day, which of course involves being cliché an making resolutions you'll probably not keep! The big one seems to be losing weight/getting in shape. I know this is something I'm trying to stick with since I've became a lazy slob during the pandemic. I figured if you're like me and riding the cliché train, we can use this thread to ask questions/talk about our progress/etc.

I'll start the questions, I guess. For those of you in the know, what is the best recommendations you can make concerning the diet portion? I'm pretty good on the workout side of things, but I've always sucked at formulating a decent diet. The last time I lost a ton of weight, I did keto and then switched to just one meal per day. I felt like absolute garbage on both, so neither was sustainable. It doesn't help that I currently live in a food desert and it's really difficult to get food that isn't complete garbage. I'm not looking to get SUPER SHREDDED, I just want to develop a healthy diet plan that I can stick to without feeling like garbage or one that will cause me to go broke in food costs. 

Intermediate fasting has worked great for me, I'm down 70-80 lbs pre holidays. Limiting snacking on weekdays, eating a good share of real food (protein,greens,grain) nightly & having a regular sleep schedule have helped a great deal.

[Limity (BLM)]

Jan 2, 2021 20:39:17 GMT -5 DerktheDerk said:

Jan 2, 2021 20:25:17 GMT -5 Limity (BLM) said:

To answer the OP's question, are you able to buy a foreman grill and make chicken? Or make eggs and turkey and just try different seasonings to keep it fresh?

It's cliche, but cooking your own food, and/or meal prepping really can help keep costs down while giving you a consistent diet to stick to.

Buying frozen fruits and veggies is also another great way to go. Also assorted nuts. Want a super healthy snack food? Buy popcorn kernels, throw some in a paper bag and pop them yourself in the microwave.

You said your food options are limited where you live, can you tell us what exactly your options are?

Meal frequency comes up a lot in these discussions. The rule of thumb of eating six small meals to keep your metabolism high is also a great way to keep your blood sugar high and possibly build up an insulin resistance and eventually diabetes. At the same time, one single meal a day is hardly healthy either. I stick with the usual breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

And the single easiest diet trick/hack/whatever, stop drinking pop.

Thanks for responding! My options for buying for are Dollar General and Wal-Mart unless I drive out to a bigger city, which really isn't an option right now due to COVID surging around here. 

This is going to make me sound really stupid, but I had no idea popcorn was a healthy option. My wife and I used to pop our own popcorn a lot, then I did keto and stopped. I haven't drank any regular sodas in years. I do drink diet drinks when I'm at work because I 'need' the caffeine. Other than that, I drink coffee. I try to make myself drink at least four bottles of water per day, but to be honest, I can't stand water. I always have to put something in it like those flavor pouches (Crystal Light, etc.)

What do you recommend for breakfast for someone who doesn't normally eat breakfast? I'm always in a rush to get out the door in the mornings, so I usually just grab a protein bar or some other type of junk food disguised as something healthy. 

Fortunately WalMart has really come a long way with good selections. I buy grass fed beef and ground bison from there, along with Fairlife milk (twice the protein but no lactate). I also buy my nuts there, the trick is buying them in the baking section. There's no added salt or cooking oil to them.

This may sound odd, but you could make a protein shake with half water / half milk, and add a scoop of oatmeal to it. Shake it up, and the oatmeal will absorb some of the fluid. It obviously just won't be hot. The oatmeal will settle at the bottom, so just shake it up before each drink. Also, have a plastic bag of nuts to eat on your way to work on top of that.

Another big trick is to chew your food slowly. Digestion starts in the mouth, and the longer you take to eat, the more full it will help you feel. I even "chew" my protein shakes.

If you can't stand water, why not try adding lemon and cucumber slices to it? At the very least, the flavor packets you add are the least of all evils.

[DerktheDerk]

Jan 2, 2021 21:26:39 GMT -5 Limity (BLM) said:

Jan 2, 2021 20:39:17 GMT -5 DerktheDerk said:

Thanks for responding! My options for buying for are Dollar General and Wal-Mart unless I drive out to a bigger city, which really isn't an option right now due to COVID surging around here. 

This is going to make me sound really stupid, but I had no idea popcorn was a healthy option. My wife and I used to pop our own popcorn a lot, then I did keto and stopped. I haven't drank any regular sodas in years. I do drink diet drinks when I'm at work because I 'need' the caffeine. Other than that, I drink coffee. I try to make myself drink at least four bottles of water per day, but to be honest, I can't stand water. I always have to put something in it like those flavor pouches (Crystal Light, etc.)

What do you recommend for breakfast for someone who doesn't normally eat breakfast? I'm always in a rush to get out the door in the mornings, so I usually just grab a protein bar or some other type of junk food disguised as something healthy. 

Fortunately WalMart has really come a long way with good selections. I buy grass fed beef and ground bison from there, along with Fairlife milk (twice the protein but no lactate). I also buy my nuts there, the trick is buying them in the baking section. There's no added salt or cooking oil to them.

This may sound odd, but you could make a protein shake with half water / half milk, and add a scoop of oatmeal to it. Shake it up, and the oatmeal will absorb some of the fluid. It obviously just won't be hot. The oatmeal will settle at the bottom, so just shake it up before each drink. Also, have a plastic bag of nuts to eat on your way to work on top of that.

Another big trick is to chew your food slowly. Digestion starts in the mouth, and the longer you take to eat, the more full it will help you feel. I even "chew" my protein shakes.

If you can't stand water, why not try adding lemon and cucumber slices to it? At the very least, the flavor packets you add are the least of all evils.

Definitely going to try this stuff you've suggested. Thank you for the help!

[DerktheDerk]

Jan 2, 2021 20:46:39 GMT -5 Milkman Norm said:

Jan 1, 2021 23:34:48 GMT -5 DerktheDerk said:

So it's New Years Day, which of course involves being cliché an making resolutions you'll probably not keep! The big one seems to be losing weight/getting in shape. I know this is something I'm trying to stick with since I've became a lazy slob during the pandemic. I figured if you're like me and riding the cliché train, we can use this thread to ask questions/talk about our progress/etc.

I'll start the questions, I guess. For those of you in the know, what is the best recommendations you can make concerning the diet portion? I'm pretty good on the workout side of things, but I've always sucked at formulating a decent diet. The last time I lost a ton of weight, I did keto and then switched to just one meal per day. I felt like absolute garbage on both, so neither was sustainable. It doesn't help that I currently live in a food desert and it's really difficult to get food that isn't complete garbage. I'm not looking to get SUPER SHREDDED, I just want to develop a healthy diet plan that I can stick to without feeling like garbage or one that will cause me to go broke in food costs. 

Intermediate fasting has worked great for me, I'm down 70-80 lbs pre holidays. Limiting snacking on weekdays, eating a good share of real food (protein,greens,grain) nightly & having a regular sleep schedule have helped a great deal.

So how long do you typically go without eating/when do you have your first meal of the day?

[Milkman Norm]

Jan 2, 2021 21:39:24 GMT -5 DerktheDerk said:

Jan 2, 2021 20:46:39 GMT -5 Milkman Norm said:

Intermediate fasting has worked great for me, I'm down 70-80 lbs pre holidays. Limiting snacking on weekdays, eating a good share of real food (protein,greens,grain) nightly & having a regular sleep schedule have helped a great deal.

So how long do you typically go without eating/when do you have your first meal of the day?

Sometime between 16-20 hours.

[DerktheDerk]

Jan 2, 2021 21:42:51 GMT -5 Milkman Norm said:

Jan 2, 2021 21:39:24 GMT -5 DerktheDerk said:

So how long do you typically go without eating/when do you have your first meal of the day?

Sometime between 16-20 hours.

Do you not get really nauseous when you go without eating for that long? That's always been my biggest issue with fasting, I get really sick to my stomach and headaches.

[Sam Punk]

I know what you mean. I need to lose some weight myself.

[Milkman Norm]

Jan 2, 2021 22:43:35 GMT -5 DerktheDerk said:

Jan 2, 2021 21:42:51 GMT -5 Milkman Norm said:

Sometime between 16-20 hours.

Do you not get really nauseous when you go without eating for that long? That's always been my biggest issue with fasting, I get really sick to my stomach and headaches.

No, but it took time to get use to, maybe start with a 10 hour window.

[Cela]

I biked to curry today, was pleasant.