Exercise regimen tips, etc?

[…Yeah!]

(Warning: Post contains possible triggering talk about weight, near death fears and general body health)

Hey there, so I’m gonna reach out on a limb here and make a thread about something I’ve never really been comfortable to talk about before: I’m interested in learning and discussion any exercise regimen tips and how to do it properly. Feel free to input any diet information as well if you wish! I was hesitant to include diet, but I am actually quite eager to hear about things on that that maybe I don’t take into account myself. Mod assured that it’s fine, so I am now including it in my thread here.

What inspired me to want to make this thread is that a few years ago, I had a major health scare related to my heart that occurred the same week as my birthday and well…it definitely put into perfect perspective the way things were going with my body and I decided I wanted to actually make any changes that could turn that around. I’ve always been on the slimmer side of a bit “husky”, never over 200+ lbs…but as of today, I have shed most of the unnecessary weight that I did have and have startled many people that I know. So it all just really hammered home to me what I actually did make a noticeable change, despite so many months on not feeling like I have.

Now that I have accomplished that goal, I would like to ask you all, what are some good exercising tips, good diet tips that you have and or incorporate into your own lives?

Myself, I find that at least walking, not even running, but just walking has helped greatly and is a good addition to any routine. Obviously, you can run, but as a very basic starter, walking a decent length everyday can benefit. Its actually my favorite thing to do in terms of exercise. It’s a nice and easy way to have a method of pacing yourself and not get too overloaded.

That’s all from me for now, lets hear it from anyone else who may be interested!

[Cranjis McBasketball]

Lots of explosive, sudden movements. That’s what a body needs.

[Limity (BLM)]

First and foremost, congrats OP on the weightloss. That is one of the hardest things to do, lose weight.

Up until a couple years ago, I was always of the opinion that you could exercise off anything you chose to eat. Then I read about just how calorie dense our food has become, in comparison to how many calories you can burn off doing given activities.

This has led to the explosion of diabetes, which is considered a mismatch disease. We evolved to consume as much calories as possible and to be as sedentary as possible and use as little calories as possible, because both strategies make us more likely to survive and pass our genes on. Problem is we now live in a society that we can too easily eat too much and be too sedentary to our own detriment. Our culture has evolved faster than our bodies. We aren't evolved to be as healthy as possible, we evolved to be most likely to survive.

Dieting really is the only way to effectively lose weight, and it's also the slowest process and one of the easiest to become disheartened about. You have to look at everything from a much longer perspective.

And the science and data behind calorie restricting potentially extending your life is fascinating. The less you ingest, the less your metabolism works.

Walking is a tremendous activity, with one of the best cost to benefit ratios out there. I walk at least three or four times a week.

If you're looking at getting into the gym, first take a week or so reading about HOW to do the various movements you may want to do, then spend time practicing them, THEN start training them. Too often people come into the gym, waste time and space doing the worst versions of exercises possible, then disappear after a week.

[Starshine]

Find an exercise that you enjoy doing, or one you at least feel motivated to pick up doing regularly. It makes the whole process a whole lot easier to get going if you also enjoy what you're doing. You may not know what that is now, so it's a good idea to try out as many options you have available to see what sticks out.

As you've mentioned you're already walking, you may enjoy trying out running as well. If you want to go down that route, just pace yourself, run for a bit, then walk, then run again, then walk, etc. See how that goes, and then you can increase the running duration and frequency from there if it's working for you. I regularly ran for about a decade before I got tired of it, and switched up to swimming instead.

There's no wrong answer to whatever you decide works best for you. Just starting out opens a whole bunch of other options down the line, so I advise just to keep an open mind, and enjoy the benefits along the way.

[ace]

Honest to God you can just start with ten minute YouTube videos Hiit exercises and if you do them every day you will see results in your energy and core strength before long. Won’t need equipment or anything. Just space to do body movement. It doesn’t even matter if you can do everything or finish a video at first. You will eventually. And once you start to get through these feeling stronger or better you can look into the next phase.

[Fade]

Some great suggestions so far.

First and foremost - Congratulations on the improvement and mindset of wanting to do more. Kudos!

Walking is phenomenal exercise (and therapeutic) that goes unsung these days. If you’re ever curious about jogging, I’d say try to add a little into your walks. See how your body does.

Stretching - Burns an insane amount of calories and is overall good for you. Yoga is good.

Cut out as much sugar as you can.

Try not to eat too late. Also figure out what works for you, meal wise. A bunch of small meals, one big meal, etc. see what clicks.

HIIT and circuit training work but, of course, can be a lil advanced. Other exercises have their benefits. Weights with strengthening. Planks, squats, etc. as a poster said, find what you like! Having fun is a part of it too.

Give yourself a treat day, if you think you’ve earned it. Other than that, keep up the great work! It really isn’t a race when it comes to your body - we all in a marathon

[Cranjis McBasketball]

All I know about health is you can't out exercise what you eat, it's different for every body and you gotta have your own goals.

If you wanna be a juicehead, go talk to those guys in the gym. If you want some flexibility, talk to those guys. If you don't want to be a sweating, weezing mess when you walk up a gentle slope, talk to those guys.

100% of my exercise is just walking at work. Putting on 13K a shift was enough before, but now that I am 40 and smoke like it's the cure for cancer, I do want to get my cardio up a touch.

[Bo Rida]

I always preach yoga. Great to get your body used to moving again and can help prevent injury when increasing activity later. Yoga with Adrienne is good to follow at home, none of the intimidation of excercise in public.

Personally I'm just about to try getting into bouldering, hopefully that will be something I can stick to.

Caroline Girvan has some great home workouts with dumbbells or bodyweight but they can be really difficult, wouldn't go straight to them.

As for diet finding way to sneak in extra fruit and/or veg is always a good idea, especially at breakfast (f*** cereal).

Oh and sleep/rest is important too.

[Bones58]

The amount of weight I lost by not drinking alcohol for 3 weeks was crazy. I avoid bringing carbs into the house when possible. So no bread, cereal etc

[Deleted]

I reccomend Kross's workout from celtic warrior workouts it is a very easy to get into work out and Kross thoroughly explains everything he does and how it affects your body and your posture etc and best part is going by what he says you just have to do it 3 times a week.

[coleslaw]

Best thing to do for diet & exercise is to keep it simple. You don't need a super insane crazy lifting routine full of circus acts. Just stick to the basics. When you're more advanced, maybe you'll need 50 different curl variations. Until then just f***ing curl dumbbells/barbell/ez bar for f***'s sake lol.

And do cardio, dammit. It's not gonna kill your muscle gains. Unless you do crazy amounts of it, of course. You don't need to run 5 miles a day. Go for a walk.

I'm probably biased but I always felt dieting is easier if you don't overthink it. You wanna grow? Eat some more. You wanna lose weight? Eat some less. If you're not meeting your goals, adjust accordingly. Realize weight fluctuates day-to-day, so I'd say you're better off maybe going weekly/bi-weekly to actually gauge your progress. There is no "magic" diet. You don't need keto/paleo/vegan/carnivore/whatever (unless, of course, your doctor specifically tells you). Eat protein. Eat some carbs to fuel you up. Eat veggies. Snack on some fruit. Account for cooking oils & drinks when you count calories. Hell, I don't even count calories. I just eat when I'm hungry and stay mindful of how much I'm eating. That may not work for everyone though.

You don't even need to cut out foods you love. You like pizza? Eat it. Can't eat it without overeating? Maybe cut it then. But I think it's best to learn to control yourself OR if you can't, explore lower calorie options that strike the cravings. I never had cauliflower crust pizza, but if that helps you meet your cravings AND keep your calories in control, go for it. If you hate your diet, it won't last. You need to strike the middle ground of a diet you enjoy but also helps meet your goals. That's the key.

I've started running Alex Leonidas/AlphaDestiny's novice program and it is AWESOME. I weigh 170 and currently my bench press is 175lbs, squat is 185lbs, deadlift is 205lbs and OHP at 85lbs. I'm in my first week of switching to it after just kinda doing whatever for 2 months but I'm confident my strength is about to explode

[Beets by Schrute]

I’ve been doing insanity for 3 years now and notice a big difference in my body, energy levels, and muscle movements.
In 2020 I was 230 and got it down to 210. Goal weight is 190s
It is high intense cardio where your heart rate will go up to 170s and you get 30 second water breaks during workouts. Ask a doctor before starting the program.

[pinja]

Mar 16, 2023 13:17:29 GMT -5 coleslaw said:

Best thing to do for diet & exercise is to keep it simple. You don't need a super insane crazy lifting routine full of circus acts. Just stick to the basics. When you're more advanced, maybe you'll need 50 different curl variations. Until then just f***ing curl dumbbells/barbell/ez bar for f***'s sake lol.

And do cardio, dammit. It's not gonna kill your muscle gains. Unless you do crazy amounts of it, of course. You don't need to run 5 miles a day. Go for a walk.

I'm probably biased but I always felt dieting is easier if you don't overthink it. You wanna grow? Eat some more. You wanna lose weight? Eat some less. If you're not meeting your goals, adjust accordingly. Realize weight fluctuates day-to-day, so I'd say you're better off maybe going weekly/bi-weekly to actually gauge your progress. There is no "magic" diet. You don't need keto/paleo/vegan/carnivore/whatever (unless, of course, your doctor specifically tells you). Eat protein. Eat some carbs to fuel you up. Eat veggies. Snack on some fruit. Account for cooking oils & drinks when you count calories. Hell, I don't even count calories. I just eat when I'm hungry and stay mindful of how much I'm eating. That may not work for everyone though.

You don't even need to cut out foods you love. You like pizza? Eat it. Can't eat it without overeating? Maybe cut it then. But I think it's best to learn to control yourself OR if you can't, explore lower calorie options that strike the cravings. I never had cauliflower crust pizza, but if that helps you meet your cravings AND keep your calories in control, go for it. If you hate your diet, it won't last. You need to need to strike the middle ground of a diet you enjoy but also helps meet your goals. That's the key.

I've started running Alex Leonidas/AlphaDestiny's novice program and it is AWESOME. I weigh 170 and currently my bench press is 175lbs, squat is 185lbs, deadlift is 205lbs and OHP at 85lbs. I'm in my first week of switching to it after just kinda doing whatever for 2 months but I'm confident my strength is about to explode

Very nice summary! I second Alex Leonidas as a good source for (natural) lifters. He knows his stuff, is experimental and isn't dogmatic. He also outgrew his former name AlphaDestiny by a landmile.

Learning how to do the movements is paramount. A basic full body workout consisting of compound movements three times a week will make your body and brain adapt quickly and your strength will go up fast. Don't think about weak points or strong points. Beginners have neither.

As for dieting, I count calories on a "bulk" and am more lenient when trying to lose weight. I feel bulking is more of an art because it's easier overdoing it. Most people can lose a ton of weight in no time. Fewer people can gain a ton of weight in no time. I'm 5'6, 154 lbs and struggle gaining weight on 3,000 calories. But I can't just add and add when I'm not sure if it's just a matter of fluctuation. Maybe the scale will jump up in a week. So being patient is very important while trying to lose or gain a rather specific amount of weight.

I was severely overweight for a short time. About 230 lbs. Lost the weight very fast, never regained it past 176 lbs. If your body wants to be a way, you almost have to force it to go the opposite direction.

Edit:

As for cardio, I mainly walk. I, too, have a weakened heart after a bout with covid. HIIT cardio would elevate my heartra etoo much, too sudden, so I'd be cautious with it. Steady state cardio works fine. Running with a moderate pace, rowing, swimming are all excellent, although running is hard on my knees. So listening to your joints is important as well!

[Big BosskMan]

Mar 15, 2023 18:14:15 GMT -5 …Yeah! said:

(Warning: Post contains possible triggering talk about weight, near death fears and general body health)

Hey there, so I’m gonna reach out on a limb here and make a thread about something I’ve never really been comfortable to talk about before: I’m interested in learning and discussion any exercise regimen tips and how to do it properly. Feel free to input any diet information as well if you wish! I was hesitant to include diet, but I am actually quite eager to hear about things on that that maybe I don’t take into account myself. Mod assured that it’s fine, so I am now including it in my thread here.

What inspired me to want to make this thread is that a few years ago, I had a major health scare related to my heart that occurred the same week as my birthday and well…it definitely put into perfect perspective the way things were going with my body and I decided I wanted to actually make any changes that could turn that around. I’ve always been on the slimmer side of a bit “husky”, never over 200+ lbs…but as of today, I have shed most of the unnecessary weight that I did have and have startled many people that I know. So it all just really hammered home to me what I actually did make a noticeable change, despite so many months on not feeling like I have.

Now that I have accomplished that goal, I would like to ask you all, what are some good exercising tips, good diet tips that you have and or incorporate into your own lives?

Myself, I find that at least walking, not even running, but just walking has helped greatly and is a good addition to any routine. Obviously, you can run, but as a very basic starter, walking a decent length everyday can benefit. Its actually my favorite thing to do in terms of exercise. It’s a nice and easy way to have a method of pacing yourself and not get too overloaded.

That’s all from me for now, lets hear it from anyone else who may be interested!

Congratulations on the weight loss!

I, too, find walking to be a great form of exercise as well as a way to clear the mind.

As for a exercise regimen, as others have said, find what works for you. I do some form of workout almost every day (M-W-F are intense cardio days, T-Th are strength training and boxing, Sat is just boxing). I enjoy the boxing the most, primarily because of the crew I train with. Strength training is good, depending on what's on tap for the day.

You might find bicycling a good alternative form of exercise, just be sure to have a helmet and any other safety gear.

I also recently begun intermittent fasting and am feeling somewhat different (no scale yet) based on a 16/8 program.

[DePushRUSH!]

Mar 15, 2023 18:14:15 GMT -5 …Yeah! said:

(Warning: Post contains possible triggering talk about weight, near death fears and general body health)

Hey there, so I’m gonna reach out on a limb here and make a thread about something I’ve never really been comfortable to talk about before: I’m interested in learning and discussion any exercise regimen tips and how to do it properly. Feel free to input any diet information as well if you wish! I was hesitant to include diet, but I am actually quite eager to hear about things on that that maybe I don’t take into account myself. Mod assured that it’s fine, so I am now including it in my thread here.

What inspired me to want to make this thread is that a few years ago, I had a major health scare related to my heart that occurred the same week as my birthday and well…it definitely put into perfect perspective the way things were going with my body and I decided I wanted to actually make any changes that could turn that around. I’ve always been on the slimmer side of a bit “husky”, never over 200+ lbs…but as of today, I have shed most of the unnecessary weight that I did have and have startled many people that I know. So it all just really hammered home to me what I actually did make a noticeable change, despite so many months on not feeling like I have.

Now that I have accomplished that goal, I would like to ask you all, what are some good exercising tips, good diet tips that you have and or incorporate into your own lives?

Myself, I find that at least walking, not even running, but just walking has helped greatly and is a good addition to any routine. Obviously, you can run, but as a very basic starter, walking a decent length everyday can benefit. Its actually my favorite thing to do in terms of exercise. It’s a nice and easy way to have a method of pacing yourself and not get too overloaded.

That’s all from me for now, lets hear it from anyone else who may be interested!

Best thing i can recommend is a routine. I start each one of my days with a protein shake that has vegan protein, almond milk, a banana, and oats (I blend it).I don't always want it, or feel the energy to do that every morning, but force myself and feel better after i drink it. 

Meal prep and planning all your meals is generally the best way to regulate your food choices. There is a psychological study that shows people are most likely to make bad food choices when they are super hungry, so the best thing to do is never let yourself get super hungry.


Working out wise, follow a gym routine. Have a plan every time you go to the gym and follow it the best you can. What helps me, is also running as many errands as possible by walking. I get at least two 15 minute walks a day in.  

[coleslaw]

For people into weightlifting specifically, I recommend the following YouTube channels:

-Alan Thrall
-Alex Leonidas
-Geoffrey Verity Schofield
-Enkiri Elite Fitness
-Jeff Nippard

I think Greg Doucette is good for entertainment and some good info. Athlean-X I would avoid. Some good stuff but a lot of bad. Example: Breathe OUT when you squat? WTF? You need that deep breath for spinal support. Breathing out will f*** you up

Of course BroScienceLife trumps them all

[coleslaw]

Mar 16, 2023 13:36:49 GMT -5 pinja said:

Mar 16, 2023 13:17:29 GMT -5 coleslaw said:

Best thing to do for diet & exercise is to keep it simple. You don't need a super insane crazy lifting routine full of circus acts. Just stick to the basics. When you're more advanced, maybe you'll need 50 different curl variations. Until then just f***ing curl dumbbells/barbell/ez bar for f***'s sake lol.

And do cardio, dammit. It's not gonna kill your muscle gains. Unless you do crazy amounts of it, of course. You don't need to run 5 miles a day. Go for a walk.

I'm probably biased but I always felt dieting is easier if you don't overthink it. You wanna grow? Eat some more. You wanna lose weight? Eat some less. If you're not meeting your goals, adjust accordingly. Realize weight fluctuates day-to-day, so I'd say you're better off maybe going weekly/bi-weekly to actually gauge your progress. There is no "magic" diet. You don't need keto/paleo/vegan/carnivore/whatever (unless, of course, your doctor specifically tells you). Eat protein. Eat some carbs to fuel you up. Eat veggies. Snack on some fruit. Account for cooking oils & drinks when you count calories. Hell, I don't even count calories. I just eat when I'm hungry and stay mindful of how much I'm eating. That may not work for everyone though.

You don't even need to cut out foods you love. You like pizza? Eat it. Can't eat it without overeating? Maybe cut it then. But I think it's best to learn to control yourself OR if you can't, explore lower calorie options that strike the cravings. I never had cauliflower crust pizza, but if that helps you meet your cravings AND keep your calories in control, go for it. If you hate your diet, it won't last. You need to need to strike the middle ground of a diet you enjoy but also helps meet your goals. That's the key.

I've started running Alex Leonidas/AlphaDestiny's novice program and it is AWESOME. I weigh 170 and currently my bench press is 175lbs, squat is 185lbs, deadlift is 205lbs and OHP at 85lbs. I'm in my first week of switching to it after just kinda doing whatever for 2 months but I'm confident my strength is about to explode

Very nice summary! I second Alex Leonidas as a good source for (natural) lifters. He knows his stuff, is experimental and isn't dogmatic. He also outgrew his former name AlphaDestiny by a landmile.

Learning how to do the movements is paramount. A basic full body workout consisting of compound movements three times a week will make your body and brain adapt quickly and your strength will go up fast. Don't think about weak points or strong points. Beginners have neither.

As for dieting, I count calories on a "bulk" and am more lenient when trying to lose weight. I feel bulking is more of an art because it's easier overdoing it. Most people can lose a ton of weight in no time. Fewer people can gain a ton of weight in no time. I'm 5'6, 154 lbs and struggle gaining weight on 3,000 calories. But I can't just add and add when I'm not sure if it's just a matter of fluctuation. Maybe the scale will jump up in a week. So being patient is very important while trying to lose or gain a rather specific amount of weight.

I was severely overweight for a short time. About 230 lbs. Lost the weight very fast, never regained it past 176 lbs. If your body wants to be a way, you almost have to force it to go the opposite direction.

Edit:

As for cardio, I mainly walk. I, too, have a weakened heart after a bout with covid. HIIT cardio would elevate my heartra etoo much, too sudden, so I'd be cautious with it. Steady state cardio works fine. Running with a moderate pace, rowing, swimming are all excellent, although running is hard on my knees. So listening to your joints is important as well!

I'm currently on a bulk from 150ish to 172 as of today. I'm sure a good amount of that is fat but I'm certainly not obese and once I build a solid foundation of muscle I'll drop some fat for the aesthetic gains. Worried more about muscle and strength at the moment.

I was at 220lbs in high school. With no exercise and just dropping soda I went down to 200lbs lol. With my jobs I was moving around a lot and I always tried to be mindful of my eating so even with no real dedicated exercise I stayed around 180 for years. Personally I don't count calories, I make sure to eat 3 meals a day, I'll snack in between if I'm hungry and just make smart choices. Instead of wolfing down a bag of Doritos and adding 1200 calories, I'll just eat some grapes or something lol. I do understand it's not that easy for everyone though, but personally, diet hasn't really been an issue for me.

And yeah, Alex is YOKED. Dude's been lifting forever and still making gains. That's wild.

---

As for more tips, I want to reiterate when it comes to dieting: COUNT COOKING OILS AND LIQUID CALORIES! You could EASILY add a ton of calories by drinking iced coffee, milk and even fruit juice could up your calories by a few hundred. Be mindful of what you consume. Think of your calories like spending money. Do you want to spend 500 calories on half a bag of chips or on a nutrient rich salad? Sometimes you might want the chips, and that's okay, too.

Consistency is VITAL. It's not doing everything perfectly 100% of the time. It's doing everything mostly good for most of the time. One bad meal, one skipped workout doesn't matter, as long as you keep on track. If you plan on working out say 100 times out of the year and you miss 12, you really think that negates the other 88?

[Ryushinku]

I've changed my diet various ways over the past 15 years, when I hit thirty and finally recognised how way overweight I was. I remember feeling my stomach pressing against my desk as I sat at work, and just thinking "I don't want this."

Mercifully no extra risks to blood pressure or heart or sugar levels or whatever, but just knew I was heavy and would really need to do something sooner than later.

Consistency is definitely a tricky one, that took me a long time to get. I'd do well for a while, maybe a year even, but then slack off for another year before trying again. These days, I keep a tighter grip on things.

Long and the short of it is, it wasn't some straight angled line downwards, more like a series of falls and rises, gradually getting lower over time.

At the moment, I'm 45 years old, 6'1, and down to 166 pounds. At my absolute heaviest, I was 235, and normally 215. My current weight is, I know for certain, the lightest I've been since I was in my late teens. I also know for absolute certain that I eat better and smarter than I have before, and I'm fitter overall.

Absolutely, sticking to it is the key. It's not what you feel today or this week or in three months time, it's looking back a year later and going "Hey wait, I haven't been close to that weight for a while".
It's when it doesn't become a specific diet or activity, it's just part of your regular everyday routine.

You can do it. You can definitely do it a lot quicker than me with some real dedication, too! Just remember to mix in some carrot with that stick, you need special treats to look forward to, within reason.

Last two bits of advice, that I've always found useful to remind myself about - it's a marathon, not a sprint. And the only person you need to compete against is yourself.

[…Yeah!]

Some awesome feedback here, just now reading through all of the thread..thank you all for sharing!

I’m debating editing some of the op as I am not intending to make this thread solely about me, but for anyone who is interested in the topic. I rambled a bit up there for sure.

I know that a good sense of focus and possibly even a meditative state of mind can be crucial, that is something that is difficult for me due to certain aspects of my mental health. What do you all find is something that you found works for you when not letting your thoughts or even outside things interfere with whatever exerecise, etc your doing at the time? I feel like that could help so many.