Fat, old and broken

[lonegunman762x51]

I retired from the Nat Guard a couple of years ago after 27 years. My last two years I had both knees scoped and ruptured by biceps tendon on my important arm.

Everything got fixed under the knife but my activity level dropped from a lot of moving all day and PT four times a week or so to almost nothing for quite a while.

Now I am living the soft life as a foreman for my company, riding a desk 9 hours a day. I gained about 30 unwanted pounds and my blood pressure is up into marginal from a nice normal 120's over 80's.

I'm walking uphill 40 mins three days a week on the tread mill and lifting a little weight but not making a lot of progress. If I run, my knees will be ruined for the last time, so biking, walking and limited jogging are the order of the day.

I'm not making a lot of progress dropping weight, but I am pushing 50 these days. What did I forget to do?

Has anyone had any luck fending off the fat old bastard disease,,,??

 

[fx77]

Re: Fat, old and broken

Diet is critical and mor efficient thatn exercise.
Cut Carbs..

Consider wearing a life vest and entering a pool in deep water and jogging without touching the pool bottom. It is the same aerobic workout as jogging, without the impact.

 

[anthony_se]

Re: Fat, old and broken

Sir, having been there, I hope this helps

a) you cannot exercise yourself into weight loss. Period. End of Story. It will only make you hungry and then you'll do a great job of feeding the hunger with more food/energy drink, etc.

b) you cannot just cut carbs, though, fx77 is right on that it will help. In addition, refer to these sites

www.wheatbellyblog.com
www.proteinpower.com
http://thesmarterscienceofslim.com/
www.archevore.com
www.baye.com
www.bodybyscience.net

If you are at all looking at Type II diabetes, or Metabolic Syndrome, or IBS, or coeliac disease, consult with your doc, but be prepared for him to shit his drawers about what you're thinking to do. Here it is:

the single most effective dietary change you can make is to eliminate ALL FUCKING WHEAT, GRAINS, STARCHES, AND SUBSTITUTES INCLUDING BEER; instead eat good saturated fats, red meat, chicken, lamb, pork with the fat still on it; eggs, bacon, calf liver; eat greens, veggies of all colors; restrict your fruits to berries, and get yourself a bunch of nuts, macadamia, almonds, etc.
As well eliminate all intake of HFCS, sports drinks, coke/pepsi, blah, blah. Have at it, brother.

good luck, brother,

 

[crazybrit]

Re: Fat, old and broken

I like the bike, it's easy on the knees.Eat for what you're going to be doing later, as in fuel up if you're gonna work out. Go for the "slow burn" foods, complex carbs that keep you going wtihout the "crash."

 

[Bennyboy]

Re: Fat, old and broken

How will your knees handle an eliptical machine? I have worked in the oil field for several years and my knees are going by the wayside. But my eliptical doesn't seem to bother them. Additionally, I do the "2 minute challenge". How many pullups, situps and pushups I can do in 2 minutes--and then I try to increase that.

I got started with weight watchers....it worked for my wife after baby 2, and I managed to drop 20 pounds on it.

 

[kineticmedic]

Re: Fat, old and broken

Same boat, but I'm a little younger. Recently got an exercise program going again....not really looking for serious weight loss at the moment, but it would be nice. Going back to the old army workout, run/walk 3 days a week and muscle failure 2 days a week. It's been making me feel much better. I've been thinking about working towards the Paleo Diet, I have the book and started reading it, just not sure I can give up that awesome home made wheat bread my wife makes. I guess I'll have to give it a shot though. Good luck!

 

[Jeffvn]

Re: Fat, old and broken

welcome to 50. That being said getting old sucks. However it does not need to mean you/we must get fat.

Our metabolism slows, so its not as easy to burn the grease, even if you do the exact same amount of exercise as someone younger. To loose fat you only need to do one thing... your calorie burn rate must be higher than your calorie intake... easier said then done.

I have found the easiest method is the combination of exercise, strength training, and moderation on food intake. Exercise can be difficult when the body is broken and uncooperative. (in my case my knees do not allow me to run, or even ride a bike) Diet sucks ass, and for me is far harder to do than I remember it being when I was 35. I make up for the diet failings with increased calorie burn (elliptical, hiking, circuit training) but if your exercise is limited then you need to make up for it somewhere.

While most folks overlook the concept, the muscles are the calorie burning machine for your body. muscle needs nutrients and energy to function. fuel them properly and they can potentially grow in both strength, endurance, and size. I have no interest in getting bigger by bulk (then the suits don't fit), so I tailor my strength training workouts to focus more on the combination of endurance / strength and flexibility than pure strength and size.

Everyone is different and what works for some will not work for others. But the short answer is to loose grease you need to burn more calories than you take in. Keep at it it gets easier the more you do it.

Lots more to say on the issue, but that is the gist of how I get it done.

Jeffvn

 

[WhiskeyWebber]

Re: Fat, old and broken

I think as you age it is more important to focus on performance and capability. Who gives a shit how much you weigh or what you look like? Fuck them. Get under a barbell and lift some weight with squats, presses and deadlifts, and run 40 yd sprints once a week. Measure your progress and just take it slow. Start with only the bar and add 5 lbs a week and time your sprints.

Long distance running is for long distance runners, it is catabolic...if you want to be skinny and weak with a bunch of over-use type injuries, run for a long time.

 

[Unsichtbar]

Re: Fat, old and broken

I a 61 and been in simular situation, Copdoc is right, unless you address this diet/metabolism thing its going to be a hard go if at all. His suggestions are accurate and much easier than you might think. Calories in, calories out, counting carbs are not going to get you were you want to go.
Not sure Copdoc subscribes to the use of coconut oil but adding coconut oil ( must be organic. I used in conjunction with the diet he suggest. I use this eating method and 5 tbs of coconut oil over a day in addition to exercise ( more moderate than you might imagine and lost 27 lb in 5 weeks, still working on it) not just weight improved). It’s a life style change not a diet and you will not be hungry.

Look up The Smarter Science of Slim


<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: copdoc</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Sir, having been there, I hope this helps

a) you cannot exercise yourself into weight loss. Period. End of Story. It will only make you hungry and then you'll do a great job of feeding the hunger with more food/energy drink, etc.

b) you cannot just cut carbs, though, fx77 is right on that it will help. In addition, refer to these sites

www.wheatbellyblog.com
www.proteinpower.com
http://thesmarterscienceofslim.com/
www.archevore.com
www.baye.com
www.bodybyscience.net

If you are at all looking at Type II diabetes, or Metabolic Syndrome, or IBS, or coeliac disease, consult with your doc, but be prepared for him to shit his drawers about what you're thinking to do. Here it is:

the single most effective dietary change you can make is to eliminate ALL FUCKING WHEAT, GRAINS, STARCHES, AND SUBSTITUTES INCLUDING BEER; instead eat good saturated fats, red meat, chicken, lamb, pork with the fat still on it; eggs, bacon, calf liver; eat greens, veggies of all colors; restrict your fruits to berries, and get yourself a bunch of nuts, macadamia, almonds, etc.
As well eliminate all intake of HFCS, sports drinks, coke/pepsi, blah, blah. Have at it, brother.

good luck, brother,</div></div>

 

[anthony_se]

Re: Fat, old and broken

Yes, sir, I do. Coconut oil is as good as it gets. Amongst the important points you've mentioned is that it is indeed, a "lifestyle change and not a diet and you will not be hungry."!!! You got it, sir, and it's a shame there are still those folks who are into 20th century diet crap. Can't tell ya the # of folks I've worked with who have tried em all: Weight Bloaters, Jenny Crap, GI/GL, you name it, and who, if they've lost weight, promptly gained it back when they've achieved their "weight goal." HAH. "I didn't think I needed to diet anymore." Oh well... and you are also right:

Smarter Science of Slim is very likely the best, at least for me, readily understandable resource on the the 21st Century look at a nutritional lifestyle.
Keep up the good work, sir. You will find that your body will find a weight and body fat % level that so well mirrors your energy requirements that it'll flat knock your socks off

 

[longguntoter]

Re: Fat, old and broken

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: lonegunman762x51</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I retired from the Nat Guard a couple of years ago after 27 years. My last two years I had both knees scoped and ruptured by biceps tendon on my important arm.

Everything got fixed under the knife but my activity level dropped from a lot of moving all day and PT four times a week or so to almost nothing for quite a while.

Now I am living the soft life as a foreman for my company, riding a desk 9 hours a day. I gained about 30 unwanted pounds and my blood pressure is up into marginal from a nice normal 120's over 80's.

I'm walking uphill 40 mins three days a week on the tread mill and lifting a little weight but not making a lot of progress. If I run, my knees will be ruined for the last time, so biking, walking and limited jogging are the order of the day.

I'm not making a lot of progress dropping weight, but I am pushing 50 these days. What did I forget to do?

Has anyone had any luck fending off the fat old bastard disease,,,?? </div></div>You have to totally adjust your diet. Look at it this way, if you ate nothing at all you would grow weak and thin. You don't want that, but you do need the proper foods to maintain health. I don't really even exercise, but maintain a good weight by what I eat. Its tough, because I find myself always telling myself no to what I used to eat on a regular basis. JMHO.

 

[marksmatter]

Re: Fat, old and broken

The Smarter Science of Slim looks pretty interesting. Just picked up an e-copy for my Nook. If I can lose 27 lbs in 5 weeks, I'll be freakin' thrilled and back to 180 lbs.

 

[anthony_se]

Re: Fat, old and broken

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: marksmatter</div><div class="ubbcode-body">The Smarter Science of Slim looks pretty interesting. Just picked up an e-copy for my Nook. If I can lose 27 lbs in 5 weeks, I'll be freakin' thrilled and back to 180 lbs.</div></div>

Give it a shot, marksmatter, you've got a lot to look forward to. And when you dump wheat, grains, etc., you'll be so surprised at how the food cravings diminish and then extinguish. Soon, w/o effort, you'll be eating x2/day, 16-20 hours between meals, intermittent fasting, and pissing off the grocer, beer distributor, and all those folks who say, just reduce your calories and exercise more

 

[marksmatter]

Re: Fat, old and broken

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: copdoc</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: marksmatter</div><div class="ubbcode-body">The Smarter Science of Slim looks pretty interesting. Just picked up an e-copy for my Nook. If I can lose 27 lbs in 5 weeks, I'll be freakin' thrilled and back to 180 lbs.</div></div>

Give it a shot, marksmatter, you've got a lot to look forward to. And when you dump wheat, grains, etc., you'll be so surprised at how the food cravings diminish and then extinguish. Soon, w/o effort, you'll be eating x2/day, 16-20 hours between meals, intermittent fasting, and pissing off the grocer, beer distributor, and all those folks who say, just reduce your calories and exercise more

</div></div>

Looking forward to reading it in just a couple of minutes. It will be an adjustment, as I love (is there a stronger word?) carbs - perhaps especially so in their more liquid form! However, I just turned 40, and am finally at that point where the phrase "you've still got your health" has relevance and meaning. I'm not so indestructible anymore...

I've done things like P90X before, but it is very time consuming - by the time you workout, do the ab routine, cool down, and shower, it is about 2 hours a day. Tough to fit in 6 days a week with a job and two munchkins. I have always believed diet was more critical (and apparently some guy stuck to their low-carb diet and lost 40 lbs in 12 weeks WITHOUT the doing the workouts). That convinced me that diet was the more important portion.

Sorry for the thread hijack, OP.

 

[y2kc5oh]

Re: Fat, old and broken

Diet and exercise is the only way to go. Neither on their own will work for long. About a decade ago I tried cutting carbs and that lost me 60# in about 10 months with ZERO exercise. But it all came back. I have tried exercising for the last 12 months 3-5 times per week with a trainer and that , by itself doesn't do a thing other than make you feel better. When I count calories AND exercise then things really happen. Get yourself a good app (or online) to track calories and as long as you are honest with it, you will see what is happening with weight versus net calories (intake - exercise). A great app is My Net Diary. They are also online.

 

[marksmatter]

Re: Fat, old and broken

I agree exercise is important, but more so for reasons of stamina, fitness, etc. From a weight loss standpoint, that book we were talking about made some excellent points. Long story short, it emphasizes a paleo (sp?) Type of diet, but long term and not as a quick fix. He does discuss "diets" and the the fact that a person will eventually gain all that (and likely more) weight back.

Epidemic obesity is a product of our shitty food supply (cheap grain, High fructose corn syrup, corn in almost everything, etc.).

Not saying the book is the end-all, be-all, but it opened my eyes to stuff my wife has been trying to get through my thick skull for years.

 

[lonegunman762x51]

Re: Fat, old and broken

Thanks for all the feed back guys. I'm working on the exercise so that hiking the hills for the one legal deer we are allowed to shoot in eastern Washington is getting tougher and I hate gaining weight.

I will start looking at a few books this week.

 

[kineticmedic]

Re: Fat, old and broken

I just finished reading the Paleo solution this weekend. I've been on a regular exercise routine for a few weeks and I think I can pick apart the recommended diet and make it work for me. It's going to take a bit more research, but I think I can do it. Looking forward to dropping some weight and getting in better shape. Good luck to you!

 

[Chandalar]

Re: Fat, old and broken

www.forksoverknives.com!!! Not easy to follow but it will change you life!

 

[anthony_se]

Re: Fat, old and broken

As I've noted before, quit all grains, wheat, starches and you will literally, automatically lower your daily caloric intake by 400 calories BUT, and more important, you will eliminate the freakin' gliadin that is responsible for the addictive response that leads to cravings that leads to snacking that leads to, well, adding on visceral adipose tissue, i.e., belly fat (at least).

http://www.wheatbellyblog.com/

 

[Hi Speed]

Re: Fat, old and broken

Quitchabitchin. Dude you've made it.

Your diet is key. As a foreman don't let your work create undue stress. Drink water. Pick up fishing or golf or take a kid to the playground for exercise. Drink more water. Small meals and water. Lay off the beer if you drink a lot. Chase with water.


You know after 27 years that water is the key to all ailments. Wink

 

[Tactical Support]

Re: Fat, old and broken

Excellent thread for the over 50 clan looking to survive .

 

[Tigerbikes]

Re: Fat, old and broken

As stated in <span style="text-decoration: underline"><span style="font-style: italic">The Smarter Science of Slim</span></span>, "remember your ancestors".

Paleolithic Diet

 

[k9ghost]

Re: Fat, old and broken

Eliptical machine, stretching exercises and a sensible diet.

k9g

 

[DMann]

Re: Fat, old and broken

Right there with you. 51 and trying to sort out just what the chassis can handle. Did Crossfit like a boss and it was just too much for old joints. I am easing into more walking and less intensity - intensity for two or so days a week vs. 4 or more.

That said, two sites have been helpful to me: http://agelessbodyblog.com/ and http://www.marksdailyapple.com

Ageless body is based around kettlebell training, but focuses on mobility, flexibility and strength. Mark's Daily Apple is the home of the Primal Blueprint, and also Primal Fitness - download the Primal Fitness book - very smart, simple plan for overall fitness and easily adaptable to anything you have done in the past or might consider in the future.

 

[Irish Sitka]

Re: Fat, old and broken

Quote: Copdoc.
"the single most effective dietary change you can make is to eliminate ALL FUCKING WHEAT, GRAINS, STARCHES, AND SUBSTITUTES INCLUDING BEER; instead eat good saturated fats, red meat, chicken, lamb, pork with the fat still on it; eggs, bacon, calf liver; eat greens, veggies of all colors; restrict your fruits to berries, and get yourself a bunch of nuts, macadamia, almonds, etc.
As well eliminate all intake of HFCS, sports drinks, coke/pepsi, blah, blah. Have at it, brother."

Copdoc is 100% right!
Thr food he recommends to eat are exactly my food in-take.
That is my daily diet and it works 100%
I will be 60 next October and I am about 14 lbs heavier than I was when I was 19. I have never drank soda drinks, never eaten fast food and exercised all my life. I am a kayaking and sailing instructor and still work five days a week. I also use a Concept 2 Rowing machine, 4000 mts in 20 min 4 times a week + at least three 20 min sessions on a cross trainer.
The advice Copdoc gives is the advice to follow.

 

[FALex]

Re: Fat, old and broken

go get your testsoerone checked, like yesterday! Once you're back up to speed at that 20 year-old level, you'll suffer no more with "fat old bastard disease". Make sure it is a doc who specializes in TRT (or HRT) - testosterone replacement therapy and hormone replacement therapy, respectively.

After a solid month on the regiment, you'll be feeling like a million bucks (sometimes this happens for folks within the first day or two because they've been so low on T for so long).