Health/fitness tools for the gadget head

[Bamafan]

I've made an unfortunate discovery over the past several years: I'm not 25 any longer, so I can't eat whatever the hell I want. It has been a decade since I've seen a 6 pack outside a grocery store.

I've found a couple of cool tools to help me get back on track. One is a droid phone app called jefit. It has a database of over 100 weight training exercises that have given me some ideas about how to shake up my workouts so that I break through plateaus. It also will chart my theoretical 1 rep max so that I can track my progress.

The most helpful tool I've found is an iPad app called MyNetDiary which is a food and exercise journal that calculates caloric intake and expenditure while helping me stick to a plan. I've discovered that the actual act of charting my food intake has altered my dietary choices because I now see exactly what that burger/order of fries/pizza does to me.

Who says you can't teach an old dog new tricks?

 

[Orion Crystal Ice]

What's your current diet and routine look like?

 

[Bamafan]

What's your current diet and routine look like?

Since I started charting my dietary intake my basic breakfast consists of either a Nutrigrain bar or a toasted whole wheat English muffin with 1 tbsp of honey, a protein shake, and coffee with sugar free coffee mate.

Lunch and dinner are some variation of grilled, skinless chicken breasts, grilled shrimp, turkey sandwiches or tuna/wahoo/swordfish. Since I can't get home for lunch, I have been hitting Subway a lot for their grilled chicken breast on whole wheat. I mix half sweet and half unsweetened tea because sweet tea is one vice this Southerner cannot give up. If I am feeling hungry mid afternoon, I'll drink a protein shake or eat a Kashi Golean bar. I'm allowing myself red meat or pizza 2 times a week, but I have basically cut out French fries, barbecued pork, and the ever present donuts that float around my office.

I use Jack3d as my pre workout supplement and Amp recovery protein powder as my after workout shake. Total caloric intake for a day runs about 2000-2200 calories.

Typically, I lift 4-5 days a week now for about 40 minutes a workout, followed by 30 minutes of cardio. I have 3 chest/back, arm/shoulder and leg/ab routines that I rotate through. On weekends I try to squeeze in 30 minutes of biking a day. My 2 non-lift days are my tennis league match and tennis lesson days.

If you want more details on my lift routines, I'll be happy to include them.

 

[Orion Crystal Ice]

That's really cool, a lot of that sounds like me, though I am actually 25. What I always found more and more is that there is so much stuff that you really can - and most of the time, should - eat, it's just that we as Americans tend to load everything up with a lot of things that weigh down or cancel out the nutrition we take in. HFCS for example, is something I've tried to cut out completely since it's in EVERYTHING, thanks Monsanto - I'll have an energy drink once a week or so - but apart from that I've been going out of my way to look on labels and find stuff without it, and though it's tough at first it is actually very possible to do. Burgers, I eat them plain with cheese, nothing else, sometimes not even the bun if it isn't whole wheat. The difference between that kind of burger and a loaded up one with sauces and extra carbs and everything can be staggering. Other meats in general, again just one difference - fried VS grilled, I've tossed out 95% of fried stuff, now it's fried gator tail if I'm out to eat, or maybe, MAYBE some chicken strips once a month or two months. Little things that just make a big difference. The toughest thing for me has been fitting all of those veggies in since I absolutely cannot stand cold salad in any form. I've been able to find a lot of good organic ready-to-steam veggies though, and try to pad up my work day with fresh juice. If it's a frozen dinner I go for the Amy's stuff, they have this line of Indian dishes that are pretty great.

Are you trying to build or are you just trying to tone right now? I'm trying extra hard to build right now, it's been really tough before because my metabolism is crazy and I have been the exact same weight for like 5 years....

 

[dcowboys311]

Are you trying to build or are you just trying to tone right now? I'm trying extra hard to build right now, it's been really tough before because my metabolism is crazy and I have been the exact same weight for like 5 years....

That was my main problem for a while until recently. I've always been 'skinny-fat' but around December I just started putting on a lot of weight out of nowhere with no real change in my diet. Went up a shirt size (almost two). Now I'm trying to lower my BF% to get back to where I was in November/December and from there it's just build, build, build. It's hard but rewarding. Tools like the ones Bamafan posted are really helpful.

 

[Bamafan]

That's really cool, a lot of that sounds like me, though I am actually 25. What I always found more and more is that there is so much stuff that you really can - and most of the time, should - eat, it's just that we as Americans tend to load everything up with a lot of things that weigh down or cancel out the nutrition we take in. HFCS for example, is something I've tried to cut out completely since it's in EVERYTHING, thanks Monsanto - I'll have an energy drink once a week or so - but apart from that I've been going out of my way to look on labels and find stuff without it, and though it's tough at first it is actually very possible to do. Burgers, I eat them plain with cheese, nothing else, sometimes not even the bun if it isn't whole wheat. The difference between that kind of burger and a loaded up one with sauces and extra carbs and everything can be staggering. Other meats in general, again just one difference - fried VS grilled, I've tossed out 95% of fried stuff, now it's fried gator tail if I'm out to eat, or maybe, MAYBE some chicken strips once a month or two months. Little things that just make a big difference. The toughest thing for me has been fitting all of those veggies in since I absolutely cannot stand cold salad in any form. I've been able to find a lot of good organic ready-to-steam veggies though, and try to pad up my work day with fresh juice. If it's a frozen dinner I go for the Amy's stuff, they have this line of Indian dishes that are pretty great.

Are you trying to build or are you just trying to tone right now? I'm trying extra hard to build right now, it's been really tough before because my metabolism is crazy and I have been the exact same weight for like 5 years....

You hit the nail on the head about dietary choices. We don't have to starve ourselves, we just need to choose to eat smarter. I think all too often, people (myself included) have looked for rapid weight loss, but they fact is the weight didn't go on overnight, so it's not going to come off overnight either. Fried food is deadly.

I remember the days when I had the sort of metabolism where I wanted to gain weight! I'm trying to tone up to the point where I have my 30 year old body back; I was too skinny at 25. I wish I had some tips I could give you on gaining mass. Mother Nature did that for me!

 

[Justin G]

For me it's not so much what I'm eating, but the quantity. Stopping halfway through a meal and asking myself if I'm still hungry has made a world of difference. Well, that and daily exercise. I'm down 46lbs and multiple sizes since last June.

 

[Bamafan]

Just an update: down about 11 lbs and 3% body fat in 3 weeks. A six pack may be present by September.

 

[AeonicSlumber]

That's really cool, a lot of that sounds like me, though I am actually 25. What I always found more and more is that there is so much stuff that you really can - and most of the time, should - eat, it's just that we as Americans tend to load everything up with a lot of things that weigh down or cancel out the nutrition we take in. HFCS for example, is something I've tried to cut out completely since it's in EVERYTHING, thanks Monsanto - I'll have an energy drink once a week or so - but apart from that I've been going out of my way to look on labels and find stuff without it, and though it's tough at first it is actually very possible to do. Burgers, I eat them plain with cheese, nothing else, sometimes not even the bun if it isn't whole wheat. The difference between that kind of burger and a loaded up one with sauces and extra carbs and everything can be staggering. Other meats in general, again just one difference - fried VS grilled, I've tossed out 95% of fried stuff, now it's fried gator tail if I'm out to eat, or maybe, MAYBE some chicken strips once a month or two months. Little things that just make a big difference. The toughest thing for me has been fitting all of those veggies in since I absolutely cannot stand cold salad in any form. I've been able to find a lot of good organic ready-to-steam veggies though, and try to pad up my work day with fresh juice. If it's a frozen dinner I go for the Amy's stuff, they have this line of Indian dishes that are pretty great.

Are you trying to build or are you just trying to tone right now? I'm trying extra hard to build right now, it's been really tough before because my metabolism is crazy and I have been the exact same weight for like 5 years....

+ infinity on Amy's. Really really good for microwavable food and all of it is relatively healthy (With a few exceptions like the Mexican casserole).

 

[Jeremy Ray]

@ BamaFan - Holy Crap dude ! That's some serious commitment.

Ive been doing P90X for over a year, mixing and matching, adding and subtracting different workouts and Ive been pleased.
I dropped 30 lbs and added lean muscle. Im in a Body Building phase now.

I'll study your OP later on, I'm actually on break from Pyramid Sets as I type !

Roll Tide !

 

[spag]

+ infinity on Amy's. Really really good for microwavable food and all of it is relatively healthy (With a few exceptions like the Mexican casserole).

I wish Amy's would find a way to package some damn naan in there. Just always feels like something's missing when eating the frozen Indian food.

 

[spag]

I've been wanting to start at a crossfit place, but I might have to wait till the end of summer when I can move to a real city. There is a crossfit place in town, but it's the flakiest place imaginable. Sort of open when the guy feels like it. Only number to the place is the guys personal cellphone it sounds like, and if he doesn't answer, which is most of the time, you never know if it happens to be open. I just don't understand how you can run a business that way.

Other than that, I've been moving away from weights and such this past year to almost all bodyweight exercises. I thought something like crossfit would mix it up some, but there is a lot you can do with no equipment. I still have my Concept 2 rower for cardio, but I may end up losing room for that when I move in the next week or so.

 

[Bamafan]

Update: down 15 lbs and 6% body fat in 7 weeks. The weight loss has slowed, but body transformation has accelerated.

 

[SkiBumMSP]

Update: down 15 lbs and 6% body fat in 7 weeks. The weight loss has slowed, but body transformation has accelerated.

Sounds like you are making some good progress there!

For me, I'd love to be back to the weight like I was when I was in the Army and college. But than again, doing PT every friggan morning certainly helped, not to mention all the other, often physically demanding, routines of typical military training/life. Plus while in college, I friggan walked everywhere (and it certainly helped that the college campus was built on the side of a friggan mountain! I've counted 162 steps from my dorm up to the dinning hall, so imagine huffing up and down those steps as many as ten times or more a day between just going to class and/or meals or other daily life on campus, especially when the computer lab (I was getting a 4-year comp sci degree) was clear across campus from my dorms - and then doing wind sprints up and down them just for fitness sake - there was a reason we called that "cardiac hill"!)

Now, I am a software engineer that spends much of the day in the office in front of computers slinging code and managing projects, plus it does not help that right across the hall is the kitchen and break room with a machine selling pop for 25-cents a can along with other very cheap snacks. So easy to just pop across the hall and drop a quarter in that thing for a nice ice-cold can of Pepsi. I guess if I had to walk clear to the other end of the building (like it was at my last position), I'd be less inclined, but there it is - right across the friggan hall!

However, I am still fairly athletic, with being that I do ski semi-professionally on the ski patrol, as well as love to go hiking and swimming. I also work out at the gym two or three times a week doing both cardio (some 30 minutes or so on an elliptical) as well as lift weights. Not only that, but when the weather allows, I ride my bike into work (recently taken up cycling - this is going to be fun now that heat is starting up here) as well as recently taken up kayaking on the river here in town. I am staying pretty active. It is not like I am sitting in front of a TV all day eating cheesy puffs. In fact, a recent body mass measurement did indicate that I am within what is considered acceptable for my size and weight (when muscle mass is properly taken into account as well) That being said, I do have a somewhat of a mid-line that I'd like to get rid of and would love to at least get back to a somewhat leaner look. Doesn't mean that I have to be cut and chiseled like some of these guys I see on some of these fashion sites, but at the same time, I do not want to be another 'fatty' either.

Where I need to figure out is my eating habits. I'll admit that I've gotten into where the four food groups basically consisted of Tacos, Pizza, Burgers, and Wings (and believe me, you can find some seriously good wings in this town). What I'd like to do is figure out a good meal plan that helps get rid of the excess fat and what not, but still let me enjoy a good burger, especially if I can make it on my own grill, or some wings every now and again. I guess one place to begin is to cut out that pop that I tend to drink at work (as many as three cans or so in a day), or at least cut back (may indulge in a can once in a while). I guess maybe I should talk to somebody over at the gym about nutrition and see what they recommend, short of starving myself or limiting myself to tofu and rabbit food , although I do like to eat salads, so that does help)

Anyway, enough of my long-windeness, sounds like you are coming along very nicely.

 

[Bamafan]

Update: 3 days in New Orleans wiped out 3 weeks worth of gym work. (NOLA and August deserve the praise they get among foodies). I'm not lifting as often since summer tennis tournament season is in full swing. I don't want to have dead legs in the 3rd set. Total weight loss 20.2 lbs, with an 8.1% body fat drop, since April 2nd.

 

[Bamafan]

I reached a milestone today, breaking the 300 lb barrier in the squat. After a warm up set at 135 lbs, I did 12 reps at 295 lbs, 12 at 305, and 8 reps at 315. Sorry, but us middle aged men have to have something to celebrate!