[Offers] NSC Fitness Thread

[Mellotron]

Oh and another thing. An enforced food curfew by BRUSHING MY TEETH at about 8pm.

 

[One Love]

Oh and another thing. An enforced food curfew by BRUSHING MY TEETH at about 8pm.

That's a great idea.

 

[strings]

For me diet is the issue - I find that if I can get on top of my eating, other things follow.

Over the summer last year, I found a local rugby club and started playing touch rugby once a week, which then resulted in playing for a thirds/vets team this season (we only have occasional fixtures, which suits me anyway). Our final fixture is a week and a half away, and I have been feeling quite unfit lately - so I put myself on a 2 week 'pre-season' - basically eating well and trying to do something active every day. Yesterday I did a 2k run in my lunch break - it isn't much, but it is something that gets the heart going.

I find I am best when I have a target to aim at - previously I have found tough mudder can work as an incentive.

The biggest barrier is work and family - getting them organised whilst also resisting the wife/kids constant requests for takeaway!

 

[Bozza]

Goot to see this back again!

I'm still running (I genuinely do find it fun!) and today will be my 783rd day in a row of running. I still don't bother with races and park runs - every run starts and ends at my front door. So, to give myself a goal, I'm trying to beat last year's mileage which was 3,117.4 miles, an average of 8.54 miles/day. I'm currently averaging 8.9 miles/day this year, so all good there. I also walk the dog 2 or 3 times a day, although sometimes I kill two birds with one stone and he comes running with me, and I average around 23,000 steps a day.

I did the "new year, off the booze" thing again. I didn't last as long as last year - which was 100 days, I think. I relented on February 19th when we had our first Covid-era holiday. A few beers and the like were a nice addition to the week in the sun.

As before, I claimed to myself that this dry period would reset my relationship with alcohol, I'd drop the habitual drinking thing and only drink when there was a good reason - being out with mates, celebrations and holidays and the like. As before, that hasn't really happeend and alcohol consumption has crept up over the last month. I need to do better here.

I also wanted to focus more on sleep - I'm a night owl and can stay up very late largely doing nothing productive. I've improved slightly here, but I'm still going to bed after midnight far more often than I go before. I kidded myself that I'd aim for 11pm most nights, but I don't think I've made it once.

The other thing I want to improve on is non-running exercise - strength training, body weight stuff, HIIT and maybe some kettlebells etc. During the early stages of the pandemic, we did PE with Joe each morning and I soon learned that whilst my legs can plod out the miles pretty well, the rest of my body really doesn't do a great deal. I had all manner of aches and DOMS after those sessions - far more than I get from any kind of run - so I want to try and work the rest of my body more regularly. I've yet to start that. Maybe I should just fire up a Joe Wicks YT video today and get going.

My diet is OK-ish. I think I get away with a fair bit due to the running. I'm not unhappy with my weight in any way, but I was 7lbs lighter this time last year and I wouldn't mind getting down to that again as my running was also great this time last year.

 

[Mellotron]

Little update in terms of building positive habits;

Week 1 - 10k steps a day
Week 2 - Protein shake every weekday & 10k steps a day

Week 3 - from Monday I’ll be logging the food I eat using MyFitnessPal, along with continuing to do the things from week 1 & 2. It can be a bit of a ball ache, but it really forces me to stop and think every time I go to eat something. Every time I’ve consistently logged my food previously, I’ve lost weight.

Will start to add weigh ins soon also. Incremental changes add up to something much greater.

Anything you know you could easily tweak that would improve your fitness?

 

[Bry Nylon]

Anything you know you could easily tweak that would improve your fitness?

Do you have a garden? Getting some digging, raking, hedge cutting / clipping done is a great way to keep moving and using muscle groups that you don’t ordinarily use (unless you are a gardener, obvs). Plus it gets daily steps up without even thinking about it. And now the longer days are here it is easier to achieve. Plus of course you end up with a really great garden.

Failing that, cleaning all the windows is a surprisingly good workout.

 

[Bry Nylon]

If the above don’t appeal, you can do Russian Twists and Planks at home with no equipment and no space needed plus you’ll see pleasing increases in your ability to do the exercises and increases in core strength in relatively short time if you make it part of your daily routine.

 

[Mellotron]

Do you have a garden? Getting some digging, raking, hedge cutting / clipping done is a great way to keep moving and using muscle groups that you don’t ordinarily use (unless you are a gardener, obvs). Plus it gets daily steps up without even thinking about it. And now the longer days are here it is easier to achieve. Plus of course you end up with a really great garden.

Failing that, cleaning all the windows is a surprisingly good workout.

Appreciate this. I was actually putting that question as a bit of a challenge to others in this group, but welcome the advice also.

 

[Mellotron]

Week 3 starting today. Still doing 10k steps and protein shake each day, now adding logging my food with MyFitnessPal. Not gonna make for pretty reading at points early on, but vital that I log everything going in.

Starting to see a slight improvement in weight, but reminding myself that the number on the scales isn’t the be all and end all. I can remember a time in my previous health kick where I barely changed weight over about a month, but my body composition/tone improved a lot.

Great shout on the planks above, it really is incredible how much you can improve from incremental steps and regular discipline - I went from about 40 seconds elbow plank to over 3 minutes in just a couple of weeks.

 

[Bold Seagull]

Week 3 starting today. Still doing 10k steps and protein shake each day, now adding logging my food with MyFitnessPal. Not gonna make for pretty reading at points early on, but vital that I log everything going in.

Starting to see a slight improvement in weight, but reminding myself that the number on the scales isn’t the be all and end all. I can remember a time in my previous health kick where I barely changed weight over about a month, but my body composition/tone improved a lot.

Great shout on the planks above, it really is incredible how much you can improve from incremental steps and regular discipline - I went from about 40 seconds elbow plank to over 3 minutes in just a couple of weeks.

Muscle is denser than fat so improvement in muscle tone and mass can offset any loss of fat. Like you say, the health benefits aren't necessarily going to show up on the scales straight away.

 

[Mellotron]

Had a dreadful few weeks hence no updates on here, but turned a corner in the last week or so and this coincided with FINALLY passing my bloody kidney stone, after 2 years. Looks like granules of brown sugar, but tinny and hard like little diamonds. Brutal.

- 10k steps a day
- under 2,000 cals a day (this will become 1,800, then 1,600, but got to be realistic at first while setting new habits)

Already feeling better, lighter, more energy, even after just a week of eating better.

Target - 80kgs
Starting weight - 105kgs
Current - 103.5kgs

 

[Mellor 3 Ward 4]

Good thread - don't know why I haven't seen it before.

I've lost just under 2 stone (about 13 kilos) in the past 8 months - with a target of losing 2.1/2 stone in total - to be honest I've plateaued and am finding it hard to shift the last half stone.

To lose the weight I've lost it's certainly been a combination of eat less, do more - however I have tracked (using MyFittnessPal) what I eat, as for me, exercise alone wasn't enough.

I'm 'allowed' 1,500 calories a day, plus any exercise increases my allowance.

Weekends, especially football/drinking days are certainly an issue!

 

[Mellotron]

Good thread - don't know why I haven't seen it before.

I've lost just under 2 stone (about 13 kilos) in the past 8 months - with a target of losing 2.1/2 stone in total - to be honest I've plateaued and am finding it hard to shift the last half stone.

To lose the weight I've lost it's certainly been a combination of eat less, do more - however I have tracked (using MyFittnessPal) what I eat, as for me, exercise alone wasn't enough.

I'm 'allowed' 1,500 calories a day, plus any exercise increases my allowance.

Weekends, especially football/drinking days are certainly an issue!

Brilliant, well done. Please feel free to keep updating in here on a weekly/monthly basis. I find it helps having some kind of accountability, albeit remote.

And I have to agree, I've always found that last 15-20% of weight loss to be the absolute killer.

I previously had a target of 80kg and got all the way down from 116kgs to 81.5kgs, but could never ever shift that last bit.

I also struggle with maintain one weight (ie I'm always either gaining or losing weight).

Absolutely the eating is more important than the exercise - annoyingly. I'm more than happy to do the exercise but generally I've found it's 80% what and how much you eat, and 20% the exercise as a cherry on top.

Good luck, keep going.

 

[BrickTamland]

I’m looking to shift 10 kg by September as I have a couple of weddings and being cheap I want to fit back into a nice suit I’ve got which fit great at that weight. Currently 92kg so ‘moon target’ is 80 but fitting comfortably back into that suit is goal number 1.

Like many the exercise is not the real issue, more diet (specifically beer!).

Started running again with the aim to do 2 midweek 5ks before work and one longer run over the weekend

Cut out beer and if I am to drink have gin and slimline tonic

Track everything, food and exercise on My Fitness Pal. This is new to me but will give it a go in May and see if it works.

Will try and do a weekly update on here to keep myself accountable.

Good luck guys!

 

[Mellotron]

I’m looking to shift 10 kg by September as I have a couple of weddings and being cheap I want to fit back into a nice suit I’ve got which fit great at that weight. Currently 92kg so ‘moon target’ is 80 but fitting comfortably back into that suit is goal number 1.

Like many the exercise is not the real issue, more diet (specifically beer!).

Started running again with the aim to do 2 midweek 5ks before work and one longer run over the weekend

Cut out beer and if I am to drink have gin and slimline tonic

Track everything, food and exercise on My Fitness Pal. This is new to me but will give it a go in May and see if it works.

Will try and do a weekly update on here to keep myself accountable.

Good luck guys!

Tracking food can feel a bit of a ball ache at first, although MyFitnessPal does allow you to save specific meals if you often have the same things together.

I've found that when I do track my food regularly, I lose weight. When I don't, I don't. Generally.

Good luck with your target.

 

[BrickTamland]

Tracking food can feel a bit of a ball ache at first, although MyFitnessPal does allow you to save specific meals if you often have the same things together.

I've found that when I do track my food regularly, I lose weight. When I don't, I don't. Generally.

Good luck with your target.

I am a creature of habit so hopefully that function will save me some time. My partner regularly uses a similar app so hoping she will be able to help and give me some tips.

It’s a trial and hopefully a new tool against the belly!

 

[Mellor 3 Ward 4]

I've found that when I do track my food regularly, I lose weight. When I don't, I don't. Generally.

100% this.

 

[CHAPPERS]

Worth not dismissing the exercise bit. Having planned runs or other physical activities, or indeed targets, tends to keep one eating and drinking a bit more sensibly.

edit: or at least it helps.

 

[Mellotron]

Worth not dismissing the exercise bit. Having planned runs or other physical activities, or indeed targets, tends to keep one eating and drinking a bit more sensibly.

edit: or at least it helps.

Oh absolutely. I just get frustrated that it's not 50/50 eating/exercise.

You're right though, it can help keep you in the right mindset.

 

[Mellor 3 Ward 4]

Worth not dismissing the exercise bit. Having planned runs or other physical activities, or indeed targets, tends to keep one eating and drinking a bit more sensibly.

edit: or at least it helps.

Agreed, it's a bit of both - also the exercise bit massively helps with my mental health - especially if I can exercise outdoors.