Let's get healthy!

[Maximillian_Jenius]

So I took some time off my weekly workout schedule for about 4-5 months.

In that time I turned 30. I have sense then resumed my weekly exercise schedule but while other parts of my body have snapped back to their pre-hiatus status, the stomach hasn't.

I probably gained about 5 pounds in the stomach area and it has been slow to leave me, much to my dismay.

I workout three times a week for about 2 hours. I know that we have talked numerous about cardio. You'll be happy to know that I have added cardio exercises ranging from 20-30 minutes in my workout regimen.

Also keep in mind that last year I had a cholesterol level of 238 out of 200, and a triglyceride level of 328 out of 150. Yikes!

So since I'm doing the physical activites to get healthy, what can I do to get healthy diet wise?

I probably don't eat too healthy all the time, so that needs to change. Though it never used to be an issue because I could just excerise to keep the weight off/down. Age 30 seems to have changed all that.

I don't eat fast food. But I do eat cafeteria food at work, and have a decent (but maybe not healthy,love my carbs) dinner at home.

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

[Minuteman]

Eat lots of roughage. Insoluble fiber will make you feel full and scour-out the mookie chute. Soluble fiber should reduce your cholesterol. Good foods for fiber include oatmeal, garbanzo beans, okra, and whole grain breads.

[ready2fly]

Here's what I did (I'd dig up my thread on my cholesterol battle in the "member announcement" forum, but I'm too lazy ):

Diet
1. NO - I'll say that again - NO fast food. None.
2. No (see above) cheese.
3. Lots of salads.
4. Lots of white meats (chicken, pork & white fish)
5. VEGGIES!!!!
6. NO fried foods. Period.
7. Non-fat milk (no soups or foods with cream or whole-milk bases like mashed potatoes)
8. WHOLE GRAIN (not "wheat" or "multi grain") breads only.
9. No eggs (saddly...as ya'll know.... I like eggs ). Only egg substitutes or "Egg Whites".
10. No sodas. I drank mainly water and (at most) 2 cups of coffee per day...sometimes less.
11. Cut back on the alcohol. I drank (and still do) only red wine.
12. I ate Cheerios and oat meal (without the sugar added).
13 LOTS of FRUIT for snacks (anything citrus will help with the cholesterol lowering).

Exercise
1. Lots of cardio: I ran four to five days a week for 30+ minutes. The number of miles didn't matter to me as much as the time. Anything over 20 minutes and you're burning stored fat (or something to that effect, I'm no doctor ).

2. Use weights or resistance bands or anyting that requires the use of all the muscle groups. I did crunches, full-on sit ups, push ups, jumping jacks, lunges, etc. In sum: get your muscles into the act in burning off the fat.

Supplements/Vitamins
1. Red Yeast Rice = over the counter supplement that is used in some of the statin medications. Helps lower your cholesterol damatically.

2. Niacin = supplement that helps increase your metabolism and gives you engergy.

3. MULTIVITAMIN I used the "Men's 1 a Day Formula" vitamin.


That's my "sage" advice. Hope it helps!

I'll let the Flight Surgeon correct anything that he/she sees that is incorrect.

Stan

[Ian J]

Run.

[Stone Cold]

RTF, with your diet, I would be miserable. I'll gladly take 5 years off my life to enjoy life and enjoy foods.

As for me, getting back into the running, and swimming quite a bit. I don't eat fast food much, but love fried foods (in moderation), cheese, mashed potatoes, red meats, and beer.

My cholesterol levels were checked a year or so ago, with no problems at all, and BP is normal. I could stand to lose a few pounds, but I'm not going to kill myself over it, nor do I expect my wife to either (have that diet, or kill herself for being skinny). We are both healthy and enjoying life. She tries to self-impose diets every once in a while, and I just laugh. As long as it doesn't affect me.

And, I cook about 1/4 to 1/2 of the time, and try to accomodate her when she feels the need...

[JEP]

=ready2fly;528493.....

2. Niacin = supplement that helps increase your metabolism and gives you engergy.

......

I knew guys in the Navy that would swear by Niacin when it came to test taking...

[My Flight Surgeon]

RTF has the answer. The niacin will actually help with the cholesterol too.

Once the gut goes on, it is very hard to get it off

[adreamer]

are Red Yeast Rice and Niacin OTC medication? I assume that I can find in regular grocery store?

My winter work out routine - shovel my driveway and sidewalks. It takes 2 hours by myself.

[My Flight Surgeon]

Yes, they are OTC.

[ready2fly]

Originally Posted by adreamer

are Red Yeast Rice and Niacin OTC medication? I assume that I can find in regular grocery store?

My winter work out routine - shovel my driveway and sidewalks. It takes 2 hours by myself.

With one exception: They're not "medication".

You can find them in the vitamin isle at most grocery stores.

[ready2fly]

Originally Posted by Stone Cold

RTF, with your diet, I would be miserable. I'll gladly take 5 years off my life to enjoy life and enjoy foods...

You know, when I was staring the "diet" in the face (i.e., before I started it), I thought I'd be miserable too.

But it wasn't bad....at all. In fact, it's really not a "diet" per se. It's just a lifestyle change.

That said, being a bona-fide Southerner, I LOVES me some fried food, mashed pots and some cheese!

In fact, after I got the cholesterol WAY down, I could add some of that back into my diet.....in moderation, which we all know is the key to anything.

I'll be the first to admit, however, that in the months since my success with the cholesterol lowering, I've fallen off the wagon and I've gained back about 10 lbs.

Got back on it last week though. Not as "hard core" as before, but "everyting in moderation"....right? Right.

[Maximillian_Jenius]

Thanks to everyone who posted. A question though. Would you consider food from my work cafeteria, fast food?

[My Flight Surgeon]

Probably but have not seen the cafeteria.

[DAnbert]

Not to hijack the thread, but my doctor (actually she is a nurse practitioner) told me yesterday that Niacin would not actually raise my metabolism. Is she wrong? I have questioned a couple of things she has done or said in the past, so i am confused as to if I should believe her or not. she did say how ever with all the other meds I am taking (Toprol, Simvastatin, Lisinopril, and metformin), it is still ok to take it.

[Maximillian_Jenius]

Originally Posted by My Flight Surgeon

Probably but have not seen the cafeteria.

It's a regular cafeteria. Hamburgers, french fries, burritos, soups, specials of the day,subs,sandwiches, etc!

All made fresh.

[My Flight Surgeon]

Sounds like fast food to me

[Maximillian_Jenius]

Originally Posted by My Flight Surgeon

Sounds like fast food to me

Killjoy!

[falconvalley]

Haven't seen it mentioned, yet. Definitely don't starve yourself, it will have the opposite effect. Some people think that 500 calorie/day diets are the answer. That isn't enough to maintain normal activity and you'll either become too lethargic to continue or binge eat.

[Maximillian_Jenius]

Originally Posted by falconvalley

Haven't seen it mentioned, yet. Definitely don't starve yourself, it will have the opposite effect. Some people think that 500 calorie/day diets are the answer. That isn't enough to maintain normal activity and you'll either become too lethargic to continue or binge eat.

Thanks, but I never refuse to not eat for simple aesthetics!

[SeatClutcher]

Get the healthiest sandwich you can get from your cafeteria, and whatever the healthy diet you choose, also remember moderation.

No matter how healthy you eat, if you're eating a lot of whatever it is, you'll still gain weight.

Can't hurt to have good stuff (yummy stuff, I mean...like mashed potatoes) if you don't go nuts. Pay attention to portions and calories, and just be reasonable. Balance and moderation and exercise!

[Maximillian_Jenius]

Originally Posted by SeatClutcher

Get the healthiest sandwich you can get from your cafeteria, and whatever the healthy diet you choose, also remember moderation.

No matter how healthy you eat, if you're eating a lot of whatever it is, you'll still gain weight.

Can't hurt to have good stuff (yummy stuff, I mean...like mashed potatoes) if you don't go nuts. Pay attention to portions and calories, and just be reasonable. Balance and moderation and exercise!

Will do. And maybe when all is said and done I'll be as thin and in shape as your hubby! But sadly, not as tall!

[CaptChris]

When I got done with college football I was at about 310 lbs (defensive tackle). Also---my entire left knee got reconstructed (ACL/MCL/PCL/Meniscus sp??) so the doc. advised against running unless I wanted two knee replacemenets in my life---one at about age 45, one at about 75 assuming I live that long.

My answer to go from 310 to 250 was about 30-40 mins of cardio a day (eliptical machine/bike), workout for 45 mins or so, and dedicate two days a week to 1 hour of cardio. As far as diet.... I went on a six week, laid back vegtable/white meat diet. Veggies, fruits, salads, chicken, fish, almonds, almonds, almonds, and if I wanted sweets I would eat a handful of gummie bears once in a while, sounds wierd---but it worked for me... NO regular Coke, diet soda only, limited sugars, and 1 bowl of oatmeal everyday for breakfast. I don't drink as it is, beer or wine... so nothing to give up there, and 1-2 cups of coffee a day and occasionally a sugar free red bull. Still losing, and hopefully on my way down to a lean, mean, 225 lbs or so!

I apologize for any spelling I butchered in this post... I am tired

[BCTAv8r]

Whenever I stay home for too many hours I have the tendency to not eat anything all morning and bing eat in the afternoon. What's been working really well for the last week is putting clothes that are VERY uncomfortable to wear at my current shape so that I'll be too annoyed to contribute to getting fatter. I've lost almost two pounds this week with this diet and the occasional push ups/curl ups.

[BCTAv8r]

Originally Posted by CaptChris

My answer to go from 310 to 250 was about 30-40 mins of cardio a day (eliptical machine/bike), workout for 45 mins or so, and dedicate two days a week to 1 hour of cardio.

Did you spread out the 1 hour throughout the day or did it all at once? I heard anything over 30 min straight is overkill. And I heard that it is more effective to do 3x10min than 30min straight.

[Maximillian_Jenius]

Originally Posted by CaptChris

When I got done with college football I was at about 310 lbs (defensive tackle). Also---my entire left knee got reconstructed (ACL/MCL/PCL/Meniscus sp??) so the doc. advised against running unless I wanted two knee replacemenets in my life---one at about age 45, one at about 75 assuming I live that long.

My answer to go from 310 to 250 was about 30-40 mins of cardio a day (eliptical machine/bike), workout for 45 mins or so, and dedicate two days a week to 1 hour of cardio. As far as diet.... I went on a six week, laid back vegtable/white meat diet. Veggies, fruits, salads, chicken, fish, almonds, almonds, almonds, and if I wanted sweets I would eat a handful of gummie bears once in a while, sounds wierd---but it worked for me... NO regular Coke, diet soda only, limited sugars, and 1 bowl of oatmeal everyday for breakfast. I don't drink as it is, beer or wine... so nothing to give up there, and 1-2 cups of coffee a day and occasionally a sugar free red bull. Still losing, and hopefully on my way down to a lean, mean, 225 lbs or so!

I apologize for any spelling I butchered in this post... I am tired

Is that oatmeal sans butter (or very light butter/sugar) & sugar and cinnimon?

To make it healthy? If so...