Getting fit again

[Valiant]

So after a year and a half of being sloth like I'm once again able to move and have energy. I still have problems with compression ie it's painful when I squat or when my kneeds are up on the bike but otherwise I'm doing great. A year of sitting around unable to move much means I've ballooned in weight to fat bastard levels, 5'3 and 110kg (242lbs) and a BMi of what my doc calls dangerous levels. I seriously need to get back into shape, now that I have energy again I find myself annoyed with not having the fitness.

So what can I do? I'm eating relatively healthily. I will cycle more, I've also taking up inline skating. What exercises are good and fun for full body workouts?

[toekneep]

As it happens I was reading only this morning that the best thing you can do is go for a work out on the bike before breakfast if you are trying to lose weight.

Well done by the way, and I'm glad you are feeling better.

[ScumOfTheRoad]

I'm pretty lardy myself at the moment, so not the one to listen to!
But listen to your body - just not the times it tells you it wants chips and chocolate.

[Séamas M.]

Good to hear you're getting back in the saddle Sam. 

I'd second TKP's suggestion of cycling before breakfast.  For whole body workouts swimming is often recommended.  Personally, I trawled eBay and got myself a Nordic Sport ski trainer. It's great for working up a sweat and not quite as boring as a bike on a turbo trainer.

When eating healthily be sure not to eliminate all of the treats, just train yourself to stop eating while you're not quite full up. (Much more easily said than done!)

[Gattopardo]

As it happens I was reading only this morning that the best thing you can do is go for a work out on the bike before breakfast if you are trying to lose weight.

Well done by the way, and I'm glad you are feeling better.

Can I ask the basis of this?  Is it something you have experienced?  Not being picky just asking as I'm intrigued and interested.  Does it say for how long and what sort of intensity?

Grub mentioned that the type of foods you eat may effect.  I think it was a protein breakfast followed by carbs helps you perform better, or something like that.  Can't remeber the

What I found is that altering your diet to a low GI or GL diet, followed by increasing actiity gently.  I fund by get a cheap heart rate monitor every day things such as walking can have your heart rate moved up in to the fat burning zone.

I have a nordic ski trainer I could drop round to you to see how you get on with it.  If you have a problem squatting maybe a rowing maachine is not best for you.

[Gattopardo]

Good to hear you're getting back in the saddle Sam. 

I'd second TKP's suggestion of cycling before breakfast.  For whole body workouts swimming is often recommended.  Personally, I trawled eBay and got myself a Nordic Sport ski trainer. It's great for working up a sweat and not quite as boring as a bike on a turbo trainer.

When eating healthily be sure not to eliminate all of the treats, just train yourself to stop eating while you're not quite full up. (Much more easily said than done!)

I have a Nordic ski trainer  but no idea how to use it, does yours have a copy of the instructions?

[PaulF]

As it happens I was reading only this morning that the best thing you can do is go for a work out on the bike before breakfast if you are trying to lose weight.

Well done by the way, and I'm glad you are feeling better.

Can I ask the basis of this?  Is it something you have experienced?  Not being picky just asking as I'm intrigued and interested.  Does it say for how long and what sort of intensity?

I asked a similar question here. The thread gives some more background.

[toekneep]

As it happens I was reading only this morning that the best thing you can do is go for a work out on the bike before breakfast if you are trying to lose weight.

Well done by the way, and I'm glad you are feeling better.

Can I ask the basis of this?  Is it something you have experienced?  Not being picky just asking as I'm intrigued and interested.  Does it say for how long and what sort of intensity?

Grub mentioned that the type of foods you eat may effect.  I think it was a protein breakfast followed by carbs helps you perform better, or something like that.  Can't remeber the

What I found is that altering your diet to a low GI or GL diet, followed by increasing actiity gently.  I fund by get a cheap heart rate monitor every day things such as walking can have your heart rate moved up in to the fat burning zone.

I have a nordic ski trainer I could drop round to you to see how you get on with it.  If you have a problem squatting maybe a rowing maachine is not best for you.

I read it in Cycle Plus in an article about training. There wasn't a lot of detail and you might find more useful stuff in the link Paul has posted. There was some mention of it kicking off the fat burning process and that continuing as the day went on if I remember correctly.

[Wobbly John]

What exercises are good and fun for full body workouts?

Of all people, I would have expected you - Mr Mojo - could think of some 'good, fun full body workouts'! 

[andygates]

I was going to say JFDI - getting active is more important than a Plan at first - but WJ has trumped me!

[Valiant]

Aye but tis all a bit overwhelming atm and then distressing when you realise how hard it now is to keep up a certain pace.

[David Martin]

Aye but tis all a bit overwhelming atm and then distressing when you realise how hard it now is to keep up a certain pace.

Doesn't matter. Right now the important thing is to get out and do stuff. Ride places, don't try and race it. Be sensible about diet. Take it from where you are, not where you were or where you might have liked to be.

Glad to hear you are on the mend.

[clarion]

I know where you're at.  And it seems like a mountain to climb.  But just start.  make a step.  Don't expect too much of yourself.  Don't berate yourself for what you can't do, but be pleased with what you can do.  Easier to say than do, I know.  I really do know.

But you're still there.  You have a will to make progress, so you will.  Sometimes it will be slow, and sometimes you may feel like you're going backwards in your capability, but have faith to continue, little by little.

You're a man of inner strength.  Let that live.

[Flying_Monkey]

It happens to everyone, Sam.

I was happily fooling myself I was still fit, and making excuses for why I hadn't done any events since September 2007 (very busy, don't you know...). I stopped commuting every day because I just didn't feel like it, and before I knew it there were whole weeks where I wasn't on the bike. Then a whole three months when I was in Brazil this year. Sure, I ran a bit, but it isn't the same. By the time I stopped to weigh myself, I was not happy about it. and it was pretty obvious that I'd put on a bit of weight (not to most people's eyes but they don't see me with my kit off!).

Anyway, what was the answer?

New bike!

And maybe being back in Tokyo helps too. Riding my evil black singlespeed around the streets and pushing against the wind off the bay, along the riverbank paths, in the sticky, sticky heat (even at 6 in the morning) is great. I've been making sure I am out at least 5 days out of every 7, and do at least 40km each morning, two or three times that on the 5th day. Hard and fast too - these are weight loss and conditioning kilometres.

Now I'm heading down the path to 40, I'll probably never have the climber's body I had for those brief few years in my early-to-mid thirties again (some friends said I was looking too thin... and perhaps I was), but there's no reason I can't still be properly fit and capable of tackling the big hills again.

And come September, when we settle down in Canada, there will be new challenges...

[Flying_Monkey]

I think the most important thing to remember is that 'thinking about exercising is not the same as doing it!' It's remarkably easy to fool yourself into thinking that because you used to be fit and do stuff that are still fit and so stuff...

[andygates]

Aye, the number of times I catch myself out by comparing my plans to my diary..!

Easing back in = ignore pace.  Take the computer off.  Spend a month bimbling around all Fotherington-Thomas ("hello sheeps! hello trees! hello hoodies!").  Coming back from illness can be infuriating at times, but each step's good. 

[Flying_Monkey]

Aye, the number of times I catch myself out by comparing my plans to my diary..!

Easing back in = ignore pace.  Take the computer off.  Spend a month bimbling around all Fotherington-Thomas ("hello sheeps! hello trees! hello hoodies!").  Coming back from illness can be infuriating at times, but each step's good. 

At least, having been ill is a good reason. I was just frickin lazy...

[andygates]

I genuinely confuse my plans and actions.  I think I've been busy this week, but it's been a solid round of sitting on my arse according to the diary.  Bah!

When training out of convalescence, a diary is a great way to motivate: at a glance you can see that even though you feel crap, you're massively improved over how you were last month.

[clarion]

At least, having been ill is a good reason. I was just frickin lazy...

We all have varying reasons.  I just stopped doing anything and started driving tin boxes.  I had a long way to go, and I wouldn't describe myself as fit yet, but I can do 40km a day commuting, when my first ride just a few years ago was less than a mile.

[alan]

I was just frickin lazy...

I am still in that zone after E2E-ing several weeks ago