Getting in Shape for Sun-time Fun-Time

Drinking your calories (whether it is alcohol, fruit juices, full sugar sodas, delicious milkshakes, overpriced Starbuck coffees, etc.) is generally a bad idea. That stuff will sneak up on you, as it is generally more difficult to effectively track their consumption. Most folks will see a pretty significant long-term reduction in their bodyfat levels just by reigning in those items. They should be infrequent treats, not every day staples. As WWE Chairman Vince McMahon says, "It's better to eat a whole package of cookies once every six months than it is to eat 4 or 5 cookies every day."

 

I'd never heard it put that way, but it makes sense.

4 cookies a day, times six months (182.5 days) = 730 cookies! Whoa!

How many come in a package? I used to be homicidal when it came to Nutter Butter cookies... There's what, two rows of 16 in a pack, maybe 20? So that'd be 40, only! Whew!

 

I sent this to some people by PM, but there's no reason why I can't share it globally. I asked the dude in it specifically if it was cool. Check out this pic, well, piccs really, jammed together of my buddy, Chris back when he started what can only be called a life transformation.



Chris was, as you can see, what we call in scientific terms, a Big Guy. Iowa born, corn-fed, beer drinking, barbeque-eating fool of a great guy. Just Big. He's 6'4" and in the initial stage of the pic, he weighed in at a non-svelte 376 pounds! At the other end of the pic, showing an end-point a couple of months back, he was down 92 pounds to 284.

When he started, all he was doing was drinking those ketone drinks once a day. Started to just feel better and have more energy and focus, which was a big deal for him as he's a crane operator in one of the plants here in Houston. Definitely something to NOT have your concentration go out the window while swining a 60,000 pound vessel in tight places literally "through" the plant. (That still makes me go "What?")

Drank them once a day for a couple months, stepped on a scale feeling a bit better, and discovered he was about 40 pounds down. But, keep in mind that 40 pounds off of 376 is still 336, so he's still a Big Guy, but it's more than 10%, so he's moving and wasn't really even trying. How about that? Everyone can do with the not really trying bit, eh?

So, he starts to drink it twice a day, once int he morning when he gets to work at 6:00 a.m. and the second one when he's off oof work at around 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. Plant guys work long hours, as some of you know. He does that for another month or two, and then he's lost enough, and is feeling enough better, with energy after work, a more positive mood, etc... so he starts to get back int eh gym, initially only to walk the treadmill. A month later he's added a little weight training on the machines....

And now he's 107 pounds down as of last Friday and I'm crazy impressed with the guy. Full-tilt boogie weightlifting again, moving iron around at the free-weight end of the 24-Hour ...

 

Yeah...you can't make gainz or modify behavior if you continuously reward yourself. Change is, by nature, very difficult. If you constantly make compromises on your intervention, you'll never gain any ground. That's why I am not a big fan of weekly cheat days/meals. No one outside of the genetically endowed 0.01% or the chemically enhanced can really get away with that. Now if you extend the time between rewards, they will be so much more special and satisfying to you.

 

I do HITT style training, similar to Craignsteph, and Cancouple56. I workout 3 times a week 30-45 minutes cardio and strength training combined. I am a firefighter so I feel compelled to stay in shape for my job. I try to eat Whole Foods, as much as possible. I feel the biggest part is to try making it a lifestyle. I tell friends I train from time to time "don't make yourself not want to come back" keep it fun, don't make it a punishment when you train. I think everyone is different when it comes to training you have to find your "thing". Also didn't see anyone mention it, but I have worked out since high school on and off. About 5 years ago I struggled with motivation, I felt tired and just different. After talking to friends, I got my testosterone check I was mid 150s. It was a hard pill for me to swallow, but I started testosterone replacement therapy. For me it has been great. I take .4 cc of testosterone cypionate, once a week. It's a very low dose, but it helps me stay motivated and really help me maintain my weight. Good luck
Tim

 

No one has mentioned the fitness/gym facilities at Temptation. Is it a decent set-up? I don't do any heavy workouts while on vacation, but I do like to spend 20 minutes or so each day getting in some dips, pull-ups, light dumbell and resistance band work, and core training just to break a sweat and get my joints moving.

 

TTR had a fitness area and the building it was in was not torn down in the remodeling so I'm sure there should be another fitness area at the new TTR.
T

 

I had some heart problems back in February and was told I needed to lose weight and increase cardio. I have lost 47 pounds to date from 222 down to 175. Cardio is not as easy due to plantar problems. I did it through low to no carbs and no longer having my picture next to the word buffet in the dictionary. Hopefully won't be mistaken for a float this year at TTR. See some of you in October!

 

so what are these Ketone drinks I'm interested and willing to try and give up cookies but is coffee okay awesome I will work hard and giving up bread and donuts wowdo I need to cut them out completely or just cut down you guys seem to no more I know in that one year I cut them out completely but now this is my second year in and I'm being a bad girl

 

It's actually not bad. Treadmills, bike, some basic free weights and a smith machine, couple other machines. As far as resort gyms go, you can definitely get a bit of a sweat going and get a half decent workout. I think I went once lol.