New Year Resolution - Time For Some Self Control

[robblok]

As for the rowing machine currently i do 2:14 for 10.000 meters. I doubt i will get that to 2:00 but i keep my heartrate in a certain limit if i go all out i might get closer. Anyway for you if you go all out it might be easier also 5000 meters it will be easier to aim for the 2:00 the first 5000 meter i keep it under the 2:10 but i slowly get weaker (heartrate going up).

But still going under 100kg is a nice morale boost.

[SlyAnimal]

I might be losing some muscle as well, I don't really know how to measure the difference. I figure that it's probably unavoidable though? as since I'm burning more calories than what I'm consuming, my body needs to eat. I assume that my body will priortise fat over muscle? (unless it goes into famine mode, which I hope I can avoid), And since I have a decent amount of fat to lose, it will mainly be burning fat?

I'm not running as much as what it might seem, only a little over 50km this month, since I had a cold one week, and was lazy another, and a similar amount last month (albeit more frequent). Does running potentially burn more muscle than other exercises?

With the rowing machine, on my last row (3500m), I was doing an average of 2:09.7 per 500m (And the 3000m row prior to that, 2:10.8). I think if I can maintain a lap time of under 2:10 when I get to 5000m, and then start working on going a bit faster , that I should be able to work it down to 2:00 or under(I just look at my lap times while rowing, I don't have a HR monitor). As it's less than a 10% increase in speed, which should be easily possible with training (Since I'm not particularly fit/strong at present). And yep, at less than half the distance you're rowing rob, I don't have to hold back as much, so should be able to bring down my lap times easier.

I haven't priortised rowing recently though, my last row was 2 weeks ago, as I've wanted to ensure a decent showing in the mini marathons I've been running lol. Especially as a friend was running with me in the last one, I ended up coming in 6 minutes behind him, which wasn't hugely unexpected (He's been training for a lot longer, and is probably only a little over half my weight), but still a little disappointing (He's almost 2x my age lol)

[tropo]

Does running potentially burn more muscle than other exercises?

I would say it does. You only have to look at middle and long distance runners. They're usually very lean. Muscle hinders distance running as it is extra weight to carry.

You don't need strong muscles to run long distance, and basically with muscles, if you don't use or need them they will disappear. The body adapts to what you use it for.

I think you're overly concerned about the speed of your rowing. I would suggest you monitor your heart rate and forget about speed or distance. MAF would be a good heart rate goal - that's 180 minus your age. If you're overtrained then you'll be rowing slower at the same heart rate and you'll notice this in your total calories burned (or average watts or average pace). It's not like anyone will test you out on how fast you can row. It's a means to an end - to lose fat. You will get fitter by default, so don't worry about it so much. "Fitness" has little meaning in the broader sense, because you're only going to be fit at what you train for.

SAID says it all. "Specific Adaptations to Imposed Demands".

For example, you could throw an accomplished long distance running specialist into a pool and he'll feel like he's drowning after a few hard laps.

If you are really intent on running goals, you'll achieve them more quickly by laying off it now, losing 20kg or more and then starting up again. You'll get to your goals faster that way and be less likely to end up with stress injuries from all the pounding. There's really little long term benefits from running. If you stop you'll have no muscle and the fitness you've gained will quickly disappear. You may also hasten the onset of osteoarthritis from all that pounding.

Edited February 28, 2013 by tropo

[poanoi]

I am down to 103, and my belly is finally flattening out, (i was 105 when started)

I also think i will never drop below 100, but that's ok, its replaced by muscles,

i can stand the sight of myself and will carry on with muscle growth, and hopefully leaner body

[robblok]

@slyanimal, did you not get a heartrate monitor with your rowing machine ? I thought they all came with one.

Anyway the reason I am doing MAF just as tropo did / does is that I worry about overtraining. If you train too much at a too high an intensity you might go backwards or not forward optimal. For me the weight lifting takes priority as i would hate loosing muscle. But I also realize i might have to cut down a bit on rowing but i actually like that it makes me a bit fitter. It does help me recover faster during for instance deadlifts.

Anyway you have to do it the way you like it you might end up there slower but maybe more sustainable as its more fun for you. That is my view of it.

Tropo is right about SAID put a good runner on a bike and he will be lost but of course his cardio vascular system will be in better shape as a couch potatoe.

[SlyAnimal]

Weighed in myself this morning, 100.4kg, so some of the water I drank last night stayed with me. I'm still happy that I was under 100kg for a short time at least anyway lol. This week I should consolidate it though, and will likely stay down below 100kg for my morning weighins.

I don't have a HR monitor, how much do they usually cost? Are they available at sports shops (e.g. super sports), or something you more get from a pharmacy or a watch shop.

I'm not overly focused on my rowing/running goals, but I need to have a goal which I'm working towards, since I need to measure progress/success on the short term, since if I just measured based on weight loss, there are too many variables. Although with more information tools, I have more options with which to measure progress/success, so if I can get a HR monitor, maybe I can use that as a focus while training (e.g. To maintain x heartrate over y distance). Since my main goal at the moment is weight loss, rather than fitness.

Although in saying that, I would like to get better at running, and rowing. As my self image is that of a quite athletic person, and I'm quite competitive.

I don't think any of my close friends have run a marathon yet, but my brother has, and I'd like to do one as well, as I get older it'll only get harder, so training for it now is better than later.

Likewise my brother, and most of my good friends, used to do rowing (My brother even got an U19 NZ trial), and although I'm not going to train anywhere near the level of intensity they did, if rowing comes up in conversation, I would like to feel that I'm competitive. Although I'm not going to put too much focus on rowing until I've already lost the weight I want, for now it really is just a tool for weight loss.

Eventually, if I do return to NZ (Which I might do), I would also like to be able to play in my club's U85kg rugby team. My friends and I used to play occasional games for them when we were in high school (If we had a morning game at school, we would sometimes also play for club in the afternoon, depending on how the times worked out etc). There were a lot of older guys (30s-40s, so I'd still be reasonably young)so it was at a different level of intensity to high school (Club was slower, but harder hits with more dirty play), but I think if I can get down to the weight, and build myself up aswell, then I'd do pretty well in it. But that's for 2-3 years down the track, as it'd only apply if/when I go back to NZ (Unless I can work out a way to play for one of the Thai teams nearby, but their trainings etc are quite far away).

[tropo]

I don't have a HR monitor, how much do they usually cost? Are they available at sports shops (e.g. super sports), or something you more get from a pharmacy or a watch shop.

A Garmin HR strap should have come with the PM4 computer on your rower. It communicates with a receiver in the PM4 and shows your HR on the screen as you're rowing.

If you didn't get it you could order it from the Concept2 website. Only the Garmin strap works with the PM4. Polar can also be used, but you need to buy a receiver to connect to the PM4.

[SlyAnimal]

Ahh does it look like a thick black rubber band? As I think I remember seeing something like that and thinking it was a bit weird that it wasn't even tying anything useful together. I definitely received a memory card of some description aswell, I figured it was to transfer info to your pc for graphs etc so haven't plugged it in yet lol

I'll try and find them next week and have a play around

[Phronesis]

Or...you could:

1. buy a cheap second phone and a new simcard make sure it has a "silent" option on the ring tone.

2. rent a small clean room (without telling your girl)and furnish it with good linen and a fridge filled with chocolate and wine.

3. post a profile on some of the more popular thai dating sites

4. have enough mad sex with delightful and curious 22 year old hospitality students to melt away all of your unwanted flab.

The above strategy works perfectly for me...and there is no risk that I will blow one of my knees out while jogging.

Although I have had to increase the dosage of my blood pressure medicine.

[poanoi]

In other words you have given up and are resorting to day dreaming.

Whatever floats your boat

Edited March 1, 2013 by poanoi

[tropo]

Ahh does it look like a thick black rubber band? As I think I remember seeing something like that and thinking it was a bit weird that it wasn't even tying anything useful together. I definitely received a memory card of some description aswell, I figured it was to transfer info to your pc for graphs etc so haven't plugged it in yet lol

I'll try and find them next week and have a play around

It's a hard plastic transmitter with an elastic band to hold it in place around your chest. The memory card is a log card which saves your rowing data. The PM4 also has memory, but the log card can be used on any other machine if you use more than one - very convenient if you use a machine at the gym and at home.

[SlyAnimal]

My weekly update:

100.3kg, so I'm only 0.1kg down on last week. Which I'm not too fussed about, as I've decided I'll likely try and slow down my weight loss a little, as 12kg in 2 months is a lot. Although the weight loss I had this week was less than what I was aiming for (I want to aim for 0.5kg - 1.0kg per week, compared to the 1.5kg per week average I've had so far this year). As now that I'm at 100kg, I'm more comfortable with my weight, and so will relax my diet a little (Provided that I still see the weight loss I want), as it'll be nice to simply relax a little. Although I think that I've cut down the amount of food my body wants to eat already, as this week, even easing the restriction on how much I eat, I sometimes felt full, even when I hadn't necessarily eaten much (Compared to the first month of my diet, where I felt hungry even when I'd only just finished eating).

I also knocked around 1 1/2 minutes off my 4km time this week, and I felt like my mini marathon was a lot easier than the 2 previous, but then my time was 1minute slower than the first one I did, so that's probably not surprising. So hopefully I'm building up towards my running goals, and hopefully should be in good stead for a half marathon in June/July.

[robblok]

As long as your on a weight that you think is ok its good to slow your loss. I think its normal you will hit some limits and then have to become a bit more active in your diet. But in the end its all about how you feel and too fast is also not something that can go on forever. Its always fast at first.

[Tolley]

My weekly update:

100.3kg, so I'm only 0.1kg down on last week. Which I'm not too fussed about, as I've decided I'll likely try and slow down my weight loss a little, as 12kg in 2 months is a lot. Although the weight loss I had this week was less than what I was aiming for (I want to aim for 0.5kg - 1.0kg per week, compared to the 1.5kg per week average I've had so far this year). As now that I'm at 100kg, I'm more comfortable with my weight, and so will relax my diet a little (Provided that I still see the weight loss I want), as it'll be nice to simply relax a little. Although I think that I've cut down the amount of food my body wants to eat already, as this week, even easing the restriction on how much I eat, I sometimes felt full, even when I hadn't necessarily eaten much (Compared to the first month of my diet, where I felt hungry even when I'd only just finished eating).

I also knocked around 1 1/2 minutes off my 4km time this week, and I felt like my mini marathon was a lot easier than the 2 previous, but then my time was 1minute slower than the first one I did, so that's probably not surprising. So hopefully I'm building up towards my running goals, and hopefully should be in good stead for a half marathon in June/July.

You are talking about diet when you shouldn't be talking about diet. You should be insitgating a new eating regime that you can sustain forever not just a short term measure to lose weight as it wont work in the long run. There is no need to realx anything if you are eating the right things. The weight will naturally come off provided the food you eat is good and you can get some exercise.

[SlyAnimal]

lol

My initial diet was good for a lifestyle change, and it still is (I could easily maintain it indefinitely while I live in Thailand if I wanted to). But since I've seen how effective it is already, I should be able to relax my diet to include a few more unhealthy meals, or eat a few more snacks etc, and still lose weight

[tropo]

My weekly update:

100.3kg, so I'm only 0.1kg down on last week. Which I'm not too fussed about, as I've decided I'll likely try and slow down my weight loss a little, as 12kg in 2 months is a lot. Although the weight loss I had this week was less than what I was aiming for (I want to aim for 0.5kg - 1.0kg per week, compared to the 1.5kg per week average I've had so far this year). As now that I'm at 100kg, I'm more comfortable with my weight, and so will relax my diet a little (Provided that I still see the weight loss I want), as it'll be nice to simply relax a little. Although I think that I've cut down the amount of food my body wants to eat already, as this week, even easing the restriction on how much I eat, I sometimes felt full, even when I hadn't necessarily eaten much (Compared to the first month of my diet, where I felt hungry even when I'd only just finished eating).

I also knocked around 1 1/2 minutes off my 4km time this week, and I felt like my mini marathon was a lot easier than the 2 previous, but then my time was 1minute slower than the first one I did, so that's probably not surprising. So hopefully I'm building up towards my running goals, and hopefully should be in good stead for a half marathon in June/July.

You are talking about diet when you shouldn't be talking about diet. You should be insitgating a new eating regime that you can sustain forever not just a short term measure to lose weight as it wont work in the long run. There is no need to realx anything if you are eating the right things. The weight will naturally come off provided the food you eat is good and you can get some exercise.

I don't think you're ever going to lose cravings for certain "less than healthy" foods no matter how dedicated you become. I incorporate some of these foods in my regular diet. I enjoy some "comfort" foods. Keeping them at a low level can be tricky though.

It can be a very stressful life being fanatical about food. This mindset can be very unhealthy too... after all no one will live forever no matter how strict they are about health matters.

[poanoi]

I find the diet to be the hard part,

i dont mind struggling with weights, and today i even got permission to use the muay thai bags for cardio,

but the endless milk protein shakes is getting on me, i will put up with it this year,

but that's it so i better be in shape by end of this year

Edited March 8, 2013 by poanoi

[Tolley]

My weekly update:

100.3kg, so I'm only 0.1kg down on last week. Which I'm not too fussed about, as I've decided I'll likely try and slow down my weight loss a little, as 12kg in 2 months is a lot. Although the weight loss I had this week was less than what I was aiming for (I want to aim for 0.5kg - 1.0kg per week, compared to the 1.5kg per week average I've had so far this year). As now that I'm at 100kg, I'm more comfortable with my weight, and so will relax my diet a little (Provided that I still see the weight loss I want), as it'll be nice to simply relax a little. Although I think that I've cut down the amount of food my body wants to eat already, as this week, even easing the restriction on how much I eat, I sometimes felt full, even when I hadn't necessarily eaten much (Compared to the first month of my diet, where I felt hungry even when I'd only just finished eating).

I also knocked around 1 1/2 minutes off my 4km time this week, and I felt like my mini marathon was a lot easier than the 2 previous, but then my time was 1minute slower than the first one I did, so that's probably not surprising. So hopefully I'm building up towards my running goals, and hopefully should be in good stead for a half marathon in June/July.

You are talking about diet when you shouldn't be talking about diet. You should be insitgating a new eating regime that you can sustain forever not just a short term measure to lose weight as it wont work in the long run. There is no need to realx anything if you are eating the right things. The weight will naturally come off provided the food you eat is good and you can get some exercise.

I don't think you're ever going to lose cravings for certain "less than healthy" foods no matter how dedicated you become. I incorporate some of these foods in my regular diet. I enjoy some "comfort" foods. Keeping them at a low level can be tricky though.

It can be a very stressful life being fanatical about food. This mindset can be very unhealthy too... after all no one will live forever no matter how strict they are about health matters.

I dont disagree with you at all.

If the basis of your diet is okay then a few drinks, cake, chips et will not hurt at all.

I am certainly not saying you shouldnt have any so called comfort foods at all. What i am saying is get away from the diet mentality and eat the same sort of good food daily and make that what you eat not a diet.

[tropo]

I am certainly not saying you shouldnt have any so called comfort foods at all. What i am saying is get away from the diet mentality and eat the same sort of good food daily and make that what you eat not a diet.

I agree 100%.

Keep a close eye on weight and conditioning and at any sign of things heading south, pull in the reigns.

It's not a bad idea to be fanatical for a time though - to get to a specific goal more quickly. Slow progress often saps motivation. It depends on how far a person is from their personal goals.

[tropo]

I find the diet to be the hard part,

i dont mind struggling with weights, and today i even got permission to use the muay thai bags for cardio,

but the endless milk protein shakes is getting on me, i will put up with it this year,

but that's it so i better be in shape by end of this year

Funny you should say that. I find the "endless milk protein shakes" too easy, and I have to make an effort to eat more "real" food and not rely on them too much. I've been consuming protein shakes for as long as I've been lifting weights (started 1976) and still enjoy them.

Yes, diet is by far the hardest part. Regular cardio second as it's extremely boring. Workouts take at most an hour or so per day - diet is 24/7. The most conditioned athletes are the ones who make this effort. There's plenty of fat bodybuilders walking around gyms - they're mostly the lazy ones making excuses that they are "bulking up".

In the end you get out of it what you put in.

Edited March 8, 2013 by tropo

[robblok]

I think most of us understand its not a diet but a lifestyle change. I still ccall it diet but its a change in eating habits.

You just cant go back to the old ways as that is what got you in the trouble.

I eat healthy and set amount of food but even i have my comfort foods. Right now eating more as i don't need to loose anymore weight.

But i know i have to keep things in check, i think most of us realize that.

[tropo]

I think most of us understand its not a diet but a lifestyle change. I still ccall it diet but its a change in eating habits.

You just cant go back to the old ways as that is what got you in the trouble.

I eat healthy and set amount of food but even i have my comfort foods. Right now eating more as i don't need to loose anymore weight.

But i know i have to keep things in check, i think most of us realize that.

You'll probably find that you'll gain the illusion of being more defined with less fat when you build up your muscle mass.

[poanoi]

I can only suggest the bags for cardio,

i knew all along i won't stand sitting on a non mobile bicycle and get a sore bum for no obvious reason.

With a lifetime membership you can use the bags.

[tropo]

I can only suggest the bags for cardio,

i knew all along i won't stand sitting on a non mobile bicycle and get a sore bum for no obvious reason.

With a lifetime membership you can use the bags.

Punching on bags is high impact on the joints. I wouldn't do it for cardio. Cardio is boring, there's no way around it. This is where personal drive and motivation come in.

I had to laugh when I watched a recent video of Ronnie Coleman (one of the most successful bodybuilders of all time) taking us on a tour of his home gym. He put in 2 Stair Masters (his favoured cardio while competing) so he could have his partner or a friend do it at the same time. He stated that cardio was the hardest part of his training.

You have to do what you have to do to succeed. If it was easy everyone would be sporting perfect bodies, in which case there wouldn't be much sweetness in success.

Edited March 8, 2013 by tropo

[poanoi]

My ribs are already reminding me why i all but dissed this part of training last time 15 years ago,

still it's the only form of cardio where i don't feel flat out dumb doing it,

so i will see if i find some way of punch that is gentle on my back while still giving any form of positive feedback.

Walking would in every possible way be way worse for my back, its a non starter

[tropo]

My ribs are already reminding me why i all but dissed this part of training last time 15 years ago,

still it's the only form of cardio where i don't feel flat out dumb doing it,

so i will see if i find some way of punch that is gentle on my back while still giving any form of positive feedback.

Walking would in every possible way be way worse for my back, its a non starter

I understand you may not find cardio exciting, but to say you "feel flat out dumb doing it" - that's weird. Why would you feel dumb doing it?

No one's really paying attention and why would you even care? Perhaps you have some self-esteem issues to work on?

[SlyAnimal]

Just noticed I forgot to give my weekly update. I was 100.4kg on Friday, although 99.3kg on Thurs and 99.4kg today. So my weight is, on average, still slowly going down, although spiked up on Friday due to a buffet Thai BBQ dinner with friends on Thursday night lol.

I'm on holiday for the next 1 1/2 months, which will break any routines I would otherwise regularly have, hopefully in a good way but we'll see how it goes. I'm off to vietnam next weekend for a week, which will definitely break what routines I have lol.

I found out that the local pool is going to be open every day over the summer, so I should be able to get some swimming in to

[robblok]

Just noticed I forgot to give my weekly update. I was 100.4kg on Friday, although 99.3kg on Thurs and 99.4kg today. So my weight is, on average, still slowly going down, although spiked up on Friday due to a buffet Thai BBQ dinner with friends on Thursday night lol.

I'm on holiday for the next 1 1/2 months, which will break any routines I would otherwise regularly have, hopefully in a good way but we'll see how it goes. I'm off to vietnam next weekend for a week, which will definitely break what routines I have lol.

I found out that the local pool is going to be open every day over the summer, so I should be able to get some swimming in to

I dreaded going on a holliday too.. not the actual holliday but the food. Anyway if you make the right choices (salads are everywhere and hold on the dressing) and find some lean proteins (meats without too much fat) you can still keep your weight off or get even leaner.

[SlyAnimal]

Thought I'd post a quick update before I fly out to Vietnam, as I won't be back for a week or maybe a little longer as I might stay in BKK for a few days.

Today I weighed in at 99.7kg.

Not really much improvement in my weight this month, only 0.7kg in 3 weeks. But then I've been more relaxed with my diet and slack with my exercise, as I've only run around 5km in the past 2 weeks, haven't rowed at all and went swimming a few times, but no active swimming training, just mucking around in the water for maybe an hour while I taught my gf to swim lol.

However, I'm glad to see that my weight hasn't increased at all, and is still going down slightly. As it tells me that once I get to my weight goal, I hopefully won't need to work as hard as what I do now to bring my weight back down (I just need to avoid excessively overeating).

Once I get back, I'm going to try and start aggressively attacking my weight again during April. Being the holidays, there will likely be distractions which come up, but hopefully I can use my free time productively to do a lot of exercise during the day. Hopefully I can lose weight, and improve my fitness at the same time.

[robblok]

Thought I'd post a quick update before I fly out to Vietnam, as I won't be back for a week or maybe a little longer as I might stay in BKK for a few days.

Today I weighed in at 99.7kg.

Not really much improvement in my weight this month, only 0.7kg in 3 weeks. But then I've been more relaxed with my diet and slack with my exercise, as I've only run around 5km in the past 2 weeks, haven't rowed at all and went swimming a few times, but no active swimming training, just mucking around in the water for maybe an hour while I taught my gf to swim lol.

However, I'm glad to see that my weight hasn't increased at all, and is still going down slightly. As it tells me that once I get to my weight goal, I hopefully won't need to work as hard as what I do now to bring my weight back down (I just need to avoid excessively overeating).

Once I get back, I'm going to try and start aggressively attacking my weight again during April. Being the holidays, there will likely be distractions which come up, but hopefully I can use my free time productively to do a lot of exercise during the day. Hopefully I can lose weight, and improve my fitness at the same time.

I am currently at the point after the weight loss, slowly figuring out how much i can eat. But i still workout like crazy but a lot less cardio. I seem to have struck a balance so that is good. Weight goes up and down around a certain weight so I cant complain too much. It still does not mean i can eat whatever I want.