[Serious] Healthy - Active - Lifestyle in I.T. Industry
Hello,
Let me first say that I am NOT intending to ruffle feathers nor to cause an argument.
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So most of us have a "few extra" on the body that we'd like to get under control and to continue forward as a healthy, active member of society (yes, I'm painting a broad brush stroke, please don't take it to heart).
I was wondering what - if anything - you do in your life that leads to a healthier person.
I started eatting better, and do 1 hour of exercise every Monday Wednesday and Friday. I lost 60 pounds in 5 months and am still losing. Biggest cause of loss? Cut my sub at lunch from 12 inch to 6 inch, cut out the Sub sauce and lots of veggies. I'm even eating salad 3 days a week most weeks instead of 5 days of subs.
At night we eat food that is freshly cooked and made. We have started shopping 90% on the "outside" and eating fresh food. Cut out almost all potatoes and other high carbs.
Now I'm not saying everyone needs to do this, but the food change is very enjoyable.
Spagetti Squash instead of Noodles .... is surprisingly excelent.
exercise is definitely good, but diet is the single most important part...and no, i don't eat perfectly, so don't anyone think i'm standing on a soapbox and preaching to anyone...just sharing what i have read...i too have been trying to improve my diet...it wasn't terrible before, but i figure every bit of improvement is a positive thing.
eat properly...your figure is something like 70% diet and 30% exercise.
And another 100% genetics.
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My secretary's mom has absolutely awful cholesterol and triglycerides---and she is a fairly healthy 92 years old. And she's eaten lots of Italian food, too!
high blood pressure and cholesterol are both just increased risk factors, you need to look after them, but having both doesn't prove you will die right away.
Portion control, eat lower calorie snacks, and exercise 3 times a week for 20 minutes. A brisk walk (4 mph) is sufficient. If you eat out in a sit down restaurant, choose an entrée that has less than 1,000 calories or reduce the portion size, you'll need to read the nutrition info online first. Most steak and fish entrées do, but not all. The numbers don't lie.
And an app like LoseIt to monitor weekly calories until you internalize what a portion is and how to eat healthy.
I lost 45 lbs in 8 months using that app and have maintained my weight since, so no need to use the app anymore. No fad diets or eliminating this or that, it's all about sensible eating.
yes, portions are critical...that's what's been my issue...i'm still trying to adjust...i still have a habit of wanting to eat like i did when i was 18 (bottomless pit).
Stop mindlessly eating carbs. The entire nutritional dogma of the last 50+ years is being turned on its head, Sweden and Mexico have now embraced the war against sugar (sanctioning Low Carb High Fat diets) and science is now trending towards fat being benign (and yes that includes saturated fats, the very type of fat our ancestors survived just fine on).
I've never been even close to fat, but 4 months ago after 6 months of research I embraced the low carb lifestyle (not a diet, as diets are things you go on and off of) and quickly shed 25lbs of fat off my frame.
I've given up all starches and grains. Boosted my fat intake by quite a bit with Coconut oil, butter, hemp and olive oils. Protein is about the same. Absolutely no going back now, several persistent conditions I've carried for years have evaporated. I look and feel 10 years younger and that says something given I'm not even 40 yet.
I'm about ~100 of carbs a day, still eat my apple in the morning, blueberries in my high fat yohgurt, all the green veggies I can eat (and even a few other colours too), I'm careful about root veggies (usually contain higher amounts of starch). Bananas 3x a week for potassium insurance and because I really like them.
Ha, now for 4 months I've consumed 250+ grams a day of fat of every kind EXCEPT transfats. My saturated fat intake is 150+ grams. BP and HR actually improved since Dec. 1st, 110/70 59 is my usual now and DOWN from 130/90 69.
The transition from the SAD (standard american diet) to my nearly paleo lifestyle caused the usual symptoms of withdrawal: headache for 2 days, and then nothing but positive benefits after that, and still going strong. Hardest part was coming to accept that what I had been indoctrinated to believe was simply put, complete bullshit. And as I said, that took 6 months.
Took 6 months because I wasn't overweight, thought I knew about nutrition, and couldn't wrap my head around the fact someone can eat bacon 3x a week and actually get healthier. Also, monitored my blood sugar with a glucose meter, knew I was tolerant of carbs and figured hey, people who embrace this lifestyle are already fat and I'm not...ergo does not apply to me...very glad I decided to try it anyway 'as an experiment'. So, even if someone is tolerant of lots of carbs and loves wheat (at least I thought I did until finally accepting I craved wheat because It was pretty much instant glucose...yes, even the 'multigrain/100% WW varieties) they will gain immeasurable health benefits by eating less carbs.
Carbohydrates are simply polymer chains of simple sugar monomers like glucose, fructose and galactose. Regardless of how you consume them, they still 'spend' the same way internally, and that is the crux of the issue as modern medicine is only now finally realizing.
And coolest part of all? I have 1 'eat whatever the hell I want' day every week, usually Saturday. 100% consequence free, chocolate, french toast, french fries, any and all sin foods you can imagine...just stuff myself silly and then wake up on Sunday feeling A-OK...just don't try it two days in a row or you'll wake up on monday feeling quite inflamed.
Anyways, you'll not try this first (too hard to comprehend as it basically heresy against doctrine) but as you try the other things and they produce inferior results bear this is mind for when/if you get deadly serious.
one day at lunch just look around the office and see how many ppl buy their lunch from the caff, instead of bring theyre own lunch to work, you will be amazed
one day at lunch just look around the office and see how many ppl buy their lunch from the caff, instead of bring theyre own lunch to work, you will be amazed
When my boss goes down to the cafeteria for lunch, I always say "yes, you do need to test your immune system from time to time".
I think you'd be a lot more amazed if one day you sat down and started analyzing the shit people bring from home under the false assumption that it's automatically better for you than food prepared in a commercial kitchen.
Sandwiches made at home are made with the same sodium-filled meats and preservatives-filled condiments as those made in the commercial kitchen. Frozen dinners are even worst. Sandwiches and frozen dinners represent at least 80% of all the "home made" lunches I see in my work place.
I cut out red meats altogether. Only chicken & turkey for me.
Medium breakfast, largish lunch (usually bring from home), chocolate as snacks during the day, small dinner, maybe some ice cream or cookies after dinner.
For the most part, I eat whatever I want (sticking to portions), and am sitting happily at my ideal weight.
I walk a lot. Its good low-impact cardio (which is really good if you have knees like me), not to mention it builds leg muscle.
Also helps I'm always rolling around on the floor with my munchkin.. Helps with the upper body strength when I'm constantly picking him up & dangling him upside down to make him laugh.
Learn to cook, I mean really cook and not just assemble stuff out of cans, jars & boxes. Replace rice with quinoa, it has a different texture than rice but it also has protein whereas rice (especially polished white rice) is just starch. Drop the soda pop, think about it each can of soda pop is the same caloric intake as a candy bar, drink water, tea or coffee (without sugar & cream), use skim milk. Read labels, and learn about portion sizes. Eat less, move more.
For me the biggest issue is the exercise, because of my physical disabilities it's hard to find a routine that works for me but after some experimenting with exercise software using the PS3 I've managed to cobble together a routine that at least keeps me active (Four 30 minute sessions a week)
Diet wise? Cutting out the red meat (almost) completely was a big thing, moving to fish, chicken and turkey was another shift.
Not to say that I don't have my "moments" but at least as far as the doctor tells me, I'm generally doing the right thing.
In regards to eating it's about moderation. Many people go on weird diets where they completely cut out the things they love, and then months later they can't resist anymore and then binge again.
Just cut down on what you already eat (assuming you have no health conditions) slowly. For example, limit yourself on fast food from say a meal every day, to a fast food meal once or twice a week. A can of pop once or twice a week instead of everyday, etc.
Funny, I lost oodles of weight when I was working in IT and travelling from site to site, compared to the administration/finance work I do in an office now now of which I gained plenty of it back. I actually found it an 'active' job compared to others I've had.
Diet wise? Cutting out the red meat (almost) completely was a big thing, moving to fish, chicken and turkey was another shift.
red meat isn't bad for you...what is bad for you is the processed, hormone loaded crap most people eat...if you like eating red meat, find a quality place that doesn't have crap meat...it will cost a bit more, but just eat a bit less of it...there is a lot of nutrients in red meat, and humans were "designed" to eat it...that's not to say you can live without it, but you would need to ensure to find ways of getting the important things you wouldn't be getting by cutting it out.
I sit on a 75cm fitness ball when at the PC, forces me to use a better posture and I get to bounce and roll my butt around like a kid. They are cheap and easy:
I don't care about calories, fat content is what I look for. As for working out, a half hour every other day doing this workout at home will do the trick.
Can you read a book in a moving car? If the answer to that is no because you feel dizzy, getting a walking desk is probably going to make you feel sick.
Treadmills (for general exercise) aren't cheap, the do take up a bit of room and weigh a ton. Be careful if you get one that uses a heart monitoring program, IMHO they are too flaky to be safely used, the end result is the HR count that is displayed is much lower than it actually is, the machine increases speed and incline accordingly. Check out the used ads, odds are you can pick up a used treadmill for much less then new. Maintenance wise its just needs vacuuming, belt lube and belt adjustment. I suspect the vast majority of used units have very low millage. People buy them and then get bored with them.
A pair of good shoes, an MP3 player loaded with music, appropriate attire and just a brisk walk around the hood is perhaps the best place and cheapest thing to start with.