When did I get so fat..

[NPO_Aaron]

So I was looking through some pictyres of my hunting and fishing shenanigans from last year and came across some from my badlands backpack trip. I had planned that trip for a year. I was supposed to spend 4 days and 3 nights running around chasing animals. Well I made it one night, then I realized if I shot something i'd never be able to pack everything out of there.

I'm 28 and I know people in their mid 50's who would leave me in the dust. I have a little boy and would love to share some hard hunts with him someday.

The point of this post. There are some big changes in store for this guy. 30 weeks until archery opener.

 

[Ericb]

I found 25- 30 were probably my laziest years of my life kids work all took precident. Now that my kids are a little older and more active so am I. Beer doesnt help this. I could stil stand to loose 20# but I feel pretty good these days. Find some activities that you can do with your family that keep you active.

 

[Kurtr]

Check out the getting in shape group I started lots of good info. If you want a home program look at mountain tactical fittnes they have video of all there exercises the 60 pound sand bag get up is especially fun.

 

[Kickemup]

I've gained 20lbs in the last year. I started doing work outs with my kids at wrestling practice. One of these days I'll start using the gym membership that I have had for a year and haven't used.

 

[Vollmer]

I still play basketball often. I have a fear of being out of shape. I'm definitely not what I used to be, but not too shabby for a 37 year old man. I've also never been a BIG MEAL guy. Instead I seem to eat smaller portions 6-8 times a day.

 

[Captain Ahab]

About a year ago I stepped on the scale when I was at my "winter peak" and it read 246 and change(fatty). I hit the gym 4 days a week for 10 weeks straight for 30-35 minutes of weights and 30 minutes of cardio each time. Cut back on beer and ate a lot cleaner as well. I got down to about 227 and felt really good. Summer hit and my gym had some issues with their insurance so they closed to the public for a while. I continued to eat better, but slacked on the exercise so I basically maintained or went down slightly. I just started hitting the gym again for the last month or so and stepped on the scale at around 215 before my vacation. I'm sure I have a few vacation pounds to shed again, but my goal is to see sub 200 like college. It can be done, but it is a commitment to at least some lifestyle change.

 

[Bacon]

Eat less.

 

[Kurtr]

Eating less will lose weight but won't make you functional. I tried the calorie deficit thing and you have no energy and don't build any strength. Being skinny fat is almost as bad as just being fat

 

[DirtyMike]

This kid is throwing a wrench in my gym activity.

 

[Ericb]

This kid is throwing a wrench in my gym activity.

Dont worry life will get back to normal in 18yrs.

 

[NPO_Aaron]

The thing is, I know A LOT about fitness, nutrition and human biology. Sadly, the last 1.5 years have been a lot of do as I say, not as I do. Between running my busines, wrangling my new 10 month old and frankly, not taking care of myself, I've gotten fat. The bonus is I'm still REALLY strong, just puffy with no cardio. It all came down to taking some responsibility for myself again.

 

[Brian Renville]

There is definitely something to this "dad bod" business. Every time they eat there is usually something left over. I have a hell of a time just throwing it. It's amazing how much food a guy can stuff in his face carrying a kids plate from the table to the garbage can.

 

[SupressYourself]

Eat less.

That's step 1. Step 2 is "exercise more".
And that's basically it. Of course it's a whole lot harder to actually do.
It seems every year I put on my "winter coat" of 6-10 pounds. Starting in about February, I notice that shit is getting real and I go into "eat less, exercise more" mode. By April, it's gone and I'm back into maintenance mode.
In my experience, killing yourself at the gym will not work if you're still eating the same. A gradual increase in exercise and decrease in food intake is key.

 

[BrokenBackJack]

Sure goes on easier than it comes off. You fella's wait until you hit the 50-60 mark and watch what happens. Everything and i mean everything changes. You have to work a lot harder keeping it off. Then add in a shot body that won't let you exercise much and it gets to really be a handful.
Oh those younger years were fun and a guy sure took a lot for granted. Enjoy them while you can boys.

 

[NDwalleyes]

Funny you bring this up.....I know a lot of guys on here like to cook so I'm going to share my last few weeks.

I was in the same boat as the OP. Understand that I am old school and 45. Here is how I think....If you look at pictures of people from the 1940's, what do you see? Healthy flat bellied people. Now, granted they worked harder than we did, but the big difference is they ate different. When the 1950's came around our diets changed. Everything has been about convenience ever since then. Processed food made with oils and sugar.

I really like food, and good food. I enjoy cooking. My background is in medicine and I don't trust doctors and believe that the pharmaceutical companies use doctors to push their agendas/products. Most doctors trust what they are taught in school about diet and eating, and where does that come from? The government....and I don't trust them either.

I tripped across an article written by this somewhat rouge doctor. Here name is Catherine Shanahan. She is a biochemist and genetics major who went to medical school and is in charge of nutrition for the LA Lakers. I liked the way she thought. Found out she wrote a book https://www.amazon.com/dp/1452861382/?tag=nodakangler10-20 She also has another one out. She can sound like someone who may have camped out by a ND pipeline crossing at times but her thought process is dead on.

The premise of this book is basically if they didn't eat it 200 years ago you can't eat it. It is all about sugars and cheap oils being in most things Americans eat and the decline in our health since the 1950s. If forces you to cook/bake. It allows you to love good fresh food. You can eat all the natural meat, oils/fats, vegetables, grains you want. Basically you have to cook like your (great) grandma did 100+ years ago....Like frying your farm eggs in butter or floating them in lard.

I'm down 15 lbs in 3 weeks. Have eaten a lot of things I would otherwise never have eaten. Homemade "sprout-grain" bread? Never heard of it. Its awesome.

It is a bit of a challenge, as you have to grocery shop 2-3 days a week for fresh vegetables. It helps having the wife doing it too, but if you like to eat, cook and be in the kitchen this is actually pretty easy. I do miss sweets from time to time.

 

[Captain Ahab]

About the only way I can get a workout done is in the morning before work or anything starts. Way too many ways to slough it off after that. Once a guy gets a few workouts in, you won't miss the sleep and feel a lot better during the day.

 

[Bacon]

Yep, eat what you want as long as it only has one ingredient. If it takes 5 minutes to read the ingredient list, it might not be good for you.

 

[Captainbrad]

As like many of you something needs to happen. I saw a photo from a fishing trip a few weeks ago and the other day I saw a fishing video of me. I thought "damn when did I get fat?" followed by "Am I really that big?" followed by "I walk like a fat person." I need to do something other than sit and drink coffee.

I admit it here for everyone, I am really lazy in the winter and I like food and beer. There I said it.

 

[KDM]

The best thing I do to keep the weight down is to eat as much wild game meat and fish I can along with our home grown garden vegetables. I avoid processed foods to the greatest extent possible. However, I like Miracle Whip and thus far, I haven't found a tree that grows that. I figure the foods assembled by God are better for me than food assembled by men and I try to arrange my diet around that idea.

 

[2400]

While deployed, I was shot in the leg. I was rehabbed and could never really get my body back to where it was because I always felt like I was weak in that leg. Running was a painful process and the elliptical machine just made my knee click to where exercise was something that got put on the back burner. Fast forward 2 years and I finally voiced my concerns and the doctor said I was a candidate for a knee replacement. So, that's what I did and I can honestly say that having that done was the best thing to happen to me. Because like you, I found myself constantly too busy and never had time for workouts. I had justified it in my head that working out was too much of a painful process for me. I'm still @225 and have goals of being 205 before my next deployment in September. My mind is my worst enemy. If I can make myself believe that I don't want to work out, I won't. So, I am back at it and hoping to get myself healthier. For my family's benefit, not just mine. [/QUOTE]

Like you I was shot in the leg while deployed. Wayyyyyy back then there were no knee replacements so I just sucked it up and had "fix it" surgery over and over and kept going back out. I finally wound up haveing 5 total knee replacements on the leg before I had them chop it off.

Loosing weight and gaining strenght will help out on your next deployment.

I highlighted the one line in red because I think it's the most important. If you don't get in shape for you it won't help anyone else.

Best of luck to you.