Fitness

I'm sure you know the hardest thing is to put your trainers on and go out the front door. It takes quite a while to lose your aerobic training according to Jack Daniels so you'll soon be back in the groove.

I know the best thing is to curtail alcohol as much as possible. But I would be a hypocrite if I suggested it to you. There's a few pisspots on the running thread (myself included). After drinking 8 cans of bitter every night since Christmas, after 4 weeks of lockdown I was 2 stone overweight. For the last few weeks I've been alternating daily 5k runs and dumbell workouts.

My clothes are better fitting and I am slimmer, but I haven't stopped drinking. I've started a low carb diet which allows me to drink a clear spirit with diet lemonade. I try as much as possible to drink water until 9pm and then have a few vodka and lemonades. The first stone came off in 10 days, the second is nearly gone.

I haven't got the willpower to stop all together, but I know it would be better if I did.
 
Started couch to 5k and finishing week 4 tomorrow. Ran for 16 mins yesterday and have signed up to run 5 mile charity run end of June. Before furlough couldn't even run for the bus
 
ob said:
Started couch to 5k and finishing week 4 tomorrow. Ran for 16 mins yesterday and have signed up to run 5 mile charity run end of June. Before furlough couldn't even run for the bus
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Well done. Gets easier
 
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Northernstorirs said:
From my experience you need to apply small steps to cut down your boozing, eating and increase your running. Create a bridge towards what you want to do. You won't make the leap from where you are now to complete abstinence, daily exercise and eating like a saint straight away.

You say you use to do marathons, well build up your running again. Start with a nice easy 3-5km run and see how you feel. Don't dive in and run a 10km if you haven't ran in a while as the DOMS will be painful for a few days and you will be pissed off with yourself if you aren't hitting the distance and times you use to do. Your mileage will come back to your gradually over time from muscle memory but not straight away. Don't time your run or try and do it as fast as you can, just go at a pace which is good for you. If you feel good after then build up your distance gradually again adding a mile per week and increase the frequency of runs.

I don't know what you drink or how often. Try swapping your current drinks with non-alcoholic variants or low alcoholic beer or just completely cut out certain days of drinking. I'd say reduce the volume in a session but I know this is difficult to do once you've had a drink. Alternatively where you'd normally drink, swap with a completely different activity. Go out on your bike, find a new hobby, go for a walk, watch Netflix or play computer games essentially MAKE PLANS. It sounds obvious but it works, if you make a plan then your mind is focused on that activity. Booze isn't an option. If you have no plan then your mind and body will default to boozing due to behavior so control your plans.

Booze is a trigger for increased eating especially with hangovers. The alcohol enables the brain to send a false sense of hunger to your body which is why we want a takeaway on a night out or crave stodge the day after boozing. If you reduce your boozing then this hunger goes away and naturally reduces your food intake and reduces appetite.

I don't know what you eat or how often but again it's small steps. Bridge your way to healthier eating. Cut down on the carbs and replace with sweet potato where you might normally have chips. Eat green veg and keep to white meats/fish as much as you can. Reduce your portions if you can't fully switch, drink plenty of water. Cut bread out completely as well, if you can't then at least switch to brown bread and smaller loafs. Healthy food isn't boring, season your fish / chicken and treat yourself to nice marinades and sauces. If you snack then cut down or replace with lighter snacks such rice cakes or healthy nuts. When you are frequently exercising then treat your self to a bit of choc after a run or one takeaway / cheat night per week (having ran in the day).

The above might not be to your approach but the key is bridging and slowly changing your behavior over time.

When you are eventually keeping off the booze, exercising and eating healthier then treat yourself to a nice gift (not booze). Buy new trainers, a flight abroad or whatever you desire.
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Cheers mate. That actually makes a lot of sense. I ran today for the first time in a while just 4 miles and was ok.
 
birchwoodgingerste said:
Been do 15 mile daily bike rides
And sits ups x 250 daily
Press ups x 350 daily
Weights curls and straight lift
Eating lots of protein no bread
Been doing this since lockdown
Feeling miles better.
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Out of interest, are you doing the sit ups and press ups in one sitting/training session or spread across the day?

I've been doing spartan workouts at home but can only do so much in one workout session. Thinking of just bashing out pressups throughout the day to increase the total reps I'm doing.
 
Northernstorirs said:
Out of interest, are you doing the sit ups and press ups in one sitting/training session or spread across the day?

I've been doing spartan workouts at home but can only do so much in one workout session. Thinking of just bashing out pressups throughout the day to increase the total reps I'm doing.
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I use a roll bar(protects the back)so more like crunches i do 5 sets of 50 from morning til night.
 
Bigga said:
So, the African workout didn't go down well.

Maybe this will; 100 squat challenge...?


I would do it, all day, every day.

The challenge, I mean...
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I did the 100 squat challenge last year. Nailed it no problem, but it really screwed my hips and knees, because it tightened up the the muscles in the front of my quads more than the back and it caused my pelvis to tilt forwards. It took me about 4 weeks to get it sorted.
 
grant1977 said:
Thanks Guys. Some good advice..just need to motivate and do it and lay off the pop Sunday to Thursday
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I have lost a good chunk of weight this year, over 30lb and have to say i still dont feel any fitter.
I was told the simple advice of burning more calories than you take in, it all sounds do simple but it was only when i used a calorie tracking app that i realised how high in calories some things are.
I was advised to keep below 1900 calories a day, i worked out that 3 slices of cheese on toast worked out at around 800 calories, throw in a couple of Mars Bars at 300 each and before i knew it i was already at 1400 for the day. i now really watch my calorie intake and it has made a huge difference.
 
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