What the Perfect Male Body Looks Like Now
February 26, 2018 7:49 PM Subscribe
In terms of body fat percentage I'm five times the man Zak Efron is.
posted by GuyZero at 7:56 PM on February 26, 2018 [16 favorites]
posted by GuyZero at 7:56 PM on February 26, 2018 [16 favorites]
I Tried Zac Efron’s "Baywatch" Diet And Workout For Two Months And This Is What Happened
(spoiler) pretty damn good.
posted by blob at 7:56 PM on February 26, 2018 [17 favorites]
(spoiler) pretty damn good.
posted by blob at 7:56 PM on February 26, 2018 [17 favorites]
Zac Efron? Isn't that the kid from Firefly?
posted by schmod at 8:00 PM on February 26, 2018 [3 favorites]
posted by schmod at 8:00 PM on February 26, 2018 [3 favorites]
I work in a warehouse where i pick things between 30 and 70lbs up and carry them around all day long. I don't do the gym thing -- I'm paid to work out. I don't have a roid body, but I look pretty damn good for 50 years old.
posted by hippybear at 8:02 PM on February 26, 2018 [19 favorites]
posted by hippybear at 8:02 PM on February 26, 2018 [19 favorites]
As a counter-example, I point to Chris Evans. He's not Arnie, but his biceps are in no way in question.
posted by praemunire at 8:06 PM on February 26, 2018 [5 favorites]
posted by praemunire at 8:06 PM on February 26, 2018 [5 favorites]
I Tried Zac Efron’s "Baywatch" Diet And Workout For Two Months And This Is What Happened
(spoiler) pretty damn good.
posted by blob
eponyahahahahhh
posted by lalochezia at 8:21 PM on February 26, 2018 [6 favorites]
Does this all go back to Brad Pitt in Fight Club somehow?
posted by clawsoon at 8:22 PM on February 26, 2018 [6 favorites]
posted by clawsoon at 8:22 PM on February 26, 2018 [6 favorites]
What about relatively lean, but with a bit of a beer gut and bad posture?
posted by TheWhiteSkull at 8:24 PM on February 26, 2018 [15 favorites]
posted by TheWhiteSkull at 8:24 PM on February 26, 2018 [15 favorites]
Straighten up and push those pecs forward and present!
posted by hippybear at 8:25 PM on February 26, 2018
posted by hippybear at 8:25 PM on February 26, 2018
I'm in shape. Round is a shape.
I have the body of a god -- Buddha.
posted by blob at 8:25 PM on February 26, 2018 [23 favorites]
I have the body of a god -- Buddha.
posted by blob at 8:25 PM on February 26, 2018 [23 favorites]
what a half-naked dude should look like.
He should be carrying a tray of donuts?
posted by The Toad at 8:31 PM on February 26, 2018 [14 favorites]
He should be carrying a tray of donuts?
posted by The Toad at 8:31 PM on February 26, 2018 [14 favorites]
Well I’ve got this tray that had some donuts on them a minute ago
posted by aubilenon at 8:35 PM on February 26, 2018 [9 favorites]
posted by aubilenon at 8:35 PM on February 26, 2018 [9 favorites]
After breaking up with my ex in 2014, I’d pretty much let myself go for the better part of three years. I gained 25 pounds and, since I’d always been thin dude, I could really feel it: tired, starting to feel bloated, and not happy about myself at all.
The extra weight was exacerbating my COPD, making breathing more labored. A few attempts at cutting out calories and working out at the Y early in the cycle never yielded more than a few pounds of weight loss, and was brought to a crashing halt anyway when I broke my elbow tripping on a concealed water valve. That just added to the sense of futility and growing decrepitude.
Finally, last October, after chatting with a friend about the Keto diet, I decided to give it a serious shot. I also bought a pair of 5 pound dumbbells, a dumbbell bench, and some padding for the floor. Voila! A little 4’x6’ gym tucked between the dining room and living room!
A modest workout plan of ten dumbbell exercises, spread out over five days every week, allowed me to work out at a very modest pace, so my lungs could keep up. In four months, I’ve worked my way up to 20- and 30-pound dumbbells. Between the Keto and the dumbbells, I’ve lost half of the weight I’d gained over the previous three years. My face looks like me again, and I can see (and feel) the muscle tone returning to various body parts once more. I’m sleeping better, breathing better, and have significantly more energy, too.
More than anything, though, is the sense that I’m able to make a difference, rather than just succumbing to a gradual winding down of vitality. It’s not too late to make a change!
I enjoy looking at Ryan Reynolds and Zac Efron (and if they ever needed anyone skilled at licking honey off of a torso, well...let’s just say I could shift my schedule around). But, I have no earthly ambitions to look like them. As another 50 year old, I’m really happy with my modest, yet steady improvement.
posted by darkstar at 8:43 PM on February 26, 2018 [22 favorites]
The extra weight was exacerbating my COPD, making breathing more labored. A few attempts at cutting out calories and working out at the Y early in the cycle never yielded more than a few pounds of weight loss, and was brought to a crashing halt anyway when I broke my elbow tripping on a concealed water valve. That just added to the sense of futility and growing decrepitude.
Finally, last October, after chatting with a friend about the Keto diet, I decided to give it a serious shot. I also bought a pair of 5 pound dumbbells, a dumbbell bench, and some padding for the floor. Voila! A little 4’x6’ gym tucked between the dining room and living room!
A modest workout plan of ten dumbbell exercises, spread out over five days every week, allowed me to work out at a very modest pace, so my lungs could keep up. In four months, I’ve worked my way up to 20- and 30-pound dumbbells. Between the Keto and the dumbbells, I’ve lost half of the weight I’d gained over the previous three years. My face looks like me again, and I can see (and feel) the muscle tone returning to various body parts once more. I’m sleeping better, breathing better, and have significantly more energy, too.
More than anything, though, is the sense that I’m able to make a difference, rather than just succumbing to a gradual winding down of vitality. It’s not too late to make a change!
I enjoy looking at Ryan Reynolds and Zac Efron (and if they ever needed anyone skilled at licking honey off of a torso, well...let’s just say I could shift my schedule around). But, I have no earthly ambitions to look like them. As another 50 year old, I’m really happy with my modest, yet steady improvement.
posted by darkstar at 8:43 PM on February 26, 2018 [22 favorites]
Magazines that obsess over body image, like Men's Health are poison.
Here's an article about how the movie 300: Rise of an Empire, filled with actors with 6 pack abs, created body image problems for lots of boys. What I can't find is an article I read when the movie first came out that discussed how they often had to take breaks because actors kept fainting. Their body fat % was way too low to be healthy, but that's what they needed to show off their abs.
Yes, I'm aware that body image problems are about 1000% worse for women. It is just an unhealthy way to go through life any way you look at it.
posted by eye of newt at 8:43 PM on February 26, 2018 [48 favorites]
Here's an article about how the movie 300: Rise of an Empire, filled with actors with 6 pack abs, created body image problems for lots of boys. What I can't find is an article I read when the movie first came out that discussed how they often had to take breaks because actors kept fainting. Their body fat % was way too low to be healthy, but that's what they needed to show off their abs.
Yes, I'm aware that body image problems are about 1000% worse for women. It is just an unhealthy way to go through life any way you look at it.
posted by eye of newt at 8:43 PM on February 26, 2018 [48 favorites]
In the actual Sparta, they ate boiled pigs blood and the boys were purposely underfed in order to force them to steal food to become more wily warriors or... something. Anyhoo. They're all dead now.
posted by gwint at 9:05 PM on February 26, 2018 [41 favorites]
posted by gwint at 9:05 PM on February 26, 2018 [41 favorites]
I always figured they added all the abs in 300 in post, along with basically everything else in that movie. Huh.
posted by Kadin2048 at 9:06 PM on February 26, 2018 [4 favorites]
posted by Kadin2048 at 9:06 PM on February 26, 2018 [4 favorites]
Most American men could do with more "overall leanness" -- just without these unrealistic standards for muscle tone and etc. Sadly, toxic masculinity is so omnipresent that it strongly patterns what lots of us think we're 'allowed' to eat and how. (Or cook, and how.)
posted by snuffleupagus at 9:06 PM on February 26, 2018 [5 favorites]
posted by snuffleupagus at 9:06 PM on February 26, 2018 [5 favorites]
Yes, I'm aware that body image problems are about 1000% worse for women
That’s sounds like it must be true; still, I can’t think of a recent discussion of women’s bodies in a public forum that came across as blindly, unabashedly and unreflectively toxic as this piece. (Or maybe I just frequent the wrong (=right) parts of the internet.) Phew, this was really painful and exhausting to read.
It’s such a hippie thing to say but anyway, a reminder: You’re all beautiful.
posted by The Toad at 9:07 PM on February 26, 2018 [9 favorites]
I find it very ironic that the same medications that led to the roids that allow men to pack on muscles quickly came out of the AIDS crisis, which destroyed the "frail, lean" beauty archetype and favored over the top shows of strength.
when asking what is beautiful ask what is most difficult to attain.
posted by The Whelk at 9:08 PM on February 26, 2018 [30 favorites]
when asking what is beautiful ask what is most difficult to attain.
posted by The Whelk at 9:08 PM on February 26, 2018 [30 favorites]
the same medications that led to the roids that allow men to pack on muscles quickly came out of the AIDS crisis
Is there something I can read about that? News to me. I had thought todays 'roids were the same old stuff from Pumping Iron age (with more evolution going on in other kinds of doping).
posted by snuffleupagus at 9:14 PM on February 26, 2018
Is there something I can read about that? News to me. I had thought todays 'roids were the same old stuff from Pumping Iron age (with more evolution going on in other kinds of doping).
posted by snuffleupagus at 9:14 PM on February 26, 2018
they're much subtler and less damaging now, it;s how Marvel actors can beef up in like a year and all drop down to skinny off season cause very people people can or want to keep that up. They're all under close medical supervision but yeah there's a reason Seb's hairline is melting faster than an Antarctic icecap
posted by The Whelk at 9:16 PM on February 26, 2018 [4 favorites]
posted by The Whelk at 9:16 PM on February 26, 2018 [4 favorites]
they're much subtler and less damaging now
It's more that their use is more selective and refined than it once was, and if they're a Hollywood type, they can afford a Dr. Lookgood who's going to hook them up - this has a whole bunch to do with the more specific use of various esters of testosterone versus eating fistfuls of non-esterized anabolic steroids like dianabol or stanozolol, to take a couple of examples, and cycling on and off of them, combined with "post cycle therapy" - a regimen of drugs that help minimize downregulation of endogenous testosterone production and the conversion of the steroids they're on to estrogen, primarily through the use of aromatase inhibitors. And Dr. Lookgood, if they want repeat business, is going to give them regular liver function tests, cholesterol panels, watch their blood pressure, etc. to make sure (to the extent possible) that they're not going to drop dead in their mid 30s like a professional bodybuilder steroid pig might do.
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 9:50 PM on February 26, 2018 [17 favorites]
It's more that their use is more selective and refined than it once was, and if they're a Hollywood type, they can afford a Dr. Lookgood who's going to hook them up - this has a whole bunch to do with the more specific use of various esters of testosterone versus eating fistfuls of non-esterized anabolic steroids like dianabol or stanozolol, to take a couple of examples, and cycling on and off of them, combined with "post cycle therapy" - a regimen of drugs that help minimize downregulation of endogenous testosterone production and the conversion of the steroids they're on to estrogen, primarily through the use of aromatase inhibitors. And Dr. Lookgood, if they want repeat business, is going to give them regular liver function tests, cholesterol panels, watch their blood pressure, etc. to make sure (to the extent possible) that they're not going to drop dead in their mid 30s like a professional bodybuilder steroid pig might do.
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 9:50 PM on February 26, 2018 [17 favorites]
HGH is the one developed for AIDS patients, or at least first widely used by them. For muscle wasting. There is pretty good evidence that it burns fat, repairs connective tissue, repairs muscle damage and restores brain function after head injuries. Most of these actors are probably on it tbh. It's not illegal- universities are using it to study surgical recovery from things like ACL repair and to treat PTSD, particularly where the pituitary gland might have been damaged. Anti-aging doctors use it to make people feel younger. It gives you nice skin too. On the downside it may over stimulate connective tissue and cause problems and it might do nothing at all. But if I ever decide to take designer drugs that's where I'm starting.
As far as being lean- you can go lots of places in the world and see older men that are that lean as part of an overall walk everywhere, work in the fields and don't eat much lifestyle. I don't know that it's unhealthy per se if you come by it honestly. But if you are starving yourself and not drinking that's when I'd imagine all the fainting and nutritional issues arise.
posted by fshgrl at 11:00 PM on February 26, 2018 [16 favorites]
As far as being lean- you can go lots of places in the world and see older men that are that lean as part of an overall walk everywhere, work in the fields and don't eat much lifestyle. I don't know that it's unhealthy per se if you come by it honestly. But if you are starving yourself and not drinking that's when I'd imagine all the fainting and nutritional issues arise.
posted by fshgrl at 11:00 PM on February 26, 2018 [16 favorites]
I thought the internet already figured out it looks like Adam Driver in those high pants
posted by potrzebie at 12:08 AM on February 27, 2018 [9 favorites]
posted by potrzebie at 12:08 AM on February 27, 2018 [9 favorites]
Does this all go back to Brad Pitt in Fight Club somehow?
That's a bit of an oblique reference.
posted by Alvy Ampersand at 12:26 AM on February 27, 2018 [23 favorites]
That's a bit of an oblique reference.
posted by Alvy Ampersand at 12:26 AM on February 27, 2018 [23 favorites]
The new lean model ideal needs one thing: guys insecure enough about their appearance to care.
posted by Laotic at 3:01 AM on February 27, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by Laotic at 3:01 AM on February 27, 2018 [1 favorite]
Help me if you can I'm feeling down
And I do appreciate you being round
See, John appreciates me!
posted by chavenet at 3:44 AM on February 27, 2018 [7 favorites]
And I do appreciate you being round
See, John appreciates me!
posted by chavenet at 3:44 AM on February 27, 2018 [7 favorites]
I think this has actually changed very recently-- like, within the past couple of years, thickness became the thing people are striving for. That super lean, defined, tweaker/Jersey Shore/300/whatever look isn't what people are looking for anymore, in either men or women. Adam Driver in high pants is one example; compare him in that movie to his skinnier sex symbol self a few years ago in 'Girls'. The breakout male sex symbol of Black Panther isn't the more traditionally ripped Chadwick Boseman or Michael B Jordan, it's Winston Duke as M'Baku, who all the kids on my various feeds are referring to as "thicc daddy," which makes me want to cry because slang but I appreciate the sentiment, you know? When I look at male and especially female actors these days, I think beauty standards have actually changed a lot-- everyone on the cover of any celebrity magazine would have been considered way too fat to be in entertainment in the late 90's to 00s.
posted by moonlight on vermont at 4:03 AM on February 27, 2018 [10 favorites]
posted by moonlight on vermont at 4:03 AM on February 27, 2018 [10 favorites]
Also, get it together GQ, the terminology to refer to Michael B Jordan's muscle pokemon evolution isn't "Michael B Jordan---> Michael A Jordan", his name is Michael Bae Jordan now.
posted by moonlight on vermont at 4:12 AM on February 27, 2018 [5 favorites]
posted by moonlight on vermont at 4:12 AM on February 27, 2018 [5 favorites]
Did someone say perfect male body?
posted by tobascodagama at 4:15 AM on February 27, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by tobascodagama at 4:15 AM on February 27, 2018 [1 favorite]
A few years ago, I lost 1/3 my body weight. High-protein, low-carb diet, and an insane exercise program of hiking and biking, alternating days between the two.
What do you know. There is a reason for the high suicide rate amongst people loosing weight from bariatric surgery. It also applies to those loosing a lot of weight without surgery. Getting heavy is a great way to hide the past.
Loose the weight, you might start remembering things you'd rather keep forgotten. In my case, it's serial and complex and full of things remembered in broken pieces. I'm slender and fit, and at age 60, discovering I have far more "history" than i knew.
But goodness, Sliding into 34" jeans is mighty nice, after decades of having to shop Big-n-Tall.
posted by Goofyy at 4:44 AM on February 27, 2018 [14 favorites]
What do you know. There is a reason for the high suicide rate amongst people loosing weight from bariatric surgery. It also applies to those loosing a lot of weight without surgery. Getting heavy is a great way to hide the past.
Loose the weight, you might start remembering things you'd rather keep forgotten. In my case, it's serial and complex and full of things remembered in broken pieces. I'm slender and fit, and at age 60, discovering I have far more "history" than i knew.
But goodness, Sliding into 34" jeans is mighty nice, after decades of having to shop Big-n-Tall.
posted by Goofyy at 4:44 AM on February 27, 2018 [14 favorites]
I struggle and fluctuate between "I look pretty damn good for 57" and "Quit eating shit, you skinny-fat fuck".
My goal is to stop focusing on looks, and focus on health and health markers instead. My wife is 12 years younger than me, and I really want to be around, be healthy, be active and be with her in our later years.
It's a journey, and part of it will involve ignoring the shit out of Men's Health, GQ, Men's Fitness, and all the other rags out there.
posted by Major Matt Mason Dixon at 4:53 AM on February 27, 2018 [1 favorite]
My goal is to stop focusing on looks, and focus on health and health markers instead. My wife is 12 years younger than me, and I really want to be around, be healthy, be active and be with her in our later years.
It's a journey, and part of it will involve ignoring the shit out of Men's Health, GQ, Men's Fitness, and all the other rags out there.
posted by Major Matt Mason Dixon at 4:53 AM on February 27, 2018 [1 favorite]
Ah! The only advantage of working a shitty warehouse job: Eating and drinking whatever you want while remaining slim! You can't buy that Ferrari though.
posted by Dumsnill at 5:05 AM on February 27, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by Dumsnill at 5:05 AM on February 27, 2018 [1 favorite]
If my local gym is anything to go by it's basically a V shape with a beard.
posted by GallonOfAlan at 5:13 AM on February 27, 2018 [8 favorites]
posted by GallonOfAlan at 5:13 AM on February 27, 2018 [8 favorites]
In the actual Sparta, they ate boiled pigs blood
Clearly a black pudding based diet is the way forward.
posted by Dysk at 5:39 AM on February 27, 2018 [4 favorites]
Clearly a black pudding based diet is the way forward.
posted by Dysk at 5:39 AM on February 27, 2018 [4 favorites]
Here's an article about how the movie 300: Rise of an Empire, filled with actors with 6 pack abs, created body image problems for lots of boys. What I can't find is an article I read when the movie first came out that discussed how they often had to take breaks because actors kept fainting. Their body fat % was way too low to be healthy, but that's what they needed to show off their abs.
All you have to do is look at Gerard Butler. The man had huge financial incentives to maintain that cut look and....nope. (The fainting 300 were probably more due to dehydration than low body fat - the real trick to fitness photoshoots, aside from being super fit is to cut/dump water for a couple days.)
On the flipside you have billionaires getting buff now. Elon Musk regrew his hair and muscled up. Jeff Bezos is in his Amazin Prime.
The crazy thing is that the reasonably ripped skinny look was pretty available in the early seventies when everyone was smoking and starving. Seventies fat kids wouldn't even register as slightly bulky today and Arnold was ridiculously absurdly huge and today....there are at least couple of him at every single gym and the serious gyms have lots of guys with twice his size.
posted by srboisvert at 5:40 AM on February 27, 2018 [6 favorites]
All you have to do is look at Gerard Butler. The man had huge financial incentives to maintain that cut look and....nope. (The fainting 300 were probably more due to dehydration than low body fat - the real trick to fitness photoshoots, aside from being super fit is to cut/dump water for a couple days.)
On the flipside you have billionaires getting buff now. Elon Musk regrew his hair and muscled up. Jeff Bezos is in his Amazin Prime.
The crazy thing is that the reasonably ripped skinny look was pretty available in the early seventies when everyone was smoking and starving. Seventies fat kids wouldn't even register as slightly bulky today and Arnold was ridiculously absurdly huge and today....there are at least couple of him at every single gym and the serious gyms have lots of guys with twice his size.
posted by srboisvert at 5:40 AM on February 27, 2018 [6 favorites]
Up to a million Britons use steroids for looks not sport
‘I think I’ll be on a dose for ever’: steroid users on the quest for perfection`
posted by lalochezia at 5:52 AM on February 27, 2018 [1 favorite]
when asking what is beautiful ask what is most difficult to attain.
QFT
posted by MiraK at 6:50 AM on February 27, 2018 [2 favorites]
QFT
posted by MiraK at 6:50 AM on February 27, 2018 [2 favorites]
Loose the weight, you might start remembering things you'd rather keep forgotten.
I've also lost a lot of weight this past year, Gooffy, and I am curious about this, if you are willing to say more!
posted by MiraK at 6:52 AM on February 27, 2018 [2 favorites]
I've also lost a lot of weight this past year, Gooffy, and I am curious about this, if you are willing to say more!
posted by MiraK at 6:52 AM on February 27, 2018 [2 favorites]
I Tried Zac Efron’s "Baywatch" Diet And Workout For Two Months And This Is What Happened
I like the part where he was slacking off when he only went to the gym twice a week.
I was eating reasonably clean and lifting a lot in my early 20s, and I was, at a certain point, problematically (for me) skinny, but still probably 10 or 11% body fat. I cannot imagine how bad I would have felt even leaner than that.
posted by uncleozzy at 6:56 AM on February 27, 2018
I like the part where he was slacking off when he only went to the gym twice a week.
I was eating reasonably clean and lifting a lot in my early 20s, and I was, at a certain point, problematically (for me) skinny, but still probably 10 or 11% body fat. I cannot imagine how bad I would have felt even leaner than that.
posted by uncleozzy at 6:56 AM on February 27, 2018
what they have is 'roids
A proctologist can help them with that.
posted by ZenMasterThis at 7:22 AM on February 27, 2018 [8 favorites]
A proctologist can help them with that.
posted by ZenMasterThis at 7:22 AM on February 27, 2018 [8 favorites]
You know who looked good and didn’t look like they had to eat a carefully curated diet of fish heads and be followed by a medical team? Burt Lancaster. I’m going for a Burt Landcasterian fitness level.
posted by The Whelk at 7:35 AM on February 27, 2018 [5 favorites]
posted by The Whelk at 7:35 AM on February 27, 2018 [5 favorites]
Here's your regimen:
Lancaster chain-smoked unfiltered Camels, drank martinis by the pitcher, and ate steaks piled high with butter. But he also ran three times a week and worked out, and when in his mid-seventies he had a stroke, the admitting doctor, who didn't recognize him, observed that the patient looked to be a man about sixty.posted by paper chromatographologist at 7:41 AM on February 27, 2018 [13 favorites]
Fuck Burt Lancaster! We want IZZY MANDELBAUM! It's GO TIME!
posted by Major Matt Mason Dixon at 7:47 AM on February 27, 2018 [3 favorites]
posted by Major Matt Mason Dixon at 7:47 AM on February 27, 2018 [3 favorites]
What I want to be is able to fit into all of the fancy shirts I have purchased over the last 20 years.
posted by grumpybear69 at 7:59 AM on February 27, 2018 [8 favorites]
posted by grumpybear69 at 7:59 AM on February 27, 2018 [8 favorites]
(Lancasters’ FBI file basically said he was too dissolute to be a threat for anything)
posted by The Whelk at 8:02 AM on February 27, 2018 [2 favorites]
posted by The Whelk at 8:02 AM on February 27, 2018 [2 favorites]
I don't know that it's unhealthy per se if you come by it honestly
for varying cultural definitions of honesty, maybe. you ever travel overseas for more than a month? the second you come back to the States you realize how grossly, horribly sweet everything is. I lost five lbs after spending a month in China stuffing myself and not following the strict exercise regimen that I had in the States
in the US, diet is so much more important than exercise because of the amount of shit food out there that we take as normal. it's especially prevalent at the lower-class but it's also normalized in the middle-to-upper class - it's pervasive. I'm at a solid 20% body fat percentage working out 5 days a week, doing my 10k steps, burning 500+ calories a day - a habit I've kept up for years now. in the last month, I finally figured it was time to manage my diet more and switched over to more fruits, veggies, lean meats, and have heavily restricted my snack intake and my budget for going out - and I'm almost down 10lbs in this month. it's an absurd amount of weight to lose especially after figuring I had hit my plateau given the amount of exercise I was doing
"eating honestly" in the US amounts to resisting a century's worth of advertising for shit foods, decades of lobbying by the agricultural and sugar lobbies, and avoiding 90% of the foods out there that are so easy to get and delicious to eat. they say it's 'a lifestyle change' - but it's more than that, it's actually saying 'no, back the fuck off society, I'm doing what's good for me.'
we put so much guilt and blame on ourselves - we're told to do so because that makes the soda/sugar/snack food industries not culpable for making up a huge percentage of our food supply, for advertising to us, for running promotions, for making their presence 'normal' in our homes. as much as racism is the product of systems of power, our bad health is the product of a poorly regulated system of food distribution - of grocery stores set-up to make you walk through aisles of shit foods to get to the basic necessities, of a subsidized corn production that turns into massive quantities of HFCS, of the bad education we get about dieting and meal planning that leads some of my friends of adult-age who have literally never cooked a meal for themselves in their lives
posted by runt at 8:38 AM on February 27, 2018 [27 favorites]
for varying cultural definitions of honesty, maybe. you ever travel overseas for more than a month? the second you come back to the States you realize how grossly, horribly sweet everything is. I lost five lbs after spending a month in China stuffing myself and not following the strict exercise regimen that I had in the States
in the US, diet is so much more important than exercise because of the amount of shit food out there that we take as normal. it's especially prevalent at the lower-class but it's also normalized in the middle-to-upper class - it's pervasive. I'm at a solid 20% body fat percentage working out 5 days a week, doing my 10k steps, burning 500+ calories a day - a habit I've kept up for years now. in the last month, I finally figured it was time to manage my diet more and switched over to more fruits, veggies, lean meats, and have heavily restricted my snack intake and my budget for going out - and I'm almost down 10lbs in this month. it's an absurd amount of weight to lose especially after figuring I had hit my plateau given the amount of exercise I was doing
"eating honestly" in the US amounts to resisting a century's worth of advertising for shit foods, decades of lobbying by the agricultural and sugar lobbies, and avoiding 90% of the foods out there that are so easy to get and delicious to eat. they say it's 'a lifestyle change' - but it's more than that, it's actually saying 'no, back the fuck off society, I'm doing what's good for me.'
we put so much guilt and blame on ourselves - we're told to do so because that makes the soda/sugar/snack food industries not culpable for making up a huge percentage of our food supply, for advertising to us, for running promotions, for making their presence 'normal' in our homes. as much as racism is the product of systems of power, our bad health is the product of a poorly regulated system of food distribution - of grocery stores set-up to make you walk through aisles of shit foods to get to the basic necessities, of a subsidized corn production that turns into massive quantities of HFCS, of the bad education we get about dieting and meal planning that leads some of my friends of adult-age who have literally never cooked a meal for themselves in their lives
posted by runt at 8:38 AM on February 27, 2018 [27 favorites]
What do you know. There is a reason for the high suicide rate amongst people loosing weight from bariatric surgery. It also applies to those loosing a lot of weight without surgery. Getting heavy is a great way to hide the past.
To see how weight-loss surgery might affect that suicide risk, researchers led by Junaid Bhatti from the Sunnybrook Research Institute in Toronto tracked more than 8,800 patients in Ontario for three years before and three years after their procedure.
Out of that group, 111 patients had 158 self-harm emergencies during the follow-up period, the study found. Most of the suicide attempts occurred in the second and third year after the surgery, the findings showed.
And about 93 percent of those suicide attempts occurred in patients diagnosed with a mental health disorder prior to surgery, the researchers reported.
FWIW, most bariatric programs require a psych eval before surgery. Not inconsistent with your point, but the way this is usually talked about is in terms of preparing folks to understand that weight loss isn't a magic bullet that will solve all their problems.
posted by NoRelationToLea at 9:11 AM on February 27, 2018 [1 favorite]
To see how weight-loss surgery might affect that suicide risk, researchers led by Junaid Bhatti from the Sunnybrook Research Institute in Toronto tracked more than 8,800 patients in Ontario for three years before and three years after their procedure.
Out of that group, 111 patients had 158 self-harm emergencies during the follow-up period, the study found. Most of the suicide attempts occurred in the second and third year after the surgery, the findings showed.
And about 93 percent of those suicide attempts occurred in patients diagnosed with a mental health disorder prior to surgery, the researchers reported.
FWIW, most bariatric programs require a psych eval before surgery. Not inconsistent with your point, but the way this is usually talked about is in terms of preparing folks to understand that weight loss isn't a magic bullet that will solve all their problems.
posted by NoRelationToLea at 9:11 AM on February 27, 2018 [1 favorite]
I had a request for my dumbbell workout (it's pretty tame) and after emailing it I thought I'd post it here since it's topical to the thread. If anyone has any suggestions for improvement (since I'm relatively untutored in weightlifting), I'm all ears.
Note that this relatively mild workout is in conjunction with a Keto diet.
The Darkstar Dumbbell Workout
I have ten exercises that are on small flash cards. The cards are arrayed on a little table next to my dumbbell bench. At the beginning of the week, the cards are all straight, and throughout the week, as I do an exercise, I "tap" it by turning it diagonally to the left (kind of like in Magic the Gathering).
I do exercises in any order, based on what I feel like doing. As long as I've tapped all ten cards by the end of the week, I'm good. So usually that works out to a couple of exercises each day, which is really easy to do. I can do an exercise almost within the few minutes of a commercial break! :)
As I mentioned, I started with 5 pound weights and slowly worked up as I felt like I wasn't being challenged. My current weights - for each dumbbell - are given in parentheses. Unless otherwise noted, exercises are done with one dumbbell in each hand. The exercises are all based on 2 sets of 10 repetitions, with a minute to catch my breath in between, if needed.
1. Chest flys. (30 pounds)(2 x 10 reps)
2. Side bends. (30 pounds)(2 x 10 reps each side)
3. Bent over rows. (30 pounds)(2 x 10 reps each side)
4. Bicep curls. (20 pounds)(2 x 10 reps each side)
5. Lat pull overs. (30 pounds, two handed)(2 x 10 reps)
6. Wrist curls. (10 pounds)(2 x 10 reps each side)
7. Triceps extensions (behind head, one handed). (20 pounds)(2 x 10 reps each side)
8. Neck shrugs. (30 pounds)(2 x 10 reps)
9. Goblet squats (one dumbbell). (30 pounds)(2 x 10 reps)
10. Stomach crunches (no dumbbells used in this one).(2 x 10 reps)
I also try (but am not always successful) to walk on my treadmill for 20 minutes, twice a week, at a fairly modest walking pace (2.5 mph).
I really like the dumbbell workout for a few reasons:
a. It's relatively inexpensive (about $110 via Amazon & somewhat less at Walmart) to get the minimal equipment needed. (So no gym contracts, getting dressed for the gym, driving to the gym, waiting for machines, picking up gym germs, etc.)
b. While I keep my little workout space (fits neatly in a 4x6 foot area!) set up in an area I walk past regularly, the equipment is very easy to move and store away if I have company.
c. I don't have to worry about a spotter (no barbell to crush me if I can't lift the weight).
d. I can complete an exercise literally within 2 minutes of thinking of it, so it takes almost no time at all, so it's a lot lower barrier to putting in the effort.
e. The cards make it sort of a game, and it's really satisfying on Friday or Saturday to tap that final card in the set. Which is usually goblet squats, because those are my least favorite. (I leave them all tapped until I start again next week, as a little reminder of what I've accomplished.)
It's not a workout routine that will bulk me up or whatever, but I'm not after that at all. I just want some regular training that my lungs and I can handle easily, with minimal time spent in prepping and travel, that will keep my body toned. It seems to be working!
Equipment involved:
(most of these can be found more cheaply in-store at Walmart, and VERY cheaply via Craigslist if you get lucky, but in case you're looking at online retail, Amazon has everything you need.)
Marcy weight bench: $52 at Amazon
http://a.co/aKyT9fY
(The bench is MUCH better than a chair, by far. Put a towel on the bench for a more comfortable workout & preserve the bench surface.)
Pack of exercise cards: $20 at Amazon
http://a.co/bQpwIb6
(Has many more than ten, but I chose nine from the set and made my own for the stomach crunches. You could make your own out of 3x5 cards, though.)
Foam exercise mats (4'x6'): $21 at Amazon
http://a.co/dS75frA
(These are nice for your floor, just in case you happen to drop or set a dumbbell down too heavily. They help are easy to shift around, too.)
5 pound Dumbbells (pair): $19 at Amazon
http://a.co/613XZnD
(The vinyl or rubber coated dumbbells are the best, as they help protect your floor, as well as your skin if you accidentally get a finger caught between a pair of them. They can get significantly more costly as you increase the weight.)
If you decide to do something like this, let me know how it goes!
Cheers!
posted by darkstar at 10:02 AM on February 27, 2018 [37 favorites]
Note that this relatively mild workout is in conjunction with a Keto diet.
The Darkstar Dumbbell Workout
I have ten exercises that are on small flash cards. The cards are arrayed on a little table next to my dumbbell bench. At the beginning of the week, the cards are all straight, and throughout the week, as I do an exercise, I "tap" it by turning it diagonally to the left (kind of like in Magic the Gathering).
I do exercises in any order, based on what I feel like doing. As long as I've tapped all ten cards by the end of the week, I'm good. So usually that works out to a couple of exercises each day, which is really easy to do. I can do an exercise almost within the few minutes of a commercial break! :)
As I mentioned, I started with 5 pound weights and slowly worked up as I felt like I wasn't being challenged. My current weights - for each dumbbell - are given in parentheses. Unless otherwise noted, exercises are done with one dumbbell in each hand. The exercises are all based on 2 sets of 10 repetitions, with a minute to catch my breath in between, if needed.
1. Chest flys. (30 pounds)(2 x 10 reps)
2. Side bends. (30 pounds)(2 x 10 reps each side)
3. Bent over rows. (30 pounds)(2 x 10 reps each side)
4. Bicep curls. (20 pounds)(2 x 10 reps each side)
5. Lat pull overs. (30 pounds, two handed)(2 x 10 reps)
6. Wrist curls. (10 pounds)(2 x 10 reps each side)
7. Triceps extensions (behind head, one handed). (20 pounds)(2 x 10 reps each side)
8. Neck shrugs. (30 pounds)(2 x 10 reps)
9. Goblet squats (one dumbbell). (30 pounds)(2 x 10 reps)
10. Stomach crunches (no dumbbells used in this one).(2 x 10 reps)
I also try (but am not always successful) to walk on my treadmill for 20 minutes, twice a week, at a fairly modest walking pace (2.5 mph).
I really like the dumbbell workout for a few reasons:
a. It's relatively inexpensive (about $110 via Amazon & somewhat less at Walmart) to get the minimal equipment needed. (So no gym contracts, getting dressed for the gym, driving to the gym, waiting for machines, picking up gym germs, etc.)
b. While I keep my little workout space (fits neatly in a 4x6 foot area!) set up in an area I walk past regularly, the equipment is very easy to move and store away if I have company.
c. I don't have to worry about a spotter (no barbell to crush me if I can't lift the weight).
d. I can complete an exercise literally within 2 minutes of thinking of it, so it takes almost no time at all, so it's a lot lower barrier to putting in the effort.
e. The cards make it sort of a game, and it's really satisfying on Friday or Saturday to tap that final card in the set. Which is usually goblet squats, because those are my least favorite. (I leave them all tapped until I start again next week, as a little reminder of what I've accomplished.)
It's not a workout routine that will bulk me up or whatever, but I'm not after that at all. I just want some regular training that my lungs and I can handle easily, with minimal time spent in prepping and travel, that will keep my body toned. It seems to be working!
Equipment involved:
(most of these can be found more cheaply in-store at Walmart, and VERY cheaply via Craigslist if you get lucky, but in case you're looking at online retail, Amazon has everything you need.)
Marcy weight bench: $52 at Amazon
http://a.co/aKyT9fY
(The bench is MUCH better than a chair, by far. Put a towel on the bench for a more comfortable workout & preserve the bench surface.)
Pack of exercise cards: $20 at Amazon
http://a.co/bQpwIb6
(Has many more than ten, but I chose nine from the set and made my own for the stomach crunches. You could make your own out of 3x5 cards, though.)
Foam exercise mats (4'x6'): $21 at Amazon
http://a.co/dS75frA
(These are nice for your floor, just in case you happen to drop or set a dumbbell down too heavily. They help are easy to shift around, too.)
5 pound Dumbbells (pair): $19 at Amazon
http://a.co/613XZnD
(The vinyl or rubber coated dumbbells are the best, as they help protect your floor, as well as your skin if you accidentally get a finger caught between a pair of them. They can get significantly more costly as you increase the weight.)
If you decide to do something like this, let me know how it goes!
Cheers!
posted by darkstar at 10:02 AM on February 27, 2018 [37 favorites]
Discard the quest for the Efron Bod! Embrace the perma-bulk!
Or do whatever makes you happy, that works too.
posted by A Bad Catholic at 10:07 AM on February 27, 2018 [1 favorite]
Or do whatever makes you happy, that works too.
posted by A Bad Catholic at 10:07 AM on February 27, 2018 [1 favorite]
I'm trending lighter again at the minute, in my mid-thirties, having been up and down in weight my whole adult life, thanks to a reason efficient metabolism stacked against a borderline disordered set of eating habits that equate gross overeating with respect and approval. Don't ask.
This time around I've done two months of intermittent fasting, which has been very effective, but lately made me almost literally suicidal on the fast days, so I cut that out this week. Yikes. But I've also cut out processed sugars (more or less) and beer, and this feels so good, like a liberation from constant office snacking.
Thank god the supercut Effron look doesn't appeal, but between this and some weights work I think I'm finally finding a reasonable line between being overly influenced by media body image and just letting myself go. I don't have much of a point here, just nice to talk about this stuff.
posted by ominous_paws at 10:43 AM on February 27, 2018 [2 favorites]
This time around I've done two months of intermittent fasting, which has been very effective, but lately made me almost literally suicidal on the fast days, so I cut that out this week. Yikes. But I've also cut out processed sugars (more or less) and beer, and this feels so good, like a liberation from constant office snacking.
Thank god the supercut Effron look doesn't appeal, but between this and some weights work I think I'm finally finding a reasonable line between being overly influenced by media body image and just letting myself go. I don't have much of a point here, just nice to talk about this stuff.
posted by ominous_paws at 10:43 AM on February 27, 2018 [2 favorites]
I’m going for a Burt Landcasterian fitness level.
I'm working on a Walter Matthau thing which is arguably superior so long as some lady in wagon isn't around.
posted by Alvy Ampersand at 10:56 AM on February 27, 2018 [2 favorites]
I'm working on a Walter Matthau thing which is arguably superior so long as some lady in wagon isn't around.
posted by Alvy Ampersand at 10:56 AM on February 27, 2018 [2 favorites]
Agreed, but man, that's got to be the most ridiculous fight I've ever seen choreographed in a western, and that's saying something.
posted by darkstar at 11:09 AM on February 27, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by darkstar at 11:09 AM on February 27, 2018 [1 favorite]
Okay so I have some feelings and experience to share here but it's all new to me and so I'm pretty sensitive about it so just, you know, that.
If you have 3:24 to spare and are interested, go watch this video by John Green. Sums up my experience (although I am 34 and not 39 as he was when he recorded this) pretty much perfectly - I've lived as though living inside of my body was the price I paid to have consciousness. I treated my body like shit. I felt tension, like my body was the enemy and my brain the hero. This is all a pretty awful way to go through life.
Now, I'm 6'0" and despite terrible eating habits and almost no exercise, I pretty much stuck around 165 - 175 pounds for most of my life. Then 30 hit. And for the past 4 years, I've been steadily gaining weight and feeling more and more uncomfortable. At my peak in early January of this year, I weighed 209.8 pounds.
The New Year provided an opportunity for self-reflection, my upcoming wedding in May provided some serious motivation, and at long last finding a medication that would put my chronic major depression into remission for the first time in 15 years made real change possible in a way that I have never before experienced.
I found NerdFitness by googling "how to use a gym for beginners" and have been a member since. It's basically just another system of gamification for nutrition, exercise, and mindfulness but this one stuck and I'm seeing the results. There's some problematic dude stuff that crops up in their materials every now and then, but there's also an LGTBQ+ community within NerdFitness with a Discord server and so I basically just hang out there and on my character sheet.
I've been eating basically keto since early January (with a 950 calorie/day deficit that most days shakes out to consuming 1550 -
1850 calories and burning 2500 - 2900 + 16/8 intermittent fasting), levelling up on the exercise path steadily 3-4 times per week (all bodyweight right now), and meditating using the Headspace app every morning. I use a Fitbit Charge 2 to track my food intake and my rough calorie burn to maintain the daily deficit and track my macronutrients and sleep. I cook all of my dinners at home, and basically eat the same salad with minor protein variations at work each day.
Important note - I really didn't know jack shit about any of this stuff before January. Like I said at the start, this has never been me. But the internet and doctors are wonderful resources if you have access to them, and as it turns out, this stuff is pretty accessible if you bear down a bit.
Results? I've successfully shifted my wake-up time from 7:30 to 5:45, headed towards 5:15. This has allowed me to meditate and actually succeed at getting some creative time to myself via 750 words in the morning, something I haven't been able to do in years. I've cut back on alcohol from around 25 - 35 units per week to fewer than 10. I've gone from 207.3 lbs to 194.0 lbs in 5.5 weeks. My mood is elevated, my energy levels higher. I've gotten through the keto flu and the intermittent fasting badlands and feel fine running the deficit and during the 16 hours of fasting. My back pain has decreased significantly, the puffiness in my face is gone, and my skin is clearer. A couple chronic health conditions have been much more manageable.
So I made a ton of big life changes all at once which may not work for everyone, and I am doing all of this under the guidance of a couple of doctors. But it's life changing stuff, it really is. I'm excited to meditate, I look forward to the salad I eat each day at work, and I actually really love the keto diet. I get to eat spaghetti squash and meatballs and pmuch all the tasty fish I want and grass fed steak and avocados galore and well....it's not too hard to love it.
Anyways. I don't know that I will ever have a lean and muscular body but I am damn sure gonna try. Not because of Zac Efron or whatever, but because it's a way to experience life that I haven't explored yet and so far it feels pretty damn good.
If what I did sounds extreme, well let's just return to John Green. If you watched that first video, you'll know that he started from a pretty crappy place too. And the guys is a (very successful) YA author with OCD. He has the resources, it's totally true, to hire some of the best folks and buy good food and so on. But he also has some things that are barriers. If you want to get inspired, go watch 100 Days. It's him and his friend Chris having a "healthy mid-life crisis" and it was really motivational to me, as well as entertaining and educational. enjoy!
YMMV IANAD etc etc etc
posted by lazaruslong at 12:23 PM on February 27, 2018 [13 favorites]
If you have 3:24 to spare and are interested, go watch this video by John Green. Sums up my experience (although I am 34 and not 39 as he was when he recorded this) pretty much perfectly - I've lived as though living inside of my body was the price I paid to have consciousness. I treated my body like shit. I felt tension, like my body was the enemy and my brain the hero. This is all a pretty awful way to go through life.
Now, I'm 6'0" and despite terrible eating habits and almost no exercise, I pretty much stuck around 165 - 175 pounds for most of my life. Then 30 hit. And for the past 4 years, I've been steadily gaining weight and feeling more and more uncomfortable. At my peak in early January of this year, I weighed 209.8 pounds.
The New Year provided an opportunity for self-reflection, my upcoming wedding in May provided some serious motivation, and at long last finding a medication that would put my chronic major depression into remission for the first time in 15 years made real change possible in a way that I have never before experienced.
I found NerdFitness by googling "how to use a gym for beginners" and have been a member since. It's basically just another system of gamification for nutrition, exercise, and mindfulness but this one stuck and I'm seeing the results. There's some problematic dude stuff that crops up in their materials every now and then, but there's also an LGTBQ+ community within NerdFitness with a Discord server and so I basically just hang out there and on my character sheet.
I've been eating basically keto since early January (with a 950 calorie/day deficit that most days shakes out to consuming 1550 -
1850 calories and burning 2500 - 2900 + 16/8 intermittent fasting), levelling up on the exercise path steadily 3-4 times per week (all bodyweight right now), and meditating using the Headspace app every morning. I use a Fitbit Charge 2 to track my food intake and my rough calorie burn to maintain the daily deficit and track my macronutrients and sleep. I cook all of my dinners at home, and basically eat the same salad with minor protein variations at work each day.
Important note - I really didn't know jack shit about any of this stuff before January. Like I said at the start, this has never been me. But the internet and doctors are wonderful resources if you have access to them, and as it turns out, this stuff is pretty accessible if you bear down a bit.
Results? I've successfully shifted my wake-up time from 7:30 to 5:45, headed towards 5:15. This has allowed me to meditate and actually succeed at getting some creative time to myself via 750 words in the morning, something I haven't been able to do in years. I've cut back on alcohol from around 25 - 35 units per week to fewer than 10. I've gone from 207.3 lbs to 194.0 lbs in 5.5 weeks. My mood is elevated, my energy levels higher. I've gotten through the keto flu and the intermittent fasting badlands and feel fine running the deficit and during the 16 hours of fasting. My back pain has decreased significantly, the puffiness in my face is gone, and my skin is clearer. A couple chronic health conditions have been much more manageable.
So I made a ton of big life changes all at once which may not work for everyone, and I am doing all of this under the guidance of a couple of doctors. But it's life changing stuff, it really is. I'm excited to meditate, I look forward to the salad I eat each day at work, and I actually really love the keto diet. I get to eat spaghetti squash and meatballs and pmuch all the tasty fish I want and grass fed steak and avocados galore and well....it's not too hard to love it.
Anyways. I don't know that I will ever have a lean and muscular body but I am damn sure gonna try. Not because of Zac Efron or whatever, but because it's a way to experience life that I haven't explored yet and so far it feels pretty damn good.
If what I did sounds extreme, well let's just return to John Green. If you watched that first video, you'll know that he started from a pretty crappy place too. And the guys is a (very successful) YA author with OCD. He has the resources, it's totally true, to hire some of the best folks and buy good food and so on. But he also has some things that are barriers. If you want to get inspired, go watch 100 Days. It's him and his friend Chris having a "healthy mid-life crisis" and it was really motivational to me, as well as entertaining and educational. enjoy!
YMMV IANAD etc etc etc
posted by lazaruslong at 12:23 PM on February 27, 2018 [13 favorites]
Update post: went to a free-bar trivia night with work, drank four glasses of red and ate an entire carrot cake with my hands, so, you know, it's a process
posted by ominous_paws at 2:15 PM on February 27, 2018 [8 favorites]
posted by ominous_paws at 2:15 PM on February 27, 2018 [8 favorites]
Or do whatever makes you happy, that works too.
posted by A Bad Catholic at 10:07 AM on February 27 [1 favorite +] [!]
Eponysterical!
(Did I do that correctly?)
posted by Anita Bath at 2:44 PM on February 27, 2018 [4 favorites]
posted by A Bad Catholic at 10:07 AM on February 27 [1 favorite +] [!]
Eponysterical!
(Did I do that correctly?)
posted by Anita Bath at 2:44 PM on February 27, 2018 [4 favorites]
Most American men could do with more "overall leanness" -- just without these unrealistic standards for muscle tone and etc.
Yes. And you don't even need to exercise to do it. Just stop eating animal meat, eggs, dairy, and added sugar (or as much as you can), drink a shitload of water, reduce your calories in general, and it will happen for most people automatically.
Or do whatever makes you happy, that works too.
I'm gonna tell you that for myself, who lived by that precept for my 20s and 30s, it didn't work so well.
What makes us (or some of us, at least) happy in the short term--alcohol, drugs, junk food, TV/scrollholes--can often make us very unhappy in the long term. For me, it was alcohol. Alcohol provided a LOT of happiness for me. But it was pulling me down in the long run. It seems like some people treat food/overeating similarly (I know that I did, for a time.)
Anyway, I've found increasing success in thinking of that long-term self (or even tomorrow's self) when considering "what do I want to do right now?" Cravings are for real; we're not (or at least I'm not) well equipped to live with this massive abundance of salty, fatty, sugary calories available at any moment.
Also, what makes us unhappy in the short term can make us happy in the long term. I suffer from social anxiety--joining a strange group or volunteering with kids is very hard. My emotions are screaming, "BAIL OUT!" ... but after I volunteer or participate? I feel great. (PURE ANECDATA.)
I don't have much of a point here, just nice to talk about this stuff.
Likewise. Thanks. I also think that the (very slight) loosening of gender restrictions for male bodies (think of how men shave their bodies now) allows for many more "ideal" body types, i.e. muscular ideal, femme boi ideal, fat ideal, etc. etc. (and of course "ideal" is always in the eye of the observer ...)
posted by mrgrimm at 5:08 PM on February 27, 2018 [4 favorites]
Yes. And you don't even need to exercise to do it. Just stop eating animal meat, eggs, dairy, and added sugar (or as much as you can), drink a shitload of water, reduce your calories in general, and it will happen for most people automatically.
Or do whatever makes you happy, that works too.
I'm gonna tell you that for myself, who lived by that precept for my 20s and 30s, it didn't work so well.
What makes us (or some of us, at least) happy in the short term--alcohol, drugs, junk food, TV/scrollholes--can often make us very unhappy in the long term. For me, it was alcohol. Alcohol provided a LOT of happiness for me. But it was pulling me down in the long run. It seems like some people treat food/overeating similarly (I know that I did, for a time.)
Anyway, I've found increasing success in thinking of that long-term self (or even tomorrow's self) when considering "what do I want to do right now?" Cravings are for real; we're not (or at least I'm not) well equipped to live with this massive abundance of salty, fatty, sugary calories available at any moment.
Also, what makes us unhappy in the short term can make us happy in the long term. I suffer from social anxiety--joining a strange group or volunteering with kids is very hard. My emotions are screaming, "BAIL OUT!" ... but after I volunteer or participate? I feel great. (PURE ANECDATA.)
I don't have much of a point here, just nice to talk about this stuff.
Likewise. Thanks. I also think that the (very slight) loosening of gender restrictions for male bodies (think of how men shave their bodies now) allows for many more "ideal" body types, i.e. muscular ideal, femme boi ideal, fat ideal, etc. etc. (and of course "ideal" is always in the eye of the observer ...)
posted by mrgrimm at 5:08 PM on February 27, 2018 [4 favorites]
I'm excited by all the low carb stories here. It's been impressive (as in catastrophic) how well both corporate PR and government sponsored dietary guidelines have kept people in denial that sugar, sugar and more sugar has driven the obesity epidemic in the US.
And we're set up to fail, as multiple stories here have referenced. It takes work and it's spendy to go low carb. When I'm on keto and I "need" snacks from the convenience store, I'm limited to the 0.5% of the store that is water or almonds. The other 99.5% of the store is processed corn in various guises.
posted by MillMan at 5:49 PM on February 27, 2018 [3 favorites]
And we're set up to fail, as multiple stories here have referenced. It takes work and it's spendy to go low carb. When I'm on keto and I "need" snacks from the convenience store, I'm limited to the 0.5% of the store that is water or almonds. The other 99.5% of the store is processed corn in various guises.
posted by MillMan at 5:49 PM on February 27, 2018 [3 favorites]
Haha yeah....if you ever figure out that particular solution to the keto snack emergency with only convenience stores, and extra difficulty level I am allergic to nuts, please let me know.
posted by lazaruslong at 6:08 PM on February 27, 2018
posted by lazaruslong at 6:08 PM on February 27, 2018
I'd be curious what peoples' doctors have said about keto, given that there's a reasonable amount of criticism to be found on the net.
you don't even need to exercise to do it. Just stop eating animal meat, eggs, dairy, and added sugar (or as much as you can), drink a shitload of water, reduce your calories in general, and it will happen for most people automatically.
I want to echo this, you can really make big changes over time with relatively easy adjustments to habits. And you don't have to change all at once, or completely cut these things out. I still eat plenty of meat, eggs, dairy, etc -- but I don't require it every meal and I use less than I used to.
Similarly with carbs, it's also about which carbs -- i.e. not processed crap. And not the hidden carbs in packaged food. In terms of cooking, using carbs as a base for other food or in modest portions on the side rather than just eating a ton of them as a meal (unless you're about to burn them off). Pasta and rice are versatile, economical, efficient and healthy foods when prepared and served sensibly.
I cook all of my dinners at home, and basically eat the same salad with minor protein variations at work each day
I want to echo this -- cooking more from scratch has all kinds of benefits. And it doesn't have to be complex or all that time consuming.
You have better portion control and only take in as much salt and sugar as you want to, to taste (rather than it being lurking in everything). You can adjust your food to your body's cues. Cooking with fresh veggies and herbs etc. means more nutrients, better taste and fewer additives. You naturally think more about what you're going to be eating when, since you have to prepare it. That lends itself to sticking to a plan, and reduces accidental or lazy over-eating even if not on a diet.
It also tends to make you more open to simpler (and often healthier) preparations and cooking methods, because they are often less work (fewer steps, fewer ingredients) and less cleanup (butter, dairy and oil are messy). Exploring different cuisines will give you a lot more options when you're trying to stick to a restrictive diet. All in all, it's very satisfying as a part of being healthy, as part of a daily and weekly routine and as a creative outlet.
posted by snuffleupagus at 6:21 PM on February 27, 2018 [3 favorites]
you don't even need to exercise to do it. Just stop eating animal meat, eggs, dairy, and added sugar (or as much as you can), drink a shitload of water, reduce your calories in general, and it will happen for most people automatically.
I want to echo this, you can really make big changes over time with relatively easy adjustments to habits. And you don't have to change all at once, or completely cut these things out. I still eat plenty of meat, eggs, dairy, etc -- but I don't require it every meal and I use less than I used to.
Similarly with carbs, it's also about which carbs -- i.e. not processed crap. And not the hidden carbs in packaged food. In terms of cooking, using carbs as a base for other food or in modest portions on the side rather than just eating a ton of them as a meal (unless you're about to burn them off). Pasta and rice are versatile, economical, efficient and healthy foods when prepared and served sensibly.
I cook all of my dinners at home, and basically eat the same salad with minor protein variations at work each day
I want to echo this -- cooking more from scratch has all kinds of benefits. And it doesn't have to be complex or all that time consuming.
You have better portion control and only take in as much salt and sugar as you want to, to taste (rather than it being lurking in everything). You can adjust your food to your body's cues. Cooking with fresh veggies and herbs etc. means more nutrients, better taste and fewer additives. You naturally think more about what you're going to be eating when, since you have to prepare it. That lends itself to sticking to a plan, and reduces accidental or lazy over-eating even if not on a diet.
It also tends to make you more open to simpler (and often healthier) preparations and cooking methods, because they are often less work (fewer steps, fewer ingredients) and less cleanup (butter, dairy and oil are messy). Exploring different cuisines will give you a lot more options when you're trying to stick to a restrictive diet. All in all, it's very satisfying as a part of being healthy, as part of a daily and weekly routine and as a creative outlet.
posted by snuffleupagus at 6:21 PM on February 27, 2018 [3 favorites]
Well, anecdotal and all, but I was already eating healthy food. I was just eating too much of it.
I’d already cut out sweets, sugary beverages, fruit juices and the like. My carbs were only the healthy kind: brown rice, whole wheat bread, whole wheat pasta, and rarely ate potatoes, apples, bananas. But my body just kept telling my brain I was hungry, hungry, hungry.
It wasn’t until I shifted to Keto that my body actually felt sated with a meal for more than an hour. I don’t actually even count calories, now. I eat when I’m hungry, including snacks. It’s just that the foods I eat help me maintain satiety longer.
It has meant getting rid of almost all carbs from the house. No rice, pasta, grits, cream of wheat, oats, bread or milk in the place. I can eat almost any meats, cheeses, and many veggies, though, to my heart’s content. For caloric snacks, it’s almonds, string cheese, a Quest bar, or a protein drink I make. (The drink is more like a full meal that starts with a base of strawberry Muscle Milk, plus whey powder, canola oil, cream, two kinds of fiber, and lecithin). For non-caloric snacks, I’m a fan of sugar free Werthers (yes, yes, I know, grampa), Trident gum, tea sweetened with a bit of erythritol, and diet ginger ale & root beer. I also drink a lot of plain water.
It’s habitual now, and it doesn’t seem like sacrifice to not have a rice dish, or a plate of spaghetti, or a bun on a hamburger. But every other Sunday I game with friends and eat anything we want then (pizza, a nice noodley chop suey, pastry desserts, whatever). It kicks me out of ketosis for a day, but my body’s right back on track by Tuesday, which is fine.
I recently had blood work done, and my liver and kidneys are fine, fwiw.
posted by darkstar at 7:59 PM on February 27, 2018 [1 favorite]
I’d already cut out sweets, sugary beverages, fruit juices and the like. My carbs were only the healthy kind: brown rice, whole wheat bread, whole wheat pasta, and rarely ate potatoes, apples, bananas. But my body just kept telling my brain I was hungry, hungry, hungry.
It wasn’t until I shifted to Keto that my body actually felt sated with a meal for more than an hour. I don’t actually even count calories, now. I eat when I’m hungry, including snacks. It’s just that the foods I eat help me maintain satiety longer.
It has meant getting rid of almost all carbs from the house. No rice, pasta, grits, cream of wheat, oats, bread or milk in the place. I can eat almost any meats, cheeses, and many veggies, though, to my heart’s content. For caloric snacks, it’s almonds, string cheese, a Quest bar, or a protein drink I make. (The drink is more like a full meal that starts with a base of strawberry Muscle Milk, plus whey powder, canola oil, cream, two kinds of fiber, and lecithin). For non-caloric snacks, I’m a fan of sugar free Werthers (yes, yes, I know, grampa), Trident gum, tea sweetened with a bit of erythritol, and diet ginger ale & root beer. I also drink a lot of plain water.
It’s habitual now, and it doesn’t seem like sacrifice to not have a rice dish, or a plate of spaghetti, or a bun on a hamburger. But every other Sunday I game with friends and eat anything we want then (pizza, a nice noodley chop suey, pastry desserts, whatever). It kicks me out of ketosis for a day, but my body’s right back on track by Tuesday, which is fine.
I recently had blood work done, and my liver and kidneys are fine, fwiw.
posted by darkstar at 7:59 PM on February 27, 2018 [1 favorite]
When I'm on keto and I "need" snacks from the convenience store, I'm limited to the 0.5% of the store that is water or almonds. The other 99.5% of the store is processed corn in various guises.
Haha yeah....if you ever figure out that particular solution to the keto snack emergency with only convenience stores, and extra difficulty level I am allergic to nuts, please let me know.
Isn't hard cheese allowed? Just keep some TJ's unexpected cheddar around.
posted by srboisvert at 8:16 PM on February 27, 2018 [2 favorites]
Haha yeah....if you ever figure out that particular solution to the keto snack emergency with only convenience stores, and extra difficulty level I am allergic to nuts, please let me know.
Isn't hard cheese allowed? Just keep some TJ's unexpected cheddar around.
posted by srboisvert at 8:16 PM on February 27, 2018 [2 favorites]
Lol, tfw the impossibly "skinny" Zac Efron is still more stacked than you have ever been in your life
posted by en forme de poire at 11:35 PM on February 27, 2018 [3 favorites]
posted by en forme de poire at 11:35 PM on February 27, 2018 [3 favorites]
Isn't hard cheese allowed? Just keep some TJ's unexpected cheddar around.
Totally. I definitely snack on hard cheese (usually something alpine-style because I fell in love with it when I worked in restaurants and I can't go back. Challerhocker is life) along with some cured meat. It's a good option for sure!
As for what I can buy in a convenience store, well....sometimes there is cheese!
posted by lazaruslong at 5:29 AM on February 28, 2018
Totally. I definitely snack on hard cheese (usually something alpine-style because I fell in love with it when I worked in restaurants and I can't go back. Challerhocker is life) along with some cured meat. It's a good option for sure!
As for what I can buy in a convenience store, well....sometimes there is cheese!
posted by lazaruslong at 5:29 AM on February 28, 2018
Oh, and just wanted to add - if anyone is struggling to get in the habit of cooking at home regularly, I recommend doing a Blue Apron type service for about a month then cancelling. I did this in Nov / Dec of last year when they were running a black friday special or something. As anyone that has been within 10 feet of anyone listening to any podcast ever can tell you, there are discount codes.
I had it delivered to my work because I don't trust South Philly or FedEx, and would break it down and carry it home. The thing about it is, the meals are fairly calorie dense (~800-1000 calories per serving if cooked as is!) and definitely not geared to any specific diet.
BUT
You will HAVE to cook at least three meals at home because the next delivery is a'coming. The protein portions are pretty spot on for a future target. There are meals with ingredients I never would have considered buying before. And most importantly, I learned a shitton of basic tips and tricks for cooking (pan sauce! vinegar with kale!) that I probably wouldn't have stumbled across before. Once I got in the habit of cooking regularly and started noticing more interesting ingredients at the store and filed away the tips, I cancelled it and just swapped to shopping normally. And you end up with around 12-15 nice big glossy cardstock recipes with step-by-step instructions you can file away to remind yourself of stuff later. Very helpful for me!
posted by lazaruslong at 5:37 AM on February 28, 2018
I had it delivered to my work because I don't trust South Philly or FedEx, and would break it down and carry it home. The thing about it is, the meals are fairly calorie dense (~800-1000 calories per serving if cooked as is!) and definitely not geared to any specific diet.
BUT
You will HAVE to cook at least three meals at home because the next delivery is a'coming. The protein portions are pretty spot on for a future target. There are meals with ingredients I never would have considered buying before. And most importantly, I learned a shitton of basic tips and tricks for cooking (pan sauce! vinegar with kale!) that I probably wouldn't have stumbled across before. Once I got in the habit of cooking regularly and started noticing more interesting ingredients at the store and filed away the tips, I cancelled it and just swapped to shopping normally. And you end up with around 12-15 nice big glossy cardstock recipes with step-by-step instructions you can file away to remind yourself of stuff later. Very helpful for me!
posted by lazaruslong at 5:37 AM on February 28, 2018
I just re-watched Man of Steel last night. (It's a better movie than I remembered.)
In the trivia notes, it talks about how, for his shirtless scenes, Henry Cavill had to do this ridiculously onerous 6-weeks of training, and the last two weeks or so of extreme bodybuilder cutting regimen and reduced water intake to get the bulk and definition of the abs that they thought Superman should have.
(The result was amazing, but I can't help but think that, if you're Superman, maybe you don't have to be built like an extreme bodybuilder mid-competition, since low body fat isn't what gives you your strength?)
At the end of shooting the shirtless scenes, the director presented Cavill with a milkshake and a pizza.
posted by darkstar at 6:17 AM on February 28, 2018 [1 favorite]
In the trivia notes, it talks about how, for his shirtless scenes, Henry Cavill had to do this ridiculously onerous 6-weeks of training, and the last two weeks or so of extreme bodybuilder cutting regimen and reduced water intake to get the bulk and definition of the abs that they thought Superman should have.
(The result was amazing, but I can't help but think that, if you're Superman, maybe you don't have to be built like an extreme bodybuilder mid-competition, since low body fat isn't what gives you your strength?)
At the end of shooting the shirtless scenes, the director presented Cavill with a milkshake and a pizza.
posted by darkstar at 6:17 AM on February 28, 2018 [1 favorite]
I Tried Zac Efron’s "Baywatch" Diet And Workout For Two Months And This Is What Happened
Oh man. I read the "9 days with zero carbs or sugar" thing and felt every part of my body recoil. (I mean...I would do it for millions of dollars, so godspeed Efron. But I also get the feeling that Efron would do it for nothing, which is just wiiiild. 9 days! And you know he celebrated a tangerine or something.)
posted by grandiloquiet at 6:53 AM on February 28, 2018 [1 favorite]
Oh man. I read the "9 days with zero carbs or sugar" thing and felt every part of my body recoil. (I mean...I would do it for millions of dollars, so godspeed Efron. But I also get the feeling that Efron would do it for nothing, which is just wiiiild. 9 days! And you know he celebrated a tangerine or something.)
posted by grandiloquiet at 6:53 AM on February 28, 2018 [1 favorite]
At least Superman is an alien. This is one of the reasons I like Keaton's Batman.
Some cookbooks I like -- a lot of Italian stuff...
For straightforward recipes:
LaPlace & Kleiman, Cucina Rustica (simple Italian), Cucina Fresca (room temperature and cold dishes) and Verdura (homecooked Italian veggie recipes).
Bittman, How to Cook Everything
Logsdon, Beginning Sous Vide
Grill Pan Cookbook: Great Recipes for Stovetop Grilling
The Commonsense Kitchen, lessons & recipes from the Deep Springs College kitchen.
Northwest Essentials Cookbook
A little more involved but still very approachable:
Lynne Rosetto Kasper, The Italian Country Table
Biba Caggiano, Trattoria Cooking
Marcella Hazan, Marcella Says
Marco Canora, Salt to Taste
The only book you need on kitchen gear:
Alton Brown's Gear for Your Kitchen
Love him or hate him, but Kimball's Milk Street has good recipes and articles. And from all the Cooks Illustrated stuff I like The Best Recipe and The Best Make Ahead Recipe.
The Fannie Farmer Cookbook for classic American recipes. Most of Julia Child's best stuff is in The Way to Cook.
I know her whole attitude can be annoying, but Alice Waters' My Pantry is great if you're interested in making your own staples, preserves, vinegars, etc. Which is really easy to do if you're cooking all the time anyway.
I also find these useful as references and for ideas: Cooking Ingredients and The Flavor Thesaurus.
I don't see myself doing a full keto diet but I'd be interested in any particularly good keto cookbooks, there's a ton on Amazon.
posted by snuffleupagus at 7:08 AM on February 28, 2018 [1 favorite]
Some cookbooks I like -- a lot of Italian stuff...
For straightforward recipes:
LaPlace & Kleiman, Cucina Rustica (simple Italian), Cucina Fresca (room temperature and cold dishes) and Verdura (homecooked Italian veggie recipes).
Bittman, How to Cook Everything
Logsdon, Beginning Sous Vide
Grill Pan Cookbook: Great Recipes for Stovetop Grilling
The Commonsense Kitchen, lessons & recipes from the Deep Springs College kitchen.
Northwest Essentials Cookbook
A little more involved but still very approachable:
Lynne Rosetto Kasper, The Italian Country Table
Biba Caggiano, Trattoria Cooking
Marcella Hazan, Marcella Says
Marco Canora, Salt to Taste
The only book you need on kitchen gear:
Alton Brown's Gear for Your Kitchen
Love him or hate him, but Kimball's Milk Street has good recipes and articles. And from all the Cooks Illustrated stuff I like The Best Recipe and The Best Make Ahead Recipe.
The Fannie Farmer Cookbook for classic American recipes. Most of Julia Child's best stuff is in The Way to Cook.
I know her whole attitude can be annoying, but Alice Waters' My Pantry is great if you're interested in making your own staples, preserves, vinegars, etc. Which is really easy to do if you're cooking all the time anyway.
I also find these useful as references and for ideas: Cooking Ingredients and The Flavor Thesaurus.
I don't see myself doing a full keto diet but I'd be interested in any particularly good keto cookbooks, there's a ton on Amazon.
posted by snuffleupagus at 7:08 AM on February 28, 2018 [1 favorite]
I can't decide whether I'm happy or annoyed that this thread turned into healthy sustainable eating/exercise tip day. But now that we're here I guess I can admit that while I have attempted Starting Strength (more than) a few times I was defeated by how fucking time consuming it was. 60-90 minutes 3x a week plus the additional food prep time (because I don't start gaining until over 3000 kcal) and gym commute/shower/etc is just... more than I'm willing to do as a 33 year old. I already feel like my day goes: get up, commute, work, commute, cook dinner, clean, get directly into bed. And I don't think you can really "small habit" your way into a strength gaining routine.
Basically my real problem is that adulthood has turned out to be a slow process of attrition for every non-work interest I used to have, but that's life I guess.
posted by en forme de poire at 8:46 AM on February 28, 2018 [3 favorites]
Basically my real problem is that adulthood has turned out to be a slow process of attrition for every non-work interest I used to have, but that's life I guess.
posted by en forme de poire at 8:46 AM on February 28, 2018 [3 favorites]
(Also bulking is EXPENSIVE and time consuming if you can't afford to outsource all that meal prep...)
posted by en forme de poire at 9:06 AM on February 28, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by en forme de poire at 9:06 AM on February 28, 2018 [1 favorite]
I don't think you can really "small habit" your way into a strength gaining routine.
Very true -- diminishing returns set in quickly (and I think the toxic baggage is piled ever higher in the gym than the kitchen) and that's probably why I'm focused on the cooking/eating side of things. That and it's fun and interesting in a way that I just can't make work for exercise.
You *can* small habit your way from total lassitude to that first plateau though, just doing bodyweight and light dumbbell exercise, and if I ignore advertised visual standards and remind myself I'm doing this for basic health and not society it's definitely better than I used to do (being nothing).
posted by snuffleupagus at 4:18 AM on March 1, 2018 [2 favorites]
Very true -- diminishing returns set in quickly (and I think the toxic baggage is piled ever higher in the gym than the kitchen) and that's probably why I'm focused on the cooking/eating side of things. That and it's fun and interesting in a way that I just can't make work for exercise.
You *can* small habit your way from total lassitude to that first plateau though, just doing bodyweight and light dumbbell exercise, and if I ignore advertised visual standards and remind myself I'm doing this for basic health and not society it's definitely better than I used to do (being nothing).
posted by snuffleupagus at 4:18 AM on March 1, 2018 [2 favorites]
You *can* small habit your way from total lassitude to that first plateau though, just doing bodyweight and light dumbbell exercise, and if I ignore advertised visual standards and remind myself I'm doing this for basic health and not society it's definitely better than I used to do (being nothing).
Just wanted to echo this.
My dietary changes and modest workout have been a boon to me. But every morning in the bathroom, I still examine my physique and imagine "hey, if I bumped up those weights, or added some barbells, I could build up my muscles even more."
It's a siren song that tries to drag you down and drown you in the sea of body image. It's something that has to be resisted.
I've set a goal of losing 15 pounds (of the 25 I'd gained) and toning up, so that some of those ten pounds I'll still retain is converted to muscle. If I can keep that goal in focus, and be happy with the health benefits of it, and not try to think too much about body image or social approval, it'll be good.
posted by darkstar at 7:12 AM on March 1, 2018 [4 favorites]
Just wanted to echo this.
My dietary changes and modest workout have been a boon to me. But every morning in the bathroom, I still examine my physique and imagine "hey, if I bumped up those weights, or added some barbells, I could build up my muscles even more."
It's a siren song that tries to drag you down and drown you in the sea of body image. It's something that has to be resisted.
I've set a goal of losing 15 pounds (of the 25 I'd gained) and toning up, so that some of those ten pounds I'll still retain is converted to muscle. If I can keep that goal in focus, and be happy with the health benefits of it, and not try to think too much about body image or social approval, it'll be good.
posted by darkstar at 7:12 AM on March 1, 2018 [4 favorites]
If anyone has time and feels like it, I'd be interested to hear more about the idea of a bodyweight / starting out strength training plateau, diminishing returns, etc. I am on my way up, early stages, and if there's a moment of plateau / possible speed bump / diminishing returns breakpoint, I'd love to mentally prepare myself for that now.
posted by lazaruslong at 8:02 AM on March 1, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by lazaruslong at 8:02 AM on March 1, 2018 [1 favorite]
I think what people are talking about is the idea of "beginner gains": basically if you're untrained in terms of strength, the good news is that almost anything weight-bearing you do will get you at least somewhat stronger. The less good news is that people adapt quickly in that early part of the curve (and some of the adaptation is actually neurological and not muscular), so without a progressive compound lifting program you will quickly stop making any gains at all. Hence the popularity of things like Starting Strength, which increase the weight steadily until you get all the way out of the sharp part of the curve into your body's actual plateau.
The two biggest problems I've faced trying to complete SS are as follows. First, compound lifts can be hard to learn properly, and without coaching your first indication something is wrong may be a strain or other (hopefully mild) injury. I've seen three coaches in my life, all of whom had very different ideas about how I should squat, and yet I still can't seem to get the hang of squatting without eventually hurting my back as I add weight. More regular coaching would probably help cement the movement and fix whatever I'm doing, but that is expensive (around a hundred dollars per session). Second, the calorie and time expenditure necessary to support this in and out of the gym is intense relative to most programs of exercise people suggest for a total beginner (e.g. Couch to 5K). The program can take 60-90 minutes to complete and needs to be done 3x a week, you will find you need to sleep like a teenager in order to progress at all, and you will likely need to do a lot more meal prep than you're already doing. Additionally, if you have problems doing the lifts properly, people may recommend you add an extra daily 10-15 minutes of "mobility work" to try to fix these problems.
So in my experience, all that is tough to maintain if an exercise habit isn't already firmly entrenched, in ways that aren't obvious when someone is all "dude it's just 3 hours a week, anyone can find that in their couch." Add the money and time and the discouragement of not being able to figure out how to perform the movements properly and the situation is even more daunting. Yet on the other hand, unlike with say, running, it doesn't seem like there are any more moderate, less technical programs that actually do much of anything. At least, I haven't come across any. Suggestions welcome!
I've been trying to focus on habit building lately, because most people who try to change too much at once will fail after a few weeks max, and over the last 15 years it has become clear that I am very much "most people." I have managed to make a few small daily healthy habits stick and have stopped doing one or two things that were taking a toll on me, which, you know, celebrate small successes too. But there doesn't seem to be any way to get from that kind of small BJ Fogg-ish change to becoming a person who has a shot at completing a "beginner" compound lifts program.
posted by en forme de poire at 10:26 AM on March 1, 2018 [2 favorites]
The two biggest problems I've faced trying to complete SS are as follows. First, compound lifts can be hard to learn properly, and without coaching your first indication something is wrong may be a strain or other (hopefully mild) injury. I've seen three coaches in my life, all of whom had very different ideas about how I should squat, and yet I still can't seem to get the hang of squatting without eventually hurting my back as I add weight. More regular coaching would probably help cement the movement and fix whatever I'm doing, but that is expensive (around a hundred dollars per session). Second, the calorie and time expenditure necessary to support this in and out of the gym is intense relative to most programs of exercise people suggest for a total beginner (e.g. Couch to 5K). The program can take 60-90 minutes to complete and needs to be done 3x a week, you will find you need to sleep like a teenager in order to progress at all, and you will likely need to do a lot more meal prep than you're already doing. Additionally, if you have problems doing the lifts properly, people may recommend you add an extra daily 10-15 minutes of "mobility work" to try to fix these problems.
So in my experience, all that is tough to maintain if an exercise habit isn't already firmly entrenched, in ways that aren't obvious when someone is all "dude it's just 3 hours a week, anyone can find that in their couch." Add the money and time and the discouragement of not being able to figure out how to perform the movements properly and the situation is even more daunting. Yet on the other hand, unlike with say, running, it doesn't seem like there are any more moderate, less technical programs that actually do much of anything. At least, I haven't come across any. Suggestions welcome!
I've been trying to focus on habit building lately, because most people who try to change too much at once will fail after a few weeks max, and over the last 15 years it has become clear that I am very much "most people." I have managed to make a few small daily healthy habits stick and have stopped doing one or two things that were taking a toll on me, which, you know, celebrate small successes too. But there doesn't seem to be any way to get from that kind of small BJ Fogg-ish change to becoming a person who has a shot at completing a "beginner" compound lifts program.
posted by en forme de poire at 10:26 AM on March 1, 2018 [2 favorites]
Oh, also, unlike other regimes involving exercise, bulking does not "pay you back" in terms of how you feel. Hard exercise can make you feel calm and energetic. Bulking makes me feel bloated and tired af.
posted by en forme de poire at 10:33 AM on March 1, 2018 [2 favorites]
posted by en forme de poire at 10:33 AM on March 1, 2018 [2 favorites]
That's very helpful - thank you for taking the time.
posted by lazaruslong at 2:49 PM on March 1, 2018
posted by lazaruslong at 2:49 PM on March 1, 2018
No problem. I hope it didn't come off as too negative. Obviously a lot of people do have success with a program like SS, but I think going into it without a realistic assessment of how much work it's going to be may just make it harder to achieve. I suspect there's also some survivorship bias in a lot of fitness lifestyle advice on the internet that can be counterproductive.
posted by en forme de poire at 4:16 PM on March 1, 2018 [3 favorites]
posted by en forme de poire at 4:16 PM on March 1, 2018 [3 favorites]
Yeah, I think you're definitely right about the need for realistic assessment and survivorship bias. And I didn't find that negative at all.
Honestly, I've spent the time to understand the science behind my diet and mindfulness changes....with the exercise thing, I think I might just keep my head down and follow the nerdfitness strength training path, throw in a couple of coached sessions per month to try and keep me in the general region of good form, and see how it goes. Sometimes the best strategy for my dedication is to expect very little and be pleasantly surprised, and a certain dash of ignorance is bliss regarding the granular mechanics of strength training will help with that.
posted by lazaruslong at 5:12 AM on March 2, 2018 [2 favorites]
Honestly, I've spent the time to understand the science behind my diet and mindfulness changes....with the exercise thing, I think I might just keep my head down and follow the nerdfitness strength training path, throw in a couple of coached sessions per month to try and keep me in the general region of good form, and see how it goes. Sometimes the best strategy for my dedication is to expect very little and be pleasantly surprised, and a certain dash of ignorance is bliss regarding the granular mechanics of strength training will help with that.
posted by lazaruslong at 5:12 AM on March 2, 2018 [2 favorites]
8 Ways for Men to Heal a Rough Relationship With Their Body.
posted by Major Matt Mason Dixon at 6:03 AM on March 4, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by Major Matt Mason Dixon at 6:03 AM on March 4, 2018 [1 favorite]
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