Dear Stein,

It's funny you should say that because apparently crutches REALLY work on the gun show.

Holy shit.

I had to take breaks... although I don't think carrying a 30(?) lb backpack is helping my case much. These things are wearing me out.

5/27/2011 4:40:02 PM

The key is not to wedge the top of them completely into the depths of your arm pit

Leave a little wiggle room, or you're going to be chafed AND sore

5/27/2011 6:18:26 PM

5/27/2011 10:22:18 PM

Yeah I quickly learned that. Even with not putting them in the pits, I now have giant swollen spots on my arm. Awesome. It looks like the fat pockets (or saggy spots at least) people have when they lose a bunch of weight. Ugh. They hurt.


AND I wish someone would have warned me about hard it is to get around on these damn things, energy wise. I am so tired.

Any good suggestions for padding? I heard washcloths are good

5/28/2011 1:16:09 AM

I always used towels, the softer the better.

That said, make sure they still have some grip otherwise that opens a whole different can of worms.

5/28/2011 1:51:25 AM

Tomorrow morning I'm going to take some current pictures and then take some at night and see how much of a difference there is.

5/28/2011 7:56:57 AM

Why stress yourself out over small details like what you look like at what time of day.

Just consistently weigh yourself at the same time each day. I'd suggest morning after you drop a log.

If you aren't at your target bodyweight or composition, keep plugging away. If over a week or two and you haven't made progress, modulate calories/activity.

This isn't rocket science, but fortunately for me and my profession, the general population will never realize that.

5/28/2011 8:28:29 AM

Sam, where are you eeding padding on the crutches? I used weight lifting gloves I think and they worked great. Either those or these random jetski gloves I have

5/28/2011 9:03:00 AM

people do tend to stress over the gym details and then eat very poorly. it should really be the other way around.....oh well , it will keep you busy!

5/28/2011 9:06:22 AM

Ugh, I'm having IT band problems, so if I want to be able to run for my race in July I'm gonna have to take it easy until it stops hurting. That's going to suck for losing weight in the interim.

5/28/2011 9:19:42 AM

783 calorie workout.

LOVE IT.

(Also... haven't tried pullups in a while and I knocked out four without feeling like I couldn't lift at all... I'm not a muscle-god yet, but it's better to be lighter and more fit than I was... this is going to be a long journey, but I'll finish it)

((ps - I just called it a journey... frick))

eta - I'm not really that stressed about the difference in morning and night, I just think it's interesting. Considering I started at ~250 lbs at my heaviest and I'm down to 208 right now, I'm just surprised at the difference in morning and night body appearance now that in the morning I actually look skinny. No worries. I'm watching my diet carefully and working out six times a day. If I miss a workout one day or go slightly over my calories one day, I don't freak out. I just am more careful or workout hard the next day.

I got over the "OMG AM I DOING THIS RIGHT!?" part a bit ago and am now just pluggin away.

[Edited on May 28, 2011 at 9:24 AM. Reason : a]

5/28/2011 9:20:34 AM

^^ Have you ever tried a foam roller? If not, do it. Most people ignore me when I say that so if I know them I always take mine to them and make them try it. They all go "oh my god, I wish I'd known about this before." I had IT band issues too but the foam roller helps so much.

5/28/2011 9:31:22 AM

I just ordered one yesterday on a suggestion from a running buddy. Hopefully it'll help! He also said that my job is causing more stress on my knee, since working with kids has me bending and kneeling a lot on top of the standing all day, but there's not much I can do about that.

5/28/2011 9:55:23 AM

I need them on the top part... this may sound like a dumb question but do I just secure it with duct tape?

Crutches newb.

5/28/2011 10:08:51 AM

I second the foam roller and yoga straps.

Also, skwinkle described me perfectly: They all go "oh my god, I wish I'd known about this before."

5/28/2011 10:14:19 AM

sounds about right. Put the cushion on top and wrap duct tape vertically around it as a single ring.

One thing I did was focus much more on pushing through with my arms on each swing, so almost like doing dips the whole time . Put much less wear on my arm pits.

5/28/2011 10:16:24 AM

my first experience with a foam roller when i was running a lot was "fuck this is awful"

after the second time "fuck how did i ever live without this"

5/28/2011 10:18:58 AM

Awful because it hurt? It does really hurt at first, but it hurts so good.

5/28/2011 11:15:21 AM

For the foam roller... save your money and buy a 4" pvc pipe cut to about 2-3feet in length. That costs $4 compared to $15-75

5/28/2011 1:08:57 PM

Matt's Rx is not for those new to foamrolling. I'd add layers of towel or foam mat on top of it or you will be a world of

5/28/2011 5:35:31 PM

It is 12:30 am, and I am heading to the gym for some bench presses, squats, and deadlifts... haven't been to the gym for about 3 years... if I don't start right now in the middle of the night, I won't start for another few months.

5/28/2011 5:35:33 PM

^ i hear ya


ive slacked off severely for the past two-three weeks.
stress/sickness/ and just being so freaking busy has really really cut into my workout time.

[Edited on May 28, 2011 at 5:37 PM. Reason : sss]

5/28/2011 5:37:31 PM

I was going to go to the gym today at 12:00, but apparently it doesn't open until 1.

So that killed my drive for the entire day.

5/28/2011 5:55:29 PM

How is one supposed to work out with this thing. I find myself just pulling down on it like a tard.

5/28/2011 6:26:14 PM

if you want to use it for a good tricep workout, then grab the handles, tuck your elbows into the side of your torso, and then try to extend the rope by keeping your body still while extending your arms downward.

You can do something similar for a biceps workout by positioning the rope at the bottom position on a cable machine and curling up with your elbows pulled in tight against your abdomen.

5/28/2011 6:38:30 PM

Got back a little while ago... feel great! Walking back, my upper arms, shoulders and chest felt unnaturally huge, awesome feeling!

Considering the workout I did (whole body free weights), and that it has been a 3 year hiatus, and that I am the oldest I have ever been (duh!), I expect to have soreness in my muscles (esp hamstrings, chest, triceps) for 10-15 days. Will post when it goes away.

Workout:

5 minute cardio

3 super sets of: bench, squats, deadlifts (each super set was a set each of the said exercises consecutively)

3 super sets of: lat pulldown, military press, shrugs (each super set was a set each of the said exercises consecutively)

3 sets barbell bicep curl

2 sets zottman curl

5/28/2011 8:14:11 PM

oh yeah. you are going to be very sore.

5/29/2011 1:05:48 AM

I love the rope thing! I did what eluesis described. You can also put it on the lowest level (the floor) and use it for bicep curls, aka dick curls

[Edited on May 29, 2011 at 2:10 AM. Reason : ps, that gif at the top of the page makes me smile every time ]

5/29/2011 2:10:20 AM

I have never heard anyone describe them as dick curls before; I must be missing something about that exercise.

5/29/2011 2:21:23 AM

i weighed myself this morning cause i got slightly drunk at a wedding last night


134.


srsly.


6 lbs of water weight b/c i had 3 beers and 3 glasses of wine?

5/29/2011 7:17:55 AM

I dropped 4.5 lbs the one week that I drank a bunch of beer (my grandmother died and my family mourns with alcohol). Pretty sure beer is magic.

5/29/2011 10:11:34 AM

From what I've read, alcohol will promote the purging of retained water. Especially water weight that is masking fat loss.

5/29/2011 4:04:32 PM

So a friend of mine and I have decided to challenge each other to a biggest loser sort of thing. We set a liberal goal of next spring to help ourselves succeed.

Anyway, I'm thinking I'm going to try accomplishing my epic win by doing the couch to 5k program. Has anyone else done this before? Any tips?

5/29/2011 8:42:27 PM

wow I suck. I lost all that weight before exams and then stopped caring completely and now....... it is all back. every last damn pound. so much fail. oh well my own damn fault.

back on the diet tomorrow. gonna see if I can manage to cut out alcohol/bar food from my diet. it is going to hurt me socially but maybe I can manage to save some $$$$$

5/30/2011 12:51:01 AM

Just because you are trying not to eat bar food/drink alcohol doesn't mean you can't go and be social with your friends. I do it a lot - I just make sure I eat something before I go and usually try to meet my friends after they order/eat so I'm not tempted and then I stick to water and club soda. It's a lot easier than you think

5/30/2011 1:40:54 AM

Drinking + Bar Food Strategy:

If you are planning to go out and have a night full of drinking and bar food... fast or eat very low calorie for most of the day. Then about ~2 hours before you go out try to have a very high protein meal + fiber meal. Think a couple of chicken breasts and broccoli.

This will keep total calories for the day low, so if you binge a bit the damage will be minimal. Also the high protein meal should keep you some what satiated through the night so you don't crave food too excessively.

Also, be smart and realize that fried cheese sticks or wings late night are not going to get you lean. Certain things take sacrifices, and if you want to get lean or ripped you have to stick to a strategy that will get you there.

5/30/2011 1:47:06 AM

haha well I've been drinking daily, and heavily, for about 2 weeks now so i need to give the bar scene a break anyway. but those are both great suggestions I'll keep them in mind for when my friends convince me to go out (cuz that's really hard to do )

thanks

5/30/2011 2:02:36 AM

i'll post in here, not cause i'm hardcore about this but just that i want to lose weight.

so far since apr 23rd, down 12 lbs though

5/30/2011 2:36:38 AM

Quote :

"So a friend of mine and I have decided to challenge each other to a biggest loser sort of thing. We set a liberal goal of next spring to help ourselves succeed. Anyway, I'm thinking I'm going to try accomplishing my epic win by doing the couch to 5k program. Has anyone else done this before? Any tips?"

Just C25K won't get you lean and make you drop a ton of weight, but running feels awesome and it will get you to the point where you can run for 30 minutes straight. If you want to lose weight, what you eat is even more important than what you do.

5/30/2011 8:11:20 AM

Quote :

"f you are planning to go out and have a night full of drinking and bar food... fast or eat very low calorie for most of the day. Then about ~2 hours before you go out try to have a very high protein meal + fiber meal. Think a couple of chicken breasts and broccoli. This will keep total calories for the day low, so if you binge a bit the damage will be minimal. Also the high protein meal should keep you some what satiated through the night so you don't crave food too excessively."

i used to do this all the time.
i went out drinking 4-5 nights a week (this was 3 or so years ago) and it was also when i weighed my lightest.

5/30/2011 9:51:40 AM

Begonias and I called them dick curls because the rope thing looks like the head of a penis when it's in your hand, and you're bringing it somewhat near your mouth


/immature

5/30/2011 11:01:36 AM

Quote :

"haha well I've been drinking daily, and heavily, for about 2 weeks now so i need to give the bar scene a break anyway. but those are both great suggestions I'll keep them in mind for when my friends convince me to go out (cuz that's really hard to do ) thanks"

Trust me I get how hard it is to turn down friends who say "come out come out. Just for a bit." I own a condo downtown and lived in it for 5 years before moving out to the burbs (ok I'm by Crossroads but technically I'm outside the beltline now). Friends would always call me first and try to talk me into going downtown and 9 times out of 10 I would go "oh ok." Ok I lie, for a long while it was 10 times out of 10 I would get suckered into going out. I ate out almost every meal (I lived walking distance from Mellow Mushroom and Armadillo Grill) and was going out 5-6 nights a week. It's always easier said than done when it comes to turning down invites to join friends out or to try not to eat yummy bar food or drink copious amounts of delicious beer.

I ended up having to go cold turkey and just stop going out so much. I tried to go to bed earlier and save money instead of pissing it away on beer and food. You just have to find what works for you

5/30/2011 4:25:29 PM

I need to re-start after this weekend of gluttony

5/30/2011 5:13:19 PM

I Know What You Ate at Rudinos

5/30/2011 5:32:22 PM

I've been working really hard on my before picture. Now I think I've reached my goal and I can start working on the after picture. 30 days on the paleo diet with intense workouts should get me started. I'm going to stop watching tv and maybe deactivate facebook until I am no longer a fatty. Yup, shit just got real.

5/30/2011 6:18:03 PM

^^^Same here, went on a 3 day cruise and didn't have much to do besides eat and drink. I did make it to the gym facilities once and did an hour long hike on the island the next day, so hopefully that lessened the damage done.

5/30/2011 10:13:16 PM

I'm six lbs away form 199 lbs.

Annnnnnnnd I'm winning the Biggest Loser competition by 2% body fat.

Woop woop!

5/31/2011 9:16:45 AM

Just checking in! Down 8 lbs since April 11th. Woot!

5/31/2011 9:44:42 AM

Does anyone here have any experience with celiac disease?

5/31/2011 2:02:01 PM

So I am ditching P90x and going with a more full body routine at the gym that focuses on one compound lift a day. I really wish I knew what my max was with bench press, squat, etc so I knew how much weight I should be doing but I have never tried to max anything and would need someone to spot me that knew what the hell they were doing.

5/31/2011 2:36:26 PM