Getting into shape

[JCShutout]

I know most people don't want to go full paleo/primal eating like I do. It is a lot of work. That said, I really think if you just cut the sugar,* (including the chemically fake sugar crap that's worse than real sugar) the weight will slide off and you won't starve.

Fruit is okay, not to excess.

Of course, I'd recommend more than that, but if nothing else, cut the sugar.**

**They put sugar/corn syrup in a lot of processed foods and sauces. Read your boxes before buying and restaurant beware.

Also, way to go Leroy! Keep it up!! Remember that its good to not overtrain. If you body is screaming for a rest day, its okay to listen to it.

Sorry if I sound preachy. Just want to be supportive.

[ZigZagCardsFan]

I agree with that too. And I'd avoid fake sugar if you can avoid it. Whenever I have something with sweetener in it, I feel hungry more frequently. I'm sure there's some science explaining how the body thinks it's getting sugar and freaks out when it doesn't actually get it.

[Freed Roger]

[Donnie Ebert]

On my run this morning in the darkness and fog I heard the jangle of a collar to my left and turned to see a dog running at me with its eyes reflected in my headlamp. It started barking and started running full speed at me, so I yelled "[expletive]!" and was about to jump into the back of a random pickup truck when I shouted "Hey!", mostly in case the owner happened to have let the dog out into an unsecured backyard and might hear me. The dog was on the other side of the street at this point, but the yell caused it to stop and turn and trot away. I was wearing a headlamp, so maybe the light freaked it out too.

I ran a while longer to make sure the dog was gone before I had to walk and catch my breath for a bit. Then I picked up the pace again and finished my run (avoiding that street on my next loops of the neighborhood).

Still, I was imagining someone peering out the window with his morning coffee to see a random dude wearing a headlamp shouting in the darkness and then jumping into the back of his pickup.

[ZigZagCardsFan]

I was out for a run one morning and had a similar situation.

I ran past a house and heard the owner scream the dog's name (whatever it was). I take off in a sprint because I can hear the thing's claws on the sidewalk behind me and the lady is trying to keep up with both of us yelling for me to stop running. I look back and I see this small little fluffy dog sprinting after me.

I'm relieved but still don't care to have my ankles bitten by this thing and I don't have the heart to punt it. So I keep running. Dog behind me. Lady struggling to keep up behind the dog. After a couple blocks it eventually stopped following.

[Freed Roger]

a study

There May Be a Downside to Working Out With Music
A new study found that auditory or visual distractions affected runners' biomechanics, which may raise risk of injury.

The researchers noted that when the runners concentrated on those distractions, they applied force to their legs at a faster rate, compared to when they had a single focus. They also tended to breathe heavier and have higher heart rates while distracted. During the listening scenario, they also experienced an increased amount of force from the ground—meaning they came down harder with each foot fall.

I don't know about all that - their test doesn't sound like it used music - but distracted runners on a treadmill with questions. I can tune music out, or cruise with it. It's not necessarily interactive like their study.

To test their hypothesis that distractions could interfere with safety, researchers from the University of Florida asked 14 experienced runners to run on a treadmill three separate times—once while watching a screen that flashed different letters and colors; once while listening to words spoken by different voices; and once with no background images or noise. For both distraction scenarios, they were asked to pay attention and identify certain letter-color or word-voice combinations

Beyond scope of study:
There's a trade-off with perception of effort and the increased heart rate I believe. Plus it helps get me out the door. I don't listen when it's unsafe. At the gym, always have headphones (or get stuck listening to intercom music). Trails, rarely. Easy neighborhood runs or Forest Pk - I usually listen to music. Races - normally I don't -unless I'm just using race as a workout, instead of a goal race. For the long races - marathon, or 50k - I pick up my ipod about halfway, and get a boost. If I listened from the start, I suspect it would be nothing but annoying noise at that point.

[AWvsCBsteeeerike3]

Has anyone ever used/taken/eaten/tried Herbalife meal replacement shakes? A guy I play bball with just opened a store where they're essentially a distributor. It costs ~$3-4 per shake/meal. About 200 calories in each one. I tried a weeks worth and lost about 5 lbs and feel pretty good doing it. Don't know if it's a long term solution, but definitely helps decrease hunger/shrink appetite in the short term.

[ZigZagCardsFan]

Has anyone ever used/taken/eaten/tried Herbalife meal replacement shakes? A guy I play bball with just opened a store where they're essentially a distributor. It costs ~$3-4 per shake/meal. About 200 calories in each one. I tried a weeks worth and lost about 5 lbs and feel pretty good doing it. Don't know if it's a long term solution, but definitely helps decrease hunger/shrink appetite in the short term.

I've known a few people that sold it who gained all of their weight back plus some. It looks like another unsustainable quick fix.

[Fat Strat]

Going back to Leroy's post becasue I'm in the same situaiton... If you are losing a pound a week while working out a bunch -- as Leroy seems to be doing -- then you're probably really doing well for yourself! Muscle weighs more than fat. So, you could certainly be burning off fat and calories while packing on muscle. And if you keep it up and lose 1 lb per week for a year, then you'll have lost 52 lbs. Which is a huge number. You'll also have developed some awesome habits that you won't be able to break easily.

I'm in week 3 of a new workout program. It's with my son's Tae Kwon Do instructor -- as the second family member who is registered it's only $30 per month! -- and he has me doing TKD/MMA style training. It's absolutely killing me. 1 hour workouts each time I go. I checked the scale this morning and I'm up 2 lbs over the 3 weeks. Terrible right? Well... my energy level is much higher than it was. I'm definitely getting stronger. And it seems like my cardio/endurance is steadily improving. I'm also gaining a lot of flexibility. So, really good things are happening with these workouts, but the scale results are not good. I also haven't had a fast food lunch since before Christmas, so that will catch up eventually. I've probably been eating a little more than I normally would (especially protein) to try and recover muscle from the intense workouts. I hope that within the next week or two it all starts to come together and I'll start shedding pounds more quickly.

[ZigZagCardsFan]

Count those calories, Fat. People don't realize how much they're actually eating until they start keeping track of everything. It really was a revelation to me.

It's incredibly tedious at first, annoying even, but it's the only way to truly get a gasp on the fundamental calories in v. calories out battle.

It's error proof as long as the tracking is correct.