The Rules of the Unbelievable Lightness of Being Club, and How I’m Gonna Get in Shape

Tad Says:

April 7th, 2008, 7:49 am

Leo,

Creating a training log is a great way to keep track of your progress! I think you’ll see many benefits in your running after you have been doing strength training for a few months. Good luck and keep us posted!

Tad
http://growingintoyou.com/

Jeff@My Super-Charged Life Says:

April 7th, 2008, 8:01 am

I love your approach. It’s simple and sustainable. I ride an exercise bike 3-4 times per week for 25-30 minutes each time. I read while I ride. It helps me to relieve stress, improve my health, and sharpen my mind all at the same time!

Liara Covert Says:

April 7th, 2008, 8:41 am

I like your view of “no dieting.” To me, this is a healthy approach. If you give your body the illusion it won’t get enough of what it needs, then it may be harder to focus on progressing along physical and emotional fitness.

I think its fabulous you have completed some marathons. Different kinds of exercise appeal to me. Daily walks and meditation in natural settings refreshes my spirit and mind.

Jeff P Says:

April 7th, 2008, 8:54 am

Leo-
I’d only recommend you increase your protein to be more in line with your carbs and decrease your fat. I have been where you’re at, having run a marathon myself. The protein helps to build the muscle - and we could all use a little less fat in our diet, even if it comes from good, natural sources.

april Says:

April 7th, 2008, 8:57 am

Leo, You make me want to do similar things! I have gained so much weight in the past 6 months. (still far from being fat) but enough that my clothing don’t fit.. I don’t know what happened i use to use my stepper with out effort every day. for about 15 minutes it was a great start to my morning.. no i lay in bed. :( the eating right has always hit a happy nerve with me I normally feel best when i eat like what you suggest!
maybe it is time for me to get back with it! ..
any way much thanks to Leo I”m going to sort of copy! the hard part is staying accountable only because i’m not always able to get to the pc.. :) so i may go old fashion and break out the line notepad paper!

karl Staib - Your Work Happiness Matters Says:

April 7th, 2008, 9:00 am

So many times I’ve eaten when I’m ravenous and I always stuff myself. It’s a good rule to eat when only mildly hungry. I try to eat every couple hours to maintain my weight.

Sean Kelly Says:

April 7th, 2008, 9:01 am

Thanks for the rules for your club. Me and my fiance are attempting to get into shape a bit for the summer and we will more than likely use these tips to help us succeed.

RT from RMO Says:

April 7th, 2008, 9:03 am

The whole principle of my site, Real Muscle Online is that losing weight is about getting healthy. If we eat healthy we will get lean and we will grow bigger muscles. Everyone who adopts this method has success.

Good luck Leo. If you need any tips or personal advice shoot over to Real Muscle Online and let me know.

RT

wwdoc Says:

April 7th, 2008, 9:03 am

I *am* in shape. (Round is a shape).

Rick - Tripping the Muse Says:

April 7th, 2008, 9:20 am

Great post. We’ve found that eating light has helped us both lose and maintain weight. By “light” I don’t mean that we stop eating certain foods (I’ll never give up pizza), but that we eat smaller portions. Until recently I never realized how important it was to eat throughout the day. I used to save my appetite for a large evening meal. Bad idea apparently. Now I eat three meals a day without overdoing it, drink lots of water, and exercise lightly. Amazingly I’ve lost weight this way and all I’ve done to maintain is to increase my portions slightly. If I start to gain I can adjust accordingly.

Israel Lagares Says:

April 7th, 2008, 9:26 am

Awesome! After seeing your pictures from the marathon I thought to myself, “Leo needs to build up some muscle.” I’m looking forward to seeing your progress Any more room in the club for me?

Edwin | Fitness Chapter Says:

April 7th, 2008, 9:29 am

Hi Leo,

I see you have done a lot of planning for your training regime. That is a good thing!

Your workout plan looks great, I’m also a big fan of compound exercises. I’m not too sure about that bicep curls though. You might want to consider adding deadlifts and dips inside too. How many repetitions are you going to do for a set? I’m not too sure whether 1 set for each exercise would be enough.

Hope to see your progress, good luck!

Edwin

cory at agoodhusband.net Says:

April 7th, 2008, 9:31 am

I just started working out two months ago. I should be keeping a journal of what I’m doing and what’s happening to me. I was just remarking to my wife the other day that it feels like I’m not losing weight very fast. Of course, I didn’t have much to lose, but I thought I would try to get down to my high school weight…maybe that’s a little ambitious, I don’t really know.

Good luck, I’ll be watching!

Leo Says:

April 7th, 2008, 9:35 am

Thanks everyone!

@Edwin: I know, bicep curls are not compound, but man, I’d like to have nice biceps just once in my life, so forgive me that indulgence. :)

I know that one set is also too little, but remember that I’m starting out really light here. I will increase sets and weights once I get more into the habit, after 2-3 weeks. I also plan to add deadlifts and dips, but probably no other exercises.

SpaceAgeSage Says:

April 7th, 2008, 9:37 am

“Take a rest day when you feel like you need it– but never two days in a row “– YES! — I may become busy, distracted, or discouraged and getting back to exercise that third or fourth day is tough!

My husband is flattening his stomach (now down two belt sizes) with the help of garlic pills that digest further into the digestive track for less garlicky smell and with acidophilus pills. Both allow what he eats to be utilized well and then moved on efficiently.

urpwnd Says:

April 7th, 2008, 9:39 am

good luck and sounds like you’ve got a good start already!

be aware though, curls are a waste of time.

however, your workout is pretty close to one of the best workouts (especially for beginners) i’ve ever come across, and you would do yourself a favor by checking it out.

http://www.stronglifts.com

StrongLifts 5×5 is fan-freakin-tastic requires only 3 days a week, and only about 30-45 minutes a workout. And the best part is it makes you genuinely full-body strong. when your whole body is strong, you burn fat like no tomorrow.

Edwin | Fitness Chapter Says:

April 7th, 2008, 9:48 am

Don’t worry, I don’t always practice what I preach. I’m secretly working on my biceps too, *hides*.

I’m glad you decided to do deadlifts. Not much people do them and I don’t understand why. Deadlift is such a wonderful compound exercise!

Compound exercises are wonderful, but they are dangerous too. I will advice you to take extra caution when performing them. Always get the right technique and make sure you are in correct form. Good luck once again!

Edwin

Tom Marsh Says:

April 7th, 2008, 9:59 am

Recipe suggestion :

Made this for the first time last night, and we ended up making some extra to enjoy for later… incredible, and I’m not really even vegetarian, but it’s times like this I want to consider it:

Sauce for salad :
Coconut Milk (light)
Red-chili oil (to taste)
Rice Wine Vinegar (also to taste)

Salad :
Sauté scallions/onions & garlic together with olive oil. Set aside. Boil a wide pan of water, about 1″ deep… Toss bok choy leaves in for only 2-4 stirs, until just tender & flexible.
Drain on plate.

Put it together:
In each bowl, start with the bok choy, small handful, put your scallions & garlic over top… pour sauce over the top, crush peanuts, almonds & fresh ginger together to garnish.

Figure I’d share a meal idea, we had no idea this would be as “filling” as it was. Plus if you’re staying light, then go with the light coconut milk or even extra virgin coconut oil.

Enjoy!

Mr. K Says:

April 7th, 2008, 9:59 am

I dropped about 80 lb (from 310 to about 230) by sticking to a similar training/eating regiment as outlined by Leo.

My absolute numero uno resource for training/diet information was Muscle & Fitness magazine. Every month’s magazine has at least one fully fledged workout plan and one accompanying diet plan. While I don’t personally think someone needs to follow a specific plan (making your own is better), just reading through such plans gives you a lot of insight into how to properly set up your own routine/diet. Also, the workouts/diets are fairly age/gender neutral as well as simple enough for normal people.

As for other diets, a buddy of mine who is in very good shape swears by the Abs Diet (associated with Men’s Health magazine), and it really seems to work for him, though I can’t personally recommend it because all I know is that it also shares some of the same strong, simple logic discussed here.

One aspect of workout/diet that isn’t covered here is supplementation. Such a discussion might be a little advanced for a beginner, but I definitely think it is a viable and approachable topic for many people. I focused on three basic and proven-to-be-safe supplements: green tea tablets, whey protein powder, and Creatine powder. An hour before every workout, I would pop a green tea tablet and drink a shake consisting of skim milk, whey protein, and Creatine. On the other hand, it is important to be careful when approaching this topic because the supp market is filled with crap like Hydroxycut and TrimSpa X32 that pose very dangerous side affects like, um…. heart failure!

OK I’ll stop there :)

Chris Says:

April 7th, 2008, 10:00 am

I just started trying to lose a few (dozen) pounds last week and I am finding the fitday site quite useful. I am going to start the treadmill (or Tread Meal as my son calls it.) today. Wish me luck.

blogrdoc Says:

April 7th, 2008, 10:07 am

@Leo:
I’d highly recommend weighing yourself daily and plotting it on a chart. Forgive me if you already said you are doing this.

If you can quantify it, you can control it. The chart will give you visual mapping of behavior to results. Body weight is *surprisingly* changeable, both up and down. Once you begin to learn how your body responds to different factors - you will gain control over those factors, and therefore gain control over your weight.

I’m 5′10″ and was once 175lbs. I’m now 155 and stable (and have been for 6 months).

Vered Says:

April 7th, 2008, 10:12 am

“No dieting, no restricted foods” - for me, that’s the only way to make it work long term. Plus, it’s healthy to eat small quantities of a large variety of foods.

Have you read Michael Pollan’s The Omnivore’s Dilemma?
I *love* the way he sums it up:
“Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants”.

wwdoc - funny. :)

Beth Partin Says:

April 7th, 2008, 10:16 am

I wish I could find a way to stay in shape with a bad elbow. When it hurts, I’m not sure what exercises won’t make it worse–so I do nothing.

michelle Says:

April 7th, 2008, 10:19 am

have you checked out crossfit? they were featured in Muscle & Fittness Magazine this month. I train at crossfit round rock in texas but that’s a bit too far for you i’m sure- crossfittx.com

Here is the main site: http://www.crossfit.com/

CF Says:

April 7th, 2008, 10:24 am

I came here from my RSS feed to add a comment about adding deadlifts, but glad to see that someone beat me to it. Arguably the #1 exercise for building muscle, and also, when done properly, balance out the quad-dominant squats. As for the curls, if they make you feel good and you do them at the end, go for it.

Workout looks good, only question is when you say standing row, is that rowing toward your body (horizontally, probably with a cable), or upward toward your shoulders (upright row)? If upright row, be careful, it puts shoulder in poor position and can cause shoulder impingement. Regular row horizontal to your body is much better for many reasons (safer, works more important muscles etc.).

Good luck! Looking forward to hearing about your progress!

sioraiocht Says:

April 7th, 2008, 10:42 am

As someone with an extremely high strength to weight ratio (I’m a gymnast), I have a few suggestions:

1. No diet is a good idea, but you might want to rethink your balance. If you are strength training your body needs protein. A lot of it. A lot of strength experts say about 1 gram of protein per pound of weight on your body. That is, btw, a lot of protein. It’s very difficult to maintain that, but you nevertheless get the idea that protein should be a large source of your nourishment.

2. Eating every 3-4 hours is too long. If you are trying to keep up muscle creation (I don’t mean like scary body-builder, I mean normal style), you really ought to eat every 2 hours that you are awake. This is important for regulating your blood sugar—if your blood sugar gets low, and then you eat, your body will tend to store more as fat. This is your body responding to “scarcity”, as that is an evolutionary survival mechanism. If you keep your blood sugar regular it will counteract this tendency. Also, it helps with protein absorption to eat smaller meals more often.

3. There are many different workout systems out there. If they make you work hard, they work. Stick to one and don’t expect results for at least the first 90 days.

There’s a lot more advice, but a lot of comments with it already. Good luck!

Dan S. Says:

April 7th, 2008, 11:03 am

Leo,

I’m not fitness expert (in fact I’ve been rather sedentary for several months), but just a quick suggestion that I myself plan on getting into the habit of as well.

I just attended the Univ. of Michigan Football team’s spring coaching clinic, hosted by the U-M coaching staff, and their new strength & conditioning coach, Mike Barwis, who is one of the best in the country, HEAVILY stressed core training. You can bench 500+ and squat 700+, but it’s really not going to be useful if you don’t have conditioning and body control.

Especially if you’re looking to work your abs, he showed us some workouts using a core training ball (one of those inflatable balls 55, 65 or 75cm in diameter depending on your height) to really work all of the muscles in your core. Try sitting on one with your feet off the ground. Once you’ve mastered that (60-90ish seconds w/o moving much), try kneeling. Then proceed to stand on it. Then proceed to stand on it and toss an object back and forth. Also, crunches done while leaning on the ball are great because you’re also forced to use your entire core to stabilize yourself in the process instead of focusing on just a couple muscle groups.

I’m going to be trying these out starting in the next couple days, and hopefully getting back into my boxing routine soon as well. Just figured you might like the suggestion.

Keep up the great work w/ the blog, and best of luck w/ your workout plans!

Anita Says:

April 7th, 2008, 11:24 am

Hi folks,

I have two simple rules which has kept my weight good and light for thirty years or so…

1. 80% old chinese rule: eat to 80% full (I know, how do you know what 80% is? But believe me, if you have that in mind, you’ll get the idea.

2. only one helping. Never go back for seconds.

Both of these are a practice of “enough mind”. And echoing Leo’s guidelines, cultivate awareness. If you eat consciously then you’re less likely to overdo it.

Bon appetit!

Clay Collins | Anti-Hacks for Living Says:

April 7th, 2008, 11:46 am

@Edwin: Nice website my friend.

banji - LessonInLife.com Says:

April 7th, 2008, 11:52 am

Anita - Only one helping. A friend of mine actually did that but that one helping can feed three of us :)

Nice tips Leo, even though a shorter name for the club will be more memorable.

Chris Austria Says:

April 7th, 2008, 12:09 pm

I guess like everyting in life, moderation and discipline is key. Unfortunately, they are both difficult to master.

I’ve given up eating meat during the week and boy it’s probably one fo the toughest things I’ve done. It’s even tougher than raising teenagers! LOL

Adam King Says:

April 7th, 2008, 12:33 pm

Good plan, Leo. I lost almost 30 pounds doing something very similar, so I can tell you this WILL work for you, especially if you have already made up your mind that it will. I can tell you that this will rev your metabolism into overdrive. So you may end up eating small meals every 2 hours!! Don’t forget a good organic protein source to promote proper muscle development. Concentrate on functional strength and you will see amazing results! Great job. Now you two go and get it!!!

Lauren Says:

April 7th, 2008, 14:05 pm

Don’t forget the protein!! You need to be eating 1/2 your body weight in grams of protein. Protein keeps you satiated and your blood sugar level - try to get some in 4 times a day.

Leonard Klaatu Says:

April 7th, 2008, 14:32 pm

wwdoc - underappreciated comment.

I echo the higher protein factor and lower fat factor.

I’m not very high on light workouts though. Personally, I enjoy a workout that leaves me breathless and exhausted. 11 seconds of sex seems to fit the bill nicely.

Andrew is getting fit Says:

April 7th, 2008, 15:12 pm

Great suggestions Leo.

I follow similar ones myself already. I find posting about my fitness and weightloss goals really helps to keep my accountable as well.

Chica Dificil Says:

April 7th, 2008, 15:33 pm

Strength training will def improve your running time — I saw the difference in my own running before and after. Thanks for sharing the tips.

Leo Says:

April 7th, 2008, 15:46 pm

Thanks for all the suggestions guys. Believe me, I’ve done a lot of research into my protein needs. I definitely get enough on regular days, and I’ll be taking a protein shake on strength workout days.

To be honest, and I know this will probably spark off a debate I don’t really want to get into, most bodybuilders and bodybuilding magazines recommend way too much protein. Most of it doesn’t get used by our bodies.

If you look at my meal plan, I get protein with every meal — in the form of tofu, beans, nuts, and bean/nut products like almond butter. I measure my protein intake with FitDay and it’s more than adequate.

Here’s just one of many articles on this issue:

http://www.thedoctorwillseeyounow.com/articles/nutrition/protein_2/

brandon Says:

April 7th, 2008, 16:43 pm

i have to disagree with those who say he needs more protein. you really don’t need any protein, you need amino acids. your body breaks down animal proteins into amino acids and builds human protein with them. all the essential amino acids are abundantly available if you eat plentifully fruits, grains, and vegetables.

also you don’t need a ton of protein (or amino acids) if you are going for strength training, anything above a certain threshold helps create more muscle bulk. and bigger muscles do not equal stronger, just bigger. so you were a body builder you could take amino acids, if you were just trying to become stronger you can easily get enough through your food.

a few tips leo that i learned from when i did my research on strength training: 1) before you exercise have 200-400mg of caffeine, and also take creatine. both of them will help you last longer and work harder when working out. 2) also check out doing calisthenics instead of weights. they exercise more of the twitch type muscles then even free weights and result in greater strength in real world type activities. they get criticized a lot for being a ‘weaker’ form of strength training then weights. but i’d like to see how people that do bench presses every day can do a few handstand push-ups. also i believe they result in being more naturally proportion then those who use weights

Maria Says:

April 7th, 2008, 17:28 pm

Hi Leo,

Congrats on running the marathon. Looks like you and Eva have a good plan for the next couple of months.

I’ll be traveling the same road as you and your wife. I’d like to lose 10 pounds and get into shape by June 20, which is my 47th b-day. Woo! Woo!

I ran a half marathon in ‘07 and have signed up to run another in Sept. I’d like to do it in under 2 hours.

I’m at 145 right now. To keep myself accountable, I’ll report in on the 20th and a few times before.

Here’s to a healthy spring for everyone!

Maria

LadyExpat Says:

April 7th, 2008, 18:14 pm

Good luck to both of you. Sounds like you’ve given this some thought, and have come up with a sound plan.

Stephen Cooper Says:

April 7th, 2008, 19:57 pm

Hi Leo,
Your plan sounds like a solid one.

Like so many of the other comments about “increasing protein”, taking creatine…and so forth, the more complicated we make it, the less “most” people are able to stick to it.

Your plan is simple, doable, plus you’ll soon find out with your tracking, if it’s working.

Best,
Coop

ScottyDoo | Blending Zen Says:

April 7th, 2008, 20:50 pm

Looks great Leo, and I think I will take some tips from yours to add into mine. My office kicked off a “Biggest Loser” contest between all the employees. We’re two weeks into it so far and I dropped 4 lbs the first week, just watching calories (never did that before) and light exercise every other day. I slacked on watching the calories and didn’t exercise as much the second week, but I still dropped 3. My overall goal is to get down to 200 (currently at 257), though not in the 6 weeks left in the competition.

I also started my own blog to track my progress and sadly have not been keeping up with it. Here’s the address however, and maybe making it public (even if no one reads it) will motivate me a bit more.

http://www.myfatblog.com

Bod Says:

April 7th, 2008, 21:06 pm

Leo - love the blog.

I love a swiss ball for workout - take a look at the TPI for a great, safe, workout. I’m a golfer and everything is about paitence, core, stabilty, timing, and application of power - sounds like your blog, huh?

The Titlest Performance Institute has a bunch of programs, reviews, and articles about using the Swiss Ball for a workout. See Http://www.mytpi.com and search on “swiss ball” - it may require registration (free).

Bod

Shilpan | successsoul.com Says:

April 7th, 2008, 21:58 pm

Leo - Awareness as used by Zen Buddhists is a great virtue to - eat until you satisfy your hunger and stop eating before you feel excess. I believe that 1- Water 2-Fiber and 3-protein are essential elements in the balance diet.

Shilpan

Chr Says:

April 7th, 2008, 22:16 pm

Don’t be afraid of more lower body exercises, there are a lot out there if you look around. Many of which can assist in keeping your legs strong and healthy given all the marathon training.

Oh, and you won’t end up being top heavy, with a well built upper body and toothpick legs…

Greta Dobe Says:

April 7th, 2008, 22:32 pm

Running changed my life.

Shilpan | successsoul.com Says:

April 7th, 2008, 22:34 pm

Leo-

There are three mood states - False highs, unnecessary lows, and numbness - we are not sensitive to the subtle signs of hunger in these three states so we often eat more than we need. We also do not sense consequences of our actions in these three states. Learning to control these three states can overcome habit of food craving and helps control diet and weight on a long term basis.

Shilpan

Shalom Says:

April 7th, 2008, 23:00 pm

Great advice - keeping it simple.

blogrdoc Says:

April 8th, 2008, 1:29 am

My favorite exercise without question is the dip. This simple exercise gives you a tremendous upperbody workout and also tricept workout. Thanks to this exercise, I’ve maintained upper body strength for 18+ years and only spend 10mins (if that) on average per day. It’s a very ‘zen’ thing, I think because to focus on form is key. If you can do *one* dip with proper form, you are on your way to a killer upper body.

Eugene (Editor, Varsity Blah) Says:

April 8th, 2008, 1:34 am

Sounds like quite a plan! My approach to getting in shape was made so much easier thanks to two important resources:

Firstly, the Men’s Health Abs Diet. It also promotes eating every three hours (which equals five or six meals a day, depending on how much you sleep) and drinking a bottle of water an hour before each meal. There’s no counting calories and you get to enjoy a cheat meal once a week. The simplicity is perfect!

Secondly, Static Contraction Training. This really is revolutionary strength training! I came across it while doing Get the Edge by Anthony Robbins. It’s based on the laws of physics, so you simply focus on lifting weights up and holding them there. (Something about power equaling force x distance). There’s no up and down movement, which means you can lift heavier and work out less. I managed to get a sixpack from doing 5 crunches twice a month! SERIOUSLY!

Hope this helps!

Burhan Says:

April 8th, 2008, 4:42 am

Nice stuff

WIll print and place it in my Office Board. So they start ordering Light Stuff. Office Job made me fat

Fredrik Says:

April 8th, 2008, 4:57 am

Hi there,

Love your blog, a subsciber since a couple of months back.

Read that you are heading to Thailand. I live in Thailand with my wife and I have just finished writing a Bangkok Guide. I would love to have a cup of tea with you and a chat. We could do some running as well since I’ll be doing a Marathon in Pattaya in July.

Drop me a line if interested!

Best

Fredrik

Leo Says:

April 8th, 2008, 6:32 am

@Fredrik: Thanks for the offer! Do you live in Bangkok? I wouldn’t mind going for a run at all! Are there a lot of dogs in Bangkok? There are on Guam and I usually plan my route so I don’t run on the same side as the very vicious ones. :)

Also, are there good places to get good, quality, but cheap running shoes in Bangkok? Any recommendations would be helpful.

Chris Austria Says:

April 8th, 2008, 9:36 am

Leo–

This is funny…I do the same thing when I visit the Philippines. When I go for my run, I plan my route so that I don’t encounter dogs and their poop on the streets.

Andy Smith Says:

April 8th, 2008, 10:19 am

Leo,

Have you looked into Gyminee instead of FitDay? Like FitDay, you can track your food intake, but the workout and exercise tracking is much better (you could even get a widget for your blog to show your progress). Accounts are free at http://www.gyminee.com.

Best Regards,

Andy

Alex Says:

April 8th, 2008, 10:45 am

Hey, its great to get in shape,

i myself have lost 53lbs in 5 months naturally w/o the use of supplements aside from some protein and a multi vitamin . Watch your caloric intake but just keep it enough to create a deficit, and then slowly increase that gap if you are trying to lose weight. also your meals should range from breakfast being the largest meal of the day w/ the most carb intake to dinner the smallest meal w/ the least carb. Goodluck and i hope you get the results, just keep in mind its not overnight but one day you’ll wake up and see the full extent of your feet !

best of luck,

Alex

p.s. take a few photos of urself each month on the same date for comparison, and weigh ur self no more than twice a month.

Fredrik Says:

April 8th, 2008, 10:59 am

About shoes: I don’t know what you are used to, I find that shoes here cost similar to Europe. But if you know exactly what you want there are many good stores. Unfortunately the staff does not know much about the shoes they sell, which is why you need to know shich shoe to get.

PUMA, NIKE, Adidas, New Balance - they all have stores in many locations in Bangkok.

Dogs are not a big problem in Bangkok, more so in the countryside.

Good luck with your training!

Daniel Says:

April 8th, 2008, 11:35 am

Great post - you seem to have a pretty good grasp on where you are, where you want to be, and how to get there!

I want to thank you for turning me on to Fitday. I’ve been doing the lose weight/get fit thing for the past several months, (the weight loss thing I did big time a few years ago) and Fitday ties a lot of what I’ve been researching and tracking on my own into a nice, neat package. I posted my impressions of it here: http://eclecticgeekology.blogspot.com/2008/04/fitdaycom-initial-impressions.html

Lady G Says:

April 8th, 2008, 19:11 pm

Excellent guidelines for being light, and healthy.

The first one - eat when you’re lightly hungry - can be a bit tricky I think.Sometimes it easy to say that you are starting to hungry when really you just feel like eating!

sikantis Says:

April 8th, 2008, 22:24 pm

When the mind and the heart are in balance and happy, then the body is telling you what it needs. Then you don’t have to count the calories or to think in an analytical way of food. Eating should be fun and joy like all the other life acitivities.

anna Says:

April 8th, 2008, 22:32 pm

i think that the book, the unbearable lightness of being was about the absence of controll we have over lives, not our diet or exercise. it was about loving life no matter how we look or where we are. it was about love.

Daniel Says:

April 8th, 2008, 22:48 pm

I feel there is a subtle yet inescapable and important difference between the phrase “The unbearable lightness of being” and the phrase “The unbelievable lightness of being”.

The book was actually more about the futility of life, hense the use of “unbearable”. The book says that our decisions mean nothing, therefore we are unattached, and therefore “light”. On the other hand, our decisions mean nothing, therefore we are insignificant and our lives mean nothing - which is unbearable. Very dark and dreary stuff if you look too hard at it.

The word unbelievable is imbued with a certain sense of awe and wonder about life. Intentional or not, it was an excellent choice.

steve Says:

April 9th, 2008, 7:05 am

Its a good way to do things, as you are more likely to stick to it if it is more enjoyable.

Matin Says:

April 9th, 2008, 7:06 am

Leo, can your blog get possibly any better?? every time I look it up, there is something interesting and inspiring:-) you are a truly special individual and should be very proud of yourself:-)
Thanks a lot
X M

brooklynchick Says:

April 9th, 2008, 9:05 am

Moderation - the key to success! I’ve lost 23 pounds in 14 months -slow and steady and SUSTAINABLE!

Good luck with your plan - it sounds great!

Molly Says:

April 9th, 2008, 9:19 am

Leo,

First of all I am now addicted to your site. I check is daily and I spend way more time than I should looking at archived articles. Well done.

Secondly, I really appreciate your advice about letting others know about your fitness goals and such to keep yourself accountable and motivated. I was trying to get back into the swing of things and decided (after reading your many posts) to start a blog about my progress. As I have never blogged before I sort of stole (or shall we say borrowed) a lot of your ideas. (Thank you) Anyway, it has been working…though I’m pretty sure no one is reading it I like to think lots of people are. :-)

Thanks again!

James | Double Danger Says:

April 9th, 2008, 11:09 am

Leo - I started getting in shape about a year & a half ago, went up and down with weight - finally deciding I had to do something and stick to it. Since November of last year I have lost about 35 lbs. and it was done mostly by doing things lightly.

It took me 10 years to put the weight on, it might take half that to get it all off… gotta start slow and stick with it.

Also keeping a log (or blog in this case) is a great way to stay on top of things. Hold yourself accountable with it, it is hard to come back and tell people you gained 2 lbs at the end of the week. Trust me, I know!

Doug Says:

April 9th, 2008, 12:30 pm

Leo, don’t rule out two days of rest in a row. AND you HAVE to take a whole week off about every five or six weeks. I think you should replace your upright rows with lat pulldows (if you have access to the right equipment, if not then bent-over rows). The exercises you have listed are asymmetrical (ie, you are training a push muscle w/o training a pull muscle in some cases) and this will result in an imbalance, which if it is in your back will cause you a lot of pain.

Be very careful about eating enough. If you are running a 350 calorie deficit every day then your body may go into starvation mode. I recommend that while you are getting started with the resistance training that you try to actually eat more, your painful ligaments that need repair will thank you. A good post workout snack I have found is 3 scrambled eggs (only 1 yolk though, separate two of them) and a big glass of chocolate whole milk (if you are in a real hurry just the chocolate milk).

Finally, you are doing too much aerobic exercise. This is driving up your stress hormone. It would be much better (while you are still in the getting started stage) to only run 1 day a week, and another weight workout (3 a week, full body), and finally add another day of rest.

It’s the hardest thing for most people to realize, you do not build muscle in the gym. You tear it down. It’s the process of rebuilding that creates new muscle, and the only time you rebuild is when you are resting. I’m much older than you so I always rest at least two days between workouts, at least.

Finally, don’t overdo it. Initially your muscles are MUCH stronger than your tendons and ligaments. This will manifest as soreness after the workout in your joins, not in the muscle. Do not go back to the gym until this joint soreness is gone or you will injure yourself.

Anyway, sorry for getting up on my soapbox here.

Good Luck! and keep posting.

Doug

Dashavoo Says:

April 9th, 2008, 18:39 pm

Thats brilliant. My only criticism is that instead of calling your Training Blog a Tralog, you should have called it a Trog!
I never manage to stick to my fitness regimes for longer than a month, I will be doing brilliantly and one day I will realise I have done nothing for over a week, and I just don’t start again until it really IS starting again.

Leo Says:

April 9th, 2008, 21:15 pm

@Daniel: regarding the subtle but important difference between “unbearable lightness of being” and “unbelievable lightness of being” … it was intentional, and you’ve hit on my philosophy of life exactly! Thanks for the analysis — very insightful. :)

@Dashavoo: A Trog! That’s nowhere near as happy sounding as a Tralog! I like the word “tralog” because it reminds me of the musical sounding “tra la la la la” which is what I am singing as I run. So I stand firmly by my decision to call it a “Tralog”! :) Of course, if I don’t do well, I am switching to “Trog”.

@Doug: I hear what you’re saying, but remember that I’m taking my strength training extremely light at first. I’m only doing twice a week, one set per exercise, not too heavy on the weights or reps. I’ve done two workouts so far and neither was very hard. I know, this won’t get me much progress, but my real goal for the first few weeks is just to stick with it. Once I do, I’ll increase gradually.

As for cardio, as my strength schedule isn’t very difficult, the cardio isn’t very hard right now either, and I don’t feel like I’m overdoing it. For me, the running I’m doing right now is actually really really easy, even if I’m doing 4 days a week.

I appreciate your advice, and there’s a lot of wisdom to it, but trust me, this schedule isn’t overtaxing right now. If it begins to be too tough later, with sore joints, I will make adjustments, and keep your thoughts in mind.

I also hear you about the rest — two days off won’t kill me. I only created the rule so that I don’t fall off the program. :)

Leo Says:

April 9th, 2008, 21:21 pm

@Doug: I forgot to address a couple of your other points:

1. Actually, I don’t have access to lat pulldowns, but I am doing bent-over rows (not standing rows). I just didn’t know I was calling them the wrong name. :) I hear you about the imbalance, but (forgive me if I’m ignorant) I thought I was doing opposing lifts:

* bench press and bent-over rows
* shoulder presses (standing up, lifting barbell over my head from shoulders) and pullups
* bicep curls and tricep extensions (over my head)
* squats

Does that make sense? Advice would be appreciated.

2. Regarding eating too little — you might be right. I’ve thought about that. I’m going to give my plan a try and see how it works out. Interestingly, I actually don’t have a set calorie limit for my intake — I am aiming for small, light meals, but I’m allowing myself to eat whenever I’m hungry, so if my body needs more food I’ll eat it. So far it’s been a deficit, but we’ll see how it works out.

If I go into starvation mode, I’m sure my logs will show it after a week or two, so I’ll keep an eye on this. Thanks for the tips!

Daniel Says:

April 9th, 2008, 22:39 pm

Leo - as far as eating too little, I’m waiting to see if I trust Fitday’s caloric requirements. Here’s the link to my fitday - I find it hard to imagine I’m 1000 calories short on an average day.

They use the basal (BMR) rate as the baseline, where for most people using the “short method” (as opposed to using a calculator that lets you list all your activities for an average day) the resting (RMR) rate would usually be more appropriate. The short version of the difference is that when they measure BMR the subject fasts for 12 hours and then spends the night in the lab - so it’s more stressful, plus there’s nothing “in the pipeline”, and it takes more energy to get the digestive system going again. RMR tests are done under less stressful conditions, and as a result are lower but also more applicable to “real world” applications.

Still, I’m having a lot of fun tracking myself in fitday - I was shocked to find out that I may be short on calcium and vitamin K in my diet.

Leo Says:

April 10th, 2008, 1:49 am

@Daniel: Interesting — I just posted on this very same subject! I’m in agreement. They overestimate your caloric expenditure — so I’ve adjusted mine by saying that I’m a bedbound 65-year old. :)

See my post on my training blog (or “tralog”!):

http://leoruns.wordpress.com/2008/04/10/using-fitday-to-track-calories-great-but-has-a-couple-issues/

Steve Says:

April 10th, 2008, 7:57 am

I would strongly recommend Art DeVany’s “power law” strength training which is based on the notion of “evolutionary fitness.” Here’s a summary and breakdown of it:

http://openwaterchicago.wordpress.com/2008/04/04/power-law-strength-training-the-best-workout-you-can-do/

Trent Hamm Says:

April 10th, 2008, 9:26 am

For light exercise, Wii Boxing has been a revelation for me. I play it for about thirty minutes every day and it’s a great aerobic workout.

Doug Says:

April 10th, 2008, 13:36 pm

Leo, that’s funny, because for a while I was doing bent over rows and thought I was doing standing rows. I’m standing right? (as opposed to sitting, heh) But yes, with the change from standing rows (shoulder exercise) to bent over rows (back exercise) your program is symmetrical. If you are using dumbells it’s a great program because you are also activating all the stabilizer muscles at the same time. I would say (ymmv) that the opposite of a shoulder press is a dip (shoulders push up with the press, shoulders press down with the dip)

oh, and if you are doing pull ups, palms facing away from you,with a fairly wide grip, well, that’s a lat pulldown :) and it gets those deep spine stabilizers that are under the shoulder blades.

Like I said, I am quite a bit older so with all my advice YMMV.

Get a copy of Bill Pearl’s “Getting Stronger.” Personally I like Version 1 :)

All in all, it sounds to me like you have got the right attitude. Your “rules” aren’t really “rules” they are just guidelines. Just remember that the most likely reason you will stop working out, and not start back, is that you injure yourself by over training. It’s very difficult to have to quit for a couple of months to heal a tear then pick back up.

Finally, remember, no matter what you have been told, aerobic exercise INCREASES stress hormone, and muscle mass consumes stress hormone. But you won’t start increasing mass until you start lifting heavy, but if you are lifting heavy then all that aerobics will start working against you. It’s all about balance and dynamic equilibrium.

Doug

P.S. Also, look up dynamic stretching. The static stretches that we all learned in PE are BAD for you, especially if you do them before a workout.

Adrian Lyons Says:

April 10th, 2008, 14:29 pm

I just had to add my two cents…

Being a bodybuilder, I have seen alot of different approaches to diets. After all 60% of bodybuilding is diet!

There are 2 rules of thumb here though. If you want to gain mass, you have to eat. If you want to lose weight you must diet.

As for the gaining mass side. I hear from many people that they want to get stronger but they don’t want to be huge. Fair enough, but that is actually an insult to guys like me. It takes YEARS of very intense training to become huge (not going into the steroid scene here). But to see results you still have to eat big and train hard. When you achieve the results you want, maintaining that level is easy. Yes it hurts. Yes you will have blisters and pain. That comes with the territory. But it gets easier and after awhile, addicting.

Now on the other side, pre-season or cutting (dropping fat). I have to say the most effective (and longest know/used) approach is a ketogenic diet.

Now I can already hear some people start to cringe and scream “no, don’t do that!” but let me finish.

Most doctors will tell you that ketosis is a dangerous condition and requires you to immediately seek medical attention. What they are talking about is diabetic ketoacidosis which is not the same as dietary ketosis. Read the following and you will understand.

http://www.weightawareness.com/topics/doc.xml?__topic_id=111&doc_id=1357

A ketogenic diet basically reduces carbohydrate intake to a very low level (20-30 gms a day) and all of the carbohydrates that you do get are from fiber such as GREEN leafy salads. This diet also consists of high protein and high fat consumption.

What happens with this diet and the reason why it works is it triggers your body into a state known as ketosis. Your body, instead of using glycogen for an energy source, uses fat, both stored and dietary.

This diet, combined with lifting heavy will reduce body fat and maintain lean muscle mass.

The problem with a lot of the other diets that people have been following such as a balanced, calorie restricted diet, will actually cost you muscle mass to a certain extent.

If you consume 20-30 gms of carbohydrates per meal in the form of breads, starches or many vegetables, your body will still run on glycogen. If your routines are at too high a level (which is too easy to get to) and your glycogen stores run out, your body will breakdown muscle tissue and convert it to glycogen in order to be burned. Not a good situation.

As I said in the beginning. Ketogenic diets have been used by bodybuilders for years with no complications and proven predictable results.

Adrian Lyons Says:

April 10th, 2008, 14:32 pm

Forgot to mention, some doctors are actually starting to look at this diet as a better everyday way of eating (modified a little).

Look around for a little documentary called “My Big Fat Diet”.

Leo Says:

April 10th, 2008, 22:58 pm

@Adrian: I appreciate your input, but I’ve tried low-carb diets and I didn’t like them and actually didn’t feel very healthy doing them for long. I’m going to stick to my vegetarian, whole-foods diet with a combination of strength and running, as it seems to be working for me so far (30+ pounds of weight loss despite muscle mass gain at the same time).

Daniel Says:

April 10th, 2008, 23:15 pm

I can actually argue both sides of the low carb diet pretty effectively. After all, I lost 130 pounds doing low carb. I let myself get back up to about 230, and lost 50 pounds doing low fat. Got up to 238.5 this go around, and have gotten back down to 184 watching my calories.

Low fat and low carb both accomplish limiting your calories without having to count them directly.

Low carb does seem to have some additional benefits if you’re looking to bulk up your muscle in that you’re getting a lot more protein than you would otherwise.

If, on the other hand, you’re just looking to build lean muscle without going for a “body builder” look, getting *enough* protein is a perfectly acceptable alternative.

My conclusion is that you do what works best for the results you want.

I don’t know that I’m going to ever totally go vegetarian (although I know not a single vegetarian that would be considered obese), but I’m certainly moving towards a much more lean diet. I read a great post on a blog somewhere (wink wink, nudge nudge) about phasing out meat rather than giving up your turkey “cold turkey”, so who knows where my food journey will end up.

Leo Says:

April 11th, 2008, 5:18 am

@Daniel: yeah, I’ve lost weight on a low-carb diet a couple of times too, for the same reason you mention — your calories are limited. However, it’s not a healthy diet, and I never felt very good doing it, and it’s hard to stick to for very long, which is why many people gain the weight back after awhile. My focus is on long-term, lifetime changes, not short term, and I don’t think I could stick to low-carb for very long.

Regarding protein: the key is getting enough. Most bodybuilders (and Americans in general) eat too much, and their bodies aren’t able to use it. The excess protein leaves the body via the waste stream. I’m definitely getting enough, from all the actual medical articles I’ve read about building muscle (as opposed to articles on bodybuilding sites).

Leo Says:

April 11th, 2008, 7:32 am

I should also add that I don’t eat a low-fat diet. I actually have a healthy amount of fats, but very low in saturated fat. I would say that my diet aims at whole foods, lots of fruits and veggies (especially leaves), whole grains, nuts, beans. Good lean protein, good fat, good carbs. Real foods, healthy stuff.

Matt Says:

April 14th, 2008, 9:37 am

Do you have any suggestions for light snacks/meals for eating 3-4 hours. All to often I find myself snacking on something that isn’t the best but have difficulty finding something better.

creativelyseflemployed.com Says:

April 14th, 2008, 12:48 pm

I recently started Weight Watchers and found it to be on the same principles. The CORE plan especially taught me to eat well. Pay attention to protein and sugars. Eating only whole grains and not so much of them. Eating snacks such as healthy popcorn, sugar free pudding, veggies, light cheese, etc. Great post. I’m down nearly 25 pounds so something is working.:)

Amelia Burton Says:

April 15th, 2008, 8:27 am

Hi Leo,
Your ‘light’ principles are a great idea. May I suggest though that if you want to increase lean muscle mass, your weights will need to be anything but light!

Although I fully endorse the training schedule you pose, remember that muscle growth will only occur if they are overloaded. Are your sets taking you to failure? And are you getting sore the next day.? If you answered ‘yes’ then it’s working! If you answered ‘no’ you might be waisting your time in the weights room (hence your previous challenges to stay consistent). How would you rate your intensity throughout your weight training sessions?

Iain Hamp Says:

April 18th, 2008, 11:26 am

Leo,

I wish you the absolute best in your journey to fitness. My wife Ginger and I started an eating and exercise journey together last week, with my own personal goal to be able to run in next year’s 4.2 mile Pat’s Run event in Arizona (which benefits the Pat Tillman Foundation’s “Leadership Through Action” program at my alma mater, Arizona State). I’m not in any sort of running shape today, but the run is still a year away, so I have the time and, more importantly, the passion - both my physical fitness and the Pat Tillman Foundation are awesome causes in my book :)

Looking forward to hearing how things go - keep up the good work on and off the blogosphere!

Jana Says:

April 19th, 2008, 18:13 pm

A great site for implementing “Let the light shine” is
http://www.peertrainer.com

B Says:

November 15th, 2008, 2:04 am

Winter is comming!! That’s FAT BOY weather. I’m un-zen
Just remember people “Fat’s where it’s at and thin ’s where its been”