Starting at the end of last year I decided to get in better shape. I'd always worked out on and off, but the last 5-6 years it was mostly off. In 2010 I started walking regularly on the treadmill. But, then when I started my new job in October 2010, I stopped working out and started eating more. Not good.
In the spring of 2011 I decided to hire a trainer and go to the gym regularly. My trainer was good and he knew his stuff, but he wasn't really that committed to me. Thus, I didn't commit to him. It helped a little, but when he kept missing appointments I finally decided to quit.
In September I bought a treadmill so I could walk at home and have no excuses for not going to the gym. I did a few other exercises at home too. I got back to the shape I'd been in in 2010, but nothing ground-breaking.
Then a friend, a trainer, introduced me to HIIT (high intensity interval training). Since I have a treadmill, I decided to try it. It sucks. It was so hard! I had to take many breaks. The first week was brutal. The second week was almost worse! I kept having to take breaks. By the 3rd week I was pushing myself a little harder. I did a little more. After a month I wasn't having to break as much. I've now been doing it for 8 months. I've increased the intensity/speed and I've raised my incline 4x, the most recent just last week. I'm in college shape. And, by that I mean the kind of shape I was in when I was a freshman and junior in college. Yeah, teenager. In fact, I'm probably in better shape, I'm just older.
I see a lot of people my age trying to get in shape. I have some friends who have had great success. But, I also see a lot of people doing the "Shakeology" stuff and extreme diets like Adkins. I think whatever works for you is what you should do. You're going to have to change it up now and then to keep making strides. But, here is the number one rule: THERE ARE NO SHORTCUTS!
You can't take a pill. You can't eat a magical shake that sheds pounds. And, if you could how healthy do you really think it would be? If there was a chamber where you could step inside, get radiated and lose 50% of your fat, I'm sure a LOT of people would do it. And I'm sure a lot of people would grow a 3rd arm in the middle of their forehead. While that is extreme, you get my point.
Here is the gist of weight-loss and keeping in shape. If you expend more energy than you consume in calories you'll lose weight. If you eat more calories than you expend you will gain weight. So, you have to know these two things. Use something like MyFitnessPal.com to track your intake and to gauge your energy usage. This is the MOST IMPORTANT step.
I spend about 4.5 hours a WEEK staying fit. Here's how it breaks down: Mon, Wed, Fri I do my HIIT on the treadmill for 20-30 minutes. My HIIT is a 20-minute program, but I often throw in an extra 5-10 minutes of cooldown. I run in front of the TV. I drink a protein drink afterwards for recovery.
On Tue, Thur, Sat I go to the gym. I make a point never to be in the gym longer than 1 hour unless I'm interrupted or something. Most of the time I leave about 45 minutes after I enter. I lift weights and build muscle. Muscle is important in a LOT of ways. It burns calories. It protects you from injury. And, recent studies have shown, that it actually delays the aging process. Work your entire body. Some of your biggest muscles are the legs, glutes (butt), back and stomach. Even if you have a gut, if you have strong muscles under that gut, you're burning more calories and keeping yourself stronger, more fit, better able to fight disease and you're going to live longer, plain and simple.
Here's something else to remember. Did you get fat overnight? Did you eat an extra piece of cake at a wedding and then - BLAM! - you woke up 150lbs overweight? Was it that one Summer when you worked at McDonalds that put on 50lbs? (well, ok, yeah that could do it) Or, did you do it gradually? I'm betting you did it gradually. And, you should lose it gradually. You should get involved in a program that is built for long-term success. Yeah, you could probably lose 50lbs in a month if you tried very hard. But, it just makes it that much easier to GAIN that 50lbs back in a month. If you plan on losing 1-2 lbs/week, your body will be better off. It'll adjust. You won't throw off your balance. And if you do it gradually and the right way, you're a lot less likely to burn yourself out.
Time is a big issue with people. They don't have time to go to the gym or walk on a treadmill for an hour every day. So, make the most of your time. INTENSITY! Don't go to the gym, stand around, watching TV and talking. Get in, do your shit and GET OUT! Hit it hard and then take off. If you can build yourself up to running, then RUN! Running for 20 minutes beats walking for an hour ANY day. Plus you're building up your heart and lungs and muscles. After a month or two of high-intensity cardio you will not BELIEVE how much energy you have. If you can't afford a gym or the time to go to the gym, buy a program at home. Get P90x. Get some equipment you can use at home. You don't have to set up a professional gym in your house, but with a stability ball, some hand weights and some creativity, you can build muscle at home. Don't have a treadmill? RUN OUTSIDE! Yeah, even when it's cold. Yeah, even when it rains. Pretty soon you'll be so bad-ass you will laugh at obstacles.
Diet is a HUGE deal. You're not going to get a 6-pack by eating 5lbs of bacon/day. Remember the old adage "you are what you eat?" It's true. If you want to be lean and mean, eat protein. If you want to have a strong heart, avoid saturated fat. If you want to have energy and boost your immune system, eat the right kinds of vegetables. Take EVERY OPPORTUNITY to make the right choice when eating EVERY MEAL. If you can put off eating that burger for another day or another week or another month, you'll be much better equipped to eat it. When you're 5 pants-sizes below what you are now, by all means, go eat a Blizzard. Maybe make it a medium instead of a large, but DO IT. It's fine! And then turn around and go right back to your normal diet. Here's another thing to remember. "Diet" does not mean temporary. "Diets" are temporary. "Ooooh, I can't eat that, I'm on a diet". "Nooo, bacon isn't on this diet". "No carbs! I'm dieting". No. What you're doing is temporary. You need to change your way of life. So your D I E T is what you eat. It's what you eat every day. It's your plan to feed yourself for the rest of your life. When they talk about the diet of an animal they are talking about what they consume every day. You're an animal and you're no different. Use your head and make the right decision. If you make the right decision 99% of the time, you're going to be AWESOME.
My father always said, "Anything worth doing is worth doing right". So, take this advice in your 30s or 40s or even 50s. Do it right. Take the time to plan. Consult a professional. Read up. THINK ABOUT IT. Change your life and live longer. Live longer for your kids. Live longer for your family. Live better and healthier FOR YOURSELF.
You can do it.
