Just sixteen pounds of steel. But 270 pounds of me. That's pretty much what I realized last fall. I took some photos of me reliving past skills from 30 years back, kicking a 35 yard field goal¹ - and when I saw them I thought that I better do something. There is an elephant in the room when it comes to being a beer fan and it's about being big. And I am big.
I don't want to chide or even brag as I am still pretty big. Always been. Heck, I was 6 foot 3 when I was 12. I had always played soccer and have eaten salmon oil pills like a crazy man. Other than that I don't believe in crash diets and I expect never to be thin - but sure I hate that achy back. So, since I saw those photos, I've upped my game: done around 600 sit-ups a week, swim or use an exercise machine for at least an hour plus I do weights. So I can shotput. Not to be thin thin. To put the shot.
I have no style, am still almost as big and have only hoofed it as far as 24 feet, though that is my 2007 best before what is now known as "the great leap forward." But that is what I do to offset the beer. Stonch has talked in emails how he runs and Lew has talked about his weight loss, too. What do you do to make sure you can enjoy your brew? What could you do?
¹Glory days! Glory days!
Comments
Joe - April 11, 2008 11:50 PM
Swim to drink. There's no other way I've found to melt the calories away that works better than 1000 meter swim, five days a week.
Also, do not drink your calories, except for beer. That means no soda, easy on the juice, milk, froofy coffee drinks, etc. Go easy on the carbs, except for beer.
Drink water and beer only. Do the cardio stuff at least five times a week and you'll see results. Mileage my vary, of course.
Thom - April 12, 2008 8:35 AM
This is certainly a problem. I kept things is check for a long time until I started studying again. Now I work all day and study in the evening. Result: 20 pounds of extra weight in around 16 months. It's rough, but I love my beer, and when this study is done I'm back on the bike and in the pool.
Bob - April 12, 2008 5:28 PM
I run for fitness and mountain bike for fun. Somebody asked me once why I run so much and then ruin all that work by drinking “chewy” beers. They said I should be drinking Michelob Ultra. I said you got it backwards. I run so I can drink good beer.
Boak - April 13, 2008 2:55 PM
Calorie counting and being ruthless about it, at least to start with. I'm not sure this is a particularly healthy attitude, but it helped me cut back on everything else bad I was eating, because I could think "great, I've earned a beer now".
Exercise obviously helps - this gives you a bigger allowance.It sounds like you're doing plenty already on that front, but can you challenge yourself to do the same length of time faster?
Chuck away beers you're not enjoying. Drink halves.
2Dogs - April 16, 2008 10:18 AM
Well, I try to power walk 3 or 4 times a day and having 2 dogs, is how I keep at it all year round... other than that it's keeping the consumption down to 2 pints with dinner and no deserts.
At 47, I still got my mid-life belly but my overall health is still good.
Cheers,
Rob
Mark - June 4, 2008 5:04 PM
At the beginning of the year I went on a weight loss program that left me 42 lbs lighter and just a few lbs from a healthy BMI, which I always assumed was impossible or that the BMI was wrong. I started my quest by moving to lighter beers along with my calorie restrictions and exercise. About a month in I added back real beer, but kept my overall caloric intake a very small. I can justify my beer consumption much like Bob and Joe mentioned, by making the room in my diet for the beer by eliminating other things.