Trying to lose weight is very difficult.

Cutting down on food, and beverages is also difficult.

How do you stay fit? What's your secret?

I remember when .....

Joe Tedesco, Mr Central Queens, NY YMCA "Best Abdominals" 1955



I am trying to recapture my past, and expect to be ready for Mr. Universe soon!

While my older son is in Aikido, I take and place my 16 month old son on my shoulders and run stairs at the place. I can't say I enjoy it, but it beats sitting there.

Can't afford to be fit, I'm a pensioner! All those pratts on the telly- jumping about like maniacs and running the mile in 3 minutes 50, no good will come of it, you mark my words, time they're 50 they'll all be cripples! They want to get a proper blinking job, they do, like we had to! When I watch them Olympics, and the winner runs round sticking his finger up, I think, so? you can run fast?, SO WHAT!, I can paint my shed fast, I don't want a gold medal for doing it!

" And the gold medal for creosoting a 50 yard picket fence goes to... Alan Belson of England, in a world record time of 1 hour 22 minutes 10.305 seconds!" Bah! Humbug!

It's all done with drugs anyway, you don't think a normal bloke could fling a hammer 200 feet just by eating Oreos do you?
My recipe for a long life is this; eat what you like, a bit of tobacco, ( clears the lungs that does ), and a nice glass of whiskey of an evening. Walk everywhere practical, and eat 5 pieces of fruit or veg per day. That's it, (apart from not getting overweight). Don't eat margarine,(full of chemicals)- eat butter, but less of it. Drink full-cream milk, all the vitamins are in the cream. Skimmed? Crap, you may as well put emulsion paint in your tea!
Whats that? Secondary smoking? What a load of bilgewater, you've only got to go out on the street- a diesel truck goes past and Wham!, you just 'secondary smoked' 500 cigarettes!
The only time I touch my toes is when I do up my bootlaces, and even then I think, "Is there anything else I can do while I'm down here?"
Now, clear off young un, it's time for my nap!

Alan

Alan is my ideal fitness Guru. Even if I doubt that he will live much past 100. My grand father made it to 97 with the same philosophy and he fathered his last child at around 65. Hard work, clean living, a pipe and a measure of whiskey before bed.

If you have a wife who is a builder and can't stand to see someone sitting around idle, staying in shape is easy ;-)
I have at least one major renovation project going on all the time. Keeps the lard out of my butt.

Alan Belson for electrical-contractor fitness advisor.

I agree completely, especially about the 'backy. I also only eat butter, was raised on a farm with not only a lot of cattle but our own milk cow and concur wholeheartedly about the milk (it was a guernsey Alan, YOU know), and BTW, though I can't get fresh raw milk anymore, it's Half and Half that goes in the evening tea.

Bless ya brother, and keep on preachin' it. I've known NO one that died of good health no matter what shape they're in.

I also am reminded by something attributed to George Carlin, the famous American Philosopher "I'm in shape.... Rounds a shape"

I run 4-6 miles 5 days a week. I've been doing this for 3 years now, after taking 15 off. I started running when my BP reached 150/115 and my weight reached 230.

My BP is now 115/69 and I weigh 195. I still need to drop another 30 lbs at least, but I'm on the right path. I hate every second of running. By the end of the week, my knees feel like they were hit with a baseball bat. When they go, I'll probably take up arm wrestling. In the meantime, I'm in the best shape I've ever been in my entire life.

BTW: I didn't change my diet too much. I eat what I want.

Eric
NJ

Eating Oreos and washing them down with a Yeungling Lite Lager seems to work for me.


Dnk...

I like the Oreo diet too, maybe with a real cold Balashi Pilsner. (Aruban bier)

Pretty impressive Joe, I can't say I was ever in that kind of shape.

Bob

I'm 58. I run 25 miles a week. My running has eliminated the knee pain that I used to get after a stint of light fixture installation or service work. I don't run any faster than 10 minutes/mile and I enjoy the exercise, and feel invigorated the rest of the day because of it. I eat breakfast and lunch, with a light evening snack, and have no problem keeping my wieght down to 175.
Trouble is, what works for me isn't necessarily what will work for you.
My dad followed Alan's plan, and died miserably because of it.
So, Joe, experiment a bit. Take the long view, and expect it all to shape up in a few years. Just keep chipping away at it, regardless of how many times you fail to stay on course. Dogged determination is all there is to it!

I tried running 5 miles a day and a week later I woke up in Immokalee saying what the hell am I doing. I thumbed a ride home and gave up that stuff.

Run, okay jog, around the neighbor hood. Just enough to get my pulserate up and out of breath. Then get on the wieghts a little. I do this at 5:00 every morning. Don't know if this'll be the key or not. But, I noticed that my midsection doesn't hang over my belt quite as far as it used to. Like Elzappr said, you need to find what works for you. Most important: Keep up the search, It may take a little bit to find what's right for you. Just because it takes a while to find it, it's no excuse to give up

I decided after my trip to Amsterdam and Brussels, that I was going to try to trim down a bit.

Because, when I tried on the new pants my wife packed for me I had to lay on my back, and to make matters even worst after the day trips, always comes the nighs and dancing and drinking and tearing the bottom out of them there new pants.

It's not easy, especially since I am on the rode and can go to any restaurant I want!

Try some yogurt and cereal, been doing that for a while and now the pants fit!

I might even start working out over at Northeastern University.

Dodging being appointed for anything, jumping to conclusions, ducking responsibility, running down others, shooting off my mouth... let's see, what other types of activity do I do....

Seriously, I've got 3 pieces of equipment - a stationary bike, a total gym, and a nordic track... all three of which torment me into using them at least once in a while through the visual guilt process but still not often enough to make a difference (yet). We're also trying to get in an evening walk so we can build up my son's stamina before school starts. Hopefully we'll see some improvement for all of us.

I've enjoyed gymnastics 'back in the day' but no longer... I think if I did a front handspring now I'd hear a huge SNAP and come out of it with two broken wrists. I also have done a bit of weight lifting and really enjoyed it except that I couldn't find a serious and informed partner to lift with. Hubby says that I'm the strongest woman he knows... he's probably right - I used to carry my mom over my shoulder to show off.

<wistful> maybe someday I'll get back into shape....


[This message has been edited by BuggabooBren (edited 07-15-2005).]

Jog, weights, bike?? R U kiddin'? Who's got time for that? Wanna get in shape? Be a sole prop. resi guy. New build, re-mod.,
service.All the hats, all the time.I'm in great shape.(Wheeeww,pant pant)

Here it is. The agony of defeat! I run 5 days a week 4-8 miles. This picture is from a four mile race last Sunday. It was HOT! I'll let you guess which one is me. https://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y159/electricmanscott/Khourys.jpg
PS I look far worse than I felt. I just happen to very UNphotogenic.

[This message has been edited by Electricmanscott (edited 07-15-2005).]

Has anyone mentioned WORK LIKE A DOG yet?

All day up & down ladders, swinging shovels, pulling wires...and you think I'm going to sweat for fun?

Now I do my fair share of running...away from creditors and after dead-beats! Now I know how the mouse on the wheel feels.

The best way is to not put so much food in your mouth .
I've tried switching from Rocky Road to Pistachio. Waiting on results

(A Project Manager I know runs for about 2 hrs a day. He rewards himself with a beer for every ten minutes he runs. )

Joe,

Lately I've decided to get serious and trim down too. I make it to the Gym at least 3 times and get in 8-10 hours of Tennis a week.

Bill

I too, go to the gym every other day early in the mornin... hit the treadmill 1st and walk fast for 20 to 30 minutes, then use the weight machines to keep my legs, arms and tummy toned...

Don't eat alot of bread and potatoes, stay away from juke food like cookies, ice cream, soda and candy. Eat lots of fruit and vegies, drink lots of water...

shortcircuit

I've never had to set foot inside a Gym to this day.
My work as a Faultsman keeps me fit.
As well as working for a 400+ callout per year Fire Brigade, keeps me in shape.
Plus being a Station-Officer (Training) here I like to do the same courses as the new fellas.
By God some of the Hot Fire training is rough on the system.

gfretwell,

Erm... I think the idea is to go home after each run!

Elzappr,
Sorry to read about your Dad. Most of what I wrote was kind of tongue-in-cheek 'Old Codger' stuff. I lead a reasonably active life, am not overweight and am very moderate in my consumption of food and alcohol. I like vegetables and fruit, smoke very little, (not cigarettes). I do think that you can overdo the physical excercise bit - OK to go to the gym to tone up, but after that walking or cycling might be a better option, especially when in your fifties. I am now 15 years older than Pop, older than Ma and 20 years older than my elder sister. It's all a bit of a lottery I'm afraid, what with genetics, accidents and diseases. We are all mortal, the important thing is to pack as much into your alloted span as possible- this is not a rehearsal.

Electricmanscott,
I think you may be slightly overdoing the chest excercises.

Alan

[This message has been edited by Alan Belson (edited 07-16-2005).]

I ain't sayin' nuttin' !

[This message has been edited by Electricmanscott (edited 07-16-2005).]

However,
For you new guys that don't know, I've had a Heart Attack and have worked back from that.
You can listen to any Doctor that you like.
I've halved my Cholestrol level since I had my Coronary and I am still smoking.
I'm not ashamed of smoking, You could die of worse things.
In my line of work you could die a long slow cruel death from serious burns.
You could also be hit by a fully laden bus tomorrow.
My point is, enjoy life while you have it, it could be gone before you even realise what has happened.

I just picked 20 quarts of strawberrys, My wife is headed to the store to get heavy cream and tonight I plan on making ice cream, thats diet food isn't it????.

walrus


That sounds great, do you have enough for every one?


I think I found the answer for many of us, connect our PCs to a pedal powered generator.

Stop peddling and the PC and it's connection to the forums goes down.

Twenty QUARTS !! Blimey! How big is your patch? We have an 8 yards x 2 yards strawberry patch and they only last 2 weeks in season. Variety is "Cambridge Favourite", an old-English one not favoured by supermarkets due to odd shapes. With cream! Oh! THE delight of being on our flourishing green planet! We like to cook up a batch of jam for the winter too, as we don't like them frozen.
Looking forward now to the 'Runner Beans*', which is a must-have summer vegetable for the true Brit!

Alan

* 'Pole beans', they spiral up sticks to over 6 ft, South American Rainforest origin, I believe.

After years of excess (mostly beer and fast food), I am trying to trim down. The first step for me was quitting smoking after 20+ years and I've been succesful at that. I try to walk at least 4-5 times a week for at least 30 minutes at a time after work and dinner. Last week I actually started running but sometimes I dont have time for either because I've been working a lot of overtime lately. I used to play ice hockey but gave that up about a year ago. I've also stayed away from soda for the most part. I have to admit though that I have set aside one day a week to "pig out" and I usually do this on my one day off per week on Sunday.

Funny you should say that Joe.
I have a fitness test that all of us Fire-Fighters/Officers have to do every 2 years, I'm due for mine next Wednesday.
I have no worries at all about passing it and no doubt SFF Scotty will be there with his camera, so stay posted.
The only "downer" about the whole event is the fact that you have to wear full Fire-fighter kit and wear Breathing Apparatus as well as carry a 20kg load over a timed course.

Alan
In Maine there all kinds of pick your own strawberry farms. The place I go has 4 or 5 acres in production, 4 or 5 acres for next year and 4 or 5 acres in Rotation. Very nice place and run with the least amount of chemicals he feels he can get away with.

And BTW, the Ice Cream was an extreme success, sorry I didn't save any for you guys