Vascular Fat - Time to get moving...

rabski

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I wouldn't mind if the exercise I was getting made me superhuman which it would have done 2 year ago . Now my right side is controlled so tenously by my brain it's still weak .

My problem was high blood pressure which could have been controlled(indeed it is now) however I hadn't been the Drs since my mum took me.

Everybody should go to the doctors for a check up every 12 months.
Blood pressure under control and the exercise are all positives.

We're none of us as young or fit as we once were, and you've had one of the hardest knocks possible. You were hellishly unlucky, but you're on the right path now.

Lifestyle catches up with you eventually. It does to almost everyone.

 

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Back story:-

Heart attack aged 21 -5 days coronary care.  Became addicted to work, travelling the world, eating lard / business lunches and dinners / drinking... the whole 9 yards. This took me to 14.5st (5'9") - EEKKK. Another set back... very ill on a trip  and as I laid in company hospital in Japan, heard them suggest I might change my lifestyle.

Message:-

As with all excercise START SLOWLY - and continue with a level you can spare in your life. Sorry, I do not get this "I don't have time" rubbish... we all have 5mins we can apply to exercise, so then add 1minute...not 10 ! Aged 33, became a runner and started simple. Ran around the housing estate (400m) for a month, then 800m (2 laps) for a month... gradually extending to 1km, 2km... HINT:- Do not do what most people do, and go for a 10k run followed by nothing or can't walk.

Take your time.

I then started competing at 5 and 10k's - got to be pretty fast 32mins @ Silverstone was my high point. Mountain biking was then added until by 35 got into triathlon in a big way - never super fast (crap swimmer) but always inside top 25% and top 10% on the bike. 

Since then have studied humany physiology, blood chemistry & science based Human performance nutrition and learned masses about how we are built and I guess having quite a few blood disorders wanted to know the science behind the path to improvement. I've also trained around some world class coaches and some of this has rubbed off

Looking to your diet - well, it is not bad in itself but it's only half the story - the other half is the output - i.e. what you do with those calories. Also, some of them are fat calories - (cheese, nuts, avacado's) which as you may know are harder to burn than carbohydrate based calories. So, if you have lot's of visceral fat you need to cut down on products that are hard to burn off. Or... make sure the fat is not laid down by excessive sugar.

https://www.nih.gov/news-events/nih-research-matters/dietary-fat-vs-carbohydrate-reducing-body-fat

Watch out for sugars which spike the insulin and trigger fat storage - they are easy to get these days (fast food) It is hard to build basal metabilic rate except by well... building it  - slowly. 

Finally, and somewhat modern thinking, I would strongly recommend you investigate the science of fasting. For the last 2 years, I've (gradually) learned how to reduce my calorie intake in a way that allows me to eat 1 meal a day. Now, I exercise like hell - make big trips on bikes overseas , race, have long sessions on the turbo trainer, running, travel and get this... I no longer feel hungry during the day. 

Some nice "myths busted" here

https://thefastdiet.co.uk/michael-answers-frequently-asked-questions/

Radio program link here

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p01g7f4l

My diet is mixed but always contains the same elements. Nothing manufactured - breaded, squashed, filled, fried, pre-cooked. Heaps of vegetables, plenty of protein (which as we age is a good thing) In fact, I've dramatically increased the calories from protein over the last year and this has helped. I also eat Liqorice allsorts, (sugar rush) drink wine - so Yes, I am party trained 

Result

I dropped from 14st to 12st pretty quickly and then in 2 years later hit 11st.  Hovered around 11st until for much of my traithlon years until about 2 years ago when I introduced intermittent fasting and increased my levels of excercise at the same time. Weight is now 10st - maxing to 10st 4lb when cramming for racing. Detailed 2 hr health evaluation in August showed significant improvements over last years - Cholesterol test 5 weeks ago -  lower than a healthy 25year old, Total fat (inclusing visceral) 12%, low resting heart rate, obscenely good blood pressure and more. 

You can do this.. just start slowly - and build. See you on the bike sometime !

 

parcelmonkey

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My problem was high blood pressure which could have been controlled(indeed it is now) however I hadn't been the Drs since my mum took me.

Everybody should go to the doctors for a check up every 12 months. 

Ps Apologies for taking over the thread , I hope that deosnt happen any longer. 
Not a problem, I posted this because I need help in getting my s**t together and hearing that we are unfortunately not indestructible is a real eye opener...

Back story:-

Heart attack aged 21 -5 days coronary care. 

Message:-

As with all excercise START SLOWLY - and continue with a level you can spare in your life. Sorry, I do not get this "I don't have time" rubbish... we all have 5mins we can apply to exercise, so then add 1minute...not 10 ! Aged 33, became a runner and started simple. Ran around the housing estate (400m) for a month, then 800m (2 laps) for a month... gradually extending to 1km, 2km... HINT:- Do not do what most people do, and go for a 10k run followed by nothing or can't walk.

Take your time.
Thank you for posting this awesome response, I am going to multi quote you as I wish to answer each section.

I agree wholeheartedly and appreciate your straight talking response. I know it is a rubbish excuse to state I have no time, it probably takes me longer to search out a stupid joke and respond to a couple of threads rather than exercise! FACT.

But (and here it comes) trying to undo years of bad habits is just so damn hard and I teach this all day long to my trainees, bad habits are easy to pick up, good ones take a hell of a lot longer to develop. I don't mind exercise, I just haven't found a way to make it consistent yet.

Looking to your diet - well, it is not bad in itself but it's only half the story - the other half is the output - i.e. what you do with those calories. Also, some of them are fat calories - (cheese, nuts, avacado's) which as you may know are harder to burn than carbohydrate based calories. So, if you have lot's of visceral fat you need to cut down on products that are hard to burn off. Or... make sure the fat is not laid down by excessive sugar.

https://www.nih.gov/news-events/nih-research-matters/dietary-fat-vs-carbohydrate-reducing-body-fat

Watch out for sugars which spike the insulin and trigger fat storage - they are easy to get these days (fast food) It is hard to build basal metabilic rate except by well... building it  - slowly. 

Finally, and somewhat modern thinking, I would strongly recommend you investigate the science of fasting. For the last 2 years, I've (gradually) learned how to reduce my calorie intake in a way that allows me to eat 1 meal a day. Now, I exercise like hell - make big trips on bikes overseas , race, have long sessions on the turbo trainer, running, travel and get this... I no longer feel hungry during the day. 

Some nice "myths busted" here

https://thefastdiet.co.uk/michael-answers-frequently-asked-questions/

Radio program link here

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p01g7f4l
I have too studied different eating strategies, having studied nutrition a long time ago at College. Unfortunately, we are all different people and body types and what works well for one, doesn't always work for another. The big problem is I now do very little with the calories I consume, my job is ridiculously sedentary compared to others I have held down.

I have read that as we get older, our bodies tend to need more beneficial fatty foods that are cleaner, hence avocados and nuts. The cheese is a small piece a few times a week because I like the taste.

I do find my body responds better to higher protein intake, so I'm concentrating on this with an almost zero sugar intake apart from natural sources like green cruciferous veggies. Alcohol I have all but cut out, maybe a bottle of wine a week sometimes none.

I have also tried intermittent fasting but haven't been consistent in this area. And I have never tried exercising whilst fasting. I find my blood sugar drops low and I feel either drained or knackered.

Result

I dropped from 14st to 12st pretty quickly and then in 2 years later hit 11st.  Hovered around 11st until for much of my traithlon years until about 2 years ago when I introduced intermittent fasting and increased my levels of excercise at the same time. Weight is now 10st - maxing to 10st 4lb when cramming for racing. Detailed 2 hr health evaluation in August showed significant improvements over last years - Cholesterol test 5 weeks ago -  lower than a healthy 25year old, Total fat (inclusing visceral) 12%, low resting heart rate, obscenely good blood pressure and more. 

You can do this.. just start slowly - and build. See you on the bike sometime !
As I have said a fantastic post and a source of inspiration, you truly have sorted your lifestyle for the better. :^

I have found some benefits from looking at the body as a whole and have investigated micro & macro nutrients, I believe I was deficient in Magnesium and since taking a Mg spray twice a day I have noticed a lift in my energy levels. Next up are some Chinese Mushrooms to help the Mitochondria stimulate energy levels. If I feel this good and alert after just a couple of weeks of trying these options I feel there really can't be a reason not to get more motivated...

Thanks for the words of encouragement!

 

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Hi parcelmonkey, if you can't lose weight then regardless of where your calories are from, you are simply consuming too many of them. I also think there is a confusion between getting fit and losing fat, the two aren't the same. You could be very fit with too much fat and unfit with little fat. Sorry if I have misunderstood any of your posts and gotten this wrong. For boring medical reasons I can rarely do much exercise so I control my weight by diet alone, something I've done for many years so that it is second nature now. To lose weight you have to count EVERYTHING you consume. That odd bit of cheese or chocolate or glass of wine is high density calories. If you stray over the amount of calories you need to maintain your weight by just 100 a day, and that really is not much at all, over a year you are going to gain 10lbs. Likewise if you eat 100 calories a day less than you need you'll lose that 10lbs. So if you want to lose weight you are going to have to toughen up soldier!! (Sorry about that, I couldn't resist some drama....). Work out your BMR (basal metabolic rate) and be honest about your activity levels then you'll have a good idea of how many calories to eat daily. You said you are knowledgeable on nutrition, so then work out a strict diet. Allow for some sensible snacks so you have 5 meals a day. As you lose weight you'll need to re-calculate your BMR as it will drop as the weight drops. Exercise is great for fitness of course but won't make much difference to weight loss especially once the 'I've done an hours class so I can treat myself' excuses come in. I used to run 5 times a week often in excess of 50 miles plus pilates, the mileage alone should've burnt off 5000 calories a week but my weight didn't change much, just a couple of pounds here and there. Good luck with it, if you are tough with yourself you'll do it. Oh, and portion size, that's king, get yourself a slightly smaller dinner plate so you have a full one and don't feel cheated by one that is bigger but not full.

 

parcelmonkey

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Oh, and portion size, that's king, get yourself a slightly smaller dinner plate so you have a full one and don't feel cheated by one that is bigger but not full.
Thanks for this info. I think the best piece of info contained here is the last bit. A smaller dinner plate is key. After working outside, getting rained on and freezing cold & coming home and looking forward to some nice hot dinner, it's too easy to over consume.

I partially agree with calories in / out but as every one of us is different I find metabolism plays its part too and my metabolic rate has definitely declined with I might hasten to add, my Testosterone levels!

My diet might not be strictly monitored or controlled but is reasonable. However, it might be fun to input the foods I consume over a week in to one of these calorie counter apps to see how much I do actually consume. It could be a real wake up call, deluding oneself is easy I find...

I'm having hospital tests for some other issues currently manifesting themselves and I'm determined once I receive the results to work on base rate metabolism to see if I can kick- start some improvements.

Thanks for your input... :^

 

Cable Monkey

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Don’t worry about what you eat. Do worry about what you drink. That is where the weight is coming from.

Exercise first thing in the morning. I cycle 3 times a week. That will move inside to the gym for December and January. Get a personal trainer to put something together for you. Some weights are essential. 

When you are feeling fit and your weight stabilises, do radical calorie limiting while exercising. Two weeks then return to normal. That will cut into your core fat. It is the most stubborn to go but is slow to put back on.

The main thing is to make exercise part of your routine, 2-3 times per week. Normalise it. Once you get there the rest is easy. 

 
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Carrington

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I partially agree with calories in / out but as every one of us is different I find metabolism plays its part too and my metabolic rate has definitely declined with I might hasten to add, my Testosterone levels!

deluding oneself is easy I find...

I'm having hospital tests for some other issues currently manifesting themselves and I'm determined once I receive the results to work on base rate metabolism to see if I can kick- start some improvements.

Thanks for your input... :^
No problem, usually the answer to these thigs is a combination of multiple inputs, as you've said, we are all different.

On the parts I've quoted above, for the first I agree in principle but, I think we are all guilty of trying to find a technical reason for something when the solution is more basic but just not the one we want to accept. Which leads to the second point.... On the final, I hope whatever these issues are get sorted quickly and easily for you, no-one likes the hanging around for results of tests etc..  :)

 

AlmaAtaKZ

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In the last several years I think I have done what tou are doing. It was not easy and I still have to push myself to self discipline. 

The key for me was to find the time and the way to excercise that would naturally fit into the daily and weekly routine and become second nature, the new you.

this took many tries and several years.

i tried gym membership with evening diy sessions, gym classes, gym buddies, mid day sessions during lunchbreak, long walks, early morning, evenings, weekends etc etc. I also tried different workouts - running, gym machines, treadmill, swimming etc etc. I did it slow. The main point was not if it was trendy or whatever, but is it sustainable for me and will it give me a comprehensive workout

you need to find whatever is sustainable and will not know until you try

I have settled on two sessions a week of park circuit training during lunchtime and one run+strength session on saturdays. But I have also seen many people trying a single thing and giving up.

try many options, different times etc until you find a combination that you like and can sustain, and enjoy

one more thing: if you keep doing it (be active and watch what you eat), result is guaranteed.

 
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parcelmonkey

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Don’t worry about what you eat. Do worry about what you drink. That is where the weight is coming from.

Exercise first thing in the morning.

The main thing is to make exercise part of your routine, 2-3 times per week. Normalise it. Once you get there the rest is easy. 
I agree, drink has been my enemy - physically & mentally. I've made drastic improvements in this area so although I crave a few pints, I'm resisting most weeks now.

Morning exercise however, is very difficult with my routine - I rise at around 5am as it is to journey for work and find it tiring enough without rising earlier...

In the last several years I think I have done what tou are doing. It was not easy and I still have to push myself to self discipline. 

The key for me was to find the time and the way to excercise that would naturally fit into the daily and weekly routine and become second nature, the new you.

this took many tries and several years.

try many options, different times etc until you find a combination that you like and can sustain, and enjoy

one more thing: if you keep doing it (be active and watch what you eat), result is guaranteed.
Thanks, I can see that consistency is key and hope very soon to be posting some of my efforts, although minimal to begin with; I hope to post some encouraging results!

 

rabski

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To many of us, drink is the enemy. It has been my enemy for decades.

Coupled with lack of physical exercise, as per Daniel's exerience, it is the worse combination.

Like many here, I spend hours driving a desk and the obvious relaxtion is to open a bottle. Or two.

Not in itself an issue, but combined with lack of exercise, it rapidly becomes a major issue.

 

parcelmonkey

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Get out & walk. :^
Is better than anything, yes. But won't shift the comfort roll sitting in my gut unfortunately...

Get your ass on a bike, it works.
Good straight forward advice from the Bristol lot... :^

Looking for my lights today and will do!

Not looking forward to it to be honest, living in Dover; hills are a necessary evil to get out and about.

:D

 
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Bazzer

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Pity you can't get a dog Ade , no good for people away at work , they make you go for a walk no getting away from it , I do between 4 and 5 mile a day never miss . I've done gyms and cycling but its easy to backslide .

 

rabski

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Borrow a dog.

Plenty of people don't have the time to walk theirs, and ther are some who are unable to. You could stick an advert in your local paper.

Cinnamon Trust is another option. You'll need to go through endless checks, because you'll be put in contact with vulnerable people. It's really worthwhile though. Anne and I walk a semi-retired guide dog for a blind lady who is now nearly housebound. It's an utter delight, because she (the dog!) is of course incredibly well trained, but equally when she's out with Anne or I she also knows it's 'fun time'.

My walking companion

Clannadlandmarks.jpg

 

rabski

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This is what I see when a biscuit is on offer

image.jpeg

download.jpg

 
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Cable Monkey

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Morning exercise however, is very difficult with my routine - I rise at around 5am as it is to journey for work and find it tiring enough without rising earlier...

15 hours ago, AlmaAtaKZ said:
The problem is of course that as we get older, finding the energy to do regular exercise is as hard as finding the time. Hence the morning suggestion. I do remember when I started on my journey, prompted by a chronic back issue made worse by posture and being unfit, that what I did wiped me out. I would wake up after an unintended mid afternoon micro sleep, dribbling and with a sore neck! Now it has no impact. Perhaps you need to take the radical step of changing your routine to allow 30-45 minutes in a gym before work. I know that is a big step but this is a whole of life decision. And ultimately it’ll be easier on your body doing 10 miles on a bike 3 times a week than 30 miles on a Saturday. 

In short, if your routine is in the way change your routine. Find a way. 

 

toms wait

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Not looking forward to it to be honest, living in Dover; hills are a necessary evil to get out and about.

:D
This sounds wrong but look locally for flatter rides and stick the bike in the car to get to them to build initial fitness then tackle a few hills later.

For years we did not ride round us but drove to somewhere nicer to ride.  this also avoids the drudge of doing the same roads to actually get anywhere.

I don't know Dover area at all but look for canals, old railway lines or river banks, all flatter.

 
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parcelmonkey

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Pity you can't get a dog Ade , no good for people away at work , they make you go for a walk no getting away from it.
I can get a dog easily, I don't want one! xD

Borrow a dog.
Sadly, although a great idea, what with helping people out etc, I really have no time for dogs, or cats! Sorry to insult lovers of both, the animals I do like are neither available in the UK or suitable for walking with...

The problem is of course that as we get older, finding the energy to do regular exercise is as hard as finding the time. Hence the morning suggestion. I do remember when I started on my journey, prompted by a chronic back issue made worse by posture and being unfit, that what I did wiped me out. I would wake up after an unintended mid afternoon micro sleep, dribbling and with a sore neck! Now it has no impact. Perhaps you need to take the radical step of changing your routine to allow 30-45 minutes in a gym before work. I know that is a big step but this is a whole of life decision. And ultimately it’ll be easier on your body doing 10 miles on a bike 3 times a week than 30 miles on a Saturday. 

In short, if your routine is in the way change your routine. Find a way. 
Not feasible I'm afraid. My diary is run by an administrator, if Courses dictate starting times, I HAVE to be on time and available. The only way to change that routine is to quit, which isn't truly an option...

I was waiting to hear the outcomes of my Hospital test results, unfortunately I've made a genuine error of diary and thought my Pancreatic CT scan was Monday; it wasn't, it was last Friday.

No more excuses then; I will get out and do something Monday and will look for ways to be consistent. If I don't post something that I have done here at least 3 times weekly, please feel free to name & shame, abuse and offer all sorts of encouragement and or threats!

:/ :nerves:

 

rabski

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I'll shame you right now. You're doing what I did for years: looking for excuses not to.

Don't want to walk a dog. Don't have the time for a bike. Can't make the time. Not feasible, etc. etc.

Bollocks. You're looking for reasons why not to, rather than reasons why to.

I'll give you two reasons right now. Daniel and me. One massive stroke, one major heart problem. If both of us can do it, then you can fucking do it before you end up like we have: dealing with the result rather than the problem.

Get off your fucking arse and do it Ade. You don't want to be where Daniel is now, and you don't want to be where I narrowly avoided.

I spent fifty plus years as a lazy twat believing that being six foot two, playing a bit of sport and being built like a brick shihthouse meant I was fit and unbreakable. I wasn't. And I'm not. Fucking get out of that chair or car seat and fucking get on with it. 

I'd be happy to visit you in hospital, but I don't want that to be the option.

Your choice.

 
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