Health/Nutrition/Exercise Discussion

[BigPete7978]

Many gamers get the label of being overweight or just lazy in general. This is definitely not true given the fact that the hobby of gaming itself is more mainstream than ever. Pretty much every person plays some sort of game on various platforms. Whether it be a casual or hardcore gamer, a gamer is a gamer. With that being said this thread can be used to discuss various things about health, nutrition, and exercise. What works for you, what doesn't. Found a diet, exercise, etc. that works? Post about it here.

 

[Jacky]

So far i've been pretty good about my diet and exercise, i leave the house whenever i get the chance and have always had a pretty steady diet. My health however, i should probably be more careful. I have epilepsy, and so far so good , (knock on wood).
I also have a nasty habit of leaving my playstation on and running when not around..... Oops

 

[BigPete7978]

My take on nutrition and a little about myself:
I have a bachelors degree in Kinesiology, and have been an athlete all my life. I firmly believe that anyone can be in shape, but it will take time and effort. Will there be pain along the way? Yes. But one thing I have learned in life is that nothing is easy, especially if it is worth attaining.

The statement of you are are what you eat is beyond true. Diet is probably the most important thing about being in shape. People think that they can eat horrible things that are high in fat, calories, or sodium (one thing that is often overlooked) and be in shape. While yes I am a firm believer in having one cheat day a week to maintain your sanity with your diet. Everyone has their weaknesses, mine being chips and salsa. While the salsa is completely okay for you, the chips not so much. This is one of the things that I eat on pretty much a daily basis.

Other than that I usually eat a salad with some sort of protein for lunch (typically only get a very short amount of time with me being a coach). I also lead a gluten free diet because my fiancé @Kaki88x is allergic to gluten. While gluten does not necessarily make me sick, I can say that overall I feel better, look better, and actually have bread maybe once a week. There are so many gluten free alternatives out there now. Now if the looking better part is from less gluten or because of less carbohydrates being consumed by my body is honestly unknown by me. It really could be either, but overall I do feel better. So I will continue this diet with the fiancé.

Working out I do a percentage based workout called 5/3/1. It goes over a 4 week period with increasing weight based upon a one rep max. It's a great book to read, and I highly recommend it. @Anthony Severino is originally the one that told me about the book, and I have been using it since. Now is this the only workout I do? No. In between my sets in the weight room I am typically doing burn out sets with a weighted speed jump rope that I purchased. This keeps my heart rate up throughout my entire workout. Allowing for a full cardiovascular workout while weight training at the same time. Does this take time for your body to get used to this workout? Hell yes it does, but it works.

Honestly if I don't workout I get told by the fiancé to take myself to the weight room. I become a sort of Hulk when I don't lift. I become a lot more agitated with ease. Nutrition and working out is a complete lifestyle change that you need to buy in on, and not give up. Anything you want to accomplish may take some time, especially in the weight room.

I have had the medial collateral ligament (MCL) tear twice in my knee. Once in high school while playing football (cost me a college football scholarship), and once in college while playing football (ended my college football career). My right ankle sounds like a pepper grinder every time I rotate it because a linebacker was scared to get hit by me in a game and dove at my ankle instead, and completely messed up my ankle. So there are some days in the weight room or in my workouts where I might have to back off a bit, but I always get the majority of my workout completed. Is it painful? Hell yes. Is it worth it? Hell yes.

My biggest annoyance is when people try to have a response for anything as to why they don't workout. There are always issues for people to place the blame on, but there is always someone out there that has it worse off than what you are facing. So rather than placing the blame on everything else, there is a much better alternative. You need to find the diet/workout plan that works for you. Everyone is different, and reacts differently to various workouts/diets.

I'm 6'6" and was 365lbs when I stopped playing college football. My body was in "football shape" but nowhere near good shape. I was overweight, but strong as hell. Did I need all that weight on my body? Nope. So I ran 3 miles a day, with a fucked up knee and ankle. My back gave me occasional issues, but as the weight came off it got easier. It's going hurt at first, but working through the pain will make you stronger overall. I am currently 6'6" still and weight about 315 lbs. While I was doing all that cardiovascular workouts I actually got down to around 250, but got really sick and had multiple health issues. You truly have to find the best size for you as an individual. It is truly how you feel? I felt like shit at 250 lbs. and the health issues made me realize I needed more weight on me. I am now much happier with the weight I am at. Sorry for the rant, but I love talking about health and nutrition and exercise. If you have any questions feel free to ask.

 

[Vinomen]

I grew up playing sports, but during my later college days and then working in the corporate office setting I put on more than a few lbs. Even though I still worked out and was still active but never curbed my eating or bad habits. But after me and my wife had our baby about 3.5 years ago and when 40" waist was getting too tight and at this time I was also up to over 255lbs (I'm 6ft Tall), needless to say something had to change.

Unlike many others I knew there was no fad diet, no magic pill, and no easy way. First thing I did was completely overhaul my eating, which meant I couldn't come home from a 12-14 hour work day at 11:30 pm and stop at McDonald's for a Super Size Bic Mac Meal with an Apple Pie, and no more sleeves of Oreo's.

I basically has to cut my food to around 1200-1400 calories a day, which is technically too few but i was eating 3 meals a day plus snacks due to eating correct portions and healthier options. Overall this was very successful and very fast, but i was diligent and when you start seeing results it drives you to stay on track to get the results coming. After about 5-6 months and after shedding 60lbs I started to plateau a bit and felt like i needed something else, something physical. So I decided to start running, and let me tell you running is not a thing I ever enjoyed in fact it was probably my most loathed form of exercise ever. Needless to say I grinded it out running 5-6 days a week, when I started I could barely run 1 mile, and withing 30 days I was up to running 7 miles straight.

I kept running for another 6 months which I still paired with a healthy diet which brought me down to my lowest weight of 178lb all in less than 1 year. This is pretty much were I was happy with my progress and then switched to more of a maintain mode. So I added some calories back in which usually came in a cheat meal or 2, but i never gave up the running.

After 3 Years and over 750 Miles Logged I would consider myself a success as Ive kept the weight off. Although I've gone up as much as 15-20lbs (This last Holiday Season + Bachelor Party in New Orleans = Ouch) but I usually bounce back and have no problem getting back into routine with eating and exercise. The adversity helps keep me going, and i still get to enjoy a decent quality of Life. I never did give up Pizza orr Buffalo wings during my entire journey.

Although I have developed a bit of a Knee issue as of late but I still Run as much as I can physically handle, which i hope i can resolve soon so i can get some more miles in since I truly enjoy running now and hate it when i cant get it in. I also still want to run a Half Marathon at some point, but I have successfully completed tons of 5k's and many adventure races like Tough Mudder and Savage Race.


My Runkeeper Stats since August 2011:

• TOTAL ACTIVITIES:210
• TOTAL DISTANCE:772 mi
• TOTAL CALORIES:101,866

 

[Untraditional]

A topic I can get behind! Since Pete went on a rant i might as well go to. So growing up i fit into the chubby nerd category what with being overweight and playing so many games it was pretty unhealthy. Around high school i started to lose a lot of weight just by watching my diet and eventually grew into the skinny gamer stereotype (better is better) One thing i tried to do was work out at my schools weight room in high school (we had instead of a gymnasium) but still came into college at about 145lbs. now at my third year of college and using my schools gym every semester I'm finally starting to see the results i want with the muscles coming in and looking bigger overall weighing in at 170lbs now I look better than i ever did (sometimes putting on weight is good!). Working on my abs towards the summer now, cutting and dieting is hard work!

A lot of these topics hinge on losing weight so i guess i'll talk about it from more of a skinny guy gaining muscle which has been my experience.

My advice would be that you need to definitely research EVERYTHING before you start exercising and going to the gym to lose weight or build muscle and do not give up. Going to my college's gym was tough work at first, seeing all the athletes and already in shape guys there is a little off putting but don't let that stop you. As I said before make sure when you do start you've researched the things you need to know, so if you're going to start weight lifting make sure you know what routine you're doing, the proper form for the workout and the correct muscles you'll be targeting. Also make sure you start small, don't put on how much weight you think you can do if you've never done it, and don't attempt to run a mile on your first day.

The next big thing is your diet, Unless you want to put on weight you'll need to completely overhaul what you eat and kick tons of junk food to make room for more traditional boring healthy food. If you're attempting to put on weight while working out then its fun, keep in mind that working out makes you INCREDIBLY hungry once you get into doing it daily, half way through my second semester i was eating about 6 times a day, and everything in sight. Now i'm at a phase of losing weight and eat about three times a day but very restricted to proteins, vegetables and lean meats (side note, i break this diet all the time, which is why its taking me so long. its definitely not easy) which is boring healthy food once you eat it EVERY day. I'll go as far to say that dieting is MUCH more important than exercising, but that doesn't mean it entirely matters what you eat. What you'll want to focus on is calorie counting, which pretty much means you focus on the calories and nutrients you take in, not so much what you eat. So essentially you can get in shape off mcdonalds, as long as its under 2000 calories a day, but you'll be missing nutrients.

I feel like i wrote a full blog post like if i'm some fitness expert (I'm not, and am probably wrong about a couple things) now i feel silly for writing it as if people will come here to find out how to lose weight haha.

Anyway TL;DR version: Diet and exercise are the true ways to get where you want, the path is hard but keep with it, think of your dream body/weight as that platinum trophy you're striving for.

 

[BigPete7978]

A topic I can get behind! Since Pete went on a rant i might as well go to. So growing up i fit into the chubby nerd category what with being overweight and playing so many games it was pretty unhealthy. Around high school i started to lose a lot of weight just by watching my diet and eventually grew into the skinny gamer stereotype (better is better) One thing i tried to do was work out at my schools weight room in high school (we had instead of a gymnasium) but still came into college at about 145lbs. now at my third year of college and using my schools gym every semester I'm finally starting to see the results i want with the muscles coming in and looking bigger overall weighing in at 170lbs now I look better than i ever did (sometimes putting on weight is good!). Working on my abs towards the summer now, cutting and dieting is hard work!

A lot of these topics hinge on losing weight so i guess i'll talk about it from more of a skinny guy gaining muscle which has been my experience.

My advice would be that you need to definitely research EVERYTHING before you start exercising and going to the gym to lose weight or build muscle and do not give up. Going to my college's gym was tough work at first, seeing all the athletes and already in shape guys there is a little off putting but don't let that stop you. As I said before make sure when you do start you've researched the things you need to know, so if you're going to start weight lifting make sure you know what routine you're doing, the proper form for the workout and the correct muscles you'll be targeting. Also make sure you start small, don't put on how much weight you think you can do if you've never done it, and don't attempt to run a mile on your first day.

The next big thing is your diet, Unless you want to put on weight you'll need to completely overhaul what you eat and kick tons of junk food to make room for more traditional boring healthy food. If you're attempting to put on weight while working out then its fun, keep in mind that working out makes you INCREDIBLY hungry once you get into doing it daily, half way through my second semester i was eating about 6 times a day, and everything in sight. Now i'm at a phase of losing weight and eat about three times a day but very restricted to proteins, vegetables and lean meats (side note, i break this diet all the time, which is why its taking me so long. its definitely not easy) which is boring healthy food once you eat it EVERY day. I'll go as far to say that dieting is MUCH more important than exercising, but that doesn't mean it entirely matters what you eat. What you'll want to focus on is calorie counting, which pretty much means you focus on the calories and nutrients you take in, not so much what you eat. So essentially you can get in shape off mcdonalds, as long as its under 2000 calories a day, but you'll be missing nutrients.

I feel like i wrote a full blog post like if i'm some fitness expert (I'm not, and am probably wrong about a couple things) now i feel silly for writing it as if people will come here to find out how to lose weight haha.

Anyway TL;DR version: Diet and exercise are the true ways to get where you want, the path is hard but keep with it, think of your dream body/weight as that platinum trophy you're striving for.

You actually aren't wrong though. Proper form in an exercise is beyond important. If you aren't exercising correctly you run the risk of getting little to no result, and even worse possibly injured.

Diet probably is right there with exercise when factoring in how to lose weight. If you aren't eating the proper things to fuel your body, you won't see any results. Your body is like a machine. It needs the proper fuel to run properly.

Also about what you said relating to being afraid in the weight room when next to athletes, people really shouldn't be. I was one of those guys there in the weight room all the time. If someone needed help I would be happy to offer my advice on a lift or technique when lifting. Granted there are some people that are total jerks, but still.

 

[Untraditional]

Also about what you said relating to being afraid in the weight room when next to athletes, people really shouldn't be. I was one of those guys there in the weight room all the time. If someone needed help I would be happy to offer my advice on a lift or technique when lifting. Granted there are some people that are total jerks, but still.

In my experience the biggest guys are usually the nicest, you have your occasional jerks but those are easy to spot (aren't you talking to the girls a little too much to be focused on your work out?) never be afraid to ask for help or a spotter!

 

[BigPete7978]

In my experience the biggest guys are usually the nicest, you have your occasional jerks but those are easy to spot (aren't you talking to the girls a little too much to be focused on your work out?) never be afraid to ask for help or a spotter!

Those people bother me the worst. Yes I'm a bigger guy, but when I'm at the gym I am there to work not socialize non stop. I put my headphones in and go. Granted I will offer advice if someone asks a question, but other than that it is to workout.

 

[dragon82]

I am fat and lazy. LOL

 

[wolfehound22]

I am fat and lazy. LOL

Haha, yes You are

 

[wolfehound22]

Ok, now those who know me know I can't pass this thread by without commenting. I was always chubby, hell lets just say it I was fat. I played sports, but I wouldn't consider my self that athletic. After highschool and meeting my wife I put on weight, a lot. I tried fad diets, would lose a bunch, but then gain it back, nothing worked. Fast forward to 2009, and I'm at an amusment park, I go to get on a roller coaster, and the safety harness won't go all the way down, I tried and tried, but no good. Needless to say, the walk of shame was my low point, I was 310, but only 5'9. I didn't change right away, I was too busy feeling bad for myself.

2010 was when I changed, I started working out and eating way less, too little really, but that's all ib knew. In August I started P90X (check out the infomercials) that was killer but fantastic. It also opened my eyes to the right way of eating, eating good, but eating a lot, like 2500 cals, and I was still losing. I lost 40 lbs that year, and that was even with a setback after my son was born.

2011 was more od the same, life hadsome rough moments, having to move my family 600 milea, but I somehow maintained, and lost another 30lbs hitting 236lbs 74lb lost. 2012 was a struggle I hit a plateau with my weight losa, it lasted 8 months. I worked harder but no good. I still had a lot of successes, but no weight loss. I was also diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis, since then being rediagnosed as chrons, which was a tough thing to take. My diet had yo adjustas a lot of healthy food actually made me sick. By the end of 2012 I wasmt losing weight, even though I was working out more than two hours a day.

2013 had me reevaluate, and cut back, I changed to about an hour workout, and shockingly the weight came off again. I got as low as 208 before my daughter was born. I've since bounced around with my weight, sticking around 215, but I'm also currently focusing on muscle gain, which brings on weight gain.

I've stuck to mostly beach body workouts, P90X, P90X2, and recently Bod y Beast. Like Pete said diet is key, and I try and maintain a healthy diet 6 days a week. I have a cheat dayon Sat, and eat pretty much anything I want, and have seen a lotof success.

For me there is no excuse to not get healthy, unless your like Jeff and have no desire and are lazy, nothing should hold you back. I have a, million excuses, I work full time, married, two kids, a bad knee, bad back, I have chrons any of these I could use as a reason to beb lazy, but fuck that I'd rather be healthy and feel good.its not easy but its rewarding as hell.

 

[claass21]

To start with nutrition:
Growing up I would always just eat what I wanted and really didn't care about nutrition--not healthy at all and I have a bad sweet tooth. But I played sports and was very active growing up, had a high metabolism, and played football through college so it was always a non-issue.

Since being done with football in fall of 2010, my work has primarily been desk/computer based, and I am much more sedentary than I used to be. For New Years 2011 I decided to give up soda, which I am still continuing (I had done this several years back for one year). I'm really, really, really bad about moderation and have found that just not having something at all is much easier for me. Had I not cut out the calories from drinks, I would probably have gained a lot of weight over the years.

This last December I decided to also cut out caffeine. I've cut out tea, energy drinks, 5 hour energy, nearly everything that's not water. I was becoming overly reliant on caffeine because of crazy work hours in the fall. Luckily I've always loved water and that's still all I primarily drink, which is about a gallon a day. Other than that, I occasionally drink milk, and I will have a couple beers per week.

About 6 weeks ago I took it another step further, trying to eat healthier also. I've significantly cut down on foods with added sugars, and nearly eliminated sweets (I can count on one hand how many I've had in those 6 weeks). I've survived by eating more fruit and my overall sugar intake is down considerably, Surprisingly, it hasn't been too difficult. I'm also working on cutting down on processed foods, but not altogether. I eat really healthy for breakfast and lunch, and then don't worry as much about dinner.

Overall I feel better--I'm not as tired and have more energy, which is all I am really going for. I'm not trying to lose weight because I don't really need to. I still struggle with getting back to working out consistently and as much as I want to, but it will happen eventually.

 

[Raincoat]

I always find time to exercise during the day, even if I have to break it up into small increments throughout the day. I used to walk four miles to work and back everyday, and then some. I love walking everywhere, and now that it is warming up, I can go swimming and hiking and all that fun stuff. I'm also getting an active puppy soon, which will be great.

I think I eat pretty decently. I don't eat bread, pasta, nor much sugar products (as little as possible, I don't like sweets much, but I do enjoy ice cream!) I haven't had soda in about four years, I only drink water and tea anymore, and the occasional alcohol on nights out. I guess my diet is mainly veggies, meat, eggs and some dairy, and I eat once or twice a day. I feel good if I stick to this, if I eat bread or pasta I feel horrible and bloat up like crazy. I do miss croissants and cream puffs, though!

 

[arthurvisitors]

Gamers are not fat. Look at X God Dosya, and he is the most beautiful e-gamer.

 

[bidgetkloke]

I do agree with you, BigPete7978. Today gaming is mainstream, and today the common gamer stereotype is not working anymore(and never was true IMO) . Anyways, I always believed that people with a stereotypical mindset are stupid as f. And today is pretty easy to lose weight, especially for young men or women after pregnancy. Existing programs and fitness supplements will help with losing the diet. Even women after pregnancy can gain their figure back fast via following the proper diet and approaching professional surgery services like Mommy Makeover NJ.

 

[avensis]

I don't exercise much but I watch what I eat.