Health tips

SubJunk

I've been devoting a lot of my effort over the last 3 years to getting healthy. I went from 105KG with a lot of fat to where I am now which is 90KG with not much fat, I look bigger and am stronger than I was but there's always more to do!
So I started this thread where I can give tips I've picked up along the way and anyone else with similar interests can share their tips too!
We can also discuss new things we're considering trying, maybe someone else has tried it and can say how it worked or didn't work for them.

So my first tip is related to workouts. Something that tripped me up when I was first getting into going to the gym and martial arts training as an adult is that because I was trying to be healthy at the same time (cutting out sugar and salt from my regular diet) I kept feeling light headed even from a short period of cardio and even threw up on a lot of occasions. I've since discovered that while it is important to cut out sugar and salt from the main diet, it's important to consume them (along with potassium and water) from 30 mins before a workout and throughout it. It's really easy to do it if you can get the sachets of Horleys "replace" electrolytes sports drink. It's similar to Powerade Isotonic and stuff like that, but Horleys replace works out way cheaper, especially if you get a big bag of it you can basically save 50% compared to Powerade.

So why you need these things: Sugar and potassium give you readily available energy to stop your body making you tired because it doesn't want you to use all your energy in one go, salt is lost while you sweat so you need to replace it (hence the name of the drink) and water keeps your blood pressure at optimum levels which is important for syncope which is light-headedness, fainting, throwing up, that sort of thing.

That's my main tip that has taken me from struggling to even get to the end of a workout to being dominant throughout it. What are your tips or questions?

Magneto · Post edited by Magneto at 2013-01-28 06:28:42

I hope I am able to share my story !

Determination is key.

I was quite a good soccer player during my younger years, around the age of 11 I was thinking about taking it to the next step in terms of representative teams. I "had it", as some might say. I was tall for my age, I was light, and I was a good runner. When I was 12, I broke my ankle whilst playing, thus denting my hopes of progressing in my soccer career. About the age of 13 is when I developed a condition called Osgoods schlatter. This condition target joints, particularly the knees, and makes it hard to engage in sport which involves running on rough surfaces. Unfortunately for me, soccer was a sport which involved doing so. From the ages of 13 - 15 were the hardest, this was when i was growing the most. I was growing so fast, that my bones were growing quicker than my muscles. This led to tightening of my muscles, which made it really hard and uncomfortable to play sport.

I put on a lot of weight ( going from about 45 kg to eventually 80kg ) in a short amount of time. I was unfit and didn't enjoy exercising. During sport at school, I tore my hip flexor. This was a BIG set back, as I just started to get my weight under control. I was unable to do any sport for about 2 months. I finally made a return to soccer when I was 15. I took time off of it to get a handle on my condition, and to lose excess weight. I started training with my team regularly, and everything was going great. That was until, for a second time, I tore my hip flexor AGAIN. This meant another year or so on the sidelines.

Fast forward to just before I turned 16. I had some weight, weighing in at roughly 64kg. At the time I was roughly 6 feet tall. I was starting to get back into soccer, and my fitness levels were going up. My knees were, and still are giving me some grief, but it is much more manageable nowadays than it was. I thought one way to help would be to strengthen my muscles, and what better way to do that than going to the gym right? It was a delayed process, but I ended up signing up for the gym last Christmas, and I have reaped the benefits ever since.

Before the gym, I weighed 66kg and lacked energy. After going to the gym roughly 3 - 4 times a week, for an hour at a time, for a month, I have gained what I would like to think is muscle, and now weight 72kg. That extra weight has filled out, what was before my slender 6'6'' frame.

In conclusion, I believe that my gains have been all due to determination. IF you want to do something, do it. People will say that you cannot do it, but you can. I've experienced that. You are your own harshest critic. Try your best, and when you've done that, try harder. Because the only thing standing in the way of you and what you want, is yourself.

If you did take the time to read that, I thank you. That wasn't easy to type.

- Sean / Magneto

Andate · Post edited by Andate at 2013-01-29 17:05:14

Wow, you've done really well for yourself despite all your setbacks mate. =)
From my own experience, from Klaus' and now from reading your story, there's a tip I think is pretty consistent when it comes down to success with fitness and exercise.

One thing I hear a lot from people who struggle with weight and health is their lack of motivation to actually get out there and do the work. The key that I've discovered (for me anyway) is finding something that you are really attracted to doing. It's one thing to sign up for a gym, but a lot of people don't get much enjoyment from going. As a result, they won't go as often as they think they should or feel guilty about not going more often and as a result will end up going even less. A lot of us simply don't have the willpower to keep doing something we don't like for a long consistent period of time.

For me, the thing that really turned me around was dance class. For Klaus, it was Jiu Jitzu. And it sounds like Magneto here had soccer to keep going back to. (That and being one of those rare people who either like the gym, or have the willpower to make themselves keep going. Maybe both ;) )

If the gym isn't for you, then don't leave it at that. Try lots of different kinds of exercise. If you're near a beach in the summer, go swimming. If you've always loved to cycle, then ride around the neighborhood, explore new places. You could try out tramping or kayaking. A martial art or dancing choreography can be good for those who like to keep their minds busy. Even something as simple as a walk to visit a nearby friend or relative on a regular basis. There are so many different ways to get exercise, if a person can find something that they Want to go do again, rather then something they Should go do again, it's so much easier to get yourself out of the house and benefiting your health and body

SubJunk

Thanks for sharing that with us Mag, sorry for your struggles. I broke my ankle in my teens too so I know how fun that is, lol. You're definitely right about determination! It's so easy to give up and get fat and unhealthy but in the end you are just hurting yourself and no one is gonna do the hard work for you, as we found out the hard way.

Your point is awesome Andate it's so easy to get fit when you find something you love doing. I think gyms have convinced millions of people that being fit is boring, but there is a sport for everyone if you just keep looking and trying them! Trying is really the key too, you can't look at people playing a sport and know if you like it or not, you have to get in there and really try. Like when I first saw jiu jitsu I thought it looked dumb, I wanted to hit people not play pajama-wrestling, but after trying it it clicked with me and has changed my life.

Magneto · Photo on 2013-01-30 at 19.17.jpg

Hard to tell from my terrible camera, but there is a difference ! Those are my school I.D photos, from last year, and the year before. Seeing the look on the faces of the people who teased me when they saw the comparison was a good feeling.

SubJunk

Haha yep not many people will fuck with a 6'6" dude who works out!

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