I've given up lactose and refined sugars from my diet, and I couldn't be happier. Soy milk is delicious and honey easily replaces anything in my cooking/baking. The difference in energy levels is amazing
Give oat milk a try. I don't drink any type of milk or milk-replacement-product, so I can't speak to its benefits personally, but the wife shifted from cow-juice to oat milk (usually the fortified Oatly, which has added calcium and vitamin D) and thinks it's just grand - as does my daughter, who normally gets a cupful before bed during story-time. Apparently can be used for cooking and baking, but don't try and use it in tea or coffee 'cos it goes lumpy and 'orrible.
I don't grind my own but let's just say that I don't drink crap coffee either. It's tasty enough that I can happily take it without sugar.
Started the gym today after 7 months off, and got weighed etc. (I've got a lot of work ahead of me!) Today was a killer, a real shock to my system. But on the plus, I haven't lost much strength, so I was able to lift 80% on my chest of what I used to when I was full blown at it.
Been a vegan iv not had cow milk for 7 years! the stuff repulses me now. Love the range of plant based milks. currently got a fridge full of chocolate oat milk! 6 cartons for free, past sell by date but still smells/looks/tastes fine to me!
Had my first "real" workout on Tuesday. Last week was more of an intro / test so to speak. The focus was shoulders, so we did shoulder presses, side cable raises, reverse pec deck, upright cable pull. We had another exercise to do but my right tricep is just so weak that I struggled to get through all these exercises. We were doing 5 sets of 10 reps for each activity. Found a comfortable weight that wasn't too intense until the last rep or two. Problem was, my right tricep is soo weak that I struggled to "finish" the movements on my right side (I am left handed) so there is a very big imbalance there. To finish off we did the rope burnout. 25 sec alternating, 10 sec break, 25 sec together, 15 sec break, 25 sec alternating, 10 sec break, 25 sec together, done. 2 days later and I'm still very sore. Something that I'll have to keep working at. My friend is going to show me some stretching routines that I should do a few times a week just to keep me loose. Also going to trampoline dodgeball tonight. It's going to be a lot of fun, but a bit tough with how sore I am. Next week I think we're doing legs. From what everyone has told me, it won't be fun. Now I just need to get my eating habits back on track.
I'm so pleased to see this from you. I know you struggle a lot with motivation and diet control, but I really am rooting for you this time. Stay strong and stay focused. You'll be a beast in no time.
You'll find that you'll start to equalize pretty quickly too. Its always hardest just to walk into the gym, so if you get past that stage it only gets easier. I'm not sitting comfortably under the 80kg mark on the scales the the gym*. *Still think they're about 3kg- so I think I'm really about 82kg. I will get the wii scales out to check soon.
Appreciate the support. Should be going to the gym again tonight. Right now its only weekly just to get into the grove of things, but having my friend there to help me out with exercises, and show me the ropes has been a huge motivator for me. When I had a membership previously I was very intimidated and clueless of what to use, etc. Other positive, still cold out but I imagine within a week or 2 we'll be in double digits (celsius) which is warm enough to start playing basketball and having softball practice. Very very excited!
Out of interest what height are you Lance? I'm losing a comfortable 1-2 lbs per week at the moment and am down to as near as makes no difference 100kg from 107 (at 6'4" tall). I lost more the first couple of weeks but I was on a seriously lean diet and have relaxed that a little since, allowing myself the odd meal out in restaurants at the weekend and so on. I'm getting there slowly but surely. Haven't made it to the gym yet this year though.
I'm 6' maybe 6'.05" in the morning (my Dad calls me the short one as brother 6'4, Dad 6'3 only cousin in UK 6'4). At 80kg I am slim but not skinny. My body fat percentage is still too high for my liking though, I'm guessing about 16-18%. I'm thinking that alongside starting to get back into the gym 2-3 times (on top of my 115 mile a week cycle commute) I'd like to get rid of two more kilo in the next 2-3 months.
Went for another workout last night, it was arms and chest. We've discovered what the problem is. I can't really push with my right side, making some of the chest exercises difficult. Knowing this though, we know what to work on with individual exercises. On my 3rd set of incline chest presses my right arm would just stop about 1/2 way through the motion. No pain or anything, I just couldn't get it my arm to push anymore. Friend is going to give me some exercises to do daily / every two days to help strengthen my right arm on top of him adjusting what workouts he has me doing.
Got a new home workout my friend suggested I try to do. There are 3 separate workouts and I should be doing one of the 3 every other day. These aren't meant to be crazy or strenuous, just help build stability and whatnot between gym workouts. Couple this with sports twice a week and maybe some extra cardio and I should see a decent improvement in my personal health. Workout 1 5 sets of 10 pushups 10 sets of 30 second side planks 3 sets of 45 second planks 5 sets of 5 dips Workout 2 5 sets of 10 Up-Downs 10 sets of 30 second side planks 3 sets of 45 second planks 5 sets of 10 wall-falls Workout 3 10 sets of 5 pushups 10 sets of 30 second side planks 5 sets of 5 dips
Well, the weather is getting better and the heavy farmwork is back in full swing. Been hefting 2.4m fence stakes around the place to repair large swathes of fence that were destroyed in March of 2014 during a massive storm and a lot of other places as well. Great for the upper body and legs, but coupled with my now going back to the gym on tuesdays and thursdays, my everything hurts. I do my stretches accordingly before getting into any heavy manual work and warm up properly when I'm at the gym, but today I could just curl up in the foetal position in bed and stay there. Trying to maintain a solid routine now over the summer and hopefully keep it going year-round. The local gym is closing in June though, so hopefully I'll be able to stick with a proper calisthenic routine.
Weather has also improved here so just doing a lot more cardio from playing sports, etc. Gym is still going, on Tuesday we did a bunch of body-weight circuits. Felt good.
Last time I became obese I did pressups obsessively & cut 5 stone off within 6 months, decided to start doing it again since I know it works, whenever I feel lazy (which is often) I drop & do 50, should get my metabolism back up to speed, the rowing machine didn't pan out with it making me sweat too much wrecking my clothes unless I did it naked.
