Do The Workout - Your Daily Fitness Check In
Hey, first off, if this is inappropriate, by all means, lock it down and delete it. I just thought it might be something that folks'd be into.
Alright, well, freelancing is pretty sedentary lifestyle - and even if you don't freelance 100%, if you live in the modern world you may not be getting the exercise and nutrition that you need... and to be working at your creative and productive potential, you need to be fit and have energy. This, of course flies in the face of the Warren Ellis theory of creative productivity (ie. down the pub, with cigarettes, pints and whiskey) but I think that if any of our members here dropped dead of a heart attack or the like, it'd be a crying shame and a loss to the creative community.
That said, I'm definitely not in the shape I should be, so, like any of my other projects, this is a work in progress. I currently clock in at 253 lbs and I obviously don't get the exercise nor proper nutrition I need. This is an attempt to change that, and I welcome any and all participants, much like the do the work thread, to share tips, advice, encouragement and their own progress, if fitness is a challenge for others as it is for me. Perhaps we can be the best damn looking group of comic nerds in a few months time, when we meet up at conventions. And if you are in great shape, good for you - were you always and what sort of lifestyle (fitness wise) do you lead that got you there? As I say, all are welcome.
Anyway, I'll start. As I've already mentioned, I'm about 253 lbs and working on it. This morning, I had 3 eggs scrambles (up from my regular 2, but I'm planning a salad for lunch), one slice of toast (with butter), 2 slices of bacon and a cup of coffee (cream and sugar) and half a grapefruit. I'm not saying it's healthfood, just making an accounting. I also biked 5.5 K (3.4 miles) which took about 30 minutes and I will repeat this afternoon (it's my wife's route to work and back). So I got a bit of exercise.
Do you exercise? What's your preferred method? Any diet tips to share? I'm trying to win the battle of the bulge - maybe you can help me!
Alright, well, freelancing is pretty sedentary lifestyle - and even if you don't freelance 100%, if you live in the modern world you may not be getting the exercise and nutrition that you need... and to be working at your creative and productive potential, you need to be fit and have energy. This, of course flies in the face of the Warren Ellis theory of creative productivity (ie. down the pub, with cigarettes, pints and whiskey) but I think that if any of our members here dropped dead of a heart attack or the like, it'd be a crying shame and a loss to the creative community.
That said, I'm definitely not in the shape I should be, so, like any of my other projects, this is a work in progress. I currently clock in at 253 lbs and I obviously don't get the exercise nor proper nutrition I need. This is an attempt to change that, and I welcome any and all participants, much like the do the work thread, to share tips, advice, encouragement and their own progress, if fitness is a challenge for others as it is for me. Perhaps we can be the best damn looking group of comic nerds in a few months time, when we meet up at conventions. And if you are in great shape, good for you - were you always and what sort of lifestyle (fitness wise) do you lead that got you there? As I say, all are welcome.
Anyway, I'll start. As I've already mentioned, I'm about 253 lbs and working on it. This morning, I had 3 eggs scrambles (up from my regular 2, but I'm planning a salad for lunch), one slice of toast (with butter), 2 slices of bacon and a cup of coffee (cream and sugar) and half a grapefruit. I'm not saying it's healthfood, just making an accounting. I also biked 5.5 K (3.4 miles) which took about 30 minutes and I will repeat this afternoon (it's my wife's route to work and back). So I got a bit of exercise.
Do you exercise? What's your preferred method? Any diet tips to share? I'm trying to win the battle of the bulge - maybe you can help me!
Comments
My weight has been creeping steadily upward in recent years. When I mentioned to my father that I'd reached 200 (up from 160 when I stopped growing vertically), he offered to pay for membership at the Y, which I've been taking advantage of off and on. Mostly running laps, swimming laps, some low-weight/high-rep work on the weight machines, and cruising the showers. To get the heart rate up.
This year my employer's health insurance program jacked up their rates again, with a "discount" back down to the old rates if you enroll in an approved fitness program. So I'm signed up for this deal that makes me carry a pedometer to track whether I walk (on average) about three miles a day. Which, in all seriousness, is cutting into my Do The Work time, because my day job is a whole lot of sitting on my ass. But it's worth doing, both financially and for my health.
Walking a few miles a day is good stuff though. You should try 4 tomorrow!
Currently, I am clocking in at 220+ lbs.
This time last year I was 30 lbs. less. Since I've moved in with my fiancé I've been eating and drinking like a starved wolf. Binge eating. It's horrible. I have tried a few times to create a routine and I will contine to try and make one.
I beleive it is very important to stay on the health track because the energy levels can help with productivity -- whether the creator works 100% at home, or if they have to wiggle work in after a day at the office.
Anyway, time for me to go see if I can keep up with anyone running around the track.
@Jimmie_Robinson I agree - so important. And I always keep in mind that the only failure is quitting. So long as we try, we suceed.
My challenge is to do a better job of containing my calorie consumption, because I'm fairly good about getting some exercise over the long haul.
I think this is a great point and it goes with how I try to eat and train now. Simply if you have a bad meal/lazy trainig session, you get the chance to put it right immediately with the next meal or session. In the past I'd eat an unhealthy meal and say 'Well that's my eating for the day ruined' and carry on eating unhealthily. I've since learned to quickly put away the negative thoughts and emotions that come with that action and get back on track because it's never too early to do so. Nobody can be perfect and a little variety is good, so I think beating yourself up about it is a lot worse for you than what you dd/didn't do.
But for now, am I in better t shape then the most fit 29 year olds? No way.
Better then half? Maybe so.
Sadly, I have yet to assemble the bike because my back is jacked up (and I can't actually move the thing around to get it where I need it) which has also negatively affected my lifting, forcing me to switch to just machines and just upper body for the time being. On the upside, my back seems to be mostly back to normal, so I'll be cautiously adding stuff back in.
Going to the gym is also, quite frequently, the only time I leave the house in a given week, so in addition to my overall physical fitness, it gets me out of the house and helps me destress a bit. Doing the creative work is actually a big part of why I do exercise - I need the additional energy it provides me,
I currently weigh somewhere between 265 and 268, depending on the day. This is, actually, what I weighed when I was a track athlete in high school. I'm down around 50 pounds from my peak weight, and I'd like to lose another fifty or so. I am a pretty good sized human even without counting my fat, so anywhere in the low 200's would probably be fine.
I currently eat basically zero carbs (although this was not actually how I lost weight) because it helps keep my blood sugar down. I also feel a lot better this way, but I have to treat eating anything that's not animal or vegetable like an alcoholic handles alcohol - if I eat it, I will start binging. And I would kind of like to have feet as life goes on, so that's bad.
I've lost a number of VERY talented friends -- and I would've love to see more work from them. Even when the ability to draw lessens it's still possible to be creative. But poor health is poor health no matter how you cut it.
I find podcasts and walking are a great combo: the chatter takes my mind off the tediousness of putting one foot in front of the other, and makes the time spent "productive" in a sense. In addition to "Word Balloon", Dan Savage's "Savage Love" sex/relationship advice program and the audio from Bill Maher's "Real Time" are regulars for me.
Just curious (and not to change the topic)...but does anyone else have a good comic or movie (or baseball) podcast to recommend?
I play basketball once a week in an adult league, and during basketball season I officiate youth basketball.
My diet is shit and I drink way too much, but I've been cutting caffeine out of my diet because it's started to cause my heart to explode.
I still need to get off my ass more than I do, and start watching what I eat. The plan is to start running soon, but it's been a while.
-BCM
I'm at 6'0" and 203. Highest ever was 218 years ago. Lowest as an adult was 198. However, I still can't fit into size 32 like I wore most of my life. Stuck at 34.
I just weighed in under 200 lbs this week for the first time in eight years. I used to run long distance, but shinsplints have limited me to the exercise bike. I try to work out daily.
Meanwhile, my dear wife has been doing Cross-Fit for the last three months. I'm simultaneously delighted by and terrified of the prospect of being married to She-Hulk.
I used to exercise more, but since moving to Chicago have been sorely lacking in my workout routine. I used to run all the time, and do 1,000 sit ups a day (not exaggerating). It's been a year since I've done anything physical, but I'm planning to get back into a gym in April. My girlfriend has one right around the corner from her, and she can get me a pretty sweet discount.
Why I think I've fallen off the wagon is motivation - and time. Work has me at the office for 50-60 hours per week, and when you get out at 7pm or later going to the gym is the last thing on your mind. The other solution here is to go to the gym in the morning...but I'm not a morning person. However, this is probably when I'll start going in April, since there's no other time to go.
As for motivation, I used to work out with a consistent group of friends. It was a fun group activity, and after we were done we all went back to my place to watch movies and relax. We worked out 3x per week for an hour, and it was a fun social activity after work. In college I did the same - only before classes.
Working out is important - helps oxygenate the brain and keeps you smarter, fights the onset of cognitive degeneration, and overall makes me feel better and more alert. Then there's the physical side, which is great - sure you feel taxed, but it's a good exhaustion. Plus, while you're working out listening to music, it's a good time to think through story ideas or issues you've run into with a plot point.