Kudos Karl!

My trick for keeping it off is cigarettes! (JUST KIDDING)

But I do have a trick, which has worked for me since my 20's. I must have comfortable everyday jeans, and I have refused to allow myself to buy new ones when they get too tight to be comfortable. So when I no longer fit into them, I gotta drop a few, and that catches it when it's only a few. Then, I can buy new ones to replace the ones I wrecked if I went too far - lol! NEVER spending money to accommodate beyond a larger size has worked for me. I never throw out the dresses I loved that just got too small, because they WILL fit again one day, and it feels so good when I get back into them (I am back there now having so much fun.)

We do now have to work harder at it at 50 though, but I honestly believe it's less an age thing, than an adulteration of our food supply, environment and the drugs being pushed on us - that are simply making this Country sicker (the benefits do NOT outweigh the risks for things like statins).

I am currently pursuing my CNA to work with Alzheimer patients which seems to be the next great epidemic that will BURY US. Clinicals were a shock, as I (my inspiration for this was caring for my 99 year old grandmother and seeing every one of my father's siblings go down with it) forgot about the obesity. The patient might say they are a two person assist, but there is only one person to do the job. ARE YOU KIDDING ME? YIKES!

So here's what I don't get. Our food supply, our environment, the every day drugs I honestly believe to be causing this irrational increase in Alzheimer that goes beyond the increase in the aging population.....my family went from one generation living with all their faculties till 90 +, and the next all getting Alzheimer in their 70's? (Is my generation going down even earlier?) Something is wrong with this picture. Am I totally off the wall thinking our gov't has allowed many things that are making the aging population sicker, while our ability to pay for these illnesses decreases?

I only became really aware of all these things I needed to change for me at 40, but as my g-friend said last night, but what about the 40 years of damage done? I guess only time will tell. I guess the point I am trying to make is that Alzheimer is the real healthcare crisis, and no one seems to know how to stop it - so what do we do? My predecessors did not lead unhealthy lifestyles, but they are going down nonetheless, and I feel it's not their fault, and they are going to cost me.

Personally, I am with Karl though for me. If I get it I will have everything in place to not take extraordinary measures whether as a result of that or any other health problem. However, the career path I am choosing now at 50, I do not have the right to force my beliefs on those I will care for, and half way through my program, I can see exactly what Karl is saying. The money is already not there to deal with AD, which is now the top killer of the aging population, and takes years of care before it claims you.

What about that? :(

----------

VICTORY BELONGS TO THE RELENTLESS!

Karl decided it was time to take responsibility for his own health which is what everybody should do instead of delegating it to the medical arena.

Karl, you are eligible for senior olympics at 50 - go for it. Find a sport in Florida's list of sports that appeals to you and seize the moment. You will find there is little competition in the 50-54 age range because they don't have the time. They are still hard at work postponing retirement because they are paying for their children and grandchildrens financial mismanagement and of course still working on their refinanced mortgages.

----------

Its called creeping TEOTWAWKI. Just because it doesn't happen all at once doesn't mean it isn't happening.

Great job, Karl. Kudos for sticking to it.

I've been a gym rat for about 25 years, with the exception of 3 years in my late 30's when a downward spiral into alcoholism almost put me in the grave. Since 2003, I've been (sober and) steady at it again. I'm 5'9" and pretty lean at 175, but I haven't really worked on cardio at all until the last 3 years. I feel so much better now that I incorporate cardio into my routine. And, I just signed up for kick boxing classes at my gym, and the conditioning in those classes is intense. I'm looking forward to it. As one-legged said, if you find something you enjoy that gives you the excercise and exertion you need to maintain a decent level of fitness, you find that it isn't inconvenient or a burden to do it. You obviously like the bike, and that's one of my favorites as well. If you're lucky enough to live near the beach, riding a bike on the beach is great excercise and the scenery ain't bad, either.

your mental abilities are in excellent condition. it's inspiring to hear and See the improvements you've made physically. for the education you provide in markets, mathematics, politics, law, etc. etc. . . thankyou!

Oh here's another thing, if you're a guy, and maybe this will motivate you.

You do this and you will gain a ridiculous number of boners.

It's like being 15 again.

----------

Resistance training (with free weights) on a linear progression program saved my butt over the last two years. I have graduated to a monthly cycle of progression with more conditioning work. The conditioning consists of sprints and carrying heavy things for distance and time. I am 55 and have no interest in abusing my body running or lumbering long distances at a constant pace. I take in about 2800 cal per day with 50 % of that as protein. Kudos to Karl on his results but he is a tad too skinny :-) . I am 5' 8" at 225lbs. About 15% bodyfat. My doctor is pleased with my results. This stuff is worth doing. I can better take care of my family being stronger and am tougher to kill :-) .

Karl,

What timing, "Myfitnesspal" is a great application. Thanks.

I know a guy that's a mild type diabetic, takes Zetia along with celbrex. He says he pays over $500/month for prescriptions. The guy is not overweight. Add in the 9% increase in health insurance rates and soon people will not be able afford the insurance or the drugs.

----------

When the people fear the government, there is tyranny. When the government fears the people, there is liberty. - Thomas Jefferson

Another way to look at the diet is to realize how much food costs to maintain an overweight body. Cutting out desserts, sodas and extra servings will give you a good head start to losing weight and to saving money (both up front in grocery bills and later in health care savings.)

Americans don't even know what fit looks like any more. My spouse (F) weighs 172 ... significantly too much ... yet most people here think she is "sick," etc. because there are so few under 200 lb's, etc.

so that's your secret, kd!

(i've experienced the same thing. well, not like 15, more like 30yo again for me. i'll take it!)

i hope my comments didn't lose some of my intended tone or emphasis. i am not making an excuse. lots of things in life are difficult. they still need to be done. they are still worth it.

for many of us, change is difficult. changing diet and activity patterns is difficult. maintaining weight loss and those changes is difficult. age imposes a further degree of difficulty.

wah wah wah. cry myself a river. gotta do it anyway. good news, it's worth it.

my favorite clich, from frederick douglass: "Without struggle, there is no progress."

i love real, old fashioned Kerrygold butter from grass-fed cows. grass-fed beef, pork and chicken (and eggs) taste like real food from my childhood 35-40 years ago. i also love loose clothes, having more energy, not lugging around 25lbs of adipose around my belly i possessed last january. gotta remember that will be even better after the next 25lbs.

i can talk about real food and physical activity/fitness/exercise all day long. i bore myself sometimes. i'll stop with this link to someone who blogged about his journey to fitness, but talks about the massive changes he made with a language and attitude unique, compared to the typical internet sites and discussions. not for everyone, but i guarantee some folks who click on his site love it, and find great inspiration. he sells absolutely nothing; this is not a sales pitch. i am completely unaffiliated.

http://theantijared.com/

beginning: http://theantijared.com/page/26

----------

kd told me (and i believe him) that
"We (Americans) deserve a Depression."

Enjoy FOX News deception regarding Ron Paul (video).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=pla....

----------

RAT RACE IS OVER, RATS WON :)

I guess I ramble too much for my point. Check it out - AD is what is going to bury us, no matter how many of us chose healthy lifestyles - we are still fucked.

----------

VICTORY BELONGS TO THE RELENTLESS!

It's also significantly more difficult to do when chained to a cubicle for 9 hours per day. A lot of folks see the metabolism of their youth cease at the same time they are being stuck in the corporate straight jacket ... it's a bad combination for your health.

I just noticed... there hasn't been a discussion here of the psych part of the "medical" industry at all yet - 99% of that part of the industry is pure medicalization cult, so by not buying in you are also not buying into those abuses (which IMO constitute crimes against humanity) such as drugging millions of kids with Adderall and Ritalin and the like.

----------

Don, you're done. I told you before that shilling for something you're trying to PATENT is against the rules here unless you're buying advertising.

----------

Gen,

Would you be willing to share the significance of the changes in your blood testing before and after your admirable change?

----------

You can trust the government, ask any American Indian.

"When people lose everything and they have nothing left to lose, they lose it" Gerald Celente

Quote:

for many of us, change is difficult. changing diet and activity patterns is difficult. maintaining weight loss and those changes is difficult. age imposes a further degree of difficulty.

wah wah wah. cry myself a river. gotta do it anyway. good news, it's worth it.

The original exercise, if you're out of shape from a cardio perspective, IS hard. In fact it seems impossible at first.

It's not. That "Couch to 5k" thing works. It's graduated in a way that will get you where you can go originally, keep you there until you build a bit more endurance, then ratchet it up a bit more.

The thing is if you don't get the refined carbs out (or the fats, choose one) you're fucked -- the weight will go right back on. It's not complicated in this regard at all.

It's a choice. When you want a snack in the middle of the day you can grab a candy bar or you can grab some fresh broccoli crowns (or celery) and ranch dressing to dip them in. One will blow your refined carb numbers off the charts in five minutes. The second will fill you up, tastes good, and doesn't. Both have a couple hundred calories in them but one screws you and the other does not.

In the morning you can choose a cheese omelette (with ham if you want, or bacon) or waffles with syrup. Both taste good. Both have about the same caloric content. One will screw your carb and glycemic balance for the next four hours, the other will not. Pick one.

Most people CANNOT get rid of the fats. Try eating few or no fats in a day and staying there. It's impossible for most people to do.

Getting under 100g of carbs, however, is possible for most people to do in their diets, and getting refined carbs out is not that hard. Drink NO sugared beverages (if you insist on sodas drink diet ones) and don't eat anything prepared with either HFCS or sugar itself. This means cooking and eating things from the OUTSIDE of the grocery store (NOT down the aisles themselves) -- all of which are either raw (e.g. vegetables and some fruits) or meat, dairy and protein sources. The only aisle you should be buying anything material from is the frozen vegetable aisle if you can't find what you want fresh.

It just isn't that tough.

----------

Quote:

Oh here's another thing, if you're a guy, and maybe this will motivate you.

You do this and you will gain a ridiculous number of boners.

It's like being 15 again.

Somehow at 51 that scares the hell out of me.

On a more serious note, we just got back from 3 days at Universal studios. If you want to see how fat we Americans are, go to Universal or Disney and compare the Europeans to us Americans. You'll get the picture.

Flap

----------

Here are my predictions for everyone to see:
S&P 500 at 320, DOW at 2200, Gold $300/oz, and Corn $2/bu.
No sign that housing, equities, or farmland are in a bubble- Yellen 11/14/13
Trying to leave

Genesis wrote..

No it's not.

I'd love to tell you that it is, but it isn't. I don't find it difficult at all.

I noticed a while ago on your YouTube videos that you were shedding serious weight and getting quite fit. Great job! As a health and fitness enthusiast myself, I agree with you about it not being hard. Unfortunately, most folks don't have the type of discipline you do. For that reason, I think it is genuinely hard for many folks.....

By the way, how many new clothes did you have to buy? I think you might have given retail a little boost, eh?

----------

ETB: Unfortunately, the answer to that is all of them.

Literally all; the only things that still fit were my socks.

I kept a handful of old T-shirts around in the former size as "work on car or yard" shirts that will get trashed over time, but they look like they were cut for an elephant when I try to wear them now.

----------

I kind of figured. It's pretty nice to have a new wardrobe though, especially when it's for a reason such as what you've accomplished!

Edit:

Quote:

You do this and you will gain a ridiculous number of boners.

It's like being 15 again.

By the way, does that mean you've been "dating" more?

----------

Two things - while the first level of cardio fitness gives you the bulk of the benefit, the second level has some really nice rewards as well. I went from 8 to 6 hours of sleep a night, I'm never sick with even a cold (used to have three a year), I almost never feel tired, and yesterday I ran 14 consecutive 7:12 miles without even breathing hard. Unfortunately there were still two left to get to my house and I forgot to bring hydration, they were much harder...All you need to do to get to that level is to run about 45 minutes a day, on average, for about 24 weeks. Do lots of different kinds of runs to make it even more fun, like intervals, negative splits, trail runs, tempo runs, races, etc.

Second, every body type is different - I go to the gym at least four times a week, my upper body strength has doubled, yet I still have skinny little arms and have only gained two pounds, leaving me at 6'0" and 149. You have to listen to your body and choose the activity that makes it the happiest.

Awesome work!!!

One of my goals for this year is to, in addition to running, do some kind of real exercise every single day. I had a injury plagued year and only got to 400 miles, so I need to cross train big time.

Keep up the great work!

Lesson learned: Like teaching others of the U.S. government debt - takes 35 years to do something others figure is common sense...

I'm guessing that humping double 130s down to the water will be much easier, too. ;) Lower SAC rate as well.

P90x is calling my name, along with eating better. My wife and I just moved a bit further out into the countryside and we are (relatively) close to a few local farms, plus a farmer's market. We will have to hit them up soon and see what they have.

Since we moved from a 2nd story apartment into a house with a yard, we are very excited about having the ability to put in a garden soon. We had a potted-plant garden on our balcony at the old place, but growing things in the ground will hopefully yield a larger crop (although we did do quite well for just growing things in pots on the balcony).