How do Roads Scholars manage to stay so in shape?
I went to the Columbus roadmeet, and I couldn't keep up with the rest of the group when we stopped and walked around. It's been like this since at least 2014, when I couldn't keep up with the rest of the group at the St. Louis meet when they walked across that big bridge.
I have bad kidneys, my thyroid doesn't work, I've had a pulmonary embolism and possible heart attack, and I have really bad arthritis, but still I should be in better shape than I am. I take medication for hypothyroidism, so I should really be doing better. We went to Kroger during the Columbus meet, and I guzzled a 52-ounce orange juice to improve hydration and energy, and still I felt so exhausted that I nearly fainted. I always drink juice or milk, and still I never have enough energy. For a while, I had to take about 5 naps a day. As soon as I woke up, I had to lay back down again.
So what's the Roads Scholar secret?
An average of forty miles running weekly for the last twenty two years.
I walk to work.
Also, I take 88 mcg of levothyroxine. I haven't found hypothyroidism ever to be a hindrance, even before diagnosis.
Diet and being sedentary is much more significant.
School sports mostly
And the low, rolling hills to the west called the Rocky Mountains
I wouldn't call myself fit–I could still stand to lose 40 lb or so–but I go to the gym twice a week and do weight training. I also swim during the summer.
I'm not super fit, but I walk 4-5 hours every week and take the stairs instead of the elevator whenever it's less than three flights.
It sounds like you have a lot of health concerns, and medicines and conditions sometimes work against each other. My sister has thyroid issues; takes some medicines that make her feel tired, doesn't feel much like walking, and gets worn out easily. But she doesn't eat the right stuff either, although her appetite is on the low side.
I had some borderline cholesterol and triglyceride issues, took some prescribed medicines which made me hungrier and felt weird pains. If there's any good things to be said about the excesses of the pharmaceutical industrial complex, is that minor-to-medium concerns usually have 3-4 choices, and sometimes switching from Brand X to Brand Y helps with side effects.
Quote from: kkt on April 17, 2023, 01:06:56 AM
I'm not super fit, but I walk 4-5 hours every week and take the stairs instead of the elevator whenever it's less than three flights.
Me too, though above five floors and I'm usually a little more tired than I'd like.
Quote from: Scott5114 on April 16, 2023, 11:15:07 PM
I wouldn't call myself fit—I could still stand to lose 40 lb or so—but I go to the gym twice a week and do weight training. I also swim during the summer.
30-45 minutes a day of continuous exercise, about 4-5 times a week; treadmill, cycle, or elliptical (it helps that a lot of hotels I stay at have at least 1-2 of these). Try to keep moving helps, standing even when you're trying to stay still; it adds up. I try to get in a minimum of 10,000 steps in a lazy day, 15K on a work day, and 20K on a very active day. I try to make up for what is a sedentary hobby, and sitting around on airplane seats and desk chairs. I do get work days where I'm all over the place, and others where I stand around and barely move out of a single room, so it varies.
I have weaknesses and fondness for sweets, salts, and starches, but try to limit them with vegetables or protein (it's tricky to eat healthy on the road). As much as I talk about fast food, I try not to have it more than 2-3 times a month. Toughen up and eat a big salad every so often. I added 25 to my gut the first year I had this job, and eventually fought it back and a little more. I've lowered my consumption of fries, alcohol, and large platters of food over the last 8-10 years. I'm one of about 2 or 3 people that pack a lunch container while working on the road.
I order water about 90% of the time I'm at a restaurant, sodas have lots of sodium and generally make me feel thirstier. I personally find that consuming lots of sugar just increases my appetite, so I try to be careful. If I have coffee, I try to avoid adding any cream or sugar. Hunger can be a psychological trick as well; getting good rest and finding an activity that makes you ignore food helps as well. I used to be about 40 pounds overweight, and tried just eating slowly for 10 minute maximums, then pausing for 5 minutes. Usually, I wouldn't return to any left over food. Our stomachs aren't as big as we imagine them to be, and remember they have zero taste buds.
It honestly felt very good to walk out of the doctor's office with no concerns and the borderline issues held further in check for the last two years...that won't last for long at my age.
I also forgot to mention that I have a disorder where I can't properly process vitamins B12 and D, so I just end up eating more foods with those vitamins.
Quote from: bandit957 on April 16, 2023, 09:46:32 PM
We went to Kroger during the Columbus meet, and I guzzled a 52-ounce orange juice to improve hydration and energy, and still I felt so exhausted that I nearly fainted. I always drink juice or milk, and still I never have enough energy.
Drink water.
For me, it's eating well, cycling, running, and skiing.
Genetics, hiking, taking care of a 16-month-old, rarely eating fast food, working in the restaurant industry for 20 years.
Quote from: JayhawkCO on April 17, 2023, 10:02:21 AM
...rarely eating fast food, working in the restaurant industry for 20 years.
I'm sure it's different for everyone, but I gained a lot of weight when I was working in a fast-food restaurant. (Too many lunches of messed-up orders.)
Quote from: bandit957 on April 16, 2023, 09:46:32 PM
How do Roads Scholars manage to stay so in shape?
I went to the Columbus roadmeet, and I couldn't keep up with the rest of the group when we stopped and walked around. It's been like this since at least 2014, when I couldn't keep up with the rest of the group at the St. Louis meet when they walked across that big bridge.
I have bad kidneys, my thyroid doesn't work, I've had a pulmonary embolism and possible heart attack, and I have really bad arthritis, but still I should be in better shape than I am. I take medication for hypothyroidism, so I should really be doing better. We went to Kroger during the Columbus meet, and I guzzled a 52-ounce orange juice to improve hydration and energy, and still I felt so exhausted that I nearly fainted. I always drink juice or milk, and still I never have enough energy. For a while, I had to take about 5 naps a day. As soon as I woke up, I had to lay back down again.
So what's the Roads Scholar secret?
For me, there isn't one. I let the chips fall where they may. I like what I like, and I don't like what I don't like. If given the choice of a long life with a strict regimen of diet and exercise vs. a shorter life of eating what I want and doing -- or more accurately, not doing -- what I want, then only the good die young.
^^ This. When I go to that great Breezewood in the sky, it will not be with a pulled muscle from running or with a stomach full of kale.
I do enjoy running and general exercise, most people tend to find that strange. One of the biggest benefits to being extremely active is being able to eat what I want and not really needing to worry about the consequences. I consume more fried high calorie foods than probably most people but that is offset by distance running keeping my cholesterol and weight low. I also tend to not really worry about what I weigh given my BMI has always been out of whack given that spend a lot of time strength training.
Quote from: hbelkins on April 18, 2023, 01:17:14 PM
Quote from: bandit957 on April 16, 2023, 09:46:32 PM
How do Roads Scholars manage to stay so in shape?
I went to the Columbus roadmeet, and I couldn't keep up with the rest of the group when we stopped and walked around. It's been like this since at least 2014, when I couldn't keep up with the rest of the group at the St. Louis meet when they walked across that big bridge.
I have bad kidneys, my thyroid doesn't work, I've had a pulmonary embolism and possible heart attack, and I have really bad arthritis, but still I should be in better shape than I am. I take medication for hypothyroidism, so I should really be doing better. We went to Kroger during the Columbus meet, and I guzzled a 52-ounce orange juice to improve hydration and energy, and still I felt so exhausted that I nearly fainted. I always drink juice or milk, and still I never have enough energy. For a while, I had to take about 5 naps a day. As soon as I woke up, I had to lay back down again.
So what's the Roads Scholar secret?
For me, there isn't one. I let the chips fall where they may. I like what I like, and I don't like what I don't like. If given the choice of a long life with a strict regimen of diet and exercise vs. a shorter life of eating what I want and doing -- or more accurately, not doing -- what I want, then only the good die young.
I thought it was a little nutty when people told me "you'll feel better after getting some regular exercise". Turns out we were both right...I do feel better and even more confident, and I was nuts for thinking so negatively about that. I'm usually not overdoing it, but I get less annoying aches, far fewer sudden sharp pains, and getting better nightly rest are perks that you can't really get too many other ways. I'm not saying it's a panacea, but it's certainly helped a lot of annoying things that had been bugging me for years. I'm also less lethargic and feel less restless. How are those terrible gains?
So changing only 10% of my daily routine (30-60 minutes) made me feel
much more than 10% better overall (quantifying that is going to be different for everyone), than it's stupid to call that a loss. A big part of that is wanting to be there for my kids when they get older. One can merely live, some luckier than others, and also one can make choices to live well.
And no, I don't eat kale.
I can listen to music whenever while I walk.
I do more by eating less.
I get more control over what happens, instead of giving more chances to fate.
How are those not gains?
Quote from: formulanone on April 18, 2023, 01:57:31 PM
I do feel better and even more confident, and I was nuts for thinking so negatively about that. I'm usually not overdoing it, but I get less annoying aches, far fewer sudden sharp pains, and getting better nightly rest are perks that you can't really get too many other ways. I'm not saying it's a panacea, but it's certainly helped a lot of annoying things that had been bugging me for years. I'm also less lethargic and feel less restless. How are those terrible gains?
Agreed. My wife and I terrible at exercising consistently, but even just two evenings of it a week make us feel better in several ways, and it's something that's noticeable almost immediately. We sleep better, get less tired during the day, and feel happier in general. The crappy part, however, is that my wife has a fallen arch, so figuring out how to exercise without aggravating that has been difficult.
Quote from: kphoger on April 18, 2023, 02:16:55 PM
Quote from: formulanone on April 18, 2023, 01:57:31 PM
I do feel better and even more confident, and I was nuts for thinking so negatively about that. I'm usually not overdoing it, but I get less annoying aches, far fewer sudden sharp pains, and getting better nightly rest are perks that you can't really get too many other ways. I'm not saying it's a panacea, but it's certainly helped a lot of annoying things that had been bugging me for years. I'm also less lethargic and feel less restless. How are those terrible gains?
Agreed. My wife and I terrible at exercising consistently, but even just two evenings of it a week make us feel better in several ways, and it's something that's noticeable almost immediately. We sleep better, get less tired during the day, and feel happier in general. The crappy part, however, is that my wife has a fallen arch, so figuring out how to exercise without aggravating that has been difficult.
My wife has the same, and it means buying $130 sneakers (Brooks). She also swears by these things called Samurai Insoles. I personally think they look like torture devices, but we're not the same.
Meanwhile, I get by on shoes usually costing about one-third of that. I get the point of buying good shoes, but I can't muster the energy to spend $70-100 on anything other than good work shoes. Since I find most sneakers ugly, I just get whatever is in the discount range in my size (which means they're either really ugly or very boring-looking).
On the other hand, she's not the type to have more than 3-4 pairs of shoes. I usually keep them until they're like 99% worn inside and out, and still keep them for yard work or really muddy activity. So I break that trope and have like 8 pairs of shoes in my closet (given that 4-5 of them could be thrown out).
I could stand to be in better shape- but yeah while I agree with the sentiment that I'd rather live a few less years and eat good food, I also want to be mobile and active once I get to my 60s and 70s and God willing even my 80s. The goal isn't necessarily to maximize life expectancy, it's to maximize the number of years where I feel good enough to do the stuff I like to do (i.e. travel)
To me, worse than being dead is being alive but not feeling good enough to do much of anything but stay at home and watch the television - and so to the extent that I can stave that off I see value in exercise.
Endorphins can do a ton to make a shitty day not feel so bad after a workout.
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on April 18, 2023, 02:27:01 PM
Endorphins can do a ton to make a shitty day not feel so bad after a workout.
So can ice cream.
I think the "live as I want and accept that I'll die earlier" is easy talk until you actually come face-to-face with health that restricts your activity and/or brings your mortality right to the forefront.
Quote from: Rothman on April 18, 2023, 05:18:20 PM
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on April 18, 2023, 02:27:01 PM
Endorphins can do a ton to make a shitty day not feel so bad after a workout.
So can ice cream.
Usually I've found I feel like shit if I eat ice cream or really any low quality food without any advanced cardio productivity during the same say. This is probably due to feeling guilty about eating something bad and doing nothing to earn it. I don't feel the way if I ran/hiked/lifted and had then have an ice cream (or bad food) right after or later in the same day.
Quote from: Rothman on April 18, 2023, 05:20:27 PM
I think the "live as I want and accept that I'll die earlier" is easy talk until you actually come face-to-face with health that restricts your activity and/or brings your mortality right to the forefront.
Cardio strength sure comes in handy when running, hiking or cycling abandoned roads. I much rather have the physical ability to explore the world than to be restricted to "safe activities."
For what it is worth, I had to face that mortality issue during 2015 when I ended up in an emergency room after a Half Marathon. Specifically I was showing symptoms of early cardiac arrest due to dehydration. I had plenty of time think/reflect while I was going through rounds of EKGs. The conclusion I came to was that I much rather go out doing something I enjoy and not see death coming as opposed to waiting for it at home.
Occasionally some doctor raises concerns with me regarding A-fib during annual physicals, I'm kind of dismissive of the matter at this point. Both my parents died of cancer and largely regretted not doing more with their lives (specifically travel). I would prefer not to end up in a hospice facility like both of them did. If a quick death finds me while I'm in the middle of something I like doing such as running or hiking so be it.
I had similar thoughts in the emergency room during 2010 when I got hit by a Ford Mustang while I was out running while on vacation at Coronado, CA. One of my family members even asked me if I was going to stop running and traveling alone. I had too much fun to let a couple broken ribs, a concussion and broken left arm (which required a plate and physical therapy) stop me from doing things I enjoyed like running or traveling.
Quote from: Max Rockatansky
Quote from: Rothman on April 18, 2023, 05:18:20 PM
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on April 18, 2023, 02:27:01 PM
Endorphins can do a ton to make a shitty day not feel so bad after a workout.
So can ice cream.
Usually I've found I feel like shit if I eat ice cream or really any low quality food without any advanced cardio productivity during the same say. This is probably due to feeling guilty about eating something bad and doing nothing to earn it. I don't feel the way if I ran/hiked/lifted and had then have an ice cream (or bad food) right after or later in the same day.
A modern self-flagellator. That's rather sad, but at least you're open about it.
Enjoying exercise is "sad" how exactly?
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on April 18, 2023, 05:51:04 PM
Enjoying exercise is "sad" how exactly?
It isn't. Being unable to eat ice cream without guilt unless you exercise first is. ("I can't eat this!" *whip* "I didn't exercise!" *whip* "Mea culpa!" *whip* "Mea culpa!" *whip*..."Tastes so good..." :D)
Quote from: Rothman on April 18, 2023, 05:55:35 PM
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on April 18, 2023, 05:51:04 PM
Enjoying exercise is "sad" how exactly?
It isn't. Being unable to eat ice cream without guilt unless you exercise first is. ("I can't eat this!" *whip* "I didn't exercise!" *whip* "Mea culpa!" *whip* "Mea culpa!" *whip*..."Tastes so good..." :D)
I mean hey, a good eight mile run does free up an extra 800-1,000 calories. Personally I'm not trying to gain/lose weight so that just means I can consume more on exercise days. I'm obviously not super strict about it given I just spent the last two days at a theme park with family eating junk.
But then again, to each their own. I certainly understand why others don't want to exercise or don't enjoy it. My own wife is more in the category of not liking exercising but begrudgingly engages in it for health maintenance reasons.
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on April 18, 2023, 06:02:19 PM
Quote from: Rothman on April 18, 2023, 05:55:35 PM
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on April 18, 2023, 05:51:04 PM
Enjoying exercise is "sad" how exactly?
It isn't. Being unable to eat ice cream without guilt unless you exercise first is. ("I can't eat this!" *whip* "I didn't exercise!" *whip* "Mea culpa!" *whip* "Mea culpa!" *whip*..."Tastes so good..." :D)
I mean hey, a good eight mile run does free up an extra 800-1,000 calories. Personally I'm not trying to gain/lose weight so that just means I can consume more on exercise days. I'm obviously not super strict about it given I just spent the last two days at a theme park with family eating junk.
But then again, to each their own. I certainly understand why others don't want to exercise or don't enjoy it. My own wife is more in the category of not liking exercising but begrudgingly engages in it for health maintenance reasons.
Well, sure, but I wasn't talking about the enjoyment of exercise.
I don't exercise much right now because I gave up going to the gym during covid, though I'm thinking of re-starting my three-days-a-week weightlifting regimen. I do try to walk at least two miles a day when the weather permits.
In terms of diet, I aim for at least 100% of the fiber RDA every day, as well as at least five servings from at least three different vegetables, none of which is potato. I don't track calories. This has worked well for me, though I suspect many would find my meal grid (fifteen-bean soup every day in winter, chicken salad every day in summer) a bit monotonous.
I do try to eat healthily when I travel, and have stopped at any number of supermarkets for carrots and apples to maintain the fiber "floor."
I had to resort to a lot of home brew ways of creating weight sets during early COVID given there was a lot of hoarding going on. I made some extra weights out of the wooden table toppers from my wedding by way of drilling the center out. I gradually accumulate so much equipment that my garage now has a makeshift gym in it with several benches and three machines. I also did a lot of push ups and pull ups during early COVID.
I go to the gym three times a week and am there nearly two hours each time. Weights and 30 minutes of cardio.
Then at home we have equipment where I can do dips and knee kifts, plus some hand weights, and I generally do those 4 or 5 times a week.
I mostly cut out snacking, limit my soda intake to maybe one or two cans a week and almost never eat after 9 at night.
Lots of supplements bought from a health store vs Walmart.
I weighed 205 lbs at age 30 and still 185 lbs at 39. Often ate two sandwiches at lunch, drunk soda every day, ate late at night, and did minimal exercise
(hiking and biking here and there).
The gym routine is something I never thought I would ever want to do, but did so thanks to motivation from my brother. It also helps offset my high blood pressure, which in turn gives me more incentive to work out. And now I've been consistently between 150-155 lbs for the last five years.
Also can echo what others have posted, that exercising leaves me feeling better afterwards. And many times I was in a bad mood or feeling down, but offset that by going to the gym.
Quote from: kphoger on April 18, 2023, 02:16:55 PM
The crappy part, however, is that my wife has a fallen arch, so figuring out how to exercise without aggravating that has been difficult.
I'm not familiar with the exact impact a fallen arch has on a person, but swimming and bicycling are two very good forms of exercise that don't involve putting much pressure on the foot.
Quote from: Scott5114 on April 19, 2023, 02:27:09 AM
Quote from: kphoger on April 18, 2023, 02:16:55 PM
The crappy part, however, is that my wife has a fallen arch, so figuring out how to exercise without aggravating that has been difficult.
I'm not familiar with the exact impact a fallen arch has on a person, but swimming and bicycling are two very good forms of exercise that don't involve putting much pressure on the foot.
My mother's arches collapsed during college. It didn't stop her from extensive hiking, walking and very slow-paced jogging.
Quote from: formulanone on April 18, 2023, 02:22:39 PM
Quote from: kphoger on April 18, 2023, 02:16:55 PM
Quote from: formulanone on April 18, 2023, 01:57:31 PM
I do feel better and even more confident, and I was nuts for thinking so negatively about that. I'm usually not overdoing it, but I get less annoying aches, far fewer sudden sharp pains, and getting better nightly rest are perks that you can't really get too many other ways. I'm not saying it's a panacea, but it's certainly helped a lot of annoying things that had been bugging me for years. I'm also less lethargic and feel less restless. How are those terrible gains?
Agreed. My wife and I terrible at exercising consistently, but even just two evenings of it a week make us feel better in several ways, and it's something that's noticeable almost immediately. We sleep better, get less tired during the day, and feel happier in general. The crappy part, however, is that my wife has a fallen arch, so figuring out how to exercise without aggravating that has been difficult.
My wife has the same, and it means buying $130 sneakers (Brooks). She also swears by these things called Samurai Insoles. I personally think they look like torture devices, but we're not the same.
Meanwhile, I get by on shoes usually costing about one-third of that. I get the point of buying good shoes, but I can't muster the energy to spend $70-100 on anything other than good work shoes. Since I find most sneakers ugly, I just get whatever is in the discount range in my size (which means they're either really ugly or very boring-looking).
On the other hand, she's not the type to have more than 3-4 pairs of shoes. I usually keep them until they're like 99% worn inside and out, and still keep them for yard work or really muddy activity. So I break that trope and have like 8 pairs of shoes in my closet (given that 4-5 of them could be thrown out).
Quote from: Rothman on April 19, 2023, 06:54:33 AM
Quote from: Scott5114 on April 19, 2023, 02:27:09 AM
I'm not familiar with the exact impact a fallen arch has on a person, but swimming and bicycling are two very good forms of exercise that don't involve putting much pressure on the foot.
My mother's arches collapsed during college. It didn't stop her from extensive hiking, walking and very slow-paced jogging.
For my wife, even walking around the block can wreak havoc on her ankle now. And it isn't just putting weight on that foot: sitting in a position that turns that ankle can aggravate it as well. This just became a problem within the last year or two. She's tried several inserts and other supports, and has come to realize that she needs both arch support and ankle support in order for her foot and/or ankle to not hurt. But exactly which supports work well can change from week to week, so she's always fiddling to find just the right combination of doodads to strap on. This, by the way, is why she'd never buy a $130 pair of sneakers: what if she discovers three weeks later that they don't help? It's one thing to try a bunch of different wraps and inserts, quite another to try a bunch of different shoes.
Back when we were going to the gym regularly, she loved the recumbent bicycle. Our gym doesn't have a pool, though. We had started working out as a family in the living room, doing low-impact cardio along with a YouTube video. But, a couple of months ago or so, I had decided to do the routine while holding a pair of dumbbells, and I slightly dislocated my shoulder. (At first, I thought I'd torn my rotator cuff, but fortunately it wasn't that.) I heard a sound, felt a pain, and went
Oh crap. I was in pain for a couple of days. Then I must have slept on it wrong that Friday night, and I was in more severe pain Saturday morning–getting pretty depressed about the situation, too. But while I was putting my scarf on to go grocery shopping, I heard a POP! and the pain went away. Apparently, it went back into the socket properly. Anyway, because I refused to do anything but planks during that time, the rest of the family just kind of stopped exercising too. Now that I'm back to normal, I want to get exercising again, but we just haven't started up again.
Quote from: Scott5114 on April 17, 2023, 07:32:42 PM
Quote from: JayhawkCO on April 17, 2023, 10:02:21 AM
...rarely eating fast food, working in the restaurant industry for 20 years.
I'm sure it's different for everyone, but I gained a lot of weight when I was working in a fast-food restaurant. (Too many lunches of messed-up orders.)
I never worked in a fast-food restaurant. First restaurant job was Red Lobster and then went into casual fine dining and then fine dining for the rest of the career. When I worked in the restaurants, I probably ate healthier than at home just because I had pretty unlimited access to a variety of fresh veggies. Add in the fact that I walked an average of 8 miles a day working on my feet, the restaurant biz was actually a boon to my health (other than our proclivity to drink more than other industries).
Quote from: Rothman on April 18, 2023, 05:20:27 PM
I think the "live as I want and accept that I'll die earlier" is easy talk until you actually come face-to-face with health that restricts your activity and/or brings your mortality right to the forefront.
Last week, I suffered an ischemic stroke. I was flown to the ER in Lexington, where surgery was performed to remove the clot from my brain. The effect was instantaneous; I'm back to normal now, although with a crapload of doctor appointments. I went to the hospital Tuesday night around 8:30 and was released on Monday around 4 p.m.
My brother and my wife are wanting me to eat healthier, but I'm more than willing to go back to my old ways of doing things and facing the consequences as they come. I'm not crazy about living a long life into my 80s or 90s. I'll go when I'm ready.
Quote from: hbelkins on April 19, 2023, 05:47:59 PM
My brother and my wife are wanting me to eat healthier, but I'm more than willing to go back to my old ways of doing things and facing the consequences as they come.
Sounds like something a person with health insurance might say... :-/
Quote from: hbelkins on April 19, 2023, 05:47:59 PMMy brother and my wife are wanting me to eat healthier, but I'm more than willing to go back to my old ways of doing things and facing the consequences as they come. I'm not crazy about living a long life into my 80s or 90s. I'll go when I'm ready.
You are badly underestimating just how horrible your quality of life could be in your final years. My dad did whatever he wanted for 70 years and now he's got a boatload of weight-related comorbidities and has about fifteen separate medications to take each day.
In the fall of 2020, he went in for a routine colonoscopy and they found malignant polyps. They removed that section of colon with no issues, but then he ended up with a hernia as a result of the surgery. He went in for surgery to have it repaired earlier this year, and was basically in and out of the hospital for the next three months. One morning, his heart completely stopped and he had to be shocked back to life with the paddles (he'd been diagnosed with atrial fibrillation, but they couldn't perform more tests because it involved injecting a dye into his bloodstream, and he's just about burned out his kidneys with his poor lifestyle choices). He's on several diuretics because of the damage he's done to his kidneys, but those also cause him to retain fluid, so he has to be taken off the diuretics when that happens, but that means keeping a close eye on his kidneys.
And that's just the medical stuff. He can't drive a car because his type II diabetes is barely under control and he once lost consciousness behind the wheel and rear-ended another car. He can't walk a quarter of a mile without frequent rest breaks. Virtually all leisure activities are impossible. He never had the chance to sit on the floor and play with either of his grandkids.
And if you're sitting there thinking "that will never happen to me," think again.
Plus there's the fact that your wife and brother are saying to you "we want you to live" and your response is "no thanks, I'd rather die."
Quote from: kphoger on April 19, 2023, 06:06:56 PM
Quote from: hbelkins on April 19, 2023, 05:47:59 PM
My brother and my wife are wanting me to eat healthier, but I'm more than willing to go back to my old ways of doing things and facing the consequences as they come.
Sounds like something a person with health insurance might say... :-/
True, but you can also have solid gold health insurance and still not know that, say, metformin only works for so long, and when it stops working, you go on insulin injections, which is much worse than taking a pill once or twice a day.
Quote from: corco on April 18, 2023, 02:25:53 PM
I could stand to be in better shape- but yeah while I agree with the sentiment that I'd rather live a few less years and eat good food, I also want to be mobile and active once I get to my 60s and 70s and God willing even my 80s. The goal isn't necessarily to maximize life expectancy, it's to maximize the number of years where I feel good enough to do the stuff I like to do (i.e. travel)
To me, worse than being dead is being alive but not feeling good enough to do much of anything but stay at home and watch the television - and so to the extent that I can stave that off I see value in exercise.
100%. I have never understood the willingness to/indifference to sacrificing several or even decades worth of healthy years, because you're scared of a sad and slow death in the last one. We only get to do this once. If I end up having done everything I wanted to do, great. If I don't get to do everything but there was some other external limiting factor (i.e. money), I can live with that. But leaving extra time, and therefore opportunity, on the table because I was too lazy to take care of myself? That's not how I want to go. There has to be a balance between living in the moment and planning for longevity.
Plus, exercise really does not have to be miserable. Evening bike rides are often the highlight of my day.
Speaking as someone who was once unable to do a whole host of things due to morbid obesity, and is now no longer morbidly obese and able to do these things...it is 100% false to state that you're not missing out on anything by not taking good care of your health.
Quote from: thspfc on April 19, 2023, 07:47:31 PM
Plus, exercise really does not have to be miserable. Evening bike rides are often the highlight of my day.
This. If exercise is miserable, you're probably just doing the wrong kind of exercise for you.
I hate cardio because it is time consuming, and either boring because I'm on an exercise bike or treadmill, or else outside where it's too hot or cold or windy or humid or whatever else. So I always thought I hated exercise. But I love swimming and weight lifting. Weight lifting appeals to me because I can actually see the amount of weight on the bar going up over time, so it feels more like I'm making progress toward a goal than just mind-numbing cycling or jogging.
Quote from: Scott5114 on April 20, 2023, 05:05:03 PM
Quote from: thspfc on April 19, 2023, 07:47:31 PM
Plus, exercise really does not have to be miserable. Evening bike rides are often the highlight of my day.
This. If exercise is miserable, you're probably just doing the wrong kind of exercise for you.
I hate cardio because it is time consuming, and either boring because I'm on an exercise bike or treadmill, or else outside where it's too hot or cold or windy or humid or whatever else. So I always thought I hated exercise. But I love swimming and weight lifting. Weight lifting appeals to me because I can actually see the amount of weight on the bar going up over time, so it feels more like I'm making progress toward a goal than just mind-numbing cycling or jogging.
I can barely tolerate exercising indoors for more than a half hour. Being strength training, cardio, whatever, it bores me to death. Having music helps (or at least better than what Planet Fitness pipes in).
This from the person who takes all-day bike rides. Even though days for me like yesterday (45-50 degrees, overcast, west winds to 30 MPH gusts) tests my mental limits.
Indoor running is something I've always found incredibly dull. For whatever reason the phenomenon doesn't replicate with outdoor running, even if I'm not listening to music. I like looking around at random stuff and checking streets I haven't been down.
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on April 16, 2023, 10:12:10 PM
An average of forty miles running weekly for the last twenty two years.
That's almost twice as much as I run. You could probably kick my ass. Would you fight me if I threaten to tear down a freeway?
I lift dumbbells every morning, and then I run three miles on a treadmill. So I only run 21 miles a week, but all together, that's way more than what I was doing throughout most of my 20s. Of course, my 20s were a time when being thin took zero effort.
Quote from: Ned Weasel on April 21, 2023, 04:20:43 PM
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on April 16, 2023, 10:12:10 PM
An average of forty miles running weekly for the last twenty two years.
That's almost twice as much as I run. You could probably kick my ass. Would you fight me if I threaten to tear down a freeway?
I lift dumbbells every morning, and then I run three miles on a treadmill. So I only run 21 miles a week, but all together, that's way more than what I was doing throughout most of my 20s. Of course, my 20s were a time when being thin took zero effort.
I probably would be more prone to fight you if you went after my favorite two or one lane roads.
Worth noting, that 40 miles is over 4-5 days. I used to run 60 miles before I started going on the road for work travel. The work travel kind of made it difficult to run 6-7 days a work.