I'm baaaaack!!

[sooner_ed]

It's me again. Looks like I tend to pop in about two or three times a year these days.

Someone tell me the status of DF please. Are we still low on numbers?

Ok, here's my deal.

Moved mom in with us around December 7th of last year. She's undergoing physical, occupational, and speech therapies. Seems like every time we take a step forward, we're taking two backwards.

It has been a tremendous learning experience. Fortunately, we were semi-prepared for this moment. We converted our garage into a master bed and bath for the express purpose of taking care of my mother, grandmother, and mother-in-law in the event they would ever need to be taken care of. We refuse to put them in a nursing home.

Unfortunately, that time came with mom. So it was a very stressful year last year which saw much weight gain on my part. The first four months of having her home have been a challenge to say the least.

But now the time has come. I was promoted to a desk job at work and started that job last Monday. Now I am back to working eight hours a day instead of ten. Even though the promotion came with a raise, I am losing money because of the overtime I am losing. However, I am now getting two hours of my day back, which is monumental in being able to get a schedule back that will promote my exercise and diet plan.

I am now 46 years old, stand 5'6", and am back up to 205. For those who don't know, back in 2004 I went from 221 to 156.

It's time to start kicking this thing in the butt, especially now that spring is here and it is getting warm outside.

The downside to all of this is again, having time to work out. My wife is now a full-time college student at the ripe old age of 44. She is also mom's full-time caregiver. Somehow she managed to take care of mom last semester and still pull down a 4.0 gpa.

But, fortunately, she also understands I still need to lose weight and get back in shape for the military. Sometimes I find myself feeling guilty that she is at home taking care of mom while I'm out working out. I kind of need to get past that.

So the regimented diet and exercise plan started today. I will start working out twice a day again. Think I'll focus strictly on abs in the mornings before work. That's the quietest thing I can do at 5am.

After work, I'll drop by the park and run either 1-1/2 or three miles, just depending on how I feel. The track at the park is 1-1/2 miles around so I'll do either one or two laps. Once I get home, do about 30 minutes of weights.

I'm just going to use common sense on the diet. Lean protein, clean carbs, and veggies.

Well, there's my current life in a nutshell. Let's hope that things work out this time!!!

We're still here. We aren't as busy as we were some years ago, but some of our older members have returned and are more involved and new members are joining and becoming active...so it's not quite as dead as when you visited last.

Welcome back and I hope you get the results you are looking for.

Ed! It's great to see you back again! Congratulations on the promotion. Kudos to you and your wife for taking care of your mother. Your wife sounds like quite a lady.

Hi Ed we are still going but slowly, but the faithful few stay with it.
Welcome back and hope to see you in here a bit more often, and hope all works out with probs

[Mrs.V.]

Hey Ed...Glad your back...Hope for a longer stay this time...

[ihatepeas]

Hi - what you said about your wife stuck in my head. 4.0 GPA and full time caregiver, that is unbelievable. Seriously, that's fantastic. I'm still struggling with balancing fitness, work, family and school, so good for her. And you know what used to make me feel really appreciated, of course dinners out etc, but like sometimes, during winter, my husband used to put my towel in the dryer when I went to take a shower and bring it to me when I got out so it was all warm. Or he'll watch my shows when I'm home and his own shows when I'm out. Like little stuff but it makes a difference. Good luck with your goals as well.

[sooner_ed]

Thanks for the comments guys. I now see who the "old faithful" are...lol

Well, as it is working out now, I get up at 5am for about 10 minutes of push-ups and ab work. Doesn't sound like much but it is a starting point considering I'm not in the greatest of shape now.

Didn't get to do anything after work yesterday given the fact I slept two hours the night before and had a splitting headache when I got home. Don't you just hate days like that!!

Feeling good today though. I see a good run coming on.

I need to decide if I'm going to lift or run first. I know it's more conventional to lift first, then run. But I'm under the impression that the farther you run after lifting weight, the less your gains will be. What are your thoughts on that?

So I thought about running two miles tonight, then lift. I may just experiment with it and switch up. See what works better.

That's what this lifestyle is all about...trial and error.

I think the fact that spring has sprung will make a huge difference. Get past the depression of winter.

Good to hear from you guys. Thanks for your responses.

Is it feasible for you to lift one day and run the next?

Otherwise, it really just depends on your goals. Optimal for building muscle would be to lift first...then run. Better for fat loss (but a little risky for catabolism) is to run first...then lift.

If you can separate them by 8 or so hours...then it doesn't matter...but from your time limitations I don't see that happening.

I'll tell you what we are doing and perhaps it will give you some ideas.

We train every day in some fashion or another...but we mix it up...keeping the body confused...(since I'm not a know it all but just a guy who wants to be fit...I learn from others...got this from CrossFit).

Basically, it's a CrossFit style workout based on Bill Starr's 5x5. Sometimes conditioning work thrown in after the workout...sometimes not.

Day 1: Squat, Bench, Row
Day 2: Sprints
Day 3: Squat, Bench, Dead, C&J
Day 4: Sprints
Day 5: Squat, Bench, Chin, Dip
Day 6: Sprints

Conditioning workouts are simply burpees, pushups, and leg raises (reverse crunches). Done in unbroken rounds of ten reps each...to failure.

Sprints are more effective for fat burning and far less catabolic than endurance running, they also boost HGH levels allowing for better muscle gains, faster fat loss. They increase endurance too...just like endurance running but without the catabolism.

If I'm at work and cant go sprint, then I do a tabata routine on the recumbent bike.

We walk every day... 2-4 miles (that's just an hour or so of easy walking...not even pushing it at all). ...Learned this from Mark's Daily Apple.

Started this in serious training/dieting mode about a month ago I think. So far, my winter gut is nearly gone...visible abs (not cut yet...barely visible)...even the transverse and obliques can be seen without squinting or flexing.

There is a write up in the stickies about sprint 8, tabata, and guerilla cardio if you are interested. Quite a few 5x5 threads too.

Just ideas I'm throwing out at ya...

BTW...so pushups is a fine start...it's better than nothing you know.

Originally Posted by sooner_ed

. I may just experiment with it and switch up. See what works better

Why not keep switching it up? Keep the body confused? Run your two then lift. Lift then run your two. Throw in some sprints and conditioning work instead every few days. Your body won't know what hit it and it'll be all confused as to what's happening...and it will respond by getting better, stronger, faster so it can be ready for whatever you are going to throw at it next.

Take a look at the "fitness workout" I put in the general fitness stickies... maybe something helpful for you there too?

[ajarvis]

Welcome back I came back recently too and all the faithful are still here and we seem to have a few new members regularly

[sooner_ed]

Originally Posted by .V.

Is it feasible for you to lift one day and run the next?

Otherwise, it really just depends on your goals. Optimal for building muscle would be to lift first...then run. Better for fat loss (but a little risky for catabolism) is to run first...then lift.

If you can separate them by 8 or so hours...then it doesn't matter...but from your time limitations I don't see that happening.

I'll tell you what we are doing and perhaps it will give you some ideas.

We train every day in some fashion or another...but we mix it up...keeping the body confused...(since I'm not a know it all but just a guy who wants to be fit...I learn from others...got this from CrossFit).

Basically, it's a CrossFit style workout based on Bill Starr's 5x5. Sometimes conditioning work thrown in after the workout...sometimes not.

Day 1: Squat, Bench, Row
Day 2: Sprints
Day 3: Squat, Bench, Dead, C&J
Day 4: Sprints
Day 5: Squat, Bench, Chin, Dip
Day 6: Sprints

Conditioning workouts are simply burpees, pushups, and leg raises (reverse crunches). Done in unbroken rounds of ten reps each...to failure.

Sprints are more effective for fat burning and far less catabolic than endurance running, they also boost HGH levels allowing for better muscle gains, faster fat loss. They increase endurance too...just like endurance running but without the catabolism.

If I'm at work and cant go sprint, then I do a tabata routine on the recumbent bike.

We walk every day... 2-4 miles (that's just an hour or so of easy walking...not even pushing it at all). ...Learned this from Mark's Daily Apple.

Started this in serious training/dieting mode about a month ago I think. So far, my winter gut is nearly gone...visible abs (not cut yet...barely visible)...even the transverse and obliques can be seen without squinting or flexing.

There is a write up in the stickies about sprint 8, tabata, and guerilla cardio if you are interested. Quite a few 5x5 threads too.

Just ideas I'm throwing out at ya...

BTW...so pushups is a fine start...it's better than nothing you know.

Funny you should mention run one day and lift the next.

I'm off today and I'm sitting here talking to mom's caregiver. I got on here so I could show her my before and after pics and saw your post. But before I read your post, I was telling her I might need to switch it off every other day like that.

But it depends on my goals is exactly correct.

I have always said that a person's goals is dependent on what they consider themselves:

1. A runner who lifts
or
2. A lifter who runs

I am a runner who lifts. To that end, I feel that I need to run 5 or 6 times a week even if it is just to get in my junk miles.

Also, the working out in the morning is a little more difficult now. (Get ready...I feel a book coming on!!)

We have a trilevel home and since mom has moved in with us, our bedroom is downstairs. But...I didn't have a place to put my weights, so they are downstairs as well. Fortunately, downstairs is 500sf. So half of the is the bedroom; the other half the weight room. So unfortunately, I have to go to another part of the house if I'm going to do anything in the mornings. So I just decided to go to the living room and do a few pushups and situps before hitting the shower to get ready to go to work.

However, my goals are also having to change. I just don't have enough information I need at the moment concerning that. The Army has developed a new physical training program and physical fitness test. As we learn more about that, my workout will have to be tailored to meet those physical demands. It will be much more difficult for us citizen soldiers since we will have to do our physical training on our own time as opposed to those who are on active duty.

But...I'm having to tailor my workout now dependent on my mom's and wife's needs. My wife is doing an incredible job of going to school full-time and taking care of mom when she's not in school. I also understand the need to try and take some of that load off of her when I can.

It's just a huge balancing act that balances over time and not overnight. We are still brand new in the caregiving business. We are learning as we go and everyone is still adjusting to their new roles. It hasn't been easy for mom having to give up her home and come live with us. It hasn't been easy for us trying to keep some normalcy in our lives while taking care of mom. It's not that mom just lives here, but she is disabled to the point where she needs around-the-clock care. Most times, it is pretty easy. She likes to sit and watch tv alot. But she needs help with her daily living tasks. So you always have to be close.

So hence, developing a workout plan. This one will just take time as we all continue to adjust to our new roles. It's also dependent on how many hours each week we can pay her caregiver as to how many hours we have for ourselves.

BUT...I'm still working on it! As I said before, I consider myself a runner who lifts, so running is in my blood and it tends to stay in the forefront of my mind.

I can't do sprints yet because I'm not in good enough shape at the moment. It would risk injury. I need to get myself back up to 20 miles a week for a couple of months before I should seriously start to consider speed work.

But, I'm toying with the idea of something like this:

Three days a week, lifting with only one mile of running (moderate running or walking an incline on my treadmill).

The other three days running three miles.

So I don't know. It's just a thought.

Well, sorry about the book. Let's just say that over the years that I've been coming to this forum, which has been on and off for the last three, I'm seen many people coming in wanting to know the magical formula for losing weight without putting out the effort. They have used every excuse in the book for not eating right. Too busy...too this...too that...

I'll be the first to admit that 2010 was a year of stress eating for me. Didn't have time to workout on a regular basis because of mom's health. Hey, it happens. No one on this forum will tell you that life doesn't happen.

But...at some point in time, you come back around to the point of knowing you have to make it happen. And when you get to that point, you may have to work around life's circumstances.

So I hope my book may encourage those of you reading this who feel you are just too busy that it can be done. No one said it was easy and it certainly will not happen overnight.

As long as you keep trying to find what will work for you and never give up, you can do it.

[Sophie]

I'm a bit late on the welcome back party but welcome back.

I currently work in a nursing home in the rehabilitation department so I have some idea of what you're going through, if only from a nursing home perspective. You're awesome for having made the decision to not put them all in nursing homes.

[LINDA]

Hey Ed,

Nice to see someone else from the "old days" is struggling to come back and post regularly. I know I'd love to but it just seems like there is to much life going on offline.

I admire you for taking care of your mom. She is lucky to have you.

I'm still doing a lot of talking about regular workouts and not getting around to it. It shows, but I have been down this path before. Recent pictures that were taken when we were on vacation don't lie. I'll be back.

This community has always been great for supporting all members. Gotta love V and LiftGirl for their undying dedication to keeping the forum alive.

See ya!

!!!!LINDA!!!! So glad to see you here. We'll try to keep things going so it will be here for ya when you have more time. Yes, real life comes first...and is much more important. Hey, having a life is kinda nice eh?

[sooner_ed]

and life is closer to getting more hectic.

Geesh, went outside to cut grass today. My neighbor lady who is probably around 60 asked if me or my kid would consider cutting her grass this year. She has this itty bitty riding mower that keeps breaking down to try and cut 5 acres with. I have 3-1/2 acres. So this year, I'm now cutting 8-1/2 acres. Thank goodness that I went high end on a Ferris Heavy Duty ZTR while I was in Iraq. I can cut all 8-1/2 acres in less than four hours.

But geesh...all of the broken limbs that I need to pick up. It is never ending!! I still have a ton of work to do outside.

Now for the big but...it appears there may be a decent chance I return to school in August to complete a second degree. OMG! What am I thinking? Well, that one is a long story.

So with my life the way it is now...with my wife being a full-time college student...then there's the possibility that I will return to school while working full-time?? When to work out???

Ok, it's official. I'm nuts. Seems like the older I get, the busier I get.

I did get a little smart this last week. Decided to start taking 5-HTP and St. Johns Wort. AND I'm laying off the diet cherry pepsi. The end result? Better sleep. And it seems a better mood. And a somewhat decreased appetite. Now I need to get my workouts up and running and see where that takes me.

Ok, enough of the book. Another one of those life happens and where do I fit in a workout moment.