tigger68

I'm going to agree with tkrestonva on this one. There are plenty of scientific studies that show that eating increases your metabolism. One reason the recommendation is generally not to eat in the morning prior to working out, other than the fact that the body uses the blood to digest the food, rather than carrying the energy to the muscles...is that you have increased your metabolic rate by working out, when you add eating it increases your metabolic rate even higher, and it remains at that elevated rate for 20-30 minutes. Okay, when you eat you have to digest the food. Remember our discussion about resting metabolic rate? Well, this increases your metabolic rate, not just the physical act of eating, but your metabolic rate will remain elevated for 20-30 minutes after you eat. That means that if you eat little meals over the course of the day, your metabolism will be elevated longer during the day. Of course if you don't or can't do this, remember I mentioned the "food drawer" at work? Just keep your snacks in there and even that little bit will help you increase your resting metabolism from the baseline and help you lose weight. Enough talk for today. Cheers!

Okay, I thought I was finished for today, but I'm going to get back on here and post. First of all, bluehickey whatever you do...don't skip meals. That goes for just about everyone here. There is plenty of science backing this up. When you skip meals, if you skip enough of them, your body goes into what is called among the exercise physiologist group, "starvation mode." When it does, it will hoard fat. This will go on until the body puts itself into ketosis (basis for all the liquid diets really common back in the late 80s early 90s remember Oprah?) and you will lose weight. The problem is ketosis really isn't a stable place for your body to be. If it progresses too long, you will suffer kidney damage, blood vessel damage, liver damage and other serious side effects. The liquid shake diets were properly managed by physicians who monitored vitals, blood work, etc. Okay, that soap box over. Next soap box. Those of you who love Slim Fast diet shakes. Take a really good look at the ingredients. Are you looking? Check out the first couple of ingredients. See an old friend? SUGAR Yes, sugar is one of the main ingredients in Slim Fast shakes. A good substitute if you are into drinking one of those for breakfast is Carnation Instant Breakfast. Less sugar, lots of nutrients and you get to mix it with milk which will satisfy part of your dairy requirement for the day. Again, please people don't skip meals. It only makes your metabolism slow down, and the whole goal of getting into shape is to increase the metabolism so you don't have to skip meals.

I'm glad to see you had a happy birthday. Let's hope the next 40 are as fun and happy. Cheers!

Congratulations Mark. You deserve it for all you've done.

Okay, while I wait for some info to come on the latest hydration research, I'm going to give some advice to those of us who are trying to lose weight. Yes, bluehickey, sleep does make a difference when losing weight. Also, you may have increased your lean body massa (LBM) which in turn will consume more calories at rest, thereby causing the weight loss you noticed, or you could have just lost 1 lb of water which will come back sometime in the future to haunt you, but since you are a guy, I wouldn't worry too much about that one, more likely the LBM has increased. Okay, my tidbit for today. CALCIUM everyone knows you need it for strong bones, but did you know it helps you lose weight? Uh huh, consumption of dairy products does help you lose weight. Um, put down the ice cream scoop, ice cream isn't the kind of dairy product I'm talking about here (I know, I immediately thought of ice cream when I first read this several years ago). For some reason the consumption of dairy products actually aids the body in shedding pounds. So...what can I consume that won't cause a huge increase in fat consumption with my dairy? Cheese, yoghurt, skim milk, butter. Butter? Isn't that supposed to be bad for you? Y...e...s...but if you consume it in moderation(where have you heard that before?) then you should be alright. For example, if you are trying to eat breakfast in the morning, try mixing in granola cereal into a container of yoghurt, then adding some more fruit. Instant parfait anyone? Just mixed together. Can be consumed while driving (if you have an automatic transmission) or consumed while sitting at a desk. Another solution for those who can obtain it...Carnation instant breakfast mix...add milk and voila! You've now just had one serving of dairy for the day, and had breakfast all at the same time. And that you can consume on the way to work no matter what kind of car you drive, or how you get there, just purchase one of those "unspillable" drink containers. Instead of dessert, have a cheese tray. There's more calcium. It has also been shown to be better for you than eating a sweet. Okay, just something simple to carry you through until I get my act together. I'm going to be working weird hours the next two days, so I probably won't be posting until Thursday, but I'll have the hydration info for you then. Oh, and I'm going to report on my progress here...I've had to take in all my trousers because they won't stay up, and because they are women's trousers, don't have belt loops. So out came the sewing machine...haven't weighed myself, will be doing that tomorrow with the Wii Fit in the morning. Take care, and keep losing (or gaining as the case may be, SapaWanmdi)

Look for tack shops, riding supply stores... Derby House UK I hope this info helps.

Charlie I have to work that night or I'd be there. I'll be at the Safari at the Zoo the next weekend though. You should have a great time at SW in Concert.

My apologies. I had read earlier that he had suffered and subsequently survived a cardiac arrest episode. Also, documents that were released in 2004 from the NY Medical Examiner's office stated that he suffered from previous heart attacks, congestive heart failure, and hypertension. Speculation abounds as to whether or not this contributed to his fall and death. That said, the American Heart Association decries the Atkins diet as not one to follow long term. Again, I'm going to come out and say I'm not a fan of fad diets, and the Atkins diet no matter what anyone says is a fad diet. I'm grouping the South Beach Diet in with the Atkins diet. I watched my younger sister start the South Beach Diet and go through 2 weeks of torture because she could eat no carbohydrates except veggies. 9 days into the diet she stated to me one night that, "I'm so hungry I could gnaw on my own arm, and I could because it is all protein and fat, not restricted." That kind of comments worry me. She went off the diet on a trip to the Czech Republic and while there binged on pastries, breads and other starches. Luckily since they were walking everywhere she didn't gain it back, but I'm going to refer back to my previous posts about denial and binging. These diets are not sustainable in the long term, and can cause irreparable damage to your body. I'm getting off my soapbox now because I don't want to seem unruly for the forum. I will post tomorrow regarding the hydration for hot weather, hot weather with humidity, and cooler weather for those entering into their winter seasons. TTFN (ta ta for now)

Okay, I'm going to respond quickly to a couple of the posts here and then I'm going to get back to work on the hydration thing... The Atkins diet...not sustainable for long term. It puts an incredible strain on your kidneys. One of the reasons it is so successful is that your body doesn't store protein as fat as a general rule. It is also easier to break down than other products. However, because the body doesn't tend to store protein as fat, it will if enough is eaten, the kidneys have to excrete the excess protein in the urine. This can lead to problems with kidney function later in life. Atkins is okay to kick start your dieting, but not as a long term solution. I would even be wary of using it longer than 3-4 weeks because of the strain on the kidneys. The kidneys are very delicate and once damaged don't repair easily. Even Dr. Atkins himself said that he had only planned to have people use the diet for 2-3 weeks initially and then change the way they were eating. Unfortunately he died of a heart attack (irony anyone?) before he could implement that change in a big way for his diet plan. bluehickey, the whole goal is to lose and be able to maintain the weight loss. The fact that you didn't gain any weight over the weekend with the whole fast food thing is a positive note. Don't ever get down on yourself if you can't maintain the dieting phase of any weight loss program. Okay, I've now got to address dieting...diets don't work in the long run. Seriously. There are enough scientific studies that show that 70% of everyone who diets gains the weight back with a 10lb increase in the weight gained back within 2-3 years. I personally don't like those odds. It is more of a lifestyle change that you need to make. However, I'm going to reiterate this again and again. Don't deny yourself! When you deny yourself you have a tendency to crack up, grab the thing you're denying yourself and then binge on it, eating way more than you had intended, and then feeling guilty so you deny yourself...binge...feel guilty... Anyone see a pattern here? If you like chips and salsa...great! Make your own chips and then dip them im the salsa. If you like cookies...great, plan to have one cookie after dinner. That way you won't feel deprived and binge. One cookie after dinner is better than a whole box in one sitting. Enough for today. I'll post more later about hydration. And Pandatrooper...thank you for offering. I'm taking you up on that challenge and look forward to posting here on the fit club the results. Cheers!

This post is primarily for those troopers in the US, but can be applicable for all troopers. In the US, our taste buds have become accustomed to sweetness in all our foods. I am going to throw out this warning because I was surprised the first time I saw this ingredient... Most of our foods contain the added high fructose corn syrup. Even foods you wouldn't think would have it do. Like condensed soups??? Yeah, I've seen HFCS or even sugar listed on the ingredients. If you are looking to avoid sugars you need to be very careful about what is in everything pre-packaged you purchase. Okay, another shopping tip. If you are purchasing the reduced or low-fat crackers or other products, double check the labels. Fat adds flavor so to compensate the manufacturers usually double up on the sodium content which will cause you to retain water, increase your blood pressure, and is an all around bad thing. If you want to get those Wheat Thins, Triscuts, Ritz crackers, etc., you are better off purchasing the full fat and just eating less. Your kidneys will thank you in the long run. If you're like me and you love chips and salsa (I'd rather have that than cake or candy any day), I suggest instead of purchasing your chips, make your own from corn tortillas. You can cut them and then bake them to make them crispy. Yeah, it doesn't taste quite the same, but you're dipping them in salsa anyway so who cares? Next week I'm going to be uploading recommendations about heat injuries and dehydration and how to avoid them. Those of us in the northen hemisphere are headed into summer, and trooping in armor will be quite exhausting as well as presenting a danger for heat related problems. Those of you in the southern hemisphere, don't think I'm not thinking of you as well. I'll give you some recommendations for keeping hydrated in the cooler weather which is almost more dangerous because you won't feel as hot, and are less likely to drink enough. Okay, have a great weekend everyone!

Panda, I would be interested in that product. I see it everyday at work, and I have wondered about it, but since I already have the Wii Fit and Wii Fit Plus, I didn't want to purchase another workout game. I think the reason they came out with the Wii Fit Plus was to try and compete against the EA product. Okay, I'm going to come out right now and say that EA makes good products. So if you don't already have Wii Fit or the WFP game, consider the EA Sports Active workouts. I'd be more than happy to endorse anything that will help people get in shape, and I include myself in that group. That said, I'm going to give my advice for today (I skipped yesterday because I thought the RMR info was enough for 2 days ) Even though you are trying to lose weight, you still need to keep a balance of foods in your diet. I know that food fads come and go (Atkins diet anyone?) But you need to consider what your body uses as fuel. Carbohydrates (CHO) and proteins are the easiest forms of fuel for your body to use. To burn 1 gram of CHO or protein requires only 4 calories. In contrast it takes 9 calories to burn 1 gram of fat. I'm not just talking about carbohydrates from grains, rice, sugar, etc...I'm also talking about veggies and fruits. So a good rule of thumb now that you know how many caloires you need to be eating is to have 55-60% of your diet be carbohydrates (mostly fruits and veggies with grains thrown in for good measure), 25-30% should be protein, and 10% should be fat. Why am I telling you to make sure you have fat in your diet? Well, the body needs it to function. All your cell walls are made up of a fatty substance. Your body needs cholesterol to have proper liver function. If you don't eat enough fat (and 10% is enough) then your body will produce its own cholesterol and it won't be the LDL cholesterol, it will be HDL (the bad kind). Besides, fat makes things taste good, and gives satisfaction. I'm not telling you to go out and eat a stick of butter by anymeans, but don't avoid it altogether. This is a scientific fact, and I'll look up the research if anyone is interested. As for the carbohydrates, try and make the veggies and fruits the main part of this percentage. Yes, you will need grains but they shouldn't be the primary source of calories. Protein...fish, chicken, pork, beef, legumes, etc. Just remember that most beef has been bred for taste, which means that the more the marbling, the higher the fat content. So, that wonderful Kobe beef you want to eat? The reason it is so tender and tasty? The high high fat content in the meat. Just remember this phrase...Everything in moderation and you'll do fine. (Stepping off my soap box for another day)

Okay, first of all I'd like to say that this is a great place to come for advice and to be among others who are just trying to be the best looking TKs in the universe! tkrestonva, to answer your question, I'll give a quick rundown of caloric requirements, metabolic rates, etc. Even when you are asleep your body is burning calories. This is called your Basal Metabolic Rate and is very very difficult to determine. It is the most accurate, but the only way to accurately measure it is to put you in a calorimeter or enclosed box while you are sleeping and measure your body temperature, oxygen consumption, etc...not quite something you can do at home. What you can do is estimate your Resting Metabolic Rate, or how many calories you burn while sitting on the couch watching Star Wars movies. Your Resting Metabolic Rate or RMR is approximate 65-75% of all the calories you expend during a normal day. RMR = 9.99(WEIGHT in Kilograms) + 6.25(HEIGHT in centimeters) - 4.92(AGE in years) + 166(GENDER)-161 Okay, now let's calculate this. Weight in Kg: For those of us who don't have scales that read Kgs, find your weight in pounds. Then divide that number by 2.2. This is now your weight in kgs. Height in cms: Measure your height in inches. 1 foot=12 inches so if you are 6 feet tall you are 72 inches in height. I'm 5'4" so my height is 64 inches. Once you know your height in inches multiply that by 2.54. This is now your height in cms. Age: Self-explanatory. Gender: If you are Male, enter 1 in the gender part of the equation, if you are Female, enter 0 here. Okay, now that the hard part is done, I'm going to calculate my own RMR. Weight: 280lbs/2.2 = 127.27 kg Height: 64 inches*2.54 = 162.56 cm Age: 41 Gender: Female = 0 RMR = 9.99(127.27) + 6.25(162.56) - 4.92(41) + 166(0)-161 = 1271.43 + 1016 - 201.72 + 0 - 161 = 1924.71 calories per day. So if I just sit on my couch all day and do nothing but watch SW films, I'll burn 1924.71 calories a day. Now, based on generalities, this could be 75% of my caloric expenditure daily. So using that estimate, I burn 2566.28 calories a day. So if I want to lose weight I need to consume 2066.28 calories a day. And I'm a woman... Some things to remember, this is a general equation. The only way to really know what your RMR is, is to go to an Exercise Physiology laboratory and have it measured by oxygen consumption/carbon dioxide production, and even that is going to be slightly off because of the anxieties posed by testing. Okay, RMR information: 1. RMR increases as muscle mass increases. The more muscle or lean body mass (LBM) you have the higher your RMR. Makes sense right? 2. As you get older your RMR decreases. This can be adjusted by increasing activity and LBM. 3. Cold climates increase your RMR. Your body has to produce more energy to stay warm. 4. Eating small regular meals throughout the day will increase your RMR. 5. Crash dieting actually DECREASES your RMR. So be careful about crash dieting. Enough info for today. Hope everyone can use this.

The group I troop with was invited to the University of Kansas to troop for Star Wars day. Unfortunately, they only gave us about 4 days notice, so most of the group couldn't ask for time off work. Three costumed persons were going to be there, but our TK got sick the day before and had to cancel (he's a KU student actually). Everyone loved the two people who showed up, and we are invited back next year, when we hope to have more people involved. Dining services was showing the movies on all the TV screens in all the dining areas so it was kind of fun. Lots of camera phones popping up all over.

Great story! I completely understand the motivation thing. That's what I need myself to get myself going. Just saying you need to be more fit to be healthy doesn't do it. Okay, I'm going to add some advice here. Those of you who have a Wii...please go out and get the Wii Fit Plus Bundle, or if you already have it, get the Wii Fit Plus game. The reason? It is one of the better ways out there to chart your progress. It does it automatically and also gives you advice. On the plus side (no pun or reference to the game intended) I haven't gotten bored with mine yet, and I have a very low threshold for exercise boredom. I am going to suggest one thing though, even with the Wii Fit program, don't rely completely on weighing yourself to see how much weight you are losing on a daily basis. This can be deceptive. As you begin to work out, your body will actually gain a couple of pounds. The reason for this is basic. You are moving your body in ways it is not used to. This will cause a corresponding increase in muscle mass (i.e. more contractile proteins) and a corresponding increase in weight. However, in the long run (2-3 weeks down the road) you will see a drop in weight which is actually the fat cells in your body decreasing in size. Also, just so you don't freak out about 1 or 2 lbs of weight gain, every human can fluctuate in weight gain/loss by 1-2 lbs on a daily basis. I know this really strange, but it is tied in with fluid retention in the body. This is tied in with genetics so you have very little control over it. The time to be concerned about a quick 1 or 2 lb weight gain, is if the weight gain does not get balanced out over the next couple of weeks with a corresponding loss of weight. Okay, I've given more pearls of wisdom today than I was thinking I would, perhaps making up for not posting anything over the weekend. Oh, I need to report my own progress...well, since I worked all weekend (stocking items and walking all over the store) I am going to count that as a moderate exercise. I managed to resist ordering take-out Saturday night with the rest of the work crowd, but did give in and ate 2 chocolate chip cookies last night. So far in the past week, I've removed enough weight, I judge by the way my clothes fit, to be able to wear a pair of trousers 1 size smaller than what I was wearing. So I guess I'm not doing too badly...only 8 more sizes to go.

Okay, I have been informed that today, May 6, 2010 is International No Diet Day. So everyone go out, have a good time but remember that tomorrow we have to start watching what we're eating again. So have fun today! Happy International No Diet Day!

I see you're using the Wii Fit game/program...a great way to track your progress! For those of you who are interested, I used the Wii Fit game/program to lose most of the weight I lost this past year. It is a lot of fun, and I didn't get bored which is a big thing for me, I bore easily. Okay, my daily tidbit... Don't expect instant results. If losing weight were instantaneous, then we'd all be fit and slender okay, got that out of my system. Take baby steps. Decide on one habit to break for one week. Say you want to add more walking or bike riding. Start on that. Don't bite off more than you can chew. We have a saying in my family and it holds true with lifestyle changes also...How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time. Changing the bad habits of a lifetime is a lot like eating an elephant. If you change it one habit at a time and slowly two things will happen, 1. You're more likely to keep the good habit and not regress back to the old, and 2. Your body won't rebel and you won't break all the good habits you're trying to make. Another thing to remember, you can eat junk food once in a while. When you deny yourself some of the fun things in life, you are more likely to binge on them and then hate yourself later. (Coming from someone who knows and has done this more than once.) So if you want to, have a handful of chips, or something sweet daily. Everything is to be done in moderation. Okay, I'm getting off my soapbox for today. Gotta go stock things at work.

Just wanted to post this for those troopers in the states. If you are looking to add a second undersuit or purchase a new one, right now at Target the Champion Compression Duo Dry undershirts (and in some cases also the tights are still available) are on clearance. I know at the store I work at they are currently $9.98 and the price will keep dropping. Just thought I'd give everyone here a heads up. I just purchased one so that I'll have it when I get my armor.

You are absolutely correct about the BMI. I learned to calculate BMI using a ruler and a height/weight chart. Not once did anyone ever mention bodyfat percentage. The reason BMI is touted so much is that physicians can do the math in their offices without having to worry about inaccurate measurements, hiring someone who knows about fitness for their offices, etc. I'll be brutally honest, that is the main reason BMI came back and became the catch-all phrase of the late 90's early 00's. So it is a poor indicator of fitness and really shouldn't be used. Most exercise physiologists know this and don't use it, but like I said, it is to make it easier for physicians.

One thing I'd like to reiterate which is very important. Everyone is different! What works for one person might not work for someone else. I know that I'm one of the oddballs when it comes to fitness/exercise/losing weight. I lose weight the best when I exercise intensively for 20-30 mins a day right before I go to bed. If I exercise in the morning I'm sluggish all day. Which contradicts all the recommendations, but that's what I've discovered works for me. I think I'm going to post something every weekday (and sometimes on the weekend) which is advice for everyone here. So here is today's tidbit: If you have a "food drawer" at work you can keep healthy snacks in there, like nuts, granola bars, etc. Even keep soup or something you can eat that will fill you up. That will take care of the "afternoon munchies" which I know I get, and I'll eat better. Okay, enough advice...must go work out...oh wait a minute, I just trekked across a college campus and back, I've already done my workout for today!

Spent my afternoon trooping (handling/photographs) at University of Kansas dining services areas. Next year they said they'll give us more notice (only 4 days this time) so we can have more than three people there. Most of the students were like :huh: and if you have to explain...somehow it takes away the whole point of it. They had the Star Wars films playing on the TVs in the dining areas so it was kind of cool. So May the Fourth be with you every one! Haven't lisped that bad since I stopped wearing my retainers...

Well, the name of this thread is the "Fit Club" so you're more than welcome to post here. This way the support group works for everyone. As a reminder, everyone is different, but we have one goal in mind...LOOKING GREAT IN OUR ARMOR! Hey, do you think we could add Stormtrooper Jazzercise to this club?

Okay, I'm going to give my first advice as a Personal Trainer. We all need to lose weight. That said, if you build muscle, you will not lose weight as fast as you'd like. Also, when you first start working out, you will be building muscle bulk initally to handle the exercise of your body. You won't lose weight as fast. Also, you will never gain actual muscle cells. What you are doing is increasing the number of connective proteins inside those cells. Very technical and if anyone wants more detail they can PM me. My second comment, for those who are concerned about their BMI, it is a good starting point, but really doesn't indicate your fitness level. In fact, in the late 1980's early 1990's the American College of Sports Medicine stopped using BMI as an indicator of fitness. Many of the olympic caliber athletes show up on the "overweight" section of the BMI charts, and we can all agree (I think) that they aren't overweight, or out of shape. BMI can be used as a general rule of thumb, but your main concern will be the body fat percentage. Some of the newer electronic scales available out there will give you a rough estimate of that percentage. Keep track of that. If you want to find your ideal weight, use the following based on age: For Men: 20-40yrs 8-19% (healthy range) 41-60yrs 11-22% (healthy range) 61-79yrs 13-25% (healthy range) For Women: 20-40yrs 21-33% (healthy range) 41-60yrs 23-35% (healthy range) 61-79yrs 24-36% (healthy range) You can calculate your body weight by using online calculators, or formulas. It will require some measurements using a cloth tape. Remember though, this is just an estimate! Good luck and let's keep each other movtivated!

Congratulations Paul! You have made great contributions to this hobby and I salute you.

Great Video! You did a great job. I'm looking forward to the other promos.

I'm going to offer my services to the FISD. I need to lose weight like most people I know. However, I do have a M.S. in Exercise Physiology and have my certification as a Certified Strenght and Conditioning Specialist. So, if anyone wants advice, or cheering on, I'm offering those options to the FISD. All detachments need their own fitness club, we have one now, and I'm offering to be the personal trainer there. Hope to see you there. And remember we all need to be more fit (unless you are an olympic athlete and then all bets are off).