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Master Thread Maxxing out (or not): Health / exercise / supplement thread

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racernhra

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I know I need to lose some serious weight to be truly healthy and live how I want to live. My biggest problem is honestly will power when it comes to eating and drinking. My body aches a bit more nowadays, which makes it harder to get up and go run or do some strenuous cardio. I turned 50 last October. I do go to the gym 3-4 days a week, but I'm at the point now I'm not lifting anything heavy, more like lighter weight for more reps. I'm not opposed to using supplements, but I really don't want to put too many chemicals into my body, but I'd LOVE to have more energy and ability to really push myself beyond what I think I can. Any of you over 50 men out there have any suggestions? I am always looking for new workouts, exercises, foods, supplements, vitamins etc. that can give me an edge. I'm not aiming to look like some sort of bodybuilder. Just want to be healthier.
I would venture to say that alcohol and medication are worse chemicals to put in your body than about any supplement so I wouldn’t concern yourself with that at all.

To see the results you want you’re going to need to cut down on the alcohol and take a serious look at your eating habits. This coming from a person that loves to drink so I know what you’re hesitancy is here but can easily be over come.

I’ve done keto and other programs but, in my mind, they’re not sustainable life long changes. What works best for me is a good combination of protein, “good” carbs, and fats. IMO you need all 3 to facilitate in weight loss, muscle gain, and energy. I track foods using the 1st Phorm app as it also has weight training schedule and tracking. I also do the 8 week challenge as I get someone to assist in my goals and keeps me accountable which is important to me. There are others, this is what has worked best for me over the years (I’m 48 now).

As an aside, for those wanting assistance changing their alcohol habits I highly suggest reading (or audio book in my case) This Naked Mind. The approach taken to change how you individually view alcohol is quite effective. I do drink from time to time but I never want to go back to how I was (pictures posted earlier in this thread) before.

I committed to breaking the cycle of this world where we are encouraged to eat whatever we want, drink whatever we want, and when we get sick just take medication and continue on. I’m holding myself personally accountable instead of the societal norms to do what feels good to us and/or blame someone else.
 

LVRebel

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I would venture to say that alcohol and medication are worse chemicals to put in your body than about any supplement so I wouldn’t concern yourself with that at all.

To see the results you want you’re going to need to cut down on the alcohol and take a serious look at your eating habits. This coming from a person that loves to drink so I know what you’re hesitancy is here but can easily be over come.

I’ve done keto and other programs but, in my mind, they’re not sustainable life long changes. What works best for me is a good combination of protein, “good” carbs, and fats. IMO you need all 3 to facilitate in weight loss, muscle gain, and energy. I track foods using the 1st Phorm app as it also has weight training schedule and tracking. I also do the 8 week challenge as I get someone to assist in my goals and keeps me accountable which is important to me. There are others, this is what has worked best for me over the years (I’m 48 now).

As an aside, for those wanting assistance changing their alcohol habits I highly suggest reading (or audio book in my case) This Naked Mind. The approach taken to change how you individually view alcohol is quite effective. I do drink from time to time but I never want to go back to how I was (pictures posted earlier in this thread) before.

I committed to breaking the cycle of this world where we are encouraged to eat whatever we want, drink whatever we want, and when we get sick just take medication and continue on. I’m holding myself personally accountable instead of the societal norms to do what feels good to us and/or blame someone else.
I love this. Well done. I may have to check out that 1st Phorm app. I've just been tracking my workouts on a spreadsheet, and some days, I track my calories on the FitBit app. I also regularly track my weight and my sleep and heartrate.

I'd echo what you and others have said though. To lose weight consistently, you have to control your diet, especially as we get older. I don't have the time to spend 2-3 hours in the gym to burn tons of excess calories, and my job is a sedentary one, so the eating is very important.

I can easily put on 5-10 pounds in a month or two when I start eating too much, too often, and the wrong foods, along with slacking off on my exercise. My goal for this year is to get down to a target weight and be able to sustain it long term. It seems like every year, between Halloween and New Years, I'll put on at least 10 pounds, then have to struggle to drop it again. I want to be done with that.

Current weight: 219
1st target weight: 210 by March 14
2nd target weight: 200 by June 1
 

LVRebel

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What has the beet juice done for you? Do you feel better or have more energy?
It's hard to say specifically that it's doing anything, similar to most supplements. But when I drink it, I feel like it makes me breathe better/deeper, and have more energy when I'm working out. It's also just supposed to be very healthy and has a lot of good benefits as you'll see if you read through this thread. I'll have to repost some of the older articles if I can find them
 

LVRebel

GIF specialist
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Joined
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I know I need to lose some serious weight to be truly healthy and live how I want to live. My biggest problem is honestly will power when it comes to eating and drinking. My body aches a bit more nowadays, which makes it harder to get up and go run or do some strenuous cardio. I turned 50 last October. I do go to the gym 3-4 days a week, but I'm at the point now I'm not lifting anything heavy, more like lighter weight for more reps. I'm not opposed to using supplements, but I really don't want to put too many chemicals into my body, but I'd LOVE to have more energy and ability to really push myself beyond what I think I can. Any of you over 50 men out there have any suggestions? I am always looking for new workouts, exercises, foods, supplements, vitamins etc. that can give me an edge. I'm not aiming to look like some sort of bodybuilder. Just want to be healthier.
Check out this study below. It says that after the age of 30, you begin to lose as much as 3-5% of your muscle per decade. It's important for your long term health to keep the muscle on, as much as is possible anyways, so you can be self sufficient as an older man.


I'm not over 50, but am not too far away. As far as workouts, I've gotten back to the simple approach. Heavy workouts 3 days/week. Cardio 1-2 days per week, and trying to hit 11,000 steps per day every day if possible.
 

Old Glory

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Jan 8, 2021
Messages
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Check out this study below. It says that after the age of 30, you begin to lose as much as 3-5% of your muscle per decade. It's important for your long term health to keep the muscle on, as much as is possible anyways, so you can be self sufficient as an older man.


I'm not over 50, but am not too far away. As far as workouts, I've gotten back to the simple approach. Heavy workouts 3 days/week. Cardio 1-2 days per week, and trying to hit 11,000 steps per day every day if possible.
I second this. Keeping your muscle mass long term is one of the single greatest things you can do to preserve your health.
 

Old Glory

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I love this. Well done. I may have to check out that 1st Phorm app. I've just been tracking my workouts on a spreadsheet, and some days, I track my calories on the FitBit app. I also regularly track my weight and my sleep and heartrate.

I'd echo what you and others have said though. To lose weight consistently, you have to control your diet, especially as we get older. I don't have the time to spend 2-3 hours in the gym to burn tons of excess calories, and my job is a sedentary one, so the eating is very important.

I can easily put on 5-10 pounds in a month or two when I start eating too much, too often, and the wrong foods, along with slacking off on my exercise. My goal for this year is to get down to a target weight and be able to sustain it long term. It seems like every year, between Halloween and New Years, I'll put on at least 10 pounds, then have to struggle to drop it again. I want to be done with that.

Current weight: 219
1st target weight: 210 by March 14
2nd target weight: 200 by June 1
I haven't used it in a while do to time constrains but MacroFactor is a phenomenal food/calorie tracking tool that also has a built in coach to adjust as you go. No workouts or anything but the tracking capability is second to none, IMO.
 

CurtOFD78

Elite
Joined
Jan 8, 2021
Messages
1,074
I would venture to say that alcohol and medication are worse chemicals to put in your body than about any supplement so I wouldn’t concern yourself with that at all.

To see the results you want you’re going to need to cut down on the alcohol and take a serious look at your eating habits. This coming from a person that loves to drink so I know what you’re hesitancy is here but can easily be over come.

I’ve done keto and other programs but, in my mind, they’re not sustainable life long changes. What works best for me is a good combination of protein, “good” carbs, and fats. IMO you need all 3 to facilitate in weight loss, muscle gain, and energy. I track foods using the 1st Phorm app as it also has weight training schedule and tracking. I also do the 8 week challenge as I get someone to assist in my goals and keeps me accountable which is important to me. There are others, this is what has worked best for me over the years (I’m 48 now).

As an aside, for those wanting assistance changing their alcohol habits I highly suggest reading (or audio book in my case) This Naked Mind. The approach taken to change how you individually view alcohol is quite effective. I do drink from time to time but I never want to go back to how I was (pictures posted earlier in this thread) before.

I committed to breaking the cycle of this world where we are encouraged to eat whatever we want, drink whatever we want, and when we get sick just take medication and continue on. I’m holding myself personally accountable instead of the societal norms to do what feels good to us and/or blame someone else.
Thanks for the input. Not to sound like a fanboy or something else but the before and after pics you posted are pretty inspirational. I’m 6’1”, currently 266 pds. I’d love to get down to around 215 or so. I’ve recently within the last year noticing my feet and lower back are aching more often and even getting up out of bed can be painful to my lower back. My job can be very physical and I quite frankly need to be better than I am. Not just for my job, but for my life and longevity. I can retire in 5 years and the wife and I have some great plans for retirement and I want to be able to enjoy that time. I think the feet and low back are hurting strictly because of my weight. I started reading this thread last night for the first time and went through all 15 pages. There is some great info in the thread, and some great personal stories. I’ve been trying to get my mind right to really discipline myself for food and alcohol, and I am there now (which is gonna suck because I have good beer in the fridge and bourbon on the shelf). Made my mind up last night after reading the thread. I think the first few weeks are going to be like an addict going cold turkey off of heroin (for eating habits, not so much the alcohol), but I’ve done it before and can do it again. I’ve been physically active between the gym and a men’s group that I workout with called F3 (a great organization, you should see if there is an AO in your city), but my diet has been countering all the work I’ve been doing.
I’m dipping my toes in the water with a keto type diet that seems to have been pretty successful for many folks on this thread. Not gonna be super strict with that, but I’ll be limiting the carbs and especially the added sugars. I also ordered the beet powder!! If it gives me a boost, I’m all for it. I track food with the Lose It app, and I’m slowly going to be adding more cardio and slightly altering the gym exercises. I’m also gonna see if I can get the wife to either join me or support me on it. She wants me to live for a few more years :);) so I think she’ll be on board.
 

Rebarcock.

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Thanks for the input. Not to sound like a fanboy or something else but the before and after pics you posted are pretty inspirational. I’m 6’1”, currently 266 pds. I’d love to get down to around 215 or so. I’ve recently within the last year noticing my feet and lower back are aching more often and even getting up out of bed can be painful to my lower back. My job can be very physical and I quite frankly need to be better than I am. Not just for my job, but for my life and longevity. I can retire in 5 years and the wife and I have some great plans for retirement and I want to be able to enjoy that time. I think the feet and low back are hurting strictly because of my weight. I started reading this thread last night for the first time and went through all 15 pages. There is some great info in the thread, and some great personal stories. I’ve been trying to get my mind right to really discipline myself for food and alcohol, and I am there now (which is gonna suck because I have good beer in the fridge and bourbon on the shelf). Made my mind up last night after reading the thread. I think the first few weeks are going to be like an addict going cold turkey off of heroin (for eating habits, not so much the alcohol), but I’ve done it before and can do it again. I’ve been physically active between the gym and a men’s group that I workout with called F3 (a great organization, you should see if there is an AO in your city), but my diet has been countering all the work I’ve been doing.
I’m dipping my toes in the water with a keto type diet that seems to have been pretty successful for many folks on this thread. Not gonna be super strict with that, but I’ll be limiting the carbs and especially the added sugars. I also ordered the beet powder!! If it gives me a boost, I’m all for it. I track food with the Lose It app, and I’m slowly going to be adding more cardio and slightly altering the gym exercises. I’m also gonna see if I can get the wife to either join me or support me on it. She wants me to live for a few more years :);) so I think she’ll be on board.
Dude have you just said no to Food? It'd probably not hurt Captain OFD
 

LVRebel

GIF specialist
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Joined
Dec 9, 2020
Messages
3,072
Thanks for the input. Not to sound like a fanboy or something else but the before and after pics you posted are pretty inspirational. I’m 6’1”, currently 266 pds. I’d love to get down to around 215 or so. I’ve recently within the last year noticing my feet and lower back are aching more often and even getting up out of bed can be painful to my lower back. My job can be very physical and I quite frankly need to be better than I am. Not just for my job, but for my life and longevity. I can retire in 5 years and the wife and I have some great plans for retirement and I want to be able to enjoy that time. I think the feet and low back are hurting strictly because of my weight. I started reading this thread last night for the first time and went through all 15 pages. There is some great info in the thread, and some great personal stories. I’ve been trying to get my mind right to really discipline myself for food and alcohol, and I am there now (which is gonna suck because I have good beer in the fridge and bourbon on the shelf). Made my mind up last night after reading the thread. I think the first few weeks are going to be like an addict going cold turkey off of heroin (for eating habits, not so much the alcohol), but I’ve done it before and can do it again. I’ve been physically active between the gym and a men’s group that I workout with called F3 (a great organization, you should see if there is an AO in your city), but my diet has been countering all the work I’ve been doing.
I’m dipping my toes in the water with a keto type diet that seems to have been pretty successful for many folks on this thread. Not gonna be super strict with that, but I’ll be limiting the carbs and especially the added sugars. I also ordered the beet powder!! If it gives me a boost, I’m all for it. I track food with the Lose It app, and I’m slowly going to be adding more cardio and slightly altering the gym exercises. I’m also gonna see if I can get the wife to either join me or support me on it. She wants me to live for a few more years :);) so I think she’ll be on board.
Good stuff. If the wife is on board, propose that she gives a good beej for every 5 pound milestone. Or 1 pound, whatever she'll agree to. ;) That'll give you some extra motivation.

I'd recommend looking into intermittent fasting also. Check out this podcast talking about all the benefits of eating in an 8 hour window each day.

 

Rebarcock.

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Good stuff. If the wife is on board, propose that she gives a good beej for every 5 pound milestone. Or 1 pound, whatever she'll agree to. ;) That'll give you some extra motivation.

I'd recommend looking into intermittent fasting also. Check out this podcast talking about all the benefits of eating in an 8 hour window each day.


If you weren't married would you tell a 50 yr good looking guy hit the gym or church? Asking for a friend
 

racernhra

Elite
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Joined
Dec 1, 2020
Messages
656
It's hard to say specifically that it's doing anything, similar to most supplements. But when I drink it, I feel like it makes me breathe better/deeper, and have more energy when I'm working out. It's also just supposed to be very healthy and has a lot of good benefits as you'll see if you read through this thread. I'll have to repost some of the older articles if I can find them
This has been my experience as well. Better blood flow means more oxygen to all parts of the body. My endurance is better and my recovery (catching my breath after super sets and running) is quicker.

I read an article where a study showed that the subjects using beet juice we’re experiencing 7% - 10% increase in strength due to better blood flow to the muscles. I’m going to keep using it.
 

LVRebel

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I've went from 200 to 175 the last two years by doing three things (not drinking my calories, not eating big meals before bed, working out 3-4 times a week). It helps that my job gets me a lot of steps. I remember looking at my graduation pictures when I got my Master's and hated the fact that I looked like a fat ass.

View attachment 78171

View attachment 78174
@grimm515
How you holding up these days? Still keeping the weight down?
 

LVRebel

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I bought some this weekend. Aside from all of the health benefits, it also increases nitric oxide production which helps to expand your veins and vessels, in all parts of your body. (See number 1)


Here's a couple links on Beet juice from a while back.
 

LVRebel

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From this article above:
-helps lower blood pressure
-improves stamina
-may slow progression of dementia
-helps you maintain a healthy weight
-may prevent cancer
-good source of potassium
-good source of iron, mg, mn, sodium, zinc, copper, selenium, folate
-supports your liver
-may reduce cholesterol

Here's a study that talks about benefits of Nitric oxide:

Here's a good excerpt:
"Nitric Oxide has various functions in the human body, including a vasodilatory effect, which reduces blood pressure and increases oxygen- and nutrient delivery to various organs. These effects indicate that BRJ may have relevant applications in prevention and treatment of cardiovascular disease. Furthermore, the consumption of BRJ also has an impact on oxygen delivery to skeletal muscles, muscle efficiency, tolerance and endurance and may thus have a positive impact on sports performances."
Check out this old post also, for additional benefits of Beet root juice.
 

shiv

John
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@Croot_Overlord , you back in the gym yet? How's the shoulder healing up?
I actually just worked out a little bit ago.

This is my 4th day lifting since surgery. Extremely light, focusing on smooth deliberate movements. Added a little more weight to the squats today. I can tell a real difference between this week and last week though. Shoulder seems a lot more comfortable with the loading. I see the doc Monday and hope to be blessed to keep on keeping on.

I’m so thrilled with the surgery and everything. I’ve had a very quick recovery because I have taken all precautions and done my rehab like my life depended on it. I’m also having this cascade of positive effects from being able to adjust to better posture from not having the injury that is relieving some other aches and pains I’ve had for years in the neck and some other spots

And I really feel like my mental health has improved from not living in constant pain

All in all 10/10 - thanks for checking in on me!
 

LVRebel

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If i shave it could be crazy pussy
eS5naWY.gif
 

racernhra

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Thanks for the input. Not to sound like a fanboy or something else but the before and after pics you posted are pretty inspirational. I’m 6’1”, currently 266 pds. I’d love to get down to around 215 or so. I’ve recently within the last year noticing my feet and lower back are aching more often and even getting up out of bed can be painful to my lower back. My job can be very physical and I quite frankly need to be better than I am. Not just for my job, but for my life and longevity. I can retire in 5 years and the wife and I have some great plans for retirement and I want to be able to enjoy that time. I think the feet and low back are hurting strictly because of my weight. I started reading this thread last night for the first time and went through all 15 pages. There is some great info in the thread, and some great personal stories. I’ve been trying to get my mind right to really discipline myself for food and alcohol, and I am there now (which is gonna suck because I have good beer in the fridge and bourbon on the shelf). Made my mind up last night after reading the thread. I think the first few weeks are going to be like an addict going cold turkey off of heroin (for eating habits, not so much the alcohol), but I’ve done it before and can do it again. I’ve been physically active between the gym and a men’s group that I workout with called F3 (a great organization, you should see if there is an AO in your city), but my diet has been countering all the work I’ve been doing.
I’m dipping my toes in the water with a keto type diet that seems to have been pretty successful for many folks on this thread. Not gonna be super strict with that, but I’ll be limiting the carbs and especially the added sugars. I also ordered the beet powder!! If it gives me a boost, I’m all for it. I track food with the Lose It app, and I’m slowly going to be adding more cardio and slightly altering the gym exercises. I’m also gonna see if I can get the wife to either join me or support me on it. She wants me to live for a few more years :);) so I think she’ll be on board.

Man that’s where I was too. I didn’t have back issues but at 223 my left foot was hurting to the point I almost let the doctors talk me into having surgery. I’m glad I didn’t as the pain is gone since I lost the weight.

The toughest part is getting started but once you get the momentum it is all the fuel you need to keep going. And do whatever meal plan works for you! I did keto for a good while but I really enjoy fruit so I couldn’t sustain that for myself.

I then tried Noom for about 6 months and lost a good amount of weight. Looking back, I was at a major caloric deficit and while I lost fat I also lost a lot of muscle, and my workouts were hard due to fatigue.

The 1st Phorm program has me eating plenty so I don’t feel like I’m hungry and I get to eat foods I enjoy. I don’t feel like I’m giving anything up just choosing to put better foods in my body. As far as losing weight it’s more of a slow and steady approach which is fine with where I’m at because I want to continue to build muscle.

Lastly, I try not to focus on the scale that much. It’s nice to see it go down but if you’re building muscle at the same time it’s not always a good indicator of progress. How your close fit and key body measurements are what I focus on. And try to take pictures every week. Always seems like a pain but it’s well worth it when you compare from week to week.
 

CurtOFD78

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What I’ve been doing for the past few days appears to be working, at least initially. In my first post in the thread, I told you I weighed 266. That was only 6 days ago. I started eating better foods and cutting out the extra carbs and sugars, and alcohol :cautious:. This morning the scale said 259.2 pds. That is certainly reason for a little excitement. I’m not having any significant cravings so far, which has been really nice. Watched the NFL championship games all afternoon without a beer or bourbon, which sucked, but I have goals. The beet powder should arrive today so I am eager to give that a try today. Headed out to the gym in a few minutes. So far so good!
 

LVRebel

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What I’ve been doing for the past few days appears to be working, at least initially. In my first post in the thread, I told you I weighed 266. That was only 6 days ago. I started eating better foods and cutting out the extra carbs and sugars, and alcohol :cautious:. This morning the scale said 259.2 pds. That is certainly reason for a little excitement. I’m not having any significant cravings so far, which has been really nice. Watched the NFL championship games all afternoon without a beer or bourbon, which sucked, but I have goals. The beet powder should arrive today so I am eager to give that a try today. Headed out to the gym in a few minutes. So far so good!
Nice work brother, keep it up! I've been hitting it pretty hard the past few weeks also, and I've gone down from 223.5 to 217. Not as rapid of a loss as yours, but I'll take it. The weekends are always the hardest for me, so I'm pumped that I made it through this past weekend with losing weight instead of gaining. The key is definitely consistency. Some weeks you'll lose 5-6 pounds, other weeks, 1/2 pound. Just gotta remember you're in it for the long haul and don't give up when you have a bad week.
 

LVRebel

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How much water do you mix it with to make it palatable? I just got it delivered an hour ago, I’m gonna give it a test drive tomorrow before the 0530 workout.

I mix mine with 4 oz. Of water and 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar.
I usually mix two scoops into my water bottle, that's 32 ounces, along with ice, and sometimes a few extra amino acids. They help to sweeten it up a bit and it goes down really smooth.
 
Last edited:

shiv

John
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Shoulder Extrtnal Rotations (2x10 at 8 lbs)
Squats (3x10 at 175)
Incline bench (2x10 at 55)
Stiff legged deadlifts (3x10 at 135)

Get my CNS acclimated to lifting heavier weight is surprisingly tough. Of course I gotta take it slow on upper body stuff
 
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