Getting "FIT" - my neighbor and I

[DnvrFox]

Grrr!!

My neighbor (about 58 yo) has been on the "Slim for Life" program and has gone from 264 to 202 in the last few months. He exercises not a single bit. In fact, he chose this program specifically because it requires no exercise.

Okay, In a much shorter amount of time, I have gone from about 240 to 212. I am almost 66 yo.

I lift weights, ride 150 miles per week, have muscular arms, huge quads, big shoulders, etc.

We are both about the same height.

He, with his skinny arms, was bragging to me last night about his weight loss, and assuring me that his program for weight loss "really worked" implying that mine wasn't doing so well.

My waist is 3" less than his.

My goal is 200 even.

His is 185.

I would guess that I have 20-25 pounds more muscle than he does.

Yet, by all measure (BMI) etc., he is in better shape than I am.

Grrr again!!

[badgolfer]

Screw the BMI. It does not take into account anyting more than average muscle and average isnt much. As long as your body fat is in a healthy range your fine. Hes loosing muscle too slowing down his metabolism. Flex a bicep for him.

[Dead Extra #2]

I'd be willing to bet that you feel better than he does. Plus, I guarantee he is jealous when he sees you lugging 2x12's into the shed by yourself!

[Longhorn]

I've lost weight quickly before. I was exercising, too, but the weight loss program was unhealthy. I've gained about half of it back. You, on the other hand, are more likely to keep the weight off and you're doing it the healthiest way possible. I'm willing to bet that in two years, you'll still be lean and fit and your neighbor, unfortunately, will weigh more than he did before he started his program.

[DnvrFox]

I've lost weight quickly before. I was exercising, too, but the weight loss program was unhealthy. I've gained about half of it back. You, on the other hand, are more likely to keep the weight off and you're doing it the healthiest way possible. I'm willing to bet that in two years, you'll still be lean and fit and your neighbor, unfortunately, will weigh more than he did before he started his program.

Could I secretly hope? No, that would be mean. :rolleyes:

[lokerola]

Go do a ride together, lift some weights together, have your 2 VO2 max ratings compared, have bloodwork done and see who's got the lower cholesterol, lower blood sugar levels, etc. I don't mean really do these things; but you know that if you were to do them, chances are very good you'd come out on top every time.

There are things other than wieght that matter.

Keep up the hard work!!

[Don Gwinn]

Just take your shirt off and chop some wood, Rocky style. If that doesn't work, take a barbell over to his front porch and do Turkish get-ups until he admits who's the better man. . . . .

:D

[Roody]

Kick his ass, then he'll know. Seriously, exercize won't necessarily help you lose weight, but it sure helps you to keep it off. Most of those who successfully maintained weight loss (on the National Registry) exercized for more than 60 minutes a day. Also, weight is only one aspect of fitness. With exercize, you also gain strength, speed, balance, flexibility, stamina and a lot more.

Like your neighbor, I used to hate exercize. Actually, I was afraid of it. Then a heart attack scared me more. I started out exercizing on treadmill in a cardiac rehab class. Now I am more fit than I was 30 years ago, and much more fit than the average American my age.

Your neighbor is lucky to live next to you, DnvrFox. You're a great inspiration to a lot of people (including me) and you especially communicate how much fun it is to exercize. Thanks for all the good you do!

[SSP]

Denver - what's your current body fat percentage, and why is your goal 200 lbs?

For cycling, especially in the Rockies, lighter is better. For quite a few years my weight was around 180-185 lbs (I'm 6' tall) - I rode about 3-4,000 miles per year, with a week-long tour and 4-8 centuries most years. I thought I was pretty fit on the bike, and that 182 was my "set point" weight.

But, in the last couple of years I've been experimenting with lowering my weight - mostly by just being careful with portion sizes, and limiting my "substance abuse" foods (cookies and other sweets, in my case). I'm now down to 166 lbs, and at age 52 I'm having my best year ever on the bike (I've set two PR centuries in the last 12 months).

So, at some point you might want to revise your weight goal downward, especially if your body fat percentage is greater than 17% or so.

[Metieval]

As his unexercised heart is failing and his body is shutting down. You will be visiting him in the hospital.

[DnvrFox]

Denver - what's your current body fat percentage, and why is your goal 200 lbs?

For cycling, especially in the Rockies, lighter is better. For quite a few years my weight was around 180-185 lbs (I'm 6' tall) - I rode about 3-4,000 miles per year, with a week-long tour and 4-8 centuries most years. I thought I was pretty fit on the bike, and that 182 was my "set point" weight.

But, in the last couple of years I've been experimenting with lowering my weight - mostly by just being careful with portion sizes, and limiting my "substance abuse" foods (cookies and other sweets, in my case). I'm now down to 166 lbs, and at age 52 I'm having my best year ever on the bike (I've set two PR centuries in the last 12 months).

So, at some point you might want to revise your weight goal downward, especially if your body fat percentage is greater than 17% or so.

My immediate goal is 200 lbs.

At that time I will reevaluate.

I have a lot of muscle, and even at current 210 I am looking pretty good (at least much better). I am having to go back to smaller waist sized pants. (Yes, I saved them! :D )

But, you are right. 200 shouldn't be (and isn't) my ultimate goal.

If I can reach 200, I will be where I was a number of years ago, and my waist size was 34 and I felt great. I also have very, very short legs (29 inch pants inseam) and a very long upper body, giving me a different weight objective, as legs weigh a lot less than trunk! :D

Fast cycling is not my specific goal. Generally looking and feeling good is.

Even with my heart electrical problem (atrial fibrillation) causing an output of 70%, I kicked some a** yesterday. Hopefully, that will go to 100% in 2 weeks, after my PVI ablation in San Francisco. That will be a great feeling, after a year at 70%! As they say, the plumbing is great, but the electrical system is screwed up.

This is how I looked in 1998, at age 58, at 197 lbs. I like that look. (I can now wear that jersey again, and now wear it regularly!)

http://members.aol.com/dnvrfox/dad2bike.jpg

[rideabike]

I'm sure your heart appreciates the exercise.

[SSP]

Don't stress about your dim-witted neighbor, and good luck with your procedure. I predict you'll be pedalling up and down the Rockies long after he's reverted back to a fat couch potato.

[jrennie]

As a fellow weight dropper I get annoyed with the same classification of people, for example the Atkins diet people if you are on it and exercising great, don't flame this post). They loose weight but are not getting healthy, its sounds like you are going about a lifestyle change in a sustainable and healthy way and your "friend" is the kind of person that will inevitably fall off the wagon and regain the weight. This is just my opinion and keep up the great progress.

[Wingman115]

My question for your buddy is what sort of weight did he lose? Was it muscle or fat?
If he is not active my guess would be muscle. Check out this book by Covert Bailey he has been working on this for 30 years.

http://www.rondagates.com/index2.html

[FXjohn]

http://members.aol.com/dnvrfox/dad2bike.jpg

Even in that picture you look 20 pounds over weight. You should be more like 170-180.

[DnvrFox]

Even in that picture you look 20 pounds over weight. You should be more like 170-180.

Hey, I haven't had a contributiion from you in a long time. Did you stop following me through the forums for awhile?

As I said, that is MY goal. You set your own, please, but don't set mine, thank you!

I see you are your usual positive, encouraging self.

Have a great day and keep optimistic and positive.

[FXjohn]

Hey, I haven't had a contributiion from you in a long time. Did you stop following me through the forums for awhile?

As I said, that is MY goal. You set your own, please, but don't set mine, thank you!

I see you are your usual positive, encouraging self.

Have a great day and keep optimistic and positive.


Hey i didn't say you couldn't do it, you can!!

Come on Denver, you've always been a little sensitive.

[DnvrFox]

Hey i didn't say you couldn't do it, you can!!

Come on Denver, you've always been a little sensitive.

And you have always been a little brash!

[FXjohn]

And you have always been a little brash!


Sorry. Hey that scenery in the background looks gorgeous. So does that hill!!
Pedal on, Denver Fox, you know you are better and feel better than a person who does not exercise.

[DnvrFox]

Sorry. Hey that scenery in the background looks gorgeous. So does that hill!!
Pedal on, Denver Fox, you know you are better and feel better than a person who does not exercise.

Sorry for the rant. I just posted this to my Atrial Fibrillation support group. I AM a bit uptight, as this explains!

Okay, I guess I am just a bit uptight about next week's ablation in San Francisco, so
all that want to listen may, others may skip another boring message!

1. We have been messing with my INR (warfarin level) the last three weeks. It has
been screwed up since I was on the Tegretol, and was further
complicated by all the leafy veggies in the South Beach diet. Now,
Marin (Natale) states that the only acceptable INR is between 2-3.
However, around here, they seem to feel that as long as it is
reasonably ABOVE 2.0, a reading of above 3.0 is OKAY.

Sadly, I did not learn of Marin's ceiling of 3.0 until just a few
days ago, which put another tension on me. Not only did it quickly
have to be above 2.0, but it could NOT be above 3.0.

So, I have been having my INR taken almost daily as we try to adjust
this thing into that 2.0=3.0 range. They would prefer that it be
betwee 2.2 and 2.7 - but I see that as IMPOSSIBLE on a regular basis.

Okay, I have quit the Tegretol (which blew the INR to 1.0), and have
temporarily given up the SB Diet, and we have been adjusting things
like crazy. It has been from 1.0 to 5.3, all within just a couple of
weeks. SO, today, it was 1.9, and we are making some minor
adjustments to get it up just a little.

So, this is driving me NUTS! A friend of mine uses Plavix, after
continuously failing to get control of her INR.

2. I was to meet some folks for a boat ride at our local resevoir
today. I was going to bike in, and they were going to drive in. So,
I got the bike all ready and started - and the rear wheel had a
broken spoke. And it started raining.

3. I put my regular glasses in my wife's car, as she was also goin
to meet us there later. But, now I am home and trying to type this
with my corrected sunglasses on! I won't get my regular glasses
until she gets home. I am blind without my glasses.

4. And now it has started hailing outside like crazy.

Think I will get in bed, pull up a blanket and suck my thumb!

Okay, that feels good writing all this stuff out.

If you have lasted this far, I compliment you!

[FXjohn]

Are you riding today, Denver Fox?

[InfamousG]

Yet, by all measure (BMI) etc., he is in better shape than I am.

That's not "all measure". BMI = Body Mass Index. It is not a measure of 'fitness'. It is a measure of different weight classes. Underweight, Normal, Overweight, Obese. If your BMI% is in the "Normal" range, then whoevers is less means nothing. The range accounts for bone density, muscle mass, etc. Toned muscle weighs more than fat and more than flabby muscle.

If he couldn't come anywhere near you with your cycling or weight lifting, that makes you in better shape.