Getting the weight down

[Ironbear24]

During the COVID-19 period in 2020 when I was working from home and the dojo was closed, my weight shot up to 268 lbs. My diabetes was terrible, A1C was 10.

Now I'm back down to 219. My A1C is 8.3.

My fitness level is still terrible, but improving. Just got my 3rd Pfizer shot. Better, but still long way to go.

View attachment 27172

Awesome! Sounds like you're making great progress.

 

[Kung Fu Wang]

I assume his wife is a senior also like me and my wife.

My wife is 9 years younger than me. She doesn't have any joint issue.

I strongly believe that if you don't use it, you will lose it. The more you use your joint, the more fluid will be generated in your joint.

This is one of the issue to train MA. After you have spend your life time to develop something, it will take the rest of your life to maintain it (if you don't want to lose it).

 

[Alan0354]

My wife is 9 years younger than me. She doesn't have any joint issue.

I strongly believe that if you don't use it, you will lose it. The more you use your joint, the more fluid will be generated in your joint.

This is one of the issue to train MA. After you have spend your life time to develop something, it will take the rest of your life to maintain it (if you don't want to lose it).

That I agree totally. I work harder today than 10 years ago. I always hate walking and running, so all my aerobics are punching and kicking. My legs are naturally stronger than my upper body. Like when I do leg extension in the gym, I usually use the full stack of weight( over 300 whatever number). I was squating 265lbs(not a deep squat though) until I fell a pinch on my back and I was in pain for over a week, then I had to stop squating that heavy. So I don't really work out that hard on my legs.

I never felt pain in my lower body..........until 4 years ago ( just turn 65), one day, I walked down the stairs, my knee buckled, I almost fell down the stairs. My knees started to hurt!!! Then my foot started to hurt also. 65 was the magic number!!! Never have pain in my lower body till that time, always strong. I since put in much more work on my lower body just to get rid of all the pain.

My upper body is never that strong, I really have to work hard on the upper body. Knock on wood, so far so good.

There is no free lunch, you pay now or you pay later being disable. My mother was using a wheel chair at my age now, I determine not to follow her footstep. For me at this point, all the exercise is mainly for being able to be independent, not really for MA or fighting. Hell, for the longest time, I did not even think of MA and all, the routine punching and kicking was only served as aerobics for health. I would never join this forum if it's not for stick fight. It's only because a lot of older Asians are being attacked, that encourages me to pick up stick fight with a cane and more thinking back of MA.

Just to be clear, I don't mean to say don't walk and run, just pay attention from the experience of my wife that did it 6 days out of the week on high impact aerobics for 20 years and then 6 days a week of fast walking. Mix it up, alternate punching bags and walking every other day to give the body a chance to rest. But if your wife is much younger, maybe it's not an issue at all. This is just my wife's experience. She does put effort in exercise all these years. All the crap happened only when she approach 70, she was in perfect health before that. Younger people ( even in the 50s) might think I am paranoid, but this is life!!! We do get OLD.


I know, for a lot of people, you have to keep telling them to work harder, longer. But there is the other side where the small number of people that do spend their whole life exercising and training. The mentality is quite different, you have to think of preservation as you have the will already, the caution is NOT to over do which result in hindering your goal because of injuries. At this age, you fight to maintain, not to get to the top. You fight to not having aches and pains and be able to be independent.

 

[_Simon_]

Awesome! Sounds like you're making great progress.

IRONBEAR! Really nice to see ya man, really hope you're doing well

 

[Bill Mattocks]

My wife's A1C is 6.0. Her doctor told her to walk 35 minutes non-stop daily. Will exercise treatment still work for you so you don't need to take medicine?

No, I'm significantly past that stage. Diabetes is progressive and only possible to achieve remission in unusual cases or with stomach bypass surgery, which I'm currently not a candidate for. Exercise and weight control can both significantly slow the progression. I am doing what I can,

 

[Bill Mattocks]

FYI, I weighed in at 216. The weight loss continues.

 

[geezer]

FYI, I weighed in at 216. The weight loss continues.

Dang! I really need to get off my butt ....or pretty soon I'll be weighing more than you, Bill ...and considering my smallish frame, that's not a good thing ...for me. Well, I'm going to try to follow your example.

 

[oneoftheherd80]

I take piles of medication. 4 daily pills and a weekly injection.

Lucky you! I have or had diabetes, prostrate cancer, triple by pass, a minor stroke, and spondylosis of the lower spine. I take a pharmacy every morning.

But thank God I am still alive and have some ability to get around.

 

[Alan0354]

Dang! I really need to get off my butt ....or pretty soon I'll be weighing more than you, Bill ...and considering my smallish frame, that's not a good thing ...for me. Well, I'm going to try to follow your example.

I thought you have been doing stick fight regularly!!!

 

[Bill Mattocks]

211 as of yesterday. Still dropping weight, but at a slower clip. Goal is still under 200. Stretch goal, 180.

 

[Kung Fu Wang]

my weight shot up to 268 lbs. My diabetes was terrible, A1C was 10.

Now I'm back down to 219. My A1C is 8.3.

During the COVID-19 period, my A1C went up from 5.6 to 5.7. It already makes me alert. I have to watch what I eat (such as whole grain or multi-grain bread).

My weight drops from 180 down to 165. I like to move my weight back to at least 175.

Can someone suggest me how to add 10 lb weight (I don't eat any meat)?

 

[isshinryuronin]

As time goes on your tendons and ligaments become less able to handle stress. Over age 60-65, heavy weights seem a poor idea. I was doing fairly heavy curls (for me) and now I can't hardly do them at all due to pain at the point where my lower rt. biceps attaches. So I've reduced all my weights and went up on the reps (still no curls). Better for cardio, better for muscle stamina, better I think for burning calories, and better as well as for overall martial art performance, IMO. My weight workout is about 45 min. 3x/wk. I could go longer, but at 70, don't want to push my luck. I also want to keep some gas in the tank for karate workouts.

Sounds like our strategy is similar: Stay healthy and fit and keep doing MA. But our tactics have to change to adapt to changing conditions. In a couple more years I'll probably quit the weights completely and rely on push ups, sit ups, lunges and my karate warm ups, and of course, karate itself. That with some (very) light jogging should keep me going till I'm 80. After that - rich foods, sex, drugs and rock and roll. My workouts will concentrate on the low impact development the 7 second death touch.

 

[Alan0354]

During the COVID-19 period, my A1C went up from 5.6 to 5.7. It already makes me alert. I have to watch what I eat (such as whole grain or multi-grain bread).

My weight drops from 180 down to 165. I like to move my weight back to at least 175.

Can someone suggest me how to add 10 lb weight (I don't eat any meat)?

Weight training. Doing weight, drink protein powder mix. I think I saw your picture before, you were very thin. If you don't eat meat, you have to bring up protein in your diet, or else the more you exercise, the thinner you get. As you get older, you lose muscle and bone mass, you need resistance exercise to retain your muscle.

For me, even I do weights, as I get older, I lose muscle mass. I had 16" arm before, now it's down to 15.3" even with the same weight exercise intensity. It would be much worst if I don't push.

The days when I do heavy resistance exercise, I have about 100grams of protein. Even on my off days, I make sure I have more than 50grams( minimum requirement). Make sure you read the label of food. It's hard to get protein, like there's only 5grams in a slice of ham, don't just say I eat 100grams(3.5oz) of meat, I got all the protein I need.

You'd be surprised how little protein in non meat stuffs, you really have to go online and find out. Like rice has very little protein, it's all carbohydrates. Soy beans is at least a good source of protein. You need to find out which has more protein. I eat meat, so I don't research into non meat stuffs.

 

[Alan0354]

As time goes on your tendons and ligaments become less able to handle stress. Over age 60-65, heavy weights seem a poor idea. I was doing fairly heavy curls (for me) and now I can't hardly do them at all due to pain at the point where my lower rt. biceps attaches. So I've reduced all my weights and went up on the reps (still no curls). Better for cardio, better for muscle stamina, better I think for burning calories, and better as well as for overall martial art performance, IMO. My weight workout is about 45 min. 3x/wk. I could go longer, but at 70, don't want to push my luck. I also want to keep some gas in the tank for karate workouts.

Sounds like our strategy is similar: Stay healthy and fit and keep doing MA. But our tactics have to change to adapt to changing conditions. In a couple more years I'll probably quit the weights completely and rely on push ups, sit ups, lunges and my karate warm ups, and of course, karate itself. That with some (very) light jogging should keep me going till I'm 80. After that - rich foods, sex, drugs and rock and roll. My workouts will concentrate on the low impact development the 7 second death touch.

I hope you reconsider quitting weights when you get older. Weight training literally saved me. MA and other aerobics wear down the joints, weight training in right way help to recover from all the wear and tear. I am almost 69, yes, I don't do 4 reps of heavy bench press and high weights as before, but I still push. I still maintain 50:50 of MA and weight training.

When I was in my 30s, I injured my back from all the TKD high kicks, for a while, I couldn't even stand still for 2 minutes without tingling down all the way to the foot. I exhausted all the treatment short of surgery. Finally the doctor put me on a weight training program and it literally saved my life.

When people gets old, you don't use it, you lose it. I have been strong on my lower body, I don't do a lot of sets of weights on my lower body. Guess what, two years ago, one day when I walked down the stair, my knee buckled and I almost fell. I started to have problem with my knees and foot. I since started to do more lower body exercise like once a week I do double steps( two steps at a time) up to the second floor 18 times, sets of 22 steps of lunges with 30lbs weight on each hand. sets squats with 140lbs of weights. Things are getting much better. Funny, my upper body is the weaker part, I always work harder. Knock on wood, my upper body is doing a lot better than my lower body.

I think as people get old, they are going to have a lot of joint pain. MA and aerobics only make it worst, weight training in the right way helps the body to recover from the stress of MA and aerobics.

This has been working for me for almost 40 years. So far, to every injuries, I always find a weight exercise to fix it. But that's just me. I have no plan to stop weights.

 

[Kung Fu Wang]

You'd be surprised how little protein in non meat stuffs,

I think you just point out what I need to know. I have not had any meat since 1984 (the last year that I still competed in tournament).

I do work on weight 3 times a week for 1 and 1/2 hour each.

Thanks for your suggestion. I need to find some non-meat protein.

 

[Kung Fu Wang]

In a couple more years I'll probably quit the weights completely and rely on push ups, sit ups,

You don't have to quit weight completely. I'm older than you. I just reduce weight. I do intend to keep on my weight train until my 90.

I just saw my family doctor 2 days ago. My doctor said I'm in excellent shape for my age.

 

[Alan0354]

I think you just point out what I need to know. I have not had any meat since 1984 (the last year that I still competed in tournament).

I do work on weight 3 times a week for 1 and 1/2 hour each.

Thanks for your suggestion. I need to find some non-meat protein.

4 1/2 hours of weights a week, I am surprised you don't lose more weight!!! I only do a little over 3 hours a week which is half of my workout. It's getting time consuming.

Then all you need is protein. You can find Soy protein if you don't want to touch meat or milk. Soy protein used to be very cheap, but now it's more expensive. This is the one I order:

Soy Protein Isolate Powder Natural Unflavored 32 oz | Puritan's Pride

If you can find other brands cheap, let me know. I am more than happy to pay less, I am born cheap!!!

I read in body building magazine people even go up to 200grams a day, but I won't suggest that, you can do research yourself and decide. 4 1/2 hours is a lot if you push hard.

I mix Whey and Soy half and half.

Good luck.




EDIT:

I forgot, you train so hard, you might already know this. Make sure you don't do the same body part every workout. I read a lot about weight training. You work hard, but you only work one muscle group once a week. Like you can bench hard and burn the chest, but rest for the rest of the week. The workout breaks down muscle, protein intake and rest builds muscle. The second day, you work on say bicep, shoulder and back, then the third day on lower body and triceps. This is just an example, you can be a better judge. Just make sure you don't work the same group every time, give the body a chance to build muscle.

 

[Alan0354]

You don't have to quit weight completely. I'm older than you. I just reduce weight. I do intend to keep on my weight train until my 90.

I just saw my family doctor 2 days ago. My doctor said I'm in excellent shape for my age.

I want to keep doing as long as I live!!!

 

[Gerry Seymour]

I think you just point out what I need to know. I have not had any meat since 1984 (the last year that I still competed in tournament).

I do work on weight 3 times a week for 1 and 1/2 hour each.

Thanks for your suggestion. I need to find some non-meat protein.

My knowledge in this area is pretty skimpy, John, so use this post as something to prod your research, rather than as any difinitive source. I seem to recall reading that nearly all plant-based proteins are less "complete" than animal based, and aren't as readily available to our bodies. This is not universal, and I think dairy proteins were among the best alternatives (including whey-based protiens found in many shakes).

You'll want to do at least a little research on this unless someone more informed chimes in, but I just wanted to point out that just finding "protein" isn't the whole picture.

 

[Alan0354]

My knowledge in this area is pretty skimpy, John, so use this post as something to prod your research, rather than as any difinitive source. I seem to recall reading that nearly all plant-based proteins are less "complete" than animal based, and aren't as readily available to our bodies. This is not universal, and I think dairy proteins were among the best alternatives (including whey-based protiens found in many shakes).

You'll want to do at least a little research on this unless someone more informed chimes in, but I just wanted to point out that just finding "protein" isn't the whole picture.

I just compare the soy protein powder I drink
Soy Protein Isolate Powder Natural Unflavored 32 oz | Puritan's Pride

with my Whey protein powder
https://www.bodyfortress.com/products/chocolate-whey-protein-powder/

They both have the same number of amino acids ( 18 to be exact). There are 20 or 22 amino acids, both powder missing the same ones. I don't want to research too deep, I am too lazy. I can only say the two I drink are the same. Soy protein powder just taste terrible, I need the Whey to give some taste.

But that's just the two I drink, people should read the label themselves. Too many brands.

It is hard to get enough protein if one doesn't eat meat. You have to eat a lot of soy beans to get enough. But then you might gain the wrong weight!!