More knowledge = More obesity?

Transform

So listening to radio again the other day and another feature on obesity, anorexia, new diet etc really just when there is an R in the month.

It just seems that the knowledge that exists in the media (this being one form of) really does and quite good job of informing people on healthy eating, exercise, stress management etc - well i know some of the info is questionable most people know the basics e.g. soft drinks bad fruit and veg good.

However over the past 30 years the rates of the big two - heart disease, and cancer are all going one way and thats into the graveyard. Yes i know you are working harder to pay off your loan's with the easy credit you were given and really can't find the time to exercise. So my question is with all this knowledge and excusing the drab excuse of 'i don't have the time' why are people worse off physically and mentally than 30 years ago?

Has the money made us all American wanna be's who do not walk anywhere and live quiet lives of desperation craving the dream of a better body but will not do what it takes?

Whats your excuse and how can you change?
or
What was your excuse and how did you change?

Wokie

It's amazing isn't it?!? People still take up smoking - proven killer!

"Whats your excuse and how can you change?
or
What was your excuse and how did you change?"

Oh time definitly became my excuse - laziness the reality. I changed only recently through pure desperation with lack of fitness and fat body brining on a massive slump in self confidence. Posted on this board, got some advice and have started on hopefully a healthier, fitter me!! Realising that the reason I didn't keep up gym membership was pure boredom on the cardio machines so I asked the instructor to make out a resistance training programme for me and I'm taking part in Spinning for my cardio workout. First class last night - killer but so much more enjoyable than running on a threadmill:D

Dragan

Transform wrote:

What was your excuse and how did you change?

Nice post....i really started to pile on the weight when i was a kid of about 14. Used to eat all the wrong things at all the wrong times and was not overly active. I didn't get a lot of sweets etc but Mam would always be baking bread which i would eat before bed, or have 8 weetabix or something like that.

This lasted for a while, because i just didn't know that the carbs were making me fat, so i would get depressed about things and eat more and eat worse and do less and less. It wasn't until i went to college that i started to make the positive changes, looking information up on the net, going to the gym with a friend of mine who was more than happy to help me out!!!

Basically self education and effort changed me. I had to go out and find out what i was doing wrong, then i had to work to change that, to reverse what i had done to myself.

justsomebloke

As per usual there is a lot of misinformation in the media, yes to a certain extent they will some decent advice as how people should lose weight however there are generally large gaps that they leave unanswered and sometimes they can also give some misinformation which can lead to people not getting the results they want.
To see the misinformation out there you just have to look at Hollywood as for most of these people their bodies are their livihoods and so should be taking care of their bodies and even employee people to help them with them however quite a few will have unhealthy fashion diets and this will lead to the public thinking that this is the way to go and guess nothing will happen. Then the diets of Celebs who have good diets are then misreported to concentrate on only certain aspects like protein shakes and again the public think that this is what they must do.
However the biggest problem is the lack of money spent by the goverment into giving proper nutritional education to people. Due to the lack of education it is open to other sources like the media to inform us about how to eat healthily. However one good diet isn't going to sell magazines week after week so rather then have a decent diet magazines will generally tend to showcase fad diets to entice people into buying their magazines and trying this weeks "must have" diet.

The reason for the general bad state of our diets compared to 30 years ago can generally put down to a few small factors namely, wealth, time and over production.
30 years ago nearly all food would have been mostly fresh as freezers were not around. However with the freezer a new culture of freezer food convience sprung up which has had a couple of effects. Freezer food is generally a lot less healthy for you, however as this is now the main staple of people's diet as they want to save time, their health has suffered cause of it. Also some of the basic exercise people got like walking to the shop disappeared.
With wealth, many people now have the disposable income to spend more money on food. 30 years ago their wasn't as much money around so people generally only got the basics to keep them going so eat all they could, however now people can spend more on food and do but still have the mentality to eat all they can. Net result the ever expanding waist line of this country.
Lastly over production. This has led to even basic things like fruit and veg losing most of the nutrients that they once had, this has lead to people not getting all the essentials minerals that they once got from fresh produce. Also with over production the multi national supermarkets that feed us can find cheaper goods abroad and so less fresh produce and chemically treated products appear on our shelves all the time


hmmm i think i maybe ranting a bit so i might just leave it at that

t-ha

I agree with jsb, I think that there's enough of a knowledge gap left for people to get mediocre/no results. People need to see the results of their efforts to motivate them to continue. Most people I speak to know what foods to eat to be healthy, but have warped ideas about what way to eat & exercise for body composition (e.g. that girl on the dart the other week who consumed an entire 1kg bag of dried fruit & nuts between about 2 stops, was the food healthy? - yes. Was she fat? - also yes).

Personally I didn't mind being fat really until I was single (and also managed to convince myself that I wasn't that fat - despite having a BF of well over 40% ), and loved my food (especially carbalicious food) & have the amazing ability to pack away upwards of 6,000 kcals in a thirty minute binge (yup, I binged once while I was keeping a food log and had to go back over everything I'd stuffed down my trap and count it up). Basically, I was the kinda guy who refused to eat light mayo on the grounds that it tasted slightly unlike the full fat mayo etc. etc. Eat until totally totally stacked out, then sit and watch telly, smoke a fag & feel slightly uneasy that I could feel my pulse strongly in my neck/second chin.

Once singledom came along I quickly realised that I was not the irresistable sex machine I once was, that was (somehow) a shock to me & it pissed me off. And so it started me on the fitness thing, & I am convinced it was only through the assistance of various people online, added with self learning that I succeeded in gaining full control over my body composition & health. When I started out I had the same crazy ideas that you see every day from first time posters (apart from wanting to look like Brad Pitt from fight club, that was never a goal of mine ).

Oh, and personally, I think white bread & other processed carbs have alot to answer for with regards heart disease...

Boru.

Excellent question. Ironically I think the answer is in a computer game. Specifically Metal Gear Solid 2. Basically it puts it like this -

There is too much information. Thanks to mass comunication and the internet there is such an abundance of informaiton and an ease to obtaining it that the content is wothless.

There was a time when people were hungry for informaiton - it was a prized comodity and that hunger gave rise to the desire for application. Knowledge hard gained was applied becasue after such effort not to use that new found information was criminal.

As such people got results - and not just in fitness but in every field of life.

Today it is the reverse - education and information is a nanosecond, goolge click away. It costs nothing to find and research or discover and without that effort there is no incentive to apply.

Bruce Lee recognized this when he made famous the wonderful quote by Johann Goethe “Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Willing is not enough; we must do”.

It just doesn't happen anymore. People just expect knowledge to be handed to them and then become content with armchair realisations.

This board is a perfect example.

Here we have some of the best minds - the top fitness experts in Ireland and internationally who apply knowledge they spent gaining through hard study and harder application. Yet they are in the vast minority. The majority of users here are comprised of those who ask the same three quesitons repeatedly - how do I lose weight? How do I get bigger? Is "X" supplement any good? Few even bother to search the previous dozen or so threads on these topics.

Do they ever use the excellent information posted by Transform, Dragan, G'em etc? I'd say very few.

On the other hand I know that a few dedicated people, still hungry do learn, take aboard these principals and make huge, positive changes in there lives. I think those that do are awesome and its why I keep posting here - becasue you never know when someone will listen and apply.

As regards change?

Change occurs instantly - it's the preperation to change that takes forever. People can have all the information they need and yet never use it becasue they have not reached a point in their lives where they are mentally prepeared to commit and act upon that information. This is why I am so choosy with clients - I won't waste time with someone who is not 1100% committed to training and diet, becasue that means someone who is is missing out. (It may also be why I've never had a client fail, although I have had to fire clients on occasion:mad: ).

For me - the change was when a lady walking down O'Connell Street was mugged by two punks. I was a black blet at the time, (and by that I mean I pranced around in silly white pygama's and had a belly which I claimed was the source of my power just like Steven Seagal). I saw it and ran after them. By the end of O'Connell Street and I was completely gased, had a stich and they had escaped. I never felt so ashamed of myself as I did that day.

I studied to become a fitness instructor to teach myself how to get in better shape. I've been qualified for years, taught hundreds of people how to get fitter and healthier and you know, what I'm still learning, I'm still hungry.

(Now if I could only learn to write shorter posts...:D )

TerrorFirmer

Dragan wrote:

Nice post....i really started to pile on the weight when i was a kid of about 14. Used to eat all the wrong things at all the wrong times and was not overly active. I didn't get a lot of sweets etc but Mam would always be baking bread which i would eat before bed, or have 8 weetabix or something like that.

This lasted for a while, because i just didn't know that the carbs were making me fat, so i would get depressed about things and eat more and eat worse and do less and less. It wasn't until i went to college that i started to make the positive changes, looking information up on the net, going to the gym with a friend of mine who was more than happy to help me out!!!

Basically self education and effort changed me. I had to go out and find out what i was doing wrong, then i had to work to change that, to reverse what i had done to myself.

More or less same as myself, although sadly I have only started to make these changes at 18 years of age, but better late then never.

daveirl

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TerrorFirmer

I would just like to point out some points about that particular issue.

Sure, the stickies are there, and there's great - but to someone like me and many more like me, who started off from being a really unfit, overweight person with an ashaming lack of any exercise in their life let alone any general sort of fitness regime, its hard to just read the posts without further questioning about things that may be obvious to you but are not so obvious to us beginners who are "learning the ropes" if you will. Sometimes we need reassurance what we're doing is right, or it can be improved.

Reading whats already been posted is good but sometimes its not the same as having an interactive conversation about something.

Thanks to this particular forum I'm turning into great lean shape and I read it everyday, and take in most of the info, even if I don't post that often, and when I do, its stupid questions....

But anyway, just thought I'd add that.

daveirl

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justsomebloke

daveirl wrote:

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I knew once i read havok's post that he would guilt trip you into keeping it the way it is:D

TempestSabre

Lack of free time is my main excuse, as it is for a lot of people I know in the same situation. Its not easy to change your lifestyle to create time. Even less easy if you've a family, commute etc. Escaping the rat race is easier to say than to do.

daveirl

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TerrorFirmer

Theres no real reason as such, apart from the lack of one: I know I'm guilty in the past of convincing myself that exercise was somehow part of core time and that after a certain time in the evening it didn't really count as "free time", even if I was doing nothing constructive.

Whats really worrying is the increasing amount of people looking towards the quick fix solutions available, or more accurately, these quick fix solutions that prey on people looking for a solution without making any effort, let alone minimal exercise. Lipotrim and Weightwatchers being prime examples. I've even seen weightwatchers WATER in stores recently, a sad case of products offering to help people convince themselves they are actually "doing something".

My girlfriends mother is 9 stone and has some excess fat, but at that weight, its definately a slight excess and not in any way a big problem. The solution? Exercise. The actual solution in reality? Lipotrim. :rolleyes:

What I see thesedays, with the increase of media coverage and market reach, is not an increase in people realising the importance of healthy eating, but the exact opposite, with people firstly getting fatter by the day and then in some cases, feebly trying to someone balance it out in their conscience by resorting to ridiculous fads and commercialism.

Its hard to believe that lovely, free, rewarding and healthy exercise is actually being replaced my high cost, generally unhealthy and inconsistant fads, but its seems sadly true!

This post made sense in my head, when I was writing it. I hope it still does.

TempestSabre

daveirl wrote:

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20 hours = 30 mins each way to work? Takes me 45-1.15 each way. Thats assuming I'm not waiting to collect someone, or need to collect something or do shopping etc on the way.

I spent 3 hours trying to a child to sleep last night, had 3 hours sleep, visited some one in hospital 3 hours. While they are not daily activities they happen often enough, or there are similar random "life" activities that crop up.

Everyones life is not as simple as you are suggesting. A lot of people (not everyone obviously) on this fitness board tend to be young <30 and single. Whereas the generally trends the OP is talking about cover every age. 0-120!

daveirl

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Dragan

TempestSabre wrote:

Everyones life is not as simple as you are suggesting. A lot of people (not everyone obviously) on this fitness board tend to be young <30 and single. Whereas the generally trends the OP is talking about cover every age. 0-120!

This very true, but people will also over complicate the issue to save themselves.......oh, the gym is a 20 mins drive, and hour down there is 2 hours gone etc.

Chins, push ups, sit ups, get ups are all things that can be done in the sitting room, skipping can be done in the yard etc.

I can destroy myself in 20 mins without stepping outside my apartment if i want to. 3 years ago when i was working 18 hours for 3 days over the weekend i would get my workouts done on my lunch or in the 30 mins i had between jobs.

I am not saying i'm great, i'm just saying it's really not that difficult to get a workout done that will make a difference.....you don't need to on a cybex machine in Total ****ness to get a workout done.

Lothaar

As somebody with a young child, long working hours and a total bitch of a commute I can attest to the fact that it is extremely difficult to find time to exercise. I would go as far as to say it is nigh on impossible, for anyone short of obsessive, to get the 'perfect' body in this situation. Your sleeping patterns are all over the place, your free time is at a premium and you tend to be burnt-out from the demands upon your life.

However, if you're committed you can get in shape. I train on my lunch break a few days a week for 45 mins. It's not a great workout, but it's pretty good. The major innovation I recently introduced is cycling to and from work. It's a 60-min cycle in and a 70-min cycle home (uphill, against the wind a bit). This has been great for endurance and weight-loss. It takes me about this long to commute by bus, so there's no difference. But it is a million times more interesting than sitting on a bus and you never get stung by a traffic jam. The weather has been so nice recently that it is an absolute pleasure to cycle across Dublin.

TempestSabre

A work out isn't practical for me, but I do try and get a 20-30mins walk in at lunch. Which isn't enough, but I've no other spare time. I'd be surprised if I watch 4-5hrs of TV in a week. Then lots of people have injuries that prevent them doing certain exercises. I've had to give up football, probably for good, and swimming for the time being at least. Walking is what I need to do, but you can't easily fit 2 hrs walk into a 20min break.

My commuting time is actually less than it was. When I used public transport I could spend up to 4 hours a day just getting from A to B. Cycling wouldn't be quicker, but it would be exercise. I should be able to do that 2-3 times a week, but I need to resolve some nagging injuries first.

Someone usually drops in the example of the IT Exec changing to working as a cycle courier at this point.

Dragan

Lothaar wrote:

I would go as far as to say it is nigh on impossible, for anyone short of obsessive, to get the 'perfect' body in this situation.

I would simply say that the "perfect body" should not be an issue...the main reason to workout, especially as one gets older are the health benefits....that should be a constant thought for those who have kids especially!

TempestSabre

With a young family your often tied to other people schedules aswell, your partners, the kids, the child minder, creche/school times etc. Same with older or sick family members.

To be honest its a pain hearing that there are no reasons, or valid excuses. You only hear that from people who don't have the same problems...yet. Personally trying to fit exercise, or some form of sport into our lifestyle is something that permanently on our minds.

Another problem is also that with the boom times here is that while the cost of living/inflation/accomodation has risen, wages simply haven't matched those increases. So you've an awful lot of housholds which simply need to wages to function. That wasn't the case 20-30yrs ago.

TempestSabre

Perfect body :rolleyes:

t-ha

Dragan wrote:

I can destroy myself in 20 mins without stepping outside my apartment if i want to.

Dude, we don't need to hear all about your personal life here!

Dragan

TempestSabre wrote:

To be honest its a pain hearing that there are no reasons, or valid excuses. You only hear that from people who don't have the same problems...yet.

Well maybe it's just the example that my parents set then. My Dad would leave for work at about 6 in the morning ( often earlier ) and arrive home around half six or 7 at night. That’s twelve hours. My Mum would do half days and when she got home would be straight into the cooking, cleaning, washing, ironing etc that needed to be done. When Dad came in from work he would come into the kitchen and chat to us for about half an hour and have a cup of tea, then head down the shed where he would lift weights for a while, then come back up, have his dinner, do the dishes and him and Mam would go out for a walk for about an hour.

Then it would be sit down, watch the news and head to bed.

Nothing is easy dude, but people manage.

Even if you can't fit a "workout" into the week you can still eat right, have a healthy diet. I hope that all parents are nice and active with their kids as well....it's not about "working out" , it's about being active.

thirtyfoot

I have to agree that for people with a young family in Ireland it can be almost impossible to get a decent workout in. Priorities change and wake-ups at 4.30am are more to do with feeding the baby than taking your protein shake. Especially in Dublin where the commute is so long - a day that rises at 6.30 to get breakfasts, lunches, kids dressed, dropped to school, full days work, pick the kids up, get the dinner, help with homework, coax to bed, could end at 9-10pm that night where bed and sleep is the only thing left to do.

Although I did see a couple in the park this week with their two year old. She was playing with her toys and things while they did their session around her. They had it down to a tee and as one parent finished their shuttle run, the other's recovery was just ending and was about to start theirs. One of them was always next to her and she thought it was great and like a big game, was very impressive.

Regarding the OP, I think an upbringing in competitive sport as a teenager helps greatly for staying in shape in later years. Habits learnt as a teenager die hard when you get older, more resources should be put into sport for kids, its the obvious answer to Ireland's obesity problem, and would ease a few of the anti-social behaviour issues too.

thirtyfoot

Dragan wrote:

Well maybe it's just the example that my parents set then. .

Thats a good point, comes down a lot on how you are brought up, for me and my siblings we had no choice, kicked out the door to play every sport imaginable and its sorts you for life.

Lothaar

Dragan, I'm doing it for the health benefits... but I was making the point that it is impossible to end up like a Men's Health cover-dude when you have all those demands on your time. Whether or not you're stiving to look good or to be healthy, there is only a certain level you can attain.

Dragan

Lothaar wrote:

Dragan, I'm doing it for the health benefits... but I was making the point that it is impossible to end up like a Men's Health cover-dude when you have all those demands on your time. Whether or not you're stiving to look good or to be healthy, there is only a certain level you can attain.

Exactly my own point, i was just saying that it should be a "I can't get the perfect body what's the point issue". An hour and a half a week is better than nothing.

TempestSabre

In my office the older people who are very active in sports are those that didn't do a lot of sports when younger. They now have no injuries, where those of us that were active, especially the footballers, have all sorts of injuries etc.

As kids we were kicked out all right. But to do chores or work, not faff about. Saturdays were spent working on something or other. I guess its different if you are self employed, sat isn't seen as a day off, and evenings are spent getting ready for the next day. Now in his 70's my dad still works a 6 day week starting at 5am. Don't see the sense in it myself, but they'res was a different and harder era than our own.

I wonder to many people on farms and working or on manual labour on building sites etc come home and work out.

Dragan

TempestSabre wrote:

I wonder to many people on farms and working or on manual labour on building sites etc come home and work out.

In my experience? Yeah, most of my mates who are builders/plumbers etc will workout, or play soccer 5 days a week, or play GAA or whatever. Most of my mates who work in offices don't do a lot!!!! Lazy buggers!!!!:D

TempestSabre

of course these boom times days you get a days wages for just turning up on a building site. It wasn't always so.

Whereas any large office based company I was ever in had a football team of some sort. Maybes it just a question of the individuals involved, and sweeping generalisations are not that informative. Fact is 40yrs ago there were manual workers and office workers, so something other than that dynamic has changed.

Boru.

Okay - I'm angry. This is exactly what I'm talking about. I going to be harsh here so anyones who is easily offended please skip this post.



Every person that posted saying they have very busy lives and can't get in the time for a workout is unmotivated and dare I say it, unintrested in actually applying themselves.

I REFUSE to believe you do not have 60 seconds free in your day. I'm sorry but if this is what you are claming its bull. Pure and simple.

In 60 seconds you can be imporving your fitness levels. You can get stonger - you can get fitter and you can get healthier. No you will not have that photo cover body, but that's worthless anyway.

STOP WHINNING and GET WORKING!

Here is how....

Problem;
You have small children and can't find time to workout.

Solution play with your kids - yep, revolutionary I know. Here's some ideas.

1.) Pick up your child - hold he/she straight out in front of you and talk to it with a silly voice for 60 seconds - This is a really hard exercsie that will tone your shoulder back and triceps. It's based on a principal called Isometrics.

2.) Baby squats and press - I did this with my next door neightbours kids when she was trying to lose weight - the kids loved it and so did she. Pick up your baby. Squat down hold your baby in front of you. Touch his/her toes to the ground. Stand up - as you do so bring in the baby, kiss it and push upwards into an over head press. Repeat 10 times . That won't take longer than a minute and you will have a laughing gggling baby as you get fitter and stonger. This Tones the legs, bum, back, arms and chest.

3.) Baby bench press - Lie down and hold your baby or child (five year olds are great for this - just the right weight) over your chest with both arms. Lower the child down to your chest then bench it back up. Ta daa, you've spent some quality time with the kids and you've trained your chest, shoulders and arms.

Problem; I have no time in work
Solution stop lying to yourslef and work out in the office.

1). Type away your waist - Thats right. As you type another post about why you don't have the time to work out I want you to tone and tighten your abs using deep breathing and isometrics.

1. Try this - straighten your posture
2. Pull in your stomach
3. Tighten your abs as though bracing for a punch
4. As you do this breathe out in a tight hisssssss sound.

Repeat at least ten times. I'm doing this right now, I have 6 pack would you like one? Start with this. Total time taken 60 seconds - did you even leave your desk?

Isometric Wall Chair – not for the faint at heart! This exercise is a tough one but provides incredible benefits for the whole lower body. It’s very easy to perform.

1. Simply sit up against a wall with you’re your legs at a 90 degree angle ant the hip and knee.
2. Create a box with the legs.
3. To make it easier just stand a little higher.
4. Make sure your knee are in line with your ankles and are hips distance apart (by this I mean no knees touching or too wide)
5. Work your way up to holding this for three minutes

Don't have 3 minutes - fine do it on one leg while holding the other straight out in front for 60 seconds

Isometric Leg Curl – designed to strengthen the hamstrings on the back of the legs and butt.

1. Sitting comfortably in a chair pull or press the legs in as though you were trying to touch your bum with the heels of your feet.
2. For added benefits tense your bum as though your were trying to pinch a penny.
3. Work up to holding them they’re for 30 seconds.
4. Relax.

It should take less than two minutes to complete this routine and will provide you with a total lower body workout.

Take up bridging. Here's a classic example of how you can do execsie anywhere regardless of conditions and time. I have a fear of heights so I climbed the Zugspites, the highest mountain in germany. 2500+feet. At the top I wanted to commerate the achievement so I bridged AT THE PEAK OF THE MOUNTAIN. It's an incedible photo - and proves that when you put your mind to it you can achieve anything.

Try it before an important meeting - really relaxes you.


For those of you that want a Mens health cover model body and don't have time - what do you do during your lunch breaks? Eat? Walk or better yet don't take them because you're dedicated to your job? Give yourself 15 minutes and I guarentee you you can build a stunning physique - try doing 500 fast bodyweight sqauts with deep breathing, in ten minutes, and then pop out 250 pushups in the remianing 5. Go on try it. It's a workout and a half.



The fact is this - you CAN workout EVEN IF YOU DON'T HAVE A FREE SECOND IN THE DAY! All you have to do is apply yourself. Be original - find away instead of wasting your time, my time and everyone else here writing replies sitting in a chiar getting no exercsie when you could have been holding an isometric squat while writing.


_______________________________________________________

P.s. Havok you are one of the few that I would not hesitate to say has been listening. Keep at it, you and people like you are the reason I do this.

I'm sorry if people find this is harsh or unpleasent - but it's about time that someone explained the truth -

It's not your jobs fault, people workout during lunch or on the way to work or get up before work or do it after work

It's not your familys fault - you cna workout with them around them, while doing chores, while cleaning, whiles showering, while getting dressed while preparing dinner etc

Its not your life's fault for interuppting your delicately constructed plan - you have to visist a relative in hosptial and spend three hours with them - fine, don't sit down - do an Isometric Wall Chair - run flights of hospital stairs instead of the lift? Do isometric stomach crunches while they talk...

It's not your genes fault - sure people get lumped with fat genes - I got lumped with a progressive disease - you think that'll stop me? Lance Armstrong got lumped with mutliple life threatening cancers and it didn't stop him.


IT'S YOUR FAULT for not being fit and healthy. It's your fault for not finding away to exercise. It's your fault you choose to eat the food you eat.

Take responsability for your own life. Stop whinning and start winning.


Whatever your life threw at you and lumped you with understand this - its not an excuse, and it's not a reason. You don't have an excuse and you don';t have a reason.

You have an oppertunity. You're here. YOU EXIST. You can change.

Most of you won't - that's fine, its called natural selection.



I know I sound like Brad Goodman from Dodegball "and its your fault if you don't hate yourself enough to change it"

As horrible as that sentiment is its inmportant to point it out. This isn't abut hating yourself or feeling inadequate. Most people I've meet who feel inadequate like it that way becasue they don't have to take responsability for thier lives.

Take some responsability. Own up to the fact you haven't done all you could. Then start doing everything you can. Become an inspiration. If you keep being negative, then that's all you get in life. I wish you well.

As I said - harsh. But maybe, just maybe it will shake up a few people out of global apathy.

daveirl

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daveirl

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TempestSabre

If that makes you angry, you need to relax. Some people are obviously just busier than you I'm not saying I've never had time to exercise, or I will never have time to exercise but that I can't do what I want to do now, at his moment in time. I do a lot of walking, but not enough. I note, that even though I mentioned a couple of times I've injuries that need attention, and that have forced me to stop some sports, you've suggested exercises when you've no idea if they could excerbate injuries. I reckon I've good reasons, not excuses. Now if I wouldn't walk, when I'm able, because I want to watch the TV, THAT would be an excuse.

TempestSabre

daveirl wrote:

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Personally I can survive on 5-6 hours a night sleep for quite a while. But on 2 or 3 hours I can't. Fair play if you can. Some people need 10 hours a night.

daveirl

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Brown_Eyed_Girl

Guys guys we have gotten totally off track here, and what started out as a really great interesting post has turned into another argument .............

I personally feel that anyone who wants to improve themselves and their lives will ............... they will find the time, if they dont maybe its just not as important to them as they think .........

I have been on these boards about 3 months now and have found the advise given here as well as the stickies............invaluable, I feel wonderful, younger and have lost over 2 stone, so I for one am very grateful to you all for your advise and the time that you have taken to post here

(Oh and by the way I have 3 young kids, and work full time in a very demanding job, but I want to change my life for the better)

Dragan

Brown_Eyed_Girl wrote:

invaluable, I feel wonderful, younger and have lost over 2 stone, so I for one am very grateful to you all for your advise and the time that you have taken to post here

Bah, all anyone here can do is chat and offer a little encouragement. At the end of the day your the one who needs to apply it in the gym, and put the effort in....which you ae obviously doing!!!! Well done you!!

Boru.

Perhaps angry isn't the word, disappointed, frustrated may be better. Tempest Sabre I want you to look at your post below, and I want you to count how many times your are negative and self depreciating...

TempestSabre wrote:

If that makes you angry, you need to relax. Some people are obviously just busier than you I'm not saying I've never had time to exercise, or I will never have time to exercise but that I can't do what I want to do now, at his moment in time. I do a lot of walking, but not enough. I note, that even though I mentioned a couple of times I've injuries that need attention, and that have forced me to stop some sports, you've suggested exercises when you've no idea if they could excerbate injuries. I reckon I've good reasons, not excuses. Now if I wouldn't walk, when I'm able, because I want to watch the TV, THAT would be an excuse.

I counted 8. If you change your attitude about this I'm sure you'll find away to exercise in a much faster and more efficent method.

The post I placed above was a general guide for the majority of individuals - it's not peronalised to you. I won't waste my time doing that becasue as you pointed out I'm not familiar with your current capabilities, fitness levels etc. besides which I doubt you'd use it if you did.

Here's my suggestion...re-read my post and this time rather than apporaching it with an attitiued of yeah thats great but I can't do that try approaching it with one like this..

You know that guy makes a valid point. There has to be a way for me to get in some effective exercise in the time constraints I have and in the lifestlye I lead. If I have to I'll exercsie while doing other things like my house hold chores, playing with my kids or workout in the office. I refuse to let my injuries hamper me, because I can always make an uninjured muslce group stonger, or even better still I may be able to speed up the rehabilitaion process and get back in top top condition faster than I expected. Today, right now, I am going to find the solution that will allow me to get fitter and stronger than I am now. I will not stop until I have found the answer I need - becasue there IS answer...Thank you for pointing out that no matter what my limitations or conditions are, I can, and will make a positive change in my health.

See the dfference?

Right now you CAN DO SOMETHING. What you listed above is a negative excuse for faiulre and an easy pass to do nothing.If you can't do what you want to do - do what you CAN do instead. I can't fly or bounce bullets off my chest (all though with the death threats I get aorund here it sure would be handy ), nor can I cycle faster than Lance Armstong - is that going to stop me? No. I'll do what I can, because I know that soon after you can do what you want.

Please understand that I do sympathise and understand that not everyone can do what I do, or have the time I do. Well guess what there was a time when I couldn't either but I still found away.

I was working back to back, training one client after another for over 14hrs a day. All my energy, all motivation would be sapped dry at the end becasue it would all be used on my clients. I'm not sure what you do for living, but I'm sure you'll understand constanly supplying huge amounts of energy and enthusiasm to people is extremly tiring. I'd get home wrecked, shout at somebody then crash, take a few hours sleep, get up and be boppy and smiley again. To make things worse - I was working 9-5 job I hated in between and attending college pursuing a medical qualification.

I "didn't have the time or energy" to practice what I preach. One day a client was able to out do me on a particular exercise. They were delighted, I was delighted for them, but inside I was crushed. So I made a change - I took my own advice and I found away.

I got up five minutes earlier - did extremely intense weight lifting, and isometrics throughout the day, in between or during clients.For instance - I gave up chairs and leaning against walls. I'd do an isometric wall chair. Whenever I boiled the kettle I knock out one handed pushups. If I was woalking up a strair case, I'd do it on my hands in a handstand (okay you don't have to try that one, and yes I did fall on my A$$ a few times with that).

I felt incredible - I had even more energy, I was rarely in a bad mood and I had a feeling of such physcological success that I carried it over to my business - quit my day job as manager of busy Fitness Company fired half of my clients as they weren't motivated enough and spent more time with the winners - every one got better all round.

Now my life is near idylic - why? Becasue instead of accpeting a situation and being comfortable with my unhappiness I found a way to change it. That took effort and hell of a lot of work - but it got done becasue I gave myself no other choice but success.

So what does my egocentric story tell you?

It should tell you - yeah this guys been in the same boat as me, working crappy jobs and having no time for a life, but if he found away, I can cause I'm samrter, prettier and more resourceful.

To quote Muhamed Ali "No matter what I would have done I would have been the best at it. If I was a bin man I would have been the best bin man in the world becasue I'd do ten times more work then anyone else - I apply myself to success to be the greatest."

I've taken the time to write a personal response to you - extend me the courtesy of reading it with a positive mind frame and with an attiude of I can apply this.

That said I'm pretty sure its falling on deaf ears. - Please prove me wrong. There's nothing I like more than leanring.

TempestSabre

I take the points being made, by Boru and others, but I know from experience its not that simple for everyone.

Transform wrote:

...However over the past 30 years the rates of the big two - heart disease, and cancer are all going one way and thats into the graveyard. Yes i know you are working harder to pay off your loan's with the easy credit you were given and really can't find the time to exercise. So my question is with all this knowledge and excusing the drab excuse of 'i don't have the time' why are people worse off physically and mentally than 30 years ago? ...

Whats your excuse and how can you change?

or

What was your excuse and how did you change?

Well there were two parts to that. The economic situation is one, and we've covered that, even if you don't agree.

For myself I've found trying to go back to my preferred sports after injury self defeating. I actually needed to change the type of sports I was doing, and only do the specific exercises recommended by a physio, and stop doing what they suggest stopping. Swimming, footie and using stairs in my case.

In my youth I used to only eat when I was hungry. But I fell into a habit of eating at the traditional times, many through pressure of those around me. That doesn't suit me at all. So now I've gone back to eating when I'm hungry, and paying more attention to noticing that I'm not hungry etc.

I was also extending myself timewise, so I dropped the extra stuff which was doing this, college and other work projects. I'm concentrating on getting more sleep. As lack of sleep was driving many of my bad habits. Lack of time and sleep is still a problem, but I'll do the best I can till the kids get that bit older.

Oh and work on the injuries first, then everything else.

[Boru - you posted as I typed this]

I should also add that I switched jobs from being self employed contractor, to a full time in the public sector. Which has made a huge difference in lifestyle.

t-ha

Edit: post no longer relevant

Lothaar

Boru basically made the point I was trying to make – that there are plenty of ways to fit exercise into your day even with children, long working hours and a long commute. I have to say though he made some pretty ignorant statements in there. Not harsh, just ignorant.
And DaveIrl… seriously dude, it’s not as simple as just getting up an hour earlier. You may not have got much sleep during the night if you have small children. In fact, you may not have slept well for months. So, firstly you’re going to treasure every minute of sleep you can get and secondly you are going to be fairly worn-down in general. I walked around in a daze for 18 months because my daughter didn’t sleep through the night when she was small. It takes me ages to go back to sleep, so I’d just drift off when she’d wake up again.
Then you have to bear in mind the fact that if you get up early, commute for ages, work all day, commute home, cook/eat dinner, do some housework, spend time with your family, put the kid(s) to bed… it’s now 9pm, you’ve been on the go all day and you have to go to bed in an hour because it’s an early start the next day. If you can go with a few hours’ sleep, more power to you. Personally, I need eight hours or I’m lethargic all day.
There are ways to fit exercise in there, but you need to understand that sometimes you can be worn-down and motivation is hard to come by. Perhaps you hit the nail on the head by saying these people (me included) are unmotivated, but it is not because of laziness – it is because they are MORE motivated to tend to their family’s needs first. That takes a lot out of you.
Sure, you can do lots of stuff if you’re a fanatic. Honestly… there is no WAY I’m going to do isometric wall chairs in the office. That’s ridiculous. Be realistic here. I’ve read that sort of cr@p in countless general fitness features in newspapers and lifestyle magazines and it’s just unrealistic. “But if you really want fit some exercise into your busy day, this is what you need to do!!!!” Fine, if you REALLY want to go completely over the top and start bench-pressing your children, then you fall into the category of ‘fanatic’ in my book and you shouldn’t have a problem keeping fit.
But if you’re a normal, health-conscious parent with a busy schedule it’s just not as simple as that.
I’m not very fit, but I’m coming along. I have a young child and a very busy schedule. I am motivated enough to spend my lunch-breaks at the gym and to cycle a 2-hour round trip to work a couple of times a week. I’ve got some great information and tips from this forum. My workouts are more effective and my diet is a helluva lot better than it was before I started using this forum.
But that post from Boru made *me* angry. He does indeed sound like Brad Goodman. It’s just a load of empty slogans berating people for not being as motivated as him, without taking into account that everyone has their own personal circumstances that are non-negotiable. As far as I can see, only me and TempestSabre have complained about having no free time, and you berated us for not being willing to apply ourselves. Speaking for myself, I’m applying myself as much as I can without resorting to, frankly, freakish measures such as typing posts in work while holding an isometric squat.

Dude, there is a difference between harsh and ignorant. When you throw patronising in on top of that you have a real doozy of a post. Thanks for that Boru you’ve been a great help. I’ve probably burnt a lot of calories seething at your ignorance.

TempestSabre

Ànd in fairness, we're HERE reading this forum.

Boru.

TempestSabre, the post above is great, your doing stuff, you've changed your eating habits, reorganised yur lifetsyle, changes careers - thats a hell of lot, its an excellent foundation and if you continue on that track you'll succed, it's far more positive and upbeat.

Lothaar - I understand and appreciate your commnets, but again, its a negative outlook. Look at the differnece between Tepmest Posts. I think you'll agree they indicate two very differnet mind sets. One is that off negativity and then in the next one its all positive - active examples of how he is finding solutions. That is the attitude I want everyone to have here.

If I made you angry ask yourself why? Is it becasue you feel it was unjustified - explore it, why is it unjustified, look at and list all the improvements you've already taken in your life! Look at your first post;

"However, if you're committed you can get in shape. I train on my lunch break a few days a week for 45 mins. It's not a great workout, but it's pretty good. The major innovation I recently introduced is cycling to and from work. It's a 60-min cycle in and a 70-min cycle home (uphill, against the wind a bit). This has been great for endurance and weight-loss. It takes me about this long to commute by bus, so there's no difference. But it is a million times more interesting than sitting on a bus and you never get stung by a traffic jam. The weather has been so nice recently that it is an absolute pleasure to cycle across Dublin."

You are one of the ones who listens and apply's. You are the inspiration for others here. You are the type of person I encourage eveyone to be, so why do you think I'm writing about you?

If you don't want to isometrics wall chairs thats fine - you don't have to your in the gym for 45 mins a day during your lunch! Other's don't have that oppertunity, so I suggest possabilities, yeah some of them may be wacked out but they get people thinking about new ways to train.

Your motivated as hell! Your lightiing fires under peoples A$$ es!

But we are digressing and so lets get back on topic.


So Transform, as the orignail poster what are your thoughts on the subject?

Also Brown_Eyed_Girlkeep up the great work - kick A$$, take names and prove all worng when they say it can 't be done.:D

Transform

My thoughts are as follows:-

1. There's a difference between interest and commitment. When you're interested in doing something, you do it only when circumstance permit. When you're committed to something, you accept no excuses, only results.

And finally most people never change because they never truly make a real decision (meaning they will accept no excuses and do what it takes - comes from the latin word to cut)

"A real decision is measured by the fact that you've taken a new action. If there's no action, you haven't truly decided". From Tony Robbins

Lothaar

Hmmm, I can see your point about not making a decision. But what if your decision is to take moderate action? I mean, there are different levels of fitness that can be pursued. It is not as black and white as either being a slovenly fatass or Mr Universe.
What if one decides they want to reach a level of functional fitness that suits their lifestyle?

Boru.

Okay, slightly off topic again, Transform are you going to Tony's firewalk seminar in September?

Dragan

Lothaar wrote:

What if one decides they want to reach a level of functional fitness that suits their lifestyle?

But that will still require action.

The whole problem with a lot of people is that they never make the decision to do anything at all. "I don't have time" is an everyday excuse to them. "The guys were asking me to go down the pub" bookends every weekend they have.

People are largely unwilling to admit that the things they want can mean sacrifice. For people who really do want to push themselves to the very edge of there physical capabilites this can mean they don't eat the bad foods there friends enjoy, or get down the pub as often as they would like.

For those who wish to provide a stable home and a steady income for a wife and kids it can mean that maybe they don't get to go to the gym as often as they would like.

Either way, the decision is made, and a course of action is taken.

Boru.

Personally, thats fine - as long as its specific. You need to know exactly how far you want to go, where you are comfortable with in order to establish clear attainable goals.

I don't want to be a tanked a bodybuilder - my goal was to bench my bodyweight, squat twice that and be able to perfrom 20 chin ups. My goal weight was 165-170lbs with a body fat of 9% or below. I set a timescale for that and measured my progress. I attained that.

My next goal was to do 1000's bodyweight squats and 500 pushups (still working on that, but progressing steadily).

Beacasue I set clear attainable and definite goals I knew where I was going. how ot get there and how fast.

If you want functional fitness for your lifestyle - define that what does it mean? How much do you need to be able to lift with ease? The shopping, the tv, the boxes in the attic? How cardio-vascularly fit do you need to be - able to sprint after the bus without losing your breath or being winded? Fit enough ot cycle to work and back without excessive sweating or heavy breathing? What about the figure - do you wnat to fit into a size 32 pair of jeans?

Define your goals and you can achieve them with decisive action to get you there.

Lothaar

I agree. You can reach your goals if you take action. As Dragan says, a decision is made and a course of action is taken.
I was responding to Transform's statement in my last post:
"When you're interested in doing something, you do it only when circumstance permit. When you're committed to something, you accept no excuses, only results."

That statement is missing something. You can be committed to doing it when circumstances permit. It's neither 'just' an interest nor a full-time obsession. It is something that fits into the individual's lifestyle. Sure, there are people who use lack of time as an excuse, but there are others for whom this is a reality and moderation is the only way to go... unless you're a fanatic.