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This is what I do: - run 5x per week every morning (~30 miles a week; more if I'm training for something) - stretch, dynamic before, static after. Essential
by dgallagher 17y ago
This is what I do:
- run 5x per week every morning (~30 miles a week; more if I'm training for something)
- stretch, dynamic before, static after. Essential to prevent injuries
- weight lift 3x per week (bi/tri, chest/upper-back, abs/lower-back/shoulders)
- take rest days
- sleep 9-10 hours a night, going to bed at the same time (EDIT: every's needs here are a little different)
- eat 1 salad per day
- eat lots of fruit (apples, pears, banana's, raspberries, cantaloupe, etc)
- avoid processed foods, and overall eat healthy
- keep stress levels low (figure out what stresses you and then you can manage it)
I use to be very obese (5ft 10in, 240 pounds), but lost the weight through calorie restriction about 10 years ago (6ft 0in, 160 pounds now, muscular, etc). Later I got into running which made me much healthier. That begot eating healthier, which eventually begot weight lifting. Now I can do some crazy stuff, like run up all the stairs in Porter Square. You feel like superman all the time.
The human body needs maintenance. Like a car you can abuse it in the short-run and it's still gonna run. But eventually it catches up with you. Problem is, if a car dies at mile 100,000 because you didn't change its oil often, you buy another car; but you can't buy another body.
It takes time to get into a healthy lifestyle. One-step at a time is the right approach. If you're overweight, focus on calorie restriction. If you're a healthy weight but want to get fit, pick an activity that you'd enjoy. Some people like solitary stuff (running), others like social (team sports or workout classes). If you're not eating healthy, get a book about nutrition and change your diet (Google "Nancy Clark"). You'll eventually find that one healthy step leads to another.
Lastly, keeping healthy is like having a second job. Carving out time and prioritizing it is key. You'll find that friends, employers, bosses, spouses, what-have-you, try to steal this time away from you. You've got to fight back and remember that you're investing in your future. Especially with jobs; would you rather be rich, prestigious and unhealthy, or poor, unknown and healthy? A "good" job or startup will let you be all the good and none of the bad.
- lsb 17y agoDo you go running and/or biking outside? I've been mostly cycling around the river and the minuteman.
- dgallagher 17y agoWhen I lived in the city I did (recently moved 25 miles away). Cycled around the Charles many-a-time. Ran mostly on a treadmill except when I train for races. Are you part of a running club in the city? There's a good 10k coming up in Dorchester in two weeks if you're up for it. :)
- mattdennewitz 17y agoa wise man once wrote, "you don't win friends with salad"
- raquo 17y agohttp://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=791677 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=791677 :)
- lucraft 17y agoThat's all awesome, but..... you got taller?
- SwellJoe 17y agoPosture could account for some height change. 2" seems a bit dramatic, though. You'd have to be pretty hunched over to lose 2" to bad posture.
- ErrantX 17y agoyes I'm guessing this is the cause. I used to slump a lot and was around 6 2" when measured. I spent a few months working on my posture and now I am 5 4" / 6 5"
- pushingbits 17y agoThat was my first thought, too. ('course he probably was 16 years old when he was obese or something)
- dgallagher 17y agoI was still growing at that age (peaked in weight at around 16 or 17, so I wasn't done growing yet). Perhaps I'm off a bit on the height (could have been 5' 11"), but I definitely grew a bit more. Interesting theories about posture though. I have no idea if that affected it or not.
- wlievens 17y agoYou weren't done growing at 17? I'm glad I stopped at 15.
- dgallagher 17y agoI wish parts of me didn't stop at 15. ;)
- papersmith 17y agoMy dad, who is 54, got taller since he started swimming every other day in the past two years.