So, I have been lurking for a few weeks now as I try to get a sense of the community. I decided that it is finally time to start a thread for the work that I have been doing knowing that tracking my progress is an important part of staying focused.
First some details about me and my goals. I am turning 47 this month. At 5'8" and 170 lbs, I am not in terrible shape, but I could be doing better. At my mom's funeral a couple of years ago, I had the realization that my dad, all of his brothers and sisters, and all of my mom's brothers and sisters are badly overweight, diabetic, and all likely into advanced metabolic syndrome. At that moment it became clear that I was on the same path. At the time, I was 185 lbs. Over the past couple of years, I have become more focused on nutrition and exercise, but I clearly still have a ways to go. I am the same age that my dad was when he was diagnosed with diabetes. My blood sugars remain good, but my LDL has consistently been elevated for the past few years and is currently sitting at 170. My doctor talks to me every year about the possibility of statins in my future. My health over the long term is a major focus of my goals.
I love to hike and backpack. I am heavily involved in Scouting. My oldest son is an Eagle Scout and my younger one will be soon. I love getting out into the out of doors, and I want to continue to be able to do that for many years to come. I see a lot of other adults in Scouting who lose the ability to to go out, camp, hike, and backpack because they are physically unable to maintain that level of activity into their 50s and beyond. I want to keep going! I want to be able to go backpacking into my 60s and 70s! I know that will require me to be disciplined in maintaining my health, strength, and endurance.
With all of that in mind, here are some things I would like to accomplish,
Get my LDL under 130 with lifestyle changes alone
Get my body-fat percentage lower, probably into the 15% range, to support goal #1
Do at least one 50-mile backpacking trip every summer
Maintain a progressive strength training practice without getting derailed or distracted
To accomplish those goals, I have the following plan,
Nutrition is king! Above all else, I need to eat a diet dominated by vegetables. I am far too tempted by carbs and need to be careful to maintain a diet centered on vegetables. Also, protein is important, but I need to focus on protein sources that have the best ration of cal/g of protein.
Daily hiking with my 35 lbs loaded training backpack 5-6 days a week. The 5 days are easy, I take my dogs out every morning for about 2.8 miles. Some of those days, I bring them home and then go out for another 2.5-3 miles. I also occasionally go out for a longer 7-8 mile hike. 35 lbs is about my travle weight on a trip, so this is good solid training to keep me in shape for the trail.
Strength training 3 days per week. My current routine is as follows:
3x 30 sec frog stand as part of a hand balancing/handstand progression
3x 20 sec tuck front lever as part of front lever progression
3x 20 sec ring tuck L-sit hold
3x 20 sec back bridge
3 sets 8 reps each leg Weighted Bulgarian Split Squats currently at 50 lbs
3 sets 8 reps pullups
3 sets 8 reps dips
3 sets 8 reps each leg Weighted Single Leg Deadlift currently at 50 lbs
3 sets 8 reps inverted ring rows
3 sets 8 reps ring pushups feet elevated
I have been doing the backpacking for 8 months and the strength training routine for 5 weeks so far and have steadily progressed each exercise by adding weight, time, or a more advanced stage of the progression. The nutrition is the more challenging piece as I have always known what to do, eat fewer carbs and more vegetables and keep my calories under control, but I tend to lose focus after a while. My weight has oscillated up and down between 165 and 175 lbs in a roughly yearly cycle over the past few years. For the past 2 months, I have settled into a solid routine of intermittent fasting. I feed during a 6-7 hour window each day and fast the balance of the time. I typically break my fast between 11:30 AM and 12:30 PM and eat my last meal before 6:30 PM. Since I workout early in the morning, it means I am in a solid fasted state for that. 6 weeks ago I had drifted up to 178 lbs, but I am already down to 170 lbs again because of this start. Weight is not my primary goal, but I expect to continue to see my weight decline for some weeks to come, slowly but steadily.
I have been reading a lot on Nerd Fitness. Little of the information has been new, but the stories have been inspiring. I know that I need that ongoing inspiration and motivation to keep going over the long haul. I am going to have to stay disciplined like I have over the past few weeks for the coming weeks, months, and years to reach my goals. I hope to include tracking my progress here as part of that motivation. I don't know if I will ever be Aragorn, but I wouldn't mind having the strength and endurance to pass as Strider!
