How do you get/stay fit?

[zgodt]

Indoor soccer two nights a week.

[DethMaiden]

Originally Posted by ravenheart

Therefore, B-rad, it's your responsibility to embarass me on the court when you get here and get me fit. Kthanksbye!

Your wish is my command.

[ChildrenofSodom]

I really want to join an indoor soccer league. And a softball team.

[DethMaiden]

Yeah, I'm putting a lot of eggs into the intramural baseball basket right now. I need to spend more time in the batting cage but I am improving, and my fielding and throwing is solid enough.

[Natrlhi]

I do a lot of things, depending on the time of year, how much time I have on my hands, whether I'm trying to lose weight, increase flexibility, increase strength or just have fun.

I lift weights a lot - I have ever since I was in high school. I've been somewhat overweight at times, but I've always had decent muscle mass ever since I started lifting. That has never been a problem. These days I try to work on flexibility a lot, and I've found yoga to be an absolute fucking blast (and it's tough as fuck, too - especially if you do it right). I've enjoyed active hobbies such as mountain biking, water skiing, SCUBA, basketball and many others at various stages of my life. I still do swim a lot - especially from January to March or April, when I'm getting ready for my annual Swim for Diabetes, in which I've managed to improve pretty much every year since I started (about ten years ago). The last few years, I've managed to complete about a three-mile swim in just under two hours (straight through, without stopping). Just prior to my swim training last year, I did the P90X program, and lost about 25 pounds. It felt great. I learned a lot from that program, and I'm planning to do it again in about a month, I think.

I always try to eat right, but that sometimes comes and goes with the seasons, holidays, whether I'm feeling good about what I weigh at the time, whatever. Sometimes I'll go through a phase where I ease up on the discipline for a while, if I've really done well recently. Sometimes those phases last longer than they should. I generally avoid fatty foods. I never eat potato chips, but I do have a weakness for ice cream. I really try to watch my carb intake, unless I'm planning on being active immediately thereafter. I try to eat fruit, low-fat / low-sugar yogurt and other healthy snacks, several times a day and eat smaller meals in general. I try not to eat late at night. Pretty much, the only fast food I eat is the Burrito Bol at Chipotle (or the equivalent at another burrito place, if a Chipotle isn't around), and I skip the guac and sour cream, get chicken instead of beef or pork, and black beans instead of pinto. Simple choices sometimes make all the difference when it comes to diet. I don't drink alcohol (anymore), but I do have a weakness for Diet Pepsi and Coke Zero. Sometimes I phase them out, but so far I've always found my way back into their cold, fizzy embrace. The bottom line for me is, I can't be perfect, but if I do some things right, a lot of the time, and try harder when I need to make up ground that I've lost, things seem to work out well. I know that hard work and discipline pay dividends, so now I have no excuses for being out of shape and feeling like shit. When I put in the work, I get results. When I don't, I don't. It's that simple.

Oh, and one more thing that most people don't think about - especially when they're young (myself included) - rest. I need to get at least six hours of sleep a night (preferably seven or eight) on a regular basis, or all the work I do just ends up being over-training, and then I get injured and / or sick. Speaking of injuries and rest, if I get hurt or sick, I have to fucking take a break and let my body heal. I always want to be in there doing something to make me stronger or faster or leaner, but sometimes the answer is to just slow down or even stop for a while. I'm bad at this, but I'm learning.

[TonyD]

Are pinto beans that much worse than black? I just avoid refried.
And no way I'm giving up alcohol at 20, but other than that I don't drink anything with sugar or artificial sweeteners.

[Natrlhi]

Originally Posted by TonyD

Are pinto beans that much worse than black? I just avoid refried.

They're cooked with bacon (at least at Chipotle).

[ChildrenofSodom]

I have food regret because I ate two star bursts in class today. So much sugar...I never really liked candy in the first place, so I don't feel bad about never having it. The chocolate flavored protein shake, maple oatmeal, and chocolate soymilk is good enough for my sweet tooth.

And I can't really say I mind not drinking alcohol. At least in the short term, since I have a specific weight loss goal, I don't feel bad about cutting things out of my diet. I don't "need" alcohol, and I'm not in a situation where abstaining would be socially destructive (I'm a loser in college.)

[DethMaiden]

Took a desperate measure today and made giant wall posters advising me how to live my life and basically reminding me that this body is the only one I've got. I just find it way too easy to get complacent and reward myself with food/soda. When I was eating Taco Bell tonight, I realized that there was no goddamn reason I was in Taco Bell. So yeah, I'm satisfied with my weight range, but I'm going to make the most of it instead of being a 165 pound sack of fried meat and high fructose corn syrup. Sorry for the mini-rant.

[treghet]

Originally Posted by DethMaiden

I realized that there was no goddamn reason I was in Taco Bell.

There is never a reason to be in Taco Bell. I don't know why, but anything I've tried at Taco Bell makes me feel very nauseous. I wish all fast food made me feel that way, actually... it would help me out a lot.