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Posted
3 hours ago, Celery Man said:

I mean wtf if you’re actually working 14 hour days regularly.

 

Pretty much, yeah. Granted, not straight through usually, I tend to take a few minutes here and there to throw clothes in the washer, pull clothes from the dryer and maybe fold or usually make them ready to fold across another break or two.  But overall, yeah. Been that way for about 6 months, and will probably last another year before I’m situated enough with putting band-aids on one app that was contracted out (that’s shit, and we’re just trying to get working as best we can, just to get off the legacy app); a new app that I’m writing from scratch to replace the contracted pile of shit (which is slow going until we have all the business logic sorted and correct, because right now it’s beyond fucked up), plus having to keep up with legacy, although that is mostly fixes and not new work (thankfully!)

When I kicked the hours up a bit in  mid January, it was for a trade show a couple months ago. It just carried over with so much on my plate.

 

3 hours ago, Celery Man said:

You said above that you started at 235. That’s awesome. It’s going to suck tomorrow when you inevitably bounce above 200 again (because that’s how it goes every time you hit an imaginary threshold) but sliding under 200 is awesome.

 

 

I’m not tied to a specific weight either, just a range. I’ll get there eventually. 

 

 

3 hours ago, Celery Man said:

My wife takes care of dinner, so that’s my hack. But, I am happy to eat a small number of things pretty frequently and that works well for me to stay in a calorie range.

 

My wife isn’t much for cooking overall. She does a very few things that work, the rest… not so much. Not that there’s much beyond her couple three things.

I wouldn’t ask her to follow a recipe, mainly because of interpretation and how you just know things when you cook a lot. Like substitutions, cooking something a different way, etc.

 

Posted

I cook my proteins in 3-4 day batches and then refrigerate. Same with my rice or potatoes. Portion out on the scale what I need and throw it in the skillet when I can. Reheated on the stove is 100x better than the microwave if time allows. My Tupperware game is legit. The day before I run out I do it all again. Being prepared helps remove the tendency to deviate and be bad because of how easy a pizza or other takeouts are.

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Posted
47 minutes ago, thunderlounge said:

 

Pretty much, yeah. Granted, not straight through usually, I tend to take a few minutes here and there to throw clothes in the washer, pull clothes from the dryer and maybe fold or usually make them ready to fold across another break or two.  But overall, yeah. Been that way for about 6 months, and will probably last another year before I’m situated enough with putting band-aids on one app that was contracted out (that’s shit, and we’re just trying to get working as best we can, just to get off the legacy app); a new app that I’m writing from scratch to replace the contracted pile of shit (which is slow going until we have all the business logic sorted and correct, because right now it’s beyond fucked up), plus having to keep up with legacy, although that is mostly fixes and not new work (thankfully!)

When I kicked the hours up a bit in  mid January, it was for a trade show a couple months ago. It just carried over with so much on my plate.

 

 

I’m not tied to a specific weight either, just a range. I’ll get there eventually. 

 

 

 

My wife isn’t much for cooking overall. She does a very few things that work, the rest… not so much. Not that there’s much beyond her couple three things.

I wouldn’t ask her to follow a recipe, mainly because of interpretation and how you just know things when you cook a lot. Like substitutions, cooking something a different way, etc.

 

I mean tech job market isn’t great at the moment but if you’re straight salary that’s some bullshit. But, digression. I will say, one of the things that accelerated my creep up in weight in 2023 was no time = grilled cheese. Pivoting to no time = spinach shake was a big part of what has worked for me this year with little kids and a busy job. I look forward to that shake for lunch almost every single day. If my wife wasn’t on dinner I’d have a hard time staying on track with the kids. But if it was just me, I’d have a couple of things in rotation and that would be that.

 

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Posted
12 hours ago, Celery Man said:

Pivoting to no time = spinach shake was a big part of what has worked for me this year with little kids and a busy job. 

If I’m not out of the office, that’s essentially been my lunch for the past several years.  Coconut milk base, peanut butter, flax oil, flax or chia seed, scoop of protein powder, cinnamon, ginger, turmeric, and a bunch of spinach.  I get in a ton of fiber, healthy fats, protein, and greens, and instead of spending an hour or more going to a restaurant like I did in my younger days, I can use that time to leave work a little earlier.

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Posted
On 6/4/2025 at 5:29 PM, Zepol87 said:

I went from 261 to 242 in a little over 3 months, my booze intake dropped hard early on, and now haven't had any in a few weeks, eating way better except for today I had 2 mcdoubles for lunch because I was fucking starving and it was next to the office. I have been walking at least 10k steps a day and playing pickleball and basketball 4/5x a week. Feeling and looking better. Thanks for all the info in the thread as always

you are still ugly though.

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Posted
On 7/2/2025 at 9:51 AM, Mittens said:

Next goal is 195.

Hit it today.  Crazy that it took 6 weeks to drop that 5#.  Guess that comes w/ age and not being able to run or really bust ass the way I could 20 years ago, so it's really only diet doing the work.

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Posted

Bought a belt squat attachment for my rack that was on sale as I was finding doing barbell squats was starting to twinge my lower back.

Put it together and used it Saturday (next leg day manana). Have to say, really like the depth of squat I can get, the fact that the weight is on my hips vs back/shoulders etc

Want to put it through its paces prior to fully recommending but early return is positive.

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Posted
8 hours ago, BrazilHorn said:

Have to say, really like the depth of squat I can get, the fact that the weight is on my hips vs back/shoulders etc

I think it was Charles Atlas who said that your hips don’t lie.

Posted
Bought a belt squat attachment for my rack that was on sale as I was finding doing barbell squats was starting to twinge my lower back.
Put it together and used it Saturday (next leg day manana). Have to say, really like the depth of squat I can get, the fact that the weight is on my hips vs back/shoulders etc
Want to put it through its paces prior to fully recommending but early return is positive.

The belt squat is a surprisingly versatile machine. You can do multiple leg movements and quite a few rowing variations as well. Dave Tate has a YouTube video somewhere (yes I know, on YouTube) of him working with Louie Simmons and Chuck Vogelpohl on an entire training session centered around the belt squat and reverse hyper. I’ll see if I can find it
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Posted

😔

i just pulled my smallest can barely button this motherfucker sport coat off the hanger and put it on. it is very large. also the barbour. and my little patagonia jacket. fuck.

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Posted

Ha!  All I wear is shorts and they are all falling off of me without a belt.  I have 1 pair that I have to actually hold onto while getting the belt, or they'll just slide right back off.  

Posted

I remember having to pull the trigger on going to size 38 pants across the board and thinking of the investment I had to make in clothing vs investing in skinnying my ass up to keep wearing 36s.  It will take me a while to trust myself enough to buy 36s in anything other than swim trunks (because I can't belt them).

Posted
17 hours ago, Parliament said:

Needing to dump an entire wardrobe for one size smaller is a rush.

I did the end of summer closet/dresser cleanout on Saturday after a hike

Lots of things buried in the bottom of the drawers or closet that didn't use to fit, now fit
Lots of things in the middle sections that used to fit right are now too big

Great feelings when the middle sections goes into the donation pile and the back sections get moved up into the rotation again 

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Posted
On 8/13/2025 at 2:48 PM, Mittens said:

Ha!  All I wear is shorts and they are all falling off of me without a belt.  I have 1 pair that I have to actually hold onto while getting the belt, or they'll just slide right back off.  

I got a couple of pairs like that. I call ‘em my eatin’ shorts. 

Posted
On 8/14/2025 at 1:58 PM, Js1 said:

I did the end of summer closet/dresser cleanout on Saturday after a hike

Lots of things buried in the bottom of the drawers or closet that didn't use to fit, now fit
Lots of things in the middle sections that used to fit right are now too big

Great feelings when the middle sections goes into the donation pile and the back sections get moved up into the rotation again 

Just make sure the old stuff you're wearing is still in fashion.  Here in Ohio I'm lucky.  Jorts never go out.

Posted
On 8/17/2025 at 4:27 PM, Parliament said:

Just make sure the old stuff you're wearing is still in fashion.  Here in Ohio I'm lucky.  Jorts never go out.

Jimmy Fallon Jorts GIF by The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon

Posted

(Saying this in jest.)

Rucking had it's run, but has now jumped the shark.  I saw a >65 yo lady on the trail yesterday wearing a weight vest.  Not one of those faux body armor cosplay weight vests, but one with cast iron wieights.  Looked like she had it loaded up good.  From age 35 to our inevitable death, all we do is try to outrun in.  In here case, she's taking joint health and osteoporosis for serious.  Good for her.

That said, the youngs are gonna hafta look elsewhere.  I predict jazzercise is gonna make a comeback.

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Posted

I'm not sure how much a 10lb vest does.  I'm sure it is of some benefit. Especially to women and smaller people.

I went heavier for Xmas and got a 30lber.  It took me 2 weeks to adjust to the weight. Now it's a burden but more uncomfortable than anything else.   I feel like you really need to struggle with it to get some benefit but I could be wrong.  And old ladies can do what they want.  

I think my next purchase is gonna be a 20lb mace.

Posted (edited)

Lol

IMG_5946.thumb.jpeg.54ce0dd6b4b4e0c6561d6681a45bce5c.jpeg

35 pounds of sand in a lawn bag wrapped in duct tape 

2.3 miles or that and some kettlebell clean and presses (25 lbs right now but i need to get something between that and my 45 pound one) and curls and leg lifts. Firming up.

Edited by Celery Man
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Posted

My reading is the benefits start at 10% of BW and go up from there.  Rucking was part of my workout a few years back.  I started at 10% and added weight as I adapted.  I wanted a 60 min walk to be tough and added weight as needed to do that.  No idea how high I got.

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Posted
Lol
IMG_5946.thumb.jpeg.54ce0dd6b4b4e0c6561d6681a45bce5c.jpeg
35 pounds of sand in a lawn bag wrapped in duct tape 
2.3 miles or that and some kettlebell clean and presses (25 lbs right now but i need to get something between that and my 45 pound one) and curls and leg lifts. Firming up.

Looks like Ramona Taylor’s backpack.
Posted
I have no idea who that is and I’ll assume it’s a joke, but North Face backpacks are really pretty great. I think that one is 17 years old.

Fucking iPhone. Ramonce.
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Posted (edited)
On 7/2/2025 at 4:55 PM, Herbie Hancock said:

I cook my proteins in 3-4 day batches and then refrigerate. Same with my rice or potatoes. Portion out on the scale what I need and throw it in the skillet when I can. Reheated on the stove is 100x better than the microwave if time allows. My Tupperware game is legit. The day before I run out I do it all again. Being prepared helps remove the tendency to deviate and be bad because of how easy a pizza or other takeouts are.

And refrigerating starches after cooking and then reheating is actually a really good thing. Frankly it’s probably how we should all eat potatoes and rice at least. Just make sure the Tupperware is glass not plastic. 

Edited by troph
Posted

I told my trainer I wanted to lift lighter yesterday - you know like a maintenance day or a day off but not - she told me to lift like 80% but 3x15 instead of 95% 3x10. First time I “endurance lifted” …. I’m going to rake her ass, man that was brutal and I’m so sore today. 

Posted (edited)
On 7/2/2025 at 5:18 PM, Celery Man said:

But, digression. I will say, one of the things that accelerated my creep up in weight in 2023 was no time = grilled cheese. Pivoting to no time = spinach shake was a big part of what has worked for me 

 

I'll take " Two words that don't belong together" for $1000, Alex. 

throwing up dumb and dumber GIF

Edited by Dennis Taylor
Posted

Depending on how much time I spend working from the office (and usually eating a chipotle bowl or something for lunch), I go through a whole bigass bag of spinach from Sams every week. I think it's 2.5 pounds. At this point I eyeball everything but the chocolate protein powder (orgain) and pb2 peanut butter powder and really just cram as much spinach as I can in in there and still manage to fit a banana and a bunch of frozen strawberries and some ice. Every now and then it will have a bit of an earthy taste but usually it's just nice and good. I like spinach a lot more than kale.

I'm loving eggs too. Every morning, I make the kids french toast with berries and turkey bacon, and then it's a couple of eggs over easy with some crispbread and cottage cheese, black pepper and hot sauce. I just made a batch with a bunch of serranos and hatch chiles. I'm hoping that the extra hatch I stuffed in the freezer still turns out OK for the next batch with a bunch of thai green peppers.

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Posted

I don't struggle with getting in a large amount of greens and find juicing/blending a waste of time (prep plus cleaning), plus juicing denies your body the needed fiber. I can destroy spinach in a multitude of ways. I will usually just sauté enough spinach to get a cup of cooked spinach. This morning I had spinach, mushrooms, tomatoes, bell peppers and garlic sautéed in olive oil with 5 jumbo eggs, venison sausage with a cup of Mootopia milk. When I am lazy, I'll just drizzle EVOO on a bowl of spinach and kale and toss in other vegetables. I actually do like spinach and cook it into a lot of my meals and eat it with salads. Pretty much treat kale the same way, except I will air fry kale too. While I like the flavor of spinach, kale just doesn't hit the same, but I will just eat it for the sake of nutrition. I really like romaine and will have an entire head of romaine with a salad as a snack. Regarding eggs, I always keep a dozen hard-boiled eggs in the refrigerator for a quick protein snack or to add to a salad. 

I gave juicing/blending a try in the 90's but found it to be a pain in the ass, switched to just eating my vegetables and never looked back. Personally, I think eating your vegetables will lead to long term healthy eating, it just takes a bit of time to adapt.

 

Posted

Any suggestions for a simple home strength training routine for an over 50 guy who lost 70 lbs and needs to regain some muscle? I own dumbbells but that’s it. Need to start light.

Posted

If you want to start at the very bottom, do 10 pushups, 10 situps, 10 air squats, 5x a day.  Gradually move those numbers up to 12, 15, 20.  Google body weight exercises and start mixing in the ones you like.  In no time at all, you'll have a nice little routine going.

I think I mentioned it upthread, but my current routine is next to nothing, but it's helped a ton.

60 second Yogi Squat - I've learned to love these.  After you get them down, you can really feel all the different muscles, and especially your back posture 
60 second plank
20 pushups - I've started to change hand positions each round just to make sure I'm getting all areas of chest
20 air squats - I try and focus on dropping my ass directly over my heels and using my glutes to stand back up as opposed to my quads

Like, that's pretty much nothing, but 5x a day adds up.  Honestly, my chest hasn't looked this good since I was lifting regularly 20+ years ago.  Not huge or anything, but at least somewhat defined now. Triceps are popping too - I really need to start doing some chin ups for my biceps.

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Posted

Agree with Mittens.  If you're over 50 and haven't been on any strength training routine for a while, start with body weight exercises and get those down for a few weeks to establish a discipline, work on form, and get your muscles engaged.  

I started lifting again in my late 30s after several years out of the gym when marriage and two kids had gotten me complacent.  I wasn't overweight, but I had become "skinny fat," with very little muscle tone and a little softness developing around the middle.  In addition to a shitton of walking in my hilly neighborhood, I started with pushups, crunches, and planks.  It didn't take long for my wife (at the time) to start taking notice.  

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Posted

I’ve officially hit middle aged. I’m 47 and my lower back locked up on me Monday after mowing the yard. Today I am mostly standing up straight. Good god - this fucking sucks. I’m hoping I’m back to normal tomorrow.
I have not worked out this week or cycled and it’s irritating.

That said - theraguns are awesome and definitely help.

Posted (edited)

I was still playing tennis but after I finally got well after long Covid i wanted to get back into peak shape. I have a frame that makes push ups unbelievably hard and I’ve never successfully done a single pull up in my life, so I went a different route. One day at the gym per week for a month then two days then I hired a trainer and that took 2 months, so I started with a trainer in the third month.

Inside those unsupervised gym days I started with one set of 10 light weight, I was curling 10 lbs per arm. I did like 90 lbs on the leg press. I did only one set. Full body and I did some basic core work like planks for 20 seconds per rep.
 

I try to use dumbbells as much as possible. Machines isolate too much but I use a few especially lower body. I did curls, triceps, lat pulls, overhead press, chest press, row lift, leg press, leg curls, calf press, and all light weight, like “ goose you pussy” (top gun reference) level light weight. Second week I did two sets, third week 3 sets, 4th week added weight, fifth week added more, sixth week even more, you get it. Then by the ninth week I had some reasonable strength and then moved into let’s get this going.
 

I was train wrecked exhausted the first 3 weeks maybe 4 I can’t remember. I was going to bed at 8pm. I was so sore.  I think stretching, hot baths, lots of water and electrolytes, and plenty of protein matter. I devoured food I would eat so much food. But after about 4 months it leveled off and I started dialing it in.

i was also walking some not enough and that’s a great active recovery for people our age, days off go get your 7000 steps. 

now I’m 200 lbs on leg press, 25 lbs each arm for curls, etc. pretty close to where I want my 3x10 weights to be.

now I’ve added 2+ miles of sprint intervals on the stationary bike for heart, max oxygen capacity, and blood flow (organ and brain health). Usually 8 all out max sprints with zone 2 (easy) cardio in between. Max sprints mean you can’t talk when the sprint is done. And you get your heart rate to peak super quickly. These are so good for you and beat the shit out of 30+ minutes of zone 2 cardio.

go slow, consistency is what matters. I’m 7 months into this after letting my early 40s peak fitness fade and I’m rolling and it’s awesome.

Never ever let your lower back strain too much, stop immediately. listen to your body, feed it, give it the right care and nutrients and enjoy the process!

and honestly, if you can find a sport to play that workouts help make you better it might stick more permanently. Ball sports have always been the only motivation that keeps the train going.

you can do this, it’s so worth it.

Edited by troph
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Posted
Quote

“ goose you pussy” (top gun reference)

*mother goose you pussy

The cool thing about being a beginner (at just about anything) is you suck so bad (sry) that ANY program, rep range, etc gets you #gainz.  Just gotta stay with it.

And no excuses.  If it's back to leg night and you're still sore, don't just skip the gym entirely.  Swap the squats for light cardio.  Or just stretch. Hold yourself to account.  To do something.  To make yourself better.   Today.

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