I had a bit of a scare when I had to take a physical for an insurance policy. I was in reasonable shape but there was an "anomaly" right at the end of my stress test. Had we ended the test 15 seconds sooner, they would have said I was fine. As it was, they scheduled a nuclear stress test. Prior to that I started working out more and eating better. As we expected, they found nothing in the nuclear test. That did spur me on however. I have dropped 25+ pounds and am now around 190 (5 more to go). I am running 6 miles with no problem and have streteched in to 10 on occasion. Unlike you, I don't mind running on a treadmill. When I run on a treadmill, I listen to a book. When I run outside, I listen to music. Both seem to help my run quite a bit. I also have an elliptical machine at home I use 2+ times a week and have been taking Pilates, but will take a few months off from that.
I'm 22 and I smoke so I guess I know how you feel....not really though. Try it at different times. Instead of doing it in the morning, do it in the evening or at night. If you want to do it earlier make sure you've eaten something...I suggest hummus, really good protein source.
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All the above. What you eat (lots of fruit, veges and whole grains, and everything else in moderation), when you eat (don't skip breakfast or other meals for that matter and don't eat late at night), and portion control (stop before you are full). While I try to be smart about it, I don't obsess over it. For example, I like to run in the morning on an empty stomach, and I don't eat immediately afterwards, which is contrary to what most experts advise, but it works for me. As far as exercise, I train harder than I used to, but also rest/crosstrain more. Hope that helps.
I hear that training on a empty stomach in the morning actually burns more fat. Hmm, maybe I'll try that. Agree on the portion control. I always find that to be challenging to stop before you're full. I mean how do you know when to. Also, the late night hunger cravings always come. How do I combat those? Drink water or eat something light or suffer?
^^^ I find eating slowly and mindfully (turn off the tv and focus on what you are tasting) helps with portion control. As far as the late night cravings, I usually lose that battle.
judoka, we are the same age. Those who study aging would probably say everyone ages differently, so the number isn't that telling (41 in this case.) That said, I've noticed these changes: * injuries take longer to heal, slightly * I get more frequent random aches and pains -- as in, what did I do to make my big toe kill me while running today? * I get hangovers, whereas through my 30's my superpower was not getting hangovers. Now, my overall energy and endurance and ability to go without sleep are all same as always. Not really sure about my strength as I've never been a weight training / lifter type of guy (except for my enormous, vintage cell phone.)
i've read research stating it really doesnt make a difference. If anything it may hurting your performance. However, there's a difference between chugging down breakfast 5 mins before a run and doing it well ahead of time to let it absorb and not cause you to feel like throwing up As for portion control... in general drink water earlier rather than later in the day, to keep you fuller, eat more slowly, and eat more filling foods (more natural stuff instead of junk). The late night cravings could just be a case of your body adapting to your lifestyle. If you're going out a few times a week and coming home late to eat or going out to eat with friends late, then your body will adapt to it and even on the days you dont go out and eat earlier, you'll still be hungry later. Try to keep your meals on schedule as much as possible throughout the week, it's just a matter of training your body to adapt to your feeding schedule....and the eating late thing is overrated anyway, it all comes down to calories in vs calories out. Sometimes i'll only have breakfast because i'm busy and i come home and basically eat lunch and dinner right before bed. I may sleep heavily, but as far as weight goes, i still didn't overeat, so I shouldnt gain weight.
