Keeping up the fight

Frank Hunter

Frank Hunter

Well-Known Member
I'll keep this short. I'm a full time guy and as long as I keep my shoulder to the stone it goes very well. I'm going to be paying a lot forward, I wouldn't be here if not for everyone's generosity with knowledge.

I've got a growing family, and a wife that works full time in a very demanding industry. I'm also a solid 40 pounds overweight still, even after losing 20 or so and getting down into the 260's. That's still too heavy for 6', and fighting my lack of stamina is really bottlenecking my production. I used to be worth 70-80+ hours of flipping columns and beams, setting huge knife plates my size or larger alone, welding out of position, loader hand out in the steel yard...then I hit 30 and it was like a brick wall. I'm staying caught up with my custom orders more or less but if I want to take things to the next level I'm gonna have to pick them up and put them down a lot faster.

I strongly suspect a wicked combination of sleep apnea and good old fashioned burnout is going on. I just...sometimes am not feeling it, you know? Any of you guys have any tricks for getting this beat? I'm finding that making the knives is the easy part.
 
Frank,
If 30 is your milestone than i think you need to lighten up and laugh a bit more, Still all of us can go through a bit of burn out no matter what age or occupation.
What I did this year to take it to the next level was to take two days off a week instead of just one. It is really only a day and about a half but my creative ideas and energy have increased since I started doing this.

Laugh scratch and remember to breate deep and things will all work out! You made it this far, Right?

Laurence

www.rhinoknives.com
 
I think a great deal of what happened physically was the sudden weight gain. I went from 225 to 285 in the span of a year or two when my wife and I started having kids. Changed careers. I'm pretty agreeable and pleasant, that is, if you don't ask my wife. It's mostly a whole slew of energy issues - I can fall asleep in minutes at mid day, and if not vigorously awoken in the morning I will sleep until well into the afternoon, then be ready for bed again by midnight. Hence my suspicions of sleep apnea.
 
I suffered from sleep apnea for a several years and found that weight loss pretty much cured it for me. A good walk for 30 minutes or a bicycle ride every day or 2 helps also. Check out the "Paleo Diet" . I,ve been on it for several months and love it. It's a mans diet with lots of meat and veggies and no sugar, bread and potatoes.
Try to stick to business hours and limit phone calls. If possible. Take scheduled time off like a employer paid job.
Being self employed isn't easy but I sure don't want to go back to the rat race employment.
 
Frank,
Weight gain will always slow most of us down. Like Bruce has mentioned, exersize & diet. Go for that walk everyday and cut down on the sugars and starches. Sorry, but NO BEER! if you really want the pounds to go and stop eating any kind of stuff like Donuts, Ice cream, Pasta & pizza.

Also the biggest one I have found is to make sure you drink at least eight large glasses of water a day!

You will be back in fighting shape soon!

Laurence

www.rhinoknives.com
 
To repeat what others have said food is so important to your health. Just cutting out sugar and junk food will make a huge difference. A healthy well balanced diet will give you more energy and help you sleep better. Exercise is another key to good health. Go see your doctor first but I would suggest Power 90 or a similar work out video series. The videos set goals and keep you focused (at least they do for me).
 
I got up near 300 in my early 30s after getting out of the Marines; now I'm 220 or less in my mid 40s, much more energetic. Hydration works - drink 1/2 body weight in ounces of water, plan your sleep, and exercise. Im1/2 way through Insanity and like it better than P90x or CrossFit, which I've also done. You can kick this!
 
It sounds like you have sleep apnea. There are 2 types of sleep apnea. One is caused by blockage of the airway (too much weigjt) and the other is a central nervous system defect. I am lucky enough to have both. Lot of fun! NOT. I recommend you see a pulmonologist and have it checked out. They can fit you with a CPAP and that will help. You get more sleep then you feel better and exercise and job is easier. That results in weight loss and that makes you feel better. See the positive cycle that is starting? Of course they are right about the diet too. All of this has PROBABLY caused some depression. Your dr can give you an SSRI antidepressant that you could take till things get straightened out. Don't let this continue. This advice comes from an old man that has been there
 
Ive been a gym rat most of my life and am 45 now. I was out of the gym a couple years due to a hectic life around 40 and lost motivation. Hit 265lbs and >30% BF, no endurance, poor sleep, no concentration etc. Cleaned up eating habits and started working out again at home for 6 months and dropped to 220lbs and 16% BF. Now after being being back in a gym with access to weights I have consistently added muscle (and weight) and am back up to 250lbs at 5'11" so not far behind you weight wise BUT im under 20% bodyfat. I do a mix of cardio and strength training with an emphasis on strength.

When I was younger I paid little attention to what I ate and it didnt seem to affect my performance. Now however when my body isnt getting what it needs I see it in my workouts at the gym and even in my mental acuity. Its not just about you carbs/protein and fats but about the vitamins and minerals as well.

I have a lot of friends who do Paleo and it works but the problem with restrictive diets like that is when combined with a persons food preference they can severely limit your ability to get the minerals you need. Another key is that you have to be able to maintain the dietary alteration, if its too restrictive you wont stick with it. Its all about baby steeps and cutting out or greatly reducing the obvious offenders. Id also recommend you allow yourself a cheat meal here and there as well. As you start to make progress and get used to not eating junk all the time further cleaning things up becomes easier, especially when you are seeing results.

Zinc and magnesium about an hour before bed helps the muscle relax and help you sleep(not to mention they are crucial for body function and its estimated nearly 50% of the population doesnt get the recommended amount). Melatonin and inositol help greatly with sleep as well.

Potassium is another mineral thats always overlooked. Its an important piece of the electrolyte puzzle and is critical for nerve signaling which affects everything from mood to heart function. Its also critical to a normal PH balance in the body which helps with injury recovery and overall well being. Ive always heard you dont have to worry about potassium, you get plenty from your food...WRONG! I challenge anyone to log their food for a single day and check the potassium content with the FDA website http://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/search/list.

Ive had a nagging injury for over a year and over the last couple months was stagnant in the gym. I logged my food and analyzed my nutrient intake I was on average gettning only about 2000mg of potassium a day and you NEED 4700mg. I started focuing on consuming foods high in potassium and within 2 weeks my injury was 90% improved and my results in the gym improved as well.

I had a friend suffering from the same and spent some time talking to her about her potassium intake, just told her to google foods high in potassium and start eating more of them. Within 2 weeks she was once again running pain free which she hadnt been able to due for over a year.

I would venture most of our ailments are directly related to what we eat or more accurately what we dont eat. The best prepared foods come from specific recipes and if you short the recipe of ingredients you end up with some crappy tasting food most of the time. Your body is no different. It NEEDS specific nutrients to operate properly, you short yourself those nutrients day after day, week after week, year after year and something has to give.


Also keep in mind that if you have been running with a mineral deficit for years and all of a sudden start consuming whats needed you may never actually replenish your stores. For many minerals you actually need to "load" (ie take more than needed for a certain amount of time) to replenish your stores before dropping back to maintenance levels. hats so tricky about that is blood tests are often inconclusive since you body does a great job of keeping blood levels of minerals constant. Some high end professional trainers wont even begin training clients until they have undergone a loading phase to make sure their body is not defiecient.
 
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I want to take this opportunity to applaud all of you who chimmed in to help this brother out.
The brotherhood of the knife. Right on!
 
Here's the plan - I've got a gallon pitcher of water in the refrigerator right now. Gonna lay off the Coors, which amounted to a couple of pork chops of extra empty calories a day. The information on nutrients is duly noted - I'll go over that and get a system going as many days I eat whatever is leftover with no rhyme or reason to the nutrition of it.

I'm gonna work on scheduling things a little tighter so I can actually get away from the shop at times, it has a nasty habit of following me home anymore. There's a lot of work to do, I will keep you all posted. Thank you so much for your input, seeing what directly works for others is a lot of help.
 
Frank,
I would like to second the doctor visit.
If you have not had a phyical exam in the last year? Get one and see if there are any issues etc that could cause the weight gain & fatique?

I am a diabedic and require insulin injections because my body is resistant to the isulin it produces.
This started slowly after I turned 30.

If my blood sugars have run high for a few days I get severve fatique. Once again Diet, Excersize and proper hydration all help with this, after I have given myself the correct amount of isulin.

Knowledge is power.

Laurence

www.rhinoknives.com
 
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Frank Hunter said:
Here's the plan - I've got a gallon pitcher of water in the refrigerator right now. Gonna lay off the Coors, which amounted to a couple of pork chops of extra empty calories a day. The information on nutrients is duly noted - I'll go over that and get a system going as many days I eat whatever is leftover with no rhyme or reason to the nutrition of it.

I'm gonna work on scheduling things a little tighter so I can actually get away from the shop at times, it has a nasty habit of following me home anymore. There's a lot of work to do, I will keep you all posted. Thank you so much for your input, seeing what directly works for others is a lot of help.
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Trank,
That's the idea! I use to be a Gym rat myself and trained amateur body builders as a apart time biz. I want you to drink a gallon of water day! Yep! I know its a lot, But you will find the pounds slipping away by doing this. Every time you shut off the grinder to change belts etc I want you to have a few large gulps. Yes you will find yourself peeing a lot more but you will also feel like eating a lot less. That along with at least a half hour walk a day for starters and I bet you will start having more energy in a week to 10 days. Then the weight will start slipping off.

For starters for lunch, Just get the burger or chicken and skip the fries also avoid Coca-cola type drinks. Also get some apples and Bananas to snack on at the shop. Thats what I do for snacks at the shop.

We will all help each other.

Laurence

www.rhinoknives.com
 
Little update to things. 258 and falling, I suspect at mid-day I'm even less as I'm now back in 38 waist pants which is a first in 3 years. I'm having a heck of a time with the seasonal allergies aggravating things but that will pass. My energy is moderately better and I'm working on the nutrition end - and have set some new PRs with my lifts and CoC grippers. I'm not going to set any goals yet as I'm still fighting several fronts but making progress. I'll keep you posted, I definitely appreciate the first-hand experience and advice.
 
Frank,
That is great news! The truth is in our pants! LOL An't that the truth! I am feeling guilty as I am drinking a beer as I type this! Its back on the water wagon tomorrow!

Laurence

www.rhinoknives.com
 
Frank thanks for the update.
It sounds like its working good. Keep it up and it will become a new lifestyle without even thinking. Keep us posted, we're all pulling for ya.
 
I had a heart attack in my 40's coupled with a triple bypass. And I had a wife and 3 yr. old child. I was not overweight, I just wasn't tall enough. For my weight I should have been about 8ft. tall. I tried it all, health club, morning walks, etc. I decided I hated exercise, but I had to do something. This is what I did...

I bought Schwinn Air-dyne stationary bike that was used. I bought a used TV. I bought a used small refrigerator, filled it with water, put the TV on top and the bike in front of the TV. I worked my way up to be able to 5 min warm-up, 20 minutes at target heart rate, and a five minute cool down, while also drinking 16 oz of water. I also watched the morning news. Then a shower and start my day.

At the time of my first bypass, I was told I had bad arteries, that the most I could expect was 10 years, which was common for heart by-pass surgery. Well, it was 24 years before I needed more heart work.

I made up my own diet after failing at every diet/eating plan out there. I don't eat anything white. And it goes to the basics...chocolate cake is MADE from white flower and sugar. It's basically a low carb eating plan. I take a multi-vitamin daily.

This is what has worked for me. The point I am trying to make is that you have to find what is right for you!!! You may have to try a few things. I know I did...Teddy
 
Frank,
Teddy brings up a great point I didn't mention about not eating anything white. This is not a racial statement. We mean no white bread,white flour as mentioned, no white rice, You want to eat the whole grains with the husk on! Even refined corn meal or any other refined grains blast your system with sugar. Whole grains digest slower and won't spike your blood sugar level which makes it go lower making you even hungrier.

So as you can tell from Teddy's story, we can change and heal ourselves.
Laurence

www.rhinoknives.com
 
Frank Hunter said:
Little update to things. 258 and falling, I suspect at mid-day I'm even less as I'm now back in 38 waist pants which is a first in 3 years. I'm having a heck of a time with the seasonal allergies aggravating things but that will pass. My energy is moderately better and I'm working on the nutrition end - and have set some new PRs with my lifts and CoC grippers. I'm not going to set any goals yet as I'm still fighting several fronts but making progress. I'll keep you posted, I definitely appreciate the first-hand experience and advice.
Click to expand...

Slow and steady wins the race Frank! You dont want to lose more than a couple pounds a week anyway. I would caution against changing too many things at once, it can become overwhelming and hard to keep up. We are talking life changes in eating and exercise and honestly most people cant keep up drastic changes for long. Its about making small changes until they become habit. Then another small change and another.

Also if your starting to exercise while changing your eating habits, dont let the scale dictate your life. So many people get hung up on the scale but weight doesnt mean much, its your physical makeup (bodyfat) thats important. If the scale seems to stall out dont get disheartened, you very well could be adding muscle while loosing fat which is a good thing, muscle burns calories, fat doesnt. A few months ago I shifted focus to a more strength oriented workout plan and at the same time got a little sloppy with my eating habits. Recently I reanalyzed my diet, as I mentioned in previous post, and cut out some grains, added more fruits and veggies. Since doing so I am now consuming roughly 700 fewer calories a day BUT ive gained 4 lbs! My lifts are all starting to progress again as well and my endurance is up. I could have been bummed by the scale but my pants fit looser and my performance in the gym is what tells the story.
 
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