158 replies to this topic

[ThatJoeGuy]

The Wench has a good tale concerning the effectiveness of her supplements and how they helped a guy with really bad arthritis. I'll let her tell the whole thing.

[scubaclint]

LLDN and scubaclint - how's it going? Are you keeping each other on track?

It's going great. There is something to be said for having someone looking out for you and keeping tabs on what you are doing. It certainly helps me to keep on track.

I have mostly been doing cardio so far. 30min with 2 min intervals on the treadmill. Last week I had stepped it up to 45 min. Yesterday morning I wasn't feeling it and was going to take it easy by just doing 30 min. I went ahead and did 45 because I wanted to send a good report to my buddy. Thank you Tammy.

Clint

[Victoria]

Lynn, before I can answer your question about the knees I need to clarify the protein intake. Proportionally the protein consumed per day is higher, but only because I no longer consume bread, rice, spuds or pasta; on Atkins I am not consuming higher quantities of protein than I did in the past. My meals are smaller without the carb/starch side dishes, but I still eat a ton of veggies and dairy. Done correctly the diet is very well balanced.

Having said all of that, I have not discerned any difference in joint health whether on Atkins or not. But in my case the issues with the knees were not ever diet-related...they were horse related. Thirty years of horses did a number on my knees and hips....and shoulders....and neck.....and back.....and elbows.....and ankles.... Multiple concussions, multiple instances of whiplash, torn ligaments in both ankles, a torn ACL and severely abused kneecaps, dislocated ribs (from the sternum), torn rotator cuff, a fractured lumbar vertebrae and three bulging lumbar discs.... you get the idea... Oh, and ALL of that was before I hit 30. At 46 I'm feelin' it. On cold damp mornings I am extremely creaky. Hence the use of the elevator vs the stairs when it's rainy and chilly here.

Back to the Atkins thing for a minute: I discovered two significant differences/advantages to an extremely low-carb diet (never more than 20grams/day)...

One: I never wake up hungry anymore, nor do I ever have hunger pangs, and my meals are smaller. The best way to describe it is to draw a parallel. Carbs can be likened to gasoline, or perhaps high-octane av-gas, in that carbs produce a lot of energy, but are swiftly burned off. When the body's fuel gauge nears Empty (or even half way to it!) you get urgent signals of hunger as reminders to tank up. But on a low-carb diet the metabolism is retrained to tap into the stored energy reserves, which are always available. In essence, then, the fuel tank needle rarely moves far from the Full mark, so you don't get the "oh-my-gosh-I'm-STARVING" signals.

Two: low- to no-carb equals low- to no-gaseousness, and a much happier intestinal tract. For years I thought that I had some food allergies going on, but couldn't ever identify what particular foods were the problem. When I stopped consuming carbs from grain and starch in particular, the gaseousness literally stopped. I was amazed. I have only to eat a bowl of pasta or a baked potato to confirm that conclusion.....

Sorry if that was bordering on TMI, but it's appropriate in this particular area, right?!

[lynnlchan]

Not TMI - interesting.

Ten years ago I was experiencing significant insomnia and opted to go for acupuncture instead of drugs. They strongly 'suggested' I change my diet. I cut out white food including sugar. No restrictions on fat, just no processed foods. I ate smaller meals, was more satisfied in general, and the weight rolled off. The only real struggle was chocolate (I love dark) and my coffee. I don't even need the caffeine as much as I enjoy the ritual.

It's a lot of work to stick with it. What do you do for variety or when you eat out?

[ThatJoeGuy]

Today I opted to follow government advise and skip making a trip to the gym. I "settled" for snowshoeing with the dog for about 45min, followed by about 30min of entirely too many reps with a snow shovel. Not exactly my scheduled workout, but I think close enough.

How about the rest of you, did you meet your fitness goals today?

[lynnlchan]

I'm heading downstairs now to do some combination of running and/or kickboxing for 45 minutes.

I rode the bicycle for 12 miles yesterday. It's not far but it was in the mid 20s. We also got about an inch of fresh snow before we were done.

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[Landlocked Dive Nut]

Good for you, Lynn! Every little bit is PROGRESS!! And, 12 miles in the snow is no small thing! I'm glad my indoor bike does not come with "snow mode"!

[Victoria]

Good for you, Lynn! Every little bit is PROGRESS!! And, 12 miles in the snow is no small thing! I'm glad my indoor bike does not come with "snow mode"!

That can be arranged... I could come visit, and bring a big bucket of snow and a fan..........

[lynnlchan]

Seems like it wasn't that long ago that Tammy was doing a three hour snow shoveling work out.

[Landlocked Dive Nut]

Yeah, and it snowed again over the weekend! Good thing the wind was blowing, and kept the driveway fairly clear!

I'm getting plenty of upper body exercise scraping popcorn ceilings, washing dust off, spackeling, sanding, priming & painting. Whew! Overhead work is tiring.

[ThatJoeGuy]

Me thinks that overhead work is something best left to others For some reason all of my attempts to bike in the snow have resulted in a stuck front wheel, a rapidly spinning back wheel, and the occasional sideways fall. I think I'll stick with inside bike until the weather clears.

Today was gym day. I lifted weights as usual, bumping up a couple of them. Then I road the bike for 26min and 230 calories. Then came home and went snowshoeing with the dog for about 25min. I discovered something important about snowshoes yesterday. Walking backwards is far more challenging the going forwards. Although, getting pounced while recovering from an impromptu snow angel would probably have been entertaining for any witnesses.

Did you meet your fitness goals for today?

Edited by ThatJoeGuy, 17 February 2010 - 07:56 PM.

[lynnlchan]

For some reason all of my attempts to bike in the snow have resulted in a stuck front wheel, a rapidly spinning back wheel, and the occasional sideways fall.

Did you meet your fitness goals for today?

Studded tires Baby!

Um...no on the goals.

What kind of man eating beast do you have that would attack when you're down?

[ThatJoeGuy]

He is a harsh taskmaster who has determined all of the reasons for my existence. Take him for a walk when I get home, give him attention, give him food and water. Since what I was doing was obviously not walking, and I didn't have any food for him, it meant that I must be wanting to give him attention.

It's ok Lynn. Yesterday was just an extra recovery day, and you'll make up for it next time your work out right? [nudge, nudge] right?

[lynnlchan]

I may have... um... walked into the hitch on the truck clipping my knee cap. The limping seems to have affected my hip which I injured as a kid. Why is it that past a certain age we start to feel like a house of cards?

It's not that bad. I should be back in the groove tomorrow. I don't try to make up for missed days - I just try to keep at it consistently. If I get too stringent about it then I don't enjoy it.


Why were you on the ground if you weren't playing?

[uwfan]

I have a taskmistress like that! Good news for me, she likes to hang out with me on my bed or couch just as much as that full blown attention required the moment I've walked through the door!

Trying to do what I seem to have a hard time doing when I'm not breathing compressed air and under the watchful eye of Wenchie who readily plies me with water... got my 64 oz. of water in today!