Friday, April 30, 2021

Hope my experience is encouraging: old folks (65) weight loss. NSFW because no shirt, otherwise G-rated. But old guy paleness MAY be terrifying!

While this is not interesting to those w/ upper-tier physique and/or ambitions to have one, if you're a regular guy frustrated with excess weight, chin up.

Dec 3 of 2019 I was a metbolic train wreck w/ BMI almost 35, terrible gout, skin tags sprouting up everywhere, etc. At that point I decided it was time to go all out to restructure myself, regaining some muscle mass and losing fat. Coincidentally: as soon as the news from Wuhan began rolling in, I became a ravenous consumer of early (non-peer-reviewed) studies that, one after another, pointed at inflammation, accelerated disease progress from high ACE, high viral load from excess adiposity, and so on. This became a mission. Fortunately I had access to good outdoor paths and a set of VERY dusty Bowflex dumbells in the basement.

I had many challenges, as we do when we age. Spinal and other injury histories prevented the important heavy lifts and as well as anything more than a brisk walk/slow jog, Premature Ventricular Contractions, etc... too much to list. BUT: if you can set aside fantasies about looking like Frank Zane in the 1970's and adjust exercises to protect connective tissue and precious joint health (hello, rotator cuffs!) you can do a lot. Be very conscious of your need to concentrate on BALANCE and FLEXIBILITY as you progress. These are additional challenges of aging and you cannot ignore them.

Also you really, really MUST have sufficient protein intake, especially as an old dude, to keep muscle tissue vibrant as sarcopenia knocks at the door. Finally, if you've a mind to do some fasting periods, don't be afraid of it, but go slowly. Wife and I now do a 40-hr once a week and it has made a world of difference. I still struggle with night eating from time to time, but otherwise all is pretty good.

Pics from a couple of weeks ago here .

As stated elswhere: as you age you can't get your skin to fit anymore in general, but it's not as loose as you might expect w/ almost 80lb down. Just under 19% Body Fat now (DEXA measure); my target of a few more % may not be possible. As you can see turkey neck def kicks in --- what the hell, I'm old, and we do what we can. My wife snapped the left pic when our daughters were fretting about the Old Man being endangered by COVID and general decrepitude. She wouldn't do the ab vac shot because it "looks gross, like the Walking Dead or something".

I have a couple of snaps that are captured right after dropping the dumbbells at the end of a 5 set breakdown, but frankly they're just temporary pumps. This is the real, wrinkly, genuine, Saturday morning me, and I'm OK with it. Believe me it beats the hell out of being breathless from tying your shoes!

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from loseit - Lose the Fat https://ift.tt/3aOCpgY

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