I concur with the Rev pretty much on this. I'm 6'4" way back my trade entailed a good deal of manual work (involved lifting a lot of 56lb test weights regularly and hauling myself up/down buildings) I weighed in at 14st. I also regulary did karate 3 to 4 times a week. In my mid 20's I could eat and drink anything plus the hangovers weren't as bad. You could as the missus reminds me "see my ribs". Changed jobs a couple of times and as time went on our industry standards basically phased out the manually winched stuff with changes to our BS etc. The service portfolios thus had more motor driven kit sometimes with inverters and plcs. So it was a case of standing on the roof butty in hand whilst diagnosing the fault, more cerebral than physical! I was doing 12 hour days so the karate became hit and miss with gaps measuring months. Getting home late meant garage stops for a fistful of crisps and pasties. Physically, a nagging back problem would mean trips to the quacks, being signed off for a week and told to take Neurofen. Net result of this was I got to 19st, with crippling back pain. A chiropracter recommended by my karate instructor helped a huge amount - as in he could help "fix" me when it went but over a period of 2 years I still ended up in A&E twice! (Tramadol I Love You!). Turns out I have a prolapsed disc with nerve damage which has left me with a numb left foot etc. Now I know the signs and only lift one 56lb weight at a time.
So, fat, with a bad back THAT's when the headaches started! A guy at work (more about him in a sec) asked if I'd had my blood pressure checked. His missus is a practice nurse etc. I went to my GP and they did a "Wellman" check. Came back high BP, high'ish cholesterol. They wanted to put me on statins there and then but I said no. The only alternative was they said "Diet and exercise, and I wouldn't do that would I?". Bottom line I went for it with running and diet and lost a stone in 6 weeks. That was last November. Went back, got a pat on the back, blood work better and told that I could relax a bit with Xmas coming up but to get straight back on afterwards. Well.....she didn't say which Christmas! They weren't overly impressed that I ate curry 4 or 5 times a week. They wanted me down to 15st but I hold it now at 17st. I do feel as if I could lose some more. The diet clinic give you a sheet with 3 or 4 columns:
Column 1 says "NEVER EAT ANY OF THIS", things like bacon, processed meats, take aways.
Column 2 says "YOU CAN EAT THIS OCCASIONALLY BUT WE'D SUGGEST YOU DON'T", things like red meat, white bread
Column 3 says "YOU CAN EAT AS MUCH OF THIS **** AS YOU LIKE, GO ON ENJOY YOURSELF", water, oats, dried fruit, cottage cheese etc.
What I have tended to do is eat "normally" i.e. not too sensibly then when the headaches start cut down on everything. The "YO-YO" method I believe. A wake up call came with both sets of parents being ill. I said to the wife that us worrying about our oldies will be our kids worrying about us in 35 - 40 years so maybe we should think about mitigating it somehow. She's lost a stone so far. As for me, well the lad at work who suggested high BP is as fit as a fiddle. Approaching 50 he runs 5/6 miles 5 times a week and does press ups and sit ups. Goes nowhere near a gym.maybe he's tight? NO, HE'S DISCIPLINED!". He reckons a lifestyle change is the only way. He cut out meat about 20 years ago and just does fish and veg. His "mantra" is this:
- Get home
- Get changed
- Drink a glass of water
- Stretch
- Run
-Don't get sidetracked, JUST DO IT!
Simples! I'm now doing this and it works. If I go for a run I have energy and don't sit on the sofa and doze off in the evening......which in turn means I don't sleep at night! Big plus in on more headaches! It was as hard as hell to start but now if I dont I feel guity and actually miss it. Never thought I'd say that either.
We have lads at work paying £80/90 a month for gym membership they don't use. As fat as f**k and spouting that with shift work they "don't get the time". It's a load of tosh. EAT LESS MOVE MORE and stop making excuses!
