Category: General

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How to avoid the yo-yo

The yo-yo is the bane of dieters everywhere. If you’ve tried to lose weight before, you know about it.

You start a diet, stay on it for a while … maybe a week, maybe a month, maybe longer.

When you first started the diet, you thought, “Wow, this is great. I can eat like this the rest of my life, no problem.”

And you do stick to it … for a while. You lose weight. You feel great. Everyone is complimenting you on how good you look, asking you how you did it.

Then you start to want the foods that you can’t have on your diet.

If you are sticking to a low-carb eating plan, you want cupcakes or cookies or just a huge bowl of pasta with a thick slice of garlic bread.

If you are eating low-fat, you want fried chicken or butter on your toast or simply a decent friggin’ salad dressing.

“I’ve been so good for so long,” you reason, “I can have it just this one time.”

And you do have it. And it’s good.

That’s fine, not disastrous , because after you enjoy your treat, you stay true to your diet. But then you figure, why not establish certain times when, in fact, it is perfectly fine for you to have those “forbidden” foods? Maybe, let’s say, the weekends.

And you do eat them. And they are good.

And now you are on that slippery slope. The “weekends” start earlier and earlier, and before long you are back to eating the way you used to eat, the way that made you fat. Sure enough, all the weight comes back … and then some.

Every few years, you repeat this series of events, and, as your weight goes down then up then down then up, there you have the yo-yo.

So the big question has always been, “How do we avoid the yo-yo?”

It’s really quite simple. Simple, but not easy.

Kinda like quitting smoking. All you have to do  it quit, right? Simple. But not easy.

I think the answer is (1) quitting a problem food group (or two), and (2) reshaping your self-image.

Quitting a food group? Like stop eating carbs or proteins or fats or …?

No, not exactly. I mean try choosing a type of food that causes you problems, leads to weight gain, and quitting it. Just stop eating it.

For example, for me the food group is “anything designed to appeal to my sweet taste buds”, so, basically, sweets are out for me.

You may think that is harsh, but, wow, I was really out of shape, so harsh measures were necessary. I never made any great long-term strides toward good health by using easy methods. How ’bout you?

Similar to the way I felt about cigarettes when I quit smoking, when I quit eating sweets, I went through a period of really wanting them. During that time I couldn’t have them in the house or I might break down.

That was the hard part.

Once that phase passed, when I could actually be in the same room with a german chocolate cake with coconut-pecan frosting and not dive into it, I still had to exercise self-control, but not too much. I’d seen results and didn’t want to jeopardize them.

Nowadays, it’s really not a problem. I don’t want the sweets. Not at all. Wave a cupcake under my nose — no problem.

I imagine I’ll get to a point where I’ll be able to eat just a little of something, if I want to, but I don’t foresee wanting to. I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it.

Your problem food may not be sweets and it may not be so broad a category. Maybe it’s “fried foods”. Maybe it’s “soda”. Maybe it’s “fast food”.

Quitting a problem food is just one piece, though. The other piece of the answer to avoiding the yo-yo, I think, is to work through the weight in levels.

When I weighed 70 pounds more than I do now, I was fat, but had a hard time realizing it.

When I started my quest for fitness, I leveled out at a weight 30 pounds above where I am now. That weight was cool for a while. It was, after all, 40 pounds below my peak, but eventually I realized that weight was also too fat.

That’s when I started P90X, and when I got to my current weight, I felt so much thinner.

However, now that I have been at this weight for over a year, I am starting to feel fat here. You know why? It’s not anorexia, I promise — not only can I tell by looking in the mirror, but the numbers say that I do, indeed, have some fat left to lose.

Now, figure this: If I feel fat at this weight, do you think I’ll ever let myself get anywhere near that other weight. No way!

I have successfully reshaped my mental picture of myself, so, hopefully, that will work to prevent my returning to a previous, rotund body shape.

Just like anything worth doing, you have to commit to it. Despite what you may see on late-night tv, there are no magic pills or patches. There are no easy roads. You have to commit to succeed.

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What I’ve learned about fitness and nutrition over the past few years

I’ve been on my fitness quest for about four years now. I went in with with an open mind, wanting to find out as much as I could, experiment on myself, see what works and what doesn’t.

Here are a few of the things I think I know, subject to change as I learn more:

  • It’s more about what you eat than what you do. You can lose a lot of weight by eating properly. Without exercise, though, you will lose muscle along with the fat. You have to work out to build that muscle. Still, if your only goal is to lose weight, know that how you eat is responsible for about 80% of how your body looks.
  • Carbs are not evil, but sugar is, and grains are not far behind. Fruits, vegetables, those are carbs. Eat ’em up. Anything with added sugar in it, though, is just asking for trouble. Then if you add grains, wow, you are really packing a caloric punch. By removing sweets from your diet, you can much more easily find your way to healthy eating habits. Not only that, but when you get used to eating less sugar, naturally sweet foods like fruits will taste sweeter to you.
  • P90X is a great way to dive into a fitness-oriented lifestyle. It got me motivated, took me from a terrible diet to a pretty good one, and from walking/pushups/crunches to real, structured workouts. The main thing P90X did was show me that even people over-40 can get into shape. I’d just about given up, but now I am in the best shape of my adult life.
  • Insanity is a great way to continue that fitness-oriented lifestyle. I lost some of the muscle I’d built with P90X when I went through Insanity, but did I really need all that muscle? The only part I regret is that I lost a lot of pullup (back) strength, so when I am doing a round of Insanity, I add pullups. Insanity doesn’t focus enough on the back muscles and I think the body needs that balance. I add yoga, too, just because I like starting the day with yoga.
  • Insanity: The Asylum is just too much. Maybe I feel that way because I don’t have enough space to do all the moves conveniently, but….
  • You have to warm up first, no matter what it is you are going to do. Unless you are going for a walk, which is not really a workout, you gotta warm up. I have hurt myself doing impromptu pullups. True story.
  • Insanity is good for my knees! I was shocked by this. Before I started P90X, my knees were okay, presenting minor problems when I tried to run, but they didn’t pain me much. A couple months into P90X, my left knee started bothering me. Not enough to make me stop, and the pain was not there when I exercised, but it was there from time to time. The pain was bothersome enough that I mentioned it to my doctor. He took a look and told me I had arthritis in that knee. I continued on with my P90X and One-On-One workouts. I didn’t start Insanity, because I figured if my knee was bad now, Insanity would put it over the top, right? So I put Insanity off for a few months. Then I took some time off to just do yoga and walking, give my body a rest, and my knee pain subsided considerably. When I went back to working out, it came back. At that point I said to myself, “If the pain can go away, then come back, that probably means it can go away again, so I’m going to go ahead and dive into Insanity.” After I started Insanity, my knee pain gradually diminished and has now disappeared. So … I stay away from Tony Horton (P90X) leg routines and stick with Shaun T (Insanity) ones.
  • Yoga is one of the best things you can do for yourself. It is so all-around fitness-increasing, affecting breathing, balance, and strength. Your whole body is engaged in yoga moves. It inspires discipline. And, you know what? It ain’t for pussies. Yoga is hard. Don’t skip it. In fact, I added more.
  • I much prefer body weight or band resistance training to working out with weights. Weight training is cool and I know it helps build strength and balance, but it’s a hassle. I guess that’s another reason to really like Insanity. I am not about building too much muscle, preferring a lean look, so it’s all good.
  • If you can perform a fitness routine completely without breaks the first time through, it’s not a very useful fitness routine. You need something that challenges you. Any of the aerobic workouts in P90X and Insanity definitely qualify as useful, by that definition. Plus, here’s the thing, take, for example, the P90X Plyometrics routine. Man, that is a monster. I was stopping the DVD for extra breaks a lot when I first started it. Then not so much. Then, on the day I was able to get all the way through it without stopping, I had such a feeling of accomplishment. Rightly so! As for Insanity, I still have not got all the way through any of those routines. Close. But not quite. But I will.
  • With that in mind, accept the fact that Insanity is (almost) impossible.  I say “almost” because, I suppose, anything is possible. For Insanity, unlike for P90X, I say take breaks without pausing the DVD, but don’t dog it. Get back in as soon as possible.
  • You can build great abs without doing any crunches. That is a fact, and Shaun T (Insanity) knows how to do that. Insanity is great for abs.

I’m sure I’ve learned more than that, but those are a few good lessons that came to mind pretty quickly.

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What you need to know before you start P90X – Part 4

This is Part 4. You can read Part 1 here, Part 2 here, and Part 3 here.

RULE #12: ADJUSTABLE DUMBBELLS ARE GREAT.

When I was preparing to start P90X, I didn’t even know about adjustable dumbbells, nor was I aware that regular dumbbells cost so frickin’ much!

I was torn, because either way I was going to be shelling out a few hundred bucks. I was going to be working out  in my living room, though, and the space saving nature of adjustables came into play.

Still torn, I walked into my Costco just to have a look, and I found some great adjustables for only $300, including stand. They don’t have them at Costco anymore, and they are a bit more than $300 now, but they are called Ironman Leverlock Adjustable Dumbbells, and they have been great. (Great, that is, as long as you ensure the levers are indeed locked before you pick them up. You should do that anyway, but I’m just sayin’, because I remember reading bad reviews about these things, probably from people who did not bother to check the locks.)

I did an online search and I see these things are available at Sears and Kmart, so check ’em out. Here’s a link so you know what they look like. They come with the stand, which is great, because when you are picking up a dumbbell, it sure is nice not to have to go all the way to the floor to get it.

And, yes, in case you are wondering, I found the 55 pounds per side to be more than enough for my current strength level.

Another thing to keep in mind is the ability to adjust throughout the set at 2.5-pound increments. I found that to be useful. Adjusting in 5-pound increments would have been too much. Stepping up from 15 to 17.5 to 20 pounds works very well.

As I said, I’ve heard great things about the Bowflex ones, and they have come down in price, so here’s a link to them, if you want to check them out. I’m sure others have hit the market in the couple years since I’ve shopped for them, so shop around.

RULE #13: USE A HEART RATE MONITOR.

P90X is an extreme exercise program, so you should get a checkup from your doctor before you start it. Did I do that? No. But I should have, I guess.

What I did do, though, was get a heart rate monitor and use it to decide when to slow down. Those first few weeks of Plyo and other aerobic/anaerobic activities will send your heart rate through the roof, if you are not in top shape, so the heart rate monitor made it easy for me to gauge my exertion level.

To figure out your max heart rate, just subtract your age from 220. If you are 50-years-old, your max heart rate is is 170, so I figured about 80% of that as an initial target. 170 * 0.8 = 136. I rounded to 140 and kept an eye on that. Once my heart rate went over 140, I slowed down a bit, then picked it back up to try to stay in the 130-140 range. After a while I raised that high target to 150, and after another while I stopped using the heart rate monitor altogether. But it was a valuable tool at the beginning to keep me informed about how hard my heart was working, because it was often beating much harder than I realized.

There are many models out there, but I wanted to go cheap, so I went with this one from Omron, and it’s served me very well.

ADDED SEPTEMBER 2, 2012: When my Omron gave out, I bought a Polar. I like it better than the Omron. It’s better constructed and easier to wear, but, of course, it’s a lot more expensive. Check it out here.

RULE #14: IF YOU FIND PULLUPS TO BE VERY DIFFICULT-TO-IMPOSSIBLE, TRY AN ALTERNATIVE.

Pullups are hard for most people, because we just don’t use our backs that much. Of course, that is the root of many of our back problems, so pullups are important to work through, even if you can’t do more than one right now.

During P90X, Tony offers a couple of alternatives to pullups.

The first pullup alternative involves using a chair to assist with the pullup.

I tried this. It was problematic for two reasons:

  1. The chair would slip often on my tile floor, and
  2. I found myself using the chair and my legs far too much.

I don’t recommend chair-assisted pullups, but please give it a shot, so you can decide for yourself.

The second pullup alternative Tony recommends is using a resistance band. So you attach the resistance band to something above you, then from your knees or your butt, pull the band down toward your chest, arms spread, in a pullup motion.

I tried this, too. It was better than chair-assisted, but was problematic for three reasons:

  1. It was a pain in the butt to get the band looped around my pullup bar so it would provide enough resistance to make the exercise worthwhile,
  2. You really need a heavy-duty band to get enough resistance, and I didn’t have that, and
  3. I pulled the pullup bar down on top of myself one time doing this.

Again, you may want to try this — maybe you’ll love it — and I used it for a long time, actually, before coming up with what I do now.

The third pullup alternative is one I came up with myself, and I think it works great. It’s this — DO PULLUPS! Okay, that’s not really an alternative to pullups, but the methodology is different than what goes on in the program. When it’s time to do pullups, you simply set a timer — I use our kitchen timer — for one minute, and do as many pullups as possible in that one minute. Take all the breaks you need during that minute, but always keep working to get one more pullup until the timer goes off.

You may need to pause the DVD while you do your minute, but it’s worth the small hassle, because the only way to get better at pullups is to do pullups. Do as many as you can in a minute.

ADDED AUGUST 22, 2012: There is yet another way to do pullups now, and it is with the Beachbody Chin-Up Max. It hooks over your pullup bar, you slip your foot into it, and you get pullup assistance. The Chin-Up Max is adjustable, so you can get just as much assistance as you like. Check it out here.

RULE #15: BE SAFE

Safety is very important when you are engaging in any kind of physical activity, not only because you need to understand the limitations of your body, but you need to also, if the activity is new, be aware of any issues you may not already know about.

When you are in program like P90X, a program that is designed to get you into better shape, it’s natural for you to want to overwork. You’re feeling good. Surely you can lift more weight than that. And. Then. Uh oh. Down for the count.

But you already know that, so here are a few safety tips you may not be as aware of.

Keep your core tight. Tony does not mention this much in P90X. Shaun T harps on it, though, in Insanity, and it’s really important, not only because it helps build your abs, but also because it keeps your back safe. If you just keep those abs at least somewhat engaged, no matter what you are doing, you’ll notice the difference in performance, balance, and muscle tone.

Lift and replace the dumbbells gently. This just means that you need to not yank at the dumbbells when you pick them up and you should place them back carefully. In other words, stay in control. There are some exercises that are exceptions to the “placing them back carefully” rule — sometimes you have to just let them drop, but the key is to not hurt yourself. Yanking at them when picking them up can strain your arms, shoulders, and back, while dropping them can damage your feet and toes, when the dumbbell bounces from the floor onto them. Trust me, this one I learned from experience.

Watch out for equipment and furniture. Really, this is a no-brainer, but those are the ones that get you. Don’t be lazy about putting dumbbells back, because, sure enough, at some point you’ll stub your toe and that can put you out of commission for the day. If you work out in your living room, coffee tables, also, can be dangerous, especially once you lose that layer of fat you have on your shins. You may not know it’s there, but, believe me, when you hit your fat-free shin on the coffee table, if you catch it just wrong, it’ll bleed like a sumbitch, and leave a permanent scar, too. Been there, done that.

Make sure your pullup bar is secure. Many of those over-the-doorframe pullup bars have little clip to help keep them in place. Use it. This is especially important if you are wrapping exercise bands around the pullup bar to do band pullups from the floor, because that can cause the pressure on the bar to be different from the manufacturer’s design, and…. Okay, yeah, been there, done that, too. Mine doesn’t have the clip to hold it in place, but I am much more careful with it these days.

And that about wraps up this 4-part series. I’m sure I didn’t cover everything, but this should be enough to get you started.

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What you need to know before you start P90X – Part 3

This is Part 3. You can read Part 1 here and Part 2 here.

RULE #11: DON’T SKIP YOGA!

I’m going to devote this whole post to this one rule, because I believe it’s that important.

I had never done any yoga before P90X. I had been warned by my brother that I would probably want to use an alternative to Yoga X, because that workout is 90 minutes, and who has time for that, right?

As an alternative, I got the “Fountain of Youth” DVD from Tony’s “One on One” series. The first few weeks of P90X, though, I did do the Yoga X workout, primarily because I like to make my own decisions about such things, and I like those decisions to be informed.

Yoga X is, indeed, pretty long and boring, but it was necessary to introduce me to the moves and terminology. Tony’s One on One workouts are much less formal than  P90X, and he doesn’t often take time to explain things in them, assuming — usually accurately — that we should already know what he’s talking about and how to do the moves.

Let me say this here, because you may not know this about yoga … it’s hard! At least the way Tony does yoga, it’s hard, quite a workout. I remember the first time I tried floating my leg in the air from downward dog and then trying to swing it through. Not an easy task, and it got harder from there. That is one of the reasons I like it so much. I know it’s working my body and improving it.

Anyway, when I felt pretty comfortable with Yoga X, I moved to the “Fountain of Youth” workout from One on One. It’s a 45-minute routine that covers strength, stretching, and balance. And I was only finally able to do it all the way through without stopping … last week.

There is a part in the middle where we do a sidearm balance, three slow-motion pushups, a sidearm balance on the other side, then go right into an intense downward dog routine, and it has always made me take a break in the past. But I finally made it through last week, and to prove it’s not a fluke, I made it through today, too!

And this is about 18 months since I started  P90X.

I was noticing today how smoothly I can swing my legs through from floating them during downward dog, a move I found so difficult — even wondered if it were really possible for me — when I first started. Now it’s routine.

Here’s the real point: This is not an overnight conversion. There are no magic elixirs to help you get fit. You have to work it, and yoga is a big part of not only helping you get into shape, but also helping you gauge the shape you are in.

So, when you decide to dive into P90X, don’t skip the yoga. It’s probably the most challenging part of P90X, possibly because it’s the least familiar, and you may be tempted to write it off as some throwaway stretching routine, but it’s not. You can build endurance, balance, strength, all that, with yoga.

In fact, I have considered creating a hybrid workout series based on yoga, and I may yet put that together, test it out for a few months. That sounds like it might be a good thing to do after P90X2.

Okay, next post will be more P90X tips, Part 4.

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What you need to know before you start P90X – Part 2

This is Part 2. You can read Part 1 here.

RULE #6: GET THE RIGHT EQUIPMENT.

When I started P90X, I started with basic necessary equipment:

  • yoga mat and blocks,
  • pullup bar,
  • heart rate monitor, and
  • adjustable dumbbells.

You need all those, and the latter two are important enough that I’ve covered them individually.

But there are a couple other pieces of equipment that I wish I’d had from the beginning. Even though they are not required, they sure help a lot.

The first is pushup stands. You can use dumbbells for this, but dedicated stands are really nice to have, especially if they are Tony Horton Power Stands. Those things are brilliant, because they won’t tip sideways on wide pushups. Plus they are very comfortable. They are expensive, so rest assured, you can use either your dumbbells or a less expensive stand. But I do love my Tony Horton Power Stands.

[ NOTE: I don’t pay as much because I am a Team Beachbody Coach. Become a Team Beachbody Coach and SAVE 25% on all Beachbody products. I only did this because, when I added up the savings and subtracted the monthly, this saves me money. ]

You may be thinking, “Why do I even need pushup stands?”

It’s a wrist thing. When you do a lot of pushups — and in P90X you will be doing a lot of pushups — your wrists are turned at that 90-degree angle that could be bothersome. It was for me.

Using pushup stands allows your wrists to stay straight throughout the move. Plus, as a bonus, you now have that 6 inches the stands put you above the ground to intensify the pushup by going lower than you could if your hands were on the floor.

The second piece of equipment that I consider essential, even though I worked out without it for a long time, is an exercise mat.

I work out in my living room, on the carpet. Of course, this wears out the carpet, but, also, that means I am sweating onto the carpet. That can’t be good.

An exercise mat provides a better grip for my bare feet — I don’t wear shoes during workouts — and also extra cushion.

Finding a 6×6 mat proved impossible on a budget. I considered turning my extra bedroom into a workout room and tiling the floor with foam rubber gym flooring, but, again, that ain’t cheap.

As it turned out, the answer was right in front of me.

I had bought a 2×6 exercise mat to use for Ab Ripper X. It is a really durable and comfortable mat, under $20 (when I bought mine), and I thought, “I wonder if I could buy two more and tape them together?” I did just that and it works great! The only thing I try to do when I work out is turn the mat so I don’t stress the seams too much, but this thing has held up for 10 months now, and it’s still in great shape. I used Gorilla Tape to connect them, because I had it around, but I imagine any decent duct tape will do.

The only real problem with the mat is that it does tend to slide around a bit, and I need to adjust it every so often, but the benefits of it far outweigh that small issue.

RULE #7: EVEN IF YOU DO GET INJURED, KEEP GOING!

All right, now, I don’t mean you need to be stupid about it, but even if you are being careful, when you are pushing your body, you can expect pulled muscles and some hyperextended connective tissue. You will know when it’s serious enough to quit.

I am not a doctor, but my rule is this: If it hurts when I work out, I may need to pay more attention to it as a medical condition. If not, well, let’s work out!

I have worked through many an ache and pain that, once I started moving, doing the workout, whaddayaknow? No more pain.

If you do feel intense pain when you work out, maybe you are really hurt, so give it a rest, see a doctor.

My doctor told me, though, that working through an injury, with modifications, i.e. babying the injured area a bit, but still working it, is the way to go.

That’s how I discovered using an exercise band to modify pullups, because I pulled a back muscle. Instead of saying “screw it” and quitting the program, I modified with the band and was able to keep pushing through.

Again, don’t be stupid, but don’t give up too easily, either.

RULE #8: “PRESS PLAY EVERY DAY.”

This should probably be rule #1, but that ship has sailed — I’m on #8 now. Suffice to say, this little mantra that can be heard in the P90X infomercials is important, and will help you get your workout in every day (unless you skip the 7th day each week, X Stretch, which is optional).

To be successful at anything, you have to commit to it, and the way you commit to P90X is to follow the program without fail.

Don’t think you can get that workout in because you are too busy? Find a way to work it in.

Stayed out too late last night and don’t feel like working out? Do it anyway.

Someway, somehow, get your workout in. You’ll feel better for it, especially on those days where you really need to push through it.

Make P90X part of your lifestyle.

RULE #9: NO SHOES WORKS GREAT.

When I first started P90X, I did not know which shoes to buy for it. I searched the online boards, got all kinds of recommendations, mostly for either Vibrams or some kind of cross-trainer. I bought some cross-trainers, but really didn’t like them too much, plus my feet got HOT!

So I tried the shoes without socks. Still sucked.

Then I thought, “Why not try without shoes?” Great decision.

It seems very natural to me to work out that way. Of course, it’s best on a mat, okay on carpet, no bueno on hard floors.

If you are struggling with which shoes to wear, try none — you might like it! (Just be careful about stubbing your toe on dumbbells. Ouch!)

RULE #10: GET ACQUAINTED WITH LOW-CARB PROTEIN SHAKES.

When I started P90X, I went on the 50% protein – 30% carb – 20% fat diet. I’ve already discussed why this is essential to  P90X success in Part 1, so if you are going to follow that diet, you may be surprised to find that eating that much lean protein is not easy.

That’s how I got to know low-carb protein shakes.

There are plenty of them out there. I prefer the type without artificial sweeteners, so I use Optimum Nutrition 100% Whey Gold Standard Natural Whey. It tastes great mixed with low-carb almond milk and mixes well with fruit, too, when I want to add some to the shake.

I’ve tried others, including premixed shakes, and some of them are really good, but I settled on Optimum’s product because it’s so much cheaper to mix them myself, plus I have more flexibility with the ingredients.

Wow, that went quick, and I can see that I’ll need a Part 3.