Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Update

Ok, so here is what I've been doing lately...

I bought a cheap exercise bike at a fitness resale shop a couple of weeks ago and have ridden it twice so far. It's perfect for days when it's either too rainy or just too hot to go outside and do anything. I think it was $25 and it works perfectly. It's just a little ugly.

Yesterday, I went running outside for the first time in a long time and it went horribly. My legs, lungs, and guts just weren't prepared for it. I hope it goes better Wednesday.

I also purchased some exercise bands this week. I don't have much experience with them, but I figured they would be good for when I want to get a workout in and don't have time to go to the gym. I'm still working on putting together a good training plan for them. I'll post it once I have it.

I rejoined the local rec center. It has a tiny gym and crappy hours but it was only $25 for the year. I won't be able to go a lot, but it will be nice every once in a while. There's a larger rec center up the road with longer hours but it's an extra $35 every 3 months. Still a good deal. It would bring the total cost to $165 for the year. Can't beat that!

Still trying to follow the paleo diet, though it is extremely tough to follow for someone who eats out a lot. Restaurants put cheese and sauce on everything and then serve it on bread with potatoes on the side. I've been eating a lot of salads with either chicken or beef on top.

In addition to finding exercises for the bands, I'm also trying to put together a daily stretching routine. I will post that here as well, as soon as I get it done.

I need to buys some heavier kettlebells. The 25 pounder just ain't cutting it.  

Tuesday, June 8, 2010

Paleo Diet

So I've been contemplating trying out the Paleo diet to see if it will help me lose weight and also ditch some of the intestinal problems I have. I've been doing some research on the diet, the benefits and possible dangers and so far, I think a modified version of the paleo a.k.a. caveman diet would work out well.

Here is what I like about the diet:
Minimal dairy - I'm lactose intolerant, so this would be no problem.
No grains - This will be the hardest to give up, but I've often wondered if I have a gluten allergy.
Meat - I love meat. The diet discourages processed meats like lunch meat, hot dogs and other sausages.
No beans - Beans are usually a problem for me as well, though not necessarily in the "musical fruit" kind of way.
No refined sugar or added salt - makes sense. We all know they are the devil.
Fluxuating consumption - three meals a day isn't natural, and neither is 5 meals a day. Eat when your hungry. Stop when you're not.


Here is what I dislike-
Too much meat - A lot of the paleo bloggers I've read seem to go way overboard on the meat consumption. Even though paleoithic man was not afraid to eat meat, I doubt they ate it in the same consumption/activity ratio that modern paleo dieters are eating today.