Robert Stinnett

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Archive for category Get Fit

Good Morning! Now Start Eating!

Aug 10

Posted by Robert Stinnett in Get Fit | View Comments

If I had known that I get to eat more meals in a day when losing weight, I would have started a lot sooner!  The last thing you probably think about when trying to lose weight is eating more often, but it’s true – the tired, old philosophy of eating “3 big meals a day” is horribly out of date and just plain wrong.  To really boost your metabolism and help you achieve your fitness and weight loss goals you should be eating smaller meals every 3-5 hours.  The key here is smaller meals (you cannot have a 5-course meal every time you sit down!) and making sure what you put into your body is stuff that it can use.

Our bodies are strange creatures, and they very easily start to think that food is scarce when they don’t get nutrition every few hours.  By eating smaller meals more frequently you are telling your body “Hey, it’s ok, there is plenty of food – here, try this and enjoy!”  It helps your metabolism to keep going throughout the day and helps to provide regular doses of energy that your body can use to keep you feeling better and helps give you the motivation to be more active. 

Without a doubt the most important meal of the day is breakfast.  I can’t tell you how many years went by when I was skipping breakfast and just grabbing a donut or some other junk food from the convenience store or the break room at work.  Is it any wonder I was 342lbs and growing?  Make sure that you start your day off right – you want to fill your plate with proteins, healthy fats and a few carbohydrates.  Think of this combination as the perfect “Good Morning Body” breakfast!

Here is a sample of what I had for breakfast this morning:

Scrambled eggs (yes, eggs are good for you!), slice of whole wheat toast with a teaspoon of peanut butter, a tablespoon or so (I don’t measure things exactly) of pecans and a glass of skim milk.

Now feel free to get creative with those eggs – why don’t you chop up some of those garden fresh tomatoes and put into them?  How about a dash of cinnamon?  Can I interest you in some chopped onion? Just avoid the salt and the cheeses and you will be fine!

Mmmm, let me tell you it was good!  I’m not a morning person, but this boost of energy really got me up and going.

Losing weight isn’t easy, but we can do things to make it a little more enjoyable.  Eating a good, healthy breakfast and making sure that we are eating multiple small meals during the day can go a long way to making this journey a lot more enjoyable – and helping you to stick to it.

So if you haven’t done so already, get off the computer and go make you some breakfast!

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Finding Motivation

Aug 9

Posted by Robert Stinnett in Get Fit | View Comments

Working towards a goal, in my case weight loss, can be taxing at times.  There are days (weeks even) when the end goal seems so far away that you wonder why you keep chasing it.  I’ve fallen off the proverbial horse so many times, but each and every time I’ve managed to dust myself off and get right back on it.  After 8 months I’m 65lbs healthier for it, with another 85lbs to go to reach my “goal” weight of 200lbs.  Sometimes it’s the number on the scale that motivates me, and sometimes motivation can come from the unlikeliest of places.

Another hot summer weekend here in Missouri – the type of heat and humidity that makes you want to stay inside with the blinds shut and the AC cranked down real low.  It’s 3pm on a Saturday, and the YMCA closes at 5pm and I’m having a hard time motivating myself to get up, get out and get over there.  I feel good about how much I’ve achieved, yet at the same time on this particular day I just want to dive into a huge bowl of rocky road ice cream.

A lot of us nowadays struggle with motivation.  The average American works more hours than their parents or grandparents did.  We face so much uncertainty about our future and our children’s future that just picking up the paper or turning on the evening news can be a challenge.  After all, the news has turned into nothing more than a mixed bag of celebrity gossip, political mudslinging and the latest tale of how the rich are getting richer while the rest of us wonder how in the world we are ever going to be able to afford to retire.  Walter Cronkite, we could really use you nowadays!

Yet in the middle of all this gloom and doom, gossip and mudslinging, constantly beeping cell phones and days that seem shorter and shorter I have found that the best way to find motivation is by simple tuning out.

Technology is great – it’s also a great way to be lazy and lose track of time.  I have stopped carrying my cell phone with me every time I go from room to room, or outside for a bit, because I really don’t want to be bothered by it.  Nothing is that important it can’t wait 15 or 30 minutes.  Instead of sitting in front of the TV watching non-stop crime shows and the latest incarnation of CSI I have instead turned off the TV, or when I do watch it a bit watch shows that expand my horizon – such as the Science Channel or the History Channel. 

I’ve also made a concentrated effort to form more local friendships.  Sure, it’s great to have thousands of Facebook friends – but it’s also good to have local friends.  The kind you can go out and do something with on the weekend, or maybe just go over and help them work on their car or shoot the breeze with.

I’m guilty, like so many others, of getting caught up in the 24×7, technology driven, non-stop news cycle of a world we live in nowadays that I tended to isolate myself and forget that there really is more to life than surfing the web or watching Youtube videos. 

So what happened yesterday when I was searching for my motivation?  I actually found it by remembering that one of the staff members who work at the YMCA was working that Saturday and I knew she’d know if I was playing hooky – and I enjoy shooting the breeze with her.  So I got up, got dressed and got my ass over there.

When it was all said and done – I left the Y feeling better than I had all day long.  In the end, my personal motivator was people – and the joy that comes from turning off the computer, getting up from the desk and realizing that not all conversations have to take place over txt messaging or Facebook.

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Lights, Camera, Action! Weight Loss Video Update

Aug 4

Posted by Robert Stinnett in Get Fit | View Comments

I figured it was time to come from behind the keyboard and show myself on video.  I put together this short video to update everyone on my weight loss progress and give some tips and advice about what I found has been working well for me.

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Looking Good and Feeling Great

Aug 1

Posted by Robert Stinnett in Get Fit | View Comments

I thought it was about time I gave everyone an update on my weight loss and fitness journey.  It’s been a while, and a few folks have been asking.  So here goes – I’m doing TERRIFIC!  I have to tell you, I’ve never felt better in my life and knowing that it’s going to get even better down the road – man, it’s a total rush.

So here we are in July of 2010 (well technically as I write this the clock just ticked over to August, but we’ll call it July) and I’m down to…drum roll please… 287lbs!  To put it into perspective, I started 2010 clocking in at a gut busting 342lbs.  Wow!

How did I do it?  No magic diets, no magic pills, no self-help nonsense.  I did it by doing a lot of cardio exercise, lifting some weights and watching what I eat.  It was that simple.  I didn’t starve myself and I didn’t do some fad diet where I got rid of all the stuff I love to eat – I just watched the portions and tried to substitute healthy snacks and healthier alternatives in where I could.  So, for example, instead of eating french fries I switched to a nice baked sweet potato.  Instead of ice cream, frozen yogurt.  Simple things like that.  I also started reading the boxes of what I buy in the store and started steering clear of the high fructose corn syrup crap and started going for the whole grains and whole wheat.

So how about a picture?  They say a picture is worth a thousand words!

Look at that handsome guy!

I couldn’t even fit into those jeans and shirt back in January!

Now don’t get me wrong – I still got a ways to go.  My goal is 205lbs.  So I got another 82lbs to go and I know it’s going to take time.  However, I’m more motivated now than ever!

Getting fit and feeling great – it’s worth it folks, believe me.  If you need some motivation please, please contact me and let me be your motivator.  I’ll help you and along the way we can encourage each other!

Now if only I could find a sponsor to supply me with gym shoes – Finish Line or Reebok, you listening?  I’m going through gym shoes like crazy because of all the workouts I do.  You should change your shoes every 500 miles because they lose their support and comfort – and I’ve been through probably 3 pair so far!

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Breaking 300: A Reason to Celebrate

Apr 18

Posted by Robert Stinnett in Get Fit | View Comments

About two weeks ago I celebrated a major milestone in my quest to get fit – I finally fell below 300!  As of today (April 18, 2010) I’m sitting at 294.5 – or roughly 50lbs lighter than when I started my journey in late December 2009.  Talk about a motivator – seeing those magical numbers on the scale really gave me a confidence boost!

Looking back so far, I’ve learned a few things – first, you really can enjoy what you eat, just as long as you enjoy it in moderation.  Starting out I told myself I wasn’t getting involved in any fad diet.  I’m always amazed at the amount of money people throw away on the “diet of the moment” thinking that by denying themselves something they are going to be able to take weight off and keep it off.  By watching what I eat I’ve managed to cut the calories and fat without really changing what I eat.  I still enjoy frozen yogurt, the occasional order of french fries (maybe once or twice a month!) and my favorite – baked potatoes.  The big difference between now and then is that I make better decisions instead of eliminating foods altogether.  For example, I love a good baked potato – but I will skip the sour cream and butter and instead sprinkle some olive oil on it and pile on the garlic and chives.  Mmmmm!

Secondly, no matter what you do, you have to get up and get moving.  There is no doubt in my mind at this stage of the game that without regular physical exercise any of this would have been possible.  Sure, there have been plenty of times when I was just wore out or just plain lazy and didn’t want to go to the gym – but I went anyway.  What I found out is that after my 40 minutes or so at the gym I had more energy than ever.  You just have to get motivated to do something – anything!  Sitting Pecan Saladaround watching TV doesn’t count!

It’s not an easy journey – nobody said it would be – but if you have the motivation and desire you can make it an exciting one.  If I could offer anyone advice to get them started it would be this:

  • Put down the processed foods (ready-to-eat meals in a box from the store, fast food burgers and sandwiches, etc.)
  • Get up and get active – even if it means just walking for 30 minutes a day
  • Add strength training to your exercise – lift some weights, you will be surprised how much it boosts your cardio routines!
  • Don’t sweat it when you fall off the wagon or indulge for a day; it’s OK to be bad once in a while as long as you keep moving towards your goal
  • Get creative in the kitchen – you’d be surprised what you can create at home that is far, far better than the fat-laden, calorie-laden meals you will get when you eat out.  Pecan salad anyone?

If I can do it – YOU can do it!

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You Wouldn’t Know It By Looking at Him

Mar 11

Posted by Robert Stinnett in Get Fit | View Comments

It’s been almost three months now since I started working out and trying to get looking as good as I did back in college (the “good old days”).  One of the things I’ve learned – and something I’ve really known all along – is that what you put into your body is as important as what you do with your body.  Very few people would know it by looking at me, but throughout most of my college and 20’s I was a 99% vegetarian (I occasionally had chicken and turkey, but very rarely).  I actually enjoyed the food – and to this day I eat very little red meat.  My meat of choice is chicken and turkey – good sources of protein I might add.

However, the last thing I’m going to do is sit here and tell you that you have to be a vegetarian to get healthy, or you shouldn’t eat your steak or whatever food you enjoy.  Diets are nothing more than ways to make you feel miserable and set you up for certain failure.  We all remember the Atkins Diet right?  Eat no carbohydrates (no bread, potatoes, pasta etc.) and stuff all the meat you want into your mouth.  First of all – that just sounds disgusting.  Second, it doesn’t take a genius to figure out all that meat isn’t good for you.  Third, I don’t know about you – but no pasta? Forget it!  Not for this guy!  Julia Child said it best when she said “The only time to eat diet food is while you’re waiting for the steak to cook”.  I Love Julia Child

What I have learned in my journey so far is that the problem with most American diets is that we don’t know when to say when.  We eat delicious, hearty meals – three times a day!  The problem isn’t with what we are eating (for the most part), it’s with how much we are eating.

I’ll be the first one to stand up and say “Yep, that’s me!”  Of course my problem wasn’t that I was eating six-course meals for breakfast, lunch and dinner; my problem was that I was eating way too much throughout the day.  Cereal bars, peanut butter crackers, cookies, chips – anything pre-packaged and ready to go and I was all on it.  It’s not that you can’t enjoy a cereal bar or some cookies – it’s that you can’t enjoy them every day, multiple times per day.

We’re all in such a rush nowadays.  We all work longer and harder than our parents and grandparents did, and most of us wouldn’t know what a home cooked meal was.  We swing by to see the Colonel at Kentucky Friend Chicken and pick up a bucket of fried chicken and a box of biscuits and say “Bon Appetite!” Sure, our bodies think it’s delicious – and trust me, KFC now and then is a great treat – but when it becomes our regular dinner several times a month (or even a week) that is where the problem is at.

Of course when you start exercising – and start to see your body change – your whole mindset is going to change.  I used to go to Subway for lunch and have a turkey or chicken footlong sub on wheat bread.  No cheese, no mayo – but all the vegetables.  Yes, this is a great meal and its very healthy considering the other alternatives out there.  I would recommend Subway to anyone over McDonald’s or Burger King in a heartbeat.  However, as I started working out more and getting my body in shape I found my mindset changing.  No longer was I wanting a footlong – now I was content with a 6” sub (still no mayo or cheese, and still plenty of vegs) and some baked chips.  I was adding the baked chips to my diet, but getting rid of some of the sub.  I was seeing a net loss of about 200 calories in total and I was feeling full. 

Around the house as well I stopped eating peanut butter crackers in the evening and started eating more bananas and apples.  Instead of the two servings of baked chicken breast, I found myself feeling full after just one.  I started craving more vegetables – I just love steamed broccoli and corn – and found myself not so interested in the onion rings or meatballs so much anymore.

Again, it’s not that I am depriving myself of these foods – it’s that my mindset and appetite has changed.  It is simply amazing what a little bit of exercise can do for you.  I no longer reach for the cookies for a snack, I save them for a special treat!

The bottom line is you really can eat what you want.  If you like coconut cream pie (and I do!) then you can have it.  You should have it.  However, once you get into the fitness mindset you will find that you just don’t want it as often.  It really does become that special treat you have now and then.  You will find that your body tells you “no pie tonight, I’m full!” and you won’t even miss it.

So to all of you out there who are in the same boat as I am – keep at it!  Keep exercising and keep lifting those weights and running those miles.  You are going to find out soon (if you haven’t already) once you make it past the first few hurdles your body is going to go into auto-pilot mode and the changes you have been craving are going to come natural.

Best part about it – you’ll still enjoy that ice cream waffle cone from the ice cream parlor this summer and you won’t feel one bit guilty about it!

 

Photo Credit: Rakka via Flickr.

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(Sometimes) Life Comes Easy

Feb 26

Posted by Robert Stinnett in Get Fit | View Comments

It’s been a little over two months now since I started my fitness routine.  I’m pleased to say that I’ve been able to, with only a brief 5-day interruption due to being ill, hit the gym at least 5 nights a week.  There was a short period of time when I was hitting it up every day, but I soon learned that your body needs rest.  Breaking up the week into one or two day routines with a one day break has really helped.  So many times in our quest to get fit we push ourselves too much – and forget that in order to build muscle our muscles need a day (or even two!) to repair themselves.

One thing I’ve noticed lately is that despite doing some rather intense workouts – especially cardio workouts – that they are becoming easier and I’m not exerting myself like I was in the beginning.  I can easily do a 3.5mph @ 10% incline without getting my heart rate above 125.  When I first started something like that would have shot my heart rate up into the high 140’s and I’d have to back down a little because I knew that it was too much.  Not anymore – now I find it’s not only easier, but that I can recoup much faster.

Of course this is a good thing – it means my cardio system is getting in better shape.  My resting heart rate has dropped and my body is building up the muscle that let’s me do more while not wearing myself out as much.  My heart muscles are strengthening which means I can do more work while spending less energy.  Nothing wrong with any of that!

This also means it’s time to take it to the next level.  If I continue along at this rate I’ll be doing my body good – but I won’t gain more muscle and I’ll basically plateau.  Who knew I’d ever get to the point where I would have to worry about not working myself hard enough!

cardio So I’ve introduced a few things to help me get to the next level.  First, I’m moving away from a “steady state” cardio workout where I’d chose an incline and stay with it and now moving towards a variable workout.  Increasing the incline throughout the workout, with periods of rest in there where I bring the incline down.  I’m also varying the speed – starting out at around 3.0, going to 3.5 and then peaking around 4.0 to 4.1mph.  There are numerous studies that show that this type of interval training is very good for you and in fact can help you build more muscle and expend more calories in the long run than just doing a steady state workout.

Speaking of studies, I ran across this article yesterday about how intense sessions of interval training can really benefit you and could possibly mean you can get the benefits of doing longer workouts in shorter periods of time.  It’s an interesting read and has a lot of good points.  I know after I took a week off from the gym due to being under the weather I actually was able to go back and felt better than ever before.  I credit some of that with giving my body time to repair all of my muscles while I was resting instead of constantly pushing myself without letting them fully repair.  I’ve even read some articles that suggest every month or two you should take an entire week off just to let your body rebuild itself fully.

I’m willing to try anything once – so I’ll be incorporating more intensity into the workouts in the coming weeks and let you know what happens.  I’ve also got some exciting news that I’ll share next week as well as a few new pictures of me so you can judge for yourself how things are going.

Keep motivated!

 

Photo Credit:  sportsandsocial via Flickr.

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Top 10 Reasons The Gym Is Less Crowded

Feb 1

Posted by Robert Stinnett in Get Fit | View Comments

Well folks, its February and you know what that means – lots of people are giving up on those New Year resolutions to lose weight.  Suddenly all those new faces at the gym start disappearing, and you find the crowds aren’t so bad as they were a mere month ago.  Now, I know you have a strong will, so I know you aren’t one of them that has given up and thrown in the towel after a mere month.  Don’t let me down, I’m counting on you!

So since you and I’ve stuck it out together, let’s take a few moments to poke some fun at those quitters.  That’s right, say it loud and say it proud with me — “Quitter! Quitter!”

 

Top 10 Reasons the Gym is Less Crowded Nowadays

10.  A Baskin Robbins opened up shop right across the street from the gym.  31 flavors!?  One for each day of the month!baskin robbins

9.  People just couldn’t figure out how to get their no-show socks to stop showing at the gym.

8.  “Nudie Night” just wasn’t quite the success the gym owners thought it would be.

gay gym hotties 7.  People got mad when they were told that no, you cannot wear rollerblades on the treadmills.

6.  Turns out that yeah, all the good looking guys at the gym really are gay! (Oh the social events you are going to miss!)

5.  They went 5 times the first week and got upset they weren’t toned up on day 5.  Headed to Baskin Robbins instead.fast food

4.  Got warned numerous times about eating Monster Burgers and fries while using the equipment. 

3.  Didn’t realize that one year membership included months other than those that start with “Jan”.

2.  Turns out that it IS impossible to work out and then pig out.  Who would have thought it?

1.  They broke a sweat and decided it was too much work – they never broke a sweat watching TV, and they weren’t starting now!

 

Photo Credits:  Baskin Robbins by lordog; Crunch Gym Hotties by Walter Parenteau; Fast Food by Christian Cable.

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Now, Before or After – Working Out and Munching Down

Jan 27

Posted by Robert Stinnett in Get Fit | View Comments

I see a lot of advice floating around about when to eat if you are working out.  Everything from don’t eat before a workout for optimal fat burning to eat a light snack an hour beforehand to build up reserves – and everything in between (sorry folks, but the one thing I haven’t seen is the one that says to eat a Kit Kat bar during the workout!).  Armed with all this conflicting information I set about to pull it all together and see what makes sense and what doesn’t.

I found out that, really, it just doesn’t matter.  The truth of the matter is this – if you workout and burn 500 calories then your body “subtracts” 500 calories.  At the end of the day, when you tote everything up, if your body needs more fuel it will simply get those 500 calories form your fat reserves.  It’s as simple as that.  I can find no scientific evidence that any special type of meal or time of day is going to increase or decrease calories.  At the end of the day what matters for weight loss is calories –plain and simple.

Realize to that everyone is different.  What works for me may not work for you.  Personally I feel like I get a nice post-workout “high” by eating a peanut butter and jelly sandwich when I come back from the gym.  This isn’t “free” food calorie wise, it’s still part of my daily meals – but I find by having it within an hour of working out I get a nice, natural high.  It’s just how my body responds.  I know some people who eat about 60 minutes pre-workout to build up the sugar and energy in them to help motivate them to workout.  Like I said, whatever works for you GO FOR IT!

About the only thing I ever take with me to the gym and consume during workouts is Propel water.  I don’t know about you – but I have to have some flavor in my water.  Plain water never has done much for me.  When you are working out and doing cardio you need to make sure you keep yourself hydrated, so find some type of water and take it with you.  Stay away from sodas and teas which can actually dehydrate you.

Oh, and for those of you who like those energy bars and such – hey, it’s your calories, but I would like to point out that most of those things are just sugar and protein (sometimes and most often just sugar).  Why not save yourself some money and pack you some Ritz crackers with peanut butter or make you some Rice Krispie treats instead?  How about peanut butter on the Rice Krispie treats?  Sounds good to me!  Either way, you will be saving money and controlling how much sugar and fat go into your mouth!

So there you have it – 100’s of thousands of Google hits boiled down to a simple statement.  Eat when you feel like it, eat right and drink plenty of liquids.  Solid advice for anyone whether they are trying to lose weight or not.

 

Photo Credit: Drunken Monkey on Flickr.

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Got Sweat?

Jan 26

Posted by Robert Stinnett in Get Fit | View Comments

One of the most often asked questions, and one I asked myself a lot when first starting out, was how do I know when I’m doing cardio exercises right?  There are a plethora of charts out there that show you your target heart rate given your age and what “zone” you want to be in.  There is also the age old advice of “If you can hold a conversation with the person next to you, you aren’t working out too hard”.  I find that is good advice, but I’ve also discovered when you are trying to lose weight (and not just maintain fitness) there is one sure fire way to know you are burning off the calories and fat and working in your “zone”…

 

You have to sweat.

Robert Showing off his Sweat!

Yes folks, you may not want to hear it – but if you want to get those pounds off you have to get sweaty.  Which is why the second most commonly heard statement in any gym is, “please be sure to wear deodorant!”

If you find yourself on the treadmill going along at a good pace but are relatively dry then you aren’t in your zone.  What’s more, as you get fit you will find that your zone changes.  The stronger your heart gets thanks to all that exercise you will find that it will beat slower at the same intensity over time.  So that 4mph @ 6% incline that caused you to get drenched a few months ago now may be a piece of cake – time to turn it up a notch!

I had firsthand experience with why it’s important to sweat when doing cardio last summer.  I was walking almost everyday a good 3 miles around town.  For the first month or two the weight came off, but then I hit a plateau.  My body had build up muscle and now when I was doing the same walk around town I wasn’t exerting myself as much and I stopped sweating.  The end result was that I wasn’t burning as many calories and so I began maintaining my weight instead of losing. 

One of the curious things I find out about people (and I hear this a lot as an excuse as to why people don’t want to exercise) is that people for some reason hate sweating.  Now, don’t get me wrong, I don’t want to be stuck on a plane next to some sweaty person anymore than the next guy, but in a gym everybody is sweating so there is no need to be embarrassed or self-conscious about it.  In fact, you should think of it as your personal badge of honor to finish up your workout sweaty.

There is a saying I heard that I think is quite appropriate here – you can eat ANYTHING you want, just as long as you are prepared to sweat every last calorie of it out later!

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