This Will Not Stand - On my embarrasing personal fitness

[Stuart B]

On Sunday I had one of those "Holy Crap!" moments, but before I get to that, let's have a little backstory:

I've been a skinny, lanky nerdy type all my life, generally eating cheap sugary crap throughout the day and barely thinking about it. Despite these bad habits I still managed to cycle fairly briskly to and from my first place of work ten years ago with ease.

Then I learned to drive.. which wasn't too bad as I was going from factory job to factory job - spending my working shifts running about with 20kg bags of potatoes.

Around four years ago I got my first decent office job, which lead me into my current routine which is as follows: Wake up, sit in the car and drive to work, sit in front of a computer and monitor for 8 hours, sit in the car and drive home, sit in front of the computer and noodle about, Bed. Now we approach the "Holy Crap!" moment...

On Sunday I was cleaning out the garage when I found an ancient bike that my sister had given my mum about a year ago. It was in pretty manky condition with both tyres worn down completely, front brake pads completely down to the metal and rear brake cable utterly siezed. I spent a very happy Sunday getting some new tyres on, fitting a new cable and replacing the brakes. After a few hours I had it in a roadworthy condition and everything was adjusted and working nicely. Then the following thought struck me:

"I'd better give it a decent test... Time for a bike ride!"

And so I set off out of the Close, and down one of the many back roads to retrace one of the quieter rides from my childhood.

Oh. My. Fucking. God.

I think I managed about five minutes before turning round and struggling back up the road, a round trip of barely a fucking mile, after which I duly flaked out on the sofa for a bit wondering what the hell happened.

"What're you telling us for?" you may ask? Well, I'm posting this as a statement of intent:

I will ride that damn bike, until I can afford a decent one, then I will ride that until I'm not left gasping and out of puff by a distance so utterly trivial that the 17 year old me wouldn't have even broken a sweat covering.

Plus posting it here seems to validate it - I don't want to end up dropping back into bad habits and just leave the bike mouldering in the garage.

[Muphex]

I had this recently always been very thin, looked healthy so presumed I was just a bit out of shape and a couple of trips down the gym would sort me out. Went for a swim (which I was very good at in my youth) managed 10 lengths before dragging my sorry aching legs out of the pool and collapsing in the shower cubicle. What a wake up call. Been going for a few weeks just pushing myself to an extra length or two a day and I am seeing improvements. Scary shit though man. Two years ago I could go and do a full work out 2 years of doing nothing and I am screwed.

[Patashnik]

Same here.
Always been pretty slim, can't drive so I've always walked everywhere (well, not everywhere but you know what I mean) and generally thought I was in reasonable shape - but over a decade of working in offices, drinking way too much (couldn't remember the last time I hadn't had at least one drink in the evening) and smoking way too much has definitely taken it's toll.

Went for a jog for the first time in ages a few weeks back and could only manage a pitiful 12 minutes before I had to stop.
I haven't smoked in the three weeks since, and have only had a few beers in that time. Would love to say I feel all the better for it, I don't particularly (well, not 'amazing' anyway - I can now run a little longer without my heart threatening to explode!) but the biggest difference I 've noticed is that I can actually get out of bed at a decent time in the morning without feeling knackered and like total crap.

Never realised how much alchohol gives you a shity night's sleep.

[Jest of EVE]

Hey Stuart, I had exactly the same feeling recently when I bought and rode my new bike.

First day out was pretty hard work and I felt pretty rough and out of breath (I smoke). Over the last 2.5 weeks I've been out quite a lot on the wooded trails for challenge (and fun), and other places just for the ride. I'm definitely tackling the hills a heck of a lot easier than that first time out. My legs are starting to feel pretty pumped-up too.

I'm enjoying it immensely, but the fags are showing their evil too.

You should think about finding any local trails and get a half-decent mountain bike. It's bloody good fun, and you get fitter into the bargain!

[Tmuk]

Echo! Also always been tall and slim, now 27 and starting to think to myself 'Is it my imagination or am I getting a bit of a belly?'. Is this how it starts? Barely perceptible changes that eventually end up with one being a fat bastard? I've always had a bit of a paunch, it just seems to be bulging out a bit more when I sit down - hanging very slightly over my belt. Scary stuff. The irony is that I've spent the last 10 years necking beers at each and every opportunity in an attempt to meet girls and suddenly it's starting to catch up, slashing my chances even further

[limb_clock]

well this is really different from me.

Lemme tell ya, with all the little tech i won, i'm more motivated to go outside and have a nice 10 km walk, rather than sitting at home for the whole day. Upon getting that library job, i walk about 3 kilometres to work and back again (and i work for like, 5 and a half hours). Sometimes when i'm bored/fustrated, i tend to take my iPod and go for a nice 10km walk. The more bored i am, the more walks i take for that week, all whilst listening to shows from that TwiT network to get edumacated about computer security and recent happenings in the mac and linux world.

I know that it' a bit tough to walk in the cities themselves, but i'd say you should walk a bit more often. Why not listen to audiobooks or something whilst doing it?

[bumblebee]

Yes, walking is what I like too. It spreads the workout over a long time and is not as difficult. Besides, one can stop and look at things and try new tracks.

[Cloudane]

Reminds me of an old hologram saying:

When you're younger you can eat what you like, drink what you like, and still climb into your 26" waist trousers and zip them closed. Then you reach that age, 24-25, your muscles give up, they wave a little white flag, and without any warning at all you're suddenly a fat bastard

(Though 26" seems rather optimistic to me from about age 12!)

It did that exact thing to me about age 24, when I seemed to spring from a 32" waist to 36" practically overnight from no change in behaviour. Now 27, 15 stone, and struggling to fit into 36s!

I'm actually on a constant battle between mountain climbing and obesity. That may sound ridiculous, but really it's just BMI obesity (right on the edge of it) so it doesn't really mean much. But climbing a mountain once or twice a month is not enough on its own to keep fit or thin - it's just motivation not to go the whole hog and become a real lard arse.

Good luck, really. Some people love exercise and gyms and stuff, and if you're one of them I'm glad*. Wish I did! I went down to a normal weight last year and got to a half respectable fitness level, but things happened and the cravings and the laziness came back and now I'm back where I started plus a small amount of interest.

Whilst getting too far into obesity should always call for action, anyone who has "a bit of a belly" would be advised (IMO) to just live with it unless you are *genuinely* finding that you enjoy exercise and healthy eating and have time for it. Because if it's not permanent, it'll pile back on before you can blink.

The biggest problem I have is time and energy. After spending all day at work - okay, sat down but thinking, and thinking does actually tire you out - I cannot be bothered to do a single thing.


{*} But do be careful. A relative of a good friend recently suffered a fatal accident from one of those things with tons of weights. Always be mindful of safety.

[Baggypants]

I seriously can't do exercise for the sake of it. So I've started cycling to our local cash converters on my lunch breaks to look for second hand games. (found THPS4 and viewtiful Joe for the GC £3 each)

[PinkFearie]

Ive just gained 2 stone in 2 month making my dress size go up from a pleasent 10-12 to a 14-16. All because of current health issues and a knackered left knee. I dont seem to have strength in my left knee to push bike far at all. Been using Gym Ball etc and been having physio as well. My physio encouraged me to take part in some group exercises to kinda push my limits.
All I wanted to do was get back on my push bike and go back to normal health wise. So currently looking for some form of gentle group exercise where weight can be lost/toned and knee can be strengthened.
Havent been on pushbike now for about 6 months at a guess, and when have done its been 4 minutes jobs then having to come off crying in pain. Its really sickening when you think a year ago, my body was capable of this or this and you realise that now your reduced to using a walking aid when youve been stood up for a while.
Stuart keep us posted, as going to try and catch up to you at least Kinda like a moving target hehe

[Bod]

I'm still fighting over here.

[venusian]

Swim my little whales, swim!

[Alarm]

I used to be quite slim when I was younger and then started "piling on the weight" when I was in my mid-to-late twenties, even though my (not that healthy) diet hadn't changed. Now I want to lose a stone or three.

[Tmuk]

To make matters worse I've done my right foot in somehow - had a nice jog last Saturday and it didn't start hurting until Monday. I haven't been able to walk to work all week

[Marius]

Being thin/slim is, unfortunately, not the same as being healthy. Working as a personal trainer, I have seen tubbo's outrun, outcycle and outlift skinny and seemingly healthy guys.