Healthy Living.

[Landshark]

Exercise?  I thought you said "Extra Fries"

 

This thread will be about healthy living and goes hand in hand with riding motorcycles in general.  Take some time to share your healthy living advice with us.  

 

When I first started riding my T7 in the spring of 21', I found myself out of shape for such activities.  I rode all summer kind of fighting with my health and extra weight.  Then one day I didn't feel well and a short time later ended up in the hospital with an abscess on my liver that needed surgery.  8 days later I was released but in really poor shape.  My poor eating habits and diverticulitis had caught up with me.  Couple that with the fact that I didn't have a regular exercise program.  I felt that this was the time to make a change or inevitably I wouldn't be riding for too much longer.  Can you imagine that.  You can't ride but you're still alive!

 

The first thing I did was quit eating sugar filled food.  No candy, chocolate or pastries and especially sugar filled drinks.  I lost about 10 pounds the first month just by doing that.  No special diet, just no sweets.  

 

The next item on the list was to eat correctly without special diets to follow or spending a ton of time in the kitchen to prepare meals.  So I said to my out of shape self... eat naturally.  It's easy.  Eat foods that are natural such as fruits and vegetables, meat and alternatives, dairy and alternatives and of course whole grain products.  I dumped the caloric sauces and gravies and other bliss that was really unnecessary. Eating the correct portions has a bit to do with healthiness as well.  When you eat natural foods you may find that you won't over eat as there is no added sugar or salt involved that causes overeating.  It doesn't take long to forget about blissful foods and just eat normally.  Give it a try.

 

The next thing on the menu (no pun intended) was an exercise program.  Full disclosure... I'm sorta lazy when it comes to an exercise regime.  I can work at anything all day but I had trouble putting in 20 minutes of controlled exercise.  So I dragged my ass into the basement and started using my old Bow Flex again.  I started out lightly and worked up to a full 20 minute workout, every second day.  Big deal eh?  Well, let me tell you this really does help my health in that I feel more energetic during the day and ready to do stuff.  Like riding a motorcycle.  Who knew?  Then I started with more riding oriented exercise such as squats for leg strength, push ups for arm strength and sit ups.  Get this... when I first started on my adventure I couldn't do one sit-up without fear of injuring my back.  Holy crap, man.  Go ahead and try to do your sit up.  Some of you may not be able to do it.   

 

OK.  Enough banter.   Post up your healthy living advice so we can all get back in shape and enjoy a better ride and feeling great.  What do you do to stay in shape?

 

 

[AZJW]

Good thread, nice to share ideas. I'm fortunate in that I come from a lean lineage gene pool, meaning I can pretty much eat ( within reason) what I want. That doesn't help much when it comes to staying fit, but I do recognize and appreciate I have it easier than some who have more weight to haul around. Eating healthy is extremely important and the wife and I have cut out sugared tea, sodas, etc in pursuit of that optimal balanced diet.

 

Since retiring, I've actually gotten more lax in my workout routine than when I was working.  Having a set schedule actually worked better for me and having lived in Phoenix, AZ for many years,  I could get out on my road bicycle every morning. I'd rise at 0445, stumble downstairs ( knee issues that were better after my ride), eat a bowl of Wheat Chex, load up a couple of water bottles and leave the house @ 0500 for a 45 minute ride with hard 1 minute intervals, every 5 minutes. Home before 0600, shower and head to work by 0645. I did this 5 days a week and did a 30-50 mile group ride on Saturday with Sunday being a day off.   I was in the best shape of my life at 45-55 years old, pedaling 100+ miles a week and could pretty much keep up with "kids" half my age. Now days, not so much as it takes tremendous discipline and commitment to keep that up.  I still spin daily,  just finished 45 minutes on the trainer as the bottom line is,  I want to live an active lifestyle and keep riding on 2 wheels for many more than the 66 years already behind me. Back issues lately have impacted my routine, but I'm living proof the excellent book, " Back Mechanic" , by Stuart McGill PhD,  works. ( no affiliation, just a believer).

 

The takeaway from this is if you really want to get in shape, you can. Just start with whatever you can do, track your progress ( sports watches are great motivators) increase your exercise slowly,  listen to your body, but Don't quit! 

[Landshark]

I'm fat, but I identify as slim.  That makes me trans slender.

 

Eating well and exercise is critical to any health adventure.  Fast food is a killer in our society.  So easy to get and somewhat less expensive than wholesome food.  And you can make fast food at home nowadays so it's easy to over indulge in the calorie category.  Just don't eat junk all the time or time after time even for a short while.  You'll feel much better.

[Landshark]

I found there was only one way to look thin: hang out with fat people.  Rodney Dangerfield.

 

Hunger.  No one likes feeling hungry.  However, if you would like to slim down, it's OK to be hungry at least once a day.  Don't eat just because you feel like you may be hungry.  Perhaps you just need to have a drink of water.  Wait until you actually are hungry.  For example, if it's 1 or 2 hours until lunch and you feel a bit hungry, just wait.  Then, don't overindulge in bliss food when you do sit down.  Please, no calorie drinks.  Do not drink calories no matter how "OK" it seems.  

 

So first off, you need to get a grip on how many calories you can eat in one day.  And when you do you'll find there is no room for garbage food as you only get a specified amount of calories.  You need to eat healthy foods because you will find those foods will easily fill your required calorie count.  There's no room for anything but whole foods in your belly or you will get way to many calories. 

 

Google up BMI index.  Get your BMI number figured out so you kind of have an idea of where you should be.  Give or take.  Then get an understanding of how many calories you need in a day.  Then, subtract a few hundred calories to allow your body to draw on its own reserves and lose weight.  Be persistent and disciplined.  

 

I use a free calorie counting app called Fat Secret.  I enter everything, and I mean everything into the program to get an understanding of where my calories come from.  You'll soon be aware of just what you need to consume to keep healthy.  Try it.  It works. 

 

Next is the weight scale.  Not for your bike.  For you!

 

  

Edited June 5, 2022 by Landshark

[Ray Ride4life]

I could eat whatever i want and everybody told me it will end when you're 25 but it didn't, then 30 and 35 but still no change.
The change came when i turned 38 but not because of the age but because i quit smoking.
A lot of people replace the smoking habit with candy/snacks but i didn't, still i ended up looking 6 months pregnant.
It happened slowly so i didn't noticed just like you don't notice the decay of your sparkplugs but the warning came with acid burns.
A was not a sweet tooth besides i little sugar in the coffee so the fist start was switch to black and pure.
I also started to get annoyed with by belly, i hated how i looked and it was in the way when i bend over to tie my shoes and just quitting sugar in the coffee was not going to work.

Next step was changing my eating habits. Never go on a diet, that only gets you where you want fast to get you beyond where you started it even faster afterwards.
I started with a lot of potatoes and a little vegetables to the other way around and slowly making the portions smaller plus using more fresh produce.
That worked well until a specific point where i ended up with not enough food to burn the calories i'm using but i did not increase my portions but take a healthy snack in between meals.
It took me 2 years to shed 15 kilo but when i when i showed up at he company BBQ in a tight shirt after not having one in more then a year i was the talk of the night how good i looked and that was the cherry on the cake because that's what i find myself also after years not liking what i saw in the mirror.

[ADVUSA]

21 minutes ago, Ray Ride4life said:

I could eat whatever i want and everybody told me it will end when you're 25 but it didn't, then 30 and 35 but still no change.
The change came when i turned 38 but not because of the age but because i quit smoking.
A lot of people replace the smoking habit with candy/snacks but i didn't, still i ended up looking 6 months pregnant.
It happened slowly so i didn't noticed just like you don't notice the decay of your sparkplugs but the warning came with acid burns.
A was not a sweet tooth besides i little sugar in the coffee so the fist start was switch to black and pure.
I also started to get annoyed with by belly, i hated how i looked and it was in the way when i bend over to tie my shoes and just quitting sugar in the coffee was not going to work.

Next step was changing my eating habits. Never go on a diet, that only gets you where you want fast to get you beyond where you started it even faster afterwards.
I started with a lot of potatoes and a little vegetables to the other way around and slowly making the portions smaller plus using more fresh produce.
That worked well until a specific point where i ended up with not enough food to burn the calories i'm using but i did not increase my portions but take a healthy snack in between meals.
It took me 2 years to shed 15 kilo but when i when i showed up at he company BBQ in a tight shirt after not having one in more then a year i was the talk of the night how good i looked and that was the cherry on the cake because that's what i find myself also after years not liking what i saw in the mirror.

Same here, gradually I had to modify my diet.  Mostly fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, eggs chicken and fish.  Balanced with some binges of course.

lots of walk, minimum several minutes of cardio daily, and sometimes weights.

Whenever the belly starts blowing out,  I refocus the diet and exercise to address.

[Ray Ride4life]

Oh yeah....
For everybody who loves chocolate. the 70% or more pure/dark chocolate contains no sugar but does have loads of antioxidants and because of that it will fit a healthy snack habit.
It seems that when you get older you probably like it and i do, for me the Lindt 70% is my favourite.

[Landshark]

A woman noticed her husband standing on a bathroom scale, sucking in his stomach. “Ha! That's not going to help!” She said. “Sure it does.” he said. “It's the only way I can see the numbers.”

 

Oh yes, the dreaded weight scale.  So here's the deal.  Don't be afraid of stepping on the scale because it's the only way of knowing how much you weigh.  If you have figured out your ideal weight, you may use the scale to see where you are at.  Sort of like a speedometer on a motorcycle.  You learn what speed you need to be at and then check the scale to see how you're doing.  

Here's an example - I'm speeding down the road and I'm doing at least 30 over.  Then the blue lights come on behind me and I already know I've broken the road law.  And I know the consequences.  Same with your weight.  You know you're over by 50 and you know the consequences.  Eventually it catches up to you with a hospital visit.

 

At the beginning I weighed myself everyday to see how I was doing.  This can be a frustrating exercise as you see your weight drop for several days then suddenly it gains by several pounds.  Don't worry.  There are a number of causes for this including food or bile still in your system.  Just keep on track and think about how easy it will be to get into your riding gear and ride the bike.  Your weight drop may increase by 2 pounds the following day after you empty out.  Weigh yourself at roughly the same time everyday or every week if you choose this route.  

 

Go ahead, jump on and keep track of your progress on an app like Fat Secret.  

 

We had better look at the food we are eating now that we know how much change is needed.

 

[Landshark]

A football player was famished after a big game, so he ordered a large pizza.

The server asked him if he wanted it cut into 8 or 10 pieces. He said, "Just eight thanks, I'm hungry but I don't think I could eat ten."

 

I don't follow written and proven diets as often they just don't work.  They're hard to follow for the most part and almost impossible to stay on track.  Just eat wholesome foods that are available at the local market or grocery outlet.  

 

The Canadian food guide suggests eating a variety of healthy foods each day.  Have plenty of fruits and vegetables.  Eat protein foods. Eat most of your protein from plant based foods.  Choose whole grain foods.  Make water your drink of choice.

 

When buying food, stay away from highly processed foods.  You can see them a mile away.  Those bad choices come in boxes and bags already prepared.   Bad food is served out of the fast food window.  It's at every corner store, gas station and vending  machine.

 

Good food is vegetables and fruit either fresh, frozen or canned.  Whole grains such as buckwheat, brown rice, quinoa and spelt.  Eggs.  Fish that's canned or fresh.  Nuts and seeds.  Pulses such as lentils, peas, beans, chickpeas, kidney beans etc.  And don't forget herbs and spices.  

 

50 percent of your plate should be fruits and non-starchy vegetables.  30 percent of your plate needs to be made up of protein like lean meat, fish, eggs, tofu, lentils and beans.  The remaining 20 percent can be starchy wholefood carbs and or natural sources of fat.  

 

Take a look at this food guide poster.  It gives you a guide to how many servings of each food type we need each day depending on your age group.

https://heddielynsalinas.files.wordpress.com/2015/03/24127026.png  

 

If you fill yourself with the correct foods while keeping track of your calorie intake you'll soon realize you really have no room for garbage in your system.

 

If you get into the simple habit of eating whole foods and skipping the junk you'll soon forget about dieting and losing weight as it becomes natural to do.  Go ahead and give it a try.  You'll love it.

 

Now it's time for a work out...

 

[Dan M]

On 6/5/2022 at 11:38 AM, ADVUSA said:

Same here, gradually I had to modify my diet.  Mostly fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, eggs chicken and fish.  Balanced with some binges of course.

lots of walk, minimum several minutes of cardio daily, and sometimes weights.

Whenever the belly starts blowing out,  I refocus the diet and exercise to address.

Controlled binging is a key for long term success. We generally go out to dinner once a week and eat what we want. Then, we get back on track for the rest of the week.  The other thing about sugars is they make you crave sugar. Eliminating those carbs also eliminates the cravings.

 

I've worked out regularly most of my adult life but in my 40s I was 25-30lbs overweight. My diet at home has always been very good and I stay away from fast food and sugary drinks.  Most of my weight gain was work related. Customers would show up with donuts and other sweets often and I couldn't resist.  Also, there was an Italian deli next door so various snacks and wonderful sandwiches were far to easy to get.

 

I made it a point to get away from sugar and I started to lose weight. When I retired I started walking and trail hiking almost daily and I continued to shed lbs.  I've shifted my workout to include a lot of core work and squats. The resulting core and leg strength has helped my stamina considerably.

 

[Landshark]

Thanks for your input @Dan M.  I agree.  Dump the sugar and don't eat a lot of it at all and you'll lose some pounds.  Exercise is the other half of the equation and the part that goes hand in hand with motorcycle riding.  If you're in some kind of good shape you will enjoy riding way more.  Because it's way easier to do.

 

[witgen]

Junk food really is the root of all evil IMO. I did amazing road trip (with car unfortunately) in US few years back. LA - Denver - St. Louis - Nashville - DC - NY.  One thing that struck me the most on that 3 week trip, was how hard it was actually to find healthy food easily. Junk food you can find in US is amazing, but holy s***t. Portions are enormous  and the amount of meat in everything and lack of green stuff was something I wasn't used to at all as European. After two weeks we were desperately looking for Whole foods from every corner to find our snacks. As a US newbie WF was always a safe bet to find relatively healthy food in a hurry with relatively easy to get locations. Expensive AF, but easy to find. I am a meat lover to the core, but if you just eat junk, the amount of it is just excessive. When we finally got in NY I became 100% vegetarian, because I finally had enough easy choices to make.

 

Don't get me wrong. I was just amazed how much I enjoyed fast food joints  (we still talk about Arby's with my friend who was accompanying me. You now it's not proper food, but man, how can you resist tender overly salty meat between a bun....), but after that trip I could actually feel how my health had deteriorated during  time there. I couldn't quite relate to Spurlocks documentary "Super size me", before I actually got familiar with fast food culture in US.

 

The thing that struck me the most, was the proportion size. At some point, we visited a barbecue restaurant. There was a tasting platter for 1-2 persons. After driving 8h without a breakfast, we were as hungry as wolves so we were bit puzzled if this was enough for two of us. Well we decided to to take it any way and order extra fries as a side. The amount of food that that we got was something ridiculous from our point of view. And yes you guessed right, our fries were left mainly untouched. Food was amazing, amount of it.... well just too much for two big guys. We basically rolled back to our car discussing what kind of superhuman could actually eat all that food by himself.

 

For me it was so easy to eat way too much in US. Everything was abundance and very tasty, so I always ate way too much food. If I lived in US I have no doubt in my mind that I'd be obese. I don't envy the people who has all these temptations 24/7 at their fingertips. 

[Landshark]

Good story @witgen.  At our house, eating out anywhere is saved for special days and moments.  Roughly once a month maybe. 

And you are right.  For visitors it becomes a bit of a choir to get decent food.  I live in Canada but the US is the same in that one can look for a grocery store then get your daily supply there.   You can avoid fast foods by planning ahead before your road trip and avoiding the junk food.   Buy whole wheat bread or buns along with meat and produce to make a good sandwich.  Or pick up some fresh fruit to eat as a snack along the way.  You'd be surprised how an apple can fill you up.  A banana becomes natures fast food.

[Ray Ride4life]

You mean you cannot go into town and find a restaurant that makes proper food?
Here in Europe you can ride almost in every town and find a place, even small towns often have one but these can be hard to identify as a restaurant/bistro.
On my trips i am prepared to do my own cooking but i like to keep that for emergency's and the worst i have on my trips is a pre packaged sandwich but still not considered as "processed".
Only thing i will buy in a fast food chain restaurant like Mc or BK is a coffee and in a rare occasion some chicken nuggets. If i want something fast i rather go to a pizzeria and preferably Italian or Turkish.

[Landshark]

If you want a meal in Canada at a restaurant you'll have to put up with greasy food.  The moma and popa eatery is no longer an available option here as the chain restaurant has taken over.  The best you can do here is order a salad and even then you wonder if it's that good to eat.  I pack a sandwich or lunch when I'm out, to eat.  

[Ray Ride4life]

Too sad.
Next month i'll see how it goes in Norway, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuatia, Poland and Germany but Germany i know is all good. Poland and Latvia i only know Krakow and Riga and if that's all over the country's it's also just fine.

[Landshark]

An exercise for people who are out of shape:

Begin with a five-pound potato bag in each hand. Extend your arms straight out from your sides, hold them there for a full minute, and then relax. After a few weeks, move up to ten-pound potato bags. Then try 50-pound potato bags, and eventually try to get to where you can lift a 100-pound potato bag in each hand and hold your arms straight for more than a full minute. Once you feel confident at that level, put a potato in each bag

 

By now, we know what we should roughly weigh.  Now it's time for a bit of an exercise routine.  By no means am I an instructor or any kind of pro at exercise or giving advice on exercise.  So, please add your advice about what works for you and keeps you riding. 

I do know that you must exercise to keep moving without struggle.  For me, resistance exercise works well and keeps me moving.  In the summer I do a lot of yard work that keeps me in a bit better shape than winter activities so I back off of the routine during that time.  But let's look at what can be done that directly helps in motorcycle riding.  

Try doing squats to strengthen your leg muscles as this will aid in standing and sitting on your T7.  If you're standing and sitting on a longer ride you'll find yourself getting tired at the end of the ride if you're not in shape.  When you lose some weight, this exercise becomes way easier.  How to do a proper squat can be found here...

 

Another exercise that will aid in riding your bike is sit ups.  With a strong center core, you will have more control of the bike in some situations.  And strength in the belly will help you lift your bike off of the ground should the need arise.  Here's how...

 

And of course we can't forget the push up as this aids in holding onto the handle bars when the going gets rough.  Here's how...

 

 

The idea here is to get an exercise routine to allow a better experience while riding.  And also to get the routine going.  Once you've started a routine and been doing it for several weeks, it's difficult to stop the routine.  You'll miss it and feel you must do your workout. 

 

So let's start with these three exercises.  Attempt to do 2 or 3 sets of 10 reputations.  Then increase the amounts as you feel you should.  Don't be afraid to push the limits a bit to get a better workout. 

 

Please add your favorite exercise so we can learn what you do to get strong and keep yourself in shape. 

 

  

Edited June 11, 2022 by Landshark

[Boondocker]

You shouldn't need a reason to stay fit and healthy but continuing to ride motorcycles adds incentive! It doesn't hurt my little ego either when people compliment me that I look fit. When they ask how I do it, I say it's simple but you won't like the answer because you've heard it all before - diet and exercise. The recipe is simple, the discipline to do it every day is hard.

 

I was a very active and fit youth but when my lifestyle changed after college, the decline in fitness was noticeable. At age 22 I decided I needed to exercise on purpose, every day, not hard core, just regularly. That lifestyle commitment has served me well for the past 40+ years. For reference, I'm 6' tall and slender build (if I was fat I'd still have skinny legs). In my mid-40s I weighed 178-lbs. My doctor told me my ideal weight was 158 lbs. I thought - "that's nice" but I feel good and my strength is good. In my mid-50s I weighed 188-lbs, saw a picture of my fat ass and decided to do more than just daily exercise. I started "counting calories", that is, paying serious attention to what I ate and tracking it for good measure.

 

Ever wonder why nutrition labels are based on "average daily intake of 2000 calories"? Figuring out I was in the 2400-2600 range was a "light bulb" moment. I needed portion control. I was never big on sweets but thought nothing of eating a handful of cookies. Now I eat one cookie and enjoy it very much. Perhaps I shall enjoy another one tomorrow! In less than a year I dropped from 188 to 178 by keeping my daily caloric average at or under 2200, no changes to my exercise regime. That was progress and I didn't starve, so time to ratchet down to 2000/day and refocus my exercise program. This is when I really learned the value of nutrition - empty calories like sugar and alcohol bust your calorie budget and leave you hungry. I like whisky so allow for one serving a day and enjoy it very much.

 

Now I'm in my mid-60s and weigh 158-lbs (same skinny legs). Goal met and maintainable, thanks doc! The first hour and half of every day is dedicated to stretching and exercising, yeah I get up early. A different routine for each day of the week...to help me remember what day it is... I've learned how and what to eat and never regret having exercised in the morning. Furthermore, I feel good about having the self-discipline to do it. What's more, I have a system that I can live the rest of my life with.

Edited June 28, 2022 by Boondocker
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[Donnyy]

I have a strong motivation to not get fat - I can't change my riding suit often. I have to use a special leather stretcher to put it on. In order to feel comfortable on a trip, I need to keep fit. Also, I should not get carried away with diets that lead to a set of muscle mass for the same reason. Thus, my diet and training is aimed at maintaining the form in which I am comfortable riding. In fact, I love to eat, and most of all I like meat. I will not deny myself a steak, but then I will not eat carbohydrates, but I will eat broccoli with it. In the store, I can buy sweet yogurt for myself, but I will never buy a cake. That is, I eat delicious food, but in small quantities, I do not overeat. This is generally beneficial for those who ride a motorcycle, because many of us ride long distances, and it is not good for us to be hungry for a long time. I also equipped a training area at home - I have gymnastic rings, a horizontal bar, a treadmill, a couple of weights. If I want to work out on the street, then I can ride a bike - using it is a good cardio that burns calories. In addition, I can find some beautiful places where I can then go on a motorcycle. I also try to spend my free time actively, although this does not always work out. I try to walk more, sometimes I go swimming. In general, riding a motorcycle in a way helped me think about how I live and what I eat.

Edited November 25, 2022 by Donnyy

[JessieJim]

I go to gym 4 times a week and make cardio trainings every day. I train a total of four days this week; the split includes two upper-body days (Monday and Thursday) and two lower-body days (Tuesday and Friday), and each bodypart is trained twice. Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday will be your recovery days. Several exercises from Week 1 are carried over to Week 2, but one move is added to each bodypart routine—with the exception of abs—so you can train all muscle groups more completely from multiple angles. As for cardio trainings I use my bike 3 three times a week and ride 20 miles. This program helps me stay in shape. 

Edited December 29, 2022 by JessieJim

[jhonesnow]

On 12/29/2022 at 9:18 AM, JessieJim said:

I go to gym 4 times a week and make cardio trainings every day. I train a total of four days this week; the split includes two upper-body days (Monday and Thursday) and two lower-body days (Tuesday and Friday), and each bodypart is trained twice. Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday will be your recovery days. Several exercises from Week 1 are carried over to Week 2, but one move is added to each bodypart routine—with the exception of abs—so you can train all muscle groups more completely from multiple angles. As for cardio trainings I use my bike 3 three times a week and ride 20 miles. This program helps me stay in shape. 

Well said man