Ian WhiteHow I got Healthy
December 16th 2010 22:41
Category: No Category
I was quite an adorable child, and I don't just say so myself. I was unusually bright, cute, the whole 9. But as I became conscious of more than cartoons and started realizing from my terrible neighborhood and experience at school that humans suck, something happened. My parents split. It was then I think the eating got out of hand. I'd over indulge in the buffet of unhealthy food and soda provided by my household. When I wasn't eating the school provided lunches that would give any reputable health inspector an aneurysm, I was dining on Lunchables and Chips Ahhoy cookies. Probably what prevented me from weighing 500 pounds and appearing on some talk show hack's pity-that-obese-kid segment was my obsession with basketball. I loved it, couldn't stop. Also growing up in the 90's, I was still in the midst of the now dead era when kids still played. When they had imagination to turn a stick and a field into hours of fun. Before they confined themselves completely to video games and the internet. But still, I was never thin like the other kids, or ripped, despite my activity and always being tall for my age. The reason being is that the one thing I shared with kids today is terrible nutrition. It didn't really bother me until middle school when I finally decided to do something about it because chicks didn't dig the fat guy. And it was then that the journey to a healthy lifestyle would begin...
I was a poster child for every gimmick, every program, you name it. I tried everything. I finally found the success I desperately sought in the Ab Smasher 5000. In just 5 minutes a day 3 times a week with no change to my overall lifestyle, I was able to look like a Greek God in just 6 short weeks....I jest of course, but that was part of the problem that stunted my progress. I'd substitute shams for actual work. What I would eventually discover though is that getting healthy can't be bought on an infomericial. It's a commitmment to an overall lifestyle change. So I've accumlated my years of trial and mostly error and can definitively tell you what works from exercises to eating plans. Currently I've gone from 280 pounds to 230 pounds in 6 months. It's all about committment.
In regards to working out, picking a routine, you have to stick to it. To help not get bored, change it up after a few weeks, keep it fresh. Change the reps, add another program (If you're doing swimming add boxing), etc.
The best workouts
Basketball
Swimming
MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) lessons/Boxing
Sprinting
Kettlebells (One of the best tools out there for getting in shape)
Bodyweight Excerices (pushups, situps, etc)
Stairs Training
Plyometrics/Jumping training
Dumb bells (challenging weight, high reps)
Moutain Biking
Indoor Rock Climbing
Products that actually work (Tae Bo and Mike Geary)
Eating
This is really the most important issue and the hardest. You have no idea how much unhealthy crap is sitting in your grocery cart. It really comes down to reading the nutrition label. You should obviously avoid fast food like the plague that it is, but you can tell a lot by reading the label.
Avoid Trans Fat, Saturated Fat, and high sodium levels. (There are good fats but they reside in natural, healthy, free range animals)
Frozen dinners are bad, no matter what the front says
Find as much raw and unprocessed food as possible, this even includes Milk. I gave up regular supermarket milk because it's processed, pumped with harmful chemicals, and the cows they get it from aren't healthy. If you go here you'll be provided with really helpful information in regards to finding some healthy food outlets across America that you've likely not heard of.
Artificial Sweetners are full of crap. Avoid anything with Splenda (sucralose)
Aspartame, Saccharine, and Acesulfame Potassium. (aka - acesulfame K) Especially Aspartame as it has been linked to cancer and damage to the brain. Sweetners are fattening, lead to health risks, and stimulate cravings. I actually drank a lot of Crystal Light which has Aspartame and I remember getting sick a lot more often and having difficulty remembering things I used to.
A Burger is fine, but it's the fries that kill you. They are deep fried in hydrogenated oils, loaded with trans fat and are easily one of the worst things you can take in your body. In fact a burger can be great, especially without the bread. Who says you even need the bread? That's just adding fat that'll stick to your gut.
Margarine is awful for you, Canola oil is fattening despite the marketing. I just use Extra Virgin Olive Oil instead. Good old fashioned Butter is fine though in small quantities since it's calorie dense
Food Options
Cottage and Ricotta Cheese
Yogurt
Frozen Berries
Nuts-Walnut, almonds, cashews,, pecans
Whole Flax Seeds
Whole Eggs
Frozen Chicken Breast
Beef (preferably not from diseased cow)
Frozen Fish (Not breaded)
Nut Butters
Salsa
Avocados
Whole Grains wraps and whole grain bread
Rice Bran and Wheat Germ
Leaf Lettuce, spinach, carrots
Frozen Veggies
Organic Maple Syrup
Raw Honey
Whole wheat or whole grain spelt pasta
Brown Rice (never white)
Cans of black or kidney beans
Tomato Sauce (avoid brands with high fructose corn syrup)
Dark Chocolate (70% or higher cocoa)
Fruits (mango, grapes, oranges, fresh pineapples, pears, apples, berries etc)
Whole Peppers
Just so you know that eating healthy isn't eating like a rabbit. I mean how would a rabbit even get frozen chicken breast? Obviously drink lots of water and don't do drugs.
So this is me doing my part for a healthy America. Hopefully that New Years resolution to drop weight will be far more plausible. You now possess the tools to do so. Stay fit and avoid heart disease.
I was a poster child for every gimmick, every program, you name it. I tried everything. I finally found the success I desperately sought in the Ab Smasher 5000. In just 5 minutes a day 3 times a week with no change to my overall lifestyle, I was able to look like a Greek God in just 6 short weeks....I jest of course, but that was part of the problem that stunted my progress. I'd substitute shams for actual work. What I would eventually discover though is that getting healthy can't be bought on an infomericial. It's a commitmment to an overall lifestyle change. So I've accumlated my years of trial and mostly error and can definitively tell you what works from exercises to eating plans. Currently I've gone from 280 pounds to 230 pounds in 6 months. It's all about committment.
In regards to working out, picking a routine, you have to stick to it. To help not get bored, change it up after a few weeks, keep it fresh. Change the reps, add another program (If you're doing swimming add boxing), etc.
The best workouts
Basketball
Swimming
MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) lessons/Boxing
Sprinting
Kettlebells (One of the best tools out there for getting in shape)
Bodyweight Excerices (pushups, situps, etc)
Stairs Training
Plyometrics/Jumping training
Dumb bells (challenging weight, high reps)
Moutain Biking
Indoor Rock Climbing
Products that actually work (Tae Bo and Mike Geary)
Eating
This is really the most important issue and the hardest. You have no idea how much unhealthy crap is sitting in your grocery cart. It really comes down to reading the nutrition label. You should obviously avoid fast food like the plague that it is, but you can tell a lot by reading the label.
Avoid Trans Fat, Saturated Fat, and high sodium levels. (There are good fats but they reside in natural, healthy, free range animals)
Frozen dinners are bad, no matter what the front says
Find as much raw and unprocessed food as possible, this even includes Milk. I gave up regular supermarket milk because it's processed, pumped with harmful chemicals, and the cows they get it from aren't healthy. If you go here you'll be provided with really helpful information in regards to finding some healthy food outlets across America that you've likely not heard of.
Artificial Sweetners are full of crap. Avoid anything with Splenda (sucralose)
Aspartame, Saccharine, and Acesulfame Potassium. (aka - acesulfame K) Especially Aspartame as it has been linked to cancer and damage to the brain. Sweetners are fattening, lead to health risks, and stimulate cravings. I actually drank a lot of Crystal Light which has Aspartame and I remember getting sick a lot more often and having difficulty remembering things I used to.
A Burger is fine, but it's the fries that kill you. They are deep fried in hydrogenated oils, loaded with trans fat and are easily one of the worst things you can take in your body. In fact a burger can be great, especially without the bread. Who says you even need the bread? That's just adding fat that'll stick to your gut.
Margarine is awful for you, Canola oil is fattening despite the marketing. I just use Extra Virgin Olive Oil instead. Good old fashioned Butter is fine though in small quantities since it's calorie dense
Food Options
Cottage and Ricotta Cheese
Yogurt
Frozen Berries
Nuts-Walnut, almonds, cashews,, pecans
Whole Flax Seeds
Whole Eggs
Frozen Chicken Breast
Beef (preferably not from diseased cow)
Frozen Fish (Not breaded)
Nut Butters
Salsa
Avocados
Whole Grains wraps and whole grain bread
Rice Bran and Wheat Germ
Leaf Lettuce, spinach, carrots
Frozen Veggies
Organic Maple Syrup
Raw Honey
Whole wheat or whole grain spelt pasta
Brown Rice (never white)
Cans of black or kidney beans
Tomato Sauce (avoid brands with high fructose corn syrup)
Dark Chocolate (70% or higher cocoa)
Fruits (mango, grapes, oranges, fresh pineapples, pears, apples, berries etc)
Whole Peppers
Just so you know that eating healthy isn't eating like a rabbit. I mean how would a rabbit even get frozen chicken breast? Obviously drink lots of water and don't do drugs.
So this is me doing my part for a healthy America. Hopefully that New Years resolution to drop weight will be far more plausible. You now possess the tools to do so. Stay fit and avoid heart disease.
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