How Easy is it to Get Back into Shape?
Is getting back in shape something you should give up on? What if you are over 50? How about if you are right now over 250 pounds or even close to 300 pounds and you are over 40 or 50? Should you ever give up on getting back in shape? The answer is no, never give up.
The first step of getting back in shape is for you to remove the foods that got you out of shape in the first place. Think of the type of food that you eat every day. What do you eat for breakfast? A muffin? Or a donut? Do you stop off at a fast food place like Dunkin Donuts for a highly processed bagel and fake eggs? Maybe you skip breakfast altogether? Just look at the type of foods that you are eating during your typical morning hours.
Getting back in shape is as easy as eating
This is probably a controversial statement. You can know it to be true. Getting back in shape is as easy as eating. All you have to do is feed yourself real nutritious food, and like magic, you will find yourself transforming. You do not even need to start working out. You don’t have to start a rowing, swimming, walking, weight lifting or running program. Not that there is anything wrong with them, and of course, they are helpful. But, to dramatically transform your body, all you have to do is eat – the – right – foods. The main focus is to eat real food.
You know what real food is. You can find most real food on the outside of the aisles in your local grocery. All fresh vegetables, fruits, nuts, lean meats and preferably organic and grass fed, root vegetables like sweet potatoes and carrots. What is left out? Packaged products, processed products. Above you can see me with my favorite foods pre Hashi Mashi Diet days. Ben & Jerry ice cream, especially heath bar crunch, oreos, reesee’s peanut butter cup and snicker bars. Those were my ‘foods’ of choice, they can always give you a quick jolt of sugar, a quick high and sweet taste.
All you have to do is select real food, open your mouth and chew. Like magic, your body will transform to the real you. The fat you, covered with layers of fat and muffin tops will melt away. You will be shocked, where could all of that fat have gone? How did that fat melt away so fast? Try it out yourself for a month and watch everything from your belly to your face change for the better. You will feel great and look much younger. Never give up from getting back into shape, especially when it is so easy.
Deadlifts
Did you ever consider doing deadlifts? Well, once you drop some pounds and start to feel fitter, you might. Today is my high poundage for deadlifts at 5 deadlifts using 175 lbs. I am pretty pleased with that because not only did I start out with a 45 pound barbell but I have moved up very slowly to higher weight. I am working hard to keep proper form and breathing.
I began with leg curls then went to squats. For squats I stayed at the same weight as last week and Monday, 130 pounds for 5 repetitions. I started with light weight and progressed up to 130 pounds. I am wondering if I should do a warm up and then do whatever weight I can for 5 sets of 5 reps and move up that way, so for example start with a 45 pound warm up and then do 5 sets of 5 reps of let’s say 50 pounds, then keep adding 5 pounds while doing 5 sets of 5 reps of the same weight. What do you think about that?
How can this post make a difference to you? Well, if you are following along with me because you are thinking of getting back in shape, then you are in the right place. Especially if now you are overweight. Especially if you are a guy over 50 or even 55. Especially when you are divorced and lost your career and you had to start your entire life all over again. Especially if you have given up hope of ever creating or rebuilding your life and are mired in depression for whatever reason.
You are in the right place because I have been through it all. I cannot relate to every experience on the planet, but if you tell me you are a man and you lost many of the aspects of your life which were your identity as a man, I can relate and you might find some valuable ideas here how to get back into the game. Do you think that over 40 or over 45 or 50 or even 55 is too late for getting back in shape?
It is Never too Late
Listen to me, it is not too late for getting back in shape. If I had given up years ago when I wanted to give up, when I thought that was my only option, I would not have experienced the turnaround which I am still going through now. There is no perfection, but there are huge steps forward that happen incrementally. Three years ago at this time I was completely isolated, fat, depressed with no future in sight and all I saw was darkness. Am I in a better place today than that time, absolutely. Is it all because of deadlifts? No, not all, but deadlifts play a part. And if you do not care for deadlifts, you can substitute any other productive activity and they will probably play the same role. Another good habit that you stick to consistently which over time will have the effect of helping you to transform yourself, transform your mind and body fitness one day at a time.
And if you have never experienced much loss, never been overweight, always been slim, in good shape, know what you are doing when you workout, have a low body fat percentage already, well then, maybe you can help us out with your knowledge and comments. In any case, today I started with 135 pounds for dead lift warm ups and then went up to 145 pounds, 155 pounds and 165 pounds, all with 5 repetitions. I have never done 5 reps of 175 pounds but I went for it and all went well. I am starting to believe that I will be able to hit 180 pounds and even possibly higher. No rush though. Keep consistent, add weight gradually and use the best form possible.
Believe it or not, you do not need complicated algorithms for getting back in shape. Even cavemen were in shape. Eat real food and start moving just like earlier generations. If you add deadlifts and squats to the mix, you are going to build more muscle and get into even better shape.
Rich is a NASM-CPT (Certified Personal Trainer),