The Complete Overhaul and Rebuild of Priest

Priest · Post by **Priest** » Thu May 07, 2009 8:16 am

More and more lately my horrible, horrible lifestyle is taking it’s toll on me mentally and physically. My health is in the toilet after year after year of cigarettes, beer, booze, caffeine, cheeseburgers, and neglect. My mind has been sapped dry by work and it’s stresses and demands, not to mention other time/energy vampires that I allow to have their way with me.

It seems that my life is living me. I am debilitated. I notice this more every day. Even the joy that riding a motorbike brings has diminished, as my energy has depleted to the point where I’m too exhausted to keep up anymore. Confidence is lost in proportion to strength and energy. I’m too tired and worn to get through an entire day, so I can’t expect to have the fortitude to keep sharp focus and reaction on my bike. I’ve seen it coming, of course, but this past weekend at the UTMC event found me in such a sorry state that the little concerns that I had previously have now become deafening alarms – red lights, strobes, sirens, the works.

When one of your friends, ReflectedStatic in this case (who I like to consider a friend in a UTMC kind of way) vocalizes, even in passing, that you are really hanging back – it may be a sign that what I thought was just an internal concern has metastasized into something externally evident.

No good. No good at all.

So that’s it. Call it an epiphany, call it whatever. I’m somewhat damaged, but that does not mean I can’t be repaired to a great degree. Starting today (last night, actually), this is all history.

My (re)starting point is as such: I’m 38 years old, 5’ 8” tall, 197 pounds – most of which has become nothing but skin and useless goo, as opposed to the fairly strong guy I was even 5 years ago. I can’t breathe right due to unaddressed health issues. I eat like shit, once a day sometimes. I drink a lot. I consume a deadly amount of coffee every day to artificially compensate for the lack of endurance due to other poor habits. I can’t ride a bicycle, let alone run more than a few yards. I have constant back pain from damage, sloth, and stress. Constant gut pain from hideous dietary habits. Dragging myself out of bed each day is an exercise of will, and that’s nearly gone too. All of this contributes to a generally crappy disposition.

All of this is done with. I’ve set new goals that, if achieved, will offer me a much better existence. Last night, I took a page from the book of Henry Rollins, and removed the mirror in my bathroom. My goal is that, by DOOM, when I put that mirror back up in October, I will see a completely different guy.

Out with the coffee, out with the beer. No more cheeseburgers (yikes). No more sneaking in a pack of smokes when the wife isn’t looking. No more sitting around when I could be improving the quality of my life, mentally and physically. A global change in thought is the key. Exercise, good food and eating habits, attention to medical issues are the paths. Coffee and beer are replaced with water. Burgers replaced with grub that won’t kill me. Laziness replaced with activity. Sacrifices will have to be made, but I’m convinced that my life depends on it.

Maybe I will give documented updates here. I’m not planning to run a marathon, but I do have pretty high expectations relative to my current sorry state. It won’t end at DOOM, but that will be the point where I do the first full status-check. I want to ride my bike again without getting tired.

It’s always better to say things out loud, because you put yourself in a spot to have your balls busted if you give up or otherwise fail.

See you in October at DOOM (some before, I’m sure – I’m not disappearing), and with enough work, it’ll be a lot more fun.

urbanscum · Post by **urbanscum** » Thu May 07, 2009 8:51 am

Its great to see you can identify, quantify and repair your 'issues'

Sending supportive waves and all that shite.

remember, eat well, exercise daily, die anyway.

Priest · Post by **Priest** » Thu May 07, 2009 9:04 am

urbanscum wrote:
remember, eat well, exercise daily, die anyway.

I agree.

But it's the quality of life in between now and the other side that I am concerned with, not so much long life.

Ames · Post by **Ames** » Thu May 07, 2009 9:07 am

"...a deadly amount of coffee..."??? There's such a thing?

Seriously, I know how you feel. After my divorce I dropped from 240 to 190 and after two years of MMA I'm up to a solid 215 (I'm 6'3" by the way). It takes time and a willingness to endure discomfort and pain, but it is definitely do-able. Hang in there and, if possible, don't go it alone. Join a class or get a workout partner, it makes it easier.

Priest · Post by **Priest** » Thu May 07, 2009 9:16 am

Ames wrote:"...a deadly amount of coffee..."??? There's such a thing?

.

It seems there is! Before lunch, I would generally drink about eight 10 oz. cups from the break room. 80 oz. in 5 hours, every day, per my last doctor visit, can kill you over time I guess?

Jaeger · Post by **Jaeger** » Thu May 07, 2009 9:29 am

When your bodily fluids -- sweat, urine, semen, spit -- all smell like Maxwell House, you're drinking too much coffee.

When you routinely drink multiple POTS of coffee per day/night/shift (e.g., 2-4 pots of coffe in an 8-hr period), you're drinking too much coffee.

When you can drink a pot of coffee and have zero noticeable side effects (e.g., shakes), your body is processing the caffeine before it can help a whole lot -- so you're drinking too much goddamn coffee.

When you start seeking alternative stimulants (ephedrine, diet pills) because the coffee isn't doing it any more... you get the idea.

If you do all these things for years and years without stopping...

I can speak from personal experience on all these counts.

So yes, it's possible.

Anyway.

Rock the hell on, Priest -- I've been similarly trying to whip my ass back into something resembling fighting trim. Dropped 30 lbs since December! It feels great, and it's worth the work. Think of the improved power/weight ratios!

Not to mention, you really do enjoy the vices more when you partake of them less frequently.

--Jaeger

motorpsycho67 · Post by **motorpsycho67** » Thu May 07, 2009 9:30 am

I'm glad to see you're doing something about your condition Priest.

I too am in a toxic state. My body and mind are in a state of disrepair (I'm 42 and have been abusing myself the last 24 years). I'm slowly trying to lift myself out of the ditch.

PM me if you wanna compare notes. Maybe we can help motivate each other.

rc26 · Post by **rc26** » Thu May 07, 2009 9:31 am

Reading this reminds me a bit of myself...with the exception of the coffee and the drinking.

I have my share of vices though...the nicotine, and various other things. Hell, even a few old health issues.

Good luck on kicking some of your own.

mtne · Post by **mtne** » Thu May 07, 2009 9:36 am

Yup. With the exception of the smoking and drinking this seems all too familiar........ the wife keeps saying she's putting us on a diet. Of course then she shows up with a couple of bismarks from lamar's donuts...... sigh.

I keeps saying I'll do stuff once I get caught up. I just never seem caught up.

MoraleHazard · Post by **MoraleHazard** » Thu May 07, 2009 10:16 am

I've been fighting weight gain since 1998. Started at 195 and went to 258. Blech. I exercise on a fairly regular basis, but I like my food and I sit behind a computer all day.

Priest, good luck with it. Maybe I suggest one thing at a time vice quitting all of your vices cold turkey?

Priest · Post by **Priest** » Thu May 07, 2009 11:17 am

MoraleHazard wrote:I've been fighting weight gain since 1998. Started at 195 and went to 258. Blech. I exercise on a fairly regular basis, but I like my food and I sit behind a computer all day.

Priest, good luck with it. Maybe I suggest one thing at a time vice quitting all of your vices cold turkey?

Like anything else I do, I have to go balls-out or not at all. I fail when I half-ass something, it's just the way I am. The problem is that I've gained a habit of half-assing things over the last few. That's the big thing to overcome I guess.

MoraleHazard · Post by **MoraleHazard** » Thu May 07, 2009 11:22 am

Priest wrote:
MoraleHazard wrote:I've been fighting weight gain since 1998. Started at 195 and went to 258. Blech. I exercise on a fairly regular basis, but I like my food and I sit behind a computer all day.

Priest, good luck with it. Maybe I suggest one thing at a time vice quitting all of your vices cold turkey?
Like anything else I do, I have to go balls-out or not at all. I fail when I half-ass something, it's just the way I am. The problem is that I've gained a habit of half-assing things over the last few. That's the big thing to overcome I guess.

Well good luck; we'll be here for you.

WeAintFoundShit · Post by **WeAintFoundShit** » Thu May 07, 2009 11:58 am

I've done what you are doing now. I got up to 240 or so, but a lot of it (most of it) was fat.
I didn't really notice until I saw a picture of myself with my shirt off, and was disgusted. I'm not a guy who carries weight well AT ALL. It goes on in weird spots, and I look like a freaking alien.
Then I overdid the weight loss, and got down to about 173 pounds of lean scrawniness, which ain't good for a guy who's 6'6"

I was up to 210 lbs of good, solid muscle when I got in my wreck last year, and now I'm a lazy piece of shit.

Now I'm about to do it all over again. I'm not fat this time. Still at 208, actually, but now it's all gone soft.

Having done it, here are some *solid* tips to get you to where you want to be. Maybe you know all of this shit already, and I'm not trying to be presumptuous, but hell, I'd rather say it than not. If you already know this stuff, just use it as a pep talk and a reminder.

Figure out your goals.
If you're exercising, what do you want to get out of it *specifically?* You want more muscle mass? You want to be more lean? You just want more stamina? Strength and flexibility? Figure out what you want first, then you won't spin your wheels, and do things that are counter productive. It sounds like common sense, and I'm betting that you're not stranger to exercise and hard work, but you'd be surprised at how many people try to achieve disparate goals, and run themselves in circles.
Once you've figured out your goals, stick to them until they've been achieved. Don't get flighty and switch to something else.

Make an exercise chart.
Once you've figured out your goals, you'll need to figure out what exercises to do to get there. That part isn't that hard, being as some of it is common sense, and for the rest, there's internet. I'm also figuring that, once again, you're no stranger to exercise; you'll sort it.
Make a spread sheet with your exercises on the vertical axis, and an open space for dates along the top. Record your weights for strength exercises, your length for distance exercises, etc.
Having a record and a visual cue is a surprising motivator. In addition to that, your body needs to constantly be pushed to a slightly higher level than it was before if it's going to improve (or even stay at the same level in some cases). The chart helps to make sure you are adding the right amount of weight or distance to your routine without over or under doing it.

Don't over do it.
You are fat and lazy. Don't go balls out and get hurt, coz then you'll stay fat and lazy.
I'm one to talk. I'm fat and lazy, and I go out and do things like 20(?) mile rides on my DH bike, and 38 mile hikes, right out of the gate. I end up with overuse injuries, and then I sit around being fat and lazy until I've healed.

Set intermediate goals.
Big goals are key, but big goals can lead you to frustration. Smaller, intermediate goals on your way to the big goal are key. Road markers that let you know you are on the right path. Set 'em a few at a time.
Write 'em ALL down on a whiteboard somewhere (including your doctor's visits and such). That way you see that shit all of the time. It makes 'em real and tangible, instead of a swirling mass of shit in your head that never gets done. Plus you can cross 'em out as you kill 'em off, and it feels good.

If you are lifting weights, do your weights before you do your cardio.
That is to say, do ten minutes of warm up, then do weights, then run (swim, bike, whatever).
The muscles you use for stamina can run on your glycogen stores, or they can run on body fat. They don't really care, but glycogen is more available, so they use that first.
Your strength muscles generally just use glycogen. Once they've burned out, then they're pretty shot.
If you burn all of your glycogen doing cardio, then switch over to weights, you don't have much to lift weights with (and then you can hurt yourself).
Granted, I'm giving you the oversimplified version, and in fact, there are studies that say that if you do it the other way around you'll burn more fat.
That's all well and good, but when you're just starting back on the exercise train, your main focus should be working back into it, and getting a solid foundation so you don't get hurt. Stick with convention until your muscles are stable and used to exercise. Get all of the weird little secondary and tertiary muscles strong before defying convention.

Eat a lot of food.
Yeah, I know you're trying to get in shape. If you are exercising, you need fuel. Don't eat crap, but don't starve yourself, and don't cut carbs out of your diet completely; carbs build glycogen.

Hopefully at least one little tidbit in there is new info, and hopefully it helps motivate you towards your goal.
It's helping *me* just writing it. I used all of this info last time I went through this, and haven't been using it this time.
Last time I dropped damn near 70 pounds (because I did everything but the last one on the list), and then put back on 40 pounds of solid fucking muscle.
This time I haven't been doing any of those tips, and I keep getting hurt, and sitting on the couch wasting 50 bucks a month on a gym membership.

WeAintFoundShit · Post by **WeAintFoundShit** » Thu May 07, 2009 12:09 pm

Oh... And another thing.

I'd be willing to put my neck out in the public forum, and be your long distance "fat lazy bastard" partner.
We could get a "fat lazy bastards" thread stickied up to the top, or even a "fat lazy bastards" section where we would have to post up what the fuck we've done with ourselves to get in shape (or something).

"Did you go to the gym today?"
"No"
"Get the fuck on it, you fucking fat piece of shit."
"Fine. Fuck you."

We could update each other on work out tips, health tips, injury tips, whatever.

The rest of the UTMC can come in and laugh at us, or they can join the "fat lazy bastard" club (UTFLBC), and get in shape with us.
We'd be the most in shape fat lazy bastards you've ever seen.

Just a thought.

urbanscum · Post by **urbanscum** » Thu May 07, 2009 12:13 pm

I'm up for that.

Lazy fat bastard (London)

Sisyphus · Post by **Sisyphus** » Thu May 07, 2009 12:44 pm

Detox with cleansing diet, three days. Proceed with remainder of plans.

Mask · Post by **Mask** » Thu May 07, 2009 1:43 pm

Good luck. My advice is to keep your workout routine fresh to avoid boredom and don't beat yourself up if you get off track. Put it behind you and keep going. If you find yourself too tired at the end of the day, then at least go for a 30 to 60 min walk to clear your head.

bndgkmf · Post by **bndgkmf** » Thu May 07, 2009 2:02 pm

In honor of his Holiness Priest I went and partook of the new Arby's Bacon Cheddar Roast Beef Burger. Then I went and hit golfballs for an hour then walked around looking for my golfballs for an hour. Ah, exercise.

goose · Post by **goose** » Thu May 07, 2009 2:42 pm

awesomeness..... good luck with the new you. Oh, wheelies cure everything...

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WeAintFoundShit · Post by **WeAintFoundShit** » Thu May 07, 2009 2:43 pm

Mask wrote:Good luck. My advice is to keep your workout routine fresh to avoid boredom and don't beat yourself up if you get off track. Put it behind you and keep going. If you find yourself too tired at the end of the day, then at least go for a 30 to 60 min walk to clear your head.

I forgot about that one.
Ya definitely gotta throw in some variety on top of your routine, or shit gets reeeeaaaaalllyyyy boring.

Pattio · Post by **Pattio** » Thu May 07, 2009 2:52 pm

I wish you the best on your path, and although we've never met, I know you have the kind of fierce will that you will need to pull it off.

I had my trigger-moment four years ago this summer, when, at 37, my weight was climbing, my energy flagging, alchohol intake increasing, and the guy I saw in photographs looked like a ghost to me.

I've done a lot with my fitness by getting back into bicycling and taking long walks with my wife, but I'm still wrestling with beer, long as we're being confessional. Never had a taste for liquor or I'd probably be worse off down that road.

If you have any interest in pursuing cycling I'm happy to offer advice- not that I'm any smarter than your local quality bike shop in that regard, but I am life-experienced from a childhood delivering newspapers on a 50lb bike, being a bike messenger in my 20s, to my current sunday-lycra-warrior incarnation. The same rural roads and national parks that give an hour's amusement on the motorcycle are an epic day out, followed by a righteous nights sleep, on a bicycle.

Once again I wish you the best.

piccini9 · Post by **piccini9** » Thu May 07, 2009 3:27 pm

goose · Post by **goose** » Thu May 07, 2009 3:34 pm

piccini9 wrote:

a Bianchi?!!! Not a Pinarello? Not a De Rosa? How the mighty have fallen!

ghost · Post by **ghost** » Thu May 07, 2009 4:26 pm

goose wrote:
piccini9 wrote:
a Bianchi?!!! Not a Pinarello? Not a De Rosa? How the mighty have fallen!

Oh fuck no. Forget that.

If you want your ass whipped into shape quick, this is what you need...

Seriously. It's not as bad as everyone says so long as you run a sane gear ratio and a brake, and it seems that- with said sane gear ratio and brake- it's actually not as hard on your knees as a "regular" bike.

After the first ten minutes, you will feel like you are going to die, and it will not go away for at least a half hour. It happened to me when I first started riding one, and I was in decent shape. Not being able to quit pedaling will kick your ass for a while, but your heart and lungs will get a lot stronger for it. The necessarily varied cadence works your arm and leg muscles a lot more efficiently than keeping an even cadence, and resisting the pedals on downhills or while stopping (not skidding, which can tear up your knees) builds complementary muscles that bikes with freewheels never touch, which is why it's supposedly better for your knees.

If you're way out of shape and have, say, breathing problems, your rides would have to be short initially, and you'd probably have to walk the bike home a few times, but if you want aerobic exercise on a bike, this is the way to go.

gazza · Post by **gazza** » Thu May 07, 2009 5:34 pm

Dude go for it. I totally applaud your efforts so far. Now just follow through in small increments.

Good luck with the coffee. I dropped coffee about three months ago and it sucks because i like the smell and taste. It feels great because you know that it was very addictive.

The best part is I no longer feel like a zombie until I've had my pot in the morning.

motorpsycho67 · Post by **motorpsycho67** » Thu May 07, 2009 5:48 pm

goose wrote:awesomeness..... good luck with the new you. Oh, wheelies cure everything...

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Dropped a $2M bike just fucking around. Must be nice.

Groove · Post by **Groove** » Thu May 07, 2009 5:58 pm

You don't have to cut out coffee altogether do you? I cut back to one or two cups a day with good results. Check out www.global-fitness.com for some good workout schedules that stay pretty interesting. I'm on week nine of my running/lifting program and the results are motivation enough to keep me going.

I've stopped drinking beer for a few weeks, and now I drink one or two glasses of wine instead (red wine is approx. 25 calories per ounce). More bang per calorie and it's got a sliver of nutritional benefit.

Good luck!

Shhted · Post by **Shhted** » Thu May 07, 2009 6:43 pm

I'm a fellow phat bastert. Also improving my health and outlook. Good on ya.

WeAintFoundShit · Post by **WeAintFoundShit** » Thu May 07, 2009 7:58 pm

R.static, that's the only thing anyone has ever said that makes me even *remotely* want a fixie.
Most of the time I actually trash talk them, and their cocaine fueled hipster jockeys. (Mostly it's about the hipsters, and mostly it's not serious).)

ninemileskid · Post by **ninemileskid** » Fri May 08, 2009 3:54 am

You need to quit your job.

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The Complete Overhaul and Rebuild of Priest

The Complete Overhaul and Rebuild of Priest