Fredrik's exercise log

[Fredrik]

About a year ago I made my way into these forums. My attempt to establish the habit of running and strength training back then backlashed, but that's all in the past.

At present I have successfully started working out three times a week at the gym. It happened around the end of 09 that I gradually adapted into this pattern. After going back and forth through programs, I made my own program that is designed to help me develop an all-around good phsyique with increased strength and endurance. Other things I wish to achieve are the associated health effects such as stronger bones and better phsyche. So far it has worked tremendously well. I can't say I'm proud of the environment at the gym though; there is a lot of so-called gym mythology around. There are many misconcepted people who believe that drowning themselves in proteine shakes, creatine powder and different synthesized thingies will make them super-strong when they already have an adequate supply of mentioned elements. Luckily I am my own master and my ignore these people's advice at will.

Recently I decided to establish the habit of running again. I once again went for an interval program, but decided to switch between interval runs and longer runs where I increase gradually. Due to me occasionally skipping runs and problems with often getting stitches (cause: unknown, trying to counterfeit), it is still in the process of being established. I have had a few runner's highs that contribute to my motivation (very awesome thing), however, and I hope it will soon become a permanent part of my routine.

My diet is still at evaluation. I have grown up with a typical Norwegian diet which is essensially the same as an American one. The difference is less fast food and slgihtly less candy / equally bad white bread / other sugar bombs (I blame the market that add sugar to anything) on a daily basis. At present I work with removing these habits that follow me (I criticise my parents for giving me their habits). My number one enemy is bad carbohydrates; sugar and refined crap. I have a problem especially since me and many in my family suffer from reactive hypoglycemia (we basically get low blood sugar from eating high GI-foods). Otherwise I have pretty balanced diet when I stay away from crappy carbs.

I wish to become a vegetarian since there are many good reasons to be one, such as becoming more healthy, working for a better environment, fighting poverty and being kind to our animals. This is impractical at present since I live at home (I am 16). I need to buy a lot of food on my own budget if I'm going vegetarian and that is hard when you have very little income. It is possible that I may persuade my parents however, but it will take some effort to get all the different foods.

The idea with this log is to note all progress on a weekly basis and get advice from others.

[ginkgo]

The best diet for health and building muscle is a nutritarian diet. That is a nutrient dense diet. This book introduces that term to the world and also a chart of the most nutrient dense foods. Ignoring carbs, sugar has no nutrients. He says that fat people eat too much since they are starving for nutrients. Here is his one and a half minute video explaining why people are overweight along with Dr Oz-- the most famous MD in the U.S.A.
YouTube - Joel Fuhrman, MD w/ Mehmet Oz, M.D. - health / weightloss

Here is the book: Amazon.com: Eat For Health: Lose Weight, Keep It Off, Look Younger, Live Longer…

Are you saying that in Norway fish and meat is cheaper than vegetables and fruit like bananas, potatoes, brown rice and beans?

[Honeywith4bees]

Originally Posted by Fredrik

It is possible that I may persuade my parents however, but it will take some effort to get all the different foods.

I would love it if my children asked me to buy "healthy" food for them at the market! One of my biggest struggles is finding food that I think is good for them, that they will actually eat.

Have you asked your parents to bring home specific foods for you?

[Fredrik]

The best diet for health and building muscle is a nutritarian diet. That is a nutrient dense diet. This book introduces that term to the world and also a chart of the most nutrient dense foods. Ignoring carbs, sugar has no nutrients. He says that fat people eat too much since they are starving for nutrients. Here is his one and a half minute video explaining why people are overweight along with Dr Oz-- the most famous MD in the U.S.A.
YouTube - Joel Fuhrman, MD w/ Mehmet Oz, M.D. - health / weightloss

Here is the book: Amazon.com: Eat For Health: Lose Weight, Keep It Off, Look Younger, Live Longer…

That is interesting, and it does correspond with my knowledge. My personal knowledge is that if I eat oat meal for breakfast I have a very good start to the day, feeling satisifed for hours. If I eat white bread with jam, however, my instincts will tell me to go look for more crap right away.

Are you saying that in Norway fish and meat is cheaper than vegetables and fruit like bananas, potatoes, brown rice and beans?

Well, we basically receive stuff that's just expired for free (family is involved in a store) so in our situation we receive a lot of free meat (and other stuff, but not as much).

Either way, I did tell my parents about my idea to become vegetarian. My parents think I'm just being odd, but I know for a fact that my reasons are all well documented. As for buying stuff it seems they will actually buy much stuff for me. It should be fine as long as I remember to ask them.

I'm gonna start a 30-day trial on this one.

[Fredrik]

Update 7/25-10

Strength training: I have never been more fit physically. I bench-press 3 sets x 10 repetition with 57,5kg /126.5 lbs. Other major achievements include deadlifting 1RM 135 kg / 297 lbs, bench-pressing 1RM 80kg / 176lbs. The squats are going well as always, but didn't attempt any 1RM this week. I've increased or stayed at the same level in all other isolated exercises.

Endurance: Since I'm having this awful summer painting job where I paint 8 hours a day, I have really been too tired, dizzy and had too little time to also include runs in my exercise. I hope to get back to this soon once I'm done painting!

Dieting: I started the lacto-ovo vegetarian trial 8 days ago. The first 2-3 days it seems I had some detox symptoms such as being tired, having headaches and some digestary problems (I won't go into details). It soon turns out, however, that I feel much more energetic and strong. It is a challenge to make meals that taste really well, but I'm getting increasingly creative. I already seem to be losing some weight from eating these foods, even though I eat quite a lot. Avoiding meat, poultry and fish hasn't been that hard, but I miss the taste. It's especially challenging since people are having BBQs and since we have meat every day for dinner. I'm able to eat from most food groups and I feel that I'm doing things pretty much right. The next three weeks will be interesting.

[Fredrik]

Quitting the vegetarian trial
As of today I'm quitting my 30-day trial. I've stayed healthy through it all, and could have kept going, hadn't it been for that I live at home. There are many expenses I can't cover on my own. In addition it's stressful to make my own dinners in the length, and it's socially troublesome. For now I will have to do with cutting back heavily. In conclusion I will say I'm hopefully going to become fully vegetarian sometime, but that's not just yet.