Managing body weight - and a possible simple solution?

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Freedom_2018
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Joined: Sat Dec 18, 2010 12:10 am

Managing body weight - and a possible simple solution?

Post by Freedom_2018 »

One of the challenges in a travel oriented lifestyle is that of a) keeping fit and b) an eye on one's weight to prevent unwanted increases :-)

Have found that a) can mostly be addressed by having a simple portable routine (pushups, lunges, jumping jacks, stretches) that can be performed pretty much anywhere.

However b) can be a bit of a challenge as it is not very easy to have control on food ingredients etc when traveling, I mean one of the enjoyments of travel is sampling food or beverages different from what one is used to back home. Other times there just is not much choice and one has to suck it up. Many months of doing this can result in a gradual weight increase that is hardly perceptible along the way. On top of it there is no weight scale to lug around that would warn of the increase. For example, the last time I was outside the country for 5 months, I gained about ~10 pounds (and we are not talking muscle here ;-). Took me some work to get back to where I want to be. Since then I have been thinking of an early warning system that I can carry with me to prevent such a waste of time and energy to get back to square one so to speak.

I think I have found it. Enter the humble Leather Belt. You know the one our dad's wore with buckles and belt holes in trousers with belt loops. I've been experimenting with wearing a leather (essentially a non stretchable) belt and have found it to be a very good alarm system for the times when I might have been indulging a bit too much for a few days at a stretch and therefore can take quick corrective action before the problem builds up. Has been working really well for the past 12 months. I understand that not everyone will gain weight the same way (butt vs belly vs chest/back etc) but hard to gain weight in any part of the body without the belly being impacted.

In fact I think our modern culture of wearing stretchy pants and droopy trouser fashion is causing people not to be aware in time of how much weight they are gaining..i.e. that have no early warning system.

So my slogan is : Make America Wear Belts Again.

OTCW
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Re: Managing body weight - and a possible simple solution?

Post by OTCW »

I must be old as I didn't know people weren't wearing leather belts much any more.

Freedom_2018
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Joined: Sat Dec 18, 2010 12:10 am

Re: Managing body weight - and a possible simple solution?

Post by Freedom_2018 »

Observe how many millennials wear belts versus boomers. I guess this observation is mostly for men.

For women, all I can say is that when I went to the stores here in Santa Fe NM, almost all the young women (and men) were looking like stuffed sausages further accented by stretchy yoga pant/legging type garment. It feels weird to be standing in line with 20 and 30 yr olds where one is the only non-obese person. I have seen this trend pretty much all over the country.

I think we might be sitting on the beginnings of a huge diabetes and obesity wave.

chenda
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Re: Managing body weight - and a possible simple solution?

Post by chenda »

Kind of like corset training :)

When I travelled I usually eat little or nothing for breakfast, because I didn't trust the food and you don't want to be on a day trip far from plumbing as it were. So I had a calorie surplus for the afternoon and often lost weight.
Last edited by chenda on Sat Apr 20, 2019 5:08 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Freedom_2018
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Re: Managing body weight - and a possible simple solution?

Post by Freedom_2018 »

Maybe there is a happy medium between being laced so tight as to faint from lack of oxygen and letting it all hang out.

IlliniDave
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Re: Managing body weight - and a possible simple solution?

Post by IlliniDave »

Reminds of a quip I heard not to long ago. Three things that can be too honest: drunk people, small children, and yoga pants. I know for me (I have never been obese, but have flirted with "overweight" a time of too. The less I weigh, the more I need a belt, unless I try to dress like a teenager rather than a man of my, er, station (i.e, my age).

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Lemur
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Re: Managing body weight - and a possible simple solution?

Post by Lemur »

Scale Solution: Set a target range of bodyweight that you will be comfortable with and takes into account normal body-weight shifts due to stool, food, water buildup, etc. So say you want to stay between 150lbs and 155lbs. Check your weight on the scale once a week or so...if you see yourself hitting the 155lb range or going over a little bit, than up exercise and cut food intake for the next week...repeat.

Basically make yourself become a bodyweight thermostat.

String Solution: Measure your waist size with a piece of string and cut out a piece of the string that is about 1 inch longer than you waist. Wrap it around yourself once a week and if the ends crossover you know your good. If the ends can't reach one another (because your belly stick it out more) than you know you've gained weight. For consistency, keep measuring in the same spot. Maybe around the belly button because that is easy to remember.


2Birds1Stone
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Re: Managing body weight - and a possible simple solution?

Post by 2Birds1Stone »

The best two ways I've found to manage weight and body composition while traveling a TON for work,

1) Intermittent fasting
2) Pack running shoes, and use them

The first one not only makes adherence easy, but saves you precious time in the mornings figuring out what to have for breakfast, by breaking fast with a late lunch or early dinner, you can go about your entire day not thinking about food. You then get a large meal(s) you can enjoy and likely still be in a caloric deficit.

Running gets the heart going and for me it's been a fantastic way of exploring whatever area I'm in by foot. A quick 3-5 mile run in the morning before getting the day started will ensure you are wide awake too.

YMMV

Nomad
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Re: Managing body weight - and a possible simple solution?

Post by Nomad »

The easiest solution I've found is keep an eye on my weight literally by having scales in the bathroom.
Also, I eat a low carbohydrate diet at home - but not if I meet friends at a restaurant.
That's it.

Freedom_2018
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Re: Managing body weight - and a possible simple solution?

Post by Freedom_2018 »

Yes, while these are all viable methods depending on circumstance...I was referring more to simple early warning system that could just be a part of the wardrobe.

Of course once the alarm goes off, there are different solutions- fasting, exercising, diet modification etc. Often times the challenge in a traveling lifestyle is there isn't the luxury of lugging a scale or specialized running shoes along. Also not all places are conducive to running ( one quick way to loudly identify oneself as a visitor/tourist).

prognastat
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Re: Managing body weight - and a possible simple solution?

Post by prognastat »

I'd say my pants getting tight is a pretty effective warning system and having to buy larger pants would be a big one.

Frita
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Re: Managing body weight - and a possible simple solution?

Post by Frita »

When traveling, I try to stay where I can prepare my own meals. When trying local cuisine, I balance that with lots of veg and water. I also log what I eat, just to be accountable and think twice before overindulging.

7Wannabe5
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Re: Managing body weight - and a possible simple solution?

Post by 7Wannabe5 »

Yoga pants aren't universally honest. The more expensive pants are made out of much thicker, stronger material.


Also, the belt method doesn't work so well for those of us who experience short-term tummy expansion followed by long term bottom expansion. I was actually keeping somewhat morbidly good track (like watching a slow motion car wreck) of my measurements as I recently put on some unwanted midlife pudge, and the process was almost like a glacier crashing into the sea, as 1.5 out of 2 inches accumulated on my belly plummeted round and down below my back. My mother who is almost 80, still retains a similar shape, although ravaged a bit by gravity, so it is obviously genetic/hormonal.

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