Younger Next Year After Six Months

[Helen]

Has anyone stayed with their exercise routine and if so, how do you feel?

I read this book last winter and have been getting a lot of cardio and weight lifting in before w@rk every morning. I feel much happier, it is a great mood elevator.

 

[arebelspy]

Has anyone stayed with their exercise routine and if so, how do you feel?

I read this book last winter and have been getting a lot of cardio and weight lifting in before w@rk every morning. I feel much happier, it is a great mood elevator.

Oh this is a fun thread to necro.

I wonder how many people here are gonna read their post from years ago and face palm in embarrassment about their current status.

Anyone who has kept it up, kudos!

 

[Ronstar]

Great tip on the book. I'll have to read it. i've recently kicked my exercise routine into high gear. Alternating days of 15 mile bike rides and 4 mile runs every day since June 1st. Also lifting weights about 2 days a week. I've also been doing afternoon swims since early July. Swimming seems to help my overall fitness a lot. The next step is to improve my diet.

My problem is going to be this winter when our lake freezes over and the roads are unfit for biking. I'll probably be down to treadmill running and weights only.

 

[donheff]

Oh this is a fun thread to necro.

I wonder how many people here are gonna read their post from years ago and face palm in embarrassment about their current status.

Anyone who has kept it up, kudos!

Some of us switched to Body by Science and are doing fine with a little Younger Next Year cardio thrown in for fun and just in case.

 

[eytonxav]

TA,

I'll bet your strength improved over that period as well, not sure you commented on that.

When it comes to ERF members, it seems that most folks on here are both financially and physically fit

 

[TromboneAl]

Yes, I kept up with the 6 days/week until a few months ago, when the Body by Science book convinced me to add in some rest days and avoid long runs.

Here's how I've changed:

Then:

Exercise 6 days/week instead of 3-4
Exercise longer/harder
Do strength training on two of those days
Eat more whole grains (no more white rice, potatoes, white tortillas)
Eat more unsaturated fat (olive oil, nuts)

​

Now

Exercise 4-5 days/week
Exercise less hard except on strength training day, include sprints, avoid long runs
Do strength training on one day per week, very intense
Eat NO whole grains
Eat more fats of all kinds
​

Here's an update to the waist chart posted in the OP:

My waist is still 32.5".

By coincidence, I was just reading this article concerning cardio versus sprints:

http://wellnessmama.com/1098/wellne...ew-how-to-get-in-shape-without-the-treadmill/

 

[donheff]

That is an impressive chart Al. I also like the link -- it has a good bike/running sprint regimen. I think I will try that on my spinning days and keep my regular biking up strickly for fun (i.e. moderate cruising/sighteeing). I really like my cookies with coffee for breakfast so I doubt I will go the no carb route.

 

[W2R]

That is an impressive chart Al. I also like the link -- it has a good bike/running sprint regimen. I think I will try that on my spinning days and keep my regular biking up strickly for fun (i.e. moderate cruising/sighteeing). I really like my cookies with coffee for breakfast so I doubt I will go the no carb route.

Cookies for breakfast? That sounds like a great habit for retirement (if you can do it without gaining, which I assume is the case).

Everything else about retirement has been pretty much like cookies for breakfast, in spirit if not literally.

 

[DangerMouse]

I've kept up the exercise part, I'm doing an hour of cardio 5-6 days a week, however still have the same issue of not being able to lose weight. I am thinking about instituting a routine of 3 on, 1 off to give my body time to recover.

However, seeing the success Al is having I am thinking of fine tuning my schedule/diet along the lines of his to see how it goes.

 

[TromboneAl]

Today I would normally go on a 60 mile ride, but am thinking a 20 miler might be better for me. Who knows?

BTW, I just had low carb, full fat cheesecake with tons of whipped cream and coffee with lots of heavy whipping cream. I can't tell you how good it was.

 

[W2R]

First cookies for breakfast, and now cheesecake for breakfast? You guys are killin' me.

For breakfast I just had coffee with sugarfree creamer, and only one cup though I might have another after reading this. Pretty soon we are headed off to the gym, though. If I am feeling strong I might go up to 16 tons today; lifted 15.9 tons on Monday (oops, sorry if I'm bragging but you did say how far you were riding, which is amazing).

 

[donheff]

Today I would normally go on a 60 mile ride, but am thinking a 20 miler might be better for me. Who knows?

BTW, I just had low carb, full fat cheesecake with tons of whipped cream and coffee with lots of heavy whipping cream. I can't tell you how good it was.

Wait a second. You cut out sugar too, right? How did you make that cheesecake and, more important, did it taste good?

 

[arebelspy]

Yes, I kept up with the 6 days/week until a few months ago, when the Body by Science book convinced me to add in some rest days and avoid long runs.

This reminded me of a philosophy article I read yesterday (a reoccurring series on the NYT I follow on my RSS feeds) about how one should ignore e latest fads and just stick with the age old "Be Healthy" advice.

http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/08/09/trying-to-live-forever/

Actually now that I think about it, it reminds me of market timers vs buy and hold. The market timers of fitness have tried Atkins switched to the more generic low carb, did some Tae Bo, switched to Yoga, tried Younger by Next Year, switched to Body By Science, etc. The buy and hold fitness people just exercised and ate healthy foods all along, regardless of whatever recent study said might slightly help some chance against xyz disease.

No offense to those of you that are market timer fitness people.

Anyways, the above article is worth a read for a different perspective on ignoring the daily fitness fads, just as one might ignore the daily fluctuations of the market.

 

[TromboneAl]

Wait a second. You cut out sugar too, right? How did you make that cheesecake and, more important, did it taste good?

Right, no sugar. The sweeteners I used are erythritol and liquid splenda (powdered splenda works also, but there is some carb in there to bulk it up). Erythritol is almost too good to be true. Splenda (sucralose) can have an aftertaste, but if you combine them, it doesn't get above the taste threshold.

I don't think most people could detect that it is made without sugar.

The whipped cream is just heavy whipping cream put into a cream whipper -- no sweetener.

I make the cheesecake (actually Lena made it), by making these cream cheese clouds, and then putting them in a crust made with this:

These are good, even without the crust:

Cream Cheese Clouds

CREAM CHEESE CLOUDS
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
8 drops splenda,
.25 cup powdered eryth
1/2 teaspoon vanilla or other flavoring

Beat everything with an electric mixer until fluffy. Drop by bite-size spoonfuls onto a wax paper-lined baking sheet. Freeze until firm, at least 1 hour. Store in the freezer and eat frozen.
Makes 24 clouds

NOTE: You can store these in the refrigerator and they will hold their shape quite well as long as they are good and cold.

With granular Splenda:
Per Cloud: 70 Calories; 7g Fat; 1g Protein; 1g Carbohydrate; 0g Dietary Fiber; 1g Net Carb
Per 2 Clouds: 140 Calories; 14g Fat; 2g Protein; 2g Carbohydrate; 0g Dietary Fiber; 2g Net Carbs
With liquid Splenda:
Per 2 Clouds: 134 Calories; 14g Fat; 2g Protein; .5g Carbohydrate; 0g Dietary Fiber; .5g Net Carbs
Per 4 Clouds: 268 Calories; 29g Fat; 3g Protein; 1g Carbohydrate; 0g Dietary Fiber; 1g Net Carb

 

[donheff]

This reminded me of a philosophy article I read yesterday (a reoccurring series on the NYT I follow on my RSS feeds) about how one should ignore e latest fads and just stick with the age old "Be Healthy" advice.

Trying to Live Forever - NYTimes.com

Actually now that I think about it, it reminds me of market timers vs buy and hold. The market timers of fitness have tried Atkins switched to the more generic low carb, did some Tae Bo, switched to Yoga, tried Younger by Next Year, switched to Body By Science, etc. The buy and hold fitness people just exercised and ate healthy foods all along, regardless of whatever recent study said might slightly help some chance against xyz disease.

No offense to those of you that are market timer fitness people.

Anyways, the above article is worth a read for a different perspective on ignoring the daily fitness fads, just as one might ignore the daily fluctuations of the market.

The linked article is pretty good and articulates some of the discomfort I feel with fads. I don't pay much attention to them and more rarely act on them. Partly because most of them involve work (either diet or lots of exercise) and I am averse to work. When I read Younger Next Year I was caught up in the narrative and the promise was attractive enough to motivate me to do a bit more work. In practice, the proposed regimen was difficult to adhere to. In retrospect, I think much of the evidence cited in the book was observational - the type your cited article suggests we ignore. I would have to re-read it to confirm if that is true.

When I read Body by Science, on the other hand, I was impressed that a number of the studies cited involved test groups assigned to differing regimens of exercise (multiple days, different styles, etc) and the results were based on objective measures. The type of studies your article says we should look toward. And, of course, the evidence presented points toward an approach to fitness that better aligns with my bias against unnecessary work, so I have embraced it fully. I am of an open mind and if evidence is presented that makes clear that the BS regimen is BS, I may reluctantly change my ways.

 

[GregLee]

Anyways, the above article is worth a read for a different perspective on ignoring the daily fitness fads, just as one might ignore the daily fluctuations of the market.

I do see the parallel between market-timing and fitness fads. In both cases, one side says the way to success requires alertness, thought, staying informed about current events, while the other side says, oh, no need for thought, just find a formula that tells you how to do the conventional thing and you'll be just fine, never thinking about it again. (It is rather odd to find Gutting, a professor of philosophy, on the don't-think-just-follow-convention side, though. Philosophy professors are supposed to be thinkers.)

 

[REWahoo]

(It is rather odd to find Gutting, a professor of philosophy, on the don't-think-just-follow-convention side, though. Philosophy professors are suppose to be thinkers.)

I wonder how successful philosophers are as investors?

I'll have to think about that...

 

[arebelspy]

(It is rather odd to find Gutting, a professor of philosophy, on the don't-think-just-follow-convention side, though. Philosophy professors are supposed to be thinkers.)

I think you mischaracterize it as the "don't think" side. More of the eternal truth side versus the fad of the moment.

I'd bet you more philosophy professors agree with Aristotle or Kant on Ethics than recent (the last 100ish years) moral relativism ideas. Doesn't mean they're on the side of not thinking.

 

[arebelspy]

I wonder how successful philosophers are as investors?

I'll have to think about that...

They're all too broke to have money to invest.

 

[TromboneAl]

From the article

...simply follow the humdrum standard advice we’ve heard all our lives about eating sensibly, exercising regularly, and having recommended medical tests and exams.

Unfortunately, just because advice is humdrum and standard, doesn't mean it's right. And the problem with "heard all our lives" is that advice we heard in the early part of our lives (e.g. starchy vegetables, like potatoes, make you fat, exercise helps you build an appetite) is different from later advice (eat pasta and potatoes, avoid all fats), and then even later advice (eat only whole grains, and eat lots of healthy fats).

I prefer the real age-old advice: "Ogg say: Eat fattest animal you can kill."

 

[FreeAtLast]

Al,

Thanks for the report. I have to admit that I have slipped on the exercise since the beginning of the year. Your update has encouraged me to start back at the gym on a more regular basis.

 

[Alan]

When I read YNY I'd just started exercising an hour a day after a work plus cycling and playing tennis at weekends. Since the book reinforced what I was already doing, and enjoying, I was motivated to do more and ramp up the intensity.

A couple of years later the company Doc sent me for a treadmill stress test as my ekg had my resting heart rate at 45. The cardiologist said the results were "spectacular". A year later on my last company physical before I ER'ed my ekg had my resting heart rate at 39.

I continue to exercise every day, last month I logged 55 hours of cardio exercise and lifted 61k lbs of weights.

I feel great but I really can't put it down to taking the advice of YNY, or any other book or exercise regime. Similarly with my weight control, I don't follow any particular diet, just try to limit portion sizes and beer/alcohol consumption.

 

[RetirementColdHardTruth]

I was feeling quite old and tired myself, so I started doing green vegetable juices from various leafy greens and carrot and apple for taste. I started, eating only things that were fresh from the ground for dinners with the juices before each meal. No more eating anything out of a box. My next step was to start juicing wheatgrass that I grew myself, along with a nice harvest of microgreens from sunflower seeds I sprouted until about 5 inches tall using a flat 10x20 tray. I have lost 20lbs over the past 4 weeks, sleeping better although less, have more energy in the mornings, no longer feel tired. I have no more joint pains, headakes or sore muscles. Mind you the first 1.5-2 weeks was quite rough on me as I felt a strong detoxing effect and had pain in my upper back, mild headake all day and some discomfort in my joints higher than normal during that initial period. So now I am 5 weeks into this. I replaced 2 full meals with nothing but the green juice for breakfast and lunch. Then a juice before dinner with a green salad or raw vegi salad small piece of fish or about 1-2 times a week about 10oz of steak. I take a B12 supplement as I know this can be an issue on a mainly raw diet.

I noticed my eyes are clear and bright, no longer have to wear glasses to read, the whites are no longer grey in color and the crows feet around my eyes are all but gone.

Now all of these benefits can't be in my head, I look at my photos from 6 months ago and can see a huge difference.

My mind is also very clear, and things that used to piss me off no longer do so. I am kind of giving those individuals in my working life the mental finger in my head, and get on with my day without feeling any anger towards them. There are only a couple of people in my organization of over 60 that are completely useless and lazy, and that used to bother the crap out of me, but no longer, it is just like they don't matter anymore and I accept them for who they are now. This is really weird.

I haven't yet started any exercise program but am keen on getting started again.

Another thing I have noticed is my drive towards feeling like I need to farm stuff now. As I grow my own trays of wheat grass and various sprouts, I really feel like I need to be out actually running a small farm. Well at least now I know what I will do with my early retirement when I get there... Given a big part of the expenses will be foods, if I can grow most of it then this should cut down expenses greatly.

So what got me started down this track? I saw on netflix "Sick Fat and Nearly Dead" check it out very inspirational.

Good luck everyone.

Here is a shot 1 year ago on the left and today on the right.

 

[HFWR]

The takeaway from YNY is the same message Kenneth Cooper gave years ago, that I try to adhere to, no matter my latest obsession/fascination: Exercise everyday, even if it's a walk.

 

[tmm99]

I want to thank Al for starting this thread and everyone for posting - I am getting motivated! I bought a book and am half way into it. I really really like the book (except so far for the diet recommendations) because it gives very clear explanation of why what kind of exercise is important for older folks. I ordered the book for my mom who is 83 years old also. (Did you know this book is published in Japanese?)