Awhile back I wrote a post about working out and the prepper’s ability to survive. Being a former Marine I’ve always tried to stay in decent physical shape. As I’ve gotten older it’s been harder and harder to stay on top of my physical fitness, but it’s one of those things I need to be do in order to stay healthy and ready just in case I ever need to be able to react quickly and/or have the stamina and strength to do something unexpected.
One thing I’ve noticed as I’ve gotten older is that my knees don’t stand up to the stress of running as well as they used to. The crown in the road has been wreaking havoc with my right knee lately and I’ve had to scale my running way back. Luckily, there are other things you can to that can help your fitness other than running.
Such as:
Diet
Probably the most important thing if you want to conquer a weight problem is to eat a healthy diet.
Now you’ll say, “Hey Jarhead! What exactly is a healthy diet?”
I’m glad you asked. First of all, it’s useless to “go on a diet” and then six months later go back to your old way of eating. You’ll gain back all the weight you lost plus a few extra pounds. A proper diet is just that, a life time commitment to eating the right amount of calories and the right foods.
Each meal should be made up of lean protein sources (chicken or turkey breast, fish, lean steak, eggs (it’s ok to eat real eggs), egg whites, turkey bacon, and things like that. You’ll want about four to eight ounces per meal depending on how many calories you burn during the day. Women should eat meat/protein about the size of deck of cards, men can get away with twice that.
Another item on your plate should be vegetables. You can have as many green beans, lettuce, onions, green peppers, etc as you want; however, watch out for corn and potatoes. These should be counted as a carb.
The last item on your plate is carbohydrates, these are sugars that give your muscles the energy to work. You should eat one carb per meal about the size of your fist such as an orange, apple, potato, banana, oatmeal, etc.
You might think this isn’t enough per meal, but here’s the bonus to eating healhty: when eating like this and exercising try to eat five or six smaller meals through the day spaced out at intervals of 2 1/2 to 3 hours apart. That’s right – more meals per day. Rather than eating three big meals six smaller meals helps to keep your blood sugar stabilized and will actually help you lose weight faster.
Here’s an example menu for one day:
Meal 1
1 cup egg white veggie omelet with 2 tbs lite cheese and 1 cup cooked oatmeal
Meal 2
Salad (light vinaigrette dressing), two boiled eggs, and an orange
Meal 3
1 can of tuna on 2 slices whole wheat bread with a small amount of fat free mayo, handful of baked chips, apple
Meal 4
Protein shake*
Meal 5
Grilled chicken breast, baked potato, green beans
Meal 6
Protein bar*
*You can substitute a small meal like #3 or #5 if you don’t like protein products. I do it because it’s easy.
Next post – Working Out
-Jarhead Survivor
BTW:
This makes me all nostalgic when I watch it.
27 comments
You’re absolutely right, Jarhead. Many of us forget that survival is not only about putting away the right combination of beans, bullets, and band-aids, but it’s also about being physically and mentally prepared as well.
A couple of years ago, I decided to drop about 15 lbs. I wasn’t technically overweight, but I felt that I was carrying more weight around that I should be. 4 months later, I was down to my target weight and I’ve kept it off.
How? The most significant change that I made was simply in the volume of food that I ate at each meal. Since then I’ve also tended to eat more healthily as well.
I could see where having 6 or 7 smaller meals would be beneficial.
Thanks for the article!
Joe
That’s awesome, Joe! 15 lbs is no small feat that’s for sure.
Substitute mustard for the mayo and you’re doing even better!
Jeez, I never thought of that! It just never occurred to me to eat tuna without mayo of some sort, but I love mustard and could totally see it would work. I’ll try it and let you know how it is. Thanks for the suggestion, Seth.
In high school and college I swam and ran track and cross country, in the navy we did “crazy shit”. Now 20 some years later I’m in exactly the same boat, my knees and hips hurt if I run too hard, my shoulders hurt when I swim too hard and my back hurts if I don’t do either regularly.
On diet I found Weight Watchers to be incredible, it’s a point system that rewards healthy eating and punishes unhealthy eating, but it’s expensive at $13 per week/$50 per month.
I have found a low impact exercise which has been the most fun I have had in years. I grew up in south Florida, so in my youth I had never participated in this sport, Mountain Biking, for obvious reasons, there are no mountains in South Florida. But what a blast it is, when you live anywhere with good hills and trails.
Moreover it’s a great way to get familiar, quickly, with your area. I can ride about 5 times the distance in an hour than I could comfortably cover by hiking. I have hunted from my mountain bike, I got a lot of nasty looks in the morning, 2 years ago, by other hunters who thought I was a spoiler, but 3 hours later, riding out with a coues deer strapped to my bike, those same hunters were much friendlier when they were stopping me to ask questions.
Finally, I think it will make an awesome bug-out vehicle. I can carry alot more gear, comfortably on my bike than in a pack, move further, faster and quieter than conventional transportation (this is the same reason it makes such an excellent hunting platform).
There was an article in a hunting/shooting magazine recently, I forget which one, were they used camo tape to make the “perfect camo mountain bike”. I will find the copy of the magazine and let y’all know which one tomorrow.
Oh yeah, there’s an online weight tracker you can use too. It’s pretty good if you have the discipline to use it.
Mrs Jarhead and I did Weight Watchers last year before she got pregnant and I lost about 10 lbs, so I know it works quite well. The only thing I found was that it doesn’t really give you enough points if you’re doing some hard training. I was having a hard time getting through my workouts and hand no intensity at all, but when I bumped up the points I had energy to do the workouts and I still lost weight.
Once the new platoon member arrives we’ll be going back on the program together. I found that when there’s two of us doing the program it’s much easier to keep each other motivated.
I did Weight Watchers for 3 months at the beginning of year, lost about 20 pounds.
Weight Watchers came out with a new point system at the beginning of the year. The new system tracks activity with points and you can trade your earned points for “MORE FOOD!!!!”
I’m very active as well so I always used 100% of my activity earned points.
Good outline of a proper diet Jarhead, there are many factors that will determine what type of diet you need to be eating. Of course a doc will probably tell you to eat a low-fat/high-protein/mid-carb kind of diet, but that is a generalization that “the average American” should be following anyway. You need to consider several things such as your activity level, what exercise you do, any health concerns, etc. Unlike Jarhead, I hate running… I still try to do it, I just despise cardio time! I prefer to lift weights, though not quite as strong as I used to be (getting old isn’t for sissies!) I still try to lift like I was younger. When I am on a lifting cycle, my body requires MUCH more protein than the average guy. I tend to eat/drink 2g/kg of body weight per day. Someone who focuses more on cardio or stamina/distance training will require much more carbohydrates per day than someone who focuses on explosive/burst strength as I do, because their body would require more long-term fuel, and less focus on rebuilding muscles (protein is broken down in the body to “branched chain amino acids”, these amino acids are the “building blocks” of muscles, your body will use them to reconstruct the micro-tears in the muscle fibers caused by lifting weights… which is the body’s natural way of getting stronger/bigger, so no need to think you are actually hurting yourself by lifting, unless you try doing way more than you can realistically handle.).
Another thing I would like to mention… The cheaper the protein drink/bar (at least in my opinion) the worse it tastes! I use a drink mix made by a company called “Costal Pro”, their chocolate, vanilla and cookies & cream protein shake-mixes are the best tasting I have tried (and I am extremely picky!) and they mix smooth. They also have a natural appetite suppressant from some type of plant extract if you are having trouble with snacking! As far as bars go, I like Met-Rx “colossal” bars. My favorite is the peanut-butter pretzel and the super-cookie. I won a 1yr supply of Met-Rx products once by beating 30 other competitors in a power-lifting competition, and have been using their products ever since (8yrs). They cost a little more, but they are better quality and easier to stomach. No I am not trying to write an add for them, I just hate seeing people waste time/money on garbage, and I have wasted plenty of both on cheap junk that doesn’t live up to the expectations of someone using it!
I think I saw a video once where someone drove a nail with a protein bar. I like Met-Rx as well, but just the regular bars plus some whey protein once in awhile.
If you like the Met-Rx protein powder, try either the Costal Pro that I mentioned, or Optimum Nutrition (now labeled as ON). Both taste better than the Met-Rx, mix more smoothly, mix easier with water (and equally well with milk), have more grams of protein/serving, and cost a considerable amount less! The last time I bough ON protein it was in a 30lb bag (from Vitamin Shoppe) and I think it cost $64, some of the Met-Rx protein powders are $25 for a 2.5lb tub. The ON proteins best flavor (IMO) is the “vanilla icecream”, if you mix it double-thick, it tastes like drinking cake batter… which is pretty thick, but very filling, and tasty. Both also, again in my experience, don’t make you feel bloated. The ON is also the best protein powder I have found for cooking. I used to utilize it when I would make my own protein bars.
Met-Rx also has a newer product (released within the last 2yrs) that gives you the same amount of protein as a shake, but it’s pancake mix! I got to sample the first few varieties they were releasing, which was awesome. I got to try vanilla, and cookies & cream… cookies & cream pancakes were AWESOME! I haven’t been to GNC, Vitamin Shoppe, or my favorite DSD (Discount Suppliments Direct, in VA Beach) for about a year, so I am not sure if this is still an available product, but it’s really good for a decent carb/protein/fiber combination for starting a long, hard day!
Great movie clip – gotta love R. Lee Ermey, he made that movie great.
First, get off the road, the hard surface kills the knees. A brisk walk is almost as beneficial as a run, but is much less detrimental to the joints. Don’t do full squats, only half squats. Steppers or elipticals build without causing much damage. If damage has started, don’t keep doing more damage, ther will be no joint replacements post TEOTWAWKI
Sput – Great advice. A brisk walk is exactly what I’ve been doing. I’ve also cut the squat weight way down or just do a high number of body-weight squats (no bar across the shoulders.)
I thought about losing 10lbs over the past couple of years and while my diet is alright, I just don’t want to give up the spam adult beverages… I figure if I have to go hardcore when the North Koreans spill over the VT border I’ll have a few days of energy in my system before I have to crack open the MREs. Great ideas about the menu!!!
For years I had issues with knee pain/swelling. My MDs were more inclined to scope and cut, but I’m not thrilled about that. I started doing more homopathy research and now take about 1600mg of turmeric daily along with adding about 4tablespoons of organic apple cider to my water intake; it’s done wonders!!! Unless I run on the pavement, my knees haven’t swollen in long time.
Ive just gotten to the point where i HATE to run anymore so I got a bike. Havnt been riding much but I can do 10 miles in 40 flat! ITs good stuff but it takes all the impact off of the knees.
That’s a pretty good time, Spook.
Ryan recently had a similar post;
http://tslrf.blogspot.com/2011/06/functional-fitness.html
But with more focus on being fast. He’s still young, I think. I don’t know how old you are Jarhead, but I’m in my late 30s and don’t do fast anymore. I’ve been jogging 4-8 miles at a time a few times a week, but at ~6mph, sometimes a little slower, and pushing a jogging stroller. That’s pretty slow, but I’ve found that my knees are fine and cardio is way better.
I work with a lot of current/ex/retired military. I know only a very, very few retired military who don’t have screwed up knees. I see a lot of guys (and gals) gimping around. Especially retired Marines. Lot of bad backs, too.
I’m still in the reserves and want to get a perfect PT score, but decided it’s not worth it. I’ll max two events and do middling on the run. My knees are good with that. Being fast now will be great if we collapse now. But not if I’m all gimped up when we collapse in 10 years and I can barely shuffle along. Balance, it’s a long race.
Slight correction – it’s “former” military not “ex” military, a big difference.
A perfect PT score. Used to do it when I was 20, now that I’m 47 I wouldn’t have a prayer of running 3 miles in 18 minutes, although I can bang out 25 pulls up and 80 sit ups. I know some guys older than me who could do the run though – or close to it anyway.
You make an excellent point when you say balance. If you take care of yourself and exercise smart (like stop running when your knees hurt) then you have a good chance of being fit until you die. You’ve just got to be able to say, “I’ve got to tone it down a little or I’ll injure myself.”
Off topic a bit but wanted to congratulate you for starting a family at your age. I am 56 & have 3 kids – 18, 16 & 6 (adopted from birth) & love every second of it.
I am in good condition, gave up the athlete pride years ago & watch my diet carefully. Adjusting your lifestyle like you have & creating a family is what life’s all about – again, congrats!
Thanks Jason. Yeah, it was a pretty big decision, but why the hell not?? My little boy (2) is keeping me young and I suspect my daughter will do the same once she gets out of basic training. 🙂
…. they are NEVER out of basic training my friend …..
🙂 !!
What you described is a fad diet not a healthy diet. Simply eat a wide variety of foods. You don’t have to eat “egg white veggie omelettes” to eat healthy. Most people don’t recognize fad diets so here is a hint: If you read about it in a book or on-line it is a fad diet. Fad diets are notorious for eliminating a broad variety of foods form your diet. usually the fad is justified by claiming that some particular nurtrient or food component is “bad” and/or that some particular supplement or vitamin is “good”. Most common villains are sugar, fat, meat, or just read meat, carbs, or just refined carbs, etc. Avoid self-limiting diets.
I don’t think that’s a fad diet at all. The only thing you’re cutting out of this diet is burgers, hot dogs, fries, chips and stuff like that. If you can eat more fruit, lean meats and vegetables and less of the garbage you’ll lost weight. Also, you’ll notice I said that eggs are ok to eat. The only time I eat just egg whites is when I’m trying to lose weight.
Another one that helps alot of folks by removing from their diets is soda-pop. The full-sugar stuff is “empty calories”, and the diet stuff contains many chemicals that make you retain water… BOTH are counter-productive to maintaining weight. However, after lifting weights ingesting up to 65g of “quick sugars” can help to replenish your glycogen levels in your blood (glycogen is what your body turns sugar/carbs into to fuel muscles). That will help you recover quicker, but you MUST ingest the sugars, like a soda-pop, within 20-40 min of the conclusion of your work-out,
When I was a young man I spent a couple of hours everyday at the gym working out. Some of the “body builders” ate diets like that to reduce their body fat for shows. It was a legitimate diet but it falls into the category of a fad diet. It is not my intent to use the phrase “fad diet” to demean. The problem is that what most/all fad diets have in common is they are not good diets and not sustainable. I tried the Atkins diet for two weeks and lost 8-10 lbs. I could certainly understand someone who is overweight trying one of the many fad diets to lose some weight but sooner or later you have to start eating “normal” food. A good diet is simpler then the proponents of fad diets would have you believe. Just eat a diverse diet and don’t place arbitrary restrictions on food (like not eating any meat or not eating any carbohydrates). Certainly eat what you like but don’t restrict your diet because the latest fad diet book promises longer life, better skin and eternal youth. There is probably no issue in our society with as much misinformation and bias as the issue of diet. The government seems to be moving in the direction of telling you what you can and cannot eat and in some cities it has the force of law. Most of the criteria they use to pass these decrees is flawed or simply incorrect. I totally agree that any individual is free to follow a fad, a belief system or even a bad diet. That is free will. What I am not in favor of is the constant stream of misinformation by authors, guru’s, and would-be-experts. What complicates the issue is that there are indeed some diseases that require specific diets. Diabetes is a good example of this. But too many people jump to the conclusion that if you can treat diabetes by eating a certain diet that the same diet would “prevent” diabetes. This is simply not true. Salt is another example of this kind of problem. about 10% of the population cannot tolerate excess salt and must restrict it in their diet. The rest of us simply excrete excess salt in their urine and it never causes a problem. Mayor Bloomberg still has not learned this simple fact.
Last; I respect your right to eat what you like. In fact I have eaten similar diets when I was in training. But I knew it was a fad diet with possible negative results if followed to an extreme.