Most of our regular VG Press members are ... no longer teenagers.  Personally over the last few years (three or four), I have noticed changes in my body which until then I had not even given a passing thought to.  My stamina level was getting lower, my metabolism slower and I started to feel aches and pains in muscles and joints as a result of strenuous exercise which in the past I didn't used to.  Soon thereafter I started thinking about things like cholesterol, blood pressure and blood sugar levels.

The way I reacted to these changes took me by surprise a bit.  I had been a very "C'est la Vie" kind of person up till that point, and even a bit reckless and self-destructive so I was very surprised when I felt like fighting this and not just succumbing to it and not caring.  Over a period of time, I started to make several dietary and lifestyle changes.  It's not been easy and it's only got a little bit easier over the last few years (but also harder as I grow older).

Anyway, I thought about writing this up as a blog, but what I need really is a discussion.  Hopefully a helpful one.  How do you deal with these issues?  What are your dietary habits?  What do you do about exercising?  What tips do you have to give about either of those?

I will write about my own exercise routines and eating habits but I don't want to do it in this first post as I want to see some reaction first.

Thanks in advance for your input.

Well more of you will hate me even more when I say I'm in the best shape of my life (and I'm also the oldest I've ever been ).

For about 20 years I had an office job, with long hours, so I rarely exercised, drank heavily and ate like shit.  Once I found Mrs. Aspro, about 14 years ago, my diet improved greatly, but I still had back problems all the time, headaches etc...  I never put on a lot of weight, but I was basically soft from lack of physical engagement.

Since I quit that and moved to Australia, I now spend almost all my day doing some physical task, and outdoors about 9-10 hours a day.  Since then my back problems have gone away (no more office chairs, but also because my muscles are stronger).  I drink less (only no weekends), probably because I am no longer depressed (no work stress plus exercise).  The weight that usually comes to men in their late 20's early 30's I have lost (because I am constantly in motion).

I think being exposed to the sun has helped a lot as well.  In my old life, I had to go out of my way to be outdoors.

=-=-

Okay, so all of us can't quit our careers and countries and move to ranchs in Australia, so I guess I won't be selling any motivational DVDs anytime soon.  But here is the one concrete thing I did that helped get me into shape:

- Start slowly. Exercise Tuesday Thursday and Saturday. Just start by walking.  Since you are a gamer, buy a personal GPS, it will make the activity more interesting.  When you get home log what you have done (how far you went, how long it took you).  It becomes a game.  Over time you'll be wanting to beat your last "score" by going further or faster.  Eventually you'll want to go almost every day.

- Switch from regular soda to Diet NOW. And cut back on the processed foods. These two things will make a HUGE difference.

"In my old life, I had to go out of my way to be outdoors."

On a farm?!

Yodariquo said:

I'm an intermittent eater.  I don't base my eating around bit set mealtimes.  No idea if that's good or bad, but it works for me.  I also have the distinct ability to not gain weight, which is a bonus.  I'm probably out of shape, but I'm good enough for now.

Yoda I think most doctors and nutritionists will tell you that's generally not advised.  Most recommend fairly set and regular meal times (even regular fruit or snack times).  They also recommend that you don't skip meals or try to eat too much or too little to make up for previous missed/big meals.  

Of course you know your body better than anyone else so if it's worked well for you then that's fine.  One thing you need to be mindful of though is that your metabolism is constantly changing and you need to be mindful of those changes.  As you move into your late 20ies early 30ies it starts to slow down gradually so you may notice changes in your body without necessarily having changed the way you eat.

Another thing that's highly recommended which is what I'm finding the hardest to achieve, is regular sleeping patterns.  I generally don't sleep enough and when I do my sleep is a heavy slumber which is not very restful.  Also when left to my own devices I have a habit of becoming very nocturnal, and subsequently very lethargic during the day

Proper sleep, regular exercise and thoughtful food are the only three things you need to keep track of.

aspro said:

In LA you fool!

I assumed old life referred to your extreme age.

Also does thoughtful food refer to meat, or for Iga, cannibalism?

"

Ah. No "old life" means the one that came before this.  "thoughtful food" means un-processed food.  If you have to eat meat, go ahead, but make sure it's a part of a natural balanced intake."

Damn it man, it's all wordplay. Okay actually the first one was due to a combination of not enough and too much sleep, but the thoughtful food is wordplay. Think about it!

I thought you might, just making sure you weren't part of the peanut gallery.

gamingeek said:

I used to exercise a few times a week. Over the past couple of years I realised how shit my life was and I just gave up. I realised that I have no real reason to stay in shape and I didn't care anymore.

Bro I don't mean to sound all neo-hippie on you but whatever the situations and problems which make you feel your life is shit (and I'm sure they are hugely important) these are some simple things you can do for yourself to help you start feeling better about your life.  Seriously even when you're feeling completely in the dumps and like nothing is worthwhile, even something simple like going for a run in the park can help you start to feel better and also focus and centre your thoughts.

Also at the risk of sounding facetious, even I really don't mean to be, I think it could really help you with your digestion difficulties.

You have tons of reasons to stay in shape and to care but perhaps they're not so clear to see sometimes.

Ok, starting tomorrow, I'm going to take the first steps towards my physical improvement. I'm going to cut down on caffeine and sodas, and start eating healthier. Easier said than done, since I abhor veggies.

I own Wii Fit and both EA Sports games. That should help as well.