Mindset; less guns, less fat, more time in the gym.

[WillBrink]

That's the core issue, there are so many widely varying opinions, and even varying research that this issue is very muddy.

Especially if it gets to "what's the right value", people always want an analytic answer. When the reality is probably a behavioral answer, entangled with "don't eat more calories than your body can use or metabolize". I understand there are valid reasons for high calorie diets when doing significant strength training, Etc. But physics are physics, any calories you don't use get stored somewhere. Your behavior and chemistry dictates whether that's fat or something else.

Physics is physics, but that's one of many reasons we find ourselves in these muddy waters, over simplifications on topics not that simple. For example, see:

http://www.brinkzone.com/weight-loss...-loss-correct/

and

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/body/is...a-calorie.html

Much of what you're talking about is not as much in dispute as you may think. People over complicate in areas they don't need to, and over simplify in areas they should not.

[WillBrink]

I remember many years ago I went to an Arfcom Tard shoot for AZ guys. I was wildly disappointed in the amount of fat fukking slobs who were part of the "tactical" community.

Well, it's Arfcom, so what did you expect? Having said that, I try not to pass judgement until I know who they are and other intel. Met many a guy who at one time was a serious meat eating tactical stud who seriously let themselves go, some times due to injuries, etc, some times due to other reasons none of my business. You can usually tell the difference of course, but I try to not judge the book by its cover cliche till I at least know more.

[pinzgauer]

Physics is physics, but that's one of many reasons we find ourselves in these muddy waters, over simplifications on topics not that simple. For example, see:

http://www.brinkzone.com/weight-loss...-loss-correct/

and

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/body/is...a-calorie.html

Much of what you're talking about is not as much in dispute as you may think. People over complicate in areas they don't need to, and over simplify in areas they should not.

I won't argue with you on any of that, both because it's your lane, and also because it's what I also believe. I'm not a calorie chaser exactly for the reason you describe.


Nor advocating any particular diet or not. Nor use or nonuse of supplements.

Just (probably in too many words) trying to make sure people understand the risk factors of cardiac heart disease and type 2 diabetes are more insidious than many realize. And have to be watched for earlier than most realize.

In my thirties I thought I was invincible, though I was starting to realize that there were some things that I didn't have the skills that I thought I had. Example: being a fighter pilot versus a private pilot. And that I would never be an Army Ranger even if I thought I might have had th licks in my 20s.

Then you start hitting surprises in your forties and then many more in your 50s. It may not be heart disease it may be something else. But there's nearly always surprises that you did not predict.

Keep an eye out for blind spots and shine a light on them

[WillBrink]

I won't argue with you on any of that, both because it's your lane, and also because it's what I also believe. I'm not a calorie chaser exactly for the reason you describe.


Nor advocating any particular diet or not. Nor use or nonuse of supplements.

Just (probably in too many words) trying to make sure people understand the risk factors of cardiac heart disease and type 2 diabetes are more insidious than many realize. And have to be watched for earlier than most realize.

In my thirties I thought I was invincible, though I was starting to realize that there were some things that I didn't have the skills that I thought I had. Example: being a fighter pilot versus a private pilot. And that I would never be an Army Ranger even if I thought I might have had th licks in my 20s.

Then you start hitting surprises in your forties and then many more in your 50s. It may not be heart disease it may be something else. But there's nearly always surprises that you did not predict.

Keep an eye out for blind spots and shine a light on them

No debate there. I will say for reducing risks of major diseases, general health, etc that data continues to find The Mediterranean diet/Mediterranean-style eating, is a winner and probably what most should follow for those basic goals, moderating total cals as far as weight management is concerned. With some tweaks, more or less what I have recommended for decades:

Mediterranean diet: A heart-healthy eating plan

https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-l...t/art-20047801

[nate89]

This thought process has had me more interested in fitness, but also in learning other 'life-saving' skills besides just shooting. I think getting some solid med training is an essential skill to have if you intend to carry a firearm. I get it isn't as sexy as the 3 day burn it down at 10 yards carbine class, but I have decided to hold off on firearms classes until I get a solid med class like dark angel in. Like almost everyone, I have a finite amount of resources (time and money) for classes, so it is well past time for me to get real med training.

Like the OP, I still work at a large retailer with an FFL/SOT (been here for about 4 years now), and see the 'preparing for fantasy scenario X' people all the time. Managing the range we have has taken me off the sales floor for the most part, but now I get to see the people who believe they will turn into Roland Deschain the gunslinger after the end of the world that currently can't even hit a B8 at 25 with a pistol. It really is more about the gear collecting than even shooting. It gets back to Eurodriver's 6920 thread, which I won't repeat as i'm sure the salient points are already known to most people reading this. At this point, I usually just smile and nod at most people on the range. As long as you are being safe, you can be as horrible of a shooter as you want, and I really don't care. I'm happy to help if you want it, but most people don't care, so I won't care for them.

[pinzgauer]

No debate there. I will say for reducing risks of major diseases, general health, etc that data continues to find The Mediterranean diet/Mediterranean-style eating, is a winner and probably what most should follow for those basic goals,

At the risk of spending too much time on old fart stuff...

There are other things the young studs (30's?) may want to be aware of that may bite you in your 40's and 50's. Representative, not exhaustive list, as this is not the stuff folks talk about.

Will's advice on the med diet and similar, great stuff.

- I was a big salad eater in my 30's. Tried to eat health, blah, blah. (yep, know about the dressings). Thats what I ate for lunch most days, salad with grilled chicken, etc.

Problem is, starting in my late 40's, I now have a sensitivity to iceberg, romain, and similar lettuce. Anything more than nuisance presence triggers bowel stuff. Baby spinich is the only one I can eat, and that I have to eat after my main entree to be able to keep it. Did that come from a heavy salad diet? Don't know. Will never know. Just can't go there now, it's X'd out.

- Nuts. Healthy nuts. I love them. Still eat them quite often. But a broken jaw in HS now has led to complete mandibular joint failure on one side. Nut's are very hard on it, painful. Everyone has some wear there, but I have to moderate nuts.

Other friends have different triggers. I can't have much more than trace Jalapeno. But white pepper and red peppers of certain types is fine.

Point being, you may have large components of certain diets short circuit out.

Then the joint issues... common one, knee problem.

- Ortho doc: "let me guess, you jump out of pickup truck beds". Yep.. why? It's the one of the hardest things an adult can do to their knees. Don't do that any more. But even now a couple of times each treadmill session I'll have a knee go out and have to catch myself.

OK, my mid-twenties paratrooper son. Averaging 10-11 jumps a year, most in full battle rattle. Guess what happens to CPT-MAJ-LTC's at that pace? Knees go! These are very fit men, pretty much all of them ex-regiment.

- I have Three cracked vertebra from three different events- Nightime death-sledding on ski slopes in norway, Thrown from a horse in my late 40's, and a neck one from Enduro bike stupidity. Cronic back pain, largely unavoidable. With some potential interaction with bowel issues due to the location of one of the cracks/damage and associated nerves.

- Kettleballs? Certain exercises? Kills old shoulder injuries, mostly from snow skiing for decades. Missing bone parts in my wrists from old dirt bike injuries. Can't do pushups on my palms, have to do on knuckles with wrist straight.

- Hands ache when I wake up, badly. Hard to move. Jammed fingers from rock climbing, extensive wrenching over the years, etc.

- Very prone to twisted/rolled ankles now due to repeated injuries in the woods and dirt bike stuff. (should have worn my big boots)

- Celebrex helps with the pain (amazingly). Oh, but it's contraindicated with heart meds, so don't take it.

Luckily my prostrate is great shape!!! :-) I have many buddies with similar, but different lists. FireFly is now going to go back to saying he wants to be dead by 50 after hearing this

Point in all this is not to be the old fart complaining about aches and pains.

Instead, that old sins and incidents come back to haunt you. And new ones. So assumptions you may be making now about what you can do, and what you can eat may not be valid.

And some stuff you'll want to really look out for, if you can avoid it. Especially knee/back/ankle. I can handle aching hands. When the knee or ankle goes, you can lose mobility for weeks!

Enough old fart stuff... I'm going to go walk my woods and try to give some beavers kinetic energy poisoning! :-) While I still can!

[chuckman]

This thought process has had me more interested in fitness, but also in learning other 'life-saving' skills besides just shooting. I think getting some solid med training is an essential skill to have if you intend to carry a firearm. I get it isn't as sexy as the 3 day burn it down at 10 yards carbine class, but I have decided to hold off on firearms classes until I get a solid med class like dark angel in. Like almost everyone, I have a finite amount of resources (time and money) for classes, so it is well past time for me to get real med training.

Wild dark angel is great, as are a multitude of two and three day tactical medicine classes, really all people need is what is taught at bleeding control.org. A two-hour class that's designed to teach people how to stop bleeding in life-threatening situations. That will cover 99% of what 99% of people need in an emergency.

It's a great class, sanctioned by the American College of Surgeons, and endorsed by the committee for tactical combat casualty care.

[chuckman]

Steinbeck said the mind is the final weapon; all else is supplemental. Tim Kennedy said train to be the hardest man anyone tries to kill. A mind is the first weapon, our body is the second. That's how we need to think, that's how we need to train.

[WillBrink]

Steinbeck said the mind is the final weapon; all else is supplemental. Tim Kennedy sad train to be the hardest man anyone tries to kill. A mine is the first weapon, our body is the second. That's how we need to think, that's how we need to train.

No doubt true, but if the mind is able and willing and the body aint because you can't climb even a set of stairs without heavy breathing, etc, you're obviously far more likely to meet your demise. The body being the vehicle for which you must move and transport that brain

[chuckman]

No doubt true, but if the mind is able and willing and the body aint because you can't climb even a set of stairs without heavy breathing, etc, you're obviously far more likely to meet your demise. The body being the vehicle for which you must move and transport that brain

Of course you're right, I think the principal was about mind over weapons and tactics. Using the mind to think your way out of a situation, rather than going to physical aggression or weapons first. Of course you can be sharp as a tack and have a brilliant mind, but if you can't move from here to there, it's no good. Also the reason I chose those two specifically is that it's a system, one without the other is useless.