having trouble getting back into shape working & out due to these constant roadblocks

[mikeith]

i first want to say that i've never had a set "workout" discipline as far as what to work on what days, when to do this/that/the other, but would like to.

i REALLY want to get back into shape and get in better health than i every was physically but every time i get the motivation this happens.

when i work out i PUSH myself, i dont overlift but i push myself to the point where i have almost total muscle weakness/failure and can barely drive home, but worse than that i feel so sick to my stomach and nauseous that i can't even stomach the idea eating dinner, which usually ends with a really bad headache and being SUPER sore for the next 3-5 days... so much that physically can't workout due to the weakness.

Now, I know that a big part of that is my diet and this is something i struggle greatly with. I know I'm not eating enough which has to be a major factor of the things that are happening above and most of what i can find is junk. i am constantly on the road for work(in fact i'm in my hotel now typing this) and feel like i cant find good nutritional food anywhere on the road to save my life(again battling this as im trying to find out what to eat in this podunk town) besides that i just dont have the appetite to take in as many calories needed to meet my goals

What would help tremendiously is if someone with good knowledge with a similar lifestyle can help me come up with a diet and meal ideas that i can do while on the road. things like

- easy healthy high protein things i can find to eat while traveling
- healthy snacks i can find at gas stations
- daily meal plan

hell i'll even go for someone who can make me a 5 day list of "eat this, this, and this on monday, this, this, and this on tuesday etc etc."

the other issue is hotel gyms, most say they have one but most are laughable at best. a good routine of workouts that i can do on the road 2-3 days a week would help as well as a "do this when you are at home and CAN get to your gym"

current condition:
28 years old
5'11", 160lbs with a
32-33" waist (would really like to get back into a loose 31")

can only get about 3 sets of 15 pushups with proper form

can only get 3 sets of 5-6 pullups

STRUGGLE to get 3 sets of 20 situps

can only run at best 1/2-3/4 mile without walking some

body fat last time i check was 18% but probably more like 20% now and would really like to get back to 5-8%

since i dont have a reliable spotter i dont know what my max bench, squat, incline, curl, etc are but i know that they aren't much.

i usually lift with barbells and use 25-40 lbs per arm on most arm workouts, then use machines for just about everything else

long story short, over time my stamina and strength have become crap and I'm no where near as flexible as i used to be.


Now, lets talk goals. More than anything i want to increase usable energy, strength, stamina, and flexability without gaining much physical size would like to stay under 170-175lbs tops

can you please help me with a good hard plan to acquire these goals?

[armed_zebra]

As you mentioned, diet is most important. I'd say diet is about 80% of your battle. It is indeed hard to eat right when on the road but I am not a stranger to the traveling lifestyle and I've found many ways to overcome the lack of "good" food available out there.

First, pack food when you can. Its not always do-able if you have to fly, but I drive and pack my food for up to a 3 day trip. Chicken breast, steak cuts, fruit, veggies, more fruit, water... I'm into a very low carb, high protein diet.

Second, if you're driving, know where you can stop to get what you need. When I'm in a pinch, I know I can always stop at McDonalds, Wendy's, etc and order 2 grilled chicken sandwiches and toss the bread. Not the best chicken breast but its better than a hamburger from one of those places. Also, there are some fast food salads that are good but I don't eat salad with dressing. Clobbering it with 2 gallons of dressing is taking 3 steps back.

Gas station snacks? Beef jerky is a great snack! Go for the expensive stuff. It usually indicates that its real. The cheap stuff is just loaded with sauces to make it taste good, not good for you. Nuts such as sunflower seeds, peanuts, cashews, etc are good for you in moderation but keep in mind they contain a good bit of fat (more on fat later). FRUIT!!! Eat lots of fruit and drink water.

If you spend a lot of time in airports, drop the extra coin for quality food. Don't go for lunch at the Royal Panda in the food court of terminal C. Find the TGIFridays and order some chicken and veggies or hit the Chili's for a steak (not the best, but workable).

The key to getting your body to burn fat and increase muscle is to 1) put good fuel into your body and 2) burn more than you are taking in. Lets talk about running your engine on sugars and starches vs fat and protein. If you're taking in a lot of sugar, your body will run on sugar but if you're taking in a moderate amount of fat, your body will run on fat. Start burning more that you're taking in and if you're running on fat, guess what that means? Its more complex than that but I tried to make it basic.

Stop drinking soda and beer. Drink water! Limit your alcohol intake if you're a drinker. I f-ing love beer so this was hard for me.

If you get past all of this diet stuff, then you can start looking at working out. I spend 100+ nights a year in a hotel and I'm a crossfitter. Pushups, situps, lunges, air squats, dips, running...all things you can do from a hotel, most in your room. Look up some crossfit workouts that don't involve heavy lifting. If your diet is on track, the workouts will get easier and easier. Forget about bench press and bicep curls. Those are for bodybuilders. You goal should be to be in good shape, not look good in a tight shirt.

[mikeith]

thanks for the tips.

99% of my travel is windshield time. I like the bread-less chicken breast idea although i'm not a big chicken guy(too bland). I'll admit that bread/pasta is one of my weakness, but luckily I'm pretty good at sticking to a diet once i have a plan. Most places i am are small rural towns with southern fried everything but I'll do my best to find simple grilled proteins.

I love fruit and jerky so that shouldn't to hard. Speaking of fruit, are there certain ones that are more beneficial than others as far as more nutrients and less sugar? I'm not a big salad guy but like fresh veggies with no dressing.

last is breakfast? i know oatmeal is good and eggs are good protein but its damn near impossible to find somewhere in the morning that still serves real eggs. any other ideas in this department

(btw i love coffee but am admittedly cant stomach it without sweetener/cream and dont see myself kicking it anytime soon)

i dont have problem with cokes/candy since i never buy them but i know for sure I'm not drinking enough water. its a bad habbit but its hard to drink alot of water while driving and having to go pee every hour! this is one problem i know i need to correct asap though

[prq9218]

Are you getting enough sleep? I found that getting at least 7 hours of sleep makes a huge difference for me.

When I'm at hotels, I tend to just do body weight exercises, if you can find the plyometrics video from P90X, that's what I use. Doesn't take too much space except for 2 moves, and I can get it done in an hour.

[bp7178]

It sounds like poor hydration may be more of an issue. A lot of the water we take in comes from food as well as liquid consumption. Headaches can be a sign of dehydration, ie just as in a morning hangover.

My advice would be to make sure you don't have some underlying medical problem. Second to that would be to drink more water.

If you're looking for something you can eat on the road, maybe look into meal replacement shakes in a powder form. Something you can bring with you, and make as needed. Something with a good balance of protein, carbs and vitamins. I'd rather eat natural unprocessed foods, but traveling can make that hard.

If you want something from a gas station, or something to eat on the road, I'd suggest trail mix. Lots of protein, carbs and fiber. High calorie, but don't get stuck on that. By general rule, if it used to be alive or growing and isn't processed, feel free to eat it.

Beef Jerky tends to have a ridiculous amount of sodium.

Don't drink crappy coffee and you won't have to doctor it up.

You're a pretty lean guy, just not in good shape. Skinny fat as its called. I'd get your cardio up first, and have a good base to build off of. The face that a guy as small as you can't run a mile is alarming.

I don't think its healthy to start trying to do circuit training or really any intense exercise program if you don't have good cardio-vascular health. And it doesn't sound like you do.

[mikeith]

Thanks for the tips, what happens when I run though is that I feel like my lungs give out before my body/legs do. I get .3 or so miles in and my chest starts burning, by a half mile in my chest burns so bad I can hardly breath and have to slow to a walk, barely even (if even) beginning to break a sweat and still feel like there is plenty more in my legs... It's just that my lungs burn so bad I can't push through it, so I walk the rest of the way. Then once I get home it's like I have a mild cough for like 30 minutes to an hour.... I've never had asthma, or at least I don't think since I've never had wheezing problems or anything.

I know I'm breathing properly using my diaphragm/stomach to breath lung filling breaths in through my nose and out slowly through my mouth but I still have this same problem

Any help there??

[armed_zebra]

Breakfast is very important. Almost every morning, I eat 3 eggs over easy with a breakfast meat (2 sausage patties or 2 strips of bacon). The meat and yolk give me a good amount of fat to start the day. Coffee is ok, just keep the sugar and cream to a minimum. Pasta and bread are full of carbs which isn't really bad in moderation, I was just mentioning that I avoid them when I can. As for the peeing while driving thing, just get used to making multiple stops. Leave 10 minutes earlier. I know the feeling, you just have to learn to work with it.

Beef Jerky tends to have a ridiculous amount of sodium.
...
I don't think its healthy to start trying to do circuit training or really any intense exercise program if you don't have good cardio-vascular health. And it doesn't sound like you do.

Very true on the beef jerky. Lost of sodium but high in protein. I wouldn't suggest eating the whole bag.

Also a very valid point on not jumping into something intense like circuit training until ready. I was just offering that as something to think of when the diet becomes more under control and the cardio is built up a bit.

[SteveS]

No booze .smokes, diet or regular soda and learn about GMO foods, GMO wheat and corn really is hard on your bodyand your overall health. that being said how old are you? I used to be a stud muffin and in great shape but now that I am 60 years old it isn't pretty. It takes time to get into shape . Slow and steady. It is better to do the minimum on a regular basis than to do kick you butt workouts and not be able to exercise again for a week.

[bp7178]

Breakfast is very important. Almost every morning, I eat 3 eggs over easy with a breakfast meat (2 sausage patties or 2 strips of bacon). The meat and yolk give me a good amount of fat to start the day. Coffee is ok, just keep the sugar and cream to a minimum. Pasta and bread are full of carbs which isn't really bad in moderation, I was just mentioning that I avoid them when I can. As for the peeing while driving thing, just get used to making multiple stops. Leave 10 minutes earlier. I know the feeling, you just have to learn to work with it.



Very true on the beef jerky. Lost of sodium but high in protein. I wouldn't suggest eating the whole bag.

Also a very valid point on not jumping into something intense like circuit training until ready. I was just offering that as something to think of when the diet becomes more under control and the cardio is built up a bit.

I would cut out the bacon and sausage, very highly processed very fatty meats, and just go with a lean cut of breakfast steak.

Thanks for the tips, what happens when I run though is that I feel like my lungs give out before my body/legs do. I get .3 or so miles in and my chest starts burning, by a half mile in my chest burns so bad I can hardly breath and have to slow to a walk, barely even (if even) beginning to break a sweat and still feel like there is plenty more in my legs... It's just that my lungs burn so bad I can't push through it, so I walk the rest of the way. Then once I get home it's like I have a mild cough for like 30 minutes to an hour.... I've never had asthma, or at least I don't think since I've never had wheezing problems or anything.

I know I'm breathing properly using my diaphragm/stomach to breath lung filling breaths in through my nose and out slowly through my mouth but I still have this same problem

Any help there??

At first glance it sounds like you're not in shape. You can't sit on a couch for a year then get up and expect to run a mile. It doesn't work that way. If you can't get more than 1/3 of a mile without falling flat on your face, try intervals of 1/4 mile. What kind of pace are you trying to keep?

[GunBugBit]

Make sure you don't starve yourself of protein. Consume egg whites, quality whey protein powder, chicken, fish, and lean cuts of beef.

Cram all the green leafies into yourself that you can. Juicing is the best way I've found to do this. Spinach, chard, parsley, kale. Red beets are incredible. Ginger for some zip. Lemon and lime too.

Raw almonds, fish oil and flaxseed oil for the good fats.

Don't eat pizza, breads, muffins, cookies, pastas, crackers, chips. Wheat and corn are your enemies.

Controlled portions of white and brown rice are OK; you need energy.

Don't drink alcohol, soda (sugar or artficially sweetened), fruit juices, or any drink that contains sugars.

Do not drink milk. Even skim milk contains lactose -- milk sugar --which can make you fat. That's right, skim milk can make you fat. Actually, avoid all dairy, period.

Drink water, black coffee, unsweetened tea.

Find the best combo of both cardio and resistance exercise that you don't find too much of a drag and stick with 'em. You don't have to kill yourself. Three or four times a week is great.