New Years Resolutions – Who does them

With the new year I was thinking about what things I would like to do different this year. Curious how many here make new years resolutions and how successful they have been with them in the past. My resolution this year is probably the #1 made by most people every year – To eat better, exercise more , and hopefully lose some weight. At 55 I’m starting to realize that to continue to enjoy doing the outdoor activities I like to do – I need to get in better shape ( I thought I was in shape – Round is a shape correct ) for the most part I enjoy most healthy foods to the eating better part should not be real hard for me. That plus stop drinking Coke would go along ways towards weight lose I’m sure. The exercise Part is going to be the hardest part – I’ve just never really liked working out in any way. I don’t think I need to or will become a total fitness nut but just some daily aerobic exercise would be a good start. I may look for a used piece of home equipment. What type of home equipment do you think would be best for a simi-fat, semi-old man? Treadmill, Stationary Bike, Elliptical, Rowing machine?

Don’t do resolutions every year but I like them. Winter is boring part of time for me so it’s perfect to workout alot. Sledding with kids(yes they get the free pull back up hill a few times) is a good one. Pulling the Smitty around city lakes and punching holes is good. Might get into xcountry ski this year, Theodore wirth is minutes from me and have heard their trails are great. Fishing the river in waders putting in lots of steps will get a guy sore if not used to it.

For me the simple answer is no on the New Year’s resolutions. Ideas and goals happen year round.

Seeing this is an outdoors forum I would suggest trying to incorporate more exercise in your outdoor activities (or yard work). You could coup yourself inside on a treadmill or you could actually walk outside. Better yet pull a sled to your ice fishing spot. Most of the summer fishing I do now is either stream fishing or via kayak. I get to hike or paddle for exercise and fish.

I started sticking to New Year’s Resolutions twenty years ago…..when my resolution was to never make another resolution

I’m batting a thousand since

greig john wrote:

I don’t do resolutions at New Year’s. If something needs to change, then change it now.

If you want to lose weight most effectively, your diet is the most important factor. Like, 90% of it.
After that, you’ll get the most benefit from lifting weights, not aerobic exercise. The more lean muscle you build, the more calories you burn at rest.

Building/maintaining your lean muscle gets more and more important the older you get, so if you could lift three days a week, do HIIT once or twice a week, throw in a little yoga/stretching, and eat right, you’ll see much, much faster results than thinking you can treadmill your way around a couple slices of pizza.

Edit: Check out the AthleanX youtube channel. Great resource.

That’s interesting – I had to do a little research on what is better for weight loss – Cardio or weight training. Seems the views are rather mixed in the medical and fitness world on this subject. I guess the best would be a mix of both. It does seem that most medical people believe that in a either or situation that cardio workouts are the better for weight loss at least in the short term. I can see where weight training will payoff better in the long term approach. I looked at two studies that factored in not only the calories lost during weight training but those in the resting period after as well and it seemed like cardio still produced more calorie loss for the same workout time – Not really sure how accurately they can measure the calorie loss after a weight session during resting period. Like everything in the medical and fitness world you can always find people getting results doing the same study

tegg wrote:

For me the simple answer is no on the New Year’s resolutions. Ideas and goals happen year round.

Seeing this is an outdoors forum I would suggest trying to incorporate more exercise in your outdoor activities (or yard work). You could coup yourself inside on a treadmill or you could actually walk outside. Better yet pull a sled to your ice fishing spot. Most of the summer fishing I do now is either stream fishing or via kayak. I get to hike or paddle for exercise and fish.

These days my outdoor activities – Hunting and fishing is by far the most exercise I get. The only problem with that is I only seem to find a 2-3 days at the most to get out doing those activities. At this point I think I’m in need of more of a 6-7 day week activity to get me back into decent shape.

tegg wrote:

For me the simple answer is no on the New Year’s resolutions. Ideas and goals happen year round.

This is a great way to put it! I like this. In the past I’ve started goals and resolutions mid-year and I think that’s much more realistic rather than focusing on just Jan as being the month to make changes.

Exercise is one of those things that you need to figure out what works for YOU. Our bodies have different needs. Sometimes what’s most effective is the plan you’re actually going to DO. Swimming for example is a great form of exercise, but if you don’t really like swimming, you’re likely not going to stick with it. The best advice I can give is to start small. Small improvements in diet and exercise lead to big changes over time. Have more veggies in lieu of meats and pasta. Have a glass of water with dinner rather than a pop or beer. Go for a walk – even if it’s just around the block. Walking is the easiest exercise to start making a habit and you already have the equipment you need – your feet! Just make sure you have supportive shoes. Eventually adding strength training will be important too and free weights are a good option. Another option is just using your body weight – think push ups, planks, yoga. It might not look like you’re doing much, but seriously hold a well-formed boat pose and you start feeling those muscles shake!

For better or worse, I would be borderline one of those “fitness junkies.” Pretty much a full weight room/gym in my garage and almost daily workouts, meal preps, etc. However, I do notice a direct correlation to eating healthy/working out and my overall physical and mental well being, sleeping, happiness, etc.

I like short term goals, and long term goals to still keep me motivated. My short term goal right now is to add muscle. In a few months it’ll turn to completing a triathlon this summer. A few months after that it’ll turn into being in top shape for pheasant hunting in the fall. My fitness routines and diets will change a bit with each goal.

My long term goals are to be overall healthy and to be able to do anything I want to in 20, 30, 40 years with my kids and future grandkids. I’m only 30, but if my future grandson says, “hey, want to tag along with me and dad (my son) on an early ice fishing adventure that requires dragging a portable a mile?” I don’t want my health to be the reason not to go.

To put it in simple terms for somebody just starting out, just move your body each day. Park at the end of the parking lot. Take the stairs. Do a few pushups, squats, and lunges while watching TV. Do whatever you can do to make it enjoyable for yourself. You don’t have to go all in right away. Most all credible health experts will say that strength training is more important than cardio. But we on this site, are not world class athletes (as far as I know?), so doing anything is better than nothing.

Only listen to people that are credible in their area (which I am not, so therefore listen to my post here as a grain of salt). A Registered Dietician (RD) knows food and nutrition. A Doctor knows the medical areas of the body. A certified strength and conditioning coach knows the fitness plan. Ultimately, all of those work together as a team but none of them seem to know much outside of their area.

The post above does a good job on why strength training is overall more effective than cardio. You burn calories at rest while your body continues to build the muscle, to put it in simple terms. When doing cardio, you are done burning when you are done exercising. Nutrition and fitness go hand in hand, however if you can only choose one – healthy eating is probably more important. Try to develop a routine – working out at this specific time, or with this person, or have a buddy you send a text to that can hold you accountable that you’re doing something. Do whatever works for you, what works for me won’t work for you, what works for the next person won’t work for me, and so on.

I’m old, fat, round & happy. Quit smoking many years ago, drink very little now. I have lost most of my muscle mass and seldom lift more than 12 oz. cans of Diet Dew. My workout routine starts and ends with getting out of bed in the morning.

My life is not the course you want to follow. Many have posted the correct things to do for a long healthy life.

I am hoping to drop ~10 pounds and get into better(stronger) shape this year.

I joined a bouldering gym(Minneapolis Bouldering Project) about a month ago and my goal is to go 2-3 times per week. My brother has been a member there for almost a year and is in the best shape of his life at age 40. Bouldering is basically rock climbing without any ropes. All the walls are less than 20 feet tall, the floor is super padded, so all you need is a pair of climbing shoes.

I’ve always had trouble finding a ‘workout’ that I liked doing, but bouldering is super fun, and comes with a much bigger feeling of accomplishment than running on a treadmill, at least for me.

I got a hangboard for Christmas I’ll try to use on off days to strengthen up my fingers, which is definitely a major hindrance in what I can climb today.

If you’re looking for a great workout that’s fun, check out it, MBP is a sweet place!

The key with exercise is finding something you enjoy and can do consistently. Couple that with smart nutrition and you’ll see results. I don’t do resolutions…..health needs to be a year round commitment.

I agree with what the others are saying. Nutrition is the key. Even if you can’t work out you can eat well. HIIT type programs will burn most calories and convert lean muscle but for many people they don’t know how to train that way and risk injury. The most discouraging thing can be to start training and then get hurt. If people are going to focus on heavy weight training you have to know how to do it.

You should vary workouts as well. Change things up every 6 to 8 weeks. This will help with boredom but also muscle balance.

I’m not a weights guy. I do a lot of mid to long distance racing whether running or triathlon. This is the off-season so I mix in weights and high intensity swim, bike and run workouts. Most of my lifting is body weight type resistance as I know that will keep me away from injuries.

I can workout 5 days a week or more and still gain weight if my eating is bad. Tells me the importance of eating healthy and in moderation….ie, less Todd the Axeman and more water.

Matt Moen wrote:

The key with exercise is finding something you enjoy and can do consistently.

I have found that simply running on a tread mill or elliptical is UNGODLY boring. Luckily, a lot of the activities I enjoy are also high impact sports like ice hockey, racquetball, tennis, swimming, and mtn biking. Its so much easier to burn calories doing something you enjoy than it is to force yourself to do something you don’t want to.

Another thing – standard BMI is completely BS so don’t follow it. It only allows for a simply height to weight ratio and does not account for any muscle mass. In other words, if you are within standard BMI, you have no muscle. Virtually every football player out there would be considered “obese” if they went off a standard BMI.

We don’t do resolutions, but we are focusing on our health more at home again as we drifted away during the holidays. The biggest (and easiest) thing people overlook is water consumption, they say you should drink half your body weight in ounces of water (ie 100 oz of water for a 200 lbs person). High intensity workouts are better than long low intensity, so for example if you want to do “cardio” going hard and getting your heart rate up and then catching your breath is better than barely breaking a sweat for 3 miles whether it’s on a bike/elliptical/treadmill. This is assuming your heart and health is fine. A consult with a trainer and a doctor is a good step before diving in too deep.

Well let me tell you something now, Johnny. Last Thursday, I turned 95 years old. And I never exercised a day in my life. Every morning, I wake up, and I smoke a cigarette. And then I eat five strips of bacon. And for lunch, I eat a bacon sandwich. And for a midday snack? Bacon! A whole damn plate! And I usually drink my dinner. Now according to all of them flat-belly experts, I should’ve took a dirt nap like thirty years ago. But each year comes and goes, and I’m still here. Ha! And they keep dyin’. You know?

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BigWerm wrote:

The biggest (and easiest) thing people overlook is water consumption, they say you should drink half your body weight in ounces of water (ie 100 oz of water for a 200 lbs person).

“They”, being Nestle and/or Coca Cola. The studies that found that excessive water consumption may be beneficial were funded by water bottling companies.

There are actual a number of industry funded studies that showed zero benefit for excessive water consumption. Some argue it’s actually bad for you.

I don’t drink the stuff but I think water consumption helps you sweat. Sweating they tell me is good for you.

biggill wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>BigWerm wrote:</div>
The biggest (and easiest) thing people overlook is water consumption, they say you should drink half your body weight in ounces of water (ie 100 oz of water for a 200 lbs person).

“They”, being Nestle and/or Coca Cola. The studies that found that excessive water consumption may be beneficial were funded by water bottling companies.

There are actual a number of industry funded studies that showed zero benefit for excessive water consumption. Some argue it’s actually bad for you.

I know several people who got really sick from drinking to much water

biggill wrote:

They”, being Nestle and/or Coca Cola. The studies that found that excessive water consumption may be beneficial were funded by water bottling companies.

“They” being everyone I trust on health and body function, like exercise physiology majors, medical doctors, professional training staffs, athletic trainers etc. But I’m always open to hearing more, what is the correct amount of water to drink per day?

BigWerm wrote:

But I’m always open to hearing more, what is the correct amount of water to drink per day?

Your own body does a good job telling ya what’s up. But experts cant tell ya that bc then they wouldn’t be experts so they come up with easy numbers that people can remember and blog to each other about. Drink excessive city water with chlorine in it will kiss your gut health goodbye as well.

You year round healthies have way too much commitment lol. Winter into spring get into good shape. Then summer comes. The kid activities, the adult activities, the beer, grilling, bday parties, weddings, the list goes on, the workouts and eating gets worse. Start packing on the pounds, holidays over indulge, its wonderful. Winter hits again get back in shape. Its a cycle that works.

The 8 glasses of water a day really is a joke. From every Registered Dietician I have heard speak, or read their work, most are in the range of at the MINIMUM half your body weight (lbs) a day in ounces. So 200 lbs = 100 oz. I have been a big water drinker my entire life, I currently weigh 250, a few times around the holidays I’ve been light in my water intake (100ish oz/day) and have noticed a huge difference on those days as far as fatigue, sluggish, etc. I usually have about 150-175 oz a day. But what works for one won’t work for the next. Anything food wise, follow a RD advice and nobody else.

Over-drinking water can happen but it’s so rare and someone probably had and underlying condition.

I agree with the others…..one third to one half your body weight in ounces is a healthy amount.

I drink MPLS city water and my gut health is great…..just ask my wife.

And cmon…..the water lobby?

During a diet related discussion with my doctor (MD of internal medicine in case you were wondering, not an RD), this year, she specifically advised against it. There are problems that may be associated either way and she prefers to assess her patients through tests before recommending anything out of the ordinary. I researched as best I could it seems to be legit.

Biased industry funded studies are nothing new and is exactly why we see the back and forth of dietary recommendations.

I have seen RDs speak and advise otherwise.

With all of the misinformation out there it’s important to listen to your body. If you feel better drinking more water, that’s great. I’m just offering a different point of view because people I trust disagree.

A little off topic but my kids pediatrician recommended to us that we avoid the common allergens like peanuts and eggs for their first year of life for my now 5 year old. Turns out their way of thinking has complete reversed and he now recommends exposing them to these same foods as early as possible for my now 21 month old.

I always fulfill my resolution – Drink more, exercise less, gain 10 lbs.

I always say, you can’t fail if you never try.

My main resolution this year is to spend at least 50 days out fishing, I think it’s important enough that I’m actually going to track it. It really doesn’t sound like a big number but between work and two boys in sports it can be difficult to find the time.

I make the same resolution every year, to not make any resolutions.

The “getting in shape” goal for me just happens to line up with the new year….. coincidence. I simply got sick and tired from feeling sick n tired! Dropping a pile of fat, cutting the booze back, and eating better/exercising is simply the only thing that’s gonna allow me to fish/hunt/feel good for many years to come. I don’t want to be dependent upon insulin. It’s time for this fat boy to dust off the snowshoes/x-country skis and start breathing hard and sweating a little. Maybe a little winter beaver trapping…..that’s a workout! Hopefully by this time next yr, there will be about 40 lbs less of me for my bride to tolerate!

You’ll get different answers for cardio versus lifting. If it’s weight loss your after distance running can’t beat in my opinion granted ease into it to prevent injury. After having kids and being less active I ballooned up the heaviest I’ve been, got a wild hair to run grandmas in Duluth and have done several races since then. Am now 30 lbs lighter and eat pretty much whatever I want when training

slipbob_nick wrote:

weight loss your after distance running

I agree with this. Skinniest I ever was when I was doing 2-3 5ks a week. Energy was great. Too bad I didn’t have the muscle mass to push my work machines all day, had to beef up after that year, was a good year though.

I don’t want to pretend to be an expert on anything exercise, but i was never a fan of the hiit stuff. Seen way too many people blow out their knees and joints with that stuff. Anyone remember when insanity and P90x was all the craze! I did insanity and never saw the weight loss that I did from running, I shouldn’t say running bc my entire family was never known for anything of the sort but jogging, walking etc there are too many stories to tell of people losing all kinds of weight from just these. My lower back won’t allow me to do the high impact stuff anymore.

Good luck to anyone with resolutions this new year. Every step starts somewhere, might as well be 20/20

My outdoors related goal is to harvest my first deer. I’ve never deer hunted before. I’m starting to become a big “raise your own food” person. Between a good size garden of fresh produce along with canning and freezing, chickens, hunting, and fishing, I am starting to be able to get a lot of my food without the grocery store. However I’ve never deer hunted and would like to add some venison to our freezer.