Water and weigh-in
Without water, forget it. I’m having to re-learn this every year, or so it seems, but as long as it eventually sinks in (ha), I’ll be happy.
You’ve all heard about the benefits of water, but rarely do people bother to tell you ‘why’ water is so critical to burning body fat. Well, actually there are a many reasons, but primary is the aspect of liver and kidney health.
The liver is the primo, numero uno fat-burning mega-organ. The kidneys serve as filters and are backed up by the liver. So, when the kidneys are deprived of pure water, guess what superorgan is called to take its place? Da Livva! (The Liver for all those who do not speak…whatever lingo that is.)
Now, do you want your liver working 24/7 to filter out junk and burn fat, or do you want your liver to be bothered with functions the kidneys, if supplied enough water, can handle all by their lonesome?
Dumb question if you ask me. So, start drinking. How much? Well, more than you think, but not so much you’re drowning. About a quart for every 50 pounds if you’re active, less if you’re not.
Now, to the weigh-in…drum roll please:
Down over 1 pound. That was too easy!
How do I gauge my success? Again, by my jeans mostly. The scale will be a good gauge until next week when I crank up the weight training. At that point, it will be virtually worthless to me. I will be regaining muscle mass about as fast as I lose body fat. Remember, I’m coming off an extended (rare) layoff due to injuries (not training-related). Muscle has “memory” in that it grows back much faster than it grows to begin with. We bodybuilders have relied on this genetic gift for eons.
I was able to fit comfortably into jeans I could not even fasten just a few weeks ago. It was a good feeling, although I must admit I have, for me, a longer journey than I’d like ahead of me. Oh, I’ll take it any day and twice on Sunday over the crash diet or blowing it off…after all, this is my passion and my career, so I have huge, massive, gigantic whys! Frankly, I just refuse to keep getting out of the shower and not seeing those ridges in my midsection. No way…life it too short to go without abs, at least for me.
How are you progressing?
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Comments (11)
Lee said:
I appreciate your candidness, Jon, as I think many of us tend to picture you as being totally fit 24/7/365. This makes our own journeys more do-able, since we can read about the challenges you face and relate them to our own.
Posted on Oct 23, 2005 04:34 AM
Scott J said:
Jon, I was never a big lifter in the past and am now probably at my lifetime peak of muscle mass. I don’t look like you (yet) and I find that I can’t add muscle at the same rate as dropping fat. I hit the protein pretty hard, eat pretty clean and have added creatine to try and help intensify my lifting and increase muscle mass. Any comments on how to get to the next level of muscle mass?
Posted on Oct 24, 2005 06:22 AM
megan said:
I got in the habit of drinking a lot of water when I quit smoking—the suggestion was made that I substitute drinking a low-calorie beverage to compensate for the hand to mouth habit. I didn’t want to trade addictions, so drank water. Drank LOTS of water the first few months, LOL.
That was over 16 years ago, and I’m still drinking water.
I understand completely about injury. I fell on ice in a parking lot in January—smashed my tibia (at the bottom), sustained a spiral fracture in my shin, and broke my fibula in three places. I ended up needing surgery and a plate and eight screws.
Recovery’s been long, and I do believe the orthopaedic surgeon when he said it would take one year for me to heal fully. It’s been nine months since I fell, and I’m almost back to “normal.”
I play ice hockey, which I love (and yes, the irony that I fell on ice isn’t lost on me, although it wasn’t hockey related ;-), and it was hard to accept that my season was abruptly over. Spring league was also out of the question as I was still on crutches by then.
The doc did clear me to play this season, and I’ve been skating a few times, although I knew I wasn’t hockey ready. I don’t have the stamina I know I need for a game, so I decided to take this season off, allow my body to heal fully and work on regaining strength in the leg.
On the positive side, I now have incredible upper body strength from crutching myself around!
I lost muscle weight, so the scale showed less weight, and as I regained leg muscle weight, I gained a few lbs.
I’ve been practicing yoga to help with stretching, and just now find that i can lift some weight without pain in my shin, so I think I can safely go back to lifting weights at this point.
I’ve lost some fat, the scale shows I weigh a bit less, and I’ve had to give away my favourite pair of black jeans because they’ve gone from roomy to Way Too Loose, so I’m on my way! :0)
Posted on Oct 24, 2005 08:43 AM
Tammy said:
I am beginning my 10 weeks today and am going to go over the first week and encorporate them this week also. I did start walking on the treadmill on your Day 3, last wednesday, for the first time since my non-training injuries 2 years ago, and since finally experiencing relief from the depression. It felt awesome to feel that cardio work and my muscles working again! Thanks for the inspiration and support! Tammy
Posted on Oct 24, 2005 09:13 AM
Ida-Mae said:
I went from 128lbs to 180lbs since I retired at 54 eleven years ago (Yes, I’m 65). I am on medication for seizures, Crohn’s disease and depression which does not help my weight, however, I am determined to lose. My one downer is that I’m not one to exercise. This morning I weighed in at 180. Wish me luck.
Posted on Oct 24, 2005 09:40 AM
Jon Benson said:
Hi Scott;
Steroids.
NO, KIDDING…geez. Never take that garbage. I did for 6 weeks 20 years ago (really). Blew up with water. Didn’t have a clue.
First, check your hormones. When I checked mine, I found out that my bout with pneumonia at 26 left me with a little token: a dysfunctional pituitary. All my pituitary hormones were shot. I had the hormones of an 80-year-old at 28 (when I had it checked.) I’ve been on and off HRT since then, and it makes all the difference. Then again, I’m very careful to monitor my levels to make sure I’m not ‘over’ where I should be. That’s only happened once before for a few weeks. I’m high/normal for my age, and intend to stay there. I’m currently looking into natural means of doing the same thing, but alas…nothing so far that works for this serious of a condition. If you have a sluggish thyroid, or if your testosterone is low and you don’t have issues with your pituitary that cannot be repaired, then there are great natural alternatives. MACA comes to mind. Check that out.
After you rule out hormones, get serious about your diet and training. I know, I know, “But Jon, I AM serious!” No you’re not. And neither am I. We just ‘think’ we are until we see someone who is a step ahead. Find that someone. Perhaps it’s me. My ‘someone’ is Tom Venuto, my business partner and “I’ve never taken a f-n aspirin” musclehead from Joisey…New Joisey, that is. “What exit?” He’s proven what can be done naturally, and his workouts are highly recommended if you have the constitution of a bulldozer. Just ease into his style of training and…yeah man. It rocks. He and I trained a bit together last year and we tore each other up pretty darn good. His blog is here, and it’s free as well.
Posted on Oct 24, 2005 01:32 PM
Jon Benson said:
Megan;
Thanks for sharing that story! That’s what 10 is about…what we all face, and DOING IT. Ready today’s (Monday, Oct. 24th) first post about the difference between “try”, “can” and “will”.
J
Posted on Oct 24, 2005 01:49 PM
Jon Benson said:
Tammy and Ida-Mae;
You are both my heroes. Ladies, just get it done. You absolutely ‘can’ do this. You can change your perceptions of exercise from one of dislike to one of passion. I’ll share how in future blogs. Just know that I’ve coached and seen people overcome radical issues and go on to be champions in their own right; some literal champions (Kevin Saunders lost the use of his legs in an explosion and went on to become an Olympica wheelchair champ…and he crossed the US in his chair!)
We’re all in this together.
Posted on Oct 24, 2005 01:52 PM
Patricia said:
Just wanted to share my favorite little water saying:
WATER WATER EVERYDAY
MAKES THE FAT GO AWAY!! ;-)
Posted on Oct 25, 2005 12:57 PM
Marloe said:
Hi Jon
I am from South Africa, 55, female, singer and artist - and I am just getting into this blog of yours. Very enjoyable and most enlightening. I started at the gym on January 15 this year. This was in order to get strong for a mile open water swim in March to which I challenged myself. (I made it, but missed the medals by 30 seconds. Next March I will get my medal.) I am large. 242 lbs and only 5 ft 6 inches. Endomorph big time. Apple shape, metabolically challenged, insulin resistant etc etc. I have been fighting this fat for a good 30 years and have probably pissed (is that swearing?) my body off big time with all the dieting I have done. A serious motorbike accident in 82 has left me with scars and broken bones, sore knees and hips that are now coming back to haunt me. Hence the swimming. Moreover, this body is no longer interested in diets and my brain is fried with all the internal dialogue going on about food. Then along came your book, Fit over 40, and it was a treat to get! It got my energy going a fair bit just looking at all those success stories, and I started getting really interested in training. Now I have a new programme with lighter weights and higher reps to compliment my swimming workouts and as an endomorph I now have more cardio to do than before. Tom Venuto’s Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle was helpful in that department. Being an Endomorph is very hard though. It seems like I am destined to have to work harder than most to get to goal weight (158 lbs) and that is so depressing. All that extra cardio I have to do. It just makes me want to eat! There! - an emotional eater, me. I want to join in this 10 in 10 but I am a bit late for the start, so It will have to be 8 in 8. So can I jump in where I am? Somewhere something has to work!
Marloe
Posted on Nov 02, 2005 01:29 PM
Leanna said:
I don’t get it. You dieted and exercised for 3-4 days and lost a pound already?! And you can ALREADY fit into jeans you couldn’t before? That’s amazing. I’m not really following on your exercise though, what is it that you do?
Posted on Apr 09, 2006 02:04 PM
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