Balancing Working Out and Gaming
Friday, August 10th, 2007 - 9:16pm
So I've found my gaming time has really fallen by the wayside as I have been focusing on working out and keeping to a strict diet. Currently I'm trying to lose another 10 pounds so I'm cut to a 1200-1500 calorie diet combined with about 1 hour of cardio and about 1 hour of weightlifting a day. I have rest days where I bring up the calories so my muscles can rebuild and those days I tend to game a lot more.
I find I'm so tired most days I just don't have the will to jump on and play games much. The games I do play have changed as well, I don't play as much UT2004 as I do games like Enchanted Arms nowadays. I think that I'm not really playing adrenaline type games but more slower paced games that do more thinking and less twitch since I started this program.
Has anybody else noticed stuff like this?
I like my women like I like my meatloaf.
Hot and covered in ketchup.
How anyone manages to invest 2 full hours a day working out with a steady job, social needs and gaming is beyond me. I've tried to do that and hold it for a month or two but then something gets in the way of health (most surely gaming). If there's any piece of advice you can share about how you prevent the gaming to invade your workout time I would be interested to hear it.
Even China has a better concept of free market than dwarves do -Quintin Stone-
Stats Whoriness:
TF2
QW
Don't have kids?
XBox Live|Tshirts|xfire | Last.fm
Luckily/sadly no, not yet
On the other hand, kids keep you fit
Even China has a better concept of free market than dwarves do -Quintin Stone-
Stats Whoriness:
TF2
QW
Quite the opposite actually.
As for feeling too tired to game, I only get that way after returning BJJ practice after a break of a couple weeks or more. Of course I only go for 2 hours each practice, 2-3 times per week. I need to add some roadwork in there somewhere.
How often do you have rest days? It's pretty easy to overtrain when you first jump into a workout program.
Semper Delectatio
Xbox Live - Cannibal GWJ XFire - cannibalcrowley
Strawberry Shortcake bricked my 360 on December 17, 2008.
Well, there are kids and then there are KIDS, some are better for cardio
I wonder the same about your rest day frequency Kharvelan
Even China has a better concept of free market than dwarves do -Quintin Stone-
Stats Whoriness:
TF2
QW
Exercise bike + wireless keyboard & mouse + Resident Evil 4 or Civ 4 = 1 to 2 hour workout + gaming
Fedaykin98 wrote:
wordsmythe wrote:
I balanced it out but not exercising anymore and it's working out well for me (some pun intended). My schedule is basically 8 hours work and 3 hours of school work M-F so the time I do have it either going to be exercising or gaming. I'll be married in Oct so the first is of lesser importance at this stage of my life.
Lag used to be a lot worse back in the day. Hell, it took Jesus 3 days to respawn.
Quintin_Stone wrote: The typical American eats 3.5 bigfoots in their sleep each year.
PSN: x93_confirmedx (message me for Socom!)
Exercise bike + an episode of a TV show playing on my computer = exercise + entertainment.
Your model has mine beat though. Now I must purchase a wireless keyboard.
This is a great topic! I recently have been pondering these exact two activities and how I can balance them out. I've been procrastinating because I don't think it will work out, or not last long anyway. But I know I should definitely at least give it a shot. I'm looking forward to following this topic and reading what other responses come in.
My situation now, married, work, 1 1/2 year old, hyper dog, and just recently trying to keep a gaming blog up to date. My game time usually consists of midnight+a couple hours into the morning after everyone is sleeping. I know one aspect of a plan that should work is getting some cardio (jogging) in with the dog, either during lunch break or after work before the wife and kid come home. I think I'm also hesitant to start because starting a workout plan is going to cut from game time due to needing more shut eye, heh.
Wii ... with weighted wrist straps while on a treadmill or bike.
Yeah, I'm not helping, heh.
Wake up at 4:30 and do an hour of exercise. Then after work do an hour of exercise. Also during "breaks" I will do pushups and whatnot.
"Thanks, KrazyTaco, thanks. I'd put it in your pooper too." -Mex
"Krazy, I love the fact that you exist." -Vector
"Oh, KrazyTaco, you fulfill all my wishes." -pneuman
xboxlive= KrazyTacoFO
Just curious but is this doctor-sanctioned? 2 hours of exercise with such a low calorie count sounds a bit hard.
The man wears a bucket of KFC on his head. I wouldn't expect anything less. - Pred
All my friends that work out everyday look great but don't game anymore. If they do, it's on the weekend every once in awhile.
Working out becomes your hobby not gaming. I game everyday and ride my mountainbike and play basketball "every once in awhile on weekends". Once I start having kids next year all that could change but I'll still be gaming because it's my hobby for life.
The only source of knowledge is experience
Albert Einstein
http://card.mygamercard.net/Braehole.png
Xbox live: Braehole
PSN: Braehole
Everything else: Braehole
That is very low calorie diet but maybe he weighs 120 pounds so its OK.
It also depends on how much protein is included in that diet. You should eat your body weight in protein daily so 1200-1500 calories is not enough for most people. Everyone has there own way and learns different things so I'm not going there on a gaming site.
I've only seen a diet like that right before a show, It's very hardcore .
The only source of knowledge is experience
Albert Einstein
http://card.mygamercard.net/Braehole.png
Xbox live: Braehole
PSN: Braehole
Everything else: Braehole
I exercise 15 minutes per day, just some light isometrics and a bit of cardio. You don't have to be crazy fit to be healthy, and that leaves plenty of time for gaming, with a Nexuiz-fueled adrenalin rush being my current choice.
Remember: this conversation is just between you and me ... and the NSA.
MaverickDago wrote:
If you're working out two hours a day, it sounds like a main hobby, and it's hard to balance two dominant hobbies
I exercise about an hour each day, alternating activities, with a complete rest day on Sunday. It all comes down to scheduling - if I go right after work, I can definitely squeeze in an hour to two of gaming every once in a while.
Honestly, at that level of calorie restriction it's amazing that you've got enough energy to even get out of bed in the morning. Without knowing your details I can't comment too much but you shouldn't be restricting really more then 500 calories below your daily energy requirement. By overly restricting your calories you're going to be counterproductive because you will both slow your metabolism and cause your body to guard its fat stores. You'll end up being overly catabolic and breaking down muscle for energy and thus slowing your metabolism even more.
That last 10# can be hard, especially if your shooting for single-digit body fat percentage. How long have you been on fat loss? You might also try a short cycle of bulking a bit. Then you'd add a couple pounds of muscle and stimulate your metabolism again. Come back at it after that and your results should be a lot better.
Sorry for not really answering your question. But with a good exercise program you should have plenty of energy.
Live: LiquidmantisGWJ | PSN: LiquidmantisGWJ
Web: Mantis on the Mountain
--
Women can't be in the same room with me without abandoning men forever - rabbit
You know that's actually one bonus for console games and their controls.
You can do cardio like that sit down pedal machine and still play games. *chuckles*
There is always DDR.
Prederick wrote:
"When fascism comes to America it will be wrapped in a flag and carrying a cross." - Sinclair Lewis.
The thing about the "treadmill while you read or play a game" thing is that...
Well, I think it doesn't work. It's just personal observation but the people who do that just don't take off the fat. Maybe it's related to other personality traits that help the weight gain...
The man wears a bucket of KFC on his head. I wouldn't expect anything less. - Pred
The thing is if you are working out so slightly that you can actually game, then you might as well be sitting on your couch. To do any exercise properly you need to focus, to game properly you need to focus. You can't do both.
Sivok wrote:
You can. It depends on the game and equipment. Twitch games are generally out though.
Fedaykin98 wrote:
wordsmythe wrote:
Maybe its because they don't do any weight exercises afterwards. When I don't do pushups after this, I feel that it's all gone to waste. When I do, I feel that I'm at least helping my strength to keep up with my mass
It sounds like Kharvelan isn't doing this with his eyes closed. I've (once or twice) gone on cut diets while working out 5 days a week, but I don't think I'd do it in my 40s.
As for gaming -- Xbox and Stationary bike (get tri bars), also, gaming podcasts!
Gamertag: GWJ Rabbit | Last.fm | Twitter
"In other news, Miyamoto pissed on my head, and gave me a forecast of rain." - *Le
I actually found that as I started working out again, my desire to game began to wane; I simply can't get myself into that 'vegetative' state anymore. I only work out an hour or so a day (aside from taking the dog on her many and varied constitutionals), but as I generally sit at a desk eight+ hours a day anyway, the prospect of more sitting just isn't as appealing anymore. The old saying is true: The more you exercise, the more you want to, and these days, I prefer my recreation to be mobile. So yes, I'm in the same boat; I've definitely found that my gaming habit has waned as I took on more active hobbies.
That said, the reason you feel so tired all the time, or at least too tired to do something as vegetative and undemanding as gaming, is probably your intense calorie restriction. As others have suggested, try upping your daily caloric intake a little bit, and see if that helps your energy levels. Indeed, it also may help with your weight loss; with all your exercise, you may be taking in so few calories that your body has switched into starvation mode - in which case it will cling to every last pound it can, expecting impending famine.
Anyway, some advice from the peanut gallery (and keep in mind that this particular peanut knows very little about your personal health and fitness circumstances): Losing ten pounds is a fine goal, but if you don't have the energy anymore to do the things you love, then it may not be worth it. Better to be happy and ten pounds overweight than skinny and mentally burnt-out, right?
"Today's Tom Sawyer, he gets high on you, Kat. You." - Haakon7
My Website v. 3.0
I work out right after work. The gym is across the street, and there is a satellite location near my house. Fitcorp FTW!
Basically, I've re-prioritized to Wife>Gym>Gaming>Work...my wife made me say that ;P
I am trying to lose not only 10 pounds, but 40. I am not counting calories so much as eliminating fats, etc. out of my diet, and working out like a crazy person. Seems to be working.
Also, don't discount the marrying of aerobic workouts and gaming that is DDR. Alot of fun, both as a game, and a way to get off your couch and sweat.
Blog: GameFinance
Twitter: justinmwhitaker
I've always said it's better to stuff yourself with protein and carbs and build good muscle, in the long run it helps you keep off the fat without much restriction, and you usually have enough energy to do whatever.
I tried a 1500 calorie diet a couple of times and I always got headaches and I think I lost some muscle, because I couldn't work out as hard...
edit: Also, educate yourself about food. Even a "Nutrition for Dummies" book is better than THE INTERNETS. People treat fat as totally evil, yet they stuff themselves with sugary foods (much worse in my opinion, and more addictive).
The man wears a bucket of KFC on his head. I wouldn't expect anything less. - Pred
I am trying not to go for gigantic portions, unless it's a plate full o' vegetables or fruit. Calorie counting is depressing.
You do need to get into some net deficit if you want to get off the weight: either build muscle so you burn more calories in a rest state, or consume less than your body can metabolize before converting it to fat.
Blog: GameFinance
Twitter: justinmwhitaker
http://www.yourselffitness.com/ ?
XBox Live|Tshirts|xfire | Last.fm
For sure. I hated calorie counting, but after 6 months of it, I could tell more or less how much I should eat of anything.
The trick is to not go hungry for long periods of time =)
Good luck man, hope you go through with it. It's only hard for the few months or a year, after that it becomes sort of automatic.
The man wears a bucket of KFC on his head. I wouldn't expect anything less. - Pred
I am on a similar diet, with calories not exceeding 1500, with less than 40 grams of fat. I am keeping the protein up there though. I have been doing this for well over a month, combined with cardio and light weight training and have already lost 30+ lbs. Some of my friends that I don't see but every couple of weeks almost didn't recognize me. That and the fact that I have been letting my hair grow back out again threw them for a loop.
Be careful of the calorie restriction though, I have experience in this department (lost 158 lbs in 9 months about 8 years ago) and you can do yourself more damage than good.
Quintin_Stone wrote:
lunabean wrote: