The Progressing Pilgrim

Insights for developing a healthy body, mind and spirit

Our Keto Journey Part 2: Getting Rid Of Stubborn Pounds And Guarding Against Alzheimer’s

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In the first post in this series, John presented a 5,000-foot view of what a ketogenic diet looks like. If you’re completely unfamiliar with a keto diet, we suggest you read that post first. In this post today, I’ll share why I went keto. In the next post, John will be sharing his story.

The important takeaway in these next two posts is that not everyone goes on a keto diet for the same reasons. Some go on it to treat a specific illness while some go on it because it may have the potential to prevent certain diseases. Others go on it because they want to lose a lot of weight quickly, some believe it’s a healthy way of eating, and others are seeking enhanced sports performance.

Let me tell you why I decided to go keto and why you may want to consider it too.  [Read more…]

Our Ketogenic Diet Journey Part 1: Keto Is Red Hot! Here’s Why

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PURE studyBarbara and I have been on a ketogenic diet for about eight months, and we’re absolutely amazed at the results. So far, I’ve lost 4 inches off my waist, I’m full of energy and I haven’t lost any muscle mass or strength. Barbara is also experiencing excellent results.

Now throw into the mix that we’re never hungry and it sounds like the perfect diet, doesn’t it? Well, no diet is perfect because we are all individuals with different needs. But if you need to lose weight, want to heal from a particular illness, or are an athlete looking to fuel your body in a more efficient way, the keto diet might be for you.

Barbara and I have similar but also different reasons for going “keto”. In this series of posts, I’ll tell you why we’re following a keto diet and how we’re doing it. [Read more…]

How to Recompose Your Dad Bod in Less Than a Year (Even if You’re in Your 50s)

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How to Recompose Your Dad Bod in Less Than a Year

Okay, guys. You’ve put your kids through school. Your mortgage is almost paid. Your job… well, we won’t dwell on that. It could always be better, right?

You’ve come to that place in life where you can finally start to think about living the dream.

But then you start to notice little things about yourself. You’re a little (I’m being kind here) larger around the waist.

And you’re not really comfortable in a bathing suit because of your moobs and all.

You can’t bound up a flight of steps like you once did. And you hope none of your friends asks you to help him move because you know your back won’t stand the strain.

Then the reality of mortality really sets in. You visit your doctor, and he says to you, “Your cholesterol and blood pressure are a little high.” And, then he drops the final hammer, “Your blood sugar is high as well.

He doesn’t give you any medicine this time, but he tells you that if you don’t lose weight and your numbers don’t come down, he’ll have to give you a prescription for ___________ (you fill in the blank) at your next visit.

What do you do? If you gain weight or even keep the status quo, you’ll probably end up on a statin, BP meds, or a diabetes med for the rest of your life. And, remember, those meds don’t come without some adverse reactions.

And even if those meds reduce some symptoms, chronic disease will eventually take its toll.

Fortunately, you can pursue another course of action.

You can take control of your health and in the process transform that dreadful dad bod into a lean, metabolically healthy machine, similar to the one you had years ago or (if you’re like me) into one you never had. [Read more…]

Why I Needed To Recompose My Body At 60-Years Old: The Skinny-Fat Problem

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When I started strength training three and a half years ago, my main goal was to regain some of the muscle I had lost from years of inactivity due to chronic fatigue syndrome.

After my initial two and a half years of barbell training, I accomplished that goal and more. Not only had I improved my muscle mass, but I had become stronger than I’d been in the previous 27 years.

However, what I had failed to do was eliminate 40 years of excess fat around my abdomen and chest.

Here’s something I learned after three years of lifting. If you’re in my age range, you won’t lose significant pounds by simply weight training.

If you’re a serious lifter or doing a lot of high-intensity training you might induce weight loss if you’re burning huge amounts of calories.

But if you’re an older guy you won’t lose weight. Sorry, exercise doesn’t produce significant weight loss.

Now here was my specific problem. The excess fat I was carrying around posed a significant health risk.

Even though I wasn’t terribly overweight my waist was approaching obese territory. And it was out of proportion to my legs and hips. Also, I was carrying around a disproportionate amount of fat to muscle.

This is called a skinny-fat body type and is considered by health professionals to be metabolically unhealthy.

With that in mind, my goal now was not only to continue to get stronger but also to become leaner and healthier.

In part 1 of this series, I’ll discuss the problems associated with a high waist measurement and excess body fat.

In part two I’ll explain how I was able to increase my strength and lose body fat and significant inches off my waist.

[Read more…]

Adjusting My Programming As A Masters Intermediate Lifter – Weekly Workout 9/18

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Strength coaches will tell you that strength training programming for us older guys and gals can be difficult.  If we’re not careful, excess volume or intensity can wear us down very rapidly.

Since we don’t recover as well as 25-year-olds, the danger of over-training for us masters lifters (45 years old and up) is always something to be critically aware of.

However, under-training can also be problematic as it often leads to stagnation or regression.

Finding the proper balance between overtraining and undertraining requires experience and self-awareness. [Read more…]

My Deadlift Injury And The Starr Rehab Program- Weekly Workouts 8/28-9/4

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This week was the first time I wasn’t able to complete a lift session because of pain. On the 5th rep on my second working set of deadlifts (235# 1 x 5), I felt a shooting pain travel down the left side of my lower back.

Because it hurt a lot more than an ordinary back spasm, I thought I had torn a muscle. As it turned out, I hadn’t, but the experience reminded me that I had to pay special attention to how I lifted going forward.

I had suffered three episodes of bad back spasms in the last two months, and now I had the worst one during a lift. Something wasn’t right.

It was time to reevaluate my lifting program. [Read more…]

10 Ways Walking Can Improve Your Body And Mind – Weekly Workout

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Everyone loves to tout the benefits of their own exercise program. Whether it’s high-intensity interval training or strength training or some form of aerobic exercise, their program is guaranteed to make you healthier.

There is, however, one program that has stood the test of time. It was recommended by Thomas Jefferson over 230 years ago. He said,

If the body be feeble, the mind will not be strong. The sovereign invigorator of the body is exercise, and of all the exercises walking is best. I have known some great walkers and had particular accounts of many more; and I never knew or heard of one who was not healthy and long lived.

Now, I don’t know if walking is the best health protocol for both body and mind, but from my own experience and according to the scientific data, it’s certainly one of the best. Let’s see why. [Read more…]

How A 60 Year-Old Prevents Weightlifting Injuries – Weekly Workout

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When I tell people who are the same age as me that I lift heavy weights, the inevitable exclamation is, “You’d better be careful you don’t hurt yourself.” Sometimes the person is genuinely concerned but sometimes it comes across as an admonishment.

As in, “Do you think it’s safe for someone your age to lift weights?”

Can this 60-year old man hurt himself lifting weights? Sure, but I can get hurt in a thousand different ways if I’m not careful. If I follow the plan and allow my body to recover well, I should be fine. [Read more…]

The Amazing Health Benefits Of Strength Training – Weekly Workout

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When I started strength training three years ago, my main goal was to regain some of the muscle and strength I had lost from 27 years inactivity due to chronic fatigue syndrome. I was now 57 years old and had undoubtedly lost even more muscle from normal aging.

After two and a half years of barbell training, I accomplished that goal and more. Not only had I gained muscle, but, at 60 years old, I had become stronger than I had been in the previous 27 years.

As I became more involved in training, however, I began reading studies on the benefits of strength training that involved more than just gaining raw strength. [Read more…]

How The Starting Strength Program Made Me Strong Again – Weekly Workout

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If someone had told me three years ago that I could get strong enough to do a 200-pound bench press and a 300-pound deadlift, I would’ve laughed in their face and walked away.

At 57 years old and recovering from chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) and bursitis in both shoulders, the odds of me getting that strong again were about zero to none.

What a ridiculous thought. How could I ever get that strong again? Especially after having CFS for 27 years.

Well, it’s not such a ridiculous thought now.

I recently pulled a 290-pound deadlift and bench pressed 192.5-pounds. Oh, and by the way, I’m 60 years young and weigh 171 pounds. [Read more…]