OT: Fitness and Nutrition XII

Non Player Canadiens

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Jan 25, 2012
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Back pain is back. Think I’m going to shut er down on the running until 2025.
dawg i've been dealing with LBP for 10+ years now, but it got really bad in the last year or so, so i finally went to PT. this 30 min daily stretching routine has been helping me a lot:

1. hamstring stretch with strap (3 sets 30s each side)
2. figure 4 piriformis stretch (3 sets 30s each side)
3. cross-body piriformis stretch (3 sets 30s each side)
4. 30 rep straight left lift, each side, from supine position
5. 30 reps pelvic tilt supine, hold 3 sec each rep
6. 10 reps glute bridge, 5s hold each rep
7. 20 reps exaggerated belly breathing (yes really!), 5-10sec each rep

in addition, i got really into Horse Stance (mentioned it earlier in the thread), which i think has been helping with LBP as well. past the 1 min mark your body just kind of sinks down into a natural lower back/forward pelvic tilt stretch which feels really good. hope this info helps someone in this thread :thumbu:
 
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BehindTheTimes

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Jun 24, 2018
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dawg i've been dealing with LBP for 10+ years now, but it got really bad in the last year or so, so i finally went to PT. this 30 min daily stretching routine has been helping me a lot:

1. hamstring stretch with strap (3 sets 30s each side)
2. figure 4 piriformis stretch (3 sets 30s each side)
3. cross-body piriformis stretch (3 sets 30s each side)
4. 30 rep straight left lift, each side, from supine position
5. 30 reps pelvic tilt supine, hold 3 sec each rep
6. 10 reps glute bridge, 5s hold each rep
7. 20 reps exaggerated belly breathing (yes really!), 5-10sec each rep

in addition, i got really into Horse Stance (mentioned it earlier in the thread), which i think has been helping with LBP as well. past the 1 min mark your body just kind of sinks down into a natural lower back/forward pelvic tilt stretch which feels really good. hope this info helps someone in this thread :thumbu:
I have been doing similar routine. I have been doing glute bridges with elastic band just above my knees and pulling apart. Then putting a soccer ball between my legs and squeezing. Seemed to be helping for the longest time along with kettle bell routine. It’s funny, because this pain came a few days after a really easy run, but it is beyond terrible. Saturday night I was almost in tears. More out of frustration than pain, but it freaking hurts too. I will try some of those stretches.

Lots of reading suggests that hamstring tightness can be a serious contributor to what I have. I never would have suspected that on my own, but either way, I have added plenty of hamstring stretching and to date it has not helped.
 

Mrb1p

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Dec 10, 2011
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I have been doing similar routine. I have been doing glute bridges with elastic band just above my knees and pulling apart. Then putting a soccer ball between my legs and squeezing. Seemed to be helping for the longest time along with kettle bell routine. It’s funny, because this pain came a few days after a really easy run, but it is beyond terrible. Saturday night I was almost in tears. More out of frustration than pain, but it freaking hurts too. I will try some of those stretches.

Lots of reading suggests that hamstring tightness can be a serious contributor to what I have. I never would have suspected that on my own, but either way, I have added plenty of hamstring stretching and to date it has not helped.
Don't stretch without consulting imo
 

BehindTheTimes

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Jun 24, 2018
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Went to outpatient. Couldn’t deal with the pain any longer. Can’t get into chiro until 12 Nov and family dr on 15th. They gave me a shot of Tramadol, X-ray which didn’t show anything and prescription for gabapentin which hasn’t helped at all. They recommended I get Mr doc to refer me for MRI.
 
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Mrb1p

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Went to outpatient. Couldn’t deal with the pain any longer. Can’t get into chiro until 12 Nov and family dr on 15th. They gave me a shot of Tramadol, X-ray which didn’t show anything and prescription for gabapentin which hasn’t helped at all. They recommended I get Mr doc to refer me for MRI.
They can't see anything on Xray... even an MRI isn't going to cure you, sadly.

I'm on then other end of it. I know it sucks but you just need to relax, see a PT and be diligent with the exercises he gives you. I was on the verge of literally crying every night just 2 weeks ago. Stay strong brother.
 

Lafleurs Guy

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Jul 20, 2007
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Went to outpatient. Couldn’t deal with the pain any longer. Can’t get into chiro until 12 Nov and family dr on 15th. They gave me a shot of Tramadol, X-ray which didn’t show anything and prescription for gabapentin which hasn’t helped at all. They recommended I get Mr doc to refer me for MRI.
That sucks.

One thing you may want to consider if the MRI is necessary for further treatment is to go to the US to get it. 600 blocks sucks but it can be done almost right away. There’s a huge industry in Buffalo that services Canadians almost exclusively.

Good luck.
 

Mrb1p

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That sucks.

One thing you may want to consider if the MRI is necessary for further treatment is to go to the US to get it. 600 blocks sucks but it can be done almost right away. There’s a huge industry in Buffalo that services Canadians almost exclusively.

Good luck.
I looked into an MRI here and it was 1200$ private. It's probably just cheaper for him to get it here I guess. But as I said, MRIs don't cure you.
 

Lafleurs Guy

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I looked into an MRI here and it was 1200$ private. It's probably just cheaper for him to get it here I guess. But as I said, MRIs don't cure you.
I did it a year ago in Buffalo for around 600-700 bucks. Maybe it’s gone up. The exchange rate is worse so….

It’s not a cure at all. But in some cases doctors require it for future treatment. I couldn’t get a cortisone shot for my shoulder without one. I didn’t want to wait so I did it this way.
 

Mrb1p

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I did it a year ago in Buffalo for around 600-700 bucks. Maybe it’s gone up. The exchange rate is worse so….

It’s not a cure at all. But in some cases doctors require it for future treatment. I couldn’t get a cortisone shot for my shoulder without one. I didn’t want to wait so I did it this way.
US or CAD?
 

Lafleurs Guy

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US or CAD?
It came out to something like 600 bucks CAD.

Depending on what you’re looking at it could be as cheap as 475 US.

 

Mrb1p

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It came out to something like 600 bucks CAD.

Depending on what you’re looking at it could be as cheap as 475 US.

Oh wow that's actually very cheap then! I thought you were talking USD. Good to know, although it's cheaper for shoulder than spine I think.
 

Lafleurs Guy

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Oh wow that's actually very cheap then! I thought you were talking USD. Good to know, although it's cheaper for shoulder than spine I think.
The price list is in the link. Most treatments are under 600 US. The most expensive is 870 US.

Sucks to pay it but if you don’t want to wait it’s worth it.

I’ve had frozen shoulder twice. The first time was in my right after ankle surgery. The second was in my left after long Covid.

The first time I wound up getting a cortisone shot about a year in. And I was insta cured. So when it happened the second time I didn’t want to wait. So I got my MRI right away. That allowed me to get the shots. Unfortunately the shots didn’t work this time (they’re unpredictable for frozen shoulder.)
 

Mrb1p

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The price list is in the link. Most treatments are under 600 US. The most expensive is 870 US.

Sucks to pay it but if you don’t want to wait it’s worth it.

I’ve had frozen shoulder twice. The first time was in my right after ankle surgery. The second was in my left after long Covid.

The first time I wound up getting a cortisone shot about a year in. And I was insta cured. So when it happened the second time I didn’t want to wait. So I got my MRI right away. That allowed me to get the shots. Unfortunately the shots didn’t work this time (they’re unpredictable for frozen shoulder.)
My PT offered me injections in my spine if things didn't get better but I seemed to have made a miraculous recovery in the past two weeks. Seeing him next week again, he told me he didn't know if he could help me, I can't wait to tell him.

I think @BehindTheTimes should start there. Good McKenzie trained PTs are like magicians.
 
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Lafleurs Guy

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My PT offered me injections in my spine if things didn't get better but I seemed to have made a miraculous recovery in the past two weeks. Seeing him next week again, he told me he didn't know if he could help me, I can't wait to tell him.

I think @BehindTheTimes should start there. Good McKenzie trained PTs are like magicians.
I’m not a doctor so I’m not going to suggest anything. :laugh:

But it’s good to know the MRI option is there. It can be done almost right away. It’s like a factory down there. Go visit Niagara Falls for the day and then get the MRI. Make a day trip out of it. An MRI might be able to diagnose what’s wrong. But that’s something you should discuss with the doc, not guys on a hockey message board.

They might have the same thing in Vermont, I don’t know.
 
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overlords

#DefundCBC
Aug 16, 2008
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My PT offered me injections in my spine if things didn't get better but I seemed to have made a miraculous recovery in the past two weeks. Seeing him next week again, he told me he didn't know if he could help me, I can't wait to tell him.

I think @BehindTheTimes should start there. Good McKenzie trained PTs are like magicians.

I saw a reference to 'mckenzie' style PT when I was looking them up and it seemed to make so much sense. I only ever went to a PT once before and she supposedly used to care for some of the olympic athletes. It was paint by numbers, no serious questions or looking to understand how I got how I got. Never went back and decided to rehab myself.

edit; for clarity: I didn't see a mckenzie style PT, she was just a regular ol PT recommended by my family doc.
 
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Mrb1p

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I saw a reference to 'mckenzie' style PT when I was looking them up and it seemed to make so much sense. I only ever went to a PT once before and she supposedly used to care for some of the olympic athletes. It was paint by numbers, no serious questions or looking to understand how I got how I got. Never went back and decided to rehab myself.
Yup, sometimes you're lucky and sometimes you get a lemon PT.

I saw 10 PTs in my life I think. This is the first one that really hits home. He told me from the get-go that my issues seemed to be injection/surgery levels. He gave me a month, three total meetings.

Glad I met with him.
 
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overlords

#DefundCBC
Aug 16, 2008
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Hey you smart posters

I need to shed 15 pounds, what is a good diet? I never have been on one before
any good plans? I have no idea

figure out your TDEE using an online calculator, hit your protein requirements and go like 300-400 calories under your daily caloric break even point. That's as complicated as it needs to be. Throw in cardio if you want to speed things up. Invest in cultivating muscle if you want to keep that weight off easier in the future and not just shrink down into a smaller version of your fatter self.
 
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sampollock

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figure out your TDEE using an online calculator, hit your protein requirements and go like 300-400 calories under your daily caloric break even point. That's as complicated as it needs to be. Throw in cardio if you want to speed things up. Invest in cultivating muscle if you want to keep that weight off easier in the future and not just shrink down into a smaller version of your fatter self.
ok thanks

would love a diet plan that lays this out though. just not sure of the process
 
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Mrb1p

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Dec 10, 2011
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ok thanks

would love a diet plan that lays this out though. just not sure of the process
Pretty simple.

Weigh yourself, measure your height.
Use either a calculator online or ask us.
This will allow you to estimate your base metabolic rate and your calorie target.
Download an app to track calories, I like Cronometer.
Now you have two options:
1. Eat whatever you want but mind your calories and try to aim for .6g to 1g of protein per lbs of bodyweight, using mainly true protein sources.
2. Define a meal plan where you will eat a set menu every single day for a few months. This is drastic but very hard to follow IMO. It might be good to do this if you know nothing about nutrition, though.

Weigh yourself everyday at the same hour in the same condition for two weeks, track your weight, see if you lose or not. After that, adjust your calories to either be in a bigger deficit or smaller. Aim to lose ~1 lbs per week in the first week, but it will slow down.

Consistency is important and a lifestyle change is probably the best way to stay healthy.

Exercise, both aerobic and anaerobic can help lose weight. It doesn't have to be 2 hours in a gym, it can be many, many things. Exercise snacks are also a common avenue that can change your life.

Keep posting here, we love helping.
 

Lafleurs Guy

Guuuuuuuy!
Jul 20, 2007
78,385
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Hey you smart posters

I need to shed 15 pounds, what is a good diet? I never have been on one before
any good plans? I have no idea
A few things. And this is from somebody who's dropped a fair bit of weight recently (and a few years ago.)

1. Do you want to lose 15 pounds on the scale? Or do you want to lose 15 pounds of fat? Two different things. If it's just the scale, then you're going to want to track your calories. Throw in some walking/execrcise and you should be able to lose anywhere from 1 to 2 pounds a week depending on how aggressive you want to be. I've found intermittent fasting to be effective as well. There's been debate around the effects of the fasting itself but no matter what - it shortens the eating window and that will help you. If you can hack it, skip breakfast and eat between 12-8. Track everything (that includes the cream in your coffee. Don't just look at the scale, make sure you're measuring your waist as well.

2. I've used My Fitness Pal. It makes things very simple. It asks how much you want to lose and then will calculate eveyrthing for you. Good rule of thumb: Eat about 500-600 calories below maintenance for aggressive weight loss (2 lbs a week.) So if your maintenance is 2100, you need to eat 1600 cals a day. If you want to be less aggressive you could do 1800 cals for one pound a week.

Also, doing an hour walk a day will burn another 200 something calories. It's not much but over time it adds up. It's esimated that 3500 cals makes up a pound. So if you're doing five walks a week that's 1000+ cals. Figure that there are twelve weeks in three months you'll have burned an extra four or five extra pounds.

3. Getting back to my original question, you can lose fat and not lose much on the scale at all. To do this you must do strength training and eat in a caloric deficit. This is called body recomp and it's what I think was really effective for me. For most of this summer, the scale didn't move much but I regularly took body measurements. I lost three or four inches of fat around my waist but the scale didn't move much. Why? Because I was adding muscle. The scale finally started to go down near the end of the summer but it took a while for that to really happen - and that's not a bad thing. It means you're putting on muscle. To me, this is the best path because adding muscle speeds up your metabolism making your body more efficient at fat burning. You'll burn more fat just sitting on the couch for example. Plus you'll look better too.

If you're going to do a recomp, cals aren't the only thing that matter. You need to up the protein a lot. Easy rule of thumb for this? 1600 cals means you have to eat 160 grams of protein a day. On workout days it's 1800 calories with 180 grams of protein. You'll need whey powder, eggs or egg whites to be able to do this. Lots of white chicken, shakes etc... I can give you more info if you wish. Since June 1st I've lost about 30 pounds on the scale. I've lost four to five inches around my waist. And I'd have done much better but October has been killer. Multiple birthday parties, Thanksgiving dinners and halloween played havoc with everything. I've always found that time of year the hardest to stay on track - harder than Xmas even.

Anyways, happy to talk more about this if you wish.

Good luck!

Pretty simple.

Weigh yourself, measure your height.
Use either a calculator online or ask us.
This will allow you to estimate your base metabolic rate and your calorie target.
Download an app to track calories, I like Cronometer.
Now you have two options:
1. Eat whatever you want but mind your calories and try to aim for .6g to 1g of protein per lbs of bodyweight, using mainly true protein sources.
2. Define a meal plan where you will eat a set menu every single day for a few months. This is drastic but very hard to follow IMO. It might be good to do this if you know nothing about nutrition, though.

Weigh yourself everyday at the same hour in the same condition for two weeks, track your weight, see if you lose or not. After that, adjust your calories to either be in a bigger deficit or smaller. Aim to lose ~1 lbs per week in the first week, but it will slow down.

Consistency is important and a lifestyle change is probably the best way to stay healthy.

Exercise, both aerobic and anaerobic can help lose weight. It doesn't have to be 2 hours in a gym, it can be many, many things. Exercise snacks are also a common avenue that can change your life.

Keep posting here, we love helping.

Myfitnesspal is terrific.
 
Last edited:

Mrb1p

PRICERSTOPDAPUCK
Dec 10, 2011
91,458
58,536
Citizen of the world
A few things. And this is from somebody who's dropped a fair bit of weight recently (and a few years ago.)

1. Do you want to lose 15 pounds on the scale? Or do you want to lose 15 pounds of fat? Two different things. If it's just the scale, then you're going to want to track your calories. Throw in some walking/execrcise and you should be able to lose anywhere from 1 to 2 pounds a week depending on how aggressive you want to be. I've found intermittent fasting to be effective as well. There's been debate around the effects of the fasting itself but no matter what - it shortens the eating window and that will help you. If you can hack it, skip breakfast and eat between 12-8. Track everything (that includes the cream in your coffee. Don't just look at the scale, make sure you're measuring your waist as well.

2. I've used My Fitness Pal. It makes things very simple. It asks how much you want to lose and then will calculate eveyrthing for you. Good rule of thumb: Eat about 500-600 calories below maintenance for aggressive weight loss (2 lbs a week.) So if your maintenance is 2100, you need to eat 1600 cals a day. If you want to be less aggressive you could do 1800 cals for one pound a week.

Also, doing an hour walk a day will burn another 200 something calories. It's not much but over time it adds up. It's esimated that 3500 cals makes up a pound. So if you're doing five walks a week that's 1000+ cals. Figure that there are twelve weeks in three months you'll have burned an extra four or five extra pounds.

3. Getting back to my original question, you can lose fat and not lose much on the scale at all. To do this you must do strength training and eat in a caloric deficit. This is called body recomp and it's what I think was really effective for me. For most of this summer, the scale didn't move much but I regularly took body measurements. I lost three or four inches of fat around my waist but the scale didn't move much. Why? Because I was adding muscle. The scale finally started to go down near the end of the summer but it took a while for that to really happen - and that's not a bad thing. It means you're putting on muscle. To me, this is the best path because adding muscle speeds up your metabolism making your body more efficient at fat burning. You'll burn more fat just sitting on the couch for example. Plus you'll look better too.

If you're going to do a recomp, cals aren't the only thing that matter. You need to up the protein a lot. Easy rule of thumb for this? 1600 cals means you have to eat 160 grams of protein a day. On workout days it's 1800 calories with 180 grams of protein. You'll need whey powder, eggs or egg whites to be able to do this. Lots of white chicken, shakes etc... I can give you more info if you wish. Since June 1st I've lost about 30 pounds on the scale. I've lost four to five inches around my waist. And I'd have done much better but October has been killer. Multiple birthday parties, Thanksgiving dinners and halloween played havoc with everything. I've always found that time of year the hardest to stay on track - harder than Xmas even.

Anyways, happy to talk more about this if you wish.

Good luck!



Myfitnesspal is terrific.
Yeah that's the big one most people use. I like the desktop+phone app from cronometer personally. There's also a few more features that make it stand out.

With that said, if you have the money I'd take a look at RPdiet app @sampollock
 
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