Fat bastards

[soyezra]

Seems that most of the engineers I know are a bit on the heavy side... I mean when I knew them a few years back before they started to work on audio, they weren't as big... is this a problem?

How do you guys prevent this? no offense to the heavy engineers out there

Just noticed that since I started recording and making music, the pounds have been stacking up.

What do you propose needs to be done about this?
(yes.. i'm serious)

[Rick Sutton]

I am highly offended. I am not a bastard. Just wanted to clear that up.

[loh90]

I know this may seem obvious, but exercise.

I find for me, I lose weight when I work on audio. I get stuck in "the zone" and just work through when I'm suppose to be eating. I'm skinny by nature, and have never been able to really put on weight, so for me its the opposite problem.

[tomgahagan]

"I am highly offended. I am not a bastard. Just wanted to clear that up."

+1 on that.

[soyezra]

To those I have offended, I'm very sorry for the way I worded my question. If I can change the post title somehow let me know, as that wasn't my intent form the begining.

I'm posing the question about spending so many hours in a studio/work environment and its relation to weight gain. I am heavy set myself, 5'4 and bordering 200 pounds. But in the last 3 months I've gained a lot of weight, because it's so easy to skip a meal or change what you eat after certain hours in a studio.

It's very easy to just order take out, and before you know it, you're gaining weight. Since I have a project studio in my home, I also tend to record late at night or whenever I get an idea, which messed up my regular sleep schedule and in the end kinda messes things up too, eventhough music making is very fun.

Again, for those I offended, I am very sorry, I should have chosen my words more carefully.

Thanks for reading, and all input is welcome.

[chris carter]

You really have to be proactive. I have a near perfect body-mass index (6'5" and 180lbs for a BMI of 21.3) and to be honest, part of it is that I am lucky on the genetics side.

But I also put in a good deal of effort. I'm the grocery shopper and the cook in the family, so I try to make sure we eat healthy. Not very much red meat (little less than once per week), fresh vegetables steams or stirfy typically. I avoid processed foods whenever I can. I eat fast food maybe three times a year. Cook with olive oil. Etc. It's a little more effort, but the upside is that the food tastes a lot better when it isn't junk

On the exercise thing, I make it a point to swim twice a week. I have asthma so it's not the easiest, but I'm up to 1.7km per workout.

Both the food and the exercise take effort. Sometimes I really don't want to swim and i have to make myself go. Sometimes I don't really want to cook. You have to treat your body like you do your audio. Just like you make it a goal to improve the sound, you have to make it a goal to improve your body. You just have to condition your mind to get used to it; make it habit. I'm honestly at the point where fast food tastes really nasty to me and if I don't exercise for a full week I start to feel it.

I will admit that it HELPS A TON having a spouse cheering you on!

Take out: just DON'T DO IT. Never do it. Find easy stuff to cook or food that doesn't require cooking - if you experiment and find stuff you like it will make it a lot easier.

Sleep: I wouldn't be able to do the exercise if I had a fu*ked up sleep schedule. I've pretty much adjusted to a 'regular' person's schedule getting up around 6:30 and going to bed at 10:30. I'm mostly doing unattended sessions and the attended ones I've discovered that my clients actually PREFER working during daylight (who would have thunk it!).

If all else fails, just read up on what extra pounds will do to your lifespan, your risk of numerous diseases, heart disease, SEX (if that's not an incentive, I don't know what is!), etc. That sh!t will scare you into getting in shape!!

[SkunkWorks]

Originally Posted by soyezra

Again, for those I offended, I am very sorry, I should have chosen my words more carefully.
.

I think they were joking... about the bastard part

[cowrange]

I am highly offended. I am not fat, but I am a bastard.

[Heartfelt]

I do not have an easy time. It takes work. What helps:

1. Exercise - I run and lift
2. My wife was a sports major. Great encourager
3. Getting help - HCG diet is amazing (under dr care)

As much as I hate to say it, I had to realize that it is simple physics - if you can't burn it, don't eat it. Still hard for me, long term. The extra weight is guaranteed health issues, either now or later. No offense... I'm telling myself more than anyone else.

[George Necola]

Unity Audio

I sold it..

[rockstar_josh]

I have a tendency to gain weight, and for all the reason listed. I don't eat right, skip meals, etc., etc.

I put in effort to fight this. I exercise, weights and racquetball twice a week, plus whatever other active stuff I can fit in (though usually don't find the time). Diet is a huge thing... my wife and I cook a lot at home now and I stay away from fatty or sugary foods. I eat several times a day, light but good. It's helped me drop about 20 lbs. in the last year. I've been extremely busy lately and working a lot of hours, so I've started to put some of it back on... gotta get a grip. It definitely takes discipline, but the payoff is immense.

[A LaMere]

It's funny.. I tend to lose weight on long recording sessions...
Just the opposite.

I just get so damned busy that I forget to eat..
that's the truth. I only remember when the hunger pains become so great that I can't function... it's ridiculous. Mostly, I end up drinking a lot of coffee and tea.

the answer to fixing the health problem of musicians really is relatively simple...
and it's as much about a culture change as it is anything else.
You have to fit exercise into your routine.
A treadmill, a homegym of some kind... or even a couple of dumbells and some yoga mats can work wonders... but only if you are able to fit exercise into your routine week in and week out.

It's amazing what a short jog on a one hour lunch break will do for someone's health.. it really is.

[Rick Sutton]

Originally Posted by soyezra

To those I have offended, I'm very sorry for the way I worded my question.

Thanks for reading, and all input is welcome.

No man, it was such an easy joke that I just took it. You didn't offend anyone.

As to the weight problem, I'm certainly not a great example, but going to the gym 2-3 times a week has helped me to to at least keep from ballooning more than I would have and I feel a little better as a result. Just keep trying

[Rolf Fiesel]

in studio
yup too much sitting around.... just get up.. set what ever up and
sit right down again ..that's why i liked live sound better losts of
running around ..keeps you fit..but also sore

[dambro2]

I try not to schedule sessions too early in the day, so that I have time to stick to a regular exercise routine. I'm still overweight, but I fear how heavy I'd be without my daily nordic track ride. Plus, I get to keep up on all the DVD's I miss out on while working (on season 3 of Battlestar Galactica now). I find that watching serial shows makes me look forward to working out so I can see what happens next.

[caledoniamission]

I prefer to be called a Big Boned Love Child!!!!!

[biggator6]

It's really not too different than any other sedentary job with long hours... take a look around the tech business sometime, lots of less-than-fit people there too.

[Stevil]

Originally Posted by biggator6

It's really not too different than any other sedentary job with long hours... take a look around the tech business sometime, lots of less-than-fit people there too.

no doubt. 13 years @ a desk & commuting is killing me.
anybody see Peter Jackson when he started vs when he finished working on Lord of the Rings? years of sitting on your ass editing crap. Looks like he's recovered in the years since.

[hobson]

get in my studio!!!

[Jonesfromindia]

Originally Posted by hobson

get in my studio!!!

"fat bastard studios"

get in my studio...



someone catch this marketing awesomeness...

[Jonesfromindia]

Originally Posted by soyezra

Seems that most of the engineers I know are a bit on the heavy side... I mean when I knew them a few years back before they started to work on audio, they weren't as big... is this a problem?

How do you guys prevent this? no offense to the heavy engineers out there

Just noticed that since I started recording and making music, the pounds have been stacking up.

What do you propose needs to be done about this?
(yes.. i'm serious)

im like 15 lbs overweight. but not from engineering. I really like to mountain bike. but between work and when i write songs, i rarely ride. so i make the time count.

this morning i used one of my 25lb dumbells and just did some curls and some arm and chest exercises.

20 minute daily walks will keep weight off too.

[Draw the Moral]

I was in the military for 6 years (and I'm still in the Reserves) so it got ingrained in me...but I can't stress enough the importance of exercise.

Here's a few overall mind, body, spirit type things that help:

1) Work on being financially free. Something about the discipline of paying off debt and keeping track of how much you spend helps you to be disciplined in other areas as well. Plus, there's nothing like the feeling of getting a paycheck and only having to pay the bills for services...no credit cards, loans, etc. You'll wonder where you got all this money from. And when you aren't having to be stressed with paying off gear purchases, you can actually enjoy purchasing gear with the money that you have in savings. Nothing feels better than buying your studio centerpiece with money that you have saved for.
If you are recording professionally and you can't just save for a large purchase, then at least minimize what you have to go into debt for, and then be creative with what you have.

2) Exercise regularly. Three times a week for at least 30 minutes per sessions at a MINIMUM. Not only does it improve your weight and health, but your mind stays sharper too. It relieves stress. You sleep better, and you become more productive. Some of the best times I've had as a musician have come when I'm regularly taking care of my body.
One thing I do just to keep it in mind is to set an alarm, and for every two hours of work, do 1 minute of calesthenics. Pushups, situps, jumping jacks...even stretching. You'll be amazed at how quickly you'll tone up by doing that 4 times in an 8 hour work day every day.

3) Eat out less, and get healthy food in your house/workspace. Buy healthy snacks to keep stocked around the studio. Get a blender and a bunch of fruit, and make smoothies when you feel hungry. It tastes good and it's good for you. Keep carrots, celery, or whatever floats your boat.

4) Take time to rest and exercise your spirit. Whether you find this in a belief system, or just simply being kind to people, or meditating...do it! I really hate that our spiritual side gets thrown out in this "modern scientific" society. This has nothing to do with organized religion. This is about taking care of the part of you that we all know is there.
If you listen to good music and it moves you on any level, then you know that you have a spiritual side that needs "exercising" and "rest" just like your body and mind.
Besides, practicing kindness to people just gets you farther in life.\

That's my two cents.

[Weasel9992]

When I came off the road and went back to the studio, then into the design world, I'm sure I gained 15 pounds. Then again, that was right around the time I turned 30, which is when I noticed my metabolism slow *way* down. The other thing is, if you're working at a firm somebody's always bringing food into the office, or there's a client to take out for lunch, or a company something-or-other. No one ever eats healthy at those things...at least not here in the South.

Frank

[biggator6]

Originally Posted by Weasel9992

No one ever eats healthy here in the South.

Frank

Fixed it for ya, Frank.
"-)

[jeremy.c.]

Originally Posted by chris carter

You really have to be proactive. I have a near perfect body-mass index (6'5" and 180lbs for a BMI of 21.3) and to be honest, part of it is that I am lucky on the genetics side.

But I also put in a good deal of effort. I'm the grocery shopper and the cook in the family, so I try to make sure we eat healthy. Not very much red meat (little less than once per week), fresh vegetables steams or stirfy typically. I avoid processed foods whenever I can. I eat fast food maybe three times a year. Cook with olive oil. Etc. It's a little more effort, but the upside is that the food tastes a lot better when it isn't junk

On the exercise thing, I make it a point to swim twice a week. I have asthma so it's not the easiest, but I'm up to 1.7km per workout.

Both the food and the exercise take effort. Sometimes I really don't want to swim and i have to make myself go. Sometimes I don't really want to cook. You have to treat your body like you do your audio. Just like you make it a goal to improve the sound, you have to make it a goal to improve your body. You just have to condition your mind to get used to it; make it habit. I'm honestly at the point where fast food tastes really nasty to me and if I don't exercise for a full week I start to feel it.

I will admit that it HELPS A TON having a spouse cheering you on!

Take out: just DON'T DO IT. Never do it. Find easy stuff to cook or food that doesn't require cooking - if you experiment and find stuff you like it will make it a lot easier.

Sleep: I wouldn't be able to do the exercise if I had a fu*ked up sleep schedule. I've pretty much adjusted to a 'regular' person's schedule getting up around 6:30 and going to bed at 10:30. I'm mostly doing unattended sessions and the attended ones I've discovered that my clients actually PREFER working during daylight (who would have thunk it!).

If all else fails, just read up on what extra pounds will do to your lifespan, your risk of numerous diseases, heart disease, SEX (if that's not an incentive, I don't know what is!), etc. That sh!t will scare you into getting in shape!!

I'm with Chris on this. I'm also 6'5" but my BMI is over 26 now and I have to lose 20-25lbs. That's all from over eating and not eating healthy. I swim 3-4 times a week, about 1.5km each and do yoga about 2 times per week and I still put on weight (vegetarian too). Beer doesn't help either.
I started watching my calorie intake and lost about 5lbs in the first two weeks already. As others have pointed out, this tends to happen more quickly once over the early 30s and you don't adjust your lifestyle to match what your body is doing.
And as Chris said the SEX! The SEX! Who will think of the SEX?!

[chris319]

I pray none of you ever develops type 2 diabetes, one of the symptoms of which is weight gain. It is a complex disease with many and varied symptoms.

[Electric Sugar]

I'm lucky in that although I eat huge amounts of food, a lot more than most of the heavier people I know,I still stay at around 170 pounds (at 6'1). I put this down to the fact that the studio where I work during the week is in the middle of nowhere, so I have to walk a good 40 minutes each day at least. I guess the fact that I haven't entered the adult world and learned to drive yet probably contributes to a lot of the walking!

I sink a lot of alcohol, what with being a semi-failed musician and ocassional depressive, but this never makes me hungry so I don't end up eating shit, infact more than likely I end up vomiting.

I also constantly fidget, and do teh sex, which must burn off some of it.

[Weasel9992]

Originally Posted by biggator6

Fixed it for ya, Frank.
"-)

Haha...thanks. Bear in mind that I moved to Augusta, GA from San Diego, CA...man, what a shock. I remember eating at a place called "T's" the first week I was there. Wanting to sample the local cuisine I ordered catfish...which came in a dish submerged under 4" of clarified butter. Wow. I just wanted to take the whole meal and stuff it directly into my aorta and skip all the steps in between.

Frank

[Draw the Moral]

Originally Posted by Weasel9992

Haha...thanks. Bear in mind that I moved to Augusta, GA from San Diego, CA...man, what a shock. I remember eating at a place called "T's" the first week I was there. Wanting to sample the local cuisine I ordered catfish...which came in a dish submerged under 4" of clarified butter. Wow. I just wanted to take the whole meal and stuff it directly into my aorta and skip all the steps in between.

Frank

Yeah, the south is a different kind of animal.

I grew up in Pensacola...I was never happier to be away from southern culture.

It's not all bad, but I have some serious problems with the culture since I grew up in it.

[chris carter]

Originally Posted by olivia_nb

And as Chris said the SEX! The SEX! Who will think of the SEX?!

It's so true - being in healthy shape makes sex a LOT better!

Here's the thing about food and exercise. When you exercise, you burn calories and you naturally want to replace them. This is where 99% of people mess up and it's why most people who exercise don't lose weight. What happens is you do your workout and burn 300 calories, then you're hungry, and you eat a bunch of food. You eat it because a) you're hungry because you just burned off a lot of calories and b) you feel like it's "okay" because you just did a good job working out. But the problem is that you just undid all that work. And a lot of people hit starbucks or McDonalds on the way home from working out. Nothing those places sell has less calories than what you will burn in one workout! And they mainly sell crap that's really bad for you.

To make matters worse, most people eat stuff high in carbs after working out. If you need to eat after working out, you want to eat low-carb/high-protein. Here's why. Carbs are complex sugars and when you eat them your body breaks them down into simple sugars. That gets used as energy. This is great. But here's the problem: if you don't use all that sugar (fast energy fuel) it gets turned into fat (long-term fuel storage). Protein works differently and doesn't get turned into sugars (amino-acids and it gets complicated; my scientist wife could explain it, but just trust me, it works different). Proteins get broken down into stuff that you body uses in other ways. This is why you hear of celebrities going on protein diets - because protein doesn't turn into sugars which turn into fat. The only problem with the protein diet is that it cause other problems when you don't eat carbs. So what the f*ck are you supposed to do if you need both???? Well here's what you are supposed to do. You eat your carbs BEFORE you exercise. Like I said, carbs break down into simple sugars that your body uses as fast sugars and turn into fat if you don't use them. But if you eat them before working out, then your body uses all the sugar carbs turn into. This will actually help your workout too because you have the energy to actually work out. Then after you work out, if you feel hungry and need to eat, eat protein and avoid carbs. If you eat carbs after working out, then the sugars will just turn into fat because you're not going to use them.

So there you go, that's how your body works. If you don't pay attention to that stuff you can exercise until you are blue in the face and NEVER lose a single pound.