I was just bemoaning my recent weight gain and seeming inability to balance a health, work, comics, and a social life.
Just based on what I see from con photos and the like, we comic creators tend to be either on the "lardy" side of things, or are thin sticks who have the muscle mass of a three year old. And I realized that while you can easily find a million "how-to" topics on everything involving comics, from what side of the hand the thumb goes on to how to make cash, I have never seen anything on how one can stay healthy while making comics. (Of course, someone who's job it is to make comics may have an easier time at working exercise into their day, I don't know)
So, I'm making a request to those of you who may be reading this, who see themselves as being fit, to share with everyone else how you manage to balance comics, your job, social life, and most importantly, exercise.
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Tuna Fish Sandwhich Diet
I've been trying to go down from 180 lbs back to 150 lbs. I started eating tuna fish sandwiches for lunch/dinner with fruit smoothies, Raisin Bran+Milk for breakfast and lots of water.
Two weeks later I was down to 165 lbs, but I was also jogging for half an hour every day, at about 4am in the morning so nobody could see how silly I look in sweatpants.
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Henshin heroes, magical girls, giant robots bishonen vampires, and evil teletubbies-- Deathfist Ninja GKaiser will parody it all!
I work in health, so I am
I work in health, so I am fullllll of annoying advice!
- Drink a large glass of water with each cup of coffee you have.
- Fibre is your friend, a happy colon is a happy cartoonist. A healthy bowel moves at least once a day.
-Make sure you have some fruit and vegetables everyday. (Five servings of vegetables the size of your palm is great!) If you HATE veggies at least try to drink some V8 juice or take a good multivitamin....you don’t want scurvy!
-Lots of girlies are short on iron, which makes them bone tired. If you have heavy periods or/and don’t eat much meat it’s good to have your iron levels checked.
- Always eat breakfast. Have a big bowl of oatmeal or Bircher Muesli to fill you up with yummy grains + nuts.- Try not to miss meals, It's better to have lots of small ones rather then two huge ones.
-Spirulina is a great supplement if you are feeling tired or run down, or have been ill. It’s full of iron and protein. You can get it in tablets if you don’t like the taste.
- Whey protein shakes are not just for body builders. They are a great way to get nutrients if you are in the habit of missing meals and they fill you up if you are in the habit of over snacking.
-Try and get your butt moving each day. Go for a walk or dance around or something.
- Take care of your psychological well being too. If you are unhappy- talk to someone who can help you.
My horrible web comic!
tina helps me with
tina helps me with motivation, productivity AND appetite. though she can be a handful if you spend too much time with her.
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Step One: get rid of car (or
Step One: get rid of car (or continue not having one)
Step Two: walk everywhere
Okay... so that may not be possible for anyone, and it probably wouldn't work in many cases anyway. But I still consider my 1 mile walk from work (or class, depending on the time of year) each day as being excercise. And hey, it saves on money too :)
-reva- http://www.thinksynch.com
I live in the country.Â
I live in the country. Sometimes I wish there were places within walking distance, but for the most part I'm glad for the privacy. Still, walking more is a great goal.
I really want to live
I really want to live somewhere that being a pedestrian is more of a viable option. In Phoenix, the city isn't really set up for reasonably fast travel from place to place, and the 115 degree heat makes walking even half a block to a bus stop and waiting ten minutes akin to torture.
Hoping in a year we can maybe move to a cooler, more mass-transit community.
Diets are often fads and
Diets are often fads and gimmicks.
 Some diets are very unhealthily for you. (Eat only vegetables and never meat, and vice versa)
I say eat a variety of foods and of course, exercise a lot. Â
Sorry to hear that, man
You could always do some drawings that are almost complete, omitting a line or two. After the surgery, if you're capable of even a light grip, you could just add those last few lines. That way, you could at least feel like you're working, if you can just get into that kind of mental state.
Don't hesitate to procrastinate. See my stuff at http://www.cuteninjagirls.com
Good Plan! Actually,
Good Plan! Actually, during the time I plan to work on websites and embark on a long plan to study color.
That's Hardly the case, Scott
I have a slow metabolism, and am not ashamed to admit that I'm overweight. I'm just saying that, if you are already overweight, cutting the snacks has a definite impact.
Don't hesitate to procrastinate. See my stuff at http://www.cuteninjagirls.com
After some health problems
After some health problems outside my control, I'm a little touchy about this subject. My reply was a little too strident, and for that I apologise.
The carpal tunnel thing is something else entirely. I first damaged my wrist in college during finals, and then later a broke that hand. The bones knit fine, but the connective tissue never got quite right. Fast forward a decade, and I pretty much have no choice but surgery to try to fix it. That is irritating, but it also means several weeks of not drawing or painting--I'll go insane!
Personally, when I gain a
Personally, when I gain a few pounds, I just stop eating small snacks. That alone can take off ten pounds in a few weeks.
Don't hesitate to procrastinate. See my stuff at http://www.cuteninjagirls.com
Unfortunately, not everyone
Unfortunately, not everyone can just "stop eating small snacks," and taking off and putting on 10 pounds is a breeze. Some folks have lean body types and high metabolisms; the rest of us have to work at it.
I can't really blame being
I can't really blame being an artist for my weight problem. It's bad choices and bad habits. This is a problem for the whole country.
I'm fast approaching my first 20 lb mark of weight loss using the South Beach diet, which is among the easiest and most healthy available. My goal is to lose about 100 lbs, because have come to suffer from obesity.  I was a paltry 145 lbs when I got married 21 years ago, but at my heaviest I weighed 307! I'm about 6' tall.
My upcoming carpal tunnel surgery I can more easily blame on being an artist.Â
Johnny Saturn at http://www.komikwerks.com/comic_title.php?ti=117
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And just so you know, sexual intercourse is very good exercise.
One-liners - Beware the killer dildos. New Comic Posted 07/07/06
One-liners - New strips on Fridays.
Oh yeah, we work out
Oh yeah, we work out together almost 100% of the time. It's great to be able to motivate one another, since there are days one of us is less motivated than the other (most days are like that in the summer here in Phoenix, where it's often 85-90 degrees before the sun even rises).
And yes, there are definitely methods of exercising that are more enjoyable than others. Many in the comfort of your own home!
I am about 25 pounds lighter
I am about 25 pounds lighter than I was when I started webcomics five years ago. I am now 255, so I still have a way to go (I'm 6'3" and have a large frame, and I like how I looked and felt ten years ago at 220 lbs - you know, before beer). Once I get my new comic off the ground here soon, I'll be joining the Biggest Webcomic Loser group to try to lose my remaining 35 pounds of excess.
It has been a particular struggle just to keep level at 255 for the past three years, since I've been getting a degree, working full time, spending time with my wife, and running a freelance web development business on the side. I've been going to the gym or for a brisk walk around the neighborhood for 20-30 minutes 4-5 times a week, and bouncing back and forth between eating healthy and, er, eating like I'm on vacation. Frequent trips to Las Vegas and the buffet at Bellagio have not helped. But the constant exercise, coupled with no longer drinking excessively for five years, has kept my doctor very happy with the results from my physicals, and I don't feel out of shape most of the time despite the excess weight.
One big thing that helps me is to test to see if I am really hungry when my body says it is. Sometimes you're thirsty but your body feels more hungry, so I drink a glass of water and if I still feel hungry ten minutes later, then I have a snack.
The two keys to exercise for me are time management and keeping it fun. I keep track of when baseball games are on I want to watch, and then go to the gym to watch them while I work out. I download podcasts and listen to them while I'm on the crosstrainer or lifting weights. My wife and I go for walks in the neighborhood, and bring a bag along to collect aluminum cans, which we recycle and make some money to pay our gym fees.Â
We like to exercise in the mornings, because then you get the benefits of the metabolism boost your whole day, rather than having to quickly calm your body down so you can go to bed. Eating smaller meals and keeping shorter spans between them helps (4-5 meals a day), with more calories loaded up front than at the end of the day, is good. As a corporate business type, that can be a challenge since I am frequently dining with coworkers and/or clients, but I usually manage okay.
If I find more that works as I work on the Biggest Webcomic Loser thing, I'll keep updating. Good luck.
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If this is absolutely impossible, try getting up a little earlier everyday to do some aerobic exercises, and situps, chinups, and pushups. Try walking or riding a bicycle to work.
When you're drawing, take a break every 20 or 30 minutes and just walk around and stretch a little. Also try doing something aerobic like shadow boxing or running on the spot.
And of course, if you are not eating healthy, then you had damn well better start. I understand you may not have time to cook proper meals, and may often opt for fast food. But if that's true, instead of fast food, eat fruit and sandwiches and the like. Bring your own lunch to work. Some fruit, a sandwich, and maybe some canned vegetables, or a stew/soup should be fine unless you're like me and have an ungodly appetite.
Good luck.
One-liners - Beware the killer dildos. New Comic Posted 07/07/06
One-liners - New strips on Fridays.