The Yankee Hotel Workout/Diet

[Jayson]

So, over the past month I have lost weight- not easy for me, since I have a turtle slow metabolism. I am not at all horrendously overweight, but I need to work off the pudge...and a little something I like to call the Wilco diet has really, really helped.

 

You only need to follow three simple rules- following these (a hodgepodge of Wilco and accepted dietary information) has led to a loss of quite a bit of weight- over 8 pounds this month. It's pretty ridiculous.

 

Right, right, stop yapping...what are the rules?

 

1. Eat single ingredient foods (Jeff would call this "The Beauty of Simplicity") When we consume casseroles, pizzas, pastas, and other things of the like, we're putting ingredients together that need other things to sustain themselves. This leads to an adding of more and more things until we arrive at the fatty, carby smorgasbord that us Americans call food. By eating foods with only one ingredient in moderation with portion control(and portion control IS key- judge for yourself), you can not only have decent food (breads, chicken breasts, lean steaks, veggies), but you get a pure eating experience that isn't killing you. Keep it filling, reasonably portioned, and well selected, and this is the only food change you need to move.

 

2. THE KINGPIN MEAL. This is a meal- once a week, where for morale purposes, the single ingredient rule is disregarded- it helps keep you motivated. However, if you miss a part of the workout plan below, well, I mean it's your diet, but I personally don't allow myself the meal. It's a self administered reward, and as long as your portion doesn't go out of whack, it's going to be ok to have.

 

3. This is the best part, folks- a brand new motivation for working out. I find it best on a treadmill because the adjustable speed is awesomely tweakable. Simple- you walk/jog along to Wilco albums- not a new concept, I'm sure, in the Ipod age. But if you stick to it- going the full album length 2 or 3 times a week (3 is really solid fat burning, but 2 is better for busy people like me), it's a comprehensive workout.

The twist here is to purposefully adjust speed as you go so that your feet match up with the tempo of the song. This is AMAZINGLY EFFECTIVE on Wilco (The Album), Yankee Hotel (The best workout actually), and Sky Blue Sky. Ghost and Summerteeth are less desirable due to pacing- the other albums give you solid warm up and cool down times, and are great lengths for a varied, effective workout. It works, and most of all, you'll look forward to working out- your mind is off it, and you get to participate in Wilco just by walking along at tempo. It's very fun, and doesn't lose it's appeal.

 

 

That's it! I'd love to hear if this works for anyone, or if you guys think it's a good idea. It's worked for me, and it's just great fun to think of workouts as a Wilco event.

 

Please discuss changes you'd make- variations on food choice and such- and share other ideas with your fellow fitness-minded Tweedafarians.

[Sweet Papa Crimbo]

So, over the past month I have lost weight- not easy for me, since I have a turtle slow metabolism. I am not at all horrendously overweight, but I need to work off the pudge...and a little something I like to call the Wilco diet has really, really helped.

 

You only need to follow three simple rules- following these (a hodgepodge of Wilco and accepted dietary information) has led to a loss of quite a bit of weight- over 8 pounds this month. It's pretty ridiculous.

 

Right, right, stop yapping...what are the rules?

 

1. Eat single ingredient foods (Jeff would call this "The Beauty of Simplicity") When we consume casseroles, pizzas, pastas, and other things of the like, we're putting ingredients together that need other things to sustain themselves. This leads to an adding of more and more things until we arrive at the fatty, carby smorgasbord that us Americans call food. By eating foods with only one ingredient in moderation with portion control(and portion control IS key- judge for yourself), you can not only have decent food (breads, chicken breasts, lean steaks, veggies), but you get a pure eating experience that isn't killing you. Keep it filling, reasonably portioned, and well selected, and this is the only food change you need to move.

 

2. THE KINGPIN MEAL. This is a meal- once a week, where for morale purposes, the single ingredient rule is disregarded- it helps keep you motivated. However, if you miss a part of the workout plan below, well, I mean it's your diet, but I personally don't allow myself the meal. It's a self administered reward, and as long as your portion doesn't go out of whack, it's going to be ok to have.

 

3. This is the best part, folks- a brand new motivation for working out. I find it best on a treadmill because the adjustable speed is awesomely tweakable. Simple- you walk/jog along to Wilco albums- not a new concept, I'm sure, in the Ipod age. But if you stick to it- going the full album length 2 or 3 times a week (3 is really solid fat burning, but 2 is better for busy people like me), it's a comprehensive workout.

The twist here is to purposefully adjust speed as you go so that your feet match up with the tempo of the song. This is AMAZINGLY EFFECTIVE on Wilco (The Album), Yankee Hotel (The best workout actually), and Sky Blue Sky. Ghost and Summerteeth are less desirable due to pacing- the other albums give you solid warm up and cool down times, and are great lengths for a varied, effective workout. It works, and most of all, you'll look forward to working out- your mind is off it, and you get to participate in Wilco just by walking along at tempo. It's very fun, and doesn't lose it's appeal.

 

 

That's it! I'd love to hear if this works for anyone, or if you guys think it's a good idea. It's worked for me, and it's just great fun to think of workouts as a Wilco event.

 

Please discuss changes you'd make- variations on food choice and such- and share other ideas with your fellow fitness-minded Tweedafarians.

 

Nice first post

 

(Sounds like a winning program)

[rwilson580]

There's no doubt that Ipods and Wilco have made it a whole lot easier to get into a regular exercise routine. When getting up at the crack of dawn to do that walk or run becomes a highlight of your day, that's pretty cool....

[c.lo]

good job, keep at it!

I have been doing this for years!

When I have a new album to listen to, i put it on my ipod & get on the treadmill.

This is the only way I can get a good 30-45mins uninterupted by my kids a few times a week. I get to hear a whole album, start to finish (the way I like to listen to something new the first time), and I get some cardio too.

When I don't have something new to listen to I use the "genius" mix feature, I'm always so amazed at the playlists it makes for me.

[barbkm]

When I need some cardio motivation, I put in the live version of Spiders -- recent versions from Lollapalozza or Wappingers Falls are best. Before my knees went kaput, I would jog to the versions and then do a good spritn o that da-da-da-da-dahhh,de-da da da-dahhhh. Gets the heart going on many levels.

 

Since my knees have failed me, I do this on the arc trainer or stair master.