We all have different goals so my goals are clearly different from yours, but if you can convince yourself you look good regardless of the truth, it`ll work on your missus!
I`m absolutely in favor of everybody having *his own* goals.
Heh heh, I do note that "convince yourself regardless/regardless of the truth"...and can say without *any* doubt whatsoever anyone who sees me, even fully dressed, *knows* I look in-shape
...there`s no convincing needed. I bet *you* don`t have to convince yourself that you`re happy either...you are or you`re not and you know which side of that fence you`re on.
FWIW, at my most out-of-shape (Med follow-up appointment post-surgery, after maybe 6 weeks off and a few "easy" weeks before that), the surgeon asked me to be a Visual Aid for a group of Med students.."an example of optimal fitness, you won`t see this again for a long while". They thought he was kidding about how I felt I was "out of shape" (and that I was a cigarette smoker at the time). Noting that I *am* 60YO, I wouldn`t embarrass myself by entering a "Senior`s Contest" with no prep, could do it any time if I cared about such stuff.
I rarely step on the scale nor take pics of progression for comparing Day _ to day 100.
Same here. I only get on a scale at the Dr.`s office, and I`ve never had a pic taken to show my build nor done some Big Project for
X days or anything like that. I`m all about everyday condition. My "optimal shape by 60 " was basically about paying closer attention to making every workout as good as possible, finding ways to tweak some details. Like turning that 6-pack into more like an 8-or-10 and tightening up my Inner Obliques.
I never work abs, and admittedly, am a 2 maybe 3 pack on my best days. Naturally I don`t mind, I`m not about that "cant eat XYZ if you want a 6pack".
At my current height/weight/physique, I`m probably 2 months away from abs with a strict diet but I have no intentions of giving up the "see-food" diet. I see food, I eat. I`ll just compensate by working harder at the gym and it`ll equalize back to the 6-month-running-average.
Hey, it`s all about what`s right for *YOU* and I think it`s great that you`re taking a long view.
Even if there were zero visible benefits, I`d simply *have* to work my Core as hard as I do for optimal functionality, just as I have to really work at Cardio regardless of whether it shows or not; I believe I`d have issues if I didn`t, the way most people my age seem to have...back, digestion, all sorts of stuff. (Plus, I`d have to replace my wardrobe
Not gonna happen! ). The appearance thing is just a nice side effect, nobody else cares with the possible exception of my wife, and she wouldn`t care unless I really let myself go (which would mean I`m not the same person any more).
I think it`s [freakin`] terrible how so many people I know just can`t do what they did when they were younger...it`s...really sad. I`m not gonna go there if I can help it.
Note that Barry Sears (he of The Zone/Fish Oil/etc.), who`s trained Olympians, would say that I`m "too lean" for always having at least a 6-pack. He`d say your 2-3 is just right.
Though believe it or not, I eat as much as I want of whatever I want, including about a pound of hamburger every Sat., 4.5 Arby`s every Sunday (tons of Pringles each of those nights too, and two cans of pop/week), and those Denny`s Bfasts that can involve multiple waffles with lots of syrup. While still seeing a 6-pack even at my worst.
If I couldn`t eat what I want, that`d be the wrong "diet" for me! I`m with you 100% about not denying yourself stuff that makes Life more enjoyable and IMO if you can`t eat what you want there`s something totally haywire somewhere.
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