Keeping in shape

[Chelley]

So I'm about to start a new fitness regime in the hopes of dropping around 50lbs. Pretty excited to be getting started, and I was wondering what everyone else does if they do anything at all?

I'll be doing a 20-30 minute cardio, followed by about 10-15 minutes of core work, then another 20-30 minutes of cardio.

I'm trying to eat better too, but other than cutting out fast food (which I don't honestly typically eat a lot of to begin with), I'm not really sure what to do.

[Flames of Hyperion]

I play football, between the sticks, for my uni department team (Informatics FC!). Generally two hour-long training sessions and a full game per week.

I also do about half-an-hour of stretches and light exercises (crunches, push-ups, squats) most mornings in lieu of caffeine. Wakes me up, gives me time to plan the day ahead, and keeps me fit enough to speed-walk twenty minutes into uni.

I'm really bad for food, though. Almost never eat lunch, and laugh at the notion of 'five a day'.

[Witchblade]

I started my own fitness regime this year and I'm guessing (since we don't have a scale in the house) that I've lost around 10lbs so far and I've dropped about one pant size already. Which is yay!

I can give you a lot of advice though. It's gonna hurt at first and you're gonna wonder why the fuck you're putting yourself through this. Don't give up, just keep pushing. The results will not be instantaneous. Hell, I didn't even notice the results in my own body, my friends started seeing it long before I did. Next thing I know they're complimenting me on how great I look lately and how happy I seem, since working out releases wonderful chemicals in your brain and makes you a much happier person. :p

Eating habits are harder to change, but I just find I eat less. No second helpings, or if I do get them it's very rare. I also try to make dinner so that it's a protein of some sort and one or two vegetables. I cut out a lot of pasta from my diet because I ate that practically all the time and since I don't have the metabolism of a 15 year old bean pole boy, pasta is now a treat. :p And I don't crave it as much anymore either. Chocolate and other goodies I have NOT cut out of my diet, but like pasta they are a nice treat and unless it's a certain time of the month, I really don't crave sweets too much to begin with. There's always chocolate int he fridge and if I want some, I grab a piece and that usually does me over.

Now, your fitness routine. I would recommend that you only do 10 minutes of cardio to start off. You really only need to warm up your muscles before you start doing weights. You'd be amazed how much 30 minutes of intense cardio can tire you out and you don't want to over do it your first week there or you'll never want to go back again. In fact, when I go to the gym, all I do is 30 minutes of intense cardio with a 5 minute cool down and then I go home. Research has proven that in fat loss, it's not the length of your workout, it's the intensity. So a 30 minute intense workout is actually better for you than a more subdued hour long workout.

[Luned]

I'm not a model of great health by any means, but I've been paying more attention to stuff over the past couple months and have seen some results from mild lifestyle changes. I've lost about ten pounds without much effort and feel a bunch spiffier overall.

The first thing was to increase general activity. I work long hours at my desk at home (hence why I'm online here all the time, it drives me a little stir crazy), and I know you work from home, too. When I do get out, like when I go into the city for meetings, I try to make the most out of the walking I have to do around the large campus –– this past Tuesday I think I managed about three miles from taking scenic routes to and from, etc. I also have a friend who has some health issues, so I volunteer to take her dog out fairly regularly for beach walks and such. I have a very strong aversion to anything that remotely feels like "exercise", so I need things like that to get off my butt.

The second thing was adjusting eating habits. There's been less work to do in that department since I get stuff from friends' farm shares and don't go out a lot, but after talking to my doctor, she said there's only one diet strategy she ever recommends. She calls it the "bikini diet" (ugh, I know, sounds pretty dumb), and the basic premise is just to keep an eye on proportions. She said to picture your plate split up like the top and bottom of a bikini are sitting in it, so each of the cups takes up about a quarter and the bottom takes up half (I know, I wouldn't fit into that, either). One of the cups is designated for a serving of protein, the other for a little starch, and you fill up the bottom half with as much veggies/fruit as you want.

Witchblade's chocolate scheme is what I do to control my sweet tooth. As long as there's a stash of really good chocolate, I only need a tiny bit, and then I don't feel deprived.

The last thing has been forcing myself to pay attention to how I present myself more often. Probably sounds silly, but it's a giant confidence boost when people compliment me on little stuff like how I've dressed, and it's hugely motivating in about a hundred different ways. Keeps me on track!

[Aurelianus Drak'shal]

I smoke too much, drink more than I should and OD on sugar and caffeine every day.

And still weigh only about 135 lbs. :P

But, I've been getting back into my regime lately, after too many years out of my martial arts and sitting around on my arse.

30 x ab sit-ups
30 x oblique sit-ups
30 x squats (w/ weights)
30 x bicep push-ups
30 x tricep push-ups
30 x leg lifts
30 x various exercises with the weights on my multigym.

I do this every second day, sometimes with cardio work on the off-day.

[Chelley]

Witchy - I've been doing a 45 min walk at about 3 mph for the last month or two already. So that won't be an issue. I just finally have more than a "hmm.. well walking a lot helps, guess I'll do that" plan.

Aure - I hate you. :P I haven't been that light in I don't know how long.

Luned - weird a name as that sounds, it does make it easier. I think I'll give that a try.

[Aurelianus Drak'shal]

Oh, that's not through any sort of dedication to staying healthy.

I just have an unnaturally fast metabolism. As soon as I hit thirty (providing I live that long), I am screwed. lol

[Chelley]

I know! That's why! So not fair! I want my teenage metabolism back >.< I could eat and eat and do next to nothing and not have to worry one whit about my weight.

[Morkotar]

I have studied this kind of thing for years and successfully applied the principals to my own life and those of some close friends. Just as a general warning, my advice may be more "extreme" than others have made so far. I think the suggestions Witchblade and Luned made are great, but it sounds like you're looking for "the next step" and some of the stuff I do might be helpful. It's always worth consulting a doctor or nutritionist before starting on a new diet or exercise regimen, but I'm not going to recommend anything I haven't done myself, or that I don't think is safe.

Nutrition
For starters, think of food in four different groups commonly referred to as macronutrients. These are proteins, fats, carbohydrates, and water. Water is technically not a macronutrient, but a lot of nutritionists might argue against that fact. If you aren't already, make sure you're drinking plenty of water before and after meals and throughout the day, and focussing on getting lots of lean protein and fibre-rich vegetables and legumes in your meals.

It is also important to eat the right kinds of healthy fats. We do require some saturated and omega-6 fats in our diets, however these fats are common in almost all fatty foods and therefore deemed "unhealthy". To keep the proper balance, try to eat a serving of monounsaturated fats with each meal (this could be a handful of almonds or macadamia nuts, half an avocado, or some olive oil or real mayonnaise. Also try to include some omega-3 rich foods (small coldwater fish such as herring and sardines are best, though salmon works too, and vegetable alternatives such as flax and chia seeds are available though less effective). Most nutritionists also recommend taking a good omega-3 supplement daily.

So to summarise: Eat lean protein and vegetables and legumes as much as possible, drink lots of water, eat "healthy" monounsaturated and omega-3 fats

Exercise
The first element in successful sustained weight loss is activity, which has already been mentioned and it sounds like you're on top of. This is very important, and you shouldn't make a habit of letting exercise replace your physical activity. However, when you want to increase fitness and accelerate fat loss, exercise is the key.

Playing a multi-sprint sport such as soccer, hockey, rugby, etc (anything where you are running and stopping continuously, so baseball doesn't quite cut it) or engaging in a solitary sport such as cycling or running can be ideal, because consistency is the most important thing in a new exercise regimen. Find something you enjoy doing, something where you can push yourself as hard as you can or where others will push you. For me, it's combat sports, but I like jogging and freerunning and cycling on my own.

The reason a multi-sprint sport is necessary is because it will force you into anaerobic exercise, which does a lot of beneficial things for the body including increasing your metabolism and releasing human growth hormone, which improves your ability to recover from exercise. In short, you shred.

You can turn just about anything into anaerobic training. Working out with weights or doing pushups and squats to the point where you're sweating is anaerobic, but so is doing sprints on your bicycle or on a soccer field. The process is simple: Exercise as hard as you safely can until you begin to fail, then slow your pace and rest. Breathe deeply in through your nose and out through your mouth and recover as fast as you can, then try to do another interval faster and longer. Doing this kind of training 3-4 times a week should increase your metabolism noticeably.

Here's a quick look at what a basic day on this regimen looks like. I'll provide an "ideal" example, and then an example of something that I actually eat, which are generally more affordable and/or tastier.

Breakfast
Best: Two egg whites and one whole egg in an omelette with choice veggies, ham or bacon and fruit if desired on the side + 2 fish oil capsules
My favourite: Two fish oil capsules washed down by a smoothie with half a banana, frozen berries, almond milk, a scoop of vegan protein powder, and a raw organic egg

Lunch
Best: Spinach salad with with cooked wild salmon, lentils, avocado and other choice veggies.
Mine: Same but canned fish instead of fresh salmon, and mayonnaise instead of avocado

Exercise
Easy: Jog for 10 mins at a gradually increasing pace then do some easy dynamic stretching to loosen up. Do pushups until one or two reps away from exhaustion, then do the same with squats, crunches, and heel-raises. Recover in as little time as possible (1-2 mins suggested) and repeat 3 times.
My favourite: Jog 10 mins and dynamic stretching. Pullups to exhaustion on soccer crossbar, sprint the length of the field, chinups to exhaustion. Recovery jog to next field, repeat. Climb over fence to street and jog to baseball diamond. Vault back and forth over low fence until exhaustion, jog to trees and shadow box to exhaustion. Sprint up long hill, recovery jog. Climb 10' fence and jump off, tactical roll, bear crawl, sprint climb up and over far fence. Walk to recover and marvel I'm still alive.

Dinner
Best: Grilled chicken breast, cooked quinoa with turmeric, choice of steamed veggies or salad.
My favourite: Gluten free high-protein pancakes with maple syrup.

Alright well... I can't believe I wrote that much, and I hope some of it helps. Way to go!

edit: and it's fairly important to eat a meal within an hour after completing anaerobic exercise.

[Witchblade]

Wow, you're pretty hardcore about the exercise and eating healthy thing. o.O

I am definitely not that hardcore. I started going to the gym to just get in better shape, because I was tired of walking up two flights of stairs and finding myself winded. I mean, it was just ridiculous. I could never change my diet that dramatically though. I love food, food is amazing and while some of the things you mentioned do sound tasty (spinach salad with salmon, hell yeah I'd eat that!), gluten-free high protein pancakes just took it too far for me. XD If I'm gonna treat myself and have pancakes, then they're going to be unhealthy and eat some freaking pancakes smothered with butter and homemade maple syrup (none of that table syrup crap).

[Warpath]

Changing my diet has taken literal years. I remember reading an interview with Angela Gossow where she talked about not drinking any sort of pop or soda and I was thinking "I could never do that, that's physically impossible." And it nagged at me for a long time, because she's clearly doing something right and I was clearly doing something wrong, until I finally tried. It wasn't easy, but after about a month it stopped tempting me, and now I just flat out don't drink anything but milk or water. Or smoothies, I guess. It's been like...four, five years now? And this is coming from a guy who would go through a case of pepsis every day so as to function on four hours of sleep broken up throughout a day. So yeah, going from wanting a caffeine drip 24 hours a day to no caffeine ever, period, was not easy. But I did it, and once you START with something you thought you couldn't live without, the subsequent things become less daunting.

So after pop I just started adding more things to the list once I get comfortable with the last one. Sometimes it's specific things (no more fruit juice, no more candy, no more animal crackers, no more daily ice cream, no more donuts for breakfast), but over the last year I've worked up to bigger things (no more gluten/bread, no more added sugar, etc). The only thing I've reneged on is milk. I can give up milk for awhile but I inevitably go back to drinking it, and hell, there are much worse things.

It has been worth it. Sometimes I miss pizza or just gorging on a coffee cake, but I found that what helps is remembering how you feel after you eat it. Pizza is delicious, but I feel like a sluggish slug-like slug after I eat it and that lasts for the rest of the day. Yeah, spinach is less satisfying, but I can eat that and feel like a human being the rest of the day. I don't really get to eat at work anymore, and I find a can of tuna fish at 7 in the morning can carry me through until 2 in the afternoon or beyond. A donut makes me feel vaguely pukey for an hour after eating it, and then I'm hungry again.

So yeah, I mean, for me food was giving me this great emotional and physical satisfaction at the moment of consumption (and still does, let's be honest), but made me feel worse from that moment on. Giving up those big moments of satisfaction lets me feel better over longer spans of time, which I've found invaluable. I mean, everybody is different and I'm only speaking for myself, but man it's been worth it.

As for exercise, Morkotar really hit it on the head. For me it's swimming, I can do that for hours, and there's nothing like crawling out of the pool barely able to walk. You know beyond a shadow of a doubt that you DID something, because you've never been hungrier, sorer, or sleepier in your life. After that, spinach and tuna taste INCREDIBLE, and I can't remember the last time I didn't pass out the second my head hit the pillow.

[Prophet]

This is really meant for myself, as it takes a little over 4 hours, and when youre done, it HURTS. I also start it at 3 AM so i can be up for school now that i dont have to work. Ill get to my eating habits later.

1 hour hard running
5 minute break
55 minutes of either 200-200-200 Crunch and Holds-Leg lifts-Planks or 50 minutes of Squats-push-ups-more cardio
15 minute sprint
15 minute walk back to my apartment
30 minutes for a shower and some food
45 min brisk walk
15 minutes rest and a 5 minute shower so i dont smell horrid all day.
Meds, meds, meds, more meds, and im ready for the day!

Ive worked myself away from coffee and mountain dew mostly, but occasionally when i have a really long lecture, or i need to finish something i drink a cup or bottle.

My food is usually quite well made, mostly healthy, and pretty decent taste. So, it involves a ton of salad, some chicken, and fish now and then. With my weird habits, and so on. I dont eat lunch, but i do try to carry around some apple, or grapes. Thats that.

try it if you dare.

[Witchblade]

Even with the exercise, I rarely pass out the moment my head hits the pillow, but that's because my brain is just constantly working. My body might be physically exhausted, but if my brain won't shut down then there's nothing to do but wait it out. Though I do have a couple tricks to helping it along. XD

I stopped drinking pop for the most part too. It's a rare treat now, by itself, though I do make mixed drinks with diet pop, which may not be that good for you either but at least it doesn't have shitloads of added sugar. Pizza doesn't make me feel lethargic and crappy, but deep fried foods do, which is why I try not to eat them, or like most things it has become a treat. Every now and then, I just want me some fish and chips, or some tempura. I find it better to occasionally give in to the craving rather than ignore it and make it worse.

I think the next thing on my list to tackle is actually alcohol. Lately I find I've been drinking more than usual and while it's fun, and no one has said anything to me, I feel like I'm drinking too much. So I'll start off small and not have a drink or two when I come home from work. Then I'll slow down on my alcohol intake when I'm out with friends.

[Morkotar]

I like this thread! I'm gonna elaborate on some stuff other people mentioned that really struck a chord with my own experience.

Swimming - love it! Often termed "the best exercise" because you use your entire body whilst breathing rhythmically in-and-out of the water, and has almost no risk of injury. This provides an ideal cardiovascular and muscular endurance workout, while also maintaining range of motion and flexibility. According to a study cited in The Four Hour Body by Timothy Ferriss (one of my favourite reference materials on nutrition and exercise), exercising in water actually allows you to burn more calories because water moves heat more effectively than air, or something like that.

Food allergies - also known as food addictions and food sensitivities, are the terms which nutritionists apply to the kind of thing Warpath and Witchblade touched on. The most common food sensitivities are to gluten, dairy, and refined sugar. I personally am extremely addicted to all three. I was raised on cheap carbs (gluten and sugar) and milk. Celiac disease and lactose intolerance are severe examples of these, but less noticeable allergies are actually more harmful, because it allows you to ingest and feel comforted by food which provides absolutely no nutritional value.

The easiest way to determine whether or not you have a food sensitivity is to try to cut it out of your diet for 2-3 weeks. If it's difficult, that's a good indicator you have a food sensitivity. I still feel tempted to buy donuts and ice cream every time I go to the grocery store, even though I've been working on this for over a year. The concept of cutting something out "for ever" is daunting, but for me it works best because I achieve the most with a high goal, and when I inevitably do cave and have something, I don't feel bad about it and the next day I revert to my regimen.

BUT, the most important part of cutting something out of your diet for 2-3 weeks is that when you DO revert, you actually notice the difference. Going off dairy for a couple days only made me that much happier to drink milk again when I did. But after going off it for three weeks, eating icecream felt like digesting bowlful of gravel. Sugar is the best one, because as I think Warpath mentioned, everything else tastes way better. After my first week off refined sugars, almond butter tasted like cookie dough. Actually Warpath, if you've never made it two weeks without dairy, you may want to think about trying that. It sounds like you have similar food addictions to me, and dairy is the one it was hardest for me to eliminate, after convincing myself it wasn't bad for me for a year.

For me, there's no point in eating gluten or dairy, because even though they're cheap those foods still cost money, and I don't get the nutritional value out of them. Last year I was getting about 70% of my protein from dairy sources, and couldn't figure out why I wasn't recovering from workouts, or why I felt braindead and sluggish all day. I know that gluten free bread isn't "the same" and almond milk isn't "as good" as cow juice, but the truth is, if you're addicted to a food you will rationalise eating it in every way possible. I still eat something sugary once a week or so, and though I really enjoy the following ten minutes, I usually regret it the next day. I look forward to a day when I'm no longer tempted to eat things that make me feel awful, and I'm getting there slowly.

Caffeine and alcohol - There are obvious, noticeable, and scientifically documented benefits to giving these things up completely. However, many doctors and nutritionists believe one of each a day isn't harmful, may be beneficial, and my nutritionist actually recommends certain dark beers and bitters for medicinal purposes. In addition to being an unfailing caffeine addict, I love everything about coffee, so I still have a cup of that most mornings. Alcohol I've reduced to the point that I only have it on rare special occasions (used to drink like crazy). The healthiest versions of these are probably organic green tea and gluten free India Pale Ale.

Round up - It's not necessary to give up these sensitive food groups "for ever", but going off them for 2-3 weeks will allow you to make a properly informed decision on what you want to eat moving forward, and give your digestive organs a chance to detoxify in the process.

[Witchblade]

So if I want to slow down on my alcohol intake, you recommend just stopping it for 2-3 weeks and seeing how I feel afterwards?

[Luned]

Yeah, I gave up soda and it was surprisingly easy. Nowadays I just brew festive varieties of unsweetened, generally caffeine free tea and keep them in the fridge for occasions when I don't feel like water for some reason.

I've cut a lot of stuff out over the years. I mostly avoid alcohol and caffeine, and since a lot of dairy makes me incredibly sick, I don't touch most of that, either. That was really painful –– it's really hard to find good substitutes for ice cream! –– but was totally worth it. My doctor had me do something like Morkotar mentioned while waiting for celiac disease tests (2-3 week gluten "detox"), so that's totally legit way to see how to improve your lifestyle. Helped me, anyways.

Swimming is awesome, I did it almost every day last summer. I wish I still had a pool. :, (

[Morkotar]

So if I want to slow down on my alcohol intake, you recommend just stopping it for 2-3 weeks and seeing how I feel afterwards?

If you think taking couple weeks off alcohol would be constructive for you, then absolutely! On the other hand, if doing so would add an undue amount of stress to your life, you may want to be cautious. If you're habituated to having a couple drinks a day and more than that on weekends, it may be best to reduce to a firm one drink a day, because withdrawals can be a bitch, especially if you have a busy life to keep up with. Also depending on what kind of shape your liver is in, a sudden unsupervised detox could potentially be harmful. So I guess I'd recommend a couple weeks reduced to one a day, and you could either talk to a medical pro in the meantime or just see how you feel.

I may have been a little loose in my last post equating "food addictions" with food sensitivities. Overall an addiction is not the same as an intolerance, however in the specific case of gluten, dairy, and sugar, the intolerance or "allergy" exacerbates the addiction, so I tend to think of them as one and the same. My apologies for any confusion.

[Chelley]

I'd love to do swimming, but I don't have easy (schedule wise) access to a pool. So treadmills and cycles it is.

These are awesome tips. Thanks!

I have pretty much cut out bread/pasta for the most part. They're now a treat every once and a while. Except for right no. I was supposed to have people over for a BBQ, and no one showed...so I'm using the left over buns for sammiches to get rid of them. But once they're gone, I'll be back to very little bread again.

I love, love, love beef and chicken for my protein. I also tend to favor long grain rice or potatoes for my starch. My favorite veggies are carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, brussel sprouts and yellow Vidalia onions (they're kinda sweet and so yummy sauteed). Onions count as veggie right? I like to snack on apples or raw baby carrots too.

Hate, hate, hate cow milk unless it has been chocolatized or has been used on cereal, and even that not as much anymore. Usually if there's milk in my house, it's because I needed to get some for baking. I also hate seafood. (Yes, I know, an Alaskan that hates seafood? SHOCK! :P ) Doesn't matter if it's fish, crustacean, mollusk or plant. If it grows and lives underwater, I want no part of it.

[Morkotar]

Chelley - it sounds like you're on the right track! Since you don't like fish, I would strongly recommend taking an omega-3 supplement, most pharmacies and health food stores carry a number of brands. Also sounds like your food choices are good, though I will mention if you exchange potatoes or rice for yams, quinoa, or extra legumes, you'll get a bit more nutrition, fibre, and protein, which are all great for weight loss and overall health. Also, try rice pasta as an alternative to wheat pasta, it tastes great without the gluten! And yes, onions are one of my favourite (root) veggies. I love green and red onions raw on salad, and really any kind sauteed. Speaking of salad, getting some spinach or romaine in your diet on a daily basis is a great idea.

[Aurelianus Drak'shal]

With these posts, my diet of fags, whisky and sugar is starting to sound a little less healthy.

[Prophet]

Mro, are you like a walking nutritionist? You have so many tips that i should have used years ago! Wish i ate more than maybe a sandwitch and few apples a day though...

[Warpath]

What's the prevailing wisdom on creatine, Morkotar? Good, bad, snake oil?

[Morkotar]

What's the prevailing wisdom on creatine, Morkotar? Good, bad, snake oil?

Honestly, I'd say some combination of all three. On one hand, it's technically just an amino acid which assists with increased energy output and protein synthesis (in other words it allows you to train harder and build muscle faster). Similarly, the amino acid L-Glutamine is also available in powdered form, and it is more associated with recovery. The science on these supplements appears completely legitimate.

On the other hand, none of the high-level athletes I know use them, I don't use them myself and don't recommend them for two reasons: they're expensive, and they don't accomplish anything you can't do with proper nutrition. A friend of mine from highschool is now a body builder and runs a sports nutrition shop - he makes his living selling creatine, but he doesn't use it. Additionally, I feel (and the research supports this) that using creatine in attempt to increase workout intensity is a great way to injure yourself. If I'm bench pressing and my shoulder stops working properly, it's best to end the set right there, not power on through it because I can and I want extra muscle.

Overall... not to beat a dead horse, but if you feel a need for creatine (a need for an extra "boost" before workouts) it'd be better to closely examine the food you're putting in your body before and after exercise. If you feel like you've tried everything you can through diet but still aren't getting the results you want, that's when I might recommend trying creatine. Just make sure you exercise within an hour after taking it, otherwise it won't work properly. Also I've read that it doesn't do nearly as much for endurance exercise as it does for explosive exercise, so I dunno if it'd help your swimming all that much. If you want to gain mass, I'd recommend increasing the overall serving size of your meals (especially protein) or else just eating more meals, and maybe take a non-dairy probiotic supplement, as these can help your stomach synthesise protein.

Definitely not my area of expertise, but here's an article on creatine (http://www.menshealth.com/nutrition/creatine-side-effects-what-it-what-it-does) that does a pretty good job of examining the pros and cons.

For the record though, if milk is still a significant part of your diet, it could be playing havoc with your energy levels. To me, creatine is something that guys who need muscle mass to bolster their self confidence use. If you don't wear a toque at all times and walk around with your shoulders flexed calling everybody "brah", you're probably fine without it. I've never had an issue getting stronger as necessary (especially not since I cut out gluten and dairy), and natural muscle is a lot faster, healthier, and more permanent.

And just for fun, here's a breakdown of what my bodybuilder friend eats when he's cutting for competition. If you think I sound hardcore about what I eat...

-20 cooked egg whites
-3 lbs baked or grilled lean chicken breast
-5 lbs low-carb vegetables, raw or steamed

Crazy, right?

[Max Dirks]

If you're looking to lose 50 pounds, take Morkotar's original advice: diet & cardio. Once you've gotten to about 10 pounds below your goal, you can start following his more hardcore solutions to tighten your skin and build muscle tone.

I lost 25 lbs myself by simply bringing my food to work from home and playing basketball 4 nights a week. Yes, it's easier for a guy to lose weight than a girl, but it's still a good start.

[Warpath]

Good looking out, brah.