Need help/guidance to make changes

[7l0]

Hello word, I don't really know where to start or how much background to go into here. Also, some of this may sound like excuses, but I don't mean it that way, but more as possible causation. I tend toward running on, so I'll probably put too much, so I apologize in advance.

 

I'm guessing I'm a older than most people here as I'll be turning 40 this year. I was very skinny and active until I was about 7 or 8 years old. Then, I broke my leg and spent several months in a full length cast and by the time I got it off I had gotten used to being much more sedentary as my primary interests were books, computers, and TV/movies.

 

I also supposed I developed/inherited an unhealthy relationship with food. My dad and I used to bond over food and have competitions to see who could eat more and things like that.

 

By the time I was a teenager I was quite over weight and out of shape and remained that way until I was about 25. Around that time I took a new job working 2nd shift. During the physical, the determined that I had hypothyroidism, so I hoped that might be related and treating it might help. They asked me to come back after 90 days for a follow up before we took any action. That 90 days when I started working 2nd shift was such a lifestyle change (I assume, I don't know what else would've caused it) that I dropped a lot of weight without trying. When I went back for the follow up everything looked normal, so I never got any treatment or anything. Over the next few years though it started coming back with a little more and I've been pretty much the same since then.

 

I'm still very inactive and work in IT so I sit at a desk pretty much 8hrs a day and then come home and get online and or sit and watch TV or whatever and get almost no exercise. I'm in such bad shape that it takes a lot of effort to even try for a few minutes and I also find it so mind-numbingly boring.

 

But, I have a 7year old daughter now. I've noticed that she's already picked up some of my bad eating habits (always wanting sweets and not liking vegetables) and also she basically is content to watch videos on our iPad or play with some toys literally all day long. It is really her that is driving me to seek help (along with fairly bad back pain that I've developed and am hoping to repair) as I want to set a better example for her.

 

I really don't know where I'm going to start. In researching my back pain online it seems to be caused by anterior pelvic tilt, so I'm trying to start doing the glute bridge & half plank exercises that I saw online to try and correct that.

 

I guess I should also quit drinking Coke (for the 3rd or 4th time). I remember in my high school days that I would drink a 12-pack a day. I would even drink one in bed at night while I was going to sleep. When I would eat out, I'd probably drink at least 5 (probably 2 before the food came, 2 with the meal, and 1 after). So, it's pretty obvious that I have an addiction and just need to cut it out cold turkey.

 

I think I might ought to stop drinking milk too. I've always been a pretty big milk drinker, but it's either with breakfast (which isn't too bad I guess) or with sweets, which is the real problem. I'll sit and eat a 1/2 bag of cookies at night or something like that. Without milk, I really don't like sweets. So, that's why I think that cutting it out might be a good idea.

 

Generally, my eating habits aren't terrible. I grew up on fast food. Burgers, pizza, and stuff like that. I eat almost no vegetables aside from potatoes or corn. I love meat. I tried Atkins for a while and had no problems with it (after the sugar withdrawal) and got decent results. I pretty much only quit because it was sort of a pain having to cook all of the time and it's a little hard to follow with family. I pretty much have to eat separately from them, but I'm thinking that might be something I need to do.

 

I guess that is enough for now. I'm sorry I ran on so long, but I've been trying to get myself to join here as a first step toward some real changes for quite some time (years) so I guess I have a lot of pent up thoughts wanting out.

 

Please feel free to offer any advice. In the meantime, I'm going to look around the site and start trying to make myself move a little more. 

 

Edited to add: The only exercise equipment I have is a 20lb kettle bell and a 75cm stability ball. I do have access to a gym, but I am way too embarrassed to ever go there at this point.

[DreamDancer]

Hi - I am new here too. I am 56, and I have seen posts by people older than me.

I am able to walk about a city block at the moment. So you know, you just start where you're at. Can't really start anywhere else, right?

With back pain you might want to research 'foam rollers' and 'trigger point massage' in addition to exercise. (I was a massage therapist and use it on myself.)

I don't think you have to have much, if any, equipment. There is an article on the main site about the body weight workout, under the resources link. (I can't do any of it yet - have to use modifications and fewer reps, but it's a start.)

[7l0]

Walking is the one thing I can still do without much problem. I recently took my family on a tour across Europe and I can basically walk all day (at least to the limits of the other people in the group.)

 

It's kind of funny, but years of being overweight have given me very well developed calf muscles. If you only saw me from the knee down you would think I was in really good shape.

 

It's the upper body stuff I need to work more. Specifically, all those "core" back/ab muscles that are supposed to keep your body aligned properly. 

 

Now that you mention it, I did buy one of those foam rollers. I tried using it a few times, but didn't really seem to notice any benefit. I'm not confident that I was actually using it right though. Maybe I should look on Youtube for some instructional videos and try again.

[DreamDancer]

I found the link to a free ebook I use

http://robertsontrainingsystems.blogspot.com/2008/10/download-free-smr-e-manual.html?m=1

You have to search *self myofacial release * to get the best information about foam rollers I think.

[Manarelle]

Hello, welcome to the community! You are definitely not alone in not knowing where to start, or tending toward running on, or not having equipment. I've been doing the beginner bodyweight workout since November of last year, and all I have is a 10lb kettlebell still. Haven't set foot in a gym, either. The decision to make a change and stick to it is really all you need. Best advice I can offer is try things out, and focus on one thing at a time (great post on that here, if you haven't read it yet). 

 

You can do it!