Buscadera

I always found cardio kind of meditative since it was so boring and repetitious. I do a 1.5 mile run on the treadmill to improve my running time for my career fitness tests and follow that with an hour on the elliptical. Even though the elliptical isn't the best machine for athletic achievement (which I found out the hard way), it does wonders for me in terms of losing weight. Mind you, most people can't stand how boring it is and I don't blame them. But when it comes to raw numbers weight-loss, the elliptical's been my best friend.

I'll probably ease up on the weight loss aspect at that point and just train for function. The only reason I'm concerned about weight is the exams. Besides that, I just want to be able to run faster, lift more, etc. Being any kind of athletic for the first time in my life has been a real rush and I want to catch up on what I've been missing.

So, I'm not the most active member of the Rebellion although I do keep up with the main NF posts. I tried a 6-Week Challenge but found that it wasn't for me. I wasn't seeing any success or progress, so I just kind of kicked it in. Even though I was planning on joining the police or military, I figured that my excess weight would just go away on its own. I sent in my applications to a few police departments even though I wasn't physically ready and eventually I heard back from them. All of them. Every one was interested and every department had a list of dates for tests. I was still more than 60 lbs heavier than I needed to be to even take the exams. That was all it took. I cut all the crap out of my diet and started counting calories. I was eating a tiny amount (1200 calories a day), but by limiting myself I was forced to choose healthier options (ex. I could eat roughly a pound of green beans for 88 calories or a Snickers bar for over 200. No contest.) I also started working out intensely, an hour of cardio every day and weight-lifting three times per week. On July 17th, 2011, I weighed 272 lbs. Today, I weigh 222 lbs. I feel better than I ever have before and it's all thanks to eating better and regular exercise. I've still got a ways to go. I need to weigh 207 lbs by the time of my first tests (I'm 6'1" and large-framed, so 207 is the most I can weigh). On top of that, I need to improve my 1.5 mile time. A month ago, I could barely make it around a quarter-mile track three times. But thanks to tracking my progress and making steady gains, I can do a 1.5 mile in the time needed to qualify for the local police (15 minutes). On the left is me three months ago. I weighed 272 lbs and I was barely squeezing into size 40 pants. On the right is me today. I wear a size 36, which is even a little loose. I can also bench my bodyweight and comfortably perform pushups and situps. I'm now faster and a more capable runner than I have been in my whole life.

Weight: 266 lbs. Weight Lost: 4 lbs. Finally, some success! Four pounds isn't much, but it's a step in the right direction. I've started calorie-counting, which is something that I wanted to avoid but it seems to be helping me hold myself accountable. Eating everything in proper proportion and doing my daily hour of cardio is certainly showing results.

Weight: 269 lbs. Weight Lost: 1 lb. Update: This hasn't gone as well as I had hoped, but that only means that I need to work harder. My big issue isn't lifting weights or strength training; I enjoy lifting weights and pushups and the rest. My biggest problems are eating throughout the day (having the summer off, I'm at home all day surrounded by food my parent's bought) and not doing cardio. Today I've tried to remedy both of those. I applied for a job at a liquor store as a stocker, not exactly what I plan on making into a career but it will keep me busy and put some much-needed money in my pocket. I've also joined a gym, Planet Fitness. I know they're just another cookie-cutter chain gym that focuses more on membership than results, but I have everything I need to strength train at home and I've found that long bouts of cardio work for me. Once I reach a weight, I'll be able to maintain it. Getting to my goal weight on the other hand will take some serious effort. So I'll continue to strength-train and perform my daily bodyweight routine at home, while making daily trips to the gym for cardio. By keeping myself out of the house and forcing me to go somewhere to workout, I should be motivated enough to work it all off. In other more productive news, I've managed to clear out my closets. After sorting through hundreds of books, I pared my library down to only the ones that I really need to keep. I wanted to donate the others to a local library, but they've all stopped taking donations. Instead I've donated them to Goodwill, on the hopes that someone else will get the same joy out of the books I once enjoyed. I found a bunch of old memorabilia to put up for sale (Did you know Pokemon cards are still worth a few hundred dollars on eBay?), although my Warhammer Fantasy/40k listings on craigslist haven't gotten many responses. Things are working out, it seems, even if the going is a little slower than I had anticipated.

I've been keeping up with exercising and trying to eat right, but I'm back up to where I was before I started the challenge (272 lbs). While this is discouraging, nothing's over. I'm probably holding in a lot of water and I could still cut out a few more carbs from my diet. My biggest goal with this challenge is to try to eat "normally" rather than take up some crock-y cleanse or diet that works as a starvation quick-fix for weight. I'd rather teach myself to take smaller portions and stop after one helping than just spend one week drinking water and chili powder. My girlfriend is a huge advocate of cleanses and flushing your system, but I don't want any part of it. Instead, I'll just keep plugging away with exercise and trying to get my eating on-track.

Weight: 269 lbs. Weight Lost: 1 lb. Behold my horrendous farmer's tan! But seriously, this is my starting photo. The one I take in six weeks will involve less me. I'm off to a good start. Breakfast was blueberries and Greek yogurt, lunch was a chicken sandwich on a wheat round. I've got red pepper hummus for a snack later, so I should be able to keep up the eating healthy. I finished my weights workout and started the first set of bodyweight exercises. I feel like this might finally be the time that I get with it weight-wise.

Superhero is my eventual goal, but Forbes says I need about $3 million to become Batman. I'm a little bit short... But otherwise, I'm on the right track. I could end up as a more cheerful Punisher, at least.

I started on the site a while ago but lost my way since then. That means I have a lot of catch-up to play, but there's no better way to get started than to simply begin. As of two weeks ago, I graduated from the University of Miami with a double-major in Journalism and International Studies. Armed with this, I plan on joining the military and or going into local law enforcement with the ultimate goal of eventually becoming a Special Agent with a federal agency. To achieve my goals, I have to be prepared academically and physically. I have the academics down, but I need to work on my physical side. At my current height and weight, I'll need to drop 62 lbs. before I can even think about joining the military or a police department. All I need to do now is put in the work. Vital Stats: Height: 6'1" Weight: 270 lbs. Goals: Goal #1: Shift to a Healthier Diet - My eating habits are deplorable. I could blame it on college or the availability of delicious cheap processed food, but ultimately I decide what I eat. A paleo diet likely wouldn't be a good fit for me, going cold turkey will probably keep me from following the diet. Changes like substituting berries and pineapple for chips while watching television are more likely to be kept and easier to maintain. Goal #2: Exercise Regularly - My poor diet is my biggest weakness, but I need to engage in regular exercise if I'm going to survive basic training and/or the police academy. I've done weight training for a while now, but I've been cheating myself for the longest time by not completing the entirety of the movement. Over the next six weeks and the rest of summer, I plan on following this exercise regimen: ----- Run daily. I've never been much of a runner, but everyone tells me that basic/police academy is 90% running. While that might be an exaggeration, I need to get used to running. I plan on running around my neighborhood once daily and spending an hour or two on the treadmill as well. As boring as cardio can be, it's most important that I lose the weight right now. ----- Daily bodyweight exercises. It's silly, but I once read an interview that said Matthew McConaughey was in the best shape of his life while just doing 200 pushups and 1000 situps every day. It didn't matter when he did them, but he got them done. Similarly, I'm doing pushups, situps and burpees throughout my day. This week I'm at 75/200/30 and I plan on reaching 200/1000/100 by the end of the challenge. This gives me something to keep active while watching TV or a movie. ----- Weight training. I thoroughly enjoy weight training and it's the easiest aspect of this challenge for me to stick to. Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday I do the following in addition to the previously mentioned workout: bench press, curls, bent-over dumbbell rows, deadlifts and seated military press. I use 40-lb. dumbbells for the curls and rows and I'm at 145 lbs. on the other lifts and working toward 200 lbs. by the end of the summer by adding 10 lbs. each week. My goal is to eventually be able to lift my bodyweight, both by increasing how much I lift and losing weight. Goal #3: Prepare for the Military/Police Academy - As a recent college graduate, I've spent a lot of time deciding on what I want to do with the rest of my life. Law enforcement is what I'm interested in pursuing, eventually becoming a federal agent. As such I plan on joining the military, provided I am medically qualified since I have a pre-existing condition that could make me ineligible. Depending on my medical qualification, I will either join the military active-duty or as a reservist and a police officer. The branches I'm considering are the Army, Air Guard, Marines or the Marine Reserves. Either way, I need to speak with the various recruiters (I spoke to several today and they told me that I could move forward once I reach my target weight). I also need to apply at all of the police departments in my area and in any area where I might be moving at the end of the summer. On top of that, I want to clean out my room in my parents' house to make things easier when I move.

I've been off the site for a while, but it's time to get back on the wagon. Or off... I'm never really sure when it comes to wagon metaphors... Diet: * Eat more fruits and vegetables rather than sugars or carbs. * Cut soda down from many-cans-a-day to just one. * Drink more water. Exercise: * Maintain escalating bodyweight routine (pushups, situps and burpees; increasing weekly until I reach 200,1000 and 100 per day) * Run daily, around the block quickly and for an extended time on the treadmill. * Weight routine M/W/F until I can lift 200 lbs easy in the bench press, deadlift, squat and military press. Life: * Get my room cleaned out, with everything unnecessary being sold or donated. * Begin the process of joining the military (if medically qualified). * Apply at police departments. Overview of Goals: - Become physically ready for the military/police academy and begin applications. Specific Way of Eating: - As regularly as possible, while moving toward healthier decisions. Anything Else: - Big goals mean big changes, which means lots of hard work and hours of effort. I can do it.

10/20/2010 Weight: 255.6 lbs Workout: 50 Situps 3x10 Bench Press - 225 lbs 3x10 Deadlift - 185 lbs 3x10 Seated Military Press - 155 lbs 3x10 Lat Pulldowns - 156 lbs 50 Situps Meals: Lunch: Chicken Tenders w/ Potato Wedges 1 Coke Zero 1 Frozen Yogurt Cone

10/18/10 Weight: 254.6 lbs Workout: 50 Situps 3x10 Bench Press - 225 lbs 3x10 Deadlift - 205 lbs (28-Day Challenge Goal ACHIEVED!!!) 3x10 Squats - 155 lbs 3x10 Seated Military Press - 155 lbs Meals: Lunch: 2 Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches w/ Fries 1 Coke Zero 1 Frozen Yogurt Cone

So far I've worked out every day this week and dropped 3 lbs (down to 253.8 lbs) as of my last weigh-in. I met half of my lifting goal, finally benching 225 lbs for 3 sets of 10. And I've made some progress on my short blogs, but not as much as I could have. I still have 5 blog posts, two 5-page papers and one 15-page paper to write before the end of the challenge.

Half of Goal 2 achieved! Today I benched 225 lbs for the first time ever!

10/15/10 Weight: 253.8 lbs Workout: 50 Situps 3x10 Bench Press - 225 lbs (28-Day Challenge Goal 2 ACHIEVED!) 3x10 Deadlift - 155 lbs 3x10 Squats - 135 lbs 3x10 Seated Military Press - 135 lbs 3x10 Lat Pulldowns - 156 lbs Meals: Lunch: 2 Chicken Patties & Fries 1 Frozen Yogurt Cone 1 Coke Zero Dinner: Chipotle Pork Burrito 1 Coke Zero