6 Months to Become Somebody

[somebody]

I'm looking at about a six-month timeframe to start off a healthy lifestyle. By that I just mean that I'm going to be checking progress and making adjustments along the way, but I'm shooting for 6 months as a first major checkpoint.

 

Beginning:

23 years old

5'11''

~250lbs (I'll have to double check that later tonight)

No clue what my BF% is. I may either buy calipers or get one of those full health scans done (they have some fancy machine in the health clinic here.

 

I work at Michigan State University 8-5 M-F (hah...sorry, 7:45-6:30 M-F and sometimes 10-2 Saturdays). I'm committed to a number of projects outside of work, meaning meetings 8-10pm Tuesday, 8-9:30pm Wednesday, 8:30-10:30 Thursday, and a couple other times that shift around each week, so scheduling is going to be delicate.

 

I'm aiming to get in a workout after I leave the office 3-5 days a week (one of the gyms on campus is LITERALLY right next to my office). I know it's going to get crazy busy here in a month or so, but I'm hoping to get in there enough before that I feel enough like a "regular" to walk in confidently and do my stuff even in a crowd of 6000 New Year's Resolutioners (that figure is estimated). I've got a bunch of time off while campus is empty in late December, so once I get settled and organized in the first half of next month, I really want to hit hard then.

 

Keys to Success:

--Prior planning!

I can't go to the gym after work if I don't pack some shorts and gym shoes.

I can't eat healthy if I don't pack a lunch and end up at the food court (Panda Express, Pizza, Subway, or Mediterranean food).

 

--Attitude!

I am relentlessly stubborn by nature. Which means that if I'm committed to doing this, it'll be done. On the other hand, if I'm committed to not doing it, nothing will stop me.

 

--Community!

That is to say, all y'all. I am a prideful, self-conscious person (I know I'm making friends now). I don't like putting my personal stuff on other people, and I don't like other people getting all up in my business. If I'm going to take on a major lifestyle change, I'd like to do it quietly. I'd rather hang with you guys than tell all my friends I'm working on something until there's results to see.

 

Strategy:

--Cook more! (And paleo)

If you have good crock-pot recipes, lay 'em on me. If I can make a pound of something and get a few meals out of it, that's excellent. I don't mind eating the same thing three or four days in a week. I'm not really big on food, which is why I don't pay much attention to what I eat now.

 

--Move more!

I mean, it makes me feel better and it makes me healthier. This is just a matter of getting priorities straight.

 

--Hang out here more!

'Nuff said.

 

 

I am open to input, suggestions, and especially encouragement! Thanks for reading!

 

[somebody]

Day 1: 11/25/13

 

So far I've eaten a big bowl of chili mac (leftover from last night) and two Red Bulls. This is clearly a slow start. And my lack of prior planning is evident here.

 

I probably won't do much moving today, as I've got plans right after work and have to do laundry later to make it through the week. I'll aim to do some bodyweight stuff in my apartment during laundry.

[Super Destroyer]

As you said, planning is a big deal.  It bugs my wife how much I plan ahead when it comes to eating and working out, but consistency is the key!  Cook ahead whenever possible.  I just bought extra "tupperware" to store food in, and usually have stuff done a week ahead.  I also keep my gym bag packed and at the ready.  You have come to the right place, somebody.  Everything you need to know and a lot of great people in one place!   Best of luck.

[Book]

Is it wrong that your nick makes me think of the Queen song?

 

Find.. me... somebody to love

Find... me... somebody to love

Find... me... somebody to love

Somebody/somebody

Somebody/somebody

Somebody find me somebody to love

Can anybody find meeeeeeeee.......

Somebody tooooooooooo......

Looooooooooooooovvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvveeeeeeeeeeeeeeee????

 

Welcome to Nerd Fitness!

(nice start, by the way)

[Duality]

Starting stats seem familiar......Oh, that's right, it's because they're almost exactly like mine! I started at 22 years old, 242 pounds, 5'11". (177-176 pounds now)

 

I won't be one to say, do this, do that, eat this, eat that. We all know the basics, it's how to apply them sometimes we need guidance. I lost my first 50 pounds by doing nothing but changing my diet slowly, reducing my portions and cutting back on soda and replacing it with water, but it took over a year. I could've easily done it faster if I had given more effort.

 

I'm saying this because I basically put no effort at the start and I started blind. You have knowledge, you have people here to push you. You're able to achieve as much as you want if you focus and put your all. You make your own decisions, you're able to do it. What is the side effect? Feeling better, being healthy. Do you want this?

 

If your answer is yes, then great, get at it! You can do it!

[somebody]

Thanks for the welcome, gents!

Duality, it's super encouraging to hear about your progress. I haven't been below 185 for at least 8 years, and I was shorter then. I can't even picture what I'd look like at that weight now, but if it's possible, I'd be stoked to find out. I don't want to try to beat genetics here- I come from a very stocky family (mostly Russian, so built to work long hours in brutal conditions and live off gruel and vodka)- and I've always been heavier than I look, but even getting back to 180-190 would be a huge victory.

I already don't buy soda at the grocery store, but I do enough eating out (especially work lunches) that I still get a couple liters a week I'd guess. Hence the wanting to cook more.

I've also got the full range of possibility available at the dorm cafeterias on campus, since I can get discounted meals as a full time employee. That means I have access to a stocked salad bar and grilled chicken, but also cheeseburgers and ice cream.

Tomorrow, since I didn't cook tonight, I'm going to go for a salad and grilled chicken for lunch.

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[somebody]

Well, hey, I kept my word.

 

Just got back from lunch across the street. Filled up a bowl with lettuce and spinach, then added broccoli, cucumber, some bacon bits, and sliced hardboiled egg. I also had a grilled chicken breast and three glasses of water.

And now I'm actually full, which is really encouraging.

I mean, I really want a candy bar or something, but I don't feel like I need it to continue surviving, so I'm not too worried about it.

[Vidarrix]

I am also in college, so the crockpot has become my best friend. One recipe that I loved was salsa chicken. I try to find salsa that is as natural as possible (on a college budge it can be difficult) and then I buy a bag of the frozen chicken breasts, although fresh will also work. Pour salsa into the crockpot, add the chicken, and then top it off with even more salsa. I put the crockpot on high and let it cook for 5-6 hours. When the chicken is tender and can be split apart easily, it is done. You can eat it as is with vegetables on the side, or add it to other dishes. It is a very versatile recipe.

 

I have also had a good amount of success making soups with a crockpot and plan on making my own stock sometime in the near future. Grab some stock, whatever vegetables you want and spices you want, and whatever meat you want. Set it on high and cook it for a few hours. When the meat is done cooking, you have a nice hearty soup. I am currently looking into more awesome recipes so I will keep you posted. 

[somebody]

I am also in college, so the crockpot has become my best friend. One recipe that I loved was salsa chicken. I try to find salsa that is as natural as possible (on a college budge it can be difficult) and then I buy a bag of the frozen chicken breasts, although fresh will also work. Pour salsa into the crockpot, add the chicken, and then top it off with even more salsa. I put the crockpot on high and let it cook for 5-6 hours. When the chicken is tender and can be split apart easily, it is done. You can eat it as is with vegetables on the side, or add it to other dishes. It is a very versatile recipe.

 

I have also had a good amount of success making soups with a crockpot and plan on making my own stock sometime in the near future. Grab some stock, whatever vegetables you want and spices you want, and whatever meat you want. Set it on high and cook it for a few hours. When the meat is done cooking, you have a nice hearty soup. I am currently looking into more awesome recipes so I will keep you posted. 

Nice! I'm fortunate enough to have a full fridge, stove, and oven in my apartment, but I've really been wanting to get back into my crock pot for the sake of "put it together and walk away for 6 hours" sort of meals.

I may be "out of college" and a "working professional", but thanks to student loans, I can be pretty much guaranteed a college student budget for the next 5-10 years. I'll definitely keep an eye out for any recipes you post up!

[somebody]

Well, I may have partly solved the mystery behind why I've been getting bigger.

 

There's a Panda Express in the food court near my office. Do you guys all know how delicious that stuff is? It's great! Tasting, I mean. Not necessarily great for you.

I didn't always get this combination of things, but just check it out. I was eating this sort of stuff 2, 3, 4 days a week!

 

I don't think I'll be back there for a while. It helps that I found two hairs in my food last time I went...

 

[somebody]

Another great lunch.

Another big salad with lettuce, spinach, broccoli, cucumber, mushrooms, egg, a little bit of bacon, and a bit of raspberry vinaigrette.

A piece of baked salmon and a chicken breast to cut up and put on the chicken.

 

Good meal, feeling good. Going to start doing some workouts tomorrow.

[somebody]

Thanksgiving was obviously not a perfect diet day. But I didn't intend it to be, so I don't feel badly. I did stick to water and a lot of what I ate was Brussels sprouts and butternut squash. With bacon. Then I hit the gym today, so even though I'm having a tough time lifting my arms, I feel good.

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[somebody]

Real good days recently. Downloaded myfitnesspal to keep track of things and it's been very helpful. Will add details tomorrow when I'm on a computer.

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[somebody]

Alright!

 

So here's the findings of the past few days.

 

1) It's hard for me to get enough calories eating paleo. Seriously. Does anyone have any suggestions for how I can get more calories in? I'm finding that I've only eating 700-1000 calories by dinner time despite having been full most of the day, so then I end up having to eat a ton for dinner. I'm 23, male, 250lbs, and 5'11''. I'm aiming for around 1700 net calories per day to max out fat loss at around 2lbs per week. So I'm really shooting for 2000-2300 calories a day before working out.

 

2) I have a plan!

Here's how it works.

 

I'm currently 250lbs with 50% body fat (dear goodness!).

 

What this means is:

125lbs of me is fat.

125lbs of me is bone, organs, skin, and ego.

 

IF I want to be 180lbs with 13.9% body fat.

 

That will mean:

25lbs of me has to be fat.

155lbs of me has to be bone, organs, skin, and ego.

 

So, I've got to:

LOSE 100lbs of fat.

GAIN 30lbs of muscle.

 

IF I lose an average of 2lbs of fat per week while putting on muscle, I should be able to do this in a year. If it takes a year and a half, it won't kill me.

 

So in keeping with my 6 month timeline, I should be right down around 210-220lbs by then, having lost ~50lbs of fat and put on some muscle.

 

I'm stoked about this. Looking forward to updating y'all along the way!

[somebody]

So, the gym next to my office is CRAZY packed. They have two full sets of dumbbells, and all of them from 20lbs to 50lbs were in use yesterday. And since most of what I do is with 45s, 25s, 30s, etc, I ended up just grabbing a treadmill instead. May have to find a new gym.

[somebody]

Found a new gym, so that's good news. Still hitting calorie goals on the daily since black Friday, so this Friday should be a full week = first two pounds down.

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[somebody]

The gym membership I got comes with a free session with a person trainer, so that was cool. Just did that yesterday. I'm not going to pay the money to work with a trainer twice a week, but I'll take a free session any day.

 

Yesterday was chest and abs. Today will be legs and back. Still hitting calorie goals (which I may still be coming in low on if I'm estimating low on calories burned during workouts).

[somebody]

What does daily even mean, anyway? I'm weighing myself on Friday mornings, so I've had two weigh-ins since my last post.

 

As of today, I'm down at 244, which would put me around 3lbs a week down. I have heard that any more than 2lbs a week is unhealthy. Thoughts?

 

Still going strong though.

Holiday breakfast at work. Had eggs and bacon, no pancakes.

Holiday lunch today (how does having two holidays meals at work in the same day make sense?). Probably just going to have a salad and a quick meat of some sort. I have a meeting back at the office at 1.