Too sexy for my shirt...

[Bia]

Hello everyone!

 

Over the years (all 27 of them), I have kind of gotten used to being ugly. That guy who walked up to me some months ago in the middle of the street and only said "Ugh, you're ugly" before walking away again didn't surprise me, he made me more angry than sad.

 

The thing that bothers me, is that I have never been able to rely on my body. During a vacation I took a scuba diving course and it was really fun. But the thing that was the most fun, was the moment it was over. I was so relieved that my body had worked well enough for that course, that I absolutely refused to do the second course. Despite that one being half the cost and the fun I'd had.

 

Windsurfing, roller coasters, sitting in the sun... these are all things I enjoy but am afraid to do. I get frustrated because the board doesn't carry my weight, embarrased because the safety thing won't fit over my breasts or I will sweat incredibly just because of sitting in the sun.

 

I want a reliable body.

 

I realise it is my fault that I don't have one. I have always struggled with my weight, since I was about 8 years old. When I was 18 I actually managed to lose 49lbs and maintain a healthy weight for roughly 3 years. I did that by eating no more than 30g (can't find a way to properly convert Gramm, other systems than the metric system confuse me) of fat a day, extremely regular meals, lots of swimming and never ever eating out.

 

Think of that method what you want, it worked for the weight. I did not work for feeling confident in my body, I only felt confident in my mental abilities to stay disciplined. When I suffered another bad depression my mental strength was gone and I didn't feel confident in my body and gained all my weight back and then some.

 

I want to be able to do more fun things, I want to learn about new fun things and not be afraid my body isn't up for it. I don't care what I weigh and I don't care what I look like, I figure if I look confident and content that's what counts.

 

I have read all about doing whatever it takes and I'm willing but only able to a certain extent. I'm a student and have extremely little money, I have to keep that in mind. Other than that I don't care, I'll do it.

 

I am here to find out exactly what it is that I have to do. And what my next step should be after posting this. I currently weigh 247lbs and I have weak knees and ankles, bad posture and very little energy.

[Nightside]

Take small steps Bia, look around the forums and choose a goal that appeals to you.

Weak knees and ankles then how about aqua aerobics or swimming? The regular exercise will strengthen both.

Push aside the negative thoughts, there are many on here who have overcome major obstacles, read Guzzis "rue the day" posts and you will see just what human spirit can conquer.

Good luck, don't be a one post visitor, give it a chance there are good people here who are ready to help you.

[Bia]

Hi Nightside,

 

thank you for the welcome

 

Swimming is in fact my very favorite sport, I love doing it but currently I'm going with the "no time" excuse. Which I know is nonsense, I have plenty of time to sit around and feel bad...

 

Thank you for the advice, the board can be a bit confusing at first. But you're right, the people here are very friendly, I really like that. Yesterday I went for my very first paleo-only shopping trip and on Sunday I will meet a friend at the pool, so right now I'm feeling carefully confident and over the next week will find a way to contribute here in some way because I am really looking forward to more information and a support group.

 

PS: if I make awful mistakes in my English, it's because I'm German

[Disil]

Now's the time my fellow German. I was around 27 too when I said to myself "dude, you've never been athetlic, not even a little - you never made an honest attempt to be the leanest, most muscular you can be and time is running out. Now or never, just once go for it to see what that is like, if it's not for you then you can easily revert back to the chubby, non-confident fuckup you've been for as long as you can remember". Now I wish I had started this a decade ago. Life would have been so much more enjoyable.

 

It took some time, I'll be 30 in December, but so much has changed since that day it's not even funny. Almost all of it good, too. Not only am I now able to happily do things I purposely didn't do before, but I'm capable of things I never thought I'd be due to physical limitations. Handstand half-push-ups or pull-ups for example, or complicated yoga stretches. I don't know where you are at regarding fitness level, weight, bodyfat...it doesn't matter. What matters is that you are here and that you want this. Grab this opportunity and don't let go off it. You don't need money (I've never had more than ~700€ a month to live off of for the past 10 years) and only a little time, what you need most is consistency. The forums here are an amazing ressource, use it.

[Nightside]

Hi Nightside,

 

thank you for the welcome

 

Swimming is in fact my very favorite sport, I love doing it but currently I'm going with the "no time" excuse. Which I know is nonsense, I have plenty of time to sit around and feel bad...

 

Thank you for the advice, the board can be a bit confusing at first. But you're right, the people here are very friendly, I really like that. Yesterday I went for my very first paleo-only shopping trip and on Sunday I will meet a friend at the pool, so right now I'm feeling carefully confident and over the next week will find a way to contribute here in some way because I am really looking forward to more information and a support group.

 

PS: if I make awful mistakes in my English, it's because I'm German

Hi bia, your English is far better than my non existant German.

Keep one thing in mind if you are attempting to improve you are already leagues ahead of those who don't even try.

Its a cliche but if I can do it then most people can do it, I am 63 when I was 60 I was a uber couch potato, 42 inch waist and about 50 pounds over weight, now I am a 34 inch waist and about 14 pounds overweight, I won't say it was easy but I followed a primal diet (paleo with dairy) and it was very effective very quickly.

Give it a go, you have nothing to loose other than weight.

[Brovatar Korra]

Hello Bia! Welcome to the rebellion! Excuse my German, but that guy on the street sounds like a real schweinhund. That guy can go, well this is what I would say to him, "Du kanst mich mal arsch lecken!"

 

Anyway, so excited you are here! The real key to losing body fat is your diet. I would focus on that before adding in a bunch of new exercises. If you are able to keep a diary or log of what you eat and how much you eat in a day, that will give you a much better idea of what you need to adjust. Try recording for 1 week straight. You don't have to change anything yet, just be sure to be honest and include everything. Then look back and try to learn more about yourself. Do you eat a lot in the evening? Do you snack a lot in between meals? Do you eat few meals but very big portions? Do you drink a lot of your calories? Learn how you eat now, that will empower you to make positive changes and healthier choices. Then I would head over to the Diet and Nutrition forum to ask more specific questions about what those changes should/could be.

 

Best of luck! Err - I mean veil glück!

[Kvothe Gainskiller]

I realise it is my fault that I don't have one. I have always struggled with my weight, since I was about 8 years old. When I was 18 I actually managed to lose 49lbs and maintain a healthy weight for roughly 3 years. I did that by eating no more than 30g (can't find a way to properly convert Gramm, other systems than the metric system confuse me) of fat a day, extremely regular meals, lots of swimming and never ever eating out.

 

I can't give a better welcome than the rest of these people have already, but, welcome! The reason I bolded this quote up is that I found it kind of funny. We primitive Americans grew up on the imperial system, and it confuses us most of the time. That's probably why we use the metric system for nutrition. And that's probably why so few of us actually understand nutrition. Yes, we're behind all but two other countries in this regard. No, our politicians don't want to change this.

 

Anyway, welcome. We'll be happy to answer any questions you have, and Disil's story is a must-read. I can't find it at the moment; maybe he can give you the link. Happy losing!

[Disil]

Disil's story is a must-read. I can't find it at the moment; maybe he can give you the link.

That would be this thread or rather the entry on the DDPYOGA transformations page I made in the meantime.

[Kvothe Gainskiller]

I was referring to the first one, but I think the second is homework too. Always inspirational.

[Machete]

More than 15 years ago I looked into the bathroom mirror and was disgusted at what I saw; nothing has changed since.

 

I've worked with someone in a similar situation. 30 years old and her BMI divided in half would be considered "overweight". Started her off with good old strength training (Stronglifts) and food tracking, making sure she got her lean body mass (in pounds) in protein (grams) and an adequate amount of calories to barely maintain her current mass (in order to repair her metabolism from years of yo-yo dieting). I think so far she's lost like 10 inches off her waist, is on her way to getting under 200, and people at the gym tell her she lifts like a man. Building strength is one of the best ways to start out.

 

 

I'd also second DDP Yoga. It's one of the cheapest and most convenient programs that one can follow, if you happen to be into that. Yoga definitely builds movement quality, coordination, stability, and focus.

[Bia]

Hi everyone!

 

I'm so sorry for disappearing, but I'm afraid part of the "no-time" excuse isn't an excuse, I'm in the middle of final exams.

 

I'm completely overwhelmed by the many responses, reading them has already saved me from a crisis twice. I'm now certain I'm in the right place

 

@Disil my living circumstances resemble yours very closely, therefore your story really gives me hope and motivation, thank you! Especially for the links to your story. It's impossible to miss the transformation of your body, but there is also the transformation of the expression on your face and it impresses me just as much.

 

@Nightside Thank you for the compliments And right back at you, what a great success story you have! So many on here do, now I really want my own. About the food, the Primal diet sounds so much better to me than Paleo because over the last week it was not grains or legumes that I was craving, but dairy.

 

@albeus51 Thank you so much for your post, it really made me grin. I probably should have said that to him. As it was, I was too stunned to do anything. Your advice is actually very good. I have kind of gone and not bought anything that wasn't paleo but without a real plan. I do already know where I go wrong though. I never eat much at once, I rather eat constantly. To the point where I miss the actual meals because I'm not hungry.

 

@Kvothe Gainskiller But the imperial system is so charmingly "American Way Of Life" And change is always scary...

Thank you for the reassurance and the recommendation, it really was a must read!

 

@Machete Brilliant name! Is it because of the movie? I wish you were here to threateningly brandish a machete bread knife when I don't get my plans in order. Making a plan has always been a huge problem for me, I wish there was someone to do it for me. Sticking to it is somehow easier for me. That video was a bit of a slap in the face, because my body shows so perfectly where I'm going wrong, I hadn't realised it to that extend before. I had a quick look at DDP yoga, it definitely looks cool and has a nice energy. But the DVDs do seem expensive just to try it out and then notice it's not the right thing for me. It does look like it just might be though. Decisions! Did I mention I'm not very good at making them? The good thing about the money is - once I've spent it, I'll want to make the most of it instead of realizing I wasted it.

 

I hope I will meet you all over at the "help me build a workout plan" forum, I guess this has gone beyond an introduction by now?

[Nightside]

Hi bia, glad to see you back, for good information regarding the primal life style visit Marks daily apple, the go to place for all things primal.