New guy introduction

[bigdude]

Hi all,

 

I'm new to fitness, nerd or otherwise.  

 

I've struggled with weight my whole life, and have fairly recently made a commitment to change things.  This was triggered from my doctor telling me if things don't change I should consider surgerical options as I was passing 350lbs with an upward trajectory at 44 years old.  I was pretty pissed off.  Not at him, but me.  It took another 6 months for me to actually take action even still.

 

So, back in July I started making small changes, mostly trying to form some good habits in general - not necessarily fitness related.  Then at the end of July/early August I decided I would start getting up in the morning and walking.  I did this for several weeks, getting faster day by day.  I was walking about a mile.  The first morning my wife was terrified.  She thought I was sleep walking!  Before long I was working harder and harder, until shin splints slowed me.  So I bought an elliptical (which burned my quads so I would switch back and forth between the elliptical and a treadmill we've had for years). 

 

I was really working hard.  I started doing research.  I found out about the importance of getting my heart rate up - so I bought a monitor and downloaded the app.  I knew I had to do something about food too, because I ate like $#it.  So I downloaded "my fitness pal" so I could just get an idea how much and what I was eating.  That led to more changes where my goal was to simply "eat clean" - getting rid of processed foods.  I bought Quinua.  I stopped eating my bagels for breakfast.  I started eating green stuff.

 

So, I'm about 2 months in.  I've dropped at least 35 lbs (I don't know where I really started because we had thrown out our scale). I'm doing cardio about 5 mornings a week (combinations of walking, treadmill - even some jogging!  gasp! - and the elliptical.)  Then I bought some powerblock dumbbells because I knew I needed to build some strength.  But knew nothing about how to use them.  And that's how I found NF.  And how I found Starting Strength and Strong Lifts.

 

Now there is a power rack and weight set in my growing gym in the basement.  Which led me to my actually join the forum, because my form sucks and I need some help.

 

So, thanks for having me.  My apologies in advance for asking dumb newb questions.  I pledge to use my best google foo before starting yet another thread about XXX.

 

Matt

[Nedwin]

Sounds like you're doing great! No need to apologize for asking questions. Everyone started somewhere