Desperately Need Help!

[ctparrilli]

Wow, this is my first time posting and all I can say is that the sense of community on this forum is astonishing. Never have I seen COMPLETE strangers support, motivate, and guide one another. I want to be a part of all of this!

 

About myself….well I am a 23 year old male working in corporate America as a financial compliance specialist (I make sure no one cooks the books). I am working on my second bachelor's degree at the moment and live a pretty hectic life. I live with my girlfriend (of one year) and our 3 month old weiner dog named Berkeley. She is enough by herself, but add in everything else and I am starved for sleep let alone eating right/working out/etc. About a year ago I got into a regular strength training routine but that ended when I got my current job 6 months ago. The time just wasn't there. Looking back, I realize that I was doing it for all the wrong reasons. Vanity, impressing others, "getting the girls", and all the other things a young man confuses getting healthy with. 

 

Oh yeah, I forgot to mention, I was diagnosed with Bipolar II about a year ago as well (Bipolar-Depression). That has been the hardest thing to deal with. The meds, the mood swings, the wanting to crawl in a hole and never come out. Without the support of my girlfriend, I would not have made the progress to where I am today and have a plan to continue to fight this illness going forward. When I used to work out, it was one of the few times I felt good. I know it was the rush of endorphin's hitting me but it was my own form of therapy. A few weeks ago, everything hit me like a ton of bricks. I need to get my life back on track. I have learned that there is never going to be a "good time" to start living healthy and that if I make it a priority, it will become a priority. 

 

I have been making small changes, taking the 4 flights of stairs to my office instead of the elevator, waking up at 5 am to have breakfast and get ready before work, going to the gym 3 days a week after work (I’m trying out the Stronglifts 5x5 program), cooking “healthy†meals every Sunday to try and eat consistently and better quality food, etc. It has been hard following through on everything though. I want to get back in shape, I want to feel better about myself, and I want to real my goals; I’m just struggling to get there. I am getting side tracked by family issues, school, and financial burdens. And of course the depression. I guess I just need some help getting myself back on track and motivated.

 

I have done extensive research (read nearly every article Steve and company have written and scores of others on the internet) and feel like I have a solid knowledge base to achieve the goals I have set out for myself. Any tips, tricks, experience, or stories you can all share with me to help get me back on track?

 

About me:

 

Male

23

5 feet 9 inches tall

170 lbs

24% body fat

Digestion issues

Irregular eating habits

Very little self confidence

 

[fitnessgurl]

In everything you've listed here; I see very little time to breathe (aka downtime). Everyone needs this-no exceptions allowed. You don't take this time, you're going to self-destruct; whether it be mentally or physically. From a scientific standpoint it's been proven that the body needs rest every 7 days in order to function properly. It's a time to get away and decompress from everyday pressures. If you're not taking this time, you need to find a way to make this happen.

I hope this helps.