I've already started... but I've got a lifetime to go

[Jarric]

Hi all, I've just started reading NF and the forum, and it seems like a great community so I thought I'd join you lovely people if you'll have me!

 

So, a couple of year's ago I was ticking along, desk job, badminton once a week, swimming occasionally, not a big eater (but certainly a big drinker!), home cooked meals most nights. My fiancée teased me a bit about my beer belly, but I never worried too much about my weight/fitness.

 

The sometime in January 2015 my mum got a new fitness app, and asked me to help her with it because the BMI was showing her as seriously underweight (turned out she'd put her weight as something like 140oz instead of 140lbs; not the most tech savvy woman my mother!). Anyway, I went to weigh myself just out of interest and whacked it into the BMI calculator; 5'10'', 12st10 (or 5'10'' 178lbs or 175cm 81kgs). And the calculator said:

 

OVERWEIGHT

 

Now I know that BMI is not a definitive guide to health, but I'd always been a skinny guy and would never had've imagined myself as overweight. The pit in my stomach at that moment told me that I couldn't keep going the way I was going, it was time to change.

 

So I started calorie tracking. I wouldn't go on a diet, I'm a firm believe that diets don't work long-term, but I wanted to see what was going wrong and what I could change. So I switched crisps at lunch for more fruit. I stopped with the "Two for Tuesdays" pizzas from Dominoes (2 extra large pizzas for me and the Mrs, of which I would eat half a pizza on Tuesday night, another half for Wednesday lunch and another half for Thursday lunch).

 

Most importantly I decided to stop drinking beer I didn't want. I knew I wouldn't (and still haven't) give up going out with friends on the weekends, or having a few beers when I play snooker on a Wednesday. But I did stop having beer in the house. I stopped drinking the "long day at work" beers, the "can't leave just two in the fridge" beers and the "I'm thirsty and it's there" beers.

 

I also ramped up my exercise; badminton twice per week, swimming 2-3 mornings per week, and body weight training 2-3 times per week at home. By August I'd lost 2 stone, and was down to my ideal weight at 10st10 (150lbs or 68kgs). But I knew it wasn't the end; I was lighter but I still had a small beer belly and very little muscle mass.

 

So I started running with the Mrs. She lasted about two runs before giving up, and I made it about 6 weeks before deciding that I really can't stand running.

 

At the end of November I had a gym induction, but then December hit and with one corporate do and Christmas party after the other, and fitness took a bit of a backseat.

 

So now I'm here. I've started going to the gym 2-3 times per week, still playing badminton twice per week and swimming 2-3 times. I'm calorie tracking again (I love it actually; I'm a complete numbers geek and recording my life gives me a perverse excitement!), and looking forward to doing more.

 

Will join the 4-week challenge shortly, and see where I can go from there.

[Guzzi]

Yay! Another data geek!

I got myself a Fitbit and OMG the data, the data!!! It could tell me how many hours "proper" sleep I was getting, how many calories I'd burned, how many steps, it was brill!

Then combine that with a My Fitness Pall account and hep presto! You have access to all sorts of stuff!

Sounds like you've got a pretty solid plan, excluding the festive "blip". It happens to us all so don't feel bad.

I think you'll enjoy taking part in the Challenges, hope to see you there, and welcome to the community.

[Jarric]

Yay! Another data geek!

I got myself a Fitbit and OMG the data, the data!!! It could tell me how many hours "proper" sleep I was getting, how many calories I'd burned, how many steps, it was brill!

Then combine that with a My Fitness Pall account and hep presto! You have access to all sorts of stuff!

Sounds like you've got a pretty solid plan, excluding the festive "blip". It happens to us all so don't feel bad.

I think you'll enjoy taking part in the Challenges, hope to see you there, and welcome to the community.

 

Thanks for the support. I have the Fitbit app at the moment, but just step tracking on my phone.

 

Seriously considering treating myself to a wristband though. Are they worth it? Which one have you got?

[Guzzi]

I have the Flex. It's expensive, and whether it's worth it, I'm not sure. It was for me, but that doesn't mean it would be for everyone.

I think if you're going to get one then splurge and go for the flex (there might even be newer, better ones by now) rather than one of the cheaper ones. Maybe you could get people to give you some money towards it for birthdays etc rather than the usual junk that no one ever actually wants or uses, lol!

I'd give you the link to my Fitbit profile so you could see what data it gives you, but there won't be anything there. I haven't been using my Fitbit for a long time because of health problems.

Some members on here have links to their MFP and Fitbit profiles in their signatures. It would be worth checking it out

[Jarric]

I have the Flex. It's expensive, and whether it's worth it, I'm not sure. It was for me, but that doesn't mean it would be for everyone.

I think if you're going to get one then splurge and go for the flex (there might even be newer, better ones by now) rather than one of the cheaper ones. Maybe you could get people to give you some money towards it for birthdays etc rather than the usual junk that no one ever actually wants or uses, lol!

I'd give you the link to my Fitbit profile so you could see what data it gives you, but there won't be anything there. I haven't been using my Fitbit for a long time because of health problems.

Some members on here have links to their MFP and Fitbit profiles in their signatures. It would be worth checking it out

 

Yeah, that's a good idea actually. Birthday's next month so may well get the family to chip in for it. Will probably go for the Charge, it's a bit more expensive than the Flex but by the time I've spent £70 odd I might as well add another £20-£30.