New around here

[Cheetah]

Hello new friends!

 

I think for now I'm going to do the short version.

 

I'm 41, husband and father of two grade-schoolers, very average person.  I'm out of shape and I want to get back into shape before I get any older.

 

I used to be in really good shape.  I was a distance runner in high school.  I never ran an official marathon, but I ran the distance a few times on the country roads in Illinois.  My PR mile was 4:58, my best 5k was about 17:30.  I used to lift a lot then too.  My PE teacher was really into strength training, so I got a good primer on the fundamentals of weight lifting.  My current program is built on what he taught me, and what I've learned since.

 

In the years between high school and now, I went through a time that I refer to as the "Lost Decade".  I don't remember a lot of my 20's.  That kind of activity is not good for maintaining fitness.

 

In 2003 I quit smoking cold turkey.  Not long after that I quit drinking.  I've had a few relapses with alcohol since then.  My last one was three years ago.  In the years since, my weight has gone up and down between about 190 and 230 several times.  I've been in and out of 12-step programs for alcohol and overeating.  I went sugar-free for two years, then went sugar-full for two.  Over the years I've accumulated vast knowledge about nutrition and fitness, without seeming to be able to implement any lasting changes.  I have used every single excuse in the book.  Excuses are comfy old friends of mine.

 

In about February of 2016 my doc weighed me in at 245 and said my triglycerides were getting out of wack, and I should do something about that.  So, for the last year I've been trying to "be healthier" without any kind of plan or process.  I did stop drinking anything with sugar in it, and started trying to drink more water, and I sometimes sort of reduced my fast-food intake.  If you believe my bathroom scale, which I don't, I'm down to 225.  Not bad for a year of not really trying very hard.

 

So about two weeks ago I decided to stop making excuses and start doing something.  I have an old Schwinn Varsity that I call Lola, she's chucked up in a trainer stand in the garage.  I use her to do High-Intensity Intervals three times a week.  I have a few dumbbells in the basement that I'm using in a rudimentary 3-day split routine.  I desperately want better equipment.  A gym membership is totally out of the question, and will be for a long time, so I have to get the gear together myself.  But with our without better gear, I'm committed to a strength workout three days a week, alternating with my HIIT days.

 

I'm also counting my calories and watching my macros.  I know what good and bad food are, but I'm really terrible at estimating, and I know that counting calories has served me well in the past.  I'm currently using MyFitnessPal to log food and exercise.  It says I can hit my goal weight in 22 weeks.  I would love for that to happen.  Being only two weeks into the new nutrition and exercise routines, I'm not really seeing a difference yet, but I'm willing to trust the science and give it time.

 

Oh, and I play the ukulele.

 

I think that's about it.  Nice to meet you!

[Isa_VE]

Well hello and nice to meet you too!

 

23 hours ago, Hoosiercheetah said:

Over the years I've accumulated vast knowledge about nutrition and fitness, without seeming to be able to implement any lasting changes.  I have used every single excuse in the book.  Excuses are comfy old friends of mine.

 

Totally get you on this one. I don't actually have years of info, but I DO know what it is that I have to do to change and still have failed on it before. More than once. Even so, I believe that not giving up is an amazing attribute to have and for what can be read on your introduction, you have it.

 

23 hours ago, Hoosiercheetah said:

Oh, and I play the ukulele.

 

Ok, that one is just plain cool hahaha.

 

Good luck with this new journey

[godjira1]

Good luck mate. You have achieved elite fitness before based on your mile and 5k time. While that is admittedly some time ago you at least know your body is capable of a lot. 

 

I love the ukelele btw!

[Guzzi]

Hey!  Welcome to the forum.  

 

Well done for making the commitment to change, giving up drinking is a massive deal so congratulations on that.  As for living a healthier life, don't feel bad about your false starts, we've all been there.  It's one thing having the knowledge of how to do it but as you know, it's quite another actually applying it.  You really do have to be in the right place mentally to really apply yourself to it, and having some accountability and the right support makes a huge difference. Hopefully you will find that here.  

 

I think you might enjoy the 4 Week Challenges, there is one already started but you could jump in anyway.  It's a great structure for breaking your goals down into small, manageable chunks.  You pick 3 goals to work on over the 4 weeks and set out a grading system.  People support and encourage each other, and it really does keep you accountable.  

 

The trick with the challenges is to make your goals SMART (specific, measureable, achievable, realistic, time based).  You want to make small changes that will form new habits rather than trying to change everything all at once.  If you're interested then you could always have a look through some of the veterans challenge threads for inspiration. 

 

If you have any questions about the forum then just ask, otherwise good luck and I hope to see you around.  

[cn3wton]

Welcome!

 

Excuses and I go way back so I know that feel.

 

As far as workouts go without equipment, there are tons of great bodywieght programs that can give you a killer workout to supplement equipment your missing. You are your own gym is a great book that talks about that kind of stuff, but you can also find a ton of stuff online. 

 

Bodywieght movements are surprisingly scalable!