So I'm one guy in a Master's Program with 20 women...

[DoogieT]

(There are three other guys).

It's kind of a long story, but I've gone back to school at 37 and I'm in a class filled with 20-somethings. There's talk in July about a pool party and, having been the shy, nerdy guy with the anxiety disorder who's now better I want to rock the pool.

One of my co-students wants to be a nutritionist and she's been helping me with my diet. I don't drink soda any more (at all), I don't have breakfast cereal anymore, and I'm trying to eat more veggies (I think that's what they're called). I'm 200 and 6'0" and I've been throwing myself at the gym. I used to be super skinny in high school but chubbed up a bit once I was on my own. The chub is mostly starting to disappear but I still have some around my waist. I have noticable pectoral muscles now (!) and my arms are starting to look less likely to break in a strong wind.

How much can I achieve between now and July 1st, when the pool opens? In addition to being previously anxious/nerdy, I have scoliosis so my stomach and back are kinda screwed up. I'm doing the weight loss program in the iFitness app on the iPhone, but I'm wondering if I should switch to the muscle building program between now and then.

I realize that this is all pretty vague, but are there any general recommendations people have? There have been a lot of roadblocks to me working out (self-esteem, not wanting to become a meathead, my family's general lack of athletic ability, not liking my reflection, etc.) but now I say to hell with all of that. I'm still trying to deal with the fact that I can be BOTH nerdy and smart AND athletic. In the past I would have thought I could only be one or the other.

I'm willing to post photos of myself to give people some perspective on where I am, but I'd have to cut my head off just in case...

Any thoughts?

D

[concretecavewoman]

If I were a guy I'd be congratulating you

But seriously, it's very hard for anyone to say what you could acheive over a certain period of time without knowing anything about your health history, metabolism, etc. That said, you could definitely see noticeable improvement in two months I'd think. Here's how I'd approach if I were in your shoes:

Step 1: Cut out all processed food

Step 2: Eat meat and veggies (burger at McD's without the bun does not count)

Step 3: Go lift heavy things 3 days a week

Step 4: Get lots of sleep

That will get you 80% of the way there. I'd recommend Strong Lifts 5x5 or another similar linear progression strength building program. Others here have done very well with bodyweight strength training too like Convict Conditioning.

And good on you for ditching the [fit <---> nerd] false dichotomy! Good luck!

[tigersheart]

If I were a guy I'd be congratulating you

Step 1: Cut out all processed food

Step 2: Eat meat and veggies (burger at McD's without the bun does not count)

Step 3: Go lift heavy things 3 days a week

Step 4: Get lots of sleep

I fully agree with the above, I would also throw in some sprint routines in there. You do not have be olympic level, or even fast, just do some sprint routines that are safe for you once a week for a brief workout. BTW, what I mean by safe is that you are not in pain, and do not push yourself to hard.

[nightlight]

agree with all the above.

most of all -- be confident. it might be hard if you have social anxiety issues, but do it. or fake it. i have to fake it a lot -- but then it turns real.

[BeckyBuckeye]

I'm not experienced enough to weigh in on the diet/exercise stuff, but I can commiserate about the scoliosis. I was diagnosed at 7(! Really early for those of you that don't know), put in a back brace at 11, and finally weaned out of the brace at 15. It really does suck. I would caution you to be extra careful if you do decide to start weight training and maybe get a trainer who is experienced with physical limitations to watch you and make sure you're doing things evenly. Uneven training is more common with people with scoliosis and can cause spasms and other nasty side effects which we're more prone to anyway. No fun. Congratulations on getting what sounds like a great start though! You'll always have these people to kick your butt into gear if you need it

[NukeTheUnicorns]

If I were a guy I'd be congratulating you

But seriously, it's very hard for anyone to say what you could acheive over a certain period of time without knowing anything about your health history, metabolism, etc. That said, you could definitely see noticeable improvement in two months I'd think. Here's how I'd approach if I were in your shoes:

Step 1: Cut out all processed food

Step 2: Eat meat and veggies (burger at McD's without the bun does not count)

Step 3: Go lift heavy things 3 days a week

Step 4: Get lots of sleep

That will get you 80% of the way there. I'd recommend Strong Lifts 5x5 or another similar linear progression strength building program. Others here have done very well with bodyweight strength training too like Convict Conditioning.

And good on you for ditching the [fit <---> nerd] false dichotomy! Good luck!

Pretty much this. Also look into Intermittent Fasting. Good resources include MarksDailyApple.com, FreeTheAnimal.com, EatSTOPEat.com, and LeanGains.com. IF is an amazing tool for fat loss.

[DoogieT]

Thanks, everybody! I think Nerd Fitness could be potentially life-changing.

[crosstrainedmind]

Great job! I eventually want to be 'pool-worthy', but I have the body hair of a Wookie.

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http://nerdfitness.com/community/showthread.php?9382-Carb-and-Fat-Only-BMR