baloo Posted July 20, 2012 Report Share Posted July 20, 2012 Hi from the UK.So about me then. I've been reading the blog for a while, and decided to join the rebellion. After a few years of just putting on more weight turning 25 last year at 290 pounds and 33.5% body fat (using tape measurements so not altogether accurate) being unhappy with both how I looked and felt I decided to do something about it. I also did Karate through uni, putting on more weight each year despite training. Karate was where I got the nickname Baloo (being big and furry - read hairy). I started exercising more (mainly walking and bodyweight exercises) and having been following Mark's Daily Apple cut back on my carbs. By January I'd dropped my weight down to 261 pounds. Decided at the turn of the year to go full on primal/paleo (not a new years resolution though - I intend to stick to it) and haven't looked back. Started doing Convict Conditioning in January as well (2 reasons for bodyweight exercising - I was still kind of ashamed to go to a gym given my size and the other being the cost of a gym membership) and have been slowly progressing with that. Now I would happily go to a gym, no longer embarrassed but I'm really enjoying CC so sticking with that instead. Fast forward to turning 26 earlier this month and I was down to 212 pounds.I really like Steve's outlook on life being an epic quest so here are some of my completed quests in the last year:- Hit the teens in B.F% - 19.56% (still using my tape measurements - and hit this despite hitting a weight loss plateau). I'd advise anyone to take measurements as well as weighing, I've had a couple of times in the past year where the scale hasn't changed but my waist has lost inches.- Now fit a size 34 jean (last July it was 40)- Round my waist now measures 36 inches (last July 46 inches)- Lost 78 pounds so far- Progressing through CC progressions- On my walks I started to feel like I still had loads of energy so around March I started and subsequently completed the Couch 2 5k program. Running 3 times a week got a bit tough though (fitting it in) so I've cut back to 1-2 times a week depending on how I feel.My next quest is to be able to do a pull-up (when I was in my teens I could do a couple of chin-ups but never a pull-up). Finding it hard to find suitable places to do the CC progressions for pull-ups though so recently started the 50pullups.com routine (doing negatives). Once I can do a pull-up I'll switch back to the CC progressions.One thing I've noticed on my fitness journey is that initially I struggled to motivate myself; exercising was a chore not fun. However the more weight I've lost and the fitter I've got the more I've been enjoying it. Really look forward to my workouts now.Anyway that's me. See you around.Baloo Link to comment
D_chelyst Posted July 20, 2012 Report Share Posted July 20, 2012 Welcome, Baloo! Your accomplishments are great!!!! Do you have any other goals aside from the pull-up? Current inspiration for my journey: Prov. 14:23All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty. Link to comment
SirEarl Posted July 20, 2012 Report Share Posted July 20, 2012 Baloo!!! Love the Jungle Book! Welcome to the forums!You've made quite a bit of progress already! Looking forward to seeing more progress "You don't life for be sad, no?" Link to comment
baloo Posted July 20, 2012 Author Report Share Posted July 20, 2012 Thanks for the welcome guysWelcome, Baloo! Your accomplishments are great!!!! Do you have any other goals aside from the pull-up?Lots, but those are more long term ones that'll take a while for me to get towards. I like focusing on one or two goals that are attainable in the short term rather than long term ones (not that I haven't thought about longer term ones) then when I get there set another short term goal. I do that because then I can see I'm progressing whereas if I choose goals I'm miles away from it makes it harder to see progress (if you get what I mean). That way of thinking has been pretty good for me staying motivated while I've been losing weight rather than setting a target of being 13-14 stone starting from my 20 stone 10 pounds I set a target of 20 stone, when I hit that I set a target of 19, hit that the target became 18 e.t.c. Many of my long term goals revolve around movements included in convict conditioning 1 & 2 and other calisthenics movements.Some of longer term goals:- Moving through push up progression onto one arm push ups- Muscle ups- Flags (clutch and press)- Handstands leading onto handstand push ups (taking CC slow don't know if you're familiar with it but I'm doing the beginner routine as I was starting from out of shape so don't get onto handstandy stuff until step 6 in push ups, pull ups, leg raises and squats - I assume the idea being you've developed a strong base of strength at that point).- Pistol squats- When money allows I'd like to get back into Karate (for the social aspect as much as anything)- Would love to get into parkour too at some point, I find the youtube vids and commercials involving it captivating.- Normal BMI (hit the acceptable BF% now so this is next though I suppose it's now a short term goal) - still just over a stone from this one, had a plateau recently which I attribute mainly to drinking too much during the european championships (not exactly Paleo but I do like a drink now and again).Not hung up on the BMI one though, the way I look is more important to me if I never hit it because I've packed on muscle then I won't care one iota.Was going to ask you about yours but I've just found your welcome thread Link to comment
baloo Posted July 20, 2012 Author Report Share Posted July 20, 2012 Baloo!!! Love the Jungle Book! Who doesn't? Link to comment
D_chelyst Posted July 20, 2012 Report Share Posted July 20, 2012 Totally understand what you mean about the short-term goal setting vs. long-term goals. And your longer-term goals look great! You mentioned parkour...have you seen this or this yet? Current inspiration for my journey: Prov. 14:23All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty. Link to comment
baloo Posted July 20, 2012 Author Report Share Posted July 20, 2012 Totally understand what you mean about the short-term goal setting vs. long-term goals. And your longer-term goals look great! You mentioned parkour...have you seen this or this yet?I'd seen the blog post but not the forum one. Thanks, bookmarked. Link to comment
d00slip Posted July 20, 2012 Report Share Posted July 20, 2012 Congrats are in order buddy, you have done very well! I will heed your advice and have scheduled a weigh in and measuring every fortnight into my calendar. Thanks guy Human Ranger [sIGPIC][/sIGPIC] STR: 2 | DEX: 3 | STA: 2 | CON: 3 | WIS: 2 | CHA: 3 6 Week Challenge "I'm not gonna build a wall, I'm gonna lay this brick as perfectly as it can be laid - you do that every day and soon you have a wall." -Will Smith Link to comment
d00slip Posted July 20, 2012 Report Share Posted July 20, 2012 P.S - I too have been known to get a bit merry with the drink, but look, it's a Friday night and instead of going out and getting pissed we are on a fitness site Human Ranger [sIGPIC][/sIGPIC] STR: 2 | DEX: 3 | STA: 2 | CON: 3 | WIS: 2 | CHA: 3 6 Week Challenge "I'm not gonna build a wall, I'm gonna lay this brick as perfectly as it can be laid - you do that every day and soon you have a wall." -Will Smith Link to comment
baloo Posted July 20, 2012 Author Report Share Posted July 20, 2012 P.S - I too have been known to get a bit merry with the drink, but look, it's a Friday night and instead of going out and getting pissed we are on a fitness site Whilst pissed? Best of both worlds then Link to comment
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