I'm not fat, I'm just short for my weight...

[3leggeddog]

I've struggled with what to write here which is unusual because I'm pretty good with words. I'm not so great with punctuation, but with words, I can usually convey what I'm feeling. I guess the bottom line is this...I'm two months shy of my 47th birthday, I'm 5'8", and I weigh close to 240 lbs. I hate what I see when I look in the mirror. I don't date because I think "who wants a fat guy", and instead of doing anything about it, I just make jokes. I belong to a gym, I paid $1800 for 6 months worth of training and have so far used two of the sessions. Dude never asked me a single question about what my goals were, what I could do/not do, what kinds of things I liked to do in the gym. Not a freaking thing. I even asked if he had a plan in mind and he said, "yep", but never shared what it was. I got frustrated and irritated so I quit going. It was at that moment that I realized a) I'd made a very expensive mistake and 2) I could probably do it better on my own. And then I stumbled onto NF.

What Steve advocates makes sense to me. I'd been interested in Paleo because it stressed eating things I normally like to eat, avoided counting calories, and avoided artificial sweetener, which makes me feel like crap. The posts of Steve's that I read distilled it down into something I felt I could understand and, more importantly, something I could follow. In addition, his exercise philosophy also dovetailed with what I like, which is weight-lifting over cardio. And I just liked the way the guy writes.

Lastly, I decided it was time to do something after a conversation with my little brother. He basically told me that he wasn't ready for me to die, and if I didn't do something to get into shape, it was going to happen sooner than later. To hear that from him was pretty powerful because as guys, we don't normally share our feelings. But I got the message and it's time to act. And I really, REALLY don't want to quit this time.

[walt_mink]

Welcome aboard.

I think of the process of getting into shape in the same way I looked at quitting smoking: It's probably going to take more than one try to make it stick, but it's certainly worth it in the long haul.

You've got two side of this to work out:

First - your diet needs to get cleaned up. This is going to give you the biggest bang for the buck, and is probably the hardest part. Change your diet and you'll lose weight and feel much better about yourself.

Second - get moving. It doesn't matter what you do. If you like walking, you should walk a bunch. If you like bicycles, you should ride. If you like weightlifting, you should lift. You need to pick something that you're going to enjoy. That said, it's a bitch when you get started.

I'm a big guy myself, but really enjoy pulling big weights and I think that's key for me. I can't wait to get to the gym now and I think about lifting all the time. I finally found my athletic passion. Keep trying things out - you'll find your niche. One other thing I found out about myself (that might be helpful) is that I need to add exercise into my routine. So, I go to the gym three days a week no matter what. If I've pulled a muscle and can't bear to do any work at all I still go to the gym and hit the sauna and shower. That way, even wussing out doesn't give me the opportunity to break the routine. Your mileage might vary.

Good luck and keep us posted.

[Tanktimus the Encourager]

What walt said. Glad to have you aboard the rebellion, stick around and we'll be here for you to encourage you along the way. You Rock!

[wesb1898]

That trainer sounds like a real character. Glad you found your way to the Rebellion. And that you seem to be of the "pick up heavy shit" ilk. It gets in your blood. Like Walt said, I can't wait for lift days to come around. They are the highlight of my week, even at 6 in the morning. Steve has great stuff regarding Paleo, and even an iPhone app (c'mon android version!) to answer your questions. You can find tons of recipes here as well. I eat better than I ever did on the standard American diet. Real food that is really good. Now that you have made the choice to get fit...go lift something heavy (for your level, of course).

[Laureleye]

If you don't mind, I'm going to add some specific advice, coming from someone a little bit older. If you're doing body weight circuits (like the beginner's body weight workout), completing the circuits is more important than a lot of reps/weight. Don't ignore the stretching. Do a walk on your strength training "rest" days to help workout the kinks - and stretch after your walks. You should be working out hard enough to feel flattened at the end of the workout, but no more than twinges the next day. We get older, but our doggone brain keeps telling us we're still 18, and it can be painful to get the reality check. You can totally do this, and I'm glad to see you here. And give your brother a hug (or punch him in the shoulder or whatever guys do).

[3leggeddog]

Thanks for the support y'all...I do appreciate it. And I really am looking forward to picking up some "heavy shit" because I think it'll not only make me feel better physically (once I stretch and follow what Laureleye suggested) but it'll also help me mentally. I plan to start slowly because I don't want to injure anything right at the beginning.

And wesb1898, according to the character generator I went through, I'm an Orc Warrior, which sounds pretty freaking cool.

[wesb1898]

And wesb1898, according to the character generator I went through, I'm an Orc Warrior, which sounds pretty freaking cool.

It is true that Orcs are 15% more badass than any other fantasy race.

Look into Starting Strength. It starts you out learning the compound lifts with no weight then advances you to just the bar so you can really learn form. Then it progresses you in a linear fashion, adding 5 pounds per workout. It is a great place to start if you want to pick up all the things.

[peacekeeper]

The best advice I can give you is to take everything one at a time. Do not fret about tomorrow. One meal at a time, one workout at a time. Good luck! Glad you are here.

[peacekeeper]

Also do not worry about the past. If you make a bad meal choice once or miss one routine, do not beat yourself up over it. DO not quit. Just keep moving forward one small step at a time.

[Lydieboo]

Hello! Happy to have you at the rebellion and I'm really excited that you're making the tough decisions.

I also have a recommendation for you. I, too, hate counting calories, and I would never recomend that you get into a plan that forces you to count how many calories/points/grams you eat for the rest of your life. (YUCK!)

BUT! I do strongly recommend that you track your food for 7 days after you make a change like this. (Before you make a change isn't a bad idea.) The reason is that you can be eating "healthy" stuff but getting your portions wrong without realizing it. You may also find that you're really not eating as much as you think you are and it's okay to indulge in a little bigger steak or that you should add some more spinach to that salad. The surest way to fail at eating well is by eating too little because you think of yourself as being on a "diet." Seven days gives you a realistic view of your eating habits over a week (and I eat very differently on the weekends than I do during the week) and can help you see what you need to tweak to get the best results.

I like myfitnesspal.com because it's free (yay!) and you can set your goals to the appropriate number of calories for your body type and what you want to achieve. That way you're not measuring your goals against those of a 15-year-old girl's.

I'm really excited to hear how it's going, and will be cheering you on. Good luck!

[Laureleye]

I hope I didn't make it sound like I was discouraging you from lifting heavy stuff. I think you should do what looks fun to you. One of the best things about NF is that everyone respects your journey; where you start and where you want to go.

[Ravn]

I'm so gonna use that line, lol

I might get funny looks because I'm 6ft1 and female, but it will be worth it for the looks,,lol

welcome!

[3leggeddog]

It is true that Orcs are 15% more badass than any other fantasy race.

Look into Starting Strength. It starts you out learning the compound lifts with no weight then advances you to just the bar so you can really learn form. Then it progresses you in a linear fashion, adding 5 pounds per workout. It is a great place to start if you want to pick up all the things.

Amazon delivered Starting Strength and the companion DVD yesterday. Plus, I just recruited a friend to lift with me.

[3leggeddog]

I hope I didn't make it sound like I was discouraging you from lifting heavy stuff. I think you should do what looks fun to you. One of the best things about NF is that everyone respects your journey; where you start and where you want to go.

It didn't sound that way at all and I do appreciate the advice on stretching and walking. Like you said, my head may say "18" but my body says, "Hahahaha! Moron."

[Reinoa]

Welcome aboard! I wish you the best of luck with your journey and hope you have fun lifting "heavy shit". Make sure to plan ahead (failing to plan is planning to fail) and if you have questions feel free to ask around; we have a great group of folks here, so make sure to use them. Also, sorry to hear about your bad personal trainer experience; it is frustrating when people like that give us trainers that work our butts off everyday a bad rep. Safe travels!