New Rebel Needing Help With a Challenge

[raging3vil]

Hello y'all!

 

I joined the community last week and have been researching what I can about how the challenges work and leveling up. I believe a Ranger is what I would like to be. In addition to this I just started reading up on Paleo and all of its benefits. Really excited about getting started.

 

I just have a hard time writing down concrete goals and tying them to the categories. Currently at 215 pounds and eating garbage and drinking beer almost every night. I am in some Crossfit like class currently that uses, kettle bells, heavy ropes, and row machines.

 

I don't want to take on too much at once because I'm afraid it will be overwhelming. What should I focus on? How should I structure my goals?

 

Jerry

[raging3vil]

Thanks for the feedback!

I do believe that beer will really be the biggest challenge. I think reducing it only to weekends is a good start.

[Eats-Own-Tail]

welcome

 

here are some goals i thought of which you could try:

 

-eat some fruit or veg with each meal

-exercise each day, maybe start with 5, 10 or 15 minute walks

[Tanktimus the Encourager]

Athena is right, slowly ease into good habits, you didn't get they way you are overnight, you won't get to where you want to be overnight. Steve also likes to regularly talk about our finite will-power, which means we can't really do too much too soon. Slow and steady wins the race.

[RBC]

Athena is usually right.

 

Little changes are the way to go and make the road much easier to walk (and then run!) down. Good luck!

[Katariana]

My whole family is Irish so I totally understand beer being quite a big challenge. What helped me the most was when I drink beer, I force myself to have a glass of water between each one. That way I don't feel like Im limiting myself (hey, I can drink as much as I want right, as long as I down that glass of water in between?) but it almost always actually causes me to drink less overall without realizing it. The other possibility could be to switch to a light beer, but that is more dependent on what you can stand to drink

[raging3vil]

Drinking water between each beer sounds easy enough. I will start doing that. I'm also going to try limiting alcohol weekends instead of almost a daily routine.

 

Thanks for the support everyone!

[chris_de_maas]

Like everybody else said, I think Athena's advice is really good, break it down to manageable chunks.

 

Also, do you have any fitness goals? These are also great goals to have as they are quantifiable easily and will make you feel really awesome when you reach them. Here are a few basic examples:

- do 5/10/15 pushups (on your knees if you can't do regular pushups) in a row

- do 10/15/20 proper squats in a row

- do 5/10/15 burpees in a row

- plank for 10/20/30 seconds in a row

You can adjust and tailor them to your level of fitness.

 

Good luck!

[the.simple.songbird]

I used to drink a lot too, but what helped me was drinking more water during the day.  Whenever I am behind on my water intake goals, I get a thirst that only water can quench!  I'll think about grabbing a beer, but then I'll realize that what I really want is water.  I still have a beer or a glass or two of wine some nights, but it's nowhere near as common.

 

As for goals, what are you capable of now?  Think about where you are starting, and where you would like to be.  I like the ideas chris_de_maas laid out!  I will be planning goals for the next challenge too.

[raging3vil]

I have been doing some exercise fol almost a year now. Dropped around 45 pounds, but that's where I've been for the last few months. I guess the diet and booze are really the things I need to improve. Even my trainer noticed the other day that I wasn't getting any stronger or faster. Kind of just stalled out.

 

Then again, I don't have any concrete goals at the moment. Nothing to work towards to. I appreciate all the advice and get some concrete goals for the upcoming challenge. Excited to start!

[chris_de_maas]

You really need to keep your diet in check, like Steve says, it's 80% diet, 20% exercise. So if your diet isn't good, you can only do so much.

You should try keep track of what you eat for a few days/a week, enter it all in http://www.myfitnesspal.com/ which is a free calorie counter and then see where you're at and go from there.

 

Also try to think of concrete goals, ponder over them for a while. What is it you want to achieve? Who do you want to be after the challenge? What do you want to be able to do? You can think long term and shorter term. You can only go so far in 6 weeks, you won't suddenly be able to do 15 unassisted handstand pushups if you can't do 5 regular pushups, but if being able to do 15 unassisted handstand pushups is something you actually want to be able to do at some point, take the first steps that will enable you to get there.