Time for a change

[Sheepdog_TX]

I've been short and wide for a long time. I have been working in private security for just shy of ten years now. I went to police academy a year ago and have maintained my mental continuing education but fell off the pt wagon. I'm now in the process of trying to find a better job. As you all no law enforcement work is a physically demanding job and I have realized that I am no where near where I would like to be shape wise. This was affirmed by an incident at work that made me really sit back and think about my situation. I was in a foot pursuit and lost the guy. He had attempted to burglarize a vehicle on the property. He left me in the dust and I was breathing hard and I remember being angry at myself that I didn't catch him. That's when it hit me. It's time to make a major change and get myself into better shape. Not only for work but to improve my entire life.

I am not sure where to start so any assistance would be greatly appreciated

Thank you

[Ba'sini'on]

Welcome to NF!

 

I glad to here that you want to improve yourself physically in order to be a Super Cop! My grandpa was LAPD SWAT, he was always physically ready to kick ass. He passed that on to my mother who was bodybuilding almost all her life. At one time my grandpa was sitting at his desk and he had his 50lb. dumbbells on the table next to him. And since they were round, one rolled off and smashed his big toe. Almost right away he is called in action, so he just stuffed his feet into the boots and went to work. His friends cringed when he took off the boot.

 

What are your plans for physical improvement?

 

Feel free to PM me if you have any questions!

[Sheepdog_TX]

This is a pic of me a few months ago every time I look at it I feel disappointed. My over all goal is to lose the pot belly and bulk up a little more in the muscle department.

I'm 5'6", 265... I'm not ashamed to say I need guidance. What can I do to start my journey?

I'm embarrassed to go in a gym but I know I need to get my self started on a workout that I can build on.

Any thoughts?

[Wolfhorde]

First off, welcome! Second: My respect to you for going into law enforcment - I don't know the circumstances under which you work but I've seen growing resentment against law enforcement againts and separational tendencies putting them in some category that doesn't view them as humans - as one of us.

 

Now, I don't know what articles you have already read or what you know but as often stated in NF articles: never forget your diet. And: Don't try to overdo it (too much rapid change).

Now, to business: You don't necessarily need a gym. It depends on what motivates you, can you work better with all those people around? Can you work better on your own? What would you like to exercise? If you don't know, try it out. I'd definitely recommend strength training as it doesn't necessarily need a lot of time (so you can keep busy schedules), has high effectivity and you can do it in a gym or at home. My personal recommendation would be try out kettlebells. Kettlebells are incredibly versatile and can be used in a myriad of ways but the best thing about them is that almost everything you do with them is a compound exercise and they're excellent for working your core. If you're lucky you might find a gym that has some of those.

While I wouldn't necessarily recommend 'traditional cardio' (here's why: http://www.marksdailyapple.com/case-against-cardio/#axzz2Shbv3J7W ) I'd say you could try going for walks regularly, for one it will work out your muscoskeletal system (which can only be worked by moving which is also why moving can actually be good for backpain) which is mostly stressed more with overweight. But importantly: It'll build a good habit that will help you to do things consistently.

 

Another thing you could do seeing that you have ties to law enforcement is ask your colleagues and such what they do to keep fit and maybe even whether they'd be ready to support you. And while friends and family can be almost detrimental they can also be very helpful.

 

Hope this helps. And a little anecdote: Focus on who you want to be, not who you or other people think you are. Best of luck!

[Sheepdog_TX]

Thank you both for the warm welcome. I started the challenge albeit late but I set my goals and I'm sticking with it. My big thing right now is finding recipes and a place I can get plenty of paleo foods without destroying my pocket book