Bigger on the outside (Sadly)

[Petrichor]

Hi guys, hope you're all well!

I've never been any good at introductions, mainly due to minor social anxiety and shying away from networking sites etc. so here goes!

My names Nick, I'm 27 and I hail from Blighty.

I'm about 6'1" and currently about 16 stone 13. Which equates to about 237lbs in real money. I hold down a decently paid job which I'm good at, but loathe with an intense passion. Needs must!

My extra curricular activities usually revolve around something nerdy/geeky but I also love playing guitar and getting out and about taking photos when I get the chance. But I'm a self-confessed couch potato and lover of sci-fi films.

We recently had a gym open not 100 metres from my house. I've started going, but could probably do with being more regular. My wife on the other hand is now a total gym fiend and has lost 4.5 stone in the last 10 months, even without the gym!

Sadly, my fight or flight reflex is currently screaming at me to not go, purely because when I am I'm going at it hard enough to feel it for a few days afterwards!

My diet is complete crap, I eat junk and rubbish and everything that's bad for me. Washed down with so many soft drinks that in surprised I have any teeth left.

This has to stop, hence why I'm here. Best intentions et al! I'm going to start phasing out the rubbish over the next month with a view to going FULL Paleo by 01 August.

If I'm honest, it's all a bit daunting. My confidence is shot to hell from things that have happened in the past and if anything I'm looking for some words of wisdom, some guidance... Someone to hold the PHB and help me choose the right stats for my first heroic level!

I'm not really sure what else to say and I've probably ranted on for too long as it is. Governments have fallen since I've started!

Thanks for your time!

Nick

[Laureleye]

I'm not a fan of the no-pain/no-gain mentality myself.  Yeah, you should know you worked out, but you shouldn't move like an extra in a Frankenstein film for the week after a workout.  Your instincts are very good - start out by cleaning the junk and soda out of your diet.  Try easing into a workout plan; start the first week with 20 minutes a day of walking.  The next week, bump up a couple of those days to 40 or 45 minutes.  Then move into gym-rat mode (or head for the beginner's body weight and workout at home).  You can do this.  The first thing to do is start.  The second thing to do is not quit.  If you need some help, send me a message (hover over my name and you'll see the option).

[wideeyed]

I just started this a few weeks ago, and found this to be the most supportive and most fun site   I did a pretty radical diet change right away for health reasons, but with the fitness (for the same health reasons) I am adding one small thing each week or two, depending on how my body feels.  So I did the food for the first two weeks, and then this week I started walking. 

Another member posted that before they started with Paleo, they cut out soda for two weeks and lost ten pounds JUST from the soda.  So maybe start there - quick results  

Look forward to seeing your successes.

[optimistsmile]

I like wideeyed's strategy- one thing at a time.  It's easier to monitor your body's response that way, too.  If you feel better after a trip to the gym, keep doing it.  I think you should also make home exercise convenient.  There are a lot of workouts on Youtube for days when the gym is not very appealing.  DVDs, too.  Find some that you like and you'll be surprised how addicting they can be.

I just saw a post by another member who had a lot of success with a transition to Paleo.  Look up posts in the rebel introductions from FaceThatMeows.  Keep posting here, too!  Little by little, you will reach your goal.  Go you!

[WifeyB]

Any way you can start is good. Every little decision you make to eat better, every time you choose stairs instead of taking the elevator, every time you come home from work exhausted but manage 10 minutes of physical activity is a HUGE success. Focus on those wins, and the person on the inside will become bigger and stronger than the one one the outside.

Start right now. Yep. Now. By commending yourself for reaching out! That's a success in my book. I read a post by another member yesterday, and its really stuck with me. It went something like, " No one is allowed to make you feel like crap. Especially yourself." Pretty good bit of brain food, don't you think?

Final thought- so cool you are doing this with your wife. My husband and I are making the same positive changes together, too. He's not a huge fan of the gym, and I think sometimes I drive him a little crazy about it. But so far it's been a really fun experience together.

Good luck!!

[Nuribaby]

I think your plan to start slow is a good one. I've found that when I try to change ALL THE THINGS it never lasts long... But by picking one thing and making it a habit, and then adding another when I doing Thing #1 without really thinking about it, and then adding a third, and a fourth, it's a lot easier to sustain. You are A BEAST and can TOTALLY DO THIS!