Greetings from the future guy in the sky

[Captain Hanuman]

Five minutes ago I thought deadlifts were hard work. That was before I started trying to write this introduction. So here I am~15 days shy of my fortieth birthday, 5'9" tall, and as of this morning, 211 pounds. It's actually a pretty good place to be. Considering that two years ago I was nearly 300 pounds and completely consumed with sadness and self hatred, I'd say this is a fine spot indeed.

Sometime around February of this year I started making small changes in my diet and exercise but at best I was lackadaisical when it came to food and fitness. I basically half-assed everything and the results were less than spectacular. I also had no goals other than the generic "get in shape" and I had no plan of execution either. Still, I managed to drop 30 pounds over the course of 8 months; not much to brag about but enough to motivate me to gear up and give my all. So I set a few goals, devised a plan & with the knowledge I'd gained from months of lurking here at Nerd Fitness and Mark's Daily Apple, I finally got serious.

For the last two months I've cut no corners in my new routine, eating a mostly paleo diet and heavy lifting three days a week. Those two things, paired with treks on the Cumberland Trail have helped me drop 55 pounds in the last 3 months. The fact that I no longer hate myself is also worth a mention!

My battle plan is simple:
1. Paleo diet paired with intermittent fasting.
2. For exercise it's either body weight brigade, barbell battalion or a steep trail with a heavy pack.

My goals are to keep transforming. I believe in myself enough now to realize that my goal of 180 pounds and 6-8% body fat is very realistic and absolutely achievable.
The other goal: hang gliding. The training is very physical so the stronger I am the better off I'll be on the training hills. As a motivator to keep up the hard work in the kitchen and gym I've already paid for the flight instruction. By spring I'll be in the sky!

So here's to moving forward and sharing the journey with awesome people. I can't wait to continue...

[Guest]

Hello and welcome! That's awesome, we have almost the exact same stats (I'm 5'9" and 214 lbs)

Holy calculus, mathman! Congratulations on your weight loss success

You have good goals, and I wish you the best of luck! We're always here if you need advice, tips, or just some good ol' motivation

Here's to your continued success!

[citizenkade]

First, welcome to the Rebellion!

 

Second, I would like to welcome your beard to the Rebellion as well! An Epic Beard of those proportions deserves it's own welcome.

 

You've got some good goals, man! And you've already set the foundation for success. 40 isn't so bad, you might even find yourself liking it!

 

Make sure and fire up the Bat-Signal if you ever need help, this group is awesome and will jump to your assistance!

 

Have fun, and Good Battling!