Hello everyone

[NinjaAssassin]

Hello everyone.  I guess I'll jump right in to it...

 

I've been working out off and on for about 8 of the last 10 years.  It started when I joined the Marine Corps in 2003.  I went to bootcamp weighing ~140 and left weighing ~160.  I felt great but really didn't know anything about nutrition or working out.  I also started smoking and drinking).  After four years of working out of and on with my buddies and eating whatever the current "get big" or "get strong" diet was, I left the Marine Corps in 2007 weighing ~155 and "knowing" only moderately more about nutrition and fitness than when I joined (though I thought I knew quite a bit more...mostly whatever I heard at the gym from people bigger than me).  For what little it's worth, I was in pretty good shape for most of my enlistment (in spite of the smoking).  I just couldn't put on much weight.  After getting out, I worked out off and on for about the next three years for various reasons and differing lengths of time without ever really researching what a good diet might look like and what a good workout might be.  Basically, I never researched any of the science.  Then, in 2010, my wife and I had our first kid followed by twins in 2012 and I basically stopped trying.  I've maintained a weight of ~150 over the last three years by eating whatever sounded delicious to me at the time (or, more likely, whatever was in the pantry that didn't sound awful).  In February of 2013 I decided to quit smoking when I was standing on my deck and my kids were at the sliding glass doors watching me and making faces.  All three started mimicking me taking a drag and blowing it out.  That's not the kind of example I want to set, so I jumped on the Nicoderm level 2 patch for 2 weeks, then the level 1 patch for 2 weeks and then no nicotine in my system ever again.  So, it's been nearly a year since I last had a cigarette and I don't miss it.  In fact, within just a few days I noticed I wasn't waking up with lungs full of crap, needing to cough up nasty stuff before I could breathe.  After a couple of weeks I found I was less winded after doing admittedly simple things (like wrestle with my kids for 20 minutes - they're tiny, tiny people (though high energy) so it's not hard...until a baby finger or toe goes in your eye.  Then it's no fun).  

 

Anyway, I was able to quit smoking because I made it a priority.  I took it seriously and legitimately wanted to quit, so I made it happen.  Now, after having several moments of clarity and seeing (and hearing) what sorts of things my wife and I eat and feed our kids (and having casually read about the paleo lifestyle here and there over the last three years) I've decided to do better.  I've done a lot of reading on NF recently coupled with reading various things on other sites regarding the Whole30 program, paleo (and its many interpretations) and other relevant stuff (though, if I'm being honest, I still haven't delved very deep into the science behind it all) and I've made a decision.  I'm making my health and well-being a priority.  I told my wife that I'm going to do the Whole30 program as a starting point (which means we need to alter our grocery list a bit) and I'd like to get started by the end of this weekend (sourcing good foods that are affordable is a major factor here, so some research has been done and it's still ongoing).  In addition, we recently signed up for a gym that will be opening in our area on 12 Jan, so I'll have the equipment necessary to reach my goals.  I'm also going to try a simple routine of nothing but compound muscle exercises (these sorts of exercises aren't things I've tried before).

 

Since I no longer have a lifting buddy, I've decided to join these forums in hopes of finding some measure of accountability.  I've got two buddies in my area that lift, but they're A) on a whole other level and on a schedule that's incompatible to mine.  The gym that I've joined is open 24 hours and is less than 2 miles from my house so there's really no excuse for me not to get serious.  I'm also somewhat allured by the possibility of actually hitting my target weight of ~170 (but after reading a lot of these NF articles, I see the focus should be on getting stronger and eating properly...getting bigger will follow).  But the biggest motivator for me is setting a positive and healthy example for my wife and kids.  Something that will hopefully get us all eating better.

 

Well, this is a lot of words.  Thanks for reading.

[DChristian]

Welcome to the party and congratulations on getting the nicotine monkey off your back!

[Basement Cat]

Welcome to the rebellion, Ninja Assassin!

 

Congratulations on beating the cancer sticks! Good luck with your training and keep us posted!

[NinjaAssassin]

Thanks DChristian and SilverRapier.