OH HAI! /waves

[Cipriana]

Hello. I'm Cip. I'm new. I'm ready to level up. I'm totally in love with this website and have been reading it non-stop since I stumbled across it yesterday while Googling the Paleo Diet. I ate 95% Paleo yesterday and am 100% for the day so far. I've got my battle plans for my next level drawn up and am ready to go to war.

I've been overweight most of my life. However, when I went to college is when the weight really started to creep. In the past 12 years, I've gone from overweight to obese: 185 lbs to 233 lbs. I'm a 5'9" female who has always had a curvy frame. I hate how I look currently. The shame I have about my physical appearance is keeping me from enjoying and experiencing life. I hate that I wasted my 20's being fat. I don't want the same fate for my 30's. I am not sure if I'll ever reach the top end of the healthy weight range for my height (169 lbs) because of my naturally curvy and muscular frame, but its something I am going to work towards.

Here's the XP needed for reaching my goal.

Level 1 - 220 lbs

Level 2 - 210 lbs

Level 3 - 200 lbs - Goal date is Dec 31, 2011

Level 4 - 190 lbs

Level 5 - 180 lbs

Level 6 - 169 lbs - Goal date is June 7, 2012

Level 7 - Who knows?

I plan on eating Paleo and focusing on strength training with 20 mins of HIIT on my off-days. Strength training something I have always enjoyed. I detest doing cardio. I go batsh*t insane from boredom.

Anyway. That's me. That's a very abbreviated backstory and where I would like to see myself.

[Siha]

Hey Cipriana, welcome to the Rebellion!

Looks like you have some weight goals in mind, and you seem to be off to a great start with the Paleo! Have you thought about what kind of training you want to do, and what your general strength and fitness goals are, though? I really recommend reading around the forums, especially Steve's articles, and thinking about your fitness as a whole, instead of just a number on the scale.

Again, welcome. Looking forward to watching you level up!

[Dio]

Looks like you're ready to commit to a new life! Congrats and welcome!

Have you seen this article yet about choosing a profession/character class in order to figure out how to get in shape?

Like Siha hinted, a lot of us (even those of us hoping to lose poundage) have found it's healthier and easier to focus on fitness goals and not weight-loss goals. Often poundage goals frustrate us because we become a slave to the scale and make unhealthy choices to get that number lower faster. Spezzy's story is a great example of focusing on health over numbers and how a heavier weight may make you feel and look better!

Good luck, and know that you've got a lot of support here!

[Cipriana]

Thanks, guys. I actually went to bed thinking about the Comic Book Hero article and just got done reading the profession/character class article. I am a little unsure of goals outside of wanting to have a "normal" BMI. Weighing 169 puts me at a 24.9 BMI, which is the highest number before I'd be considered overweight.

Here are some thought's I've got floating around: I've never been able to do a pull-up. That would be pretty amazing. And I haven't been able to do a REAL push-up since high school. Being able to run for an entire mile would be cool. So would being able to wear a size 10 in clothes. I know the number on the scale isn't the end-all, be-all measure of health. I am just so far out of shape I can't even think of what a goal that doesn't involve my weight should be. I have no idea what a healthy me could be capable of, so setting an attainable goal is a little daunting.

[Siha]

Here are some thought's I've got floating around: I've never been able to do a pull-up. That would be pretty amazing. And I haven't been able to do a REAL push-up since high school. Being able to run for an entire mile would be cool. So would being able to wear a size 10 in clothes. I know the number on the scale isn't the end-all, be-all measure of health. I am just so far out of shape I can't even think of what a goal that doesn't involve my weight should be. I have no idea what a healthy me could be capable of, so setting an attainable goal is a little daunting.

If I might suggest starting here for goal setting?

You actually have a really, really good list of goals there. Pull-ups are really common goals around here (its one of mine!), as are pushups and running distances. They all require working at getting stronger, and working to get stronger will make you healthier, and becoming healthier will have the side effect of losing weight and improving your quality of life. Your body becomes a result of your lifestyle, not the thing that drives it.

Remember to start small and be kind to yourself. You have an entire community of people who will cheer you on and offer advice and support to you when you need it. The latest six week challenge has also started, and there is no better time or place to take your first steps. This round there are even squads you can join to get and stay motivated, including a weight loss squad, if that is your primary goal. (Its also a great place to take a look at the goals other people have set, and help refine yours into goals that you can meet and conquer.)

[Wolfman]

You could also set routine-specific goals... e.g. complete the Beginner Bodyweight Workout in its entirety with no breaks.

[Cipriana]

A-ha! Specific goals = good. Vague goals = bad.

Goals:

1. Weigh 200 (or less) by 12/31/11

2. Be able to do 1 pullup by 12/31/11

3. Be able to do 10 pushups in proper form by 12/31/11

4. Be able to run 1 mile in 10 minutes by 12/31/11

How I am going to accomplish these goals:

1. I will eat Paleo 100% of the time every day. No excuses. No cheating.

2. I will exercise 6 days per week. No excuses.

3. I will push myself to the limit at every single workout. Three of these workouts will be strength training using the Beginner's Bodyweight Routine. 3 of these workouts will be HIIT for 20 mins.

4. I will write everything down on a daily basis (food, exercise, measurements)

5. I will improve something every time I work out.

Wow. After writing all of that out, I want to leave work early and go work out. That never happens...

[Siha]

Wow. After writing all of that out, I want to leave work early and go work out. That never happens...

Much better! Now you have a plan of attack! Take it a day at a time and you will slay those goals!

[Dio]

Great! Much better. Just be careful with the 100% paleo rule. Strive for 100% but understand you may only hit 90%... sometimes there's nothing we can do otherwise to stay healthy AND eat on menu.

I think there's another thing that people often forget: WHY do you want to get in shape?

Looking good is a side-effect of good fitness. When you think of athletes, they're going into the gym, making sacrifices, training hard to COMPETE in a meet/game/race/et cetera.

For me, I want to be able to keep up with my more active friends. I want to go to the beach and run and play as hard as anyone else. I want to go to a spinning retreat (wildfire, woo hoo!) and be able to go all day and into the night on little sleep. THOSE are the things I personally train for, so it tells me HOW to train and how to set my goals.

What are the things you want to do in life but couldn't because your fitness level got in the way?

[theanne]

A-ha! Specific goals = good. Vague goals = bad.

Goals:

1. Weigh 200 (or less) by 12/31/11

2. Be able to do 1 pullup by 12/31/11

3. Be able to do 10 pushups in proper form by 12/31/11

4. Be able to run 1 mile in 10 minutes by 12/31/11

How I am going to accomplish these goals:

1. I will eat Paleo 100% of the time every day. No excuses. No cheating.

2. I will exercise 6 days per week. No excuses.

3. I will push myself to the limit at every single workout. Three of these workouts will be strength training using the Beginner's Bodyweight Routine. 3 of these workouts will be HIIT for 20 mins.

4. I will write everything down on a daily basis (food, exercise, measurements)

5. I will improve something every time I work out.

Wow. After writing all of that out, I want to leave work early and go work out. That never happens...

I love the positivity of "I will" instead of "I'll try"

That said, if and when you inevitably slip up (unless you're not human) just remember: Don't let perfect get in the way of good.

You got this.

[Cipriana]

What are the things you want to do in life but couldn't because your fitness level got in the way?

Hike in the mountains. Walk up several flights of stairs without feeling winded. Play as hard as my friends when we visit the ocean. Fit into the rides easily at an amusement park instead of jamming myself in. Wearing a bathing suit and feeling good about how I look.

[Dio]

Those are good things to strive for! So you don't have to worry about losing weight. You have to imagine how much everything you're doing will make that mountain air taste sweeter.