The night an NF changed my life...

[dexter101]

Hi Guys and Guyettes,  I've been a big fan of the Blog entries for a couple of months now but hadn't realised there was a forum (result!) and wanted to introduce myself.

 

My nickname is Dexter, not from the TV show (thank god, that would make me scary!) but from an irish breed of cow which has short legs so it can hide behind boulders and stay dry.  The better half gave me this nickname due to my short legs!  Not a dwarf or a hobbit but guess it makes me some odd cross breed... 

 

From the UK and am getting married next year so hence the extra kick start to make changes to my life for the better.  

 

I'm more of a desk jockey than hardcore Nerd, growing up played my fair share of computer games, mostly strategy games as well as collecting Warhammer (brettonians) for a couple of years.  My geek side now comes out in the books I read, almost all historical fiction.

 

Growing up was always very active mountain biking and playing sports however this has since slowed down.  I have recently taken up Rugby which I am loving and means I am doing 2 training sessions per week and a match at the weekends.  Just need to add in some extra sessions as I am really lacking in upper body strength, something quite useful in rugby!

 

Food is my ultimate weakness, imagine if superman actually was in love with cryponite... weird!

I studied culinary arts at University and have to say I am a good cook however my previous role was as a confectionery buyer and meant I consumed huge amounts of sweets and chocolate most days.  I am cutting this down but often end up going out at lunch times and eating rubbish.  

 

This week was a particularly bad week but cheers Steve for the great timing on the regen blog!

 

I am now born again (again!) and ready to keep going.

 

Any tips on ways to help cut down on snacking would be much appreciated as well as any help with building upper body strength from home.  With a wedding to pay for, funds are extremely tight and in a rented flat I cant even fit a chin up bar!

 

Thanks again for the helpful and normal support you guys give.  You Rock!

 

 

 

 

[BlackTezca]

Welcome to Nerd Fitness!  Food is pretty much my weakness too and I've been struggling with ignoring sweets.

 

Congrats on the wedding next year!  You have a lot of exciting stuff going on

[dexter101]

So I have just been on a massive dip in focus and eating way too much (healthy meals but lots of sugar and snacks in the afternoon) and fitness work has slowed down.

 

Today is the day I restart though so I thought I would put down my 5 goals I want to achieve before my wedding (less than 5 months to go!).

 

Goal - Get my weight down to 12.5 stone.  currently 14 stone (will be double checking this at lunchtime) so bang on 1 pound per week.

 

Level ups: Dont eat sugar (cakes, sweets, chocolate) for 30 days starting today.

Stand up on a green wave surfing.

Ride York to Sheffield Stage of Tour De France 2014 route. (2 days 85 km each day)

 

I have started cycling (road) again and will be cycling to work every day for the next few months building up to the 2 day ride.  Plan is to also do short sprint type rides an evening or two a week. 

 

Also put together a body weight session to do a couple of times per week focussing on surfing type exercises (keeps it interesting and should help with my other level up.)

 

This will be:

5 pop ups 10 squats 10 mountain climbers 10 press ups 30 seconds plank 10 dips

 

aim is to do 3 sets and take it from there.

[dexter101]

So 1 Month on... I have finally made some changes and finding some improvements.

 

I weighed myself after my previous post and was shocked to see not 14st but 15 st 2 on the scales!  That was the kick I needed.  not sure how accurate they are but the body fat measurement was 30%.  

 

Since then I have cut my calories for the day down to 1400 and eating a high veg, high protein diet, not overly Paleo but would go with Paleo tendencies!

 

Being back cycling has had the biggest effect with me covering about 120 miles per week,  I did 60 miles in one ride a couple of weekends ago and it felt great.

 

Finding it hard to motivate/find time for body weight exercises so this is something I want to look to do more.

 

My weigh in day is Thursdays, not overly focussed on it as I am feeling better and seeing a difference anyway but its a good way to monitor my progress and I find it easier to stay on track with that looming. (ie I shouldnt have that doughnut, I have my weigh in tomorrow!)

 

As of last week I was 14st 9, its coming off and my fiance has noticed a couple of times.  bodyweight was 25%.

 

 

This forum has been a great inspiration and really is helping so thanks all.

[Tanktimus the Encourager]

We have a saying here, "The best workout plan is the one you will actually do." Why do you want to do body weight workouts? If you don't have the heart for them, don't do them. If you like cycling, by all means, get out and ride. We have a whole group of people who like long-distance stuff, we call them the scouts. 

We also have a new six-week challenge starting Monday, first timers are usually sent to the recruit section for their first challenge. Why don't you check it out?

[Nightside]

Tank makes some good points, as he said if you dont like something dont do it although i dont like weight training but do 15 minutes before i start running however i could never see myself going to the gym just to do weight training.

Really strange because 15st 2lbs was my wake up call, i dont know what your diet is but i went Primal (Paleo plus some dairy) and it was a revelation, an effective method of weight loss without hunger i just wish i had been aware of it 30 years ago.

If you like moving then the Scouts might be the place for, we dont care if your fast or slow, a 5k ruuner or a marathoner and we are a welcoming bunch.

Anyway enough of my waffle, good luck on your journey.

[dexter101]

Hi All,

 

So another restart post (looking back its all i seem to do!)  got married in December, didnt get my weight down really but had an amazing day all the same.

 

However, wedding, honeymoon, Christmas and New Year all took their toll and weighed in on sunday at 15st 5! 

 

Anyway, I am setting my goals for the year (and life) and have started the new chapter reinvigorated for change.

 

So my goal is 13 st 7- I am going to California in the summer so my aim is to hit it then. thats 1lb to lose per week.

 

My problem has been the amount of food I eat, have decided to keep the quantity up but changing it for better foods so rather than go out and buy a bag of doritos or a large chocolate bar, i go out and buy a large bag of carrot sticks or a pack of grapes.  I work in an office so find that boredom sets in and the habit is to eat.  I should then be able to step down the quantities.

 

Training wise, some really useful comments above, however cycling is just one part of what interests me so Ranger probably suits me more...

 

I play 5 a side football on a monday night and also looking to get into surfing regularly.

 

decided the gym wasnt going to work isnt one local so purchased a turbo trainer for my bike allowing me to keep/start riding over winter.  I also have bought a couple of kettlebells which I am really enjoying using.  makes more sense to me doing kettlebells than "normal" weights.

 

I am also incredibily unflexible so want to do something about this as well.  have looked into basic Yoga moves but am not really flexible enough to actually perform them!  

 

Thanks again guys and this time I am commited to keeping this going.  Will update at least weekly! 

[Anniebox]

Hello (and welcome back) to NF! Although I’m relatively new to NF myself, I have restarted my attempts at weight loss outside of NF several times over the last 5 years so I can emphasize with how you must be feeling. Part of me still can’t be sure that this will be the last time, you never know what life will throw at you but for now I’m thinking positive that this time around it will finally stick.

 

Your goals sound very realistic and totally achievable and you have a great motivating factor to drive you toward it (California! How I envy you!)

 

I know exactly what you mean when it comes to food! When I quit my retail job and started working full time in an office I put on 3 stone in a matter of months and I wasn’t small to begin with so it was a horrifying realisation! I would normally have a mid-morning crap snack of something like crisps or biscuits and at lunch I would walk to the shops and usually buy more snacks for the afternoon, fizzy pop, sweets, chocolate, more crisps and the like. Then there is a seemingly endless cycle of cakes, treats and sweets circulating the office at any one time. There is light at the end of the tunnel though, for nearly a month now, I have replaced my work snack with an apple in the morning and a tangerine in the afternoon, it’s a small step but I have massive issues with food and before this I literally didn’t eat ANY fruit or veg at all so it’s a big deal for me!

 

Yes it takes will power and yes the circulating office treats will still tempt you but its actually surprising how quickly you become used to it. I actually find now that I dislike the flavour of crisps and cakes and fizzy pop which I used to love! Also most people praise me when I turn treats down which is kind of addictive haha, people will say “Oh Annie, you’re so good, I wish I could say no†and it gives me a buzz and is a nice reminder that I’m making a positive decision toward better health and wellbeing.

 

With regard to flexibility, I feel you there too, the key is just to keep trying! Sounds cliché I know but it really does work! Before I started working out last year, I literally couldn’t even bend down and touch my toes (I could only reach to about the middle of my calves) but now I can do it. I wasn’t even doing any yoga or stretching to achieve this, it  just came naturally once I became more active and now I am actually interested in starting a beginners yoga/stretching routine to improve it further.

 

I'll be cheering you on and keeping an eye on your progress, I'm sure you're gonna be fine!