I'm Deansy and I'm fat...

[Deansy]

So… Me…

I’m currently 5â€10, 33y/o & 275lbs…

I work 40-45hrs a week and drive 20hrs to and from work a week. (Yeah, that’s 2hours each way, each day)

I eat dinner between 20:30 and 21:30 each night, and then crawl into bed tired.

I eat at a food court for lunch.

I live in the country where there is no local gym or swimming pool.

I like drinking Beer.

So that’s the excuses out of the way…

Things I CANNOT change are;

The fact that I am 5â€10

I have a full time job

I drive that far each day.(OK, I can quit my job, but not willing to at this stage…)

The time I finish work.

Living in the country.

Things I CAN change are;

Making my lunch in the morning

My Peanut Butter toast and Milk for breakfast

Working out without the gym.

Making better snack choices

Parking further from the office

Taking the stairs instead of the lift

Drinking Cider instead of Beer…;-D

My History…

I was never really skinny, but was fit, rode my push bike to high school 2.8 miles each way, across a valley, so each way had an easy start then a hill finish. I played indoor cricket in the winter and was a surf life guard in the summer, I never had washboard abs, but I could tuck in a t-shirt without having a bulge. THEN, in 2000, I moved out of home and discovered smoking weed & eating crap. This was a massive turning point for me, a turn for the worst. But 2003 I peaked at 360lbs. I started to get my life back on track, stopped smoking weed, did some post high school study and became an IT Guy, working in a field I love, playing with toys I love. By 2008, I worked hard, quit smoking tobacco and lost 120lbs, but, and this isn't a feel sorry for me story, it's just the facts, then my marriage fell apart and I lost it. Since the middle of 2011, I have slowly crept back up to 275lbs.

Then, this week a friend told me about water fasting, I Googled it, that lead to hearing about the podcast 1 meal 1 workout and that lead to learning about nerdfitness.com.

Once I read the Jedi article, I knew this was for me, a restart, I have a LEGO Lightsabre tattoo on my forearm (the blade is UV ink that glows under a black light.) This site, and the community, is just what I need to get back on the wagon, stop thinking it was too hard, lose the 60lbs that I want to lose.

I have ordered both The Paleo Solution by Robb Wolf & the Primal Blueprint by Mark Sisson and plan on reading them thoroughly to work out what I need to change to make this work for me.

My goals are solid;

Lose 10lbs a month (60lbs in 26 weeks)

Double the number of Chins Ups, Push Ups and Dips I can do each month. (1/2/4/8/16/32) This way, I have a whole month, to master a single, perfect form push up and then by July, I'm doing 00100000b

The steps I need to do it are also solid;

Eat a 85% Paleo diet (I like the idea of Saturday being guilt free)

Do my workout routine 4 days a week, (M, T, T, F)

Stop eating Dairy

Stop eating Sugar

Stop drinking Calories

I can see this working for me, as they say in 1Meal 1Workout, take this process 1 meal at a time, 1 workout at a time and before I know it, I will be working for Batman Inc and taking on the Walking Dead.

[Naturally]

Welcome. I already feel better for a few days being more paleo, hope you do to!

[ebm1224]

welcome to the community! that's tough with the 4 hours of commuting time but the way i see it, if you can squeeze in 3 short workouts a week and eat better you'll see improvement. you've already done so much - losing 120lbs is no small feat. so congrats on that! personally, i like to pre-make salads and other easy lunches/dinners on sunday so i have them during the week (pro tip: a little lemon juice will keep your salad fresh).

glad you're here!

[Matow]

You got a photo of that glowing tattoo?

Also, Welcome

[The Tin Man]

What I learned about very recently that helps a lot with commuting (though I'm only about 1hr each way) is a lacrosse ball. For three or so minutes at a time I stick it behind my lower, middle, and upper back on the right and left side of my spine. I apply enough pressure and slight movement to get a slightly painful but releasing massage sensation out of it. If there's stop and go traffic I'll stick it under my hamstrings as well, obviously making sure it doesn't at all impede my ability to hit the gas, brake, and clutch.

Long rides of sitting in one position are suddenly much more bearable physically!

Edit: I now see you're in the UK. Not knowing how easily accessible lacrosse balls are there (is it popular at all?) this can obviously be done with any hard, tennis ball-sized object. Tennis balls themselves might be a little too compliant but may be worth a try. They also sell therapy massage balls that are essentially the same thing but twice the price of lacrosse balls.

[Sco]

Welcome! Good luck with your goals - you've definitely found the right place!

[Guest Snake McClain]

sounds to me like you have a good path laid out for you. even with the obstacles I am certain you can do this. As my high school sculpture teacher used to say, "patience and perserverance will overcome anything."

You got this. *rap hands*

[Deansy]

Thanks for the show of support.

The drive is far from unproductive, I use the time to listen to podcasts and learn new things. 75% of the drive is highway driving, so cruise control is on. Starting Monday, I will give up snacking in the car. This is a big one for me, sometimes it OK, with Jerky and water. But most of the time it's chocolate or crisps and soda or flavoured milk and sometimes all four...

It's time to swap the snacks & soda for hand grips & water.

Being as time poor as I am, I need to build a routine that I can fit into my life, twice a day, 4 days a week.

And that's the big plan this week, work out a scalable routine that only take 10 minutes to get an elevated heart rate and a sweat on and do it twice a day.

Also, Breakfast this morning will be 2 hard boiled eggs.

Lunch will be broccoli & something and

Dinner will be seafood based, This will be determined by what I see in the supermarket compared to a paleo food list.

Start it easy, focus on the food I can have, not on the foods I cannot have and once my books arrive, kick it up a gear.

Also, as much as I don't want to, I will take some photos to become the before shot.

I may not post them here, but I will have them...

[Timmy M]

Edit: I now see you're in the UK.

only if you manage to squeeze australia into the TARDIS then take a trip to the UK...

good to have you on board you do seem like you've got it set in your head so you should do fine good luck to you sir!

[Atalan]

only if you manage to squeeze australia into the TARDIS then take a trip to the UK...

good to have you on board you do seem like you've got it set in your head so you should do fine good luck to you sir!

The TARDIS goes places on or near Earth besides the UK, US, and various orbits?

Huh.

Anyway, welcome to Nerd Fitness, Deansy.

[The Tin Man]

only if you manage to squeeze australia into the TARDIS then take a trip to the UK...

good to have you on board you do seem like you've got it set in your head so you should do fine good luck to you sir!

Oops. Point still stands about me not knowing the popularity of lacrosse there. Though you could certainly fit Australia in there. It's bigger on the inside, you see. Just keep out of the swimming pool.

[Timmy M]

wooooo Whovians! (end of thread hi-jack...)

[oystergirl]

Welcome Deansy! I think you really put down a good evaluation of your situation and where you can make changes and where you can't. My husband also commented about 4 hours a day via car and getting exercise was indeed difficult until he figured out where to squeeze it in. If you can park your car further away and walk a bit more that is great. If you can take the stairs that is also great. If you can take a bit of a walk before going to the food court that is also great. Then look to the free resources on nerd fitness blog page and take a glance at the beginner body weight workout. I have done 3 rounds of this workout before in under 15 minutes, but you could certainly start with one round and fit that in religiously 3 times a week. i see you say you eat when you get home and then crawl into bed and i am not sure if you watch any television but if you do, you could even fit in the exercises while watching TV.

Great breakfast for you would be to make some hard cooked eggs the night before and eat them on the road with some cheese or meat.

Best of luck-take things slow-congratulate yourself on every little accomplishment--break the big goal into smaller ones and reward yourself when you reach each one (like doing a week's worth of workouts, or losing 5 pounds, etc). You are gonna rock it!

[Deansy]

You got a photo of that glowing tattoo?

[Cookie]

Welcome Deansy

I am new too. And I haven't actually introduced myself, I just kinda jumped in (because that's how I roll). I am also in Aus

You sound like you have a really good plan in place, which I think is a great start. Just one thing I noticed, the food you have planned seems like maybe not enough? I have just switched to Paleo (though have done low carb when I was younger soley to lose weight) and I eat more than you are planning to and I am a 85kg female, and the weight is still coming off easily, and I know from experience it will continue.

So yeah - don't eat if you are not hungry, but don't not eat when hungry just to keep your food intake down Also, if you do want to snack in the car, why not just take some paleo friendly stuff with you?

Look forward to hearing how you get on!

[Deansy]

Also, if you do want to snack in the car, why not just take some paleo friendly stuff with you?

I don't snack in the car because I'm hungry. I snack because I'm addicted to Burger Rings & I need a Sprite to wash it down. (to non Aussies, Burger Rings are crisps that have plenty of MSG)

It's not so much about cutting down my intake, but more knowing that I'm full before my brain tells me I am, 15 minutes late. Like last night, I made a seafood laksa, filled the bowl with a volume that I imagine my stomach to be. Ate it all, didn't feel full, but also didn't have seconds. About ten minutes later, I felt so full. So I figure there was 10 minutes that I didn't over eat. Waking up this morning, 11 hours after dinner, I don't feel like I'm starving or even overly hungry.

Thanks for the support, I'm off to start my morning workout followed by two eggs with paprika...

[sydneyanaconda]

Good luck deansy!

I'm oz too but originally from the I'm from the uk. We are very lucky here that we have amazing seasonal fruit and veg.

You can down load the paleo solution podcasts, they're pretty entertaining.

Can you fit a work out into your lung break?

[oystergirl]

Deansy, why not try the trick of drinking a 16 oz glass of warm water or having a clear vegetable broth before you eat. This fills up your stomach and so you will FEEL fuller quicker. It takes some time, but eventually you will no longer wait for the feeling in your stomach to tell you enough is enough. When I eat now if I get to that point of stretching my stomach it makes me feel physically ill...you will get there too.

[Deansy]

Good luck deansy!

Thanks, Good luck to you too...

Can you fit a work out into your lung break?

By Lung I'm assuming Lunch? I'm not into showering at work, seriously, it creeps me out. I just need to man up and make time in the morning and when I get home. I started today.

Deansy, why not try the trick of drinking a 16 oz glass of warm water

Awesome tip, but for me, this time is all about relearning how to eat better; better food & better portions. If I can learn to eyeball a full meal on my plate, then that will help me a lot more long term that trying to trick me brain.

I did have two mini wins today though. First one, this morning when I filled the car with fuel, I didn't buy any crap for me to eat. No crisps, no chocolate, no drinks. I now know I can do it one day, there is no reason I cannot do it the next.

Also, at lunch, I was in a random food court. Granted, it took me three laps before I found an option that wasn't pasta, bread or rice but I did it. I ended up getting a kabab and eating just the inside, with a fork. Lamb, chicken, lettuce, cucumber and tomato, tossed the bread. I also finished off about 100oz of water during the day and will knock over another 50oz at home.

This mornings workout was 2 sets of 15 kettlebell swings, my kettlebell is 44lbs. I'm planning on doing another 3 sets when I get home.

For me, that is a pretty good day, exercise, food and willpower wise. The trick is to make tomorrow a good day too.

[Deansy]

I'm planning on doing another 3 sets when I get home.

AND done. seventy five for the day. Rinse & repeat...

[Deansy]

OH YEAH!!! Got to work today, (another day I filled the car and not my belly(Mini W00T)) and found that The Paleo Solution had been delivered.

I will start it at lunch and be itching to get home and see how far I get through tonight.

[Pat G]

Solid introduction into the health change mate.

I'm a commuter too so i feel your pain. I know what you mean about manning up in the mornings and getting up the hour earlier to work out. But the early morning routine is bloody worth it.

After a while you just get into the swing of things and its strange to do it any other way. Same with filling up at the petrol station and the healthy eating.

Good tactic with the laksa too!

[nonLethal]

(Thread Necromancy)

G'day Deansy! Best of luck on your journey mate. I'm just starting off myself!

[Shmikey]

Best of luck to ya, Deansy! Change comes with effort, and by the look of it, you're already putting some great stuff in. Keep it up!

[Deansy]

Yeah, I'm making a massive effort with this one. I finished Robb's book on the weekend. 99% of it was pure gold. It made so much sense and explained so much of my life, I don't mean to sound new-age, but to see other idea besides the regular food pyramid...

My copy of Primal Blueprint was delivered today so I'm going to start reading that tonight.

Thanks for all the support, it means a lot to know people are supportive & not naysayers...