Looking to Change Myself for the Better

[78Tbird1]

Hello, my name is Scott.

 

This is my first post here on the forums, but I have been reading Nerd Fitness for about a year now. I finally decided it was time to ask for help taking control of my health and my life. I tried getting in better shape myself when I started reading, and I did less well than I had hoped. I ended up even heavier than before and even more mired in poor choices and habits.

 

Anyway, a little more about me on the physical side. I am a 27 year old guy and I weigh roughly 260 pounds and stand about six feet tall. I wear XL or 2XL shirts and 42x32 size jeans. I have given up soda and have not had any in over a month and a half, and where I was wearing relaxed fit jeans I can now wear regular fit, something I have never been able to do before. I mean I couldn't even get them on.

 

I have been working to improve both my diet and exercise, but neither are going well. I need help with both of those. I would like to get into more of the Paleo-ish diet that Steve recommends, but I am having trouble coming up with meals to replace my standard fast food or basic sandwich fare. My dislike of most vegetables doesn't help me much there, nor does the fact I still live at home and don't always have control over what is being fixed to eat. I have also found that I tend to do things better if I go cold turkey on them. That's how I quit a 5+ can a day soda addiction where trying to taper off a year ago failed.

 

As for exercise, I work full time at an auto parts store and have to stand and walk for 7+ hours each shift on concrete floors, so my legs tend to already be tired most days, so I need help on that front. I do have access via a family member to a big box gym, but I don't know what to do when I go there. I have tried the Beginner's Bodyweight Workout, which I enjoyed, but I was only able to complete one circuit and it made standing and walking hard for about three days after, which complicates my job quite a lot.

 

I do have goals, though most are not as specific as I would like, partly because I am not sure yet what I really want to end up with, and partly because I am unsure what is realistic for my body to accomplish. I mean I would love to at least get into large shirts and 38” or smaller jeans, but if I could go further I would like to.

 

As for why I am doing this, well, it all started about a year ago when I realized my high school reunion would be coming up in May of 2018, and I decided I wanted to be in better shape for it than I was in school. Shallow I know, but as I get started again this year my reasons have expanded a bit. Don't get me wrong the reunion is still a big goal and reason, but I also decided I am tired of always feeling like crap, of having my back and knees and ankles bothering me. That I am tired of always being tired and just worn down, not having the energy for the things I need to do, much less the things I want to do. That I didn't want to just get heavier and heavier, and be a victim to diabetes and high blood pressure like a lot of my family.

 

But most of all I just want to feel good about myself, to not be embarrassed to take off my shirt, or if said shirt is a little too tight, to not jiggle when I move, to live my life however I want to live it, without my health slowing me down.

 

I will likely be making threads in other sections asking for help in the areas I need it, and I hope to create a progress thread to help me keep track with you all to help hold me accountable. I will post my more detailed goals, pictures, measurements, and the troubles there though, no need to bare it all here in my introduction.

 

And as for my nerd status, well I couldn't really define myself as just one kind. I have so many interests and geeky qualities that I couldn't decide. This will probably come out more in my progress thread. But I do wear chunky tortoiseshell frame glasses, so nerd points for that right?

 

Scott

[Laghail]

Major nerd cred sir. Yeah, those aren't impossible hurdles to overcome but they're definitely real. Holler if you setup a challenge, I'm sure a few of us would love to follow along. 

Oh yeah, and for the gym, imma get flamed for saying so, but just download Stronglifts. Great app, easy program to approach lifting as a newbie, and every lift they ask you to do (all 5 of them), NF has a howto article. 

[Garris]

Welcome,

 

 

I work in construction so I know your pain of being heavy and standing all day. 

 

MyfitnessPal, beginner body weight, walking and patience are good places to start.

 

good luck !

[juliebarkley]

Welcome to the Rebellion! Shallow or not, if looking better is what motivates you to be healthier, it's all to the good.

[78Tbird1]

Thanks for the welcome. I've been looking around the forums more and am finding stuff that should help me, though I am probably going to have to ask questions at some point. In any case here's hoping I can make some positive changes in my health. I think first I will focus on the diet as it is going to be the hardest thing to get down, and probably get me most of the way to where I want to go. Once I get an idea of where I am going there I'll get more into the exercise side. Don't get me wrong, I'm still going to exercise, just trying to figure out the proper balance and all.

 

Scott

[Guzzi]

Welcome.  

 

You mentioned in your first post that you wanted to make a "progress thread" sp

I'd recommend making a Battle Log.  You can do whatever you want with your "Log" whether it's recording your workouts, somewhere to store your progress pictures (something I can't recommend highly enough. Seriously) or just keeping a journal.  It's totally up to you. 

 

 

Quote

I think first I will focus on the diet as it is going to be the hardest thing to get down, and probably get me most of the way to where I want to go. Once I get an idea of where I am going there I'll get more into the exercise side.

 

You stole my next point!   It can be really hard going to try and change your diet AND start exercising all at the same time.  You're far more likely to succeed by separating them out and working on them separately, diet being the most important one. 

 

In fact, you might even find that just working on ONE PART of your diet at a time is the way to go, remember the way to make lasting change is to slowly develop new habits rather than just jumping in and making wholesale change.  

 

If you want to move towards a paleo-ish diet then I would suggest starting by only changing one meal a day, and not necessarily every day either.  Maybe start by experimenting with different paleo breakfast ideas, after all we usually make our own breakfast so it won't cause issues with the rest of your family.  

 

Once you're happy that you have a good repertoire of breakfast recipes and that it's "normal" for you eat them you can start trying to make a paleo lunch once a week to take to work.  Do some research online for recipe/food ideas, there are hundreds of things that you can take with you that are far more nutritious and (tasty!) than a sandwich.  You will have to work on your dislike of vegetables though if you really want to improve your diet.  NF has some good articles on the subject that you can find with a quick google search. 

 

You mentioned having stiff/tired legs after doing the beginners bodyweight workout, that's something that will happen after pushing your muscles beyond what you normally ask of them.  If it was too vigorous for you then you could start with fewer reps/sets or you could start doing some gentle exercise, like walking, to get your muscles used to being used more than they're used to (Sorry, couldn't help it ) before asking them to do squats and lunges. 

 

Good luck with it all, if there's ever anything I can help you with them don't be afraid to ask.

 

Guzzi

[SkyGirl]

Welcome to the Rebellion!! We're so glad you found us and are joining our family!

 

I don't have too much to add to the great advice you've received so far, other than to encourage you that change is absolutely possible. Eighteen months ago, I was just exactly your age, also still living with my parents, and I was overweight, depressed, and felt like my life was at a dead end after failing out of the graduate school program I was in. I joined the Ranger corps of NerdFitness in July 2016, and in the past 18 months, I have lost 22 pounds (not too big a number, but proportionally what I needed to get healthy because I'm very small), I have transformed from a low-energy gym-hater to a rowing and weightlifting addict, I have moved out into my own apartment, and I have found the courage to pursue my dream career in writing. I'm not saying all this to brag - I want to reassure you that you have exactly what you need to become the man you want to be, and that's the desire and a vision for who he is and what he looks like. I know you can do it because I did it too!!

 

We're all here to help you and walk alongside you on your journey! Thank you for joining up to help us in our fight!!