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There's just more of me to love...
Jaded
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
Alright, I finally sat down, ate my manwich and decided to post this.
I'd like to get out and do things aside from playing WoW... I used to love swimming, biking and other outdoor stuff...
Then I made some poor choices.
Poor choice 1:
I quit smoking, and in itself that's a wonderful thing! However I sated my cravings for an oral fixation with pretzel sticks (similar to a smoke in size and weight). I ballooned... big time.
Poor choice 2:
I fell into WoW... hardcore. I sit there and watch LFG on my multitude of toons waiting to do something, watching LFG / Trade, trying to find a group to run with or a raid to tag along with... and I sit, and sit, and sit...
I am sure you get the picture.
So... fast forward to now...
Due to the Quonset I have around my body (it's big enough to not even be called a belly anymore) I can't see my... well... meat and two veg... as it were.
Current stats:
I'm 29 years old (30 in April)
I stand 5'9" tall (that's 69 centimetres)
I have a 40" waist line
31" legs
I weigh... 250 pounds
What I need is to find something that works for me. Some ways to motivate myself to put down the cheetos and step away from WoW and actually do something.
Going to the gym solo is... well... I don't know what the fuck to do while I am there.
Finding someone to go with aside from my girlfriend (and no offence hunny, but I don't want you seeing me struggle at my worst) is not that appealing to me.
We just moved to a new city, 200 kilometres away from where we used to live for my work... (which sadly, is a desk job) which means I really don't know anyone here to hit up as a gym partner.
I'd like to go swim, but I hate the way I look topless.
Guys... whets a self-conscious fat guy to do?
I have the will power, I quit smoking cold turkey... I just need a way to mentally kick my ass into this.
I'd like to get out and do things aside from playing WoW... I used to love swimming, biking and other outdoor stuff...
Then I made some poor choices.
Poor choice 1:
I quit smoking, and in itself that's a wonderful thing! However I sated my cravings for an oral fixation with pretzel sticks (similar to a smoke in size and weight). I ballooned... big time.
Poor choice 2:
I fell into WoW... hardcore. I sit there and watch LFG on my multitude of toons waiting to do something, watching LFG / Trade, trying to find a group to run with or a raid to tag along with... and I sit, and sit, and sit...
I am sure you get the picture.
So... fast forward to now...
Due to the Quonset I have around my body (it's big enough to not even be called a belly anymore) I can't see my... well... meat and two veg... as it were.
Current stats:
I'm 29 years old (30 in April)
I stand 5'9" tall (that's 69 centimetres)
I have a 40" waist line
31" legs
I weigh... 250 pounds
What I need is to find something that works for me. Some ways to motivate myself to put down the cheetos and step away from WoW and actually do something.
Going to the gym solo is... well... I don't know what the fuck to do while I am there.
Finding someone to go with aside from my girlfriend (and no offence hunny, but I don't want you seeing me struggle at my worst) is not that appealing to me.
We just moved to a new city, 200 kilometres away from where we used to live for my work... (which sadly, is a desk job) which means I really don't know anyone here to hit up as a gym partner.
I'd like to go swim, but I hate the way I look topless.
Guys... whets a self-conscious fat guy to do?
I have the will power, I quit smoking cold turkey... I just need a way to mentally kick my ass into this.
I can't think of anything clever.
Jaded on
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Shogun Streams Vidya
Read the first post in that thread. That's mostly everything you need to know. You can read the rest of the thread if you like.
I dropped 25 pounds in 3 months, WITHOUT exercise, 205 to 185. I'm an inch taller than you. You can do better if you do exercise, which you SHOULD be doing. My excuse was school/studying.
You can do this, but you're going to have to work at it.
Believe it or not, Wii Fit really helped me drop some weight. It's really easy to do, and it keeps track of everything in a nice graph form. I got to a point where I didn't eat anything with x amount of calories because I didn't want the game to tell me I was obese anymore! (Still does, but not as hardcore).
That's just my suggestion. It does work for me, but may not be for everyone. You're certainly going to make a difference though, because you know you've got to lose weight and everything. That's a lot better than 90% of the population.
Good luck!
(Also, since you're at a desk job like me, pick up a pair of grippers. I do those on my down time... Works your arm muscles.)
I'm very glad you made this statement already. This just means you need to stay mentally fixated on becoming physically active, and sticking to that ultimate goal - losing weight and getting in better shape.
Maybe you can try waking up early with a goal in mind, or start a notebook with a list of exercises that MUST be accomplished before the day is over. Sort of like a checklist thing. You can try doing the "100 push ups" challenge as a start.
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
don't feel like the odd one out there or anything... We get some really large people where i go, and i always just think "good for them".. too many people put themself in a downward spiral by saying they're too fat to go out and sport... Once you see/ feel the first results, you'll be wishing you had gone earlier...
i was not the gym person, not at all... But i didn't want to go with a gym buddy, so i could go whenever i wanted, not be dependent on someone else. So i went, they gave me the tour, and i loved it... the Fitness thread here in HA is great for some extra pointers.. i occasionally lurk it, and learned a lot from it.
plus paying an expensive gym fee was a real motivator for me
oh yeah, it's great read that you really grasp your problem, and actively want to change. You sound pretty motivated!
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
Are you competitive? If so, joining a squash or racquet ball ladder could be a nice solution. Both games require a lot of skill (i.e. a fitness buff 25 year old newbie will be absolutely schooled by a chainsmoking 60 year old), and your improvement is extremely noticeable for the first 6 months of play, which makes it really addictive.
A lot of gyms have courts available, and some have racquet sport specific memberships that save you the dollars.
The bottom rungs of the ladders are usually new players, or very casual ones, or people without a good fitness level. So long as you're joining at the Y or something, and not the city racquet club.
Anyway, playing squash twice a week is a dynamite workout, great for cardio, and extremely satisfying if you're competitive. It's also a good activity to buddy up on if you know somebody else trying to get into better shape or just interested in taking up squash as a hobby.
The internet makes people brave when normally they wouldn't be, I have to fully admit that.
I played raquetball in school, it really wasn't my thing.
I played Baseball until a couple years ago (back catcher) and I played hockey when I was younger (defence). Something I'd really like to get into is boxing. I can throw a hell of a punch and not all of the 250 pounds of me is fat (I have some decent sized fore arms, bi/tri-ceps and calves).
Tai Chi is also something I'd love to do... but I don't think I am in the shape for it (ie: flexibility)
You'd be surprised at how big a difference a small change like this can make.
Don't get me wrong... I still enjoy a glass of pop, or a bag of chips or a chocolate bar every now and again, but it's nowhere near as bad as it was 19 months ago...
"I want to look good naked"
Walking would help, or would biking do better?
well, if you're super serious about losing weight, you may want to swear off snacks entirely. and switch to diet soda and stuff. personally, I wouldn't wish this fate on anyone
Depending on your level of existing knowledge, it can be anywhere from an interesting and scientifically-informed means to challenge Conventional Wisdom (e.g. "saturated fats are bad" or "grains are fine as long as they are whole wheat"), to a real and complete eye-opener.
As far as being self conciousness. Suck it up, I don't want to sound mean but if you suck it up now and start swimming a few times a week, in six months you wont have to worry about what you look like. Im 5'10 and just shy of 300lbs. If its good for your body just man up and take the shirt off. In a few months the results will have been totally worth it. I know its damned hard, I was in your spot a few months ago, but trust me, just do it!
Origin ID: Discgolfer27
Untappd ID: Discgolfer1981
Facebook: MeekinOnMovies
Twitter: Twitter.com/MeekinOnMovies
My 10 commandments of game reviewing
7 Great Games Playing Watch_Dogs will remind you of/url]
Far Cry 4: 10 Essential Features it Must Have
10 Videogames Ruined By The Hype
It completely depends on what you snack on.
The kinds of things that will cause you to gain weight when you eat them at night will cause you to gain weight when you eat them during the day.
At 17 i'm 172 pounds and i've toned up greatly and have no man titties to speak of (besides meaty ones :winky:) I hated how I looked working out, I thought I was pathetic, but it doesn't matter. Go on the street and run, dammit. Go to the gym and pump some weights. You'll find that a lot of people at the gym will be willing to help you and give you hands-on tips for working out. Yes, you will find the douchebag with his bros talking about you, but know this: They suck each others cock. At least you're trying.
You'll love losing the weight, and you will feel more confident in not just your body but all aspects of your life. It feels good when your boss is chewing you out and can respond with "Yeah, but I can squat 335 pounds."
T-Nation blog
On top of counting calories and eating healthy foods I would suggest trying to space out your meals to 4-5 small ones a day if you can, and just eat enough to keep you going until the next meal. This helps speed up your metabolism. Simply cutting out a meal is bad because it puts your body in fat conservation mode. A good way to do this while keeping calories down is to eat substantive healthy foods that don't have much caloric content--like salads with light dressings, or the aforementioned baby carrots. Also avoid beef, steaks... chicken is okay sparingly, fish is even better.
When you do cardio you need to aim to push yourself and get a good amount in. It doesn't really help if you run/cycle/whatever for 10 minutes and then say okay I'm done. I personally prefer to do intensive cardio as opposed to walking or light cycling because it takes less time for similar results, but do what works best for you.
Adding in weightlifting to your cardio helps too (do it first, not after the cardio) mainly because any muscle you build will basically burn calories maintaining itself. Don't consider it as a direct remedy or complete substitute for cardio though.
Oh, one last thing, that bit above about not eating a lot before bed is basically spot on... it's okay to have a small snack of primarily carbs because your body will consume it for energy as you sleep but don't pack in a full meal.
Facebook: MeekinOnMovies
Twitter: Twitter.com/MeekinOnMovies
My 10 commandments of game reviewing
7 Great Games Playing Watch_Dogs will remind you of/url]
Far Cry 4: 10 Essential Features it Must Have
10 Videogames Ruined By The Hype
Doing anything would be better than what you are doing now, which is nothing. Buy yourself a concert DVD of your favourite band, pop that sucker in and dance like no one is watching... because they aren't. I lost quite a bit of weight that way too and gained enough confidence to actually join the gym.
STEAM
I believe this is actually just a rumour. Celery does, however, have such a low amount of calories [about 6ish] it's considered negligible, so it's still significantly better to snack on that a chocolate bar, or a handful of almonds.
Its definitely an acquired taste though [I love it, everyone I know hates it. Heh.]
They aren't as good for losing weight as celery would be, obviously, but let's not lump them in with chocolate now.
That's just mean.
mmmm, almonds lumped in with chocolate...
B.net: Kusanku
1) Drink water. If you must have something sweeter, then make it a diet drink or some sort of fruit drink - but water is key.
2) While you're LFG or experiencing some downtime, get some dumbbells, hand crunchers, etc and do a little mini workout while you're waiting.
3) Snack on more on fruits and veggies; baby carrots and celery are great snack foods.
My only real issue with this is how deflating some of the comments I've read in that thread are. I ~know~ I am fat, I ~know~ I got myself there... to read some of the comments.. like...
that's more crushing then encouraging.
Oh... and for the record...
I had Special K this morning with a small amount of sliced almonds and some bran plus a banana for breakfast... and I am still freakin' hungry...
Look at the most recent stuff from WebGuy in there on the last few pages. He's lost 30 pounds already and gotten nothing but praises and compliments and is so pumped to be losing weight and it's pretty awesome to see that. That should be encouraging enough. He started ~300 pounds and is already shedding pounds by eating right and exercising by learning from that thread.
Just ask informed questions and try hard and want to do it and do it.
starting with this post: http://forums.penny-arcade.com/showpost.php?p=6550344&postcount=2589 read this post and afterwards to see how excited he is.
B.net: Kusanku
Pick exercise you enjoy... Cycling, Martial arts, climbing, hiking etc...
All the best!
See Also: When I have a bit of a cramp in my side and think about taking it easy, looking at someone who looks like they are about to rupture going hard anyway often makes me put on the game face just that much more. Working out is work, and if that guy can find it within himself to put forward that kind of energy, then what that fuck am I doing thinking about slacking off?
To work out effectively means keeping your mind on your own game. And I do see working out as a game. It has rules, it has a system, it has a mindless grind in some parts, and amazing rushes in others. Everybody starts as a noob, everybody learns how to play, and eventually it pays off. Don't worry about the things you can't do, just be as effective as you can at the things you can do, and those higher end activities will come in time.
You probably already know the obvious but I stopped drinking soda all together and cut out any sort of snacks/fast food and I dropped a ton of weight without even trying. Past the first couple days I never wanted any of that stuff. Every so often I want a huge, filthy burger or something but soda is downright disgusting to me now.
Also treadmills are pretty good for hidden exercise. But ones you can actually run on are pretty expensive so you damn well better mean it. Or a bike.
That was Tube being a douche in another thread that someone sigg'd. Everyone in the fitness thread is usually pretty encouraging, tube included.
YMMV depending on where you live, but I agree with walking being a good start. I got really lazy for a while after living out of town and commuting to work for half a decade. After moving into the downtown core... I kept riding the subway. After a while I made the first step and decided to save myself money and get some exercise twice a day by walking to and from work. It's only a 20-25 minute brisk walk, so this may or may not help you depending on where you work, but it's a start if you can swing it.
Find something you enjoy doing physically. Like to swim? Hit it! Ignore other people entirely; most of them are probably ignoring you as well. Whether it's to lose weight, keep in shape or just relax after work, I guarantee you that most of them are paying less attention to you than you are to them. There will always be douchebags in the world, god knows I've had my share of unhelpful and outright meanspirited comments from total strangers while on the bike or just walking around, but those people will likely be fuckwits for their entire lives, whereas with some time and effort, you can stop being fat.
I second that you should read the fitness thread. It's great for beginners, workout regulars, and everyone in between. Diet is very important, so cut the regular pop out (I stick to the occasional diet drink when I wnat something sweet), and try to eat smaller meals more frequently, as suggested in the fitness thread. Drink more water and keep up on having breakfast!
I understand the WoW thing. I have played to a degree that would be considered excessive by most addicts. For frame of reference; 4/6 Sunwell bosses down, and I have 9 level 70 characters. For several years, it was something a girlfriend and I did together for fun, plus raiding and general shenanigans. Over the past six months I've cut my play time back, am getting to bed earlier and cutting out a lot of the snacking I'd do while playing. It doesn't help that I moved from a job where I spent up to 11 hours on the floor 7 days every 2 weeks, to a 9 to 5 job where I'm on my ass most of the day.
So there are other people out there like you, facing similar challenges, and believe me, I know it's not easy. I've had a gym membership for a year now, and it's seen periods of frequent use and other periods of neglect. The past few months it's ramped right back up by making sure I've got a good music mix on my ipod to keep me in the groove while doing cardio or hitting the benches, and lately I've been doing a lot more cardio while reading, which is something I enjoy doing but don't find nearly enough time for these days, so it kills two birds with one stone. Sure, I'd probably get more accomplished focused purely on pushing my hardest, but I don't even notice the workout until I'm done the graphic novel I brought with me, at which point 45 minutes have gone by and the meter's reading 700 calories burned. Might not be how you get motivated, but tying in things I enjoy (music, a good read, etc) and a workout has been working for me lately.
Regardless, best of luck, keep at it, and don't get discouraged. There will be setbacks, there will be days you don't feel like going and doing anything, and then there'll be days where you put on a pair of pants or a shirt and notice that they're roomier than they used to be.
Thanks dude! That is somewhat inspirational. Currently while we house hunt (we're in the middle of a moving with a shitty housing market) I am commuting by car 80 kilometre's to work on a daily basis. I ~think~ there is a gym in the small town we are staying in, but I am not sure yet. Once we've moved it'll be a lot easier to get into something established. Right now, I can borrow a bike or use the eliptical in the basement. My sister-in-law however likes to make snide comments about "how it'll never help" and "you can't be serious." so I don't exactly feel comfy exercising in the basement. Maybe an early morning bike ride is just the thing for me!