Joined Dec 30th - 1st post

[jrod67]

Ok so I joined this site Dec 30th because I am so sick and tired of myself. Weighing in at 375 lbs and only 5' 9" tall. Pathetic to say the least. I went seen a trainer and he told me I have great balance and movement. That was good to hear. Anyway I have been working out for the past week and feel so alive, and I think I finally got this.

In the past years I always said to myself to only do cardio to shed some weight, because I did not want to gain mass. Well after researching and more researching I found out I was doing it all wrong. So that is why I joined this site. I since started to use weights as part of my daily routine and boy does it feel nice to feel that tight feeling in the arms and shoulders.

Seriously I am so psyched that I decided I want to train for a tough mudder event. So I asked a few of my friends and they said they always wanted to do a tough mudder. So as of right now I am in training for a the 2014 mudder season.

If you have any advice or comments please type away I am a very easy going love to hear what other have to say.

So far I love the site!
Jarrod

[dougefresh93]

welcome. congrats on trying to change your life style and get in better shape. there is nothing i can say that you can't read in the stickys, but diet is very important as well as working out. Good luck and continue to update us to your progress. Cheers.

[Capt_Lou]

1 piece of advice, don't become a resolutioner.

[ljimd]

Welcome. Enjoy your journey.

[tryintorebuild]

Advice...

Take pics. Post them if you have the nerve (you won't get negative from this site). But take them. You are going to want to observe the difference. When you hit that 350 mark, you are probably going to face a little self inflicted discouragement. You will see yourself everyday and it won't feel like you have made any progress, but if you pull up a picture of yourself posing and compare it to where you are you'll have an instant resurge in commitment.

Believe me it works.

[frozensparky]

Good luck, stick with it

[MrNismo]

Congrats on your decision. Hope to see some wicked transformation pics from you this time next year. Best thing I have heard around here is 'it's a marathon not a sprint'. So settle in for the long haul man

[MoldyGopher]

My only setback in the past three years was breaking my thumb training for a Mudder. So be careful!

Other than that, take it a day at a time. Good luck! Eat smart, work hard.

[drudixon]

Nice to meet you Jerrod. We'll help as best as we can. The main thing is don't get discouraged by any set backs. The nice part about this train is it moves so slow that if you fall off, you can easily get back on at any time.

[jrod67]

Thanks all and I am so glad I found this site. I will get pix's tonight.

Capt_Lou if your talking about new years resolustions... I don't do them anymore. That is one way to get discouraged fast. Makes you feel like a failure and your worthless if you don't meet them. Thanks!

I think the slow moving train thing is what i am going to base this lifestyle change on. I got the wife and my oldest to join me, nw my youngest son wants to join so this just might be one awesome train.

Thanks again everyone, all comments are much appreciated.

[dazlittle]

. I got the wife and my oldest to join me, nw my youngest son wants to join so this just might be one awesome train.

That's great, the whole family benefits.

[DSUP]

You are not going to be able to accomplish what you're setting out to do unless you figure out how to eat right. No amount of excercise is going to get you around a poor diet.

I finally heard someone say it on TV yesterday and, of all people, it was Paula Deen: "It doesn't matter what you eat or when so much as how much." The bottom line is, how much you eat determines your size.

The universal rule to lose fat is calories in<calories out. It is very difficult to change the amount of calories out. It is much easier to manipulate the amount of calories in. The only thing that makes it hard is hunger and the only thing that can overcome hunger is willpower. How badly do you want it?

You can do it the way I did it (lose fifty pounds or so by eating less and then start excercising) or you can start excercising right away. Either way, diet is what's going to get the fat off you, not excercise.

That said, if you can figure out how to deal with your hunger, you'll be able to drop the extra fat relatively quickly. The other part of it is lifting weights for muscle and that will take the rest of your life.

It's up to you, keep eating too much and stay fat or learn some self discipline. Welcome and good luck.

[bustasinclair]

Thanks all and I am so glad I found this site. I will get pix's tonight.

Capt_Lou if your talking about new years resolustions... I don't do them anymore. That is one way to get discouraged fast. Makes you feel like a failure and your worthless if you don't meet them. Thanks!

I think the slow moving train thing is what i am going to base this lifestyle change on. I got the wife and my oldest to join me, nw my youngest son wants to join so this just might be one awesome train.

Thanks again everyone, all comments are much appreciated.

I get just as much inspiration reading posts like this as I do reading posts about transformations.

Keep it going Jrod!! No giving up!!

[bodyhard]

I had to google tough mudder

[FiveofClubs]

I had to google tough mudder

Me too! For those that don't know, it's a 10-12 mile obstacle course performed by teams that appears to be quite punishing.

Good luck on your goals Jrod. I started the same transition about six months ago and the results have come slowly yet steadily. As others have mentioned take pictures and get your diet sorted first, then just stick with it.

[ABeast1Day]

Was in the same boat. All those that posted are much more knowledgeable than me. But heres a few tips ive picked up.
1. Buy a good food scale.
2. Track everything. Be honest with it.
3. Lift heavy.
4. Stay consistent.
5. Take pictures. Best motivating factor for me. Besides fitting into clothes again.
6. Most importantly BE PATIENT. Try not to weigh yourself everyday.I did and it was torture. Mirrors and weekly weigh in.

Good luck bro.

[blueeyes35148]

Welcome....

This is a great place to get advise and motivation. We are also older so vanity is a little less here. We are now at the time in our lives that it is about us and our health, so we can be here for our children and grandchildren. Keep up the good work and drop us a line from time to time if you have any question or just to let us know how you are doing.

-Rick

[EjnarKolinkar]

Good job.

http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showth...hp?t=121703981

http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showth...hp?t=136691851

Some information that helped me on nutrition.

Those tough mudders are nuts, you are brave, you will get there.

[jtroster]

Welcome.

[Jrob69]

Nice- your going to be a tank. Like those Hawaiian guys.

[oldsuperman]

Advice...

Take pics. Post them if you have the nerve (you won't get negative from this site). But take them. You are going to want to observe the difference. When you hit that 350 mark, you are probably going to face a little self inflicted discouragement. You will see yourself everyday and it won't feel like you have made any progress, but if you pull up a picture of yourself posing and compare it to where you are you'll have an instant resurge in commitment.

Believe me it works.

Congrats on your decision. Hope to see some wicked transformation pics from you this time next year. Best thing I have heard around here is 'it's a marathon not a sprint'. So settle in for the long haul man

^^^^^^^^^^

97% of all peeps fail in their diet and fitness goals in the first year. I'm not being negative, just giving you the facts.

The reason is mostly because everyone thinks if just lose weight and get into that dress or jeans when they were in collage they'll be happy. Yet happiness must start from within ones heart, mind and soul. Many people will lose the weight, yet just to gain it all back and more after. Why? because they found out that losing the weight didn't make them happy after all.

Make sure you look deep within your heart and think about why your have been using food and basic lack of healthy living to keep you from having the kind of life that will truly make you happy. If you don't understand why you are the way you are, you will fail no matter how much weight you lose.

Once you discover why you are the way you are and understand what the triggers are, you can begin to make permeant change in your life. You will find it easier to stick to your diet and exercise program. You will be one of the 3% who are successful and truly happy.

[superman713]

Congrats and welcome to the loony bin!!!!!

Listen to the advice given in this section and focus on your nutrition. Learn about your macros, cal intake, satiation... and a million other things! LOL

Slow and steady and have patients. Rome wasnt built in a day. Read the nutrition section of this site because like stated above, no amount of working out can get you past a bad diet. Diet really is 80% of this thing.

Good luck and keep us posted Brother!!!

[CaptChip40]

Good luck with your goals and stick with it OP. Enjoy your newbie gains. This is a life style and there is something new to learn everyday.

PS this is like an old positive OV35 thread without anyone jumping down the OP's throat. Nice change.

[highiso]

Welcome. Firstly, get your nutrition plan nailed down, skip this step and you'll fail like the other 99% do. Secondly, workout 5-6 days per week, never let anyone tell you that's too much.

[DSUP]

Welcome. Firstly, get your nutrition plan nailed down, skip this step and you'll fail like the other 99% do. Secondly, workout 5-6 days per week, never let anyone tell you that's too much.

I disagree with the 5-6 days a week part. The most important thing is to remain consistent. Better to do three days a week consistently than to try for 5-6 and fail because you just can't keep that schedule up.

[quietchef]

Lots of great advice in this thread.

To OP, diet/nutrition is 90% of the battle. Get that squared away and find a good weight program. Commit to what you can do long term. Whether that is six days a week or three matters less than sticking with it for the long run.

Second the taking pics idea, wish I did when I was 300#.

Rock on.

[jrod67]

Thanks to you all it is all great advice. One thing I did not mention to you, I have a tumor on my putuitary gland which is the growth hormone gland, and the specialist told me that if I had it removed, my weight would come off easily, BUT he also said although you will make it through surgery, in some cases the patient is released and 2 to 3 days later they never wake up , they pass while they sleep. So I decided against having ti reoved becuase I have 4 kids 6-16 Thus another reason to get my arse in shape.

I see my doctor every year and I have been very fortunate that everything comes back normal. Next apt is Jan 30th so I hoping for the same results.

Ok on my eating habits, I do not drink any type of sodas, diet or regular. I am a faithfull water drinker! I do not keep any junk food in my house, or do I go out to eat it. My kids hate that. About a month ago to stop eating after 7pm, man that was tough in the begining, but now easier. About a year ago did track my eating habits and back then I was a bread eater. Upwards to 10 slices a day. Now I am lucky if I have 8 slices a week. I keep walnuts and apples at work, so if I do get hunger pains I grab that instead of something unhealthy. I replaced one meal with a shake from the local Natural way store. I also just started taking a multi-vitiman last week. Also my wife told I snore a lot so that is one of the things on my Doctors list to check out for - Sleep Apnea.

I am going to be joining the local gym here at the end of the month, and i am going to be talking to a trainer about nutrition. So Again Thanks for all your input and none of it is harsh to me,... just straight from the hip the way i like it. Straight shooters. Thanks Again!

[highiso]

I disagree with the 5-6 days a week part. The most important thing is to remain consistent. Better to do three days a week consistently than to try for 5-6 and fail because you just can't keep that schedule up.

That is 100% false. I've kept it up for over 2 1/2 years . Always 5 days a week, most of the time 6. Id never be where I'm at if I didn't work that hard.

[oldsuperman]

That is 100% false. I've kept it up for over 2 1/2 years . Always 5 days a week, most of the time 6. Id never be where I'm at if I didn't work that hard.

I'm the same way. Never had an issue.

[acrawlingchaos]

That is 100% false. I've kept it up for over 2 1/2 years . Always 5 days a week, most of the time 6. Id never be where I'm at if I didn't work that hard.

I think there is a trade off. You can get away with less time in the gym with more time dedicated to diet. I don't think anyone needs to be training 5 days a week, and that 3 is enough. Though I do agree that for those significantly overweight, moving EVERY day is important.