New guy checking in: 24 years old and ready for a change!

[cosmo247]

Well, after reading on and off since the beginning of the year, I decided its finally time to join and become a part of this great community. First off, I want to say thanks to EVERYONE who contributes to this forum, for the motivation, stories, advice, encouragement and just positive reinforcement. I know from other threads that Im not the only person who appreciates that, and to those of you who HAVE the builds most of us here aspire to have...you have no idea how much it means sometimes. : )

That being said, let me give you a rundown of MY situation and what Im looking to do: (I apologize in advance for this being long my brothers! : ) I hope I dont bore anyone with my story).

Im a 24 year old male, 5'10 with a current weight of 278lbs. (NO idea what my bodyfat is, but its obviously HIGH!). I have a pretty interesting story of how I arrived at this point though, and I feel it may help others in thier own struggles.

When I graduated HS in 2000, I was 255lbs and pretty "unaware" of how big I had gotten. I knew i was out of shape (i was never comfortable with my shirt off!), but I was obvlivious to the fact that I had become a "fat guy". That is..until my graduation pictures came back from the ceremony and the party afterwards, and I realized just how HUGE i looked compared to other people I had considered "normal size". THAT for me was a wake-up call!

In August of that year, I made the decision to FINALLY lose weight and become the body builder i had always dreamnt of being! (lol). When my very first year of college started, I joined the wrestling team within the first week of school and decided THIS was it. It was do or die. I was going to basically jump off the couch, and begin working harder then i had in my entire life! Well, for me it was DO because the following summer after a LONG season, I weighed in at a VERY lean and cut 178lbs. : ) I had a 31 inch waist, medium shirts, and people who hadnt seen me since HS were no longer recognizing me. I had literally TRANSFORMED my entire body in about 10 months of HARD exercise, lifting, and determination. Looking back now, the before and after pictures still never fail to astound me! : )

(By the way, it is important to mention here for anyone that NEEDs this motivation to NOT GIVE UP! I remember about 2 1/2 months into my wrestling season (around November), literally almost CRYING to my wrestling coach because it just seemed HOPELESS. I was working harder then I ever had in my life (soaking at least 2 t-shirts a day from hard cardio sessions and team runs), i was CHUGGING water, and my diet had been completly transformed. I had only lost about 10-12 pounds by then, and at that point, i felt like there was NOTHING more I could do that I wasnt already. I was losing motivation QUICK, and i began to feel like maybe I was just MEANT to be a fat guy in life. My wrestling coach took me aside that day, and explained to me that even if my results werent showing too significantly on the SCALE yet, that my body was starting to change. He insisted that he had already noticed a difference, and that "once my metabolism realized these changes were here to stay, that I would literally hit a "SWITCH" and my progress would take off". Well, after 2 1/2 months of the regime and very minimal progress mentioned above, i was skeptical, but feeling that I came that far i figured, "whats another couple months". I decided to keep the faith and press on a little further. Well, about 2 months later, I came to realize...he was right. And my life was about to change DRASTICALLY for the better!

Have you ever someone say, "You didnt get FAT in 2-3 months, so dont expect to get THIN in 2-3 either!". I can honestly say, TRUER WORDS WERE NEVER SPOKEN!!!!

In January of that year, i hit that "SWITCH". Having lost only 4-5 pounds the month earlier, all of a sudden i was down 12. The next month, i shed another 10. The next month, 13. My weight that i had carried around since i was little literally began to FALL off me! As it came off, i began working even harder (now the motivation was there!). I was running twice a day (early in the morning and again before going to bed), and I had almost NO desire to eat the crap i had been eating beforehand (Mcdonalds and Burgerking were now dirty words to me!). I was FINALLY seeing the results I had dreamed of.

Well, i managed to keep that weight off till my senior year of college a few years later (21 years old), when i became lazy and comfortable. I had the girl of my dreams, I felt unstoppable after being one of the most confident and popular guys on campus my entire college career (with the exception of early on in my freshman year of course!), and i began not to care as 5-10-15 and then 20-25 pounds snuck up on me. By January of my senior year, i was WELL on my way back to becoming the "old" me, and i weighed in at a chunky 220 pounds (still not HUGE, but i was no longer built with the nice body that i had the years before!). I was off the wagon, and i was starting to gain weight QUICK.

On a friends advice, I decided to give Atkins a try, and lo and behold it worked INCREDIBLY for me. I shed 25 pounds in about 2 months without exercising at ALL, and in NO time I was back down to 190-195. I kept it up for a few months through graduation, and i had alleviated my worries. That summer though, i once AGAIN became lazy and comfortable. My Gf and I moved in together, and i went from watching what i was eating ALL the time to not caring again. (my downfall was pizza and pasta. I am Italian, and after not having ANY carbs for months, i broke down and began a permanent BINGE back to my old ways). In the next two years, I BALLOONED up to my current weight of 275-280, and i have been there since. Atkins did NOT work for me the second or THIRD time I tried it (i worked JUST as hard as i had the first time with just as much discipline, hoping for that "quick and easy fix" that i had experienced before, but the results were never NEAR the same), and i tried half-assed for a few months here and there to "get back on track". My problem was always consistency though, and after usually 2 months or so with minimal results (10 pounds here, 10 pounds there) i ALWAYS went back to my old ways. (that is the YO-YO that has been my life these past 2 years!). My wonderful GF has amazingly stayed with me (she is a dream come true), and she has been supportive of me the ENTIRE time throughout allll my weight struggles since college.

My LAST wake-up call however came a few weeks ago though. When I went to 6-Flags Great Adventure and was excited to ride my all-time favorite roller coaster-Batman the Ride. That is until, after waiting in line for an hour to ride it, and in front of a platform of 200+ people, the attendent couldnt get the harness over me, and i had to get off the ride humiliated and ashamed as my friends rode it without me. In the car on the way home that day, I VOWED that would be the LAST time I was EVER embarressed about my weight. It is time to change, and this time, i am going to do it the RIGHT way (NO quick fixes, no easy-outs, and NO shortcuts!). This is not a diet for me. I am beginning a complete lifestyle change.

So here i am guys. : ) I apologize for the long read but it helped me to get it all out there as this story begins (I JUST joined the gym again 2 weeks ago, and have jumped back on the wagon since!). Thanks AGAIN in advance for everyone who contributes to this forum. I trully appreciate it and I hope that I can also contribute with my own journey in the upcoming months! Wish me luck! : )

Cliffnotes:

Age: 24
Hgt: 5'10
Waist: 40
Shirt Size: 2X
Current weight as of Saturday, August 26: 278 pounds.
Goal Weight: 190lbs.

Optimistic means of doing so: An Elliptical, a treadmill, a set of free weights and a bench, TONS of water, a completely revamped diet and all the determination in the world!!

[kaplanfx]

Good luck, hope our little team here can help you out.

-Kap

[dasixthsun]

good luck on the new lifestyle change. I started a journal in the journal section called the three month challenge. Feel free to add to it and track your progress. heres the link
http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showth...1#post11333141

[imajika]

Congrats on deciding to make the change!

I decided to make a complete lifestyle and fitness change last year and I am SO happy that I did. I have lost 85 pounds since I started and I have never felt better. I love going to the gym now and my self confidence has increased tenfold. Deciding to make a lifestyle change and get myself into shape has been the greatest decision I have ever made.

Congrats again and welcome to the 'no more lard ass' club!

[cosmo247]

Thanks alot guys! I appreciate the responses! I will definitely check out the journal and keep everyone up to date on my progress from month to month!

imajika congrats bud! that is AWESOME to hear and great motivation to guys like me who are just getting started! Keep up the good work and I wish you the best of luck man! GREAT job! : )

[cosmo247]

UPDATE:

Starting weight:

August 26th - 278lbs.

This weekend:
September 17th - 269lbs.


ITS WORKING!!!!!

Now I just gotta stay on the wagon through another week of heavy cardio, tons of water, healthy living and no snacks after 8PM, and another, and another, and another...lol Next summer is going to be DIFFERENT for me if it kills me! Thanks for the advice/motivation/encouragement and tips thus far guys!

[matthewshine]

Good luck on reaching your goals.

I started doing the exact same thing a month ago after a dreadful summer of keeping myself covered up even at the beach, and people are already noticing the difference (it's a great confidence booster when work colleagues walk up and ask "Have you lost weight?").

[cosmo247]

Thanks man! Best of luck to you too!

[THX 138]

you sound like my bizzaro twin. I did it so can you!

[Manuel73]

Hi, coincidence or not I look today to your post and amazed as how similar your story is to my own, I too have a weight problem as in your case I lied to myself every time i thought " I gained weight,.. but don't look that fat" , suddenly Someone took pictures of me with some friends " oh my god , I'm really fat" but the last issue was my clothes, I couldn’t put ANYTHING ON, i was REALLY DEPRESSED, I have a beautiful wife, who didn't say much to me, because she really loves me and didn't want to make me feel bad, but truth be told I know it was hard for her to watch my physical downfall...although I always have fought my weight, I managed to stay in shape because I’ve always been a competitive athlete …. only 3 years ago I was national champion in the -90 kgs category in my country…..but after a serious low back injury I had to quit judo…that’s when my problems with the weight started to aggravate. To the point of June of this year when I was weighting 238 pounds!! , right now I’m weighting 224 ( today I’m going to post my fat loss journal!!,) and in a quest of being 175 lbs. GOOD LUCK IN YOUR QUEST, keep posting!!!!!!!

[cosmo247]

THX and Manuel, thanks alot for your replies! I appreciate the encouragement and its nice to know that it CAN be done! (there is light at the end of the tunnel! lol). Hearing that there are guys out there in such similar situations is comforting as well.

I will keep you updated on my progress. My goal is 2-3 pounds a week for as long as it takes to get to 180-190!

[Manuel73]

THX and Manuel, thanks alot for your replies! I appreciate the encouragement and its nice to know that it CAN be done! (there is light at the end of the tunnel! lol). Hearing that there are guys out there in such similar situations is comforting as well.

I will keep you updated on my progress. My goal is 2-3 pounds a week for as long as it takes to get to 180-190!

hi man, I just want to say that today I started a thread on my personal quest to transform my body, I would apreciate dearly your and everyone else support in achieving my dream!!!


http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=906123