My Inspirational Story

[wgrapple]

If your wondering if you have what it takes to turn your health around and get on the right track...take it from me that if you focus and have intense discipline you can change your life in a very short time.

In March this year...I had been inactive for about a year(for the most part besides pickup basketball games and the once-a-month visit to the gf out at her school and occassional pushups)

I was about 170 pounds(I'm 5'10") and i had a nice little beer belly and yes even a small pair of man-tits from the long break from when i used to workout all the time(my body fat was up at 18% and most of my fat centers in on my chest and stomach). My diet consisted of multiple huge coffees daily w/loads of sugar and cream, dunkin donuts egg sandwiches, 99 restaurant honey bbq chicken, and 12 packs of delicious sam adams lager. I slept on the average 4 hours of sleep a night(if i was lucky) and made up for it by sleeping well into the day sat and sunday. I was also smoking about 7 grams of pot a week mainly because i was playing with a band a couple days a week...After realizing i was headed down the same path as many of my family members i made the decision to change my life(hopefully for good!)...

Here we are in June and I'm extremely happy with what i've been able to do...
I'm 145 with around 11% body fat(my body fat scale seems somewhat unreliable but usually reads between 11-13)...my baggy pants are now unwearable and my used to be unwearable pants are now baggy. My chest and abs are 1000x times better and after working out i now have a definitive 8-pack appearance and a cut look. So what did i change? EVERYTHING.

My routine...
Morning: Yoga, Stretching, Run/Jog on treadmill for 30 mins., fast-paced walk/cooldown for 15 mins. Breakfast...depends on time either an egg, whole wheat toast, oj, and multi-vitamin or a multi-grain all natural granola bar with oj and vitamin.

On way to work i have a fat-free expresso(my only caffeine intake of the day and much needed!)

Lunch: Fat free or reduced fat yogurt with granola(i suggest bear naked products which are just fantastic)...tons of water throughout the day and usually some grape juice.

After work on way home: smoothie or puffins granola bar(pre-workout snack)

Afternoon workout: bag workout(mixture of strikes, knees, and kicks) for 30 mins...and then a maximum hour weights workout. Keeping weight training to just hour sessions seems to be the perfect time limit. I split it up like this...Chest, shoulders, and midsection...arms(bi, tri, forearms)...and back and legs...

Dinner: Mostly veggies...fish or chicken...mostly lots of greens and a glass of v8 juice...

Pre-bed workout: Usually around 8 i throw on the running shoes and workout clothes again and get on the treadmill for 5 or 6 minutes to get a good sweat going...i then either cont. to run for 30 minutes or i do a mixture of a rope workout and sprints...followed by stretching and meditation.

I take in some water...take me sleep medication...shower...and get to sleep before 10 PM!!!

And then wake up at 530 to start a new day...

You can do whatever you want! Just do it...don't make excuses and don't wait for tommorow...you could go out and get drunk with some old buddies or you could get yourself in amazing shape...you just need to decide what is more important to you...

Good luck to anyone who is trying to reinvent themselves...just take 3 months and stick to a hardcore plan...if you aren't happy with the results go back to killing yourself with booze and fast food!

[Lord Strongo]

good for you dood , there's a couple thing i might add that are helpful. what you eat for dinner Dinner: Mostly veggies...fish or chicken...mostly lots of greens and a glass of v8 juice you should be eating like this 4-5 times a day the yogurt and granola have no nutritional value except for a light sugar fix,. the smoothie and puff bars are good for pre-work out. you might want to add a myoplex meal replacement shake to you're diet,for post work out.

[j wil]

Great story! I'm always happy to hear that someone has turned their life around and gotten into shape. It seems that in our culture, it's so easy to get out of shape...fast.

I won't offer up any advice. However, I used to compete in bodybuilding. I would get up to about 220lbs and diet down to compete at 176lbs. I feel like I know nutrition/diet very well. If you ever have any questions, feel free to ask me.

Keep up the good work!

[Beachbum]

Yeh, good news, glad to hear it. It always bums me alittle when I meet/hang with people committing slow suicide by drugs and alcohol (a brother for one). I was living like that in my teens, then got more healthy. Never looked back and have not a single regret. Sobering up and taking back control of my brain was the 1st best thing I've ever done...looking back now it seems like a no-brainer. It will effect the rest of your life in a positive way too.

Maybe I can feed on your success and get better motivated about yoga stuff. Lately I've been trying to start my day with some quiet prayerful stretching, but I can't seem to break the habit of turning on the news 1st thing and finding out what's up with the world. Then it stays on and I plod around stiff all day. It's all about the habits and the ruts.

[adrock]

congrats man, keep it up

[wgrapple]

good for you dood , there's a couple thing i might add that are helpful. what you eat for dinner Dinner: Mostly veggies...fish or chicken...mostly lots of greens and a glass of v8 juice you should be eating like this 4-5 times a day the yogurt and granola have no nutritional value except for a light sugar fix,. the smoothie and puff bars are good for pre-work out. you might want to add a myoplex meal replacement shake to you're diet,for post work out.

Thanks for the advice strongo...myoplex meals might be the kind of thing i need to add in for extra calories and nutrition. Adding veggies at lunch time is prob the way to go as well...

Also any advice on supplements?...i've been talking to a couple of guys training and they use supplements pretty heavily...not sure if this is something i'm interested in...i.e.: supplements with creatine seem to have mixed opinions by professionals online and there seems to be a lot of side effects for at least 30% of people that take them. Any advice on this subject would be very helpful...thanks in advance.

[adrock]

Also any advice on supplements?

ummm Xyience duh! gosh silly :-D

[Lord Strongo]

Thanks for the advice strongo...myoplex meals might be the kind of thing i need to add in for extra calories and nutrition. Adding veggies at lunch time is prob the way to go as well...

Also any advice on supplements?...i've been talking to a couple of guys training and they use supplements pretty heavily...not sure if this is something i'm interested in...i.e.: supplements with creatine seem to have mixed opinions by professionals online and there seems to be a lot of side effects for at least 30% of people that take them. Any advice on this subject would be very helpful...thanks in advance.

you don't need all those suplements. if i was to recomend anything it would be xyience... no i just ****ing with you :p . glucosamine,glutamine and a muti vitamin and a meal replacement shake for post workout or when you're in a hurry and have no time to prepare a meal. thats all i use and some whey protien. if you train and eat right and get the proper rest suplements are really not worth buying at all.. i would also increase my dietary fiber intake to around 15-20 grams a day not at once or you'll have a mess in you're pants.alot of people who start a diet forget to add fiber which is important.

[adrock]

i know its not a suplement, but i've found that slim fast's optima shakes/bars work well when you work out

[j wil]

Supplements you may be interested in:

1. Protein powder: a quick and easy way to add protein to your diet

2. Meal Replacements: a good way to add quality calories/protein to your diet

3. Creatine: it all depends on the brand/type that you use

4. Glutamine: aids in the recovery process (IMO the most important AA for someone who is serious about training)

5. Multi-vitamin: everyone should take one

6. Glucosamine: I really wouldn't recommend it unless you have joint pain (not that it would hurt, but I would spend my money elsewhere if I were you)

If I had to pick my top 3, it would go like this:

First, pick between protein powder vs meal replacement. If you need calories in your diet, go with the meal replacement. If you don't really need the extra calories, go with the protein powder.

Next, go with the multi-vitamin.

Finally, go with glutamine. I like it best in powder form.

You may be thinking that this sounds expensive. If you go to GNC, it will be! However, there are some great internet sites to purchase supplements from. Some people here may be able to recommend a good site for you. I use netrition.com. They have great prices. Also, order as much as you want and shipping is $5.

[wgrapple]

Supplements you may be interested in:

1. Protein powder: a quick and easy way to add protein to your diet

2. Meal Replacements: a good way to add quality calories/protein to your diet

3. Creatine: it all depends on the brand/type that you use

4. Glutamine: aids in the recovery process (IMO the most important AA for someone who is serious about training)

5. Multi-vitamin: everyone should take one

6. Glucosamine: I really wouldn't recommend it unless you have joint pain (not that it would hurt, but I would spend my money elsewhere if I were you)

If I had to pick my top 3, it would go like this:

First, pick between <a style='text-decoration: none; border-bottom: 3px double;' href="http://www.serverlogic3.com/lm/rtl3.asp?si=24&k=protein%20powder" onmouseover="window.status='protein powder'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">protein powder</a> vs meal replacement. If you need calories in your diet, go with the meal replacement. If you don't really need the extra calories, go with the protein powder.

Next, go with the multi-vitamin.

Finally, go with glutamine. I like it best in powder form.

You may be thinking that this sounds expensive. If you go to GNC, it will be! However, there are some great internet sites to purchase supplements from. Some people here may be able to recommend a good site for you. I use netrition.com. They have great prices. Also, order as much as you want and shipping is $5.

Thanks for the rundown...i've done tons of research picking through all sorts of books on sports nutrition at Borders and Barnes and Nobles...seems to me that creatine like lots of other supplements does not have enough research to prove that loading your body with extra amounts of it won't cause medical problems down the road. I've read the average person's body produces 1-3 g of creatine naturally daily...so i'm a bit worried that adding 5x or 10x that amount using supplements could possibly cause problems. Also some clinical research studies show that in up to 50% of users of creatine there are side effects...ones that will disrupt your daily life...either way i'm not trying to gain massive amounts of muscle but i definately am interested in supplements that can help with my muscle recovery...i have an appointment with a new doctor who specializes in professional athletes so i'll report his advice...anyone have any questions they want me to ask feel free to tell me. I got a long list already...

[Lord Strongo]

Thanks for the rundown...i've done tons of research picking through all sorts of books on sports nutrition at Borders and Barnes and Nobles...seems to me that creatine like lots of other supplements does not have enough research to prove that loading your body with extra amounts of it won't cause medical problems down the road. I've read the average person's body produces 1-3 g of creatine naturally daily...so i'm a bit worried that adding 5x or 10x that amount using supplements could possibly cause problems. Also some clinical research studies show that in up to 50% of users of creatine there are side effects...ones that will disrupt your daily life...either way i'm not trying to gain massive amounts of muscle but i definately am interested in supplements that can help with my muscle recovery...i have an appointment with a new doctor who specializes in professional athletes so i'll report his advice...anyone have any questions they want me to ask feel free to tell me. I got a long list already...


ask him why it burns when i do #1.

[wgrapple]

ask him why it burns when i do #1.

Just stay away from those dirty Boston sluts!

[wgrapple]

I added a EAS nutritional shake after my daily strength workout...not very tasty but hopefully it will help with gaining some "good" weight

[Dgilbert]

hey bro good story you've inspired me, I've been really inactive for a very long time when it comes to athletics, I do have a physical job but it's not the same. I to have battled an addiction to weed and was living a life of lazy, hazy forgetfullness. I quit the smoking about two months ago, after 13 years of abuse of the so called harmless drug. It was one of the hardest things I've done, as I was a very heavy smoker, and extremely relient on it to get me through day to day living, but I'm feeling better already, and now have just joined the gym. I'm 6'2 235, and want to get down to 200, and with your story I know that it's definitly not impossible. Also thanks to everyone on those helpful healthy hints, i'll use them going forward.

[Lord Strongo]

I added a EAS nutritional shake after my daily strength workout...not very tasty but hopefully it will help with gaining some "good" weight


what is you're prework out meal???

[Kimuralex]

170 @ 18% = 30.6 lbs of fat, 140 lbs lean body mass
145 @ 11% = 16 lbs of fat, 129 lbs lean body mass

Not bad! Congrats!

[wgrapple]

hey bro good story you've inspired me, I've been really inactive for a very long time when it comes to athletics, I do have a physical job but it's not the same. I to have battled an addiction to weed and was living a life of lazy, hazy forgetfullness. I quit the smoking about two months ago, after 13 years of abuse of the so called harmless drug. It was one of the hardest things I've done, as I was a very heavy smoker, and extremely relient on it to get me through day to day living, but I'm feeling better already, and now have just joined the gym. I'm 6'2 235, and want to get down to 200, and with your story I know that it's definitly not impossible. Also thanks to everyone on those helpful healthy hints, i'll use them going forward.

Yeah the good ole pot is anything but helpful when it comes to living a healthy lifestyle...good choice man...so don't look back just keep movin' along...definately not an easy thing to remove from your life once it becomes a everday habit...

[wgrapple]

170 @ 18% = 30.6 lbs of fat, 140 lbs lean body mass
145 @ 11% = 16 lbs of fat, 129 lbs lean body mass

Not bad! Congrats!
Thanks...I'm currently at the 9%-10% 140 lb right now...and my girlfriend gave me a 9 out of 10 score!...up from a 7...I can't wait to finally enjoy some frosty beverages on the 4th...a nice reward...

[wgrapple]

what is you're prework out meal???

Puffins bar...choc peanut butter...all natural goodness!

[Kimuralex]

How tall are you?

[wgrapple]

How tall are you?

5'10"......

[Birdman84]

I didn't know they stacked pieces of **** that high.






....




KIDDING!

[Dgilbert]

Yeah the good ole pot is anything but helpful when it comes to living a healthy lifestyle...good choice man...so don't look back just keep movin' along...definately not an easy thing to remove from your life once it becomes a everday habit...
definitly not, amazing how relient you can become, on something that starts out so innocent, almost 3 months now, so far so good.

[Vanno]

I prefer more greens and other "negative calorie" foods in my diet, but I'm glad your program works.

[Kimuralex]

5'10"......
why are you cutting lol

[wgrapple]

I prefer more greens and other "negative calorie" foods in my diet, but I'm glad your program works.

Yeah i've added a lot of greens at lunch and dinner...its all about what works for you...

[wgrapple]

why are you cutting lol

Not really cutting...well fat yes!...i definately lost some muscle mass but not too much and it seems like i'm taking in enough protein with my weight training...at first when i lost a lot of weight I lost some strength but now It is starting to reverse itself...

I lost all the weight from running 50 miles a week...

Its not like back in high school with wrestling where I sucked weight...

I'm just eating what my body needs and nothing more for this summer...haven't had a single drink...so i'm going to have a couple beers tommorow...yes it sucks not being able to eat great food but I don't think about it...on the plus side sex is way up this summer!

[wgrapple]

I didn't know they stacked pieces of **** that high.






....




KIDDING!
thanks you bastard! :)