Wow.
When I was in high school and in college until I met my wife (hmm) I worked out 6 days a week, and was in good shape. I was at around 165 when i got married.
I am 5'8 and I got up to 210. I slowly saw my muscle vanish, and my love handles grow. I was wowed when I realized that I had broken 200lbs. I had been in a size 32 pants, and kept sucking it in and denied it for a while, then I finally moved to a 34, and then I started sucking in to button those pants, I had some 36's but I never admitted I was that size.
I started to cut back on my eating and got down to about 197, and then I did a soup diet, its a weird diet where you eat as much of this vegetable soup with something different each day (its weird, one day vegetable, one day fruit, one day tomato and beef, etc) I got down to about 190 on that ,and I decided I needed to get back in shape. I joined the "wellness center" at our local university (I get a really cheap membership bc I teach a Bible class there for free!), and I started working out 5 days a week and doing cardio 5 days a week.
I absolutely hate cardio. I've never been any good at it, I could work out for 2 hours. The fastest I've ever run a mile was like 7:30 and I felt like I was gonna die (that was in High School). I had never run more than a mile and a half in one try. I knew I needed cardio bc I was fat, and needed to lose weight, and I needed to work out because I needed muscle, bc muscle burns more calories than fat.
Long story less long, I have been working out now for 4 months, I've cut down my eating, and I rarely eat sweets (I never actually had much of a sweet tooth), I rarely drink soft drinks (but do LOVE sweet tea), my biggest problem is this: I LOVE TO EAT. I don't really like much veggies, I just love to eat meat and potatoes, and for me it was important to just start forcing myself to watch how MUCH I was eating. Anyhow, I'm down to a solid 180 now, I might could lose another 5 pounds, but I have muscle on me now I didn't have. I work out and run 3 miles Mon-Fri. I usually have a protein shake for breakfast. I am comfortably back in my 32's again and clothes I had are actually big on me now. I am stronger and faster than I've ever been in my life, and it is such a relief! I'm don't get sick as often as I used to, and there is the sense of pride that comes from being in shape, but more so, getting back in shape.
The wellness center is going to be closed for Christmas break, but I'll use our elliptical machine, and if I didn't have that, I'd jump rope or do something for cardio. I have a small weight set I'll be using (like the olden days of high school
) and I am going to make sure that the changes in my life are here to stay.
I always said I didn't want to be a fat preacher, and when I became one (or was at least well on my way) it was discouraging.
To the guys who have jobs where they tend to be more sedentary (office guys), working out first thing in the morning will give you more energy. I really recommend working out early, before you eat. Lately, I've been doing it later at night, but working out before you eat breakfast is something like 300% more effective than working out at any other time during the day.
I also have switched to doing cardio first, and then weights, and that has made a difference for me as far as cutting fat. I hope it helps, I'll try to post some pics I had from before to now, I put on weight pretty evenly, but there is definitely a good difference in the "then" and "now". I hope this encourages some of you, you can do it! Once you start and get thru the first month, it gets easier and you start reaping the benefits (more energy, better health, more confidence). Stay at it, and say no to those seconds!
