By the way, I turn 25 in 2 months. I would really like to see some results by then. So going to train harder, get more serious about my diet, and prove to myself that I can really do this. I have been wanting this for a really long time. I mean a reaaaaalllly long time. I have been a member of T-Nation since 2007. I was 17 then. Wanting the same goals.
At the time, it was really because I felt unattractive and wanted to be “hot.” Now, I have a gf who doesn’t really care a whole lot how much I weigh. In fact, she could careless if I was still 180 pounds and continuing that trend (although she would be worried for my general health I’m sure). But this is really more to prove to myself that I can do anything as long as I work hard for it. I have a lot of dreams that I would like to accomplish.
Getting into the best shape of my life would be better than hitting the lotto for me. I really want this. And I really appreciate everyone’s help and advice. And knowing that now I may let you guys down, not just myself, helps me push myself in the gym and shy away from bad foods.
Also, kind of freaking out about turning 25 lol. Just a lil bit.
[quote]rubberducky7o3 wrote:
Eating tasty foods is the key to my success because if I’m not satisfied I’m more likely to eat chips. So far… chip free for about a week lol! It’s tough work. [/quote]
Incidentally, this reminds me of when I was first getting serious about eating cleaner and I resolved to stop eating snacks after dinner. I just stopped buying them, cold turkey, but of course I’d still get hungry once in a while after dinner. Instead of just giving and buying “a few” snacks to “bridge the gap” until I no longer craved an after-dinner snack, I made a deal with myself that I could still eat something after dinner, but instead of just eating a jar of peanut butter (which used to happen once every few weeks), I had to cook more real food. Sometimes it was as simple as cooking a couple of eggs or a few slices of bacon.
[quote]rubberducky7o3 wrote:
By the way, I turn 25 in 2 months. I would really like to see some results by then. So going to train harder, get more serious about my diet, and prove to myself that I can really do this. I have been wanting this for a really long time. I mean a reaaaaalllly long time. I have been a member of T-Nation since 2007. I was 17 then. Wanting the same goals.
[/quote]
I think many of us can relate. You seem to have the right mindset…
[quote]rubberducky7o3 wrote:
At the time, it was really because I felt unattractive and wanted to be “hot.” Now, I have a gf who doesn’t really care a whole lot how much I weigh. In fact, she could careless if I was still 180 pounds and continuing that trend (although she would be worried for my general health I’m sure). But this is really more to prove to myself that I can do anything as long as I work hard for it. I have a lot of dreams that I would like to accomplish.
[/quote]
…so now let’s get to it.
[quote]rubberducky7o3 wrote:
Getting into the best shape of my life would be better than hitting the lotto for me. I really want this. And I really appreciate everyone’s help and advice. And knowing that now I may let you guys down, not just myself, helps me push myself in the gym and shy away from bad foods.
[/quote]
Absolutely, this is a thing. Online communities have their pros and cons but if you ask me this is undeniably in the “pro” category. Ideally we’d all have real friends to talk workouts and diet and training with, but that isn’t always so. It can be exciting to go post about your latest workout or progress pic to your Internet friends.
[quote]rubberducky7o3 wrote:
Also, kind of freaking out about turning 25 lol. Just a lil bit. [/quote]
[quote]rubberducky7o3 wrote:
And knowing that now I may let you guys down, not just myself, helps me push myself in the gym and shy away from bad foods.[/quote]
Public accountability is a great tool, for sure. I think it’s why things on the forum here like Training Logs and the Photo/Video Check-In threads (next one coming up in August, BTW) get so much activity.
And it’s not even so much about “letting us down”, though I get what you mean. I think it’s even as simple as saying your plan out loud (seeing it written out, whatever), getting feedback, and then being accountable for the decisions you did or didn’t make.
I had that at 21. And 30. And 35. Probably going to happen again at 40. Pretty sure it never goes away, so don’t sweat it.
[quote]ActivitiesGuy wrote:
I made a deal with myself that I could still eat something after dinner, but instead of just eating a jar of peanut butter (which used to happen once every few weeks), I had to cook more real food. [/quote]
Nice call. Reminds me of Michael Pollan’s advice: Eat all the cookies, cake, and french fries you want… as long as you make them yourself, from scratch not a box.
And actually, Ducky, something like that might not be the worst idea in the world. If chips are one of your go-to junk foods, maybe play around some weekend with some recipes. Thin-sliced potatoes, salt, a little oil, some herbs and seasoning, tossed in the oven for a while. Just an idea. It’s a safer bet to make a bunch of chips from one or two whole potatoes instead of going through a bagful at a time. But if going chip free is working for you, stay the course.
to Ducky and Colucci: shut up. I just turned 48 and 50 is stareing me down ; (
BUT ! Because i started trolling here in 2007 I have no fear of 50 ! !! !!!
The amount of outpouring good info turned me from a skinny fat competitive cyclist into a muscular
ripped competitive cyclist ! Because my Strength to weight ratio skyrocketed, my speed went up even
though I used to compete at 6’1" at 158# and now I compete at 193 # and much faster !!
Keep up the good consistent work Ducky.
As for the Colucci, no end of respect to you Sir !
[quote]rubberducky7o3 wrote:
At the time, it was really because I felt unattractive and wanted to be “hot.” Now, I have a gf who doesn’t really care a whole lot how much I weigh. In fact, she could careless if I was still 180 pounds and continuing that trend (although she would be worried for my general health I’m sure). But this is really more to prove to myself that I can do anything as long as I work hard for it. I have a lot of dreams that I would like to accomplish.
[/quote]
This resonated with me on so many levels. I first got into lifting to look good nekkid (Like everyone does, let’s be honest for a minute) and I know find myself years later with a girlfriend who really doesn’t care about it. In fact, she’d rather I didn’t hit all of my goals in a way because she doesn’t like that look. She supports me all the same though because she appreciates how much I enjoy the process now. For me now, the process is the big win out of this. The mental discipline, the focus, and the feeling of achievement when you hit goals are far more important to me now than the goals themselves.
This is the Alpo dog food diet I mentioned earlier. Making everything public makes the price of failure more important than any cookie out there
[quote]
Also, kind of freaking out about turning 25 lol. Just a lil bit. [/quote]
I keep being told from a variety of trusted sources that life gets better after 30, as long as you put the work in while you’re young. Since I’m turning 30 in not much over a year, I’m sticking to that.
Nobody will judge you here for having an imperfect physique.
The only thing people will judge you for is complaining about your imperfect physique WITHOUT trying to improve it.
You’re clearly doing that. What’s happening in this thread is a great example of how galvanizing an online community can be.
Now go to Rogue Fitness website (or Craigslist), buy yourself a 26-pound kettlebell, and start watching YouTube videos on how to perform the goblet squat and kettlebell swing while you wait for it to arrive. It should be there in 2-3 days (Rogue ships stuff quickly).
Don’t be scared by the weight (25 whole pounds!). My GF started with a 20-pounder a few months ago and now she barely bothers with it except for warmups, preferring the 35-45 pound range.
(You don’t actually HAVE to use kettlebells, haha. I’m just offering one at-home workout solution that’ll get you further than a couple of 5-pound dumbbells. But really, there is more than one way to skin this cat - joining a gym, heavier dumbbells, mastering gymnastics and bodyweight movements)
Colucci, have you ever written an at-home program for limited equipment? Seems to me you might have done that at one point. I know Dan John has written some stuff to get folks started with a single medium weight dumbbell based on lunges, loaded carries, squats, etc.
Oh, and something else I wanted to mention, you might check out Hawaii-Tunya’s log. Not that you’ll want to follow exactly in her footsteps but the obstacles she has overcome to become a successful powerlifter are amazing. Somewhere nestled in her log is a long description of her life story that brought me to tears more than once.
[quote]ActivitiesGuy wrote:
Wait til you’re turning 30.[/quote]
Turning 30 cost me about $5,000. [/quote]
I hope there’s at least an awesome story to go along with that. Vegas weekend? Lawyer and bail fees? Tattoo cost?
[quote]killerDIRK wrote:
I just turned 48 and 50 is stareing me down[/quote]
Hey man, like Groucho used to say, you’re only as young as the woman you feel. No worries.
(And thanks for the kind words from you and Dagill. Much appreciated.)
[quote]ActivitiesGuy wrote:
Colucci, have you ever written an at-home program for limited equipment? Seems to me you might have done that at one point.[/quote]
Not one particular template that I can think of, other than my beginners/youngster bodyweight plan, but I’m sure I’ve whipped up some routines in a few threads over time. Usually case-specific depending on the equipment available (and goals, of course). If Duckster’s looking for a home workout, I’d be glad to see what’s what, just need a specific list of what’s available to work with.
[quote]ActivitiesGuy wrote:
Wait til you’re turning 30.[/quote]
Turning 30 cost me about $5,000. [/quote]
I hope there’s at least an awesome story to go along with that. Vegas weekend? Lawyer and bail fees? Tattoo cost?
[/quote]
Haha. Freak out trip to the Caribbean. I spared no expense!
[quote]ActivitiesGuy wrote:
Colucci, have you ever written an at-home program for limited equipment? Seems to me you might have done that at one point.[/quote]
Not one particular template that I can think of, other than my beginners/youngster bodyweight plan, but I’m sure I’ve whipped up some routines in a few threads over time. Usually case-specific depending on the equipment available (and goals, of course). If Duckster’s looking for a home workout, I’d be glad to see what’s what, just need a specific list of what’s available to work with.[/quote]
Cool beans.
I remember reading some stuff from Dan John in Never Let Go about what he’d recommend to a more-or-less sedentary person starting from scratch with a single dumbbell. Not that it’s turning anyone into Arnold, but just that it gets someone off the couch and building some basic strength and work capacity until they’re ready to move on up. It featured mostly carries, lunges, and squats with the lone dumbbell in a variety of positions (suitcase, goblet, overhead).
I’m a kettlebell enthusiast, so of course I gravitate to that recommendation because I think a steady diet of swings, squats, cleans, and presses can be an eternally productive home fitness routine. But really any weight (DB or KB) of some substance can be mobilized productively with some creativity. That’s why I’m encouraging ducky to go beyond the 5-pound dumbbells and get, well, whatever she can get her hands on that weighs more like 20 or 25 pounds.
[quote]ActivitiesGuy wrote:
Colucci, have you ever written an at-home program for limited equipment? Seems to me you might have done that at one point. I know Dan John has written some stuff to get folks started with a single medium weight dumbbell based on lunges, loaded carries, squats, etc.
[/quote]
Sinister and Simple would be a awesome start.
After that, I would go for something like the RKC workout book. The only reason I wouldn’t 100% recommend it is because I haven’t done much of it myself.
[quote]ActivitiesGuy wrote:
I remember reading some stuff from Dan John in Never Let Go about what he’d recommend to a more-or-less sedentary person starting from scratch with a single dumbbell.
[/quote]
I’m in the middle of rererererereading this and while I don’t remember any specific workouts that fit this bill, still think it’s a useful book for anyone to have read.
Going to read all of the recommendations sometime soon. Haven’t had any time. Took a day off from everything yesterday and relaxed for the whole day. Man, this was much needed. Didn’t work. Workout. Or meal prep. Just watched movies and hung out with friends. Made sure to bring my snacks and meals so I didn’t eat crap.
I did have my cheat meal but I barely ate 1/2 half of. Maybe 1/4. I just can’t put down fries and a burger like I used too. I think that’s a good thing. Also, forgot my leftovers at the restaurant so there was no finishing this greasy meal haha. I guess that was good too. Just feeling myself wanting to make healthier choices because my body is getting used to it.
So when I think about crap food I feel like I would be doing a great disservice to my body. So staying motivated and positive. Can’t believe I’m at 155. I didn’t think I had really lost any weight.
Hey ducky., if no one had mentioned it before, Did you get a Good Solid BEFORE PHOTO ?
Remember that the Mirror does not lie but the scale will. Congrats on the 155 !
A few Solid Time Tested and Animal Proven training programs out there would be
5/3/1 by Jim Wendler, Starting Strength by Mark Rippitoe, 5x5 stronglifts. Steve Pucinella for video shorts.
John Meadows is a phenominal Nutrition Guru as would be Dani Shugart. You could also follow Julia Ladewski on Fb.
Just the fact you are here, now more than in the past is an indication to us how much you want this…
So good on you !
[quote]rubberducky7o3 wrote:
Going to read all of the recommendations sometime soon. Haven’t had any time. Took a day off from everything yesterday and relaxed for the whole day. Man, this was much needed. Didn’t work. Workout. Or meal prep. Just watched movies and hung out with friends. Made sure to bring my snacks and meals so I didn’t eat crap.
I did have my cheat meal but I barely ate 1/2 half of. Maybe 1/4. I just can’t put down fries and a burger like I used too. I think that’s a good thing. Also, forgot my leftovers at the restaurant so there was no finishing this greasy meal haha. I guess that was good too. Just feeling myself wanting to make healthier choices because my body is getting used to it.
So when I think about crap food I feel like I would be doing a great disservice to my body. So staying motivated and positive. Can’t believe I’m at 155. I didn’t think I had really lost any weight. [/quote]
The fact that you are recognising when you are moving away from an “ideal” diet is a massive step forward. I have every faith you’re going to keep moving forward, well done.
