erasmusjones
New member
(Jan 15th 2010) Hey Everyone,
My name is Matt. I'm a freshman in college. I've been browsing this site for a couple of months now, and figured I would start my own thread that I will update periodically to keep motivated. I've set some new goals for this year (more on it below), and am very eager to get them accomplished.
I'm 18 and 5'11.
My weight came to a peak in early 2008. I was around 245lbs at the worst of it, and generally upset/stressed out about my body. I got this way through my terribly unhealthy high school cafeteria (my fault for not packing my own lunches), eating out a lot, and a general disinterest in getting fit. I worked hard at exercise and fitness in the summer of '08, and dropped about 30 pounds in 3.5 months. I spent the next year at around 215lbs, and worked hard in my first semester of college this year (Sept 09-Dec09) and dropped another 15 pounds.
I took a break over the Xmas holidays, ate a fair bit, but didn't cause too much harm.
I'm back on track now, and have finished my first week back at it. I'm currently sitting at around 200lbs.
Basically, I cut out most dairy, processed food, fried food, pop, etc, and worked hard to balance my diet. I counted calories pretty closely this past semester, and tried to take in around 1700-2000 a day. I got into a routine of having an apple and granola bar first thing every morning, and trying to eat lots of fruits/vegetables/protein throughout the day. My snacks are mostly fruit (apples/strawberries/raspberries), granola bars, almonds (raw unsalted), and protein shakes, and meals are mostly sandwiches (wheat bread, chicken or turkey, veges) or chicken breasts w/ vegetables. I try to balance it out through the whole day, so I'm eating something every couple hours, and no more than 500 cal or so at a time.
For fitness, I started doing strength training in the fall. I've been making steady gains in a general program that works all of the major muscle groups. For cardio, I am a big fan of the elliptical because of the low impact nature. I keep my HR in the 140-150 range, and go for an hour at a time 2-3 times a week. I usually do weights 3 times a week, and cardio 2-3 times, leaving a day or two of rest every week.
So, now for the present. I'm currently sitting at 200lbs, and have set a goal of 175lbs for June 1st. I want to be ready for the beach, and generally in good shape for the summer and beyond. I haven't really been the huge guy for a while now, but I am not the "wow, he's in pretty good shape" guy. I have also made a weird bet with a friend. If I win, he has to wear his Barney halloween costume around town for a day with me, and if I lose, I have to buy him a case of beer. I guess I don't have a lot to lose, but I'd love to drag him around town in his stupid Barney outfit. I feel bad that it took me this long to finally get to a point where my goal is in sight, but am very excited that I am doing it. Family/Friends seem to notice the change pretty quickly.
My goals for the next couple months:
- drink only in moderation on Friday/Saturday nights (have already been doing this for 4 months, shouldn't be an issue)
- get at least 4 hours of elliptical in per week
- eat well, keep daily calories in the 1700-2000 range
- put on some muscle
- look good for the beach
Thanks for reading (hope I didn't make it too long). My plan is to post an update every couple days, more so to keep me on track, but any thoughts/comments are more than welcome!
I will try to find some pics that show my progress so far, and in the future.
My name is Matt. I'm a freshman in college. I've been browsing this site for a couple of months now, and figured I would start my own thread that I will update periodically to keep motivated. I've set some new goals for this year (more on it below), and am very eager to get them accomplished.
I'm 18 and 5'11.
My weight came to a peak in early 2008. I was around 245lbs at the worst of it, and generally upset/stressed out about my body. I got this way through my terribly unhealthy high school cafeteria (my fault for not packing my own lunches), eating out a lot, and a general disinterest in getting fit. I worked hard at exercise and fitness in the summer of '08, and dropped about 30 pounds in 3.5 months. I spent the next year at around 215lbs, and worked hard in my first semester of college this year (Sept 09-Dec09) and dropped another 15 pounds.
I took a break over the Xmas holidays, ate a fair bit, but didn't cause too much harm.
I'm back on track now, and have finished my first week back at it. I'm currently sitting at around 200lbs.
Basically, I cut out most dairy, processed food, fried food, pop, etc, and worked hard to balance my diet. I counted calories pretty closely this past semester, and tried to take in around 1700-2000 a day. I got into a routine of having an apple and granola bar first thing every morning, and trying to eat lots of fruits/vegetables/protein throughout the day. My snacks are mostly fruit (apples/strawberries/raspberries), granola bars, almonds (raw unsalted), and protein shakes, and meals are mostly sandwiches (wheat bread, chicken or turkey, veges) or chicken breasts w/ vegetables. I try to balance it out through the whole day, so I'm eating something every couple hours, and no more than 500 cal or so at a time.
For fitness, I started doing strength training in the fall. I've been making steady gains in a general program that works all of the major muscle groups. For cardio, I am a big fan of the elliptical because of the low impact nature. I keep my HR in the 140-150 range, and go for an hour at a time 2-3 times a week. I usually do weights 3 times a week, and cardio 2-3 times, leaving a day or two of rest every week.
So, now for the present. I'm currently sitting at 200lbs, and have set a goal of 175lbs for June 1st. I want to be ready for the beach, and generally in good shape for the summer and beyond. I haven't really been the huge guy for a while now, but I am not the "wow, he's in pretty good shape" guy. I have also made a weird bet with a friend. If I win, he has to wear his Barney halloween costume around town for a day with me, and if I lose, I have to buy him a case of beer. I guess I don't have a lot to lose, but I'd love to drag him around town in his stupid Barney outfit. I feel bad that it took me this long to finally get to a point where my goal is in sight, but am very excited that I am doing it. Family/Friends seem to notice the change pretty quickly.
My goals for the next couple months:
- drink only in moderation on Friday/Saturday nights (have already been doing this for 4 months, shouldn't be an issue)
- get at least 4 hours of elliptical in per week
- eat well, keep daily calories in the 1700-2000 range
- put on some muscle
- look good for the beach
Thanks for reading (hope I didn't make it too long). My plan is to post an update every couple days, more so to keep me on track, but any thoughts/comments are more than welcome!
I will try to find some pics that show my progress so far, and in the future.
