Hi all, been browsing this site for awhile and decided to register and introduce myself. I am 20 years old and live in Cincinnati, OH. I go to the University of Cincinnati and work part time. I have been running off and on for years going as far back as 13 years old with my dad. I recently made a personal demand to get into shape. I am 6'3'' and weigh 209 pounds. I calculated my BMI and got 25, which puts me just at the border of being in normal range and being overweight. Nonetheless, I have flab around the belly and am just tired of it. I am back into a routine of running, but time is constantly against me.
Some days, I'll be at school from 10-2, then work from 2-7, and just feel beat after getting off. I have been going to the gym 3 days a week. I run for 2.5 to 4 miles depending on how strong I'm feeling that day (like I said, sometimes I just don't have the energy), bike for 15-20 minutes, and get a few sets of crunches in. I think thats a good place to start, anyone have recommendations on a better approach? By the way, I guess I should mention that my ultimate goal is to lose 10-14 pounds.
The next thing I wanted to touch on is diet. I've never really "been on a diet", but I like to think I'm not a bad eater. I rarely eat desserts of any kind, and am getting better at drinking water, juice, or milk instead of pop. I only drink maybe one 12 oz pop a week. My main problem is that with school and work, I find it hard to mentally prepare myself for 5-6 small meals, concentrating on protein/simple carbs. I am also HORRIBLE about eating breakfast, I'm just not in that habit and never seem to be hungry for 2-3 hours when I get up. I am not blind, I understand that breakfast is a must, so what is a good breakfast to have? Oatmeal I guess would be good... Then the 3-4 meals the rest of the day is where I have problems. What are some good examples of little meals I could bring to school or work? Yogurt and a banana? Chicken with pasta? Oh, and my buddy gave me a big 5 lb. container of 100% whey protein, does a shake of that constitute a meal? Any help with a good diet would be awesome, as I see this being the hardest part for me.
I am very serious about this, and I don't want to lose faith and quit after a couple months. I want to have a reasonable diet and workout schedule that can slowly give me results. If you read this far, I appreciate it and would be honored to have your ideas/opinions. Some of you seem very knowledgeable about fitness and I respect that! Thanks!
Some days, I'll be at school from 10-2, then work from 2-7, and just feel beat after getting off. I have been going to the gym 3 days a week. I run for 2.5 to 4 miles depending on how strong I'm feeling that day (like I said, sometimes I just don't have the energy), bike for 15-20 minutes, and get a few sets of crunches in. I think thats a good place to start, anyone have recommendations on a better approach? By the way, I guess I should mention that my ultimate goal is to lose 10-14 pounds.
The next thing I wanted to touch on is diet. I've never really "been on a diet", but I like to think I'm not a bad eater. I rarely eat desserts of any kind, and am getting better at drinking water, juice, or milk instead of pop. I only drink maybe one 12 oz pop a week. My main problem is that with school and work, I find it hard to mentally prepare myself for 5-6 small meals, concentrating on protein/simple carbs. I am also HORRIBLE about eating breakfast, I'm just not in that habit and never seem to be hungry for 2-3 hours when I get up. I am not blind, I understand that breakfast is a must, so what is a good breakfast to have? Oatmeal I guess would be good... Then the 3-4 meals the rest of the day is where I have problems. What are some good examples of little meals I could bring to school or work? Yogurt and a banana? Chicken with pasta? Oh, and my buddy gave me a big 5 lb. container of 100% whey protein, does a shake of that constitute a meal? Any help with a good diet would be awesome, as I see this being the hardest part for me.
I am very serious about this, and I don't want to lose faith and quit after a couple months. I want to have a reasonable diet and workout schedule that can slowly give me results. If you read this far, I appreciate it and would be honored to have your ideas/opinions. Some of you seem very knowledgeable about fitness and I respect that! Thanks!
