Please help!

Hi, I've read through a few of these posts and I seen that you all really help eachother out so I was hoping you guys could help me too. I am a 22 year old male, I weigh about 185 lbs and Im 6 ft tall. Im in decent shape for the most part, I just have a few extra pounds around my stomach area. Let me explain, I used to be a wiry little kid on the track team and always playing sports but for the last 5 years I have been suffering from depression. Because of this I lacked motivation to do anything, I would rarely do anything involving physical activity. They also say exercise is great for depression. For the last 2 years I have been trying to change, trying to get back in shape in more ways than just physically. I would go to the gym whenever I could drag my ass out of the house and lately I've been trying to watch what I eat. For example, I'll get a salad instead of fries and avoid soda at all costs. At the moment, I dont have any real direction as to what I should do. Im tired of the way things are going and I want it to change.

It feels like I have accomplished nothing in the last five years, and that could be partly due to the depression but I want it to end now. I am a university student and I dont have a summer job at the moment so I am willing to dedicate all my time to this. What I need is some direction. If someone could help me setup a routine and cardio exercises. I have read up about it a bit but I dont fully understand how to go about it. I have access to a full gym so any help at all is greatly appreciated. I just dont know what a good routine would be, what exercises to do, how much cardio, how often, etc. Right now I dont really follow a diet mostly cause I cant really afford it but I think what might be good is to avoid certain foods. What should I stay away from and eat more of? I read lots about proteins, etc. but what exactly are proteins?

I realize this may be a lot to ask, but I feel that this can change the way my life is heading. This is really affecting my self esteem and my day to day life. I cant do the things I want to because of it and I feel like its holding me back. I think that if I can beat this, things could only get better. I am extremely thankful for any help you can give, I am willing to make a commitment and make this work.

Sincerely,

Chris A.
 
It is definitely 100% true that exercise/getting healthy helps with depression ... I was depressed for quite a while as well (although not five years but it seemed like it!) and literally the day i got in the gym i started feeling better mentally! SO GREAT! In fact on July 4th weekend a few weeks ago i didnt go to the gym for 5 days straight and i was starting to feel depressed again! And for those of you reading its not like i get depressed b/c i may have gained a pound or something like that! Anyways ... stay active on this board and it will help .. just stick with it ... its SO great to smile and feel happy as opposed to being depressed!! It is always a constant battle though!! This helped me "hapiness is a way of travel not a destination" .. i know its a bit lame and i posted it here earlier but when i was depresed i always said i just want to get where i'm happy again but its not a place to be :) FOR REAL if you think about it .. its 100% true :)
 
Chris,
It's great that you realize what you want to do and are ready to make a change!
As far as a workout, if you have access to a trainer at your gym, take advantage of it. Most gyms will give you 1 or 2 free orientations and set up a program for you. This will be better than me trying to make a workout for you, as I dont know what kind of equipment you have access to.

The other thing I would recommend is to find a form of exercise you enjoy! If you like using weights, then great! But if it is tough to motivate yourself to go to the gym, shoot baskets, hike, swim, bike; find something you love to do, especially on your aerobic days! Don't keep yourself on a treadmill. Get outside and get some fresh air. Find someone to exercise with! Socialization can be a great way to help with depression.

I want to add to check out the article section of this forum. I posted an article on there called "using exercise to relieve stress." It may have some things in there you can use.

Let me know if it helps!

Wes
 
Ok, I'll look into it and give it a try. I've tried going to the gym with friends but either they dont go to the gym or they have what they need at home. We are all a bunch of poor students, Im just lucky enough to be on a plan with my parents. I'll go check out those articles too.
 
Oh and one more thing. Any help diet wise? What are some good foods to eat? But please dont tell me proteins etc, cause I dont know what that is. Say, skinless baked chicken with steamed vegetables? Could you give me a few meal ideas and what foods to avoid? PLEASE tell me barbecues are healthy :( Is steak healthy?
 
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