yup, another new guy. :)

[xROBxCOREx]

So I came across this forum with a google search, so I decided to join, and this seems like the best place for me to get the information Ive been looking for. My name is Robbie, Im 23, 6'2". I work full time and love my job to death. I cant live without music, family or friends. Now that you know a little about me, onto why I joined.

A couple months ago, after deciding I was tired of being single and overweight, I decided it was time to lose weight. I weighed in at about 297 lbs when I first started, and within a few weeks, maybe months (I always lose track of time haha) I was about 264. I was feeling alot better about myself and going to the gym all the time. Let me tell you, I could not believe how much weight I lost just by cutting out fast food and soda out of my food intake. It was rediculous. haha. Not to mention all the money I saved. lol. My only problem was that since I didnt know anything about nutrition and what foods were good and bad, my whole plan fell apart. I am a ridiculously picky eater, so I literally stuck to oatmeal, multigrain bread, salad, and some chicken breasts. It got old for me and since I didnt know what else was out there, I failed and gave up. Unfortunately, I put most of the weight back on that I worked so hard to get rid of. So here I am, ready to get back on track. I have never made a new years resolution, so Im ready to do this. I have already discovered other foods that wont be bad for me that I know I enjoy eating. Just by surfing through this site in the last day I have learned a ton, and I know Im just barely scratching the surface. I happen to be the kind of person that once they make up their mind, nothing can get in my way. Last time I just wasnt motivated enough to do it, but I have found a few ways to keep myself motivated, like taking progress pictures every week and when I feel like Im not making progress, I can just take a look at where I started. Luckily for me, I absolutely love mountain biking, which is going to become a big part of my exercising.

I wouldnt really say Im doing this to hopefully find a new girlfriend, but as lame as it sounds, thats something Im looking forward to. Not that I still dont meet girls alot, but I know it wont be as hard. haha. Im mostly doing this for myself, to prove to myself that I can do anything I put my mind to. I know I can do this, and now its time to do it. I look forward to reading through these forums and hopefully getting to know alot of you better. Ill attach some pictures of me so you get an idea about what I look like right now. I will be taking some better pictures for my progress pictures. Anyways, thats about it for now.

So here are some pics just for fun. haha
This is me in the red hat:

Here I am last year on New Years eve (Im in the pink tie.) haha

Here is me and my rot. I got her a sweater for the cold weather. haha

Here is a picture my sister took as a joke. I still laugh when I see it. lol

And here is my goal. Ok, not really, but its still funny. lol

Ok, Im done now...sorry for the long post.

 

[xROBxCOREx]

Sorry for the links...I dont know how to post pics on these forums yet. lol

 

[Steve]

What's up man, welcome to the community. It sounds like you've got the attitude and mentality to succeed!

Best to ya.

Mountain biking is tougher than it looks.... I did some mountain biking up in Conneticut during thanksgiving of this year and I about died. Very fun though.... excellent form of exercise.

You've got a good frame on you too.... I'd start incorporating some weights into the mix as well.

Diet is obviously going to be the number one driver to success. Limiting yourself to too few of food choices was a mistake, which sounds like you learned from. You need to add some flavor to that diet or you simply aren't going to stick to it. Especially once those hormones start kicking in sending the craving signals to eat.

This is by no means a complete list but here are some ideas:

Proteins: chicken, turkey, ground beef, flank steak, cottage cheese, eggs, pork tenderloin, fish, etc

Fats: nuts, natural peanut butter, fish oil pills, flax, avocados, extra virgin olive oil, fish, etc

Carbs: Fruits, veggies (lots of these previous 2), whole wheat pasta, rice, oats, whole wheat wraps, etc

 

[xROBxCOREx]

Hey Steve, thanks for all the info. Thats going to help out alot.

As for the mountain biking, its something I used to do daily. I used to race BMX for a dew years and then when I was about 14 I bought my first mountain bike and was hooked. It is tough though, you are correct. lol

Thats list of foods will definitely help me out and Im sure there are quiet a few others as well.