Hi All,
I guess this is probably not the easiest thing to post up but I hope that this post might help some other people that are just starting out and trying to lose weight / bodyfat. This forum has been a huge help when I have struggled so if this post helps just one person it will be worth it.
I was always very lean as a teenager and played a fair bit of sport but gradually this tailed off as I entered my twenties and by the time I hit thirty I was very overweight and unfit. Things were not going well for me at this point and I ended up getting divorced not being allowed to see my kids etc and became virtually alcoholic.
The years passed and a very unhealthy lifestyle was taking its toll I was drinking very heavily to try and escape my problems and would eat rubbish the whole time. Anyway at my heaviest I was just over 18st with a 42" waist and I am 5 ft 11.
I dont recall exactly what the trigger was but one day I decided enough was enough and so decided to start my journey. I look back on the initial few months and shudder now I still feel disgusted with myself for getting in such a state.
At the outset I struggled to do any cv without my heart pounding and feeling like I was gonna keel over and die!
Over the next twelve months I cut right back on my drinking and cleaned up my eating habits, I didn't follow a 'diet' as such just cut out all fatty / sugary foods, takeaways etc.
I am not gonna say there has been a few wobbles along the way because there has and I have struggled to motivate myself from time to time. I have been really committed this past five months and train six days a week which is usually a 45 min cv session in gym or road run and every other day I train in the morning fasted for thirty mins. I also do abs exercises every other day.
Recently I have asked for some help with a weights routine to introduce although I am very inexperienced at this side of things. Hopefully this will help me progress even further.
My current stats are age 36, waist 32" and weight is 12st 9 lbs.
My main goal is to try and have a decent set of ABS for next summer and be confident to take my top off in public or on beach.
I am not sure what my bodyfat % is although the research on here leads me to believe a low bf% is as much a part of good abs as exercising.
In summary if you are reading this and you are just starting out please believe it can be done and you must not despair. If like me you looked at every way to cut corners like ECA etc forget it there is no way to achieve it in a short period of time I have learnt that.
My other advice would be not to let a bad day put you off everyone has wobbles along the way surely?
I have better self esteem now, am more confident and love having fitness as part of my life. If you are just starting out I cannot begin to describe the feeling when someone you havent seen for a while compliments me it is the best feeling in the world.
Finally a big thank you to all that post on this forum it has been a huge help esp Red Hot F's story that motivated me right at the start, good luck to everyone.
Sean
<message edited by aintquitting on 30 October 2009 16:07>