I asked a few days ago in a page of Shifting Roommates of whether or not people would be interested in reading what I’m up to. News articles have really turned into news about the site, so I’m making a new section for my personal stuff.
For the last several weeks I’ve starting going to a gym in my first real effort to get in shape in years. I’ve always been on the chunky side, but I had been slowly getting heavier over time. I’ve been going to a small local gym for a little over two months now and I’m finally getting some results.
I am getting more physically fit and more muscular, but the frustrating thing is that I’m still around the same weight I started at which is 220. Muscle is more dense than fat, so I might just be staying the same by replacing fat with muscle. Maybe I’m not dieting as much as I should either. The good news is that I’m now running much longer, lifting more in weights, and have more stamina than I did at the start. Hopefully I will start losing fat at some point.
What I’m up to:
| Playing | Tropico 4 |
| Watching | Old NFL Games |
| Working On | Stealing From Sis 15 |
Eat lots of protein, eat your vegetables, stay away from fast food, junk food, definitely sodas, drink lots of water and do tons of cardio to get blood pumping into your heart. It will build stamina. Also 8 hrs of sleep and lack of stress. Multivitamins help as well. Do your stretches before any type of exercise or work out so your muscles won’t stiffen up.
Patience is the key to success in this endeavour, I wish you all the patience you need and trust you will get to see improvement eventually.
On a side note: I have no idea about your finances but I saw you were looking for a house. When you move out you may want to put save some money for repairs or when times are tough. Though I am sure you are a considerate person and have already done so 🙂
Keep up the good work dear,
Sabrina
Funny I’m doing the exact same thing. I started at the YMCA about a month ago. I topped out at 252. Like you I don’t like my chubby look. I’m transgender and having a heavy male shaped body and trying to get into a female shaped dress can be a challenge. I put the weight on gradually and It didn’t occur to me until I attempted to try on some things that used to fit and no longer do. Currently I’m at 244 pounds but my next weigh in is tomorrow so I’m hoping to be down a few more.… Read more »
I jumped on the boat you’re on not long ago. It really is 70% diet and 30% working out. I’ll give you some tips that I wish I had learned sooner: 1) Replace everything you drink with cold water. Soda is the anti-christ to someone who wants to get into shape, even if just talking about the sugar alone. More than 15g of sugar in one hour makes your insulin spike = fat storage, and most soda cans have 30g or more! 2) This will be the toughest one, but you should be spending more time in the kitchen cooking… Read more »
Hey Sam,
A wise PT once told me the paper towel analogy. She said your body is the roll of towels and as you lose the weight, towels come off. You don’t see the roll shrinking really fast at the beginning (unless you’re pulling a lot of towels), but as you get to the ‘core,’ you’ll see change more quickly. Need to take your cue and start working out again. Thanks for starting the blog, and best of luck on the lifestyle change (diet can be such an ugly word.). -EJ
Do you play a lot of steam games or only stragegie
I’ve been moving more from Xbox to PC in the last few months. I play a lot of shooters and RPGs on the Xbox, but I almost always play strategy games on the PC.
Don’t worry so much about weight. Its just a number. Worry more about physical fitness and body mass. I was at my strongest at the end of my military service yet I was also at the heaviest weight I’d been while still in. I got much heavier and out of shape shortly after getting out. I need to get back in the gym myself.
Weight is a number, but I dislike my chubby look more than I care about the weight. Staying the same weight is fine if I could get rid of my fatty gut.
I feel the exact same way.
A few years ago I was frustrated that after (mostly) healthy eating and a lot of exercise I could not get my mid section to have shredded abs. I started thinking my body might be incapable of it. Then by fluke one month I barely drank any sodas or fruit juices, sticking mostly to water or even watering down any fruit juice I drank… And boom… Ab definition for the first time in years! So getting fit really is a science. What you eat and drink is 1st. Exercise is 2nd.
Dear Foxx: You are wise for trying to get back in shape. Losing weight is really a matter of embracing a healthy diet and lifestyle. All the running and weight training in the world won’t help if all you eat is junk food. Just stay the course and be sensible about your diet. You will be fine. Love ya, gina
You’re probably right. I really haven’t cut back on eating much nor am eating anything that’s less fattening. I thought going to the gym might be enough.