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Steve-O's Redux

Old 03-09-2012, 01:36 AM
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Default Steve-O's Redux

Will be utilizing this thread as a place to log, journal and track my fitness & nutrition progress for updates etc.

Starting off with some background info as bio of sorts or a more formal introduction. Hopefully the novella format won't scare too many people off.



S
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Old 03-09-2012, 07:30 AM
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Background-
Little bit about how I became a new subspecies of endangered whale...

Over the years I was for the most part generally healthy and fit but had struggled with up and down weight. From the ages of 12-14 I was about 40 lbs. overweight (180lbs) so over summer break before HS started I spent 3 months with my sister in Colorado. Lived a normal, regular life, had a part time job mowing lawns, played sports with friends, went hiking in the Rockies, ate a normal healthy diet, mostly vegetarian (with some chicken and turkey). I lost all the weight and then some and came back a skinny kid, completely unintentional.

Back in high school I continued to maintain an active lifestyle. Weighed 135-140lbs and had almost no fat on my body. I had a full six-pack, muscle tone and definition all over. You could see the muscles in my shoulders, chest, biceps and forearms even without flexing. Used to jog 5 miles a day, mountain bike 20-30 miles up and down the coast of SoCal on the weekends. I exercised a minimum of at least 2 hours each day in addition to playing sports with friends and doing Phys Ed at school every day, aerobics, stretching, cardio, and some weight lifting. Most of what I did was exercises using my own bodyweight: pull-ups, pushups, triceps dips, crunches, calisthenics etc. Loved it.

After HS I started working full time and going to college part time.
That's when the weight started piling on. Over the next 16 years it would be up and down weight. I would be on a health and fitness kick, super motivated, energized and hit the gym, drop 20 lbs., feel great and then something would happen that would throw me off track, out of whack, lead to not being able to handle stress, pressure, depression and soon enough after a couple months I would be back to eating junk food and vedging out in front of the TV to deal with stress and pressure from the job, school, family drama, friend drama and eventual depression. Once in that cycle it can get pretty bad and out of control.

Fast forward to 2005/06 when I made a valiant and successful attempt at regaining control of my health. I partnered up with a buddy from work to the gym and we kept each other on track, kept each other motivated. I started educating myself on fitness and nutrition, became obsessed. He eventually stopped going and stopped eating healthy but I continued on for another couple years on my own and got down to 200lbs from 260. Looked good, felt great, wasn't depressed, and handled the stress from the job fairly well. Then life happened and too much crap from work, family, friends, and finances hit me all at once and threw me back into old, bad habits. Ultimately what it boiled down to was using that safety of being lazy and eating a bunch of junk food as a comfort to the stress, pressure and depression I was going through and didn't want to face. The emotional eating would then start just to numb myself, very much like a drug addiction.

One of my few loyal friends and former roommates recently told me some honest truth that made me think. He said many things that to anyone would seem mean and hurtful but in reality he said them because he actually cares about me, is genuinely concerned for me and it was the truth, something I NEEDED to hear rather than something I wanted to hear.

After telling me how I have become fat, lazy, depressed and boring he told me I am not the same person he knew when he first met me. I had changed, made a complete 180 and he is sad because he liked who I was. He liked when I was into eating healthy and going to the gym, living an active lifestyle. He misses my old self and wants to see that person again. He wants to see the real me again. What I have become is not who I really am.

After taking in all these things he said to me, I realized even though it seemed harsh and hurtful, he was actually right. What I have allowed myself to become is not who I really am, that in itself has contributed to the vicious cycle of stress, depression and emotional eating that has turned me into a prisoner of my own doing.

Last Monday I was fired from my job of almost 15 years.
You would think this would be devastating, that I would panic and start gorging on every type of junk food I could find. While it's sad that I am not working for that company anymore and I don't have that nice level of income, I am actually ok. I feel like a huge weight has been lifted, like I've been released from a dark dungeon that I was chained to for years.

I'm not missing that place at all and realize now how much that place affected me mentally. I know it was a major contributing factor of stress and depression and now I feel free to finally take a breather, pick my head up, open my eyes and see the sunshine all around, to take charge of my life and regain control of my health.


Congratulations if you're still reading this, you deserve brownie points.
(healthy, sugar-free, organic brownies using whole wheat, oat flour and apple sauce of course)
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Old 03-09-2012, 01:27 PM
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Default Starting Stats

From recently getting a physical from the doctor...

Here are starting stats:

start date: 3/01/2012
height: 5'9"
weight: 350lbs
waist: 55"
bmi: 50
cholesterol (total): 185
hdl- <15 (tc to hdl ratio- >11.93)
ldl- >164
triglicerides: 200
blood sugar: 105
blood pressure: 154/98
heart rate: 96 bmp

These numbers may seem pretty scary, hence the need for permanent change now.


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Old 03-09-2012, 03:45 PM
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Good for you for posting your stats, I find when people post starting stats that are not completely ideal they really are serious. I hope you do well on your journey and remember it is a marathon not a sprint.
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Old 03-09-2012, 04:43 PM
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Steve,

Welcome to FitDay. I enjoyed reading your story. It's a good thing that your friend can tell it like it is and you can accept it and go from there. Many people have to be coddled but in many cases that just aids in the problem.

Do you have any prospects for work lined up? You seem to be doing well with that, especially considered you spent almost 1/2 your line there... and all of your adult life there.

Good luck man! Stay around and post a lot! We are reading, even if we all don't respond.
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Old 03-10-2012, 12:25 AM
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Default New beginning

I completely understand your postition . As I was in the same boat a year ago. i was overweight, unhealthy, unhappy , and very depressed. The good news is with a consistent and dedicated change I am happier, healthier and in what I consider to be great shape. It took hard work , dedication and a willingness to completely change my lifestyle and how I viewed food and excercise. I am a better Father, husband and employee. It is funny because a year ago my job was on the "Bubble" because of my attitude and now I just spoke to my boss and she informed that if there was an opportunity to move up i was her first choice. But I didn't make this change for any of that. To remain successful my opinion is you have to do this for yourself. This was my approach and still is. i enjoy all the benefits from this idea. Because of that my motivation to stay healthy and to even get healthier remains strong even with my success. This for me is the key to the equation. Everyone has to find their own way and it seems to me you have an athlete in you. You just have to find away to keep that person in front of you and put the old you behind. keep your eyes on the prize and you will succeed.
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Old 03-10-2012, 04:49 AM
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Nice read steve! I've suffered from the majority of the above, depression, comfort eating and using that as an excuse to spiral. I've never actually been lean with a musclular physique. I've also never seen my belly button just the hole thats currently there. Sounds weird but I feel I'm missing out by not even experiencing my best physique. I know it's not easy but nothing worth having ever is. I'm enjoying being healthier and start work again in a couple of weeks after a year out. I went travelling for a couple of months but have got myself into quite alot of debt which got me down even more but no point dwelling on what you've done or how bad it is. Best thing to do is identify the issues and do something to fix them.

Good luck mate look forward to hearing your updates
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Old 03-10-2012, 07:02 AM
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Originally Posted by 01gt4.6

Do you have any prospects for work lined up? You seem to be doing well with that, especially considered you spent almost 1/2 your line there... and all of your adult life there.
Thanks for the welcome.

I am still working on finding a job. Had 3 interviews this past week, nothing came of them. Job hunting can be a full-time job in itself, it's crazy. Fortuntely I am smart with money and a saver so I have have enough to at least pay my mortgage, utilities and everyday living expenses for about 2 years without working. I am just applying everywhere and considering going back to school.
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Old 03-10-2012, 07:14 AM
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Default Goals

Thanks for all the welcomes and encouragement, much appreciated.

So these are my starting goals at the beginning of this journey.


short term:-
mid point date: 9/01/2012
mid-point weight: 270lbs

long term:-
end date: 5/01/2013
end weight: 170lbs
end waist: 32
end blood pressure: 120/70

Some of the things I want to be able to do and accomplish...aside from saving my health from dangerous heart-attack and stroke inducing numbers...

1. Would like to take a trip to Colorado to hike the Rockies,

2. Would love to start mountain biking again.

3. I want to go dance my butt off at some all night club or rave, to dance with the energy level and difficulty as something akin to Michael Jackson , Chris Brown or the like.

4. Would also love to plan a trip to Hawaii to go hiking and hang gliding or base jumping.

5. Also, I want to plan a trip back to Cali to go surfing, go to Knott's Berry Farm and go on every adult ride at least once.

That's about it for now. As time goes I'm sure there will be more things that come to mind to accomplish.


s

Last edited by SteveO20; 03-10-2012 at 08:01 AM.
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Old 03-10-2012, 07:57 AM
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Default Journal entry 1: 3/10/2012

Never been one to follow fad diets or any kind of diet, however I have experimented with a couple in the past with some positive results. In the past couple weeks since starting, I really have not had much of an appetite so I have only been eating mostly one or two large meals a day consisting of any combination of soup, veggies, rice, entree salads and protein shakes.

One of my approaches in fat loss to start off with at least is to allow my liver to be fully utilized in processing the existing excess body fat. The idea is to cleanse the liver so it can metabolize fat more efficiently. There are two "diets" that can help do this. The master cleanse and the fat flush detox.

So what I started today and continuing until 3/14 is to do my own all-liquids fast. Drinking water, juice, tea, nutritional shakes, protein smoothies, RTDs etc.

Once done with the liquids fast, the plan is to move on to the master cleanser followed by the fat flush detox.


As for activity, very light cardio at home (emphasis on light)


Bring on the cravings! They will be vanquished!


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