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General Advice for How to life (fitness/diet help)

Discussion in 'Self Improvement' started by Sam-_, Feb 7, 2019.

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  1. Sam-_

    Sam-_ Fapstronaut

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    Hello NoFap friend!

    So while I am taking up the hard mode for no PMO (cutting it out of my life completely), I need to find something to fill the gap except for doing homework, video games, or studying. That being said, I need to make time for exercising, and with that also eating healthy.

    With that, here are some things you might need to know about me:
    • I'm 5'11"
    • Last time I weighed myself I was around 220 lbs (a month ago, I usually fluctuate around +/- 5-8 lbs each time, check more or less once a month)
    • That would make my BMI around a 30 - I am arguably rather fit, I do a stair climb once a year that's 110 stories (yes, stories, so 220 flights, you wouldn't understand how many people go "Sam you mean flights, right???") for a fundraiser with literally zero exercise in my life, despite my BMI saying I'm a big man...
    • I have class Mo/We 10:30-3:00, and Tu/Th 12:00-4:30
    • I have access to a gym in my dorm, and time to go

    My only issue(s) that's kept me from going to the gym THIS SECOND is:
    • I don't know what to do and don't want to waste my time doing something that will either hurt me in the long run, or not produce gains.
    • I also haven't had the desire to, due to being new to my NoFap life (22 days at the time of writing this so I guess I've had 22 days but I've been trying to figure out WHAT TO DO, and still getting used to the no PMO lifestyle, it's weird okay?!)
    So with those points, I normally get asked these questions (Skip this if you're looking to help me and don't want to make an excuse, it's just me answering questions I know I will get because I have asked for some advice/help before, but nobody gave me it and decided to ask questions about what I said, rather than help a guy out...)
    • "Well Sam, why don't you look on Google? There's plenty of articles and links on there that are helpful and can help you get started in exercising!" - While this is a good point to be made, and you might call me lazy because of my answer but I'm telling you I'm not, I have tried on multiple occasions to find something on Google that is both helpful, and easy to understand for somebody with absolutely ZERO background in getting fit. So sure, Google might be able to help me if I looked hard enough, but I get overloaded with information, and eventually impatient in doing so.
    • "Well Sam, why don't you go ask somebody who works at a gym for an introduction? they can answer your questions for you! They are knowledgeable, and helpful!" - While you are correct, I would rather use what's at my disposal rather than going and getting a sales pitch in the form of an introduction at my local gym (Free gym downstairs if I knew what to do...) HOWEVER I also, call me lazy if you want but it's just how I work, would MUCH PREFER my information to be written out, and easily referenced rather than going to a gym, getting my introduction, relying on memorizing it, and forgetting it by the time I get home. (See my other posts, specifically my New to NoFap post here for why. (ADD for those who don't want to go look... But you're calling me lazy...))
    • "Well Sam, surely there's SOMETHING you can do that will give you some answers to your questions other than this, why don't you just go to the gym and try out the equipment, and do what feels right?" - (Yes I've had this question before) First off, I am doing something... I'm writing this... Second off, I already said I want my time to be EFFECTIVELY spent. Going to the gym and using machines I DON'T know how to use is not effective, and more than likely actually going to do more harm than good. I just want some help... Please?

    So now that you've made it this far, maybe you're considering you'll actually help me, and I really, REALLY hope that you are! I genuinely want to get on track with my life and take control. I am tired of being passenger to PMO, and want to take control of MY life.

    So, pretty much, here is what I am asking for:
    1. I really need a diet plan, and/or some advice on what to eat/what not to eat - Currently my diet consists mostly of eating chips sparsely throughout the week, and actual food on the weekends when I back home. (be specific if possible, I know I'm asking a lot but I tend to do poorly with information such as "less carbs more fats")
    2. based on what information I gave you, and any other you may need (just ask!) would you be able to give me a rough idea of what I should do at the gym for good gains? I don't want to be a muscle head, I just want to feel confident when I take my shirt off at the beach...
    3. Based on your knowledge and any research you might decide to do, how do I fair compared to the average 18 year old male in general?
    4. And if you REALLY want to, I know I missed something I always do. If there's any advice or tips you can give me that I didn't mention, that would be GREATLY appreciated.

    If you made it this far without wanting to rip your hair out, and still feel like giving me an answer, I cannot thank you enough and eagerly await that answer! I just want to get on top of my life (like I said), but don't know where/how to start as what I'm dealing with is COMPLETELY foreign soil for me. So, again, thank you in advance, and sorry for having some sarcasm throughout this, but I figured I could make it more interesting than a wall of text with some spaces... I digress.

    Thank you, you ARE the best,
    Sam
     
  2. This might not be thein-depth answer you're looking for, but here goes:
    1. Macros aren't that important. Change diet with the attitude that "this is pretty much how I'm going to eat to be healthy for the rest of my life", not "this is how I need to eat to lose the weight". It's way too common for people regain the weight even if the weight loss is successful.
    Eat actual food every meal. I think you do have some idea of what's healthy and what's not. Just follow the general guidelines ( https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-...ting/in-depth/dietary-guidelines/art-20045584 ), they will point you in the right general direction.
    If you really wanna get this down to a science, you do rough counts of calories ingested every day. That takes extra effort, though.
    2. I would recommend that you go to the gym 3 times per week (with rest days in between) and keep it pretty simple. 3 sets of each exercise, 10 reps in each set. Lat pulldowns, chest press machine/dumbbell bench press, seated rows and leg presses hits large parts of your body. You can add I. lateral raises if you want more shoulder focus; II. a glute exercise (hip thrusts are nice and simple, doesn't even require a gym) and hamstring curls if you want to activate the posterior part of your legs a lot more. III. biceps curls and triceps pushdowns if you want more arm focus. IV. And a core exercise, of course. Planks are good for beginners.
    ScottHernanFitness on youtube demonstrates how they are done.
    3. Comparisons aren't that useful. But you are definitely fatter than most 18 year olds. You may well be far fitter than what one would expect considering your size and lifestyle. But if so that's becasue you're so young. If you keep this up you're gonna be in objectively horrible fitness soon enough.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Feb 7, 2019
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  3. WretchedBoy

    WretchedBoy Fapstronaut

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    Hey Sam,
    as I read your post I found some aspects that reminded me of myself very well, so I will try to answer your questions from my personal experience.

    When I started NoFap, I wanted to improve my quality of life in general and for that I knew I had to also loose weight. My BMI was a 29,2 at that time and my aim was to lower it to a 24 in 6 month. I did set this time limit as I wanted to prevent myself from becoming lazy again and it worked quite good although after loosing the first few pounds I was motivated enough to keep going anyway.

    Here is how I started:

    1. I started to restrict myself from "unhealthy" food like fastfood, sweets, chocolate, chips and so. Only on sundays I would allow me to eat whatever I wanted to. This exception helped me to stay disciplined the rest of the week and the rule itself helped me to lower my caloric intake.

    2. Step two was going to the gym. I had already tried it a few times but as I didn´t really know how to train efficiently and results weren´t immediately visible lazyness always got it´s grip on me and I stopped very fast. If you really want to loose weight it´s all about regularity. If you train regulary your body WILL adapt to the new conditions and you will see changes. You can influence the speed of those changes by choosing a higher frequency (if you go to the gym 5 times a week you will loose weight faster than if you go there 2 times a week) but it´s important to find a rythm you feel good with.
    As I started I wanted to recognize results of my effort as soon as possible and my primary aim was to burn fat and loose weight. I started to go 5 times a week, 1,5 hours a day. The first hour I would use the crosstrainer (I don´t even know if that´s the right word for it). I would run on it for 55 Minutes. For loosing weight the duration of your training matters way more than the intensity so you can choose a tempo you feel comfortable with as long as you just manage to endure this 55 minutes. This was always my primary aim for every day. After that I would spend another 30 minutes to try out two or three different exercises like planks, sit-ups or whatever you seem to feel okay with. This helped me to get to know the possibilities I had in the gym on my own and without having to ask someone.

    I don't know if this would be a professionals way to advice you, but it did work very well for me although it was hard work. I lost about 40 pounds in 6 month, giving me a BMI of 23,9. By now I reduced the frequency to 2 - 3 times a week and started to add more weight lifting and other strength-oriented methods but if loosing weight is your aim intense movement and endurance are what helped me the most.

    Here are a few things I´d like to mention in that context:

    • the hardest part for me was to gain the right mentality and not being lazy after a few days. It helped me to start with a very high frequency as by exercising every workday it became a routine for me in about 2 or 3 weeks. From that point on and with the first results showing up I even started to enjoy the training a little bit. By now the time at the gym even is quite enjoyable for me.
    • Spending time on the same fitness device every day helped me to establish it as a comfort zone for me. After a few times I knew exactly how it worked and this helped me to not feel like everyone watches me (don´t know if that´s a problem for you though). Also an hour of running allows you to connect it to enjoyable stuff like listening to audiobooks or music or even watching some netflix on tablet - this helped me to recognize the training as quality time (and distracted me from the physical effort ;)).
    • If you are a numbers guy counting calories maybe helps you too. Try to stay below 2500 calories a day and the sport will do the rest.
    It might feel like a long way to go I want to promise you that it will turn into a quite enjoyable journey as soon as you feel the results coming.

    If you want to ask me something just do it. Wishing you all the best!
     
    Last edited: Feb 7, 2019
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  4. IGY

    IGY Fapstronaut
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    Don't build your hopes up Sam, I am no expert, lol. :rolleyes:

    I just wanted to pass on an observation that I have seen many speak of Calisthenics in positive terms. It is exercise without the need for a gym or any equipment. Basically, exercises using your own bodyweight. Examples everyone knows would be push ups, pull ups, sit ups, squat thrusts, jumping jacks etc. But there is an almost endless variety of things you can do to work on your body and get the general fitness or specific muscle tone on your abs, lats, biceps, triceps, quads etc that you desire. I cannot offer you any more than this, as I have exhausted my knowledge on the subject, hahaha. :p Good luck. :)
     
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  5. Absolutely. I actually did calisthenics for several months before I started lifting; I would've recommended that if he hadn't said he had access to a gym. That you didn't mention dips is deeply offensive. But I don't think it's as beginner-friendly as going to a gym and it's definitely not as easy to get that progressive overload right. Some of the good exercises (dips, rows...) require some creativity to perform without real equipment.

    I never learned how to do many of the cool moves (freestanding handstand, full l sit, front lever), so maybe I'll go back to training for that at some point.
     
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  6. IGY

    IGY Fapstronaut
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    o_O
     
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  7. You will find good beginner routines and guides on exercise form, and good forums to ask specific questions, at the following reddits: r/Fitness, r/weightroom, r/bodyweightfitness

    You should find some easily applicable dietary principles at r/gainit, r/loseit

    This is a good beginner program if you're interested in weights and have access to the proper equipment - https://stronglifts.com/5x5/ The website will also have a lot of the information you're looking for.

    Pick a routine that is doable for you (if you need to modify it ask questions on the appropriate reddit), and is geared towards your goals. Stick to one routine for a considerable length of time. Log your workouts and progress systematically.

    To avoid hurting yourself, invest time in learning good form for all exercises. That includes cardio such as running and rowing. Don't assume you know it / it's obvious. Ensure you have good arches in your feet and your knees aren't collapsing inward when squatting. Don't neglect training your core- everyone who is not paralysed should ensure their core is in good condition to help avoid injuries in daily life. Compound exercises, free weights, and calisthenics are superior to many weight machines in that many weight machines don't train your stabiliser muscles and movement patterns properly.

    If you apply your intellect, mind, and body, you're gonna love it.

    keep fighting
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Feb 7, 2019
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  8. Sam-_

    Sam-_ Fapstronaut

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    Thank you for this! All I wanted was a general guide (more or less) that I could reference need be, and this is that! So, thank you!
     
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  9. Marik757

    Marik757 Fapstronaut

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    Don't be afraid to use machine based equipments at the gyms. I've seen plenty of new folks getting into the gym with no knowledge and start with heavy free weights only to hurt themselves. Their is no shame using machines...

    Basically as you progress in time go from machines to dumbbells to barbells.

    Ex. Chest press machine -> dumbbell press -> bench press

    With dumbbells it helps you on your form to balance weights and maintain core. Plus easier to chug aside if you start struggling.
     
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  10. Sam-_

    Sam-_ Fapstronaut

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    Thank you for this, I’ll definitely use it for reference, and it was really helpful hearing somebody who was in a similar situation.

    But, overall, thanks for taking the time to write this out, and hopefully I’ll be able to report back with good results!
     
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  11. WretchedBoy

    WretchedBoy Fapstronaut

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    No problem, man. Wish you all the best for your goals.
     
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