thanks everyone,
I'm actually not so new to this stuff, but also not so good at it. I struggle to keep in shape once I get there! I weighed 285 four years ago (I am now 26, and stand about 6'1"). I got down to 200 a year later so I could enlist in the Air Force. I have been in the AF for three years now. I went back to 234 with my weight about two years ago and decided to enter the six week "abs diet challenge". I didn't really follow the guidelines of their diet, but instead used what worked for me the last time I tried to lose weight. I dropped to 204lbs in those six weeks and felt and looked great!
Shortly after that contest I had a couple of family tragedies that put me into some depression. And also I had to get ready for a trip to Iraq. I went to Iraq last summer and spent four months there. Don't let anyone kid you....the food there is fantastic! And there is PLENTY of it. I gained some weight over there and then when I got back this last September the beer party began
. I have eaten everything I could get my hands on since then and drank almost nightly. I find myself now at 250lbs.
I have cut off the alcohol, and put myself back on my six meal per day plan (I'll discuss that later). I have also been plagued with some bad joint pains since I returned from the desert, but the doctor can't figure it out. I have had several MRIs done, been to a joint specialist, and a nerve specialist. They have ruled out all forms of arthritis and any nerve damage. Some mornings I wake up and feel fine and other mornings I cant walk without limping. Some days my wrists are great and other days I cant open a car door. I hate it.
For exercise I make sure I am active every morning when I wake up. When my knees or ankles hurt I ride my bike, and when I feel fine I jog for about 30 minutes (I love running BTW). At lunch time I either go to the gym either for a 30 minute weight lifting session (depending on my joints) or some light exercise (not counted as my cardio). After work I go to the gym with my wife and we do our actual cardio, where I do a HIIT session on the
elliptical machine for 30 minutes. It may sound like I exercise a lot, but most of it is just keeping active, I am well aware of the fact that too much exercise can be
counter productive.
As far as my eating goes, I eat six meals per day totaling about 2500 calories. With roughly a 40/40/20 balance. I can list it out more specifically if anyone cares. I also drink a ton of water.
I will add on if anyone has any questions or comments. I will also post my "after" picture from that diet contest and a picture taken a few months before since I seem to have lost my original "before" photo. In the "before" photo I post I weighed about the same as I did when I actually started the contest.
Thanks for reading and thanks again for the support.
-ERIC
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