New Man on the block

Hi, all.

Have been reading through your messages and quite frankly, what you all are achieving is amazing... and certainly a booster for a newby like me! You bring a realism to it, and a refreshing honesty ... so please accept a massive generic thank you to everyone that posts here. :)

So ... me?.... I'm a 46 year old (separated) dad of three. Used to play rugby, squash etc... but you know the routine... i now sit at a desk job for 8-9 hours a day - add to that a 1hr and 15m commute each way and before you know it, any 'me' time goes out the window... i was no longer in control and my body was suffering because of it. two weeks ago I recorded my weiht at 256 lbs - which horrified me.... and I gave myself the biggest kick up the butt ever.

I ordered the wrist mounted fitbit and wifi scales... determined to shame myself everyday until my weight fell off.... The thing with the fitbit is.... its so competitive... i now find excuses to walk further... take a different route etc. I also banned certain foods - bread and pasta would actively make me feel tired... so they are out. Fresh fruit and veg are in and i upped my protein levels too. Invested in some running shoes and began to gently jog the local streets. Yes, admittedly old ladies were over taking me, just walking with there shopping bags, but at least I was doing something.

That wasn't enough for me... I like a challenge... and beleive being taken out of our comfort zone is good for us.... so i joined here and also ordered P90X... have now been on it 4 days

Weight this morning was 243.5 Ib.... i feel more energetic and I'm not suffering the energy peaks and troughs. Yes I ache... getting up is the worst... but its not as bad as I thought. and honestly - I'm loving it. It is diff to fit in 60-90 a day exercise but at the end of the day i won't see a difference if I don't make a change. My target incidentaly is 175 Ibs

Visiting this site truely inspires me.... I know its very early days for me - and there will be platos and set backs... and probably umpteen questions that I haven't yet thought of.

Anyway - enough of me boring you. Please drop by and say hi. I'd be honoured if you were part of my story... and I'm so grateful to you all for sharing yours.

All the best
Mikey.

Replies

  • I am new to and am right around the same age and weight as you and also have three children. I just started this journey and like you have found this site to be inspiring. I have started walking, both myself and with my two little ones in the stroller and have started to work on changing my diet and eating habits. Best of luck!
  • dixielawgirl
    dixielawgirl Posts: 437 Member
    Welcome, both of you! I think you'll find a lot of supportive people on MFP. I know I'm not a guy, but if you want a supportive friend, feel free to add me. I do my best to support everyone on my friends list. Good luck!
  • SpookyElectric
    SpookyElectric Posts: 56 Member
    Hey Mikey,

    Welcome! And well done on the progress so far! With an attitude like that, I have no doubt you'll achieve your goal! :)
  • MikeyWatts808
    MikeyWatts808 Posts: 4 Member
    DD - thanks buddy - and all the best to you my friend.. will be in touch :)

    Dixie - thats really appreciated thank u :)
  • waltcote
    waltcote Posts: 372 Member
    For me it's amazing what I can do by just being aware of what goes in my body. I'm 54 and have been working on this since July of this year. No more spontanious eating for something to do. And not crazy exercising, mostly just walking and burning calories lugging my golf clubs on the golf course. Not a very good golfer by any means but maybe by dropping more weight ya never know! Good luck with your weight loss journey. If you want more friends on here feel free to add me if you like! :glasses:
  • KANGOOJUMPS
    KANGOOJUMPS Posts: 6,472 Member
    you can do it!
  • Christi132
    Christi132 Posts: 67 Member
    I'm 46 and a Fitbit user too (user - 24S8V8). Although I've come a long way in the last couple of years, the last 10 pounds to go have been haunting me for awhile and I've been stuck for several months. Please feel free to add me. Good Luck!
  • scot30316
    scot30316 Posts: 169 Member
    Awesome work so far. It is very inspiring and cool to read everyones journey here. I've enjoyed my first week here. Adding you
  • 58Rock
    58Rock Posts: 176 Member
    Just another guy working hard to stay healthy! P90X is great, been working that for a couple of months now mixing things up. Enjoy the ride. Add me if you like. Look forward to seeing you around!
  • rose228822
    rose228822 Posts: 186 Member
    Good afternoon Mikey,
    Very nice post and thank you:)
    I actually found that I made the excuse that I didn't have the time to workout and yes I work full-time and do volunteer work and a mother of three teenage daughters but I found the time to sit on the couch and eat, found the time to go out to eat so I finally made it a priority to fit in a workout whether it's for 20 minutes or an hour...for me I truly enjoy working out and it is such a stress reliever and I have seen great results...I work out when I can sometimes in the morning, sometimes at night at the gym or home but I just make sure to fit it in!
    You are doing great and I wish you continued success and feel free to add me as a friend if you wish:smile:
  • 18guyhornet
    18guyhornet Posts: 195 Member
    Welcome. I've been on here a little a year and a half. Lost a bit over 32 lbs but most importantly lost lots of body fat. Went from about 30% to 16% (tested this week) I'm not at goal yet but I'm a work in progress.

    Kudos to you in finding a way to carve out "me" time in your busy life. I'm 47 and the father of three daughters and a son (who would have been 7 in April). I'm active on the boards and with my friends list. I purposely keep the list short to offer the most support I can. Add me if you like.
  • Hi Mikey-I'm new too! Since I'm still so new I've just been trying to make sure I record everything I eat-even if I do go over-at least I'm aware of what I'm putting into my body!!! I've been dealing with plantar fasciitis in my left for over a year now-have tried almost everything-good sneaks, inserts, cortisone shots, massages, was in a boot for a month, physical therapy, ice, meds, chiropractor and it hasn't gotten better :( Haven't worked out in over a year cause it hurts so much-it's all I can do some days to get thru the two 12 hour shifts I work a week as a NICU nurse! I know if I lost weight it would probably help so that's why I decided to try this-have tracked for 10 days now and down 3 lbs so headed in the right directions with a long way to go but the hubby is also tracking so hoping we can stick with it together :) I plan on trying to get back in the gym next week and try the bike and see how that goes. I look forward to getting to know everyone and working together to accomplish our goals :)

    Cheers,
    Jena in Texas
  • mtndank
    mtndank Posts: 4 Member
    Right on Mikey - inspiring. I'm in the same boat with respect to the kids, the desk job, the commute... I've been doing fitbit and MFP on and off for the last 6 months with good results when I stick with it. I want to kickstart my fitness even more and will be starting the Power 90 program next week. P90x is a little too intimidating! Any way nice to see you!