Time for a change
Discussion
Ok.
Little bit of background.
Started going to the gym at 16, I was abit of a porker at school, nearly 13st. I ended up been 11st with BF of about 7% 6 pack(ish), defined muscles and a reasonably respectable bench press (I'm not a naturally strong person) and running about 10-15miles per week, plus rugby training and boxing.
Then, coming up to my 18th birthday I started smoking (I know, I'm a t
t). Then the drinking started. This has been a fun year moving away from home, living life as an 18, partying and going out pretty much every night.
Coming up to 19. I need to change. Friends have started mentioning that i'm developing a beer belly and i'm starting to look flabby. I am quite a vain person, so this needs to change, not only for my appearence but general health too, especially my liver. I currently drink probably 20+ pints of 4% larger per week (Not alcholism!!) so this needs to change, I find my self getting tired quickly too from small bursts of exercise.
The advice I am looking for is...
Shall i just go balls out and hit the gym like an animal as I was doing before, quit drinking, quit smoking.
Slowly progress to building up again and take my time.
My gut feeling is option one. Just wondered if there will be any other effects on my body of doing this??
Thanks
Craig
Little bit of background.
Started going to the gym at 16, I was abit of a porker at school, nearly 13st. I ended up been 11st with BF of about 7% 6 pack(ish), defined muscles and a reasonably respectable bench press (I'm not a naturally strong person) and running about 10-15miles per week, plus rugby training and boxing.
Then, coming up to my 18th birthday I started smoking (I know, I'm a t
t). Then the drinking started. This has been a fun year moving away from home, living life as an 18, partying and going out pretty much every night.Coming up to 19. I need to change. Friends have started mentioning that i'm developing a beer belly and i'm starting to look flabby. I am quite a vain person, so this needs to change, not only for my appearence but general health too, especially my liver. I currently drink probably 20+ pints of 4% larger per week (Not alcholism!!) so this needs to change, I find my self getting tired quickly too from small bursts of exercise.
The advice I am looking for is...
Shall i just go balls out and hit the gym like an animal as I was doing before, quit drinking, quit smoking.
Slowly progress to building up again and take my time.
My gut feeling is option one. Just wondered if there will be any other effects on my body of doing this??
Thanks
Craig
CyprusCraig said:
Ok.
Shall i just go balls out and hit the gym like an animal as I was doing before, quit drinking, quit smoking.
All work and no play makes Cyprus Craig a dull boy! Shall i just go balls out and hit the gym like an animal as I was doing before, quit drinking, quit smoking.
It has to be a realistic change - if all your matea are going out drinking and your sober your just going to feel pissed off. Just cut down on the booze but def quit the fags. When single i used to drink thur/fri/sat, rest of the week was gym and healthy eating. Worked for me, i was never 7% bf but i didnt have a beer belly either. But best of all i had many years of great times with my mates. Enjoy it!
Stop smoking ASAP and start exercising like a loony.CyprusCraig said:
Decided last night it was going to balls out animal style going for a run this morning hitting the gym this afternoon.
Working tonight so can't drink. Fags might be hard one, will see after the run this morning.
You think quitting fags is difficult now? After just a few years?Working tonight so can't drink. Fags might be hard one, will see after the run this morning.
You leave it for another five, ten or twenty years - then it'll be next to impossible.
QUIT NOW!CyprusCraig said:
I currently drink probably 20+ pints of 4% larger per week (Not alcholism!!)
Are you an expert on addiction, then?If you cut down to <5 a week, you'll notice more immediate improvements. Anyone can drink until they're drunk. Only a real man can tell his mates he's not drinking tonight and take the abuse.
Ease yourself back or you`ll end up hurting yourself, just take your first week or so steady, and dont go all out for the first couple, drop the fags completely, work some booze into your diet if you like it, the key is moderation.
Gym 3 times a week, half your booze consumption, drop the fags and generally clean your diet up, and you should notice a fair difference quite quickly.
Gym 3 times a week, half your booze consumption, drop the fags and generally clean your diet up, and you should notice a fair difference quite quickly.
ShadownINja said:
CyprusCraig said:
I currently drink probably 20+ pints of 4% larger per week (Not alcholism!!)
Are you an expert on addiction, then?If you cut down to <5 a week, you'll notice more immediate improvements. Anyone can drink until they're drunk. Only a real man can tell his mates he's not drinking tonight and take the abuse.
No I'm not an expert on addiction.
I can easily go for days weeks etc without beer/alcohol. Working in a bar in Cyprus for a while I've seen alot of people turn into alcoholics and its not a pretty sight.
I have no shame in not drinking, its just easy to do so, which is where my will power will come.
So far today i have had one cigarette. Ran 4 miles (need to get fitter). Swam for about half an hour, cool down after the run.
So far so good. Hit the gym tomorow.
I can easily go for days weeks etc without beer/alcohol. Working in a bar in Cyprus for a while I've seen alot of people turn into alcoholics and its not a pretty sight.
I have no shame in not drinking, its just easy to do so, which is where my will power will come.
So far today i have had one cigarette. Ran 4 miles (need to get fitter). Swam for about half an hour, cool down after the run.
So far so good. Hit the gym tomorow.
I'm in my first yr at uni. I go to the gym doing heavy weights four times a week and cardio maybe once of twice. However, I'll also go out probably three or four times a week and drink (a lot). I don't have a gut at all (in fact my six pack is just starting to show properly ) and unlike you I don't smoke. I try to eat as healthily as I can and sleep a lot. When I started gym in May 2008 I weighed circa 10 stone. I now weigh 13 without putting hardly any fat on.
I'm not writing this to try and boast to you about how great I am, but if you just follow a good gym routine and try and eat fairly healthily (I don't mean salad - I mean chicken, potatoes, eggs, beef, veg, wholegrain pasta, wholegrain bread etc) then you can go out and booze and still look good. I would definitely say give up smoking as I personally think it's horrible, but again I know a lot of people who I go to the gym with and smoke and they have great bodies. The key which I go by is: 60% diet, 20% working out, 20% rest. Don't do what one of my friends did and start going to the gym, then ordering a takeaway every night because "it's alright, I've been on the treadmill". It won't work.
Most of all, enjoy yourself though. IMO, it isn't any fun to go out to a club when all your mates are pissed and you're not - your mates begin to annoy you and you just feel awkward. Sure, take a few nights off but don't sacrifice something you can only enjoy when you're young so that you "look good"... If you have huge pecs and guns but you're a boring person, the girls won't want you anyway.
Look back on school when you were young? It was easy, right? And fun? Now imagine looking back in ten years at who you are now. Do you wanna be the boring guy who never went out on the lash with his mates? Or do you wanna be the guy who moderates himself but still knows how to have fun?
One final point - don't go mad on the exercise straight away (four miles is a lot for not having done exercise in a fair while). Pace yourself or you'll be pushing yourself so hard and be disappointed when it takes more than a couple of weeks to get rid of that gut. Gradually increase excercise, eat well, sleep a lot, enjoy life while you still can.
HH
) and unlike you I don't smoke. I try to eat as healthily as I can and sleep a lot. When I started gym in May 2008 I weighed circa 10 stone. I now weigh 13 without putting hardly any fat on.I'm not writing this to try and boast to you about how great I am, but if you just follow a good gym routine and try and eat fairly healthily (I don't mean salad - I mean chicken, potatoes, eggs, beef, veg, wholegrain pasta, wholegrain bread etc) then you can go out and booze and still look good. I would definitely say give up smoking as I personally think it's horrible, but again I know a lot of people who I go to the gym with and smoke and they have great bodies. The key which I go by is: 60% diet, 20% working out, 20% rest. Don't do what one of my friends did and start going to the gym, then ordering a takeaway every night because "it's alright, I've been on the treadmill". It won't work.
Most of all, enjoy yourself though. IMO, it isn't any fun to go out to a club when all your mates are pissed and you're not - your mates begin to annoy you and you just feel awkward. Sure, take a few nights off but don't sacrifice something you can only enjoy when you're young so that you "look good"... If you have huge pecs and guns but you're a boring person, the girls won't want you anyway.
Look back on school when you were young? It was easy, right? And fun? Now imagine looking back in ten years at who you are now. Do you wanna be the boring guy who never went out on the lash with his mates? Or do you wanna be the guy who moderates himself but still knows how to have fun?
One final point - don't go mad on the exercise straight away (four miles is a lot for not having done exercise in a fair while). Pace yourself or you'll be pushing yourself so hard and be disappointed when it takes more than a couple of weeks to get rid of that gut. Gradually increase excercise, eat well, sleep a lot, enjoy life while you still can.
HH
Quit smoking - that's just stupid.
Do more exercise - if find that doing lots of aerobic exercise allows me to eat and drink what I want without changing much in weight (5ft11, 11st4 at the moment which is at the upper end of my variation, 33 years old). If you're worried about it, "everything in moderation" is a good motto.
Do more exercise - if find that doing lots of aerobic exercise allows me to eat and drink what I want without changing much in weight (5ft11, 11st4 at the moment which is at the upper end of my variation, 33 years old). If you're worried about it, "everything in moderation" is a good motto.
Edited by ewenm on Friday 28th May 18:19
CyprusCraig said:
No I'm not an expert on addiction.
I can easily go for days weeks etc without beer/alcohol. Working in a bar in Cyprus for a while I've seen alot of people turn into alcoholics and its not a pretty sight.
I have no shame in not drinking, its just easy to do so, which is where my will power will come.
So far today i have had one cigarette. Ran 4 miles (need to get fitter). Swam for about half an hour, cool down after the run.
So far so good. Hit the gym tomorow.
Good man. I can easily go for days weeks etc without beer/alcohol. Working in a bar in Cyprus for a while I've seen alot of people turn into alcoholics and its not a pretty sight.
I have no shame in not drinking, its just easy to do so, which is where my will power will come.
So far today i have had one cigarette. Ran 4 miles (need to get fitter). Swam for about half an hour, cool down after the run.
So far so good. Hit the gym tomorow.
CyprusCraig said:
Quick update.
Hit the gym 4 times so far.
Haven't drank since i first posted and maybe had 5-6 cigarettes.
Feel alot better already!
onwards and upwards.
Might even post a custard picture with 6 pack when finished.... Maybe
If you can manage it, dont drink in the week. If you drink at the weekend you might be classed as a binge drinker but hey ho.Hit the gym 4 times so far.
Haven't drank since i first posted and maybe had 5-6 cigarettes.
Feel alot better already!
onwards and upwards.
Might even post a custard picture with 6 pack when finished.... Maybe
I used to drink a bottle of wine and 2/3cans of beer everynight when back from work, i stopped for 2 months and last nearly 1 1/2 stone, and all that i changed was the drink.
I dont drink in the week at all anymore and i must say i feel a lot better for it.
BTW 13stone isnt a porker!! I think i was born heavier than that!
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