First of all, I want to say hi to all my fellow forum members as this is my first post here.

A short background into my "fitness":

I am a naturally large-framed guy; I've got size 14 shoes, size 13 ring fingers, and hands that can palm basketballs. I'm 5' 8.5", 245 lbs.(for now), and about 26.4% body fat. I'll be starting my fourth year of college this fall (2007).

In middle school, I ran track all three years, specifically the mile and the 100 meter dash. I was fairly in-shape, and by the end of eight grade I weighed somewhere around 120 lbs.

In highschool, I was never completely "in-shape," but I played football for three years until a torn ACL took me out of the game. I also stayed slightly active with JROTC for all 4 years. Each year in high school I would gain around 15-20 lbs, ending high school at around 185 lbs. I had a belly but I was at around 22% body fat.

I graduated high school in May 2004 and went into college that fall. I've been as active as the chairs that I sit in every day, and it shows. I'm around 245 lbs, 26.4% body fat, have acid reflux, chest pains, and get winded by walking up a flight of stairs. I'm approximately 60 lbs. overweight now, and my health is not good at all. I can barely remember anything for classes, my personal life, and just in general.

Well, I've been trying unsuccessfully for a long time to get back into shape, but I always made excuses and failed. Now, I'm to the point where I have more will power and a supporting girlfriend :tu: to help me actually get something done. This is the journal of my loss of the college 60 (4 years x Freshman 15 lbs.).

For now, I'm following a 10-week nutrition and exercise plan through Discovery Health's National Body Challenge. I'll be getting around 1500-2000 calories a day now, instead of the "Eat whatever you want" deal that is so typical of us college students.

I hope you guys can enjoy my progress, and hopefully I improve enough to impress you! Thanks!

Images
April 2007: http://picasaweb.google.com/mackenzie.richards/Fitness/photo?authkey=jqcVhgO4leY#5049761207232289298

Good luck to ya! I'm currently in the process of getting rid of my college fat too since I graduated this past December.

Well, today's officially Week 1, Day 2.

Since Easter was yesterday, it was very hard not to enjoy the sweets that come with the holiday... So, I'll just try to eat them "lightly"... that's okay, it's a ,er, gradual start.

Had more motivation today when I looked in the mirror and realized that nasty double-chin effect was occurring even when I wasn't tilting my head downward, but when it was sitting level. I have a big enough head already, I don't need any help making it look more massive.


More motivation when I found a career that interested me more than my current path. I'm a computer geek by nature, but I want it to remain a hobby, not be my career as well (I'm currently a Bachelor's Degree student in Computer Science). I was looking at the tech school near here and realizing they had a Cardiovascular Technology Associates degree... That sounds different, interesting, and helpful to other people, so maybe it'd make a great career too. All I know is that it's hard getting anything you want done (like fitness) when you can't even do what you want to do with your life.

Maybe more luck next week. I'm considering using my school's fitness center (top-quality gym) since we all have free use of it as students.
I'll just have to ignore the totally fit gals walking around, trying to shape off that "extra" 2 pounds they seem to hide from everybody with eyes. Who cares, I already have a girlfriend anyway, right.

Okay, it's two days away from Week 2, and so far my girlfriend dumped me, I've already failed a course before the semester's even over, I'm maxed on all credit, but at least I'm going to put a stationary bike in my bedroom - that should help.

It's pretty hard to get in shape when stuff in your life seems pretty crappy. I'm a positive kinda guy, but when everything kinda goes together at once, it's hard not to say, "screw it, i'll just stay fat and depressed."

Don't give up hope, it's when times are bad and things get rough that we, as human beings, can be most noble.

Persevere, each time you feel like giving up and saying "I think i'll just stay fat and depressed" remember the events that have depressed you and own them. Use your depression about what has happened to give you strength.

Never ever, ever forget that you have the right to your dreams.

Okay, it's two days away from Week 2, and so far my girlfriend dumped me, I've already failed a course before the semester's even over, I'm maxed on all credit, but at least I'm going to put a stationary bike in my bedroom - that should help.

It's pretty hard to get in shape when stuff in your life seems pretty crappy. I'm a positive kinda guy, but when everything kinda goes together at once, it's hard not to say, "screw it, i'll just stay fat and depressed."

Sorry to hear about the girlfriend and the course man. But listen up.

School is hard. I'm going to university right now (Computer Engineering. Fellow geek), and I know where you stand. I've come close to failing courses (a few times now), I've had my problems with women, and I've definitely been where you have been thinking "screw it". But you need to recognize that there are things you can control in your life.

No matter how shitty my day is, no matter how I'm feeling about external matters, keeping my fitness on track is something that I can always rely on. I can always rely on a training session to lift my spirits, relieve my stress, and give me a positive outlook once again. You need to start with changes that you can handle right now. You're going through a tough time, so you need to start with a change that you can handle.

Start hitting the gym consistently. Get there three or four times a week. When you get into that pattern, start cleaning up your diet. If you're feeling really overwhelmed right now, the last thing you need to do is turn everything up to max and go balls to the wall. Get your shit together, get your head into the game, and work for it. You know as well as I do that if it's worth having, it needs to be fought for. Times are tough for you right now. Think about where you want to be in three months - same shape as you are now? Or leaner, fitter, stronger?

John Stone wrote a great blurb on his main page today.

I'm so proud and inspired by all the awesome transformations that I've witnessed on the JSF Forum. If you think my results are atypical, then you have not spent enough time browsing the forum. Results as good as (or, very often, better than) mine are not unusual. I believe with all my heart that every single person reading this message has it within him or herself to make their own incredible transformation, but you've got to believe in yourself or I guarantee you that it will never happen. Each passing day is another day of your life that is gone forever. What are you waiting for?


I'll check in on you shortly to make sure you're behaving yourself.

College 60????? Gosh, I thought it was college 10. Man, that makes me scared to go to college now...

It's the "Freshman 15"... and supposedly, you usually burn off in the summer what you gain during the fall/spring after that... but not everyone does, so when it adds up... it's college 60.

Don't be scared... just make fitness a part of your day. We actually have a full-fledged fitness center (gym) as a free part of our college, but I don't really feel comfortable in there with a bunch of very slim, toned people who just want to be "perfect" (which is all we get in there).

Thanks to the rest of ya for your support, I'm handling it alright, it's just a bit all at once. Not having a job and not being able to work is great for relief of stress, but not when you can't pay back all the credit bills that start to flood in == more stress.

I have several things at home that I could use to help me get fit, but unfortunately, there's really no room to use them. I got a stationary bike in my room now, that will be good. But we also have an elliptical runner, a pro jump-rope, a small weight bench with about 180 lbs total weight, and some dumbbells that can use the same weights as the barbell. we also have a stair-stepper and some tae-bo movies, but it's just hard to use any of it.

i'm thinking of bringing at least the dumbbells into my room, even though they can only handle like 50 lbs each. i think it would be easier if i lived at school; i would be able to go to the gym at odd hours and also prepare every meal just for myself, meaning i could eat very healthy. while living at home saves money, it can start to be stressful when ur about to be 21.

Well, it's week 2, day 4. Getting over seeing your recently-ex-girlfriend with a new boyfriend 3 days after being dumped is quite a task, but it surprisingly gives you a lot of energy and motivation to exercise. Putting the stationary bike in my room was a great idea, it's much easier to use it now on a regular basis.
More than that, being back in the dating game gives a lot of motivation. Being college is a pretty damn stressful time though, especially when you don't even know what you want to do with your life, you just know you don't want to do what you're headed for. Fortunately, exercising is a verrrry nice stress reliever. I'm hoping by Week 3 on sunday that I can really start doing what i need to be, including my change of diet and more intense exercise.

First of all, welcome to the forum and good luck with your goals. I don't know where you live, but if the weather is getting warmer and prettier there, a morning walk and eventual run can be a great way to lose fat. Do it for about 45 minutes before breakfast and get your heart rate up. Research Fasted LISS.

Eat five or six times a day, drink water instead of sodas, get plenty of protein and lift weights regularly.

Your advice to the future college student was good. But it's not too late for you. Make this year your year to get in shape and do it. We'll help you too.

End of Week #3...

I haven't exactly kept up with exercise or diet for a while, so I think I need to push myself a lot harder.

The semester is almost over and summer semester will begin in a few weeks. I am looking forward to the school fitness center being nearly empty so that I can feel more comfortable using it.

I'm still trying to figure out my degree and career, it will be a while until that's off my shoulders.

I go to my GP tomorrow so I can get a referral to the orthopedist to get started on having surgery for my compartmental syndrome in my calves. Hopefully, I can start running normally by the end of the summer.

Okay, I've forgotten what 'week' it is but it doesn't really matter because I've not kept up with anything.

I just took my last final for the semester, which means I now feel a lot of freedom.

This summer, I am going to rock my university's fitness center, for some reason I feel more apt to exercise when it's sunny outside.

I have this OCDish thing about starting any kind of goals or plans in the middle of the week, though, so restarting my fitness plan right now just bothers me. I think I have a little more vigor this time to go through with it, especially since I'm recharged by this lovely Georgian weather.