briskjackal5 said:Look, you gotta focus on three big things—not 150 tiny distractions or some 1,500 wrong turns. That's just how it works. You're off to a great start—starting with the groceries was the right move.
Yeah, I'm with you—that's the only way to do it. It’s been ten days since I switched up my diet and got back into an exercise routine. My stomach is almost completely flat now—just a tiny bit left—and I can tell my whole body is changing. Honestly, I'm stoked. 😁 I was honestly terrified this would be a total uphill battle—five months out of work is a long time, no joke—but thank God things are actually looking up for now.
briskjackal5 said:If that’s really what you're aiming for—then yeah, you’re gonna have to get back on the grind and actually stay consistent this time. Let's be real—your metabolism isn't exactly going to be the same at 25 as it was when you were 18.
It wasn't even that long ago—I was exactly the same age I am now... and yeah, true, I know everything starts getting harder as you get older. That's exactly what I'm aiming for—but honestly? I want to push even further than that.
briskjackal5 said:Lateral raises. Simple—but if you aren't doing them right, you're just wasting time. Focus on that side delt tension—it’s the only way to actually get those shoulders looking wide. Don't ego lift. Control the weight—it's everything.
Ah, didn't catch the name—fixing that now.
briskjackal5 said:Circuit weight training is the better way to go—period.
@briskjackal5/">@@briskjackal5.. Thanks 🙂 Look, discipline isn't really an issue—I haven't touched that chocolate in three days. Instead, I've just been grabbing some fruit or Hubba Bubba when I need a sugar fix while studying 😁 So, yeah, I don't think that's going to be a problem either. I didn't quite catch what you meant by "women getting lost elsewhere"—what exactly are we talking about here?..
I finally rolled out of bed at a decent hour today (just now, lol), so I'm eating breakfast and then heading out for some exercise. I totally misinterpreted the whole "workout on an empty stomach" thing.
As for calories, honestly, even if I tried my hardest, I have zero clue how to track them.. I know it sounds weird, but I've just never dealt with it before. If anyone (you maybe?😉) wants to explain it clearly, go for it.
Hey, I've got real potential here 😍
Yeah, Cindy does everything from head to toe, so I figure that's fine.. What's this about "glute sculpting" with extra padding? And what's the deal with the adductor machine—why should I skip it?
I actually enjoy exercise in general, so that's no biggie.. I've been hitting the gym since last Monday, mostly just following this plan I'm writing down.
p.s. I don't knit 😉
@G-E-F... Oh, I get it now.. I just want it to vanish! Completely! 😁
And nothing I can do about it since I’m wide awake at that time 🙂 That’s just another issue—there's not much I can do there... I stay up studying way too late, wake up around noon, and by the time I finish my exercise and shower, it's already lunchtime
Exercise: 30 mins on the treadmill, 20 mins on the bike, 50 crunches—plus some arm work with dumbbells and glute/lower back stuff using the stability ball
Food: A bowl of beef broth (no noodles), turkey steak, salad (cabbage + greens) with a bit of fresh cheese, a banana, an apple, some pumpkin seeds, and about 150g of low-fat cottage cheese
Carl Taylor said:Why'd you take a photo of your ass a year ago? Were you just psyching yourself up to finally post it here?
I took it because I felt like it—idk, just wanted to see how it looked.
It wasn't about "gathering courage" or whatever—why would you even think that? Honestly, what’s the point of this kind of debate if you don't have anything actual to say about my diet, my exercise, or my progress since then? 👋
Look, orchids are fine, but no—I don't just eat trout.
Alright, I already posted about yesterday, and I’ll get today’s update up at the end of the day once I actually know. As for the day before yesterday... honestly, I can't for the life of me remember exactly what happened. But here's the deal: from now on, I'm logging everything I eat and my exercise routine every single day. On March 30th, I'm hitting the scale and taking pictures so we can see how it's going..
Alright, the photos look great, but since I already sent them over, give me some real feedback—you know, like "you're this kind of guy" or "these areas need work," or "you should focus on..." Can you? 🙂
Haha, thanks for the warm welcome then 😉
I did read it, but nothing too deep because I've got a massive pile of studying to do and just don't have time to dive into all the nutrition stuff right now... If you feel like it, just tell me what you'd change.
briskjackal5 said:Exactly. That’s just how things work here. We just gear up and get things done.
Don't tell me this is all you eat?
Oh yeah, I see 😁
Yeah, I'm trying to lose weight!
I'll post some pictures—they're from almost a year ago, but that was my look until month 9. They're pretty bad, honestly, but it's all I have... You guys can comment on them, and that's basically what I'm aiming to look like again soon 😉
As for the cramps, I know they happen, but I've never heard about numbness before. Whatever, it passes, so no big deal.
So everyone’s obsessed with those photos lately... I get the hype, really, but I can't post mine—don't have a camera and won't have one for another three weeks. The only thing I could upload are shots from exactly a year ago, if that even matters.
Anyway, here's my day
Exercise: 20 min treadmill run, 10 min bike, 45 min Cindy
Food: 2 apples, a banana, trout, a massive salad (fresh cucumbers, lettuce, and spinach) and about 200g of low-fat cottage cheese. Water is all I'm drinking
Regarding that numbness in my fingers—they felt a little tingly again today around the 10-minute mark, but it was barely anything. Probably just some weird way my body is adjusting to actual exercise after five months of doing absolutely nothing and just overeating.
I'm feeling way better now—no more cramping and zero pain. Heading to the gym since I missed my session earlier, so we'll see if things go south again... (so far, it's been fine, though the episodes are getting shorter every time)
Hahaha, you guys totally trashed my thread and now I'm just... 😉 Look, feel free to throw around all the technical jargon you want—stuff like lipolysis or catabolism—it’s not like I don't know a thing about this stuff, so no worries there.
Also, Steve—I'm not looking to go to a doctor or anything. I didn't even ask if I should see one. It hasn't crossed my mind to go because my feet start going numb after just 10 minutes of running; I was honestly just wondering if anyone had a logical explanation for it. The whole stretching thing would make sense if this happened *after* a workout, but I’m running for 10 minutes and then they start tingling right in the middle of the run.
So now how am I even supposed to know what to do 😁
Anyway, nobody actually answered my question about the leaf soreness—is that normal? Look, it’s not like I haven't done any exercise in my life—definitely not—but this has never happened to me before, so it’s throwing me off a bit
And thanks to everyone, I read everything and I've got the gist 🙂
Yeah, I’ve got one more question... after about 10 minutes on the treadmill, my calves start cramping up. This has never happened to me before. It was super intense during the first few days—like, really bad—but it’s mellowing out now. Still, I have no clue why it’s happening.. Btw, I keep the incline set the whole time, not sure if that matters
Cindy’s doing floor exercises—you know, stuff like 3 sets of 20 leg raises and some dumbbell work... I’m not totally sure how to classify it, but I’d say it’s anaerobic, even if she isn't using any big machines besides hand weights.
Man, this is killing me. I’ve seriously never looked like this before. Look, two months is fine, I guess, but I really thought I’d see results way sooner than this..
Alright, so I’ll just snack on some rice while I study—literally grinding all day next month except for meals and the gym—grab an apple or whatever... hopefully I can hang in there.
Okay, how about this routine—10 mins power walking on the treadmill, 45 mins with Cindy, then another 30-40 mins on the treadmill plus 10 mins on the bike.
And yeah, total dumb question, but realistically, how long do you think it'll take me to get in shape?
Also, what’s the move with cellulite? Does that just fade away naturally as I go through this process or what?
Got a new handle for this—I lurk on this sub sometimes, but this is my first actual post..
Basically, I'm 5'4", 123 lbs, 22 years old.
GOAL: Lose 6 lbs, get rid of cellulite, and keep my boobs (🤣 yeah, they're great right now, but yeah, I know it doesn't work like that)
So, this time last year I was 110 lbs, maybe peaked at 115 over the summer, and I've just been packing it on since October. Between July and November last year, I was hitting the gym pretty regularly, doing some Pilates occasionally, and watching what I ate.. then through July, August, and September, I wasn't really working out (just some light stuff) but I still watched my diet. Then from October until about a week ago, I completely stopped caring. Not until I caught a glimpse in the mirror and realized I needed to fix this ASAP. I’ve NEVER had a belly (I don't have one now either, it's just not perfectly flat anymore), but I've gotten soft around the sides—don't know what you call that part just below the waist—and my legs are a mess... cellulite and totally soft.
A week ago, I started hitting the gym again. Started with 20 mins on the treadmill (running + power walking) + 5 mins on the stationary bike + some abs, 5lb dumbbells for arms, and some other anaerobic leg stuff (floor work, stability ball, etc.). Now I'm doing 40 mins on the treadmill (half running, half power walking) + 10 mins on the bike (set to a crazy high resistance because the adjustment knob broke, so those 10 mins are killer), plus the rest remains the same.. Starting tomorrow, I plan to stick to the treadmill and bike, but instead of just messing around, I'm going to start that 45-minute workout routine with Cindy (tried it once briefly, like for two weeks, and I already saw results)
Diet-wise, a week ago I cut out bread, pasta, and potatoes entirely.. I'm eating salads, fruit, chicken, turkey, fish, low-fat cottage cheese, and a little bit of Corn Flakes in the morning (can't find any good oatmeal around here ..). The issue is I'm still eating sweets—and a lot of them—because I'm studying and I need the energy, and I just can't control myself. Since last week, I've polished off half a bag of those chocolate Petit Beurre cookies two days in a row.. today I ate a whole chocolate bar, yesterday too, and one day I demolished two.. I honestly don't know what to do about it.
Oh, and I'm also using that anti-cellulite cream every single day. No clue if it actually does anything, but I seriously need to do something about the texture.
The point of this thread is basically asking for some support, please 🙂, but mostly looking for advice if anyone has any. I'm gonna use this as a bit of a diary to track my progress..