Well after years of thinking it will never happen to me, it finally has. I think metabolism has stopped and I've hit rock bottom or least version of it. Sorry if any folks that are larger than me are offended.
I'm a 34-yr old , former US Marine. I used to be very active an in shape. After 9 years of home cooking and sitting behind a keyboard 10 hours a day. I seen a steady decline in fitness and I look totally different from the guy in the pictures.
I've read many of your posts and see the wealth of knowledge possessed on this website. Hopefully some of it can be aimed directly at me and I can get back to a shape or size that resembles what I'm used to.
Currently I am 5'9 and 193lbs, 36" waist. energy levels are lower than they should be despite the fact I'm up all the time. I frequently skip meals and can sometimes snack a few days without ever eating a real meal.
I tried getting it under control with eating tips from fitness mags and the like, but come on... Asparagus, oatmeal without sugar, SQUASH!!! With so many negatives, only positive is that I'm fed up with myself and ready for a change. Is there any advice you could give for which direction a beginner should go to get back to some semblance of order and fitness that was lost through years of neglect?
It will never happen to me? It did!!
Moderators: Boss Man, cassiegose
First of all… Maybe have a meal plan. TRY NOT TO SKIP MEALS… That will slow your metabolism down. By eating small meals every 3 hours will help. Once you get good eating habits, and then work on your exercise plan… There are good experts in this forum; they will totally give you good tips! GOOD LUCK 
i don't beleive metabolism just "decreases" with age but with more with the decrease in activity as you age...i think you know exactly what to do you just need to plan
IF YOU FAIL TO PLAN THAN YOUR PLANNING TO FAIL
simply:
- eat 5 times a day minimum with 7 - 8 being a better number
- solid protein with all meals but breakfast (you can if you want here though) and post training meal
- fruit at first meals
- veg and salad at the rest
- exercise 5hrs a week...this is a proven figure...those who train at kleast 5hrs a week are the one's most happy with there appearence
- keep a food diary
- keep a food log
- use a compliance grid with the 90% rule...for 5 meals a day that's 35 meals a week so your job will be to have 31 meals from your aforementioned prepared weekly plan...if you have miss a meal / training session or have something not on your plan than that meals gets a cross...if you count at least 31 crosses at the end of the week than treat yourself eith food, cash or whatever...if you don't reach 31 than no treat for you
IF YOU FAIL TO PLAN THAN YOUR PLANNING TO FAIL
simply:
- eat 5 times a day minimum with 7 - 8 being a better number
- solid protein with all meals but breakfast (you can if you want here though) and post training meal
- fruit at first meals
- veg and salad at the rest
- exercise 5hrs a week...this is a proven figure...those who train at kleast 5hrs a week are the one's most happy with there appearence
- keep a food diary
- keep a food log
- use a compliance grid with the 90% rule...for 5 meals a day that's 35 meals a week so your job will be to have 31 meals from your aforementioned prepared weekly plan...if you have miss a meal / training session or have something not on your plan than that meals gets a cross...if you count at least 31 crosses at the end of the week than treat yourself eith food, cash or whatever...if you don't reach 31 than no treat for you
50lbs WOW! That's the daily seven and leading the NCOs by exmaple no doubt.
Thanks for the tips. Headed out to the grocery store right now to stock up on some food stuffs. I've found I really don't have a problem with watching what I eat, and I'm much better with portion sizes, it's just that clock going off in head telling me to go eat when I don't feel hungry is what I wrestle with.
Sounds a bit stupid for a grown man to set an alarm clock to schedule meals, but I guess whatever works. Adapt and overcome. Everyone around me are either starting to balloon into the comfortable counch potato shape, experience failing health, or both.
Again thanks for the tips and good luck on the beach Leatherneck.
Thanks for the tips. Headed out to the grocery store right now to stock up on some food stuffs. I've found I really don't have a problem with watching what I eat, and I'm much better with portion sizes, it's just that clock going off in head telling me to go eat when I don't feel hungry is what I wrestle with.
Sounds a bit stupid for a grown man to set an alarm clock to schedule meals, but I guess whatever works. Adapt and overcome. Everyone around me are either starting to balloon into the comfortable counch potato shape, experience failing health, or both.
Again thanks for the tips and good luck on the beach Leatherneck.