6'3" 162lbs- 6"3" 240lbs- current 227lbs New to the forum......go easy...lol

[highlights]

Hey guys

I have kind of lurked on the forum for a while. Really haven't had anything to show as I am far from physically gifted LOL.

I have read a ton over the years. My wife says I am crazy as I research everything. Things are starting to come together and I thought I would finally post.

Have always been the skinny guy and more rescently turned into a 37 year old father that is now the fat skinny guy Ughh!!!! Well that was two years ago when I decided something needed to happen. ( 39 in less than a month )

My wife and I decided to go on a trip to mexico ( first in ten years of marriage ) I looked at myself in the mirror and wondered what the $%^& happened. I was skinny my whole life but my years of neglect had turned me into even more of a disaster that needed to be adressed. And quickly .

So.... no more Mcdonalds, KFC, A@W..... you get the picture. I only ever ate 2 meals a day and it was usually a combination of those.

I have always been active , but I was the perfect ectomorph. As I got older though in more rescent years I noticed the belly growing..... arms getting even skinnier. Shit I looked like ET and I didn't look forward to hitting the beach in Mexico.

Here are a few pictures of my journey so far.

My diet I feel is damn near spot on for the various stages I needed to go through. Remember I could not just lose the fat or I would be grossly skinny and gaining the essential weight required to develop muscles just made me fatter. I think I had the worst shape you could ever want to begin with.

Anyways.......

here are the various stages I have gone through in the past 18 months.


This is me newly married 6"3" 162lbs ( 10 years ago )

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Heres the next one 6 years ago @ 168 lbs

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Heres the next 3 years ago ( even worse )

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Next is getting really unhealthy 198 lbs and mainly in the gut. 37 years old eighteen months ago

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Gaining weight begins. Alot of strength training and even more food! . this is 220 lbs and ....... fat !

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This was March at my heaviest. so 5 months ago 240 lbs.

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An this is after I did a two month cut and more rescently a 3 moth clean bulk. Finally some shape and no real offensive fat.

227 lbs

[cog]

Pull up your shorts.

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good point. ...lol

This one should be better.

[Delt King]

Great changes! The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.
Keep up the hard work...remember this should be a lifestyle not just a passing fad as you've proven,

[highlights]

I appreciate your words of encouragement!! Means alot. I admit I wasn't even sure about posting. Some of the comments can be over the top but I am all ears when it comes to picking up new ideas from seasoned pros. I do understand that it is a lifestyle. I now realize why it just never seemed to work in my younger years.Takes a hell of alot of dedication and discipline enough to not let one missed day end up turning into ten. I think the hardest thing for me is the eating. I just dont have any type of appetite. I could go for days without food. That would be a nice break. But I wont give up. Clothes are actually starting to fit....LOL

Thanks again

[YYZgeddylee]

keep at it highlights, you're doing good.

[GYMBRAT]

GREAT work! you've come a long ways good for you, keep at it

[cog]

You certainly look one hell of a lot better then when you were skiny.Those shorts had to come up eh?:welldone

[highlights]

LOLOL..... yeah no %^&. My wife pointed that out after I posted. Oh well .......

Yeah the change feels amazing. Feel like a differant guy. Kind of fun. Highly addictive



Still at it.............

[dan1977]

Like the other people said, a lot more solid now than what you were back then. Keep working at it, it's about being consistent and staying focussed which might be sometimes hard in your situation since you have a little one. THat's my plague right now. Very hard stay on track.

From the looks of it, your kid looks happy and this is what counts in your situation, family needs to come first. But there's still space left to integrate bodybuilding in your life.

[Rrrrolla]

What I hate about bodybuilding is how long it takes to make visible changes to your body. We struggle day in and day out for years and years to make such minute changes that do all add up in the end, but my God does it ever take a long time to really make a change. I dont even know if my body is even changing over the course of a year at this point.

The stages of bodybuilding are pretty interesting. At first you get the comments from your close friends, like WOW, you sure do look big these days, and that pushes you to take things even farther. Then the next stage is when strangers start to notice and make their comments, like people you barely know from the gym or whatever, and of course that makes you want to look even more impressive. Then there's the stage where you have pretty much had to get rid of all your normal friends, regular people are scared to even talk to you, and you sorta start to feel like there's something wrong with you. The feedback that made you love doing what you do goes almost completely away. The motivation becomes completely internal.

You have made some great transformations.
Hopefully you are enjoying stage one or two! Gotta love it!

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Yeah I hear you guys. I have two children and they are a hand full...lol

They have changed my world forever. for the better...LOL

I have been a serious fisherman for most of my life. Went pro for 12 years. Got into competitive R/C flying large scale aerobatic planes and Helis. Tend to take things to the max....my wife knows this all too well. Got rid of the scuba gear. Sold the drums. Focusing on family and business.

Anyways. I figured health was a good motivator. Esthetics became a great motivator as well ;) ( mid life crisis or what ). You meet alot of good people and it's the one thing where you can only compete with yourself... unless you take it to the stage. I get my one hour for the gym. Thats completely mine. No guilt. Its far less time than I would spend on the water or in the air. Then I can get back to the family.

You never can judge a guy/girl at the gym. Never really now where they have started from or where they are going or how far they have already come.

It's social yet internal all at the same time. Love it.

Friends and family... they can be clueless. Comments are , well pretty lame no matter how they are directed. Too big , too small. Why are you doing that. Why so much food. Want to get fat? Poople don't have a clue , or how it can affect you. I have learned that it means nothing to anyone really. After all it's only for ourselves.

Like the guy said above, you only impress your friends and scare your enemies for so long. After that it's all for yourself.

I am totally taken. I just hope my age doesn't limit reaching my goals. I know we all have the ideal and that we will always be pushing it a little further each time. Guess we'll see.

Thanks again for the great input here guys.

HL

[rated_rko]

great transformation man keep it up

[cog]

You don't have to work towards getting on stage,just the benefits to appearance and health especially as you get older are very much worth it.At some point you will start to notice that the people in your age bracket should really really be doing what you are.

[TopHatPlus]

Good job! I find that 90% of my workouts and results are all mental! Getting yourself to the gym on those lazy days and pushing through the pain. Although a lot of people will argue that vanity is a sad reason to workout (like my entire family) you really only get to live once so why not look as good as you can?

Keep up the good work! Take monthly photos, and just remember that this is a longer term gain!

[highlights]

Cog, your not kidding man. I see all my friends getting....... well..... at a point where something has to change. They can no longer rely on their youth to get them past bad habits. It's so easy to let it slide. Just as trying to build a better body the deterioration happens at such a slow rate as well that you really never notice it until you have some sort of inability to get things done or you are at the hospital because something blew.

Alot of the old school guys at the gym always ask my intentions. They seem confused when I say well being and esthetics. I think it's safe to say that this has trancended the elements of purely health. Alot of body building isn't really being health conscious in the first place. The weird eating habits, heavy training, supplements, tanning etc. I mean it's the picture of health but we all know that it can be tough on the body. ( and the people around us ) My wife thinks I have an eating disorder now. Of course I still feel like I am 162lbs. She says it's all part of "the " sickness.
Ok, I say as I head off to the gym.I always remind her of the alternative me. The one that was always tired. The one that was always moody. The one that always seemed to have the blues. Man I was a mess. Long years of family, work and worry had caught up with me. The recession kicked the $%^& out of me. My company went through all sorts of restructuring. Well this gym thing is for me and I feel great.

It really does become a passion as any other hobby or sport would. This really is highly addictive. Now that I am on a roll and have something to work with, I cant really ever see slowing down. It's a great feeling I guess I'll just have to keep an eye on. Definitely a lifestyle if it's to be kept.



Top hat..... your right dude. We only have one life. I feel better now than I have ever in my life. I'm going to roll with it. ..... LOL... course I am happily married with children so I just may not roll as much as I'd like. LOL Maybe just a little....

[Felinecougar]

I liked you at your heaviest. :p

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LOL.......Hey you can't argue with that I guess.
:o
THX