Back story:

I used to be in good shape, not ripped but strong with a pretty flat stomach. 300lb bench press, 450lb deadlift, and 400lb squat, nothing too special but had a nice solid core. Then I met a girl who smoked (I didn't at the time) and ended up engaged, living together, and I picked up smoking as well. Then we broke up, I kept smoking, and ended up running hot shot deliveries for the oilfield. I would go days in a row without sleep, 140-150 hour weeks were pretty normal. I started chugging 2-3 16oz energy drinks a day, smoking 2 packs a day, eating whatever I could grab at truck stops, and as you can imagine gained a lot of weight. Early one morning after being up for 3 days straight I fell asleep behind the wheel and was awakened by a big rig laying on his horn because I had drifted in to oncoming traffic. I called my boss and told him what happened and that I needed some rest. After I was told to stop being a p*$$y and to not call him again because he was in his deer stand, I told him to eat a bag of d!*ks and quit. 

That's been over 3 years ago now and I never lost the weight I put on. I did however stop drinking energy drinks completely and have been smoke free for almost 2 years now. 

This is me at 255 lbs, I'm 6' 1" btw. 

 

I was starting to feel old (I'm only 33) and would be stove up in the mornings, even if I didn't do much that day. My energy level was low and just plain felt like crap most of the time. Well, I finally started a 6 day a week training routine a couple weeks ago and damn I feel good again! After the first of the year I'm going to start cutting calories, my weight goal is 215 lbs (what I used to weight) and I should be able to reach it by the beginning of April.

 

Eat breakfast every morning to jump start your metabolism and don't eat before bed/don't go to bed full. I'm 5'10" and I weighed 195 lbs 2 years ago when I took this job. Lifting 4-5 days a week and running a coupe days a week. Then I was averaging 1,000 miles a week for work, eating fast food and hardly lifting at all. I weighed 245 a couple months ago. Now, I'm traveling less, eating less fast food and hitting the weights a couple days a week, playing basketball again and I dropped down to 230 in about 2 months. Eating pretty clean, going to bed hungry and lifting weights will do amazing things for body fat/stomach area, and your head. I'm hoping to get back in shape before my son is born in April too!

When I train hard I HAVE to eat a small snack before bed or I won't sleep worth a damn. I wake up with my stomach growling and immediately mix up a protein shake and eat an orange or a banana. Then I'll cook up a couple eggs and a thin sliced pork chop. 

It's eggs every morning and meet and potato every night. During the day I drink lots of water and snack on peanuts while I'm driving ( it keeps me filled up and resists the urge to get convience store food) I have been driving truck for 25 years, started with dump trucks and concrete, and have been operating lowboy for the last 10. I m 5'10 and have maintained 190 for the last 10 years or so  ( I was a skinny SOB before I met my wife. Funny how that works) but I get a good work out loading equipment and dragging chains and boomers around sometimes a few times a day. I work by myself and refuse to have a swamper, just because I know I need the exercise.  But no matter what you do I think the key is just to stay active and mobile.  And I try to do stretches every morning and that helps tremendously, especially when you spend a lot of time driving.

15 hours ago, CSM said:

So... Are you going to go all anti 95% immunization on us?  

Adjusted the number and Yes to the question but that is a whole other topic and I am going to quit derailing Hammers thread.

Edited December 18, 20159 yr by Wild and Free

I just started to work out myself after 12 years, I was in really good shape when I was in my early 20s, benched 425, squatted over 600, never was a big fan of dead lifts but could rep 405 for 6-8 depended on the day. My biggest problem was hurting my back at work and things just went down hill from there, as soon as I quit lifting, because I couldn't even tie my shoes for few years, not only my back was hurting but everything else started to show signs of wear. Finally after a few painful years I found my other half and had couple of kids and that pretty much took all of the time till about half a year ago. Kids are growing up and it's easier to deal with life. So finally I decided to go back to the gym. After few mouths I'm feeling much better and getting some of my strength back, a bit frustrating but at least I'm there 3-4 times a week. My goal is to get to 315 6-8 times and that is probably where I'll stop, and just try to stay there. Life can be hard at times but that's what makes it fun. It's amassing how you don't know how many people have different problems till you get some, like they say live and learn, the more I know the less I know. You stop learning when you're dead. 

P.s. You don't know what you got till you lose it. 

Edited December 19, 20159 yr by Dieselfuture