Help! Get this man a motivation injection, stat!

mariner4life

I have avoided this forum for the vast majority of my time here, but now i feel the time is right to use the Fern to collectively kick me up the ass. 
 
My name is mariner4life, and i am a lazy bastard. 
 
I have been retired from rugby for 16 months now, and in that time i have done faaaack all. I play one game of touch a week, and that's it. I even get a cart every time i play golf. 
 
I found the first 6 months after i finished, i put on a bit of weight because i stopped training dead, but didn't change my eating habits (when i played, especially up here, maintaining weight was a constant struggle, i had to eat constantly, and throw tin around to maintain my off-season gains as i ran everything off, i never played heavier than 95kg). I lost that by cutting back the eating to levels more acceptable to my lifestyle. 
 
Now, i have found i am sick of being unfit (first touch game of the year on Tuesday almost killed me), i feel how much weaker i am, and i am hardly happy with what looks back at me from the mirror. So maybe i need to sort my shit out. 
 
My main issue is, i am time poor. Job, wife works even longer than i do, 2 young kids, and i am doing some study, so i only have early mornings to train. And i am not a morning person. 
 
How do you blokes who are doing this for purely aesthetic/lifestyle reasons drag your ass out of bed to head out to the garage and throw weights around? What do you use to give you the spark?

Paekakboyz

M4L you are describing a situation (work/life/family) that I'll likely be joining this year - and bro I am worried as well!! Especially about mornings being the only 'space' for training. 
 
Working out aka living healthier now is definitely part of a strategy to deal with changes in the future. Hopefully building good habits now help later on. 
 
In terms of motivation finding a style of working out that amps you up or challenges you is pretty important. Quite a bit of variety in this forum. You've got guys like Kea and NTA (shifting some tin now as well) that are doing lots of cardio and bodyweight training, Kirwan doing crossfit in the early hours of the morning, Bartman shaving himself in between sets and eating carrot sticks, MN5 clapping pushups, and the rest of us doing mixes of weights and indoor/outdoor cardio. Most of us seem to have found programmes and times to workout that suit our interests or circumstances. 
 
You made it to the forum so that is a good start! Keeping a training thread going is great motivation and we've got a good group that gee each other on. Once you've got an idea how and when you want to train you'll be on your way. 
 
Welcome to the lard side bro!!

NTA

Simply put: I was a funt and needed to do something to make sure I could keep up with my kids. I'd also given up rugby (short season and I didn't enjoy it) and just had one of those moments where I realised I wasn't getting any younger etc etc. I would get tired and shitty easily, always felt tired, and had a bad attitude in general due to tiredness. 
 
It needs something simple to get started. I was also someone who could not get into morning exercise until I woke up to myself and realised, like you, that with the wife, the young kids with early bed times, the work, I had bugger all time for exercise any time of day. Plus, in the Oz summer time especially, if you don't get out in the morning, you're fucked. Even lunch time running at work was only good when I was only running 3km in a hit - any more and I wouldn't get back inside my lunch hour. And in summer it was murder. 
 
So, a few things needed to happen for me:

Set that alarm an hour earlier than normal, and stick to it (something I've slipped with a bit since Xmas <img src='http://www.daimenhutchison.com/rugby/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/eusa_think.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':think:' /> )
Turn off the TV and the computer at night early enough to grab 8 hours' good sleep. My wife uses TV to fall asleep*** and its really bad for you according to every study done on the topic. Also, doing stuff like playing with smart phone, tablet, right before bed is bad for your brain shutting down into sleep phase.
Drop the evening coffee and drop the alcohol pretty much altogether except for the odd beer or wine on weekends. Both fuck with your sleeping patterns deep down. I still drink coffee, just rarely later than 3PM 
 
Once I could get up early enough and drag myself the first kilometre, the rest sort of fell into place. The main gain was to get the exercise out of the way for the day, and feel better knowing I'd done it, instead of worrying that I 
 
Even if you're not going to run, just walk. 5km you should be able to do in less than 45 minutes depending on terrain. I did 5km today in just under 40 minutes, 
 
 
 
*** The only way I've found more effective to put her to sleep is suggesting sex.

Red Beard

Hello brother welcome to Fitoholics Anonymous! I've dropped around 10 kegs in the last two months and there have been two main reasons for it.

An app on my iPhone called Myfitnesspal means I record all my eating/drinking, have a far better understanding of calories, quality of food and the weight of what I'm eating. I don't graze or get caught short anymore. The app also sets a weekly caloric goal for me, the more intense exercise I do the more I can eat.
I train at home everyday. If I can't make it to the gym and have to mind the kids I can still exercise. I bought a good treadmill meaning there are no excuses not for me to run daily. And if I can't do weights I do bodyweight exercises like chins, press ups, planks, crunches or Burpees. A ten minute circuit is enough to root me completely and the improvement in my ability to perform continuous reps of chins or press ups has really surprised me. I also have a really good Kettlebell workout DVD plus tyres, sleds, kegs at home so there is plenty of variety. 
 
I plan in advance to make sure I don't miss workouts or eat shit. We stayed at the bro on laws for Xmas and I ran first thing before the kids got up to open presents. And I had a mental plan about what I would eat (and how much) which meant I didn't graze all day. 
 
I think having a plan and being ultra organised is the key. I'm knocking on the door of double digits for the first time in two decades and am really enjoying exercising everyday. 
 
Im now constantly surfing the bet for motivation and learning new bodyweight exercises/combos or techniques to master 
 
And don't stress about time. You can pack alot of work into just 20 minutes a night if that's al the time you have. Just make a plan and be flexible with it. 
 
I'm not so hung up about size or strength..... Now it's about quality over quantity and power to weight ratio. 
 
Rant over. Looking forward to reading about your progress.

MN5

[quote name='Paekakboyz' timestamp='1358398474' post='337879'] 
M4L you are describing a situation (work/life/family) that I'll likely be joining this year - and bro I am worried as well!! Especially about mornings being the only 'space' for training. 
 
Working out aka living healthier now is definitely part of a strategy to deal with changes in the future. Hopefully building good habits now help later on. 
 
In terms of motivation finding a style of working out that amps you up or challenges you is pretty important. Quite a bit of variety in this forum. You've got guys like Kea and NTA (shifting some tin now as well) that are doing lots of cardio and bodyweight training, Kirwan doing crossfit in the early hours of the morning, Bartman shaving himself in between sets and eating carrot sticks, [b]MN5 clapping pushups[/b], and the rest of us doing mixes of weights and indoor/outdoor cardio. Most of us seem to have found programmes and times to workout that suit our interests or circumstances. 
 
You made it to the forum so that is a good start! Keeping a training thread going is great motivation and we've got a good group that gee each other on. Once you've got an idea how and when you want to train you'll be on your way. 
 
Welcome to the lard side bro!! 
[/quote] 
 
I do other things too, might work up to clapping dips one day. I have weights in the garage you do too from what you say ? 
 
Indeed, welcome my good man, looking forward to charting your progress. In terms of motivation does a slightly blunter, less polite version of Paeks advice above work ? ie get out and smash some tin you fucken pussy ? <img src='http://www.daimenhutchison.com/rugby/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/knuppel2.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':knuppel:' /> 
 
Let me know pal <img src='http://www.daimenhutchison.com/rugby/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/good.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':good1:' /> 
 
Personally I love going out and smashing tin whenever I can, far less enthusiastic abvout early morning burpee sessions. Also watch the booze too, tough when you get to our age. 
 
EDIT: Just read RBs post about time and he's dead right, I have a mate who spends two hours in the gym but judging from his pudginess and lack of muscle tone about 90% of the time is spent perving, drinking water and watching the big screens. Personally I try and do cardio in the morning 3-4 times a week ( although first serious week back at work this has been shit, not happy with myself ) 
 
I mean sweating bullets after merely minutes of consecutive burpees has gotta be good right ? 
 
Like NTA I'm also a huge fan of walking as often as possible and with Wellingtons hills you can't help but get a bit fitter doing that enough although walking up and down lambton quay some days you'd think there was some kind of fat fluffybunnys convention on half the time. Dudes with huge sweat patches under their arms always amuse me. I've been house sitting on ori bay and worked out to and from work I was smashing out 10k a day.

ACT Crusader

M4L it can be done. I've got 4 young uns, a demanding job (despite my time on here...), an even more demanding missus <img src='http://www.daimenhutchison.com/rugby/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.png' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':)' /> and all the other stuff life throws up - but you just find the time if its something you want bad enough. I know it sounds cliche, but it really just boils down to that. Just start off with a few personal goals and unless you're gonna go all Bart <img src='http://www.daimenhutchison.com/rugby/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.png' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':)' /> small simple goals - I wanna workout twice a week and in Feb, three times a week but cut workout time to 45 mins. 
 
That's the sort of stuff I did to start out before I went into overdrive mode (had to make a number of personal sacrifices to meet that though) and have cut back to a more manageable level, but will probably increase in a month. 
 
Good luck

JK

Best thing to do mate is get addicted and then it becomes much easier. 
 
If you make a commitment to yourself to get up and do it for the first few weeks just make sure you go hard and put everything in to it. Before long you will see results and realise how much you enjoy doing what you are doing. Once that happens it all becomes very easy and much more of a habit or a relief than a chore. 
 
And as others have said, just get in there, do it and get out. If you have limited time then need to use it wisely and avoid just sitting around talking smack at the gym. I train with my music cranking and get very little interruption in the gym. Its great.

Hooroo

You're listening to morons M4L!!!! 
 
Fat is cool bro and sleep ins are even better! Don't become a sheep and fall for the marketing dross of 'fit is good'! 
 
Don't be a tosser, go out and get on the smash and then eat a pie and a burger. I find falling asleep into a pie is the extra bit of a treat.

MN5

Hooroo I've seen a nice pair of size 40 jeans. You've inspired me. To the pie heater !!!!!! ( and yes my work has one of these )

Hooroo

Besides, you need the gut for momentum for your Drives. I am one of the bigger hitters at the club and its all about timing your gut through on the point on impact! Bosh!!!!!

MN5

[quote name='Hooroo' timestamp='1358454672' post='337943'] 
Besides, you need the gut for momentum for your Drives. I am one of the bigger hitters at the club and its all about timing your gut through on the point on impact! Bosh!!!!! 
[/quote] 
 
Yeah I know one of NZs top amateurs who dropped from 130 odd to 100 odd. Helped his golf no end. You Hooroo, are a liar !

NTA

Golf is for fat bastards

Hooroo

[quote name='NTA' timestamp='1358454940' post='337946'] 
Golf is for fat bastards 
[/quote] 
 
Funny, because the best seem to be rather slim..... 
 
Golf is for people who aren't complete unco's

NTA

Yes, the skinny guys are better at it because they're less likely to suffer fatigue or niggles. 
 
But golf, baseball, T20 remain pro games where fat bastards still have a shot.

Hooroo

Any sport is for fatties in that case

Hooroo

Sorry M4L, this has recently been sabotaged. I can delete all the offending posts at your request.

Kirwan

The thing I realised about doing xFit at 6am is the worst part was getting out of bed. Ten minutes later, when you are at the gym, the workout is no harder than later in the evening, and you feel energised for the rest of the day. It's a pretty cool feeling to be done at 7am. 
 
That said, to do that you need to go to bed earlier and make sure you get a decent nights sleep and lots of water. It gets easier the fitter you get as well, and the motivation kicks in when you see results. 
 
To address Hooroo's - I hope - tongue in cheek response above. Being fit and healthy is about living longer, and with a higher quality of life, not vanity. 
 
Anyway the best advice on these forums is Bart's; It's 70/80% nutrition and the rest is exercise. "You can't out train your diet"

mariner4life

Hooroo, the banter is fine, it's one of my threads after all. 
 
MN5, i am afraid my "diary" would be pretty boring, as my goals are hard to quantify. I don't need to lose weight, just the eating changes outlined in the first post has shed 6kg, and my work shorts are suddenly requiring a belt. So no goal there, if anything adding another couple of kg wouldn't go amiss (dammit i thought i was past that stage of my life). I just need a weight redeployment. 
 
It'll be about shaping up, getting my strength back, and ensuring i am in a position to run around with two teenage boys in 10 years time (if i wait 10 years i'll have no hope). 
 
The wife has started getting up early to go for a walk, so i just need to do the same (and heading for the garage, none of this walking shit), rather than just murmering "have fun" and rolling back over. 
 
My guess is i'll use this as motivation, as someone will pull me up if i suddenly stop posting. And also new exercises i can do at home.

BartMan

goals are good, organization is the key though, be organised, it you're into it. 
 
I now wake up without as alarm clock at 5am every morning thanks to being a morning training nutter (it is easy to roll over and sleep in though on our yearly day off!)- and that is so the rest of the day is for family or wahtever we like, the exercise is done, and nothing can 'come up' later in the day so you miss out. Also means if you do something in the evening, it's an added bonus. 
 
Sounds like me once I finished playing rugby, I kept heading to the club for training nights and weekends, eating and drinking as I used to, but not training but for some weights. But it took me years and about 8 inches around the waist to click!! Bad feet and gout, bad knees, not being able to walk the day after playing a game of touch (thanks to the feet and knnes), I was fast heading into heart attack territory at the ripe old age of 35. The rest, as they say is history! 
 
First step for me though was ditching my gym membership, and buying a concept2 rowing machine. Exercise at home, any time, day or night - 20 minutes on that and you knew you were working out. And the ability to record everything was great - always trying to beat times / distances / totals keeps you motivated. I was also part of an online forum where you would be competing with others all over the world for running totals for the year. There was a group of about 4 that I would battle with, a yank, a pom an aussie and me. Each night you'd go to bed and you'd be up ten thousand metres, and yup, in the momring you wake up and you're down by 5000 or something. I got quite addicted and was rowing 3 times a day before getting married! I would even row for a one dayer innings and other mad things. That was the start of becoming,ing fit instead of fat again!

mariner4life

a rower aye? might be a plan, wonder if i can find a 2nd one around the joint.

ACT Crusader

The organisation part is key especially on the eating. Trying to just get by doesn't work. You've got to take time to prep. 
 
If you're spending half your morning cutting up vegies or putting stuff together it sucks if you simply can't waste time in the morning. 
 
Also simple things like reading the back of labels and learning what's in stuff. Compare with the product next to it and then pick one with the least amount of sugar, (bad) fats, sodium etc.

mariner4life

In all honesty, i have probably done all the eating adjustments i am willing to make. I eat healthy already, i have massively cut back on quantities (the 2nd piece of meat has gone, and the pile of spuds has halved) and the snacks at work (even the beloved M&Ms have gone, god i miss those). I will still eat dessert every night. As i said, i have lost all the weight i want to, i just want to be stronger and fitter.

taniwharugby

what shed the first kg's off me, was ALL diet, I eat alright, didnt drink tooo much beer and so on, but when you start looking at it, there is usually things that can be done. 
 
How old are your kids? (6 & 3 when I started 01/01/2012) 
 
I have my set up in my garage, and try to get them down there with me, sometimes they hit the punch bag, pretend to lift some weights, ther times they bug the crap out of me by talking while I am outta breath and struggling <img src='http://www.daimenhutchison.com/rugby/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.png' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':)' /> makes it easier if you can drag them down along, also helps get them doing somethign other than wanting to play on the iPad, PS3 or whatever.

Paekakboyz

Did you say Motivation!!! 
 
[url="http://www.doyoueven.com/2013/01/just-when-you-thought-you-were-lacking-motivation/"]http://www.doyoueven.com/2013/01/just-when-you-thought-you-were-lacking-motivation/[/url]

NTA

[quote name='taniwharugby' timestamp='1358496530' post='338198'] they bug the crap out of me by talking while I am outta breath and struggling.[/quote] 
 
I hear that. Nothing worse than the wife/kids trying to tell or ask something when you don't even have the breath to say "justasec" or the hands free to gesture them to silence... 
 
On the other hand, gesturing the wife to silence is never a good idea...

NTA

[quote name='Paekakboyz' timestamp='1358498648' post='338201']Did you say Motivation!!! 
 
[url="http://www.doyoueven.com/2013/01/just-when-you-thought-you-were-lacking-motivation/"]http://www.doyoueven.com/2013/01/just-when-you-thought-you-were-lacking-motivation/[/url][/quote] 
 
Lost right at the point where "vegan" was mentioned <img src='http://www.daimenhutchison.com/rugby/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.png' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':)' /> not to mention the bolt-ons. 
 
But seriously, that sort of shape would be great IF you had 3+ hours to work out a day, no kids, and most likely worked in the fitness industry.

Paekakboyz

[quote name='NTA' timestamp='1358503142' post='338221'] 
Lost right at the point where "vegan" was mentioned <img src='http://www.daimenhutchison.com/rugby/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.png' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':)' /> not to mention the bolt-ons. 
 
But seriously, that sort of shape would be great IF you had 3+ hours to work out a day, no kids, and most likely worked in the fitness industry. 
[/quote] 
 
I find it even more impressive given they are vegan - would be interesting to see what they actually eat in a day to fuel that kind of activity. 
 
I hear you about the time needed for that sort of carry on as well. That sort of lifestyle pretty much equals pro-athlete!

Red Beard

[quote name='Paekakboyz' timestamp='1358498648' post='338201'] 
Did you say Motivation!!! 
 
[url="http://www.doyoueven.com/2013/01/just-when-you-thought-you-were-lacking-motivation/"]http://www.doyoueven.com/2013/01/just-when-you-thought-you-were-lacking-motivation/[/url] 
[/quote] 
 
FFS that's taking things to a new level! Amazing.

NTA

[quote name='Paekakboyz' timestamp='1358504805' post='338224'] 
 
I find it even more impressive given they are vegan - would be interesting to see what they actually eat in a day to fuel that kind of activity. 
[/quote] 
 
I'm in complete agreement there - they're amazing. But I love meat, milk, and eggs. The only reason I'd give up any of them is if they were demonstrably in the way of my goal weight (which I'm not ruling out).

booboo

I'm a recently reforming Fat Bastard meself. Post rugby and mid forty I was a latent coronary too. 
 
Dropped 10kg reasonably easy - now a little stuck at 103ish - but working on it. Am using [url="http://www.calorieking.com.au"]www.calorieking.com.au[/url]. Was always convinced I could exercise my way thin. But you can't without changing your eating ... and I wasn't exercising which didn't help. 
 
I understand weight is not your issue though. 
 
What I've found good is these early Queensland sunrises. Dawn at 4.30am had me wide awake and firing, so I've been off to the gym and home by 6.30. What time does it get light up your way? Was never a morning person but I've found you just can't help but be awake when the sun is so high so early. Am hoping the I can maintain the early starts as the mornings get draker (Admittedly post Xmas I've been a slow to get back into it and sun up is starting to push a little later - i.e., 4.50ish now). 
 
Conversely get a dog. Until we had to give her away, knowing that she had to go for a walk / run and it wouldn't be fair on her not to made me drag my arse out of bed on more than one occasion when the motivation was down.

mooshld

Will be in a similar position myself in a few months, have decided to retire from rugby. As I want to spend the time with my boy rather then a bunch of guys I don't really know here in France. 
 
I will be doing my running still though and may even splash out on a running pram so I can take him with. The old lady says its too dangerous to take him in the sling, bad for his neck or something. Then we can train as a family like my wife and I used to before he was born. 
 
I normally train before work and on the weekends .Am thinking of doing a few more races to keep me motivated. 
 
Either that or I will just channel my energies into pushing him to acheive what I was never able to. 
 
That was a joke by the way, I hate those parents.

MN5

[quote name='Red Beard' timestamp='1358506366' post='338226'] 
FFS that's taking things to a new level! Amazing. 
[/quote] 
 
Vegans are hot and have nice titties.

mariner4life

[quote name='MN5' timestamp='1358564762' post='338348'] 
Vegans are hot and have nice titties. 
[/quote] 
what fucking good are they if you can't get meat in their mouths...? 
 
Day 1. Always going to be a struggle, as against all advice, i was up late watching TV. Still, 6am swung legs off bed, rubbed the sleep out of my eyes... and in walks Mariner Jr the first, who said "i had a bad dream about Madagascar" and wanted to get into our bed. Being that the wife had already gone for a walk, i couldn't leave the kid by himself. So back in to bed. Try again tomorrow.

MN5

[quote name='mariner4life' timestamp='1358731392' post='338698'] 
what fucking good are they if you can't get meat in their mouths...? 
 
Day 1. Always going to be a struggle, as against all advice, i was up late watching TV. Still, 6am swung legs off bed, rubbed the sleep out of my eyes... and in walks Mariner Jr the first, who said "i had a bad dream about Madagascar" and wanted to get into our bed. Being that the wife had already gone for a walk, i couldn't leave the kid by himself. So back in to bed. Try again tomorrow. 
[/quote] 
 
Shes gonna be a long road pal.

taniwharugby

thats where you shoulda banged out some push ups, planks, crunches, dips on a chair and the like <img src='http://www.daimenhutchison.com/rugby/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/wink.png' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=';)' />

mariner4life

hey, you never look a convenient excuse horse in the mouth

MN5

[quote name='mariner4life' timestamp='1358735845' post='338715'] 
hey, you never look a convenient excuse horse in the mouth 
[/quote] 
 
True, finding even a couple of minutes to do some burpees was damn near impossible with kids jumping all over me.

taniwharugby

[quote name='mariner4life' timestamp='1358735845' post='338715'] 
hey, you never look a convenient excuse horse in the mouth 
[/quote] 
 
easier at the start, but onbce you get into the habit of the exercise, I find it gets to the point where you feel worse if you dont exercise (that said, I dont do my workouts in the morning, I do them in the evening)

NTA

Do pushups and planks until the wife gets home you bloody soft Queenslander.

mariner4life

Day 1, Take 2: Success!! Ass out of bed, work out done. 
 
Things we learned

My shoulders are still fucked
I am weak as a pissed lettuce. 
 
This is going to be a long road. 
 
And i am going to be sore on Thursday.

TSF

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Help&#33; Get this man a motivation injection, stat&#33;

Help! Get this man a motivation injection, stat!