So my new goal, which kinda seems a bit arbitrary but is still a semi-good goal, is to be in shape by my 21st. Why 21? Good question. I suppose because then I become fully legal. Not like I'm going to be in shape so I can drink or whatever. I mean alcohol is a waste of calories in my opinion. I just don't fancy it.
Disclaimer: I have consumed alcohol before, but in locations in which I was of age. Example being in Greece where the drinking age is 18. Or St. Thomas where the drinking age is also 18. I never was drunk, never drank more than 1 drink, and mostly was consuming cocktails if anything at all. By no means did I break any laws for underage drinking, nor have I gotten stupidly drunk.
A potential reason for the goal to be at age 21 is because by then, assuming I keep consistent with my workout regimen, it would have been a solid 16 months of working out (I started March 23rd, 2019). I plan to post something comparing side by side pictures of before starting, and after 1 year of working out. While at the time of posting, it will be 4 months left to get to whatever shape I have in mind, I still want to show whoever follows me that just putting in some effort now can make a huge difference in as little as 1 year. I mean sure 1 year is a long time, especially if you're just getting started, but it'll be the beginning of something beautiful.
I don't mean to say that if you're out of shape or have no desire to go the gym, that you're ugly and not worthy of whatever, but I just am a strong advocate for working out and taking care of your physical self as much as taking care of your mental self as many people would tell you. If not for looking good or being in shape or fit or whatever fitness term suits you, why not just do it for the physical benefits as well as the overall health benefits? You'll decrease your chances of Type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease, and will be in a better state of mind by giving a way to release stress through weight lifting or even just cardio, or both if you're feeling bold.
If it's any encouragement, I'll leave my comparison pictures from when I started to pictures I took around the 6 month mark. I did have a number of weeks here and there that I slacked off, but the progress is still evident, and if I can get back on track, it would be even better.
So if you don't want to commit 1 year of training, try something smaller like 6 months. Or even 3 months. I'd even say that 1 month of true dedication to working out will work wonders and show you changes you might have thought to be impossible before. Give it a shot, and if you really don't like it, then quit. But at least give it a solid 1 month's effort before saying it's too much. Besides, you might find that you're having too much fun to stop.
Front, side, and back view. I was flexing in the pictures on the right side, but it does show progress. As far as the numbers go, I'm not entirely sure how much body fat I had at the start, nor how much I exactly lost since during my 3.5 month summer break, I hovered at the same 190 pounds, most likely because I'm pretty new at weight lifting and working out at the gym, so I'm getting the "newbie gains" in which it's very easy to pack on muscle while losing fat simultaneously. Currently, I am 184.6 pounds, which from starting is a 15.4 pound loss. I intend to lose more fat, say maybe drop another 4.6 pounds to get me down to 180 or so, and then I'm going to try hard to pack on 20 pounds of muscle. So in reality, I'll be the same weight as when I started (200 pounds), but I'll have a much better physique and body composition than before.
Have fun, if you decide to start your own fitness journey!
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