Help me out guys...

[Matt Skiba]

I'm 20 years old and I'm not gonna lie, I don't think I'm in that good of a shape at all. I've been surviving on nothing but fast food for a while now, and honestly I don't know if I'll be able to survive on it for much longer. It feels like living in the big city's been sucking the life out of me. And honestly I can't really say that I've taken care of my body too well in the past either, back when I was 15 I had a bit of a gut, I was weighing 160 at the time, around this time I picked up the habit of smoking cigarettes, which I think made me lose some weight. Shortly afterwards I'm sad to say I did do a bit of dabbling in some hard drugs. I eventually stopped doing it altogether, but in the end I had lost 20 pounds and was down to 140 pounds, the same weight I had when I was in 7th grade. I didn't really mind this too much at the time, since it meant I could see my abs again, but as you can imagine there's definitely some pretty bad health consequences in all this.

So my hair started to become thin and wispy eventually, and I made the horrible choice of taking finasteride to fix this problem. It took no less than a week and a half for it to kill my libido, and it's taken me a painstakingly long time to somewhat recover it. By painstakingly slow I mean months and I still don't feel as if I'm where I used to be.

Within the past year I've been eating quite a bit of greasy fast food stuff, and it has put on some pounds on me, so I'm at a 150 pounds now. None of this stuff ended up being fat on my body though.

What really kills me though, is that I think my physical being has affected me mentally in how I function. The libido is one thing, but I remember when I was a kid at like 14 I felt like I could take on anyone or anything in the world. As much as I hate to say it right now I just feel like a sad sack of ****. I am honestly fearing of not being able to maintain myself to be able to raise kids and a family someday.

I feel like my skin texture isn't doing so great, and as I mentioned before my hair is kind of wispy, and the hair all over my body seems to be a bit thin.

So today I've definitely come across the realization that it's time to start buying groceries and start making some healthy sort of food. I would definitely like to quit smoking cigarettes too, of which I am still a pack a day smoker.

I'm not looking to make myself into the crushinator or something, I just want to have a healthy body and a healthy mind and bring things like enthusiasm, dreams, and love back into my life. Right now I feel apathetic beyond my control and it makes me sick. I kid you not I feel as if my soul is being drained out of my body right now, and I don't really know how much longer I can make it like this. What I really need is to somehow re-ignite the fire that burns within. I think it would be best for me to do this without any pills or supplements at all.

[MESSPLAY]

A late change is better than no change brother

if you don't mind me asking, what kind of budget are you working with? I found that writing out my diet organized my shopping considerably and saved me money.

Start a workout plan but make sure it begins slow, 3 days a week, maybe 30 minutes until you feel you've returned to a decent shape, then start building from that.

I can recommend some smoking solutions to stop that nicotine addiction that worked for both my parents, if you're interested.

You can rebuild hair, but you cant undo lung damage

Start drinking a gallon of water a day, you probably know that.

daily protein equaling your body weight
maybe 1/2 to 2/3 your weight in carbs
maybe 2000 calories of whole grain, organic foods a day

Good luck, I'm sure a big part of the community will be behind you on this. :squat:

[Matt Skiba]

You can rebuild hair, but you cant undo lung damage

Actually I believe it is possible to undo lung damage, as long as you haven't damaged them to the point of having emphysema or cancer. It might take a few months to regain lost lung capacity though. I am also curious as to what kind of quit smoking aids you're talking about, I tried both chantix and the patch and both of them had some weird side effects to them, I think I'm just going to quit cold turkey.

As for budget, it's really no issue for me, financially I'm not too bad off right now and I am trying to make this a priority.

[Force of Green]

A late change is better than no change brother

if you don't mind me asking, what kind of budget are you working with? I found that writing out my diet organized my shopping considerably and saved me money.

Start a workout plan but make sure it begins slow, 3 days a week, maybe 30 minutes until you feel you've returned to a decent shape, then start building from that.

I can recommend some smoking solutions to stop that nicotine addiction that worked for both my parents, if you're interested.

You can rebuild hair, but you cant undo lung damage

Start drinking a gallon of water a day, you probably know that.

daily protein equaling your body weight
maybe 1/2 to 2/3 your weight in carbs
maybe 2000 calories of whole grain, organic foods a day

Good luck, I'm sure a big part of the community will be behind you on this. :squat:

3 days a week at 30 minutes per session is all the weight training I do. Granted it's HIT full body training that makes most experienced weight trainers puke, it's still an hour and a half of weights per week

I love watching the meatheads and their 'monday=chest, tuesday=back, wednesday = legs... etc...' routines and I just friggen laugh at them and watch their egos go up faster than the concentric movement.

Good advice though, the 3 days a week and all. Maybe look up a full body routine that is for beginners. Do the workout Monday and Thursday, giving yourself plenty of recovery time. Do some cardio on a few off days and build up your heart and lungs. You can up the intensity of the full body workouts as you see fit to increase and improve.

[Matt Skiba]

Just to clarify a bit I actually have been lifting a little bit from time to time, definitely mostly upper body thought I've just recently begun to try to get into working out my legs with squats and deadlifts and whatnot, it does make me sore and makes my legs feel a bit like spaghetti but it is a good feeling. And yeah I'm not exactly trying to go for a physically intimidating look, main things I'd go for is just more energy and physical stamina, I wouldn't mind adding some muscle but I'd probably only be willing to gain 10-20 pounds max, the ladies do like me better thin so I'd feel better having more of an "athlete" kind of look than a "bodybuilder" kind of look. I've already got some basic knowledge from experience on what to do when I work out but of course any suggestions are welcome. The main hurdle for me to get past in this area is to just gain the motivation and energy to be able to hit the gym on a regular basis. Cardio does help with the lungs and heart, after playing a good game of basketball I'll usually cough up a bunch of **** and my lungs will feel a lot cleaner and better.

What I am really looking for though is some diet advice, something that can help rejuvinate the brain and cardiovascular system mainly, as well as increased testosterone secretion and health of the adrenal glands. I'm thankful for the mention of whole oats since it seems like something I need, I'm thinking I should also take in more white meats, since childhood I've never really eaten fish and I just kinda don't like the taste, but I think I might have to overcome that. I also take back saying I don't want to take any supplements, I guess some stuff like omega 3 would be nice, but I kinda just don't want to overdo it.

[Force of Green]

Dude... full body workouts like I said... eat clean as well. Stay away from junk foods and junk drinks. Drink about a gallon or more of pure water. Take MVP-365 as your multivitamin and grab a good anti-oxidant blend like Vigor. Also, 2 other great staples are Super Curcumin by Life Extension and Lean Green or Tea-3 if you have the money. Aim for 5 meals a day. Eat a moderate amount of good carbs with the first 3 meals, with a good protein base and a little healthy fats. Your next 2 meals should be mainly protein, healthy fats, and fiber with trace carbs. Eat fresh fruits like apples or berries in between meals if you can snack or get hungry. Make sure your sleep is proper and restorative. If necessary, look into adaptogens if you're under a lot of stress or have trouble relaxing. The best adaptogenic stack BY FAR in my opinion is Relora and Sensoril (certified extract of Ashwaganda). Also, yes... omega 3s are important. If you care about a good electrolytic balance, stay away from high sodium foods as well.

[Force of Green]

Stay away from prohormones and sketchy 'hormonal' products as well. Just listen to some of what I advise you and don't stress over little things too much and you're golden. I'm not saying that I'm the all-knowing about this stuff, but I'm giving you great guidelines to follow. Different people have different needs, so I'm not going to recommend that you eat one thing or the other, blah blah blah... so it's up to you. Also, you should not worry or put too much merit into post workout simple carbs and whatnot. Postworkout is a time where it's a good idea to consume whey hydrosolates or Oryx Goat whey (amazing product). I choose to drink the protein and have a small banana with a piece of Ezekiel bread and a little honey on the bread. No fats post-workout. Be creative man and give your body a reward for getting through and taking the abuse of your intense workouts. I believe that there is a difference between rewards and indulgences... not even over-indulgences. A few times a week it's cool to have a meal that may not seem like the healthiest of choices, like a good Italian restaraunt may serve awesome spaghetti and meatballs... go for it, but don't friggen eat a jumbo bowl of the stuff and wolf down 3 baskets of bread-sticks. If you stick to your mutliple meal guidelines, you should not feel like stuffing your face... especially if cortisol in kept in check. Enough of me going on for now... take this advice and begin to enjoy life a little more.

[MESSPLAY]

"Smoking in the teenage years causes dramatic and lifelong DNA damage in the lungs, according to a study published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. In fact, young smokers could be at a permanently higher risk of developing lung cancer, even if they quit later.

Damage to the body from smoking begins right away. In this study, researchers tested for DNA alterations in the non-cancerous lung tissue of patients being treated for lung tumors. The healthy tissue was tested for the number of DNA alterations per 10 billion cells. Researchers found that former smokers who started between age 7 and 15 had an average of 164 genetic alterations. Ex-smokers who started between ages 15 and 17 had on average 115 alterations. And among former smokers who did not start smoking until after age 20, the number of DNA alterations averaged 81." - from healthatoz.com

DNA alterations in any cells (as you remember from genetic mutations in biology) cause diseases through DNA transcription, deletion and substitution. The cells you manipulate now causes irreversible damage. You can restore the state of your lung tissue up to a point, but there is definite evidence of permanent problems associated with smoking.

The fact is you have a nicotine addiction. You can exercise regularly and take in any amount of vegetables or protein a day, but all of this will mean very little if you continue to smoke.

[yeahright]

Priority number 1 is to stop smoking. It has terrible consequences for many aspects of your health and costs a ton of money.

I'd suggest that you simply quit. I smoked a pack a day of Marlboro Red for years. One day I met a girl who liked me but didn't like the cigarettes. I simply quit and never looked back. I think that people overestimate how "addictive" cigarettes are. IMHO, unless cold-turkey cessation can cause seizures, dangerous bloodpressure fluctuations or organ damage (ex. heroin, late-stage alcoholism, serious benzo use) then it's not addiction, it's habituation. Addiction requires medical intervention. Habituation requires willpower.

Cigarettes have such a high recidivism rate because they are so easy to get...but if you quit cold turkey, the nicotine is out of your body within days and after that you're just talking about breaking bad habits. Sermon over.

Go here to read more about diets and nutrition advice:

http://anabolicminds.com/forum/nutrition-health/

I think you'll find that changing your diet is a virtuous cycle. Once you make one change, then you feel better and it motivates you to make more changes.

Don't set unrealistic goals. It took years to get into the shape you're in and it's going to take some time to turn things around. If you quit smoking and quit eating half of the fast-food you're currently eating, I think you'd be utterly amazed at how much better you felt within a couple weeks/months.

Best of luck to you.

[edwards]

I quit smoking 5 years ago by chewing the gum. After I finished my gum cycle, I switched to regular gum and chewed that until I no longer wanted to smoke. It was the best thing I ever did. Unfortunately I didn't stop smoking weed until 5 months ago. (But at least I quit!)

[saelogan]

Health is a full time job. During college I did not take care of myself like I should have and my physical and mental health suffered. When I made a dedicated effort to change it changed everything about my life.

By exercising daily, eating well, consuming enough water, and reducing drug, and alcohol use to a minimum, you can create a full mind/body make over that will stick with you for life.

Dont try to get too strict, just remember your body is effected by what you do 75% of the time. So be good to yourself, and take a little break here and there to keep you dedicated.

Good luck.

[Force of Green]

Health is a full time job. During college I did not take care of myself like I should have and my physical and mental health suffered. When I made a dedicated effort to change it changed everything about my life.

By exercising daily, eating well, consuming enough water, and reducing drug, and alcohol use to a minimum, you can create a full mind/body make over that will stick with you for life.

Dont try to get too strict, just remember your body is effected by what you do 75% of the time. So be good to yourself, and take a little break here and there to keep you dedicated.

Good luck.

Right on man! Good post. One exception... I 'kinda' disagree about reducing drug use. I don't think anyone that's in anyway serious about health should be screwing with drugs at all.

[saelogan]

Right on man! Good post. One exception... I 'kinda' disagree about reducing drug use. I don't think anyone that's in anyway serious about health should be screwing with drugs at all.

I think if you are mentally strong enough to use some for recreation occassionally, and know limits, and do proper research on interactions, dosages, and the like, just like steriods ( which you prob do since your on this board), there is not a big prob.

Again you must be strong enough to say no, when you want to get that good floaty feeling from the pain pills you took this wknd, on Monday morning. Thats where most people fail. If you reaerch the drugs you will know many dont have long term effects with sparadic usage, and wont effect mental health if only used periodically.

There was a time when I could not make that distinction, but you learn from the hard times that it puts you through. And now I am pleased with the direction my life is heading, methal, and physical health, and if I want to pop a few Vicodon or a half c of Nubain on Friday night when Im having dinner with friends, then it should not be a prob.

Now spuradic use of Herion may be a prob, and thats where "knowing your limits" comes into play

[MESSPLAY]

I think if you are mentally strong enough to use some for recreation occassionally, and know limits, and do proper research on interactions, dosages, and the like, just like steriods ( which you prob do since your on this board), there is not a big prob.

Again you must be strong enough to say no, when you want to get that good floaty feeling from the pain pills you took this wknd, on Monday morning. Thats where most people fail. If you reaerch the drugs you will know many dont have long term effects with sparadic usage, and wont effect mental health if only used periodically.

There was a time when I could not make that distinction, but you learn from the hard times that it puts you through. And now I am pleased with the direction my life is heading, methal, and physical health, and if I want to pop a few Vicodon or a half c of Nubain on Friday night when Im having dinner with friends, then it should not be a prob.

Now spuradic use of Herion may be a prob, and thats where "knowing your limits" comes into play

Knowing your limits doesn't save anything. The fact of the matter is you're constantly opening yourself up to the possibility that you WILL reach for that drug on Monday morning. What you think you can handle now won't be the same when you're having the shakes or extreme withdrawal. Do you honestly think heroin addicts started doing drugs so they could get addicted and throw their lives down the drain?

Saying that most people on here use steroids because they post on this message board is just f*cking ignorant, and you're just making yourself look like a tool when you say that.

Popping a few V with friends on a Friday night doesn't have long term effects? A study by the NHO showed clearly that long term use of V (among people who typically use it 1-3 times a week) causes users to be more prone to memory loss, kidney failure and permanent liver damage. Not so physically or mentally healthy bud.

In fact, recreational drug use has many negative effects. Pick up a copy of New Scientist and read about the latest studies that show that recreational use of non-injected drugs can speed up disease progression and directly weaken the immune system.

People who smoke cannabis recreationally for the psychoactive effects are more prone to brain haemorrhaging.

Not to mention the obvious social problems associated with recreational drug use and the negative consequences because of the poor decisions and growing disconnect in social relationships.

I've researched the drugs. I've found no good reason to touch a single one.

So the fact of the matter is, it IS a problem and if you want to turn your life around it needs to start with kicking the drug habit.

[Matt Skiba]

People who smoke cannabis recreationally for the psychoactive effects are more prone to brain haemorrhaging.

Really?!

Could you show me where you found this or a reliable online source that agrees with what you said?

This is pretty interesting cause there's a huge hype about pot being pretty safe.

As for opiate addiction, man let me tell you it ain't pretty on either a social or medical standpoint.

[Force of Green]

Knowing your limits doesn't save anything. The fact of the matter is you're constantly opening yourself up to the possibility that you WILL reach for that drug on Monday morning. What you think you can handle now won't be the same when you're having the shakes or extreme withdrawal. Do you honestly think heroin addicts started doing drugs so they could get addicted and throw their lives down the drain?

Saying that most people on here use steroids because they post on this message board is just f*cking ignorant, and you're just making yourself look like a tool when you say that.

Popping a few V with friends on a Friday night doesn't have long term effects? A study by the NHO showed clearly that long term use of V (among people who typically use it 1-3 times a week) causes users to be more prone to memory loss, kidney failure and permanent liver damage. Not so physically or mentally healthy bud.

In fact, recreational drug use has many negative effects. Pick up a copy of New Scientist and read about the latest studies that show that recreational use of non-injected drugs can speed up disease progression and directly weaken the immune system.

People who smoke cannabis recreationally for the psychoactive effects are more prone to brain haemorrhaging.

Not to mention the obvious social problems associated with recreational drug use and the negative consequences because of the poor decisions and growing disconnect in social relationships.

I've researched the drugs. I've found no good reason to touch a single one.

So the fact of the matter is, it IS a problem and if you want to turn your life around it needs to start with kicking the drug habit.

Good points made here. There are plenty of people who use drugs whenever they please and have some of the best excuses and justifications to use them. There could be 1,000,000,000,000 studies that say how harmful it is, but as long as there's 1 inconclusive study that says, "this compound may not have any long term effects," that's all the person needs to justify the means.

I'm not trying to be biased. I was at a point in my life a few months ago where I tried a couple of things a couple of times. It felt good. I'm not going to argue that. Did I want to do it again? Sure. An entire night out in a Hollywood penthouse party on 90% pure blow isn't worth sleeping 48 hours almost straight and then recovering with a week of sniffles.

I don't use drugs. I have a glass or two of wine every now and again. I think it's fine by me to be in a room of people who are doing a little something, I guess... as long as I'm not surrounded by people tripping out. I really don't have any respect for recreational druggies.

[saelogan]

Popping a few V with friends on a Friday night doesn't have long term effects? A study by the NHO showed clearly that long term use of V (among people who typically use it 1-3 times a week) causes users to be more prone to memory loss, kidney failure and permanent liver damage. Not so physically or mentally healthy bud.

In fact, recreational drug use has many negative effects. Pick up a copy of New Scientist and read about the latest studies that show that recreational use of non-injected drugs can speed up disease progression and directly weaken the immune system.

People who smoke cannabis recreationally for the psychoactive effects are more prone to brain haemorrhaging.

For every study you have read saying one thing you can find half a dozen more saying the opposite. Its kinda hard to use one study you found on the net to fully support a claim. The damage on the system caused by digesting pills can prob be just as bad as popping a few vitamins every day, and no I dont have a study from some scientest to back that up. I read one the other day saying that if you BBQ your dinner you will have a much greater chance of cancer, than if you cook it in the oven.

I also cant remember the last time I read about some one having a brain hemorage from smoking pot. I dont somke it, but I still dont think its any worse than the "legal" drugs avaliable like chewing tobacco, cigarettes, & booze. If you will kindly post us a link where at least ONE (maybe more than one case if this is a big concern) case of brain hemorage was caused directly and only by smoking pot, I will drop my case.

Im not going to beat a dead horse, we will have to agree to dissagree. Lets not interupt this guys thread.

[Brian5225]

I say that if youre wanting to get healthier, just stick to healthy foods, vegetables, fruits, and the staples being carbs coming from whole oats, whole wheat breads, whole wheat pastas, brown rice, protein coming from lean chicken, tuna, and lean beef etc. I find that one thing that helps me is every sunday, i cook penty of meat, pasta's and rice and i freeze them in individual bags so when i'm on the go i can just pull them out of the freezer and have a meal. I started very obese and i've worked myself down to something more manageable. by the way, props for making the change, thats a big step to getting motivated. And as for the feeling like crap, when i eat healthy, usually after a week or two of eating very clean, my mood improves, and i feel like i can take on anything. Maybe that'l work for you.