Gamer exercise

So, it's fairly stereotypical to consider gamers to be overweight or lethargic or weak or all of the above. that typically isn't as true as it perhaps once was, since games have become more and more popular, a greater mix of gamer types have entered the scene. that said, I'm totally overweight, lethargic and weak.

About a month ago while using stumble upon, I came across this workout and it seemed doable. It was 30 days, different exercises each day. One day it's squats and pushups, another it's lunges and planks. It also came with three difficulty levels and a menu, but I threw the menu out and instead tried calorie counting with a free app, eating whatever but keeping calories down to about 1200-1500.

I didn't do all the exercises right. For days that called for running, I instead jumped on an exercise bike that I luckily had, or I would skip it. And I have too much wieght in my middle, so I have trouble planking more than ten seconds without hurting my back, but for the most part, this has been really effective for me. I've gone down about 5 pounds in 25 days, from 250 to 245lbs. I feel stronger and better in general, though my legs and abs are sore fairly often.

Now that said, it's not a weight loss workout. At least, it's not claiming to be. It's more general fitness, like getting in a daily habit, but it's working for me and I figured there might be someone here who it might also work for.

The website has quite a few one day workouts on it too. It's all free and it requires no equipment.

Congrats on the weight loss!

Good job on the weight loss! Try DDP Yoga - It was doing real good for me until I had a (unrelated) trip to the hospital and a week in bed.

@gunslingerpanda: I was gonna say the same. DDP Yoga kicks ass.

I'm ridiculously overweight (I'd estimate around 370lb/165kg, but I don't have working scales to measure that) and I'm a little over a month into my weightloss scheme.

A little background. I've always been overweight, even as a child, but when I hit adulthood and relative freedom I piled the weight on and got to this sort of ridiculous size within a couple of years. In 2011 I decided to sort my life out and lose weight. For about 4 months I was doing really well, but during this 4 months I was unemployed. As soon as I got a job, having less free time was an excuse for me to fall back into old habits. I'd tell myself (and other people) "I don't have the time to cook healthy meals, or to go for long walks anymore". I was lying to myself because it was far easier to just carry on eating like a pig.

Fast forward to this year, and I'd put back on all the weight I'd lost and probably more, and I need to do something about it before I put myself in an early grave. So far it's going fine, I'm definitely losing inches around my waist. Clothes are definitely fitting better. Obviously it's a little difficult to accurately measure my progress without a scale, but I'm not all that bothered about accurately measuring it. As long as I'm making progress, that's all that matters. I'm not doing much exercise currently, I'm focusing on the diet aspect of weightloss, but I'm working on it. Went for a 4 mile walk today, which I feel pretty good about. I'm considering joining a gym, but I've never set foot in a gym before in my life, and the thought is rather terrifying.

So yeah, you're not alone on the journey to be fitter, duder. Keep at it. Don't make the same mistake I made the first time round and give up. I'm not going to make that mistake again.

I actually did a bit of a lose weight/build strength thing using the YourShape series on kinect. I actually have like 900 points in the first game. The idea of exercising for points got me to the point where exercise is just a part of a usual week, and now I don't really play the games anymore because they're a big setup (moving furniture).

I'm just starting with DDP Yoga, I've been doing the YourShape yoga stuff for a while. I can tell you this much; he's got more charisma than the YourShape robot lady.

I put on Quick Looks while exercising. It makes the time fly and it sort of makes working out seem more fun.

I did DDP Yoga workouts a couple times, and once I got a handle on them I can easily pay attention to both things going at once. Occasionally causes me to laugh at inappropriate moments but oh well!

I just picked up Wii Fit U along with a balance board and two wii fit meters. Me and my fiance are over weight, obese according to the nice wii fit voice. We would both like to loose weight before our wedding in Oct. So far its been a lot of fun competing every day in the mini games and carrying around the fit meter keeping track of my steps and elevations. Its kind of like playing an RPG only the character im grinding to upgrade is me. -100 to my belly stats.

I had all of the tools around home to get in shape, but held off on it for years out of laziness. I just started watching what I ate, cut soda out completely and was sensible eating what I needed, not what I wanted. probably more exciting ways to lose weight, but I just like to run on treadmill. I feel at my best booting up my playlist of music and just running. 60 pounds lost can't be wrong, bmi of 31.7 to 23.0

DDP Yoga worked for me, and still is. I combine that with some Wii Fit U stuff, which I got free in their promotion by registering a Fit Meter. Before the DDP Yoga though I used my exercise bike, which got me from 22st to 16st (308lb to 224lb.) I'm now at 210lb with at least 14lb to go.

Congrats on starting out!

As a man who's been building his body for the last four years I think that being a "gamer" is a pretty lousy excuse to be out of shape. Everyone should apply some effort toward thief physical health, regaurdless of passtimes or hobbies.

Agreed, time to shatter some stereotypes, there shouldn't be any such thing of a "gamer body" , getting in shape isn't that hard, just be active daily, do something and make better eating choices. People spend huge amounts of money for nutrislim and such programs that do what you can do at home, you don't need to spend 400$ a month for a program to portion control your food. Save the money and make those better decisions yourself.

(That's Kickass dude. I used to be 330 and now I'm around 200 or 210 pounds. I've hit a road block with my weight loss not too long ago, but I'm coming around. For me what caused me to lose the weight was afew things...)

I went into a big depression. What caused it was a stupid choice I did when I was younger. A choice that basically slows everything down for my life unless I resolve it. I tried to resolve it, but even though I was close it wasn't good enough. If fixing that mistake wasn't bad enough I had something strange happening to my body. One day most of my body was numb and I would tingle alot.

Though I would tingle at times when I was younger. I didn't pay much mind to it until it got worse and my body went numb. So I went to the hospital and found out I had inflation in my spine, and I was showing the beginning stages of M.S (multiple sclerosis). At that point I became miserable to the point I didn't care about living. My body and life was fucked up, I've disappointed my family, and I felt worthless. I ended up being unhappy and isolated for years.

Then one day I just got tired of feeling sorry for myself and I wanted to change. One of the main things I wanted was to make my body stronger. So I ended up going to the internet and watching fitness youtube channels, and the more vids I've watch I ended up getting motivated. Next thing I know I started going to the gym and working out. When I'm at the gym I end up getting relieved of alot stress I'm having. I realized being in the gym helps takes my mind into another zone. Anyway after about a year I got most of the weight off. It wasn't easy, but eventually I got there, and made my body stronger then it was before.

@aelric:

That's awesome man. Good job.

I joined a gym last month and have been hitting the treadmill 4 times a week and stretching in my room 2 times a day.

The cramps and spasms are a beauty. My body is in constant agony, any movement will surely cramp my waist or my feet like someone slashed them with a knife, and trying to eat less and keep shoving vegetables down my throat is really fun.

But there is no going back, I've tried the fat motionless life for years, if I don't get out of it I'll kill myself (not really), so there's no going back, im moving forward with these treadmills and stretches.

Also the incredible shin pain from trying to cardio is very encouraging, my legs are a blessing.

@mattyftm: I have never pictured you as a large person for some reason. Probably because I've always pictured you as a teddy bear.

Keep it up. You'll notice that it's way easier to keep the weight off than to lose it if your lifestyle/eating choices are correct.

Also if you start growing your muscles your body is able to burn calories waaay easier so there's that, but that's up to you to entirely :)

I'm right there with ya. I've been trying to lose the weight I put on after high school for about a year now. I'm 20 lbs lighter so far and I'm steadily keeping it off. Keep your chin up and good luck duder!

Congrats on the weight loss! That is very tough thing to do.

You should totally do it! I am way more inspired by people who are cooking their caboose off then those who carry around their jug of water and check themselves out in the mirror. There is something very powerful about challenging yourself and then doing something you were never able to do before. Also, I don't know if people realize how many anonymous cheerleaders they have. Anyone who busts their buns earns respect.

I could use some work myself; I have tiny T-Rex arms and need to lose some weight. I'm going to give that 30 day workout a shot, although those climbers kill me.

Best advice I can give is just to start doing something. Even if it's short and a couple times a week, making a consistent effort will help build habits. Then you can move on to tougher things.

And finding your motivation is equally important, ask yourself why you're doing it instead of just how.

Gyms can be a double edged sword. I've had gym memberships at least three times since college, and I tried to use the Gym in my school when I was in College. Every time, I got self-conscious about how much better everyone in the room was doing than me and left after 10 minutes. Every time. I'm sure it's great for some folks, but I'd say it's cheaper and I feel more habit forming to do a no equipment workout with a friend or alone daily and then after some time go to the gym than it is to go to a gym straight away.

That is just me, though. If you think that won't bug you or make you quit, then go right ahead and the best of luck.

Helvetica: Those climbers get to be a piece of cake pretty quick. It's side planking that is the surprise killer, because they look so easy in the illustration, and then you realize how focused the strain is about 5 seconds in. Also, leg raises, which make your abs feel awesome afterwards but can be murder to get through. I really like that there are difficulty levels on this plan, it makes the hard ones way more compartmentalized and doable. Sine I'm almost at the end of it, I'm just gonna start again and level up. Then level up again the third month. After that, I'll look at the 90-day plan on that site, or join a gym and get a trainer. I'm hoping to get to about 190lbs (I'm 6'5", so that is my ideal weight, actually) with a greater part of that weight being muscle instead of fat.

Congratulations on the weight loss, best of luck to you and anyone else trying to get in shape.

I totally do not believe you about the climbers but I am ready to be proven wrong! :) Yeah side planking is a great challenge, my arms get incredibly shaky during those. Looking forward to blasting some abs! This is great timing too, being at the end of the month and in three months we'll be in summer. Good stuff.

I've never been overweight, in fact I've occasionally been dangerously underweight but I am the weakest person I've ever met. To help with that I will do push ups or sit ups while I wait for video game loading screens. It's a good way to insert exercise into your day often and regularly.

@aelric: Good on you for trying to get in shape! That being said, 1500 calories is way too low if you're looking to lose weight in a healthy way.

Here is a complete training regimen that will get you in shape.

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/arnold-schwarzenegger-blueprint-trainer-main.html

1200 for women, 1800 for men according the multiple sources is the minimum. I have cheat days too. Also, been doing around 1400 for a month now and feel way better than before. I'm far from starving myself, you can get a lot of veggies, chicken, oatmeal and fruits into 1200-1500. It's a fairly bland diet, but that is what the cheat days are for. My BMR is 1927, so it's only a deficit of a about 500. I could maybe use a little more since I also burn about 500 on the bike in an hour and these exercises are not high calorie burns, just daily habit training.

I would have to already be in much better shape to make it through day one of that. I don't have any interest in looking like that. I don't care about strength or looks, really. I not interested in protein powders or supplements that are required for that either, and I'm especially not into gym culture. All I wanted was daily routines to help me stay fit and slim down to a healthier, without equipment because I'm not gonna pay money for what is totally doable without equipment. I'm quite satisfied with the plan I've found on NeilaRey.com. Non-threatening, non-intimidating illustrated workouts with multiple difficulty levels and mixed up throughout the month to avoid boredom. Perfect.

The goal isn't to look like an Adonis, it's just to be healthier. Looks and strength is secondary and ultimately unimportant compared to the real goal.

Ran for an hour and a half two nights ago, my calves are still in such chronic pain I can't walk without feeling hammers against the back of my legs. I'm literally stand-crawling to go anywhere.

I love improving my body.

@jackentrote: That's probably one of the bigger things that stop people from exercising, when you first get started and are working those muscles it can feel like you will always be sore, but honestly if ya keep at it daily for about a month you will very rarely experience those problems. That has been my experience, though I do remember a lot of that type of soreness when I was getting started and a small amount as I continued to escalate the distance of my daily runs.

I was limping on both legs for the first week on my workout plan. It sucked, but it cleared up after the first few days.

Thanks for the reassurance dudes. Yeah, I'm not stopping, this time there really is no going back for me, it's either body improvement or a shitty life. All I do is stretch and stuff now, it can actually get addicting.

@aelric: Well I just think you are misinformed and don't believe in yourself. For one, there are no cheat days. There are cheat meals. You can't eat shit for a whole day and not expect to lose some progress. So careful with that. As for the Arnold plan, many think, "oh well, I don't want to get that big." Guess what? It is all about diet, so unless you go up to 4,000 calories, you won't be. You can get a cheap used dumbell and barbell set to do this with along with something like the Iron Gym to do pull ups. Also, as for getting big or even that you can't do the first day. Trust me, you can do it. It does not say how much weight you have to use. Like your site say too though, 30 minutes of cardio a day, minimum.

Well, you may be right about about the nutrition and by cheat day, I did mean meal. Then again, I have results, and I'm losing withing the safe rate of less than two pounds a week. And I don't feel weak.

I really hate the idea that there is only one right way. Well, why are there so many different plans, many of which seem quite effective? Different plans work for different people. I've also been enjoying yoga. I'm totally into these "girl" workouts way more than the competitive meathead dick waving that many of the strength training programs posture as. Also, I find massive dudes really gross looking, whereas an attractive yoga lady makes a more pleasant video to follow.

As for the Arnold Plan, buying equipment isn't possible, I live abroad and travel to new spots all the time. I'm going to China in two months, for example. I don't want or need to lug gym equipment around. And also, I am not interested in that. You are putting too much on my plate up front, which is exactly why I avoid gyms. Aggressive support isn't supportive to me. People shouting at me that I can do it still just feels like people shouting at me. It's exactly why I hate, ACTIVELY HATE, gym culture. Let me do my thing and I usually do well. Micromanage me and I quit immediately. Thus far, this program has been working for me, I don't want to hear about other programs and get overwhelmed and I think that is a legitimate sentiment.

I will worry about strength training and other shit /MAYBE/ once I hit my goal weight of 195 (I'm 6'5" with a small frame, that is what I'm supposed to be). Until then, it's this plus my hour long bike rides each day. Switching programs would just feel like quitting.

I do appreciate that you are trying to help, it's just not the sort of help I really respond well too. I'm not meaning to be rude, just honest. Different strokes, different folks and all that.

@aelric: I can't speak to HBK's method, it may be perfectly reasonable, it could be the best exercise routine ever invented. But, none of that means jack if it doesn't work for you. This is the biggest problem, the diet/exercise industry is all competing to tell you why your exercise is garbage and you will never get results unless you adopt their stringent curriculum of tough exercise. I find it is too easy to get mired in "how" to exercise instead of just doing it. Other than suggesting you monitor your calorie intake within a healthy range, which it sounds like you are doing, I say keep at what works for you. I didn't lose 60+ pounds by following any web based diet plan, no pills, no supplements(outside of a multivitamin), and I have only recently started using Whey protein. I just ran each and every day and continue to. It's possible that my diet was the most inefficient from the perspective of the fitness industry that would have loved to have me roped into a annual gym membership to achieve those same results. I think with so many ways to exercise like anything in life we are all working to improve our health, it's important to acknowledge that there exist multiple ways to achieve results and these will always vary from person to person. I would encourage HBK to consider that before coming down on you too hard.

Exactly. Results are results, and I'm not popping pills for it, I'm not starving myself for it (though I might increase my calories a bit because I think I AM a little to low. If I stop having positive results, if my weight loss falls short, I'll consider other plans. I'm still in my first month. The workout I have been doing has three difficulty levels. Like Diablo 3, I beat this mode, I'll level up and start again when I finish this first 30 day routine tomorrow. and then 30 days after that, I'll try the hardest difficulty. Then I'll think about alternatives moving forward. I gotta keep my focus for now, though.

Down to 242.5. Hoping to be into the 230s by the end of March. Still doing well.

Good job @Aelric. I've gone from 270 to 250 in the past few months. I feel a lot better and I see my goal of being 200 by July or August. After that who knows, but if I can get down to 180 by October that would be really nice. Its not even the weight that makes me happy, it just feeling better that makes all the difference.

I'm a former athlete and a current firefighter and up until recently obsessed over bodybuilding (workouts and dieting) as a hobby (which really was more for a self-esteem issue) but I've given that up to free up more time for studying and important tasks and now work out only in my free time. It got to the point where I had diet down to an exact science and went from 190 to 178 in a month. Really it was causing so many injuries to my body because of fatigue (joints were are just shit and I'm only a young adult. Scared to see how joints and back are going to turn out in the future) So A slightly different perspective on this topic.

With that, good on you for doing what you're doing. My tip is that there is an almost infinite amount of information on the internet for this, but it's also one of the least understood topics of physiology (in terms of which dieting techniques are BEST for this and that), so take everything with a grain of salt and find what works best for you! The calorie counting app (myfitnesspal) is great! I love that thing and swear by it and I really suggest getting a $30 electric food scale! Such a great purchase that I loved using. When you get your diet down to a T you can even start calculating in cheat snacks and what not where they fit in!

Good luck on your venture and have at it! If you need any advice ever, feel free to message me!

Thanks. Yeah, I think the biggest problem folks have, that I certainly have still, is the info overload. That's another reason why I picked this simple program that I linked above because it doesn't make any claims about weight loss, it's just good daily constitutionals, really. I can't say my weight loss it really from that, but rather from the calorie counting and the stationary bike I've been riding as extra.

I also am using MyFitnessPal. I don't have full control of my menu due to currently staying with my parents before I head off to China. Example, tonight, my dad make homemade gumbo, which is godly good, and I wouldn't have been able to resist having some. the way it has been working out is that I eat what I need too (i.e.: oatmeal breakfasts, tuna salad lunches, grilled chicken dinners and vegetable snacks are all fairly common) and keep everything in the 1200-1700 range daily, and then weekends when my dad takes over the kitchen, I limit myself to raw veggies and fruit and such for the day and then eat whatever he makes for dinner. It's two cheat meals two days in a row but I'm good for the rest of the week and I still try to keep my portions small. I'd guess those days I'm up to 2500 for the day, which is not that much higher than my BMR anyway. So, for five days of the week, I aim for a 500 exercise deficit and a 500 diet deficit below my BMR for 1000 calorie deficit per day. If 3500 calories make a pound, then I should stay in the safe 1-2 pound per week range for the foreseeable future. I'm 6'5" with a small frame, so I'm aiming to get around 185-190. Once I hit that, which is a little lower than my ideal weight, then I hope tone up and maybe add a little muscle weight, but that is a far off goal. It'll still be another 6 months or so until I'm there so long as I keep this pace.

Once I'm in China, I'll have both more and less control over my diet. On one hand, i'll be doing my own shopping and cooking most of the time. On the other hand, it's China and not everything will be available. Usually that is fine in Asian countries, though, since it's stuff like cheese and beef that is less common than the states and isn't good stuff or a diet anyway. Caloie counting might be a little hard there when I go out, though, what with all the unfamiliar foods, but I think I'll manage.

Nice man, well done. I went through a period of weight loss too and it's difficult but keep up the good work :)

Stick with it. It will make you feel so much better. I lost 55 pounds last year doing basic cardio. I went from 220 and basically unable to run to 165 and running 5Ks faster than average. I fell off the wagon last October so I am working on fixing that issue. I gained about 8 pounds over Christmas but other than that I haven't gained anything else. It is more that I feel out of shape and have been feeling kinda crappy. When I was running every day I felt great all the time. I have a few weeks of nothing going on now so I am going to start running every day again. I did every other day last week. The snow is melting so I can finally start running outside again soon. That is where I did the majority of my running. I tried running in winter but I didn't like it at all.

@aelric: You've got it down! Something to keep in mind is that working on muscle gain at this point would help expedite your weight loss because of the increased metabolism. It is an investment of time with a great return. Chest, leg and back muscles are the biggest muscles that will grow the greatest and increase the your metabolism the best. You don't even have to lift weights, just doing body weight exercises help a lot, especially isotonic exercises (where you hold a position, such as wall sits or holding halfway pushup)! These are great for muscles growth! (which doesn't necessarily directly correlate with strength, BUT still does increase your metabolism!)

At this point in my life I'm not a gamer, I'm not overweight and I'm very very weak.

Thanks for sharing, hopefully I'll have time for gaming and exercise soon.

PhD, bad decision. Good thing is: I don't need to buy Dark Souls to try to "achieve the impossible"...

This morning I weighed in at 239.8. That means I broke ten pounds. It took roughly 6 weeks to do but I'll call that a milestone. Just need to do that 5 more times and I'll reach my goal. I do wish I could just pay EA for some coins to speed up the process, but I'm pretty happy nonetheless.

Still hovering around 239, but I've had some disruptions in my workout this week due to appointments. I hope to get back on it today. At least I haven't gained anything back and I'm mostly still alright with my food portions.

I've crafted my own workout routine and diet over the past four months. It's kind of the combined efforts of several routines I've tried over the years, picking what bits worked, dropping what didn't, targeting trouble areas, and researching exercises that are fun to do, challenging, and won't bore me after a month. This routine has worked for me far better than anything else ever has, and it only further proves that any 'miracle' solution is bullshit. You have to do this stuff for you, you have to want it, and you have to work really, really fucking hard for it. Not just the exercise is going to be hard, but the trial and error too.

Anyway, since I've started this workout late last year, up until last month, I had dropped between twenty and thirty lbs. The fucking battery on my scale has died, and I don't really care enough about numbers to replace it, so I don't know how much I've lost as of now. But all my pants are too big, my shirts fit better, I'm much stronger, and I feel good. That last one was all I really set out for.

Edit: I should say that I was pretty fucking heavy, so dropping that kind of weight in that time isn't as dangerous as it sounds.

I get on the exercise bike for about 10 minutes or so everyday, and I really do lose weight. My age is 23 so my metabolism, I would say, is still pretty fast at work.

@grabbizle: That was ten years ago for me. I ate like shit and never exercises and never went over 190. Being 6'6", that was actually the right size for me. Enjoy it while it lasts, man, because my metabolism went out the door almost exactly when I turned 30.

@aelric: -steps into cryogenic chamber-

I'm never turning 30!

P.S Accidentally flagged your comment but now unflagged it. Sorry!