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Did you have to adhere to a strict diet? Exercise a lot? Spend money on gyms/equipment/supplements?

I've known guys who have had better results by putting in a fraction of the work I put in (including diet & exercise). I've come to the conclusion that my ideal body is out of reasonable range for me. I now feel like it's just not worth it & instead I'm trying to focus on just being healthy and developing a good body image (which is probably the hardest part). I know it sounds like giving up, but I consider it being realistic.

I know I don't have a muscle god's body but I'm plenty happy with the body I have. I've never put any effort into getting this body that I didn't enjoy and that is the key. I don't know your body type but perhaps you are an ectomorph as I am. I've always enjoyed sports that test my skill level so I work extra hard to improve my skill not to get bigger muscles. If I suddenly woke up one morning with a big muscular body I doubt my level of happiness would change. I might find more guys lusting after my body but I'd rather they lust after my mind. Otherwise, I would develop a short lived false sense of confidence.

As for diet I eat what I want but for the most part I like healthy food. Americans have a terrible relationship with food. Food is there to nurture you not to put led bricks in your stomach. I love to cook and prefer a high carb, low fat, low sodium diet with lots of veggies. Vegetables satiate the appetite. When I increase the fat in my diet it is because my body craves it. I just listen to what my body wants and give it what it needs. I'm sure a lot of Americans feel they are doing the same thing as they down their fast food but they aren't hearing the screams of pain after they've eaten garbage. If they would remember how the body reacted to bad food they would develop the appetite memory to seek out healthy food.

I hope this answers your question. Think about how healthy you are not how perfect your body may or may not be.

you need to stop letting media and society push you into something..

your ideal body is the one you have, the one you enjoy, the one that carries you through life.. threat it well.

My idea body doesn't have these innumerable problems I'm having with it with breathing, my heart, acid reflux, lethargy, depression.. on so on ad nauseum

Your ideal body should be the healthiest, strongest and most attractive body that you can achieve this month. Don´t look at the muscle mags, look at yourself realistically and then work towards an achievable goal, then set another one. Maybe you will never have 20 inch arms, but you have natural strengths which others don´t. Your body will change as you age in good and bad ways.

Realism
disciplined work
satisfaction in progress made

If you want to achieve a certain body type, you can do it. Don't get discouraged. But if you want to settle for something less, then that's fine too. As long you're healthy and happy, that's all that matters.

davey5 saidDid you have to adhere to a strict diet? Exercise a lot? Spend money on gyms/equipment/supplements?

I've known guys who have had better results by putting in a fraction of the work I put in (including diet & exercise). I've come to the conclusion that my ideal body is out of reasonable range for me. I now feel like it's just not worth it & instead I'm trying to focus on just being healthy and developing a good body image (which is probably the hardest part). I know it sounds like giving up, but I consider it being realistic.

Actually, that sounds like a pretty good approach. Just being healthy. I think guys who work out hard for the purpose of pure aesthetics may stick with it for awhile, but a lot of them will crash and burn in the long run.

You can overcome your genetics and body make up to a certain point however everyone is different. I think regardless of your body type lots of people will find you attractive. Others won't. That's life.

This sounds weird, but...

I'm willing to put in as much effort as is reasonable at that point in time. By that, I mean that I see all my efforts at exercise and nutrition and achieving goals as a gradual learning curve. I became overweight for various reasons, and in loosing it, I'm learning about myself and about better ways to avoid going backwards.

I'm being realistic about my goals and when I can achieve them, and I like the slow and steady progress I have made. I think it becomes much more enjoyable and sustainable doing it this way (for me) than jumping into it in the deep end and not really learning from it.

It wasn't the type of body I was seeking, rather a goal.

The body became secondary because I really don't have an ideal runner's body. However, it is important to know what your body type is i.e. ectomorph, mesomorph...

I know I could never be a beefy bodybuilder so it is correct to be somewhat realistic.

2 years of Work+Dedication, 20+ pounds of muscle, Still goin..

davey5 saidDid you have to adhere to a strict diet? Exercise a lot? Spend money on gyms/equipment/supplements?

I've known guys who have had better results by putting in a fraction of the work I put in (including diet & exercise). I've come to the conclusion that my ideal body is out of reasonable range for me. I now feel like it's just not worth it & instead I'm trying to focus on just being healthy and developing a good body image (which is probably the hardest part). I know it sounds like giving up, but I consider it being realistic.

Most things worth doing are worth doing well. Lots of things worth doing are hard, and require substantial effort, discipline, and patience, to achieve.

E.g. You're so lazy as to not even complete your profile. That's not an encouraging indicator. You're also to lazy, or to dumb, to have a picture uploaded. That's also not a very good indicator.

For me, now in my 35'th year of lifting, it's always been easy. I come up with a plan, and apply science, discipline, patience, and observe to attain a goal, nonetheless. I was 175 at 5'5" at 12% in high school. When I was 28, I was 230 at 12%. Now, I hold around 205 to 220, with ease.

The single biggest mistake folks make, other than no effort, no discipline and no study, is a failure to eat. Like anything, whether it's fixing cars, or computer programming, or even the arts, you have to study your craft to become really good at it.

Was it worth it? Absolutely. I'm rated in the top 2% nationally for fitness and love working and lifting. I love the way it makes me feel.

Like all things training smart, which can often mean training less, and training intelligently, it can be applied to almost every aspect of your life. Being honest, liking yourself, and so on. You have to like yourself, and, then, the rest follows.

Exercise is an integral part of my life. Wellness is a great side benefit.

I suggest that you start in small steps by just completing your profile and getting your pictures uploaded.

You haven't provide enough information to say whether or not your energies are misguided. No picture. No profile. You were just wanting an affirmation.

If you are currently unsuccessful, it's hard to tell without more information, why you're failing.

If current behavior is any indicator, you're right: you're not cutout for having a great body, or even being successful elsewhere.

You have to be honest, and there's nothing to make a qualified answer on here. You may not be cut out for it.

Me? Well, I know at 49, 5'5" and 210#, I'll never play in the NBA.

With regard to how much effort...? Well, if I train for a show, it's 20 weeks of diet (I don't get to far off track, anyway), and I often do 3 a day work outs, but, I don't sustain that effort for more than about 5 months at a time.

The results speak for themselves.

We all have our personal priorities.

Like I said, it's hard to tell why, or even if, you're failing, with such scant information. It's anybody's guess, but, it doesn't appear you put in the effort from here.

flex89 / Logan, who lives with me, put on 82 pounds in five months. He's a type 1 diabetic and deals with all the pain in the ass that entails. I find him an inspiration. If a diabetic kid can do that, then, who's to say that you can't? The question remains, do you have what it takes, and the answer remains, it's impossible to tell from here with so little info.

I joined a gym 3 years ago, not to get in shape, but rather to be a bit social...I work from home, and have my mornings and early afternoons free...so, I wanted to commit to something that would get me out of the house and around people a bit...as a byproduct, I got into shape for the first time in my life...and have put on about 30lbs in the process...

I think it depends on the mix of what type of body type/metabolism and the perspective of effort on exercise as well as diet. I know for some people no matter what they do or dont do, they can eat food and burn it and never gain a pound. That is not me and I always have to watch my nutrition. I tend to be some mix between meso and endomorph because I am definitely not an ectomorph.

Same with exercise. For some , it is easy and effortless and fun while others look at it as an exercise or 'duty'. I did this for a long time and I am trying to change my outlook on it as not just an attitude of 'ok let's get this started" but instead get excited about it .

Regardless of my effort, my outlook, or my metabolism etc, It has always taken planning for me. I am more than happy to do so .

Sometimes mom and dad will give a child great genes..........and the potential is readily there to develop a great physique. But there are many types of great physiques.........(that's the beauty of men!).

And you are right. Developing a good body image is the hardest part. Get to know your cuerposito and work at it.

Overall mental health and happiness helps too.

45 minutes to an hour tops at the gym. Lighter weights.......(let the other guys grunt and groan struggling with high weights, straining, arching their backs etc.) Lighter weights, higher reps burn more fat and give you a smoother, more natural less bulked up look.

Minimal cardio.........studies show resistance training burns more calories even after you stop.

I'm always varying my routine. Yes, I do three sets of a particular exercise, but I'm always changing the exercises.

Posture. Do exercises that align your body from head to toe. Balance exercises. Feel your calves even if you are working your back. Vary your positioning, change your grip. Often, a slight change will burn a section of a muscle that you have been missing.

A common sense diet. Avoid fried foods, sugars, partially hydrogenated fats (its in almost everything nowdays)......and portion control. Drink lots of water. For me, no need to get anal about not having the the things I like.

My work keeps me outside and active and I am not sitting at a desk all day. So if you work in an office, you gotta get the blood flowing during the day by moving around.

Patience. It takes time. But after a year or so, you will look into the mirror and say "WOW" I did it!

We all have our individual starting points
Is it fair? ... No
There are some guys who don't have to do anything to have a great body
but the vast majority of us do
and to whine and moan about it is only going to make you never achieve what you want
You need to make diet and exercise part of your lifestyle
Do you have to beat yourself into the ground and eat dry rice and fennel seeds for the rest of your life? ... Hell no
But you have to be realistic
workout 3-4X a week
cut out the fast and prepared foods
and put a lid on the alcohol
and you'll see a big difference

Hey guys, thanks for the thoughts & encouragement. It's good to hear other opinions besides the ones I usually get from gym rats like chunckystud. When it comes to diet & exercise, and overall good health, I think each individual should be able to decide what works best for them without having to feel demoralized. If you're able to spend hours upon hours in the gym and follow a rigid diet, & it works for you, then great. If you decide that healthiness is more holistic, you divide your time up to achieve a healthy body, mind & spirit, then also great.

I have in no way given up on exercise & diet, I have just decided to be more realistic. To be honest I was becoming obsessed in trying to achieve what I now realize was an unrealistic body image. Could I put in more effort? Sure, but other things in my life were having to take a back seat.

And chunckystud, I've been registered on this site for less than 24 hours, a pic & a profile aren't my top priorities. How arrogant of you to assume I'm to lazy or to dumb (I believe you meant 'too' btw- are you too lazy or too dumb for grammar?); and to assume that I don't succeed elsewhere in my life. Seriously?? For someone who claims that a lack of a profile gives you no info. to go by, you sure make A LOT of assumptions about me. Get over yourself.

Typical projection of someone deeply insecure. Clearly, you're not smart enough to heed sound advice when you hear it. Clearly, you're to lazy to even do the most minimalist effort.

In this time spent calling me names, you could have completed your profile.

I like myself, and, I don't care if you do.

You make my case for me by exemplifying exactly what I spoke about. You have a plan for failure. You need to change that plan of failure to one of success, rather than lashing out at the very folks who could help you the most. It's non-productive effort on your part. Until you become coachable, you'll be stuck right where you are now.

I'm afraid your energy is mis-directed, and you'll continue to fail, unless you change your modality.

I have a long record of success in this area. I gave you a plan for success, and, really, two very simple tasks. Instead of taking those two very simple things under advisement, and making even a wee bit of effort, you projected upon me. That's part of your problem. You don't spend your time wisely. You refuse mentorship.

pattymcpat said

2 years of Work+Dedication, 20+ pounds of muscle, Still goin..

With very pleasing results, I might add.