Getting Fit Advice, Opinions and Answers needed

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TeenCatholicGuy

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I am 15 years old, and am overweight.

I have spent over 1000 hours in Phys-Ed class in school, and have taken time each night to do various exercises

(Push-ups, Low Planks, Jog/Run/Walk etc)

My efforts have been clearly working, as I’ve been gaining strength (muscle) becoming able to exercise longer and lose fat. I haven’t changed that much physically (in my eyes) but I am told that my arms look bigger and my shoulders are wider. My legs are losing fat, and my gut is shrinking. I have months worth of effort left to get anywhere near abs or any other clear signs that I am more then physically fit.

Now to my question(s):

Would I getting a body like this:
google.ca/search?q=rippe…iw=360&bih=311
Be sinful? I of course used an extreme example, it’ll take ages for me to get anywhere near that shape, and that isn’t my goal.

My goal is to be more like:
google.ca/search?q=rippe…ch&q=lean+guys

I only ask because I only need to drop 20-50 pounds for muscles to be showing. I am approaching a threshold, and I’ll need to know where I need to limit myself in which ways.

I of course want to get lean and fit, but is there a line I shouldn’t cross in the Church’s eyes?!

I’ve rapidly changed in so many ways in the last 2 months alone. I need to know what is sinful, and the limits the church places on me in regards of me getting Fit and what I do when I am fit. (Behavior with others, school, sports etc)

Any and all comments or advice is welcome.
All I ask of the people who actually read this far is to respond to me, engage with me and have a discussion. I need to know, I need all the advice.

Thank you and may God Bless you.
 
TeenCatholicGuy said:
I am 15 years old, and am overweight.

I have spent over 1000 hours in Phys-Ed class in school, and have taken time each night to do various exercises

(Push-ups, Low Planks, Jog/Run/Walk etc)

My efforts have been clearly working, as I’ve been gaining strength (muscle) becoming able to exercise longer and lose fat. I haven’t changed that much physically (in my eyes) but I am told that my arms look bigger and my shoulders are wider. My legs are losing fat, and my gut is shrinking. I have months worth of effort left to get anywhere near abs or any other clear signs that I am more then physically fit.

Now to my question(s):

Would I getting a body like this:
google.ca/search?q=rippe…iw=360&bih=311
Be sinful? I of course used an extreme example, it’ll take ages for me to get anywhere near that shape, and that isn’t my goal.

My goal is to be more like:
google.ca/search?q=rippe…ch&q=lean+guys

I only ask because I only need to drop 20-50 pounds for muscles to be showing. I am approaching a threshold, and I’ll need to know where I need to limit myself in which ways.

I of course want to get lean and fit, but is there a line I shouldn’t cross in the Church’s eyes?!

I’ve rapidly changed in so many ways in the last 2 months alone. I need to know what is sinful, and the limits the church places on me in regards of me getting Fit and what I do when I am fit. (Behavior with others, school, sports etc)

Any and all comments or advice is welcome.
All I ask of the people who actually read this far is to respond to me, engage with me and have a discussion. I need to know, I need all the advice.

Thank you and may God Bless you.
Click to expand...
I’m not sure quite what you’re asking, but I’ll try to respond anyway.

The Church would certainly say there is no limitation on your fitness as long as you don’t harm yourself in doing it, and as long as the objective is not vanity (self-worship).

As humans, we all harbor some degree of vanity or other, and it’s not a terrible thing as long as it does not turn inward. So, for example, I might want to be fit because I can be fit and a well-formed human body is a glory to God. It’s no accident that the figures in church paintings are fit according to the standards of the times they were painted. The human body was considered almost prayer-like. The difference between that and vanity might seem rather small, but it isn’t.

Now, as to conduct, one thing you must understand is that we psychologically adapt to particular conditions in life. One of the things psychiatrists tell people who are succeeding in beating depression is that they’ll have problems when they are no longer depressed. Why? Because they have learned patterns of thought for dealing with depression that are no longer appropriate and will be destructive unless checked.

And so, if one used to be what he considers sloppy, unattractive, weak, and then in a short time becomes more attractive, trim and strong, he still has remnants in his psyche of the former that could become perverse when he achieves the latter. As an extreme example, will he use his new-found strength to take revenge on someone who bullied him when he was weak? Or, alternatively, will he put those old patterns of thought aside and just be himself and ignore the former bully entirely, even perhaps treat him well?

When I began high school, I was really small, skinny and weak. I was natural prey for bullies. For reasons I could never understand, a very popular, older student befriended me. He was built like a Greek god, and nobody fooled with him. And yet, he was a mild guy who never looked for trouble, and even backed away from it when challenged by someone he could have taken apart. He had one thing he could do in the gym. He could clean and jerk 200 lb with one arm. People were absolutely astonished. And so was I.

Well, I did feel a certain degree of admiration and even emulation of that guy. I started lifting weights and, by senior year (I had grown taller, of course, having nothing to do with the weights) I finally was able to clean and jerk 200 lb with one arm. (I know, there’s more “trick” to it than strength, but it does take strength too.) By then, nobody would mess with me at all. But having admired my friend (who had graduated by then) I decided to be as mild and untroubled as he was. I, too, backed away from someone who was foolish enough to challenge me unless he simply attacked me physically, giving me no choice. I even adopted my friend’s wry smile when someone challenged me, as if to say “you don’t understand what you’re doing here, but I’m not biting”.

One thing I knew I had to be careful about was girls. Some girls are just not pretty, and people treat them that way. I resolved that I would treat the ugliest one the same as I would the prettiest one. Again, I didn’t want any of them to get the wrong idea about my intentions, but I think it was appreciated, at least by some.

My son, when in high school, was enormously strong; more than I ever was. He didn’t pick fights but, indeed, “adopted” some of the bullied and just quietly told bullies those kids were his friends (whether they were or not) and that he wouldn’t appreciate anybody picking on them.

I don’t know if this is of any help, but I hope it is.
 
Ridgerunner said:
I’m not sure quite what you’re asking, but I’ll try to respond anyway.

The Church would certainly say there is no limitation on your fitness as long as you don’t harm yourself in doing it, and as long as the objective is not vanity (self-worship).

As humans, we all harbor some degree of vanity or other, and it’s not a terrible thing as long as it does not turn inward. So, for example, I might want to be fit because I can be fit and a well-formed human body is a glory to God. It’s no accident that the figures in church paintings are fit according to the standards of the times they were painted. The human body was considered almost prayer-like. The difference between that and vanity might seem rather small, but it isn’t.

Now, as to conduct, one thing you must understand is that we psychologically adapt to particular conditions in life. One of the things psychiatrists tell people who are succeeding in beating depression is that they’ll have problems when they are no longer depressed. Why? Because they have learned patterns of thought for dealing with depression that are no longer appropriate and will be destructive unless checked.

And so, if one used to be what he considers sloppy, unattractive, weak, and then in a short time becomes more attractive, trim and strong, he still has remnants in his psyche of the former that could become perverse when he achieves the latter. As an extreme example, will he use his new-found strength to take revenge on someone who bullied him when he was weak? Or, alternatively, will he put those old patterns of thought aside and just be himself and ignore the former bully entirely, even perhaps treat him well?

When I began high school, I was really small, skinny and weak. I was natural prey for bullies. For reasons I could never understand, a very popular, older student befriended me. He was built like a Greek god, and nobody fooled with him. And yet, he was a mild guy who never looked for trouble, and even backed away from it when challenged by someone he could have taken apart. He had one thing he could do in the gym. He could clean and jerk 200 lb with one arm. People were absolutely astonished. And so was I.

Well, I did feel a certain degree of admiration and even emulation of that guy. I started lifting weights and, by senior year (I had grown taller, of course, having nothing to do with the weights) I finally was able to clean and jerk 200 lb with one arm. (I know, there’s more “trick” to it than strength, but it does take strength too.) By then, nobody would mess with me at all. But having admired my friend (who had graduated by then) I decided to be as mild and untroubled as he was. I, too, backed away from someone who was foolish enough to challenge me unless he simply attacked me physically, giving me no choice. I even adopted my friend’s wry smile when someone challenged me, as if to say “you don’t understand what you’re doing here, but I’m not biting”.

My son, when in high school, was enormously strong; more than I ever was. He didn’t pick fights but, indeed, “adopted” some of the bullied and just quietly told bullies those kids were his friends (whether they were or not) and that he wouldn’t appreciate anybody picking on them.

I don’t know if this is of any help, but I hope it is.
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This is helpful, thank you.

I wonder what other people think though, especially about anything like modeling or the kind of thinks a fit person can do.

Especially from someone with the opinion that there is a limit to fitness.

As part of my (plan), I don’t eat lunch on weekdays at school.
 
TeenCatholicGuy said:
This is helpful, thank you.

I wonder what other people think though, especially about anything like modeling or the kind of thinks a fit person can do.

Especially from someone with the opinion that there is a limit to fitness.

As part of my (plan), I don’t eat lunch on weekdays at school.
Click to expand...
Ay yay yay!

Don’t do that!

Bring at least a little something for lunch so that you can be on the ball during the afternoon. You don’t want to sabotage your academics. Even a couple hundred calories could make a big difference.

By the way, when you have the chance, you might get a lot out of indoor rock climbing. My husband, who was a relatively sedentary guy for many years, has gotten into indoor rock climbing (about three times a week plus other activities), and has had phenomenal results.
 
Xantippe said:
Ay yay yay!

Don’t do that!

Bring at least a little something for lunch so that you can be on the ball during the afternoon. You don’t want to sabotage your academics. Even a couple hundred calories could make a big difference.

By the way, when you have the chance, you might get a lot out of indoor rock climbing. My husband, who was a relatively sedentary guy for many years, has gotten into indoor rock climbing (about three times a week plus other activities), and has had phenomenal results.
Click to expand...
My current semester has Gym immediately after lunch, so it is better if I don’t eat. I instead use that lunch period to study, talk with friends or exercise. I’ve found I have better results when I’m not eating lunch.

I only do it on school days and as I’ve been doing it since January.

I’d say I have eat a lunch at school at an average of once a month.
 
TeenCatholicGuy said:
My current semester has Gym immediately after lunch, so it is better if I don’t eat. I instead use that lunch period to study, talk with friends or exercise. I’ve found I have better results when I’m not eating lunch.

I only do it on school days and as I’ve been doing it since January.

I’d say I have eat a lunch at school at an average of once a month.
Click to expand...
How about you ask your doctor about this the next time you see him or her?
 
Xantippe said:
How about you ask your doctor about this the next time you see him or her?
Click to expand...
It’s 6 hours without eating a meal. In theory, it’s bad. In practice, I haven’t had any issues.

I ate lunch today, as there was free pizza for the whole school.

In 40 minutes, there isn’t just enough time.
My
 
Getting strong is always worthwhile.
  1. Work with weights if you have the opportunity, it makes it much easier to target different muscle groups. You will also be working your stabilizer muscles too.
  2. Find someone who has more experience and can advise you on proper technique.
  3. Keep your protein intake high.
 
starshiptrooper said:
Getting strong is always worthwhile.
  1. Work with weights if you have the opportunity, it makes it much easier to target different muscle groups. You will also be working your stabilizer muscles too.
  2. Find someone who has more experience and can advise you on proper technique.
  3. Keep your protein intake high.
Click to expand...
I’m gonna start saving to buy weights off of Amazon Canada. Any recommendations?

I have access to Phys-ed teachers and fit classmates, I’ll pick one out though 😁

I eat meat everyday, drink lots of milk and water.

Thanks for the help! 😁
 
TeenCatholicGuy said:
It’s 6 hours without eating a meal. In theory, it’s bad. In practice, I haven’t had any issues.

I ate lunch today, as there was free pizza for the whole school.

In 40 minutes, there isn’t just enough time.
My
Click to expand...
Do your parents know what you’re doing?
 
Please make sure that you have your pediatrician’s guidance and approval on any new diet or excercise regimen. You are still growing, and you need to maintain a certain calorie intake.
 
It isn’t sinful to get as fit as you want as long as you aren’t causing physical or spiritual harm to yourself. Fitness is a morally good thing because you are cultivating routine, consistency, and dignity/respect in yourself. It can also lead to vanity, but this isn’t any reason to not pursue it … even reading the Bible or praying the rosary can lead to spiritual pride if a person isn’t guarding themselves.

If it matters to you, which I’m assuming it does, women are (usually) more attracted to muscular men than super muscular men. It reaches a certain point where it starts to lose attraction.
 
Skipping meals is generally considered to be counter productive. As a teenage male, I would hazard a guess that regular healthy meals of decent portion sizes with plenty of strength based exercise and a bit of cardio would make a world of difference. I’m a 26 year old woman and I find that strength based exercise allows me to eat more and still look good because I’m building muscle which is leaner than fat. That being said, everyone is different.
 
Do you go to school in the summer in Canada? Do you have year round school?
I have been told it is better to graze throughout the day.
 
7_Sorrows said:
Do you go to school in the summer in Canada? Do you have year round school?
I have been told it is better to graze throughout the day.
Click to expand...
If you’re an adult trying to lose weight, no. Your body will always have food to burn and never need to get into the reserves. Fasting can be very effective for weight loss, but the issue here is that the OP is a minor. He should seek advice from his doctor on a healthy eating plan to lose weight while not impeding his other growth.

I will say too that when I was in high school, my school day ended at 2:06. I frequently waited until then to eat lunch, because my only other opportunity to eat was around 10:30, which was just way too early and I was not at all hungry. Six hours is not too long generally. But consult a doctor. At this age it should be fairly easy to lose weight, if you’re eating healthy foods in appropriate quantities.
 
TeenCatholicGuy said:
My goal is to be more like:
google.ca/search?q=rippe…ch&q=lean+guys

I only ask because I only need to drop 20-50 pounds for muscles to be showing. I am approaching a threshold, and I’ll need to know where I need to limit myself in which ways.

I of course want to get lean and fit, but is there a line I shouldn’t cross in the Church’s eyes?!

I’ve rapidly changed in so many ways in the last 2 months alone. I need to know what is sinful, and the limits the church places on me in regards of me getting Fit and what I do when I am fit. (Behavior with others, school, sports etc)

Any and all comments or advice is welcome.
All I ask of the people who actually read this far is to respond to me, engage with me and have a discussion. I need to know, I need all the advice.

Thank you and may God Bless you.
Click to expand...
Here’s my opinion - (and that’s all it is, if it’s useful, use it. If not, forget it.)

Consider WHY you want your body to be in that shape. Seriously. To be healthy? (Excellent!!) But one can be healthy without being particularly defined when it comes to muscle. So is it to be strong? (Most excellent!!) But then I ask you to take it one step farther - if God gave us these bodies and gave us the ability to get strong - then why?

To excel at a sport, to be healthy, to be able to help others (goodness knows, my teenage boys have been an incredible blessing to many when it comes to moving furniture, doing yard work, etc.), to feel confident in yourself and your abilities, to physically be able to protect yourself and others … these are all excellent reasons to get and maintain fitness.

The caution - focusing too much on the “look” of fitness (and depending on body type, one can be extremely fit and strong yet not have muscle definition) rather than it’s purpose can become a problem. One, because, as I mentioned some people cannot attain the proper “look” no matter how much they train, how much weight they lose, etc. Two - it can encourage comparisons where one decides one’s body is so much “better” than someone else’s because of the look … or one develops self-image issues because one’s body isn’t as “good” as someone else’s.

There is nothing wrong with wanting a healthy body that looks good - to be able to look in the mirror and see a body that matches one’s mental image of who you see yourself as is awesome. But it’s not good to define oneself by how one looks (for better or worse) or to make the “look” the focus of what you’re doing. Whether your goal is running a marathon, climbing a mountain, winning a Spartan race or setting a new lifting record - having measurable, obtainable, external goals will bring you much more happiness in life (and provide you with more conversation opportunities :D) than only working out to achieve a certain look which will, inevitably fade or fail to satisfy completely.
 
TeenCatholicGuy said:
I of course want to get lean and fit, but is there a line I shouldn’t cross in the Church’s eyes?!

I’ve rapidly changed in so many ways in the last 2 months alone. I need to know what is sinful, and the limits the church places on me in regards of me getting Fit and what I do when I am fit. (Behavior with others, school, sports etc)
Click to expand...
As others have said ‘vanity’ is where it crosses the line, as you’ve probably heard variants of “If you’ve got it flaunt it” or “Show it off” etc which are all vanity related, one also has to be mindful of modesty due to such attitudes which surround fitness.

If you ever get to a stage where you start showing people or taking pictures of your ‘abs’ to post online I think at that stage it’s definitely crossed the line into vanity and/or immodesty.

As for exercising, I would recommend aiming for being healthy, rather than a magazine cover. Listen to your body and don’t overdo it.

To get started, I would just make it a habit like brushing ones teeth, I exercise at home and usually (rest days, e.g. 1 or 2 a week are important) wake up and do 1-2 minutes cardio on a treadmill, I use HIT (High Intensity Training) so max incline and sprinting (gotta build up to that though), because it works and is quick so it doesn’t take big chunks out of a day, but people can be tempted to overdo HIT which can be dangerous, don’t push yourself too hard. And then I do the same thing with other weight exercises in the afternoon which only go for about 10 minutes or so depending.

The treadmill was the most expensive part, if you don’t have one, you can do other cardio exercises. Other than that I just have a 20kg dumbbell set which was pretty cheap, a cheap chin up bar that hangs on any door in the home, and a cheap mat for doing some crunches without hurting my tail bone.

There are also exercises you can look up that don’t require really any equipment at all.

I hope this has helped and good luck. 🙂

God Bless You

Thank you for reading
Josh
 
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