# Hi.......The inspiration I need to change my life....



## chunkydaz79 (Oct 16, 2012)

Hello to all those who read this thread.

My name is Darren and I live in sunny Plymouth. I will be the first to admit that I am fat and overweight and it devastates me. People jump to the immediate conclusion that I am lazy and deserve to be the way I look.....

Those that call me lazy are about 20% right.... Short story coming but stay with me please....

I joined the Army at a young age...awesome time..got into bodybuilding while in there as some guys were huge, well compared to me who was 11 stone when wet...Basically I seriously injured both my legs, had operations to sort them out, which didnt work...left the Army in 2005 and since then have been living in constant pain and agony, finding it hard to walk any distance and running is just a dream for me...

I have what is called compartment syndrome.... The muscles in my calf's and shins are massive and are constricting the nerves and blood vessels. The operation I had while in the Army was meant to relieve the pressure and to take some of the muscle away... after the OP the muscles repaired themselves and basically increased in size... I will get some pics of my calf's up along with the shins...

Now going back to the part about me being lazy....I find it hard to do anything to be honest, as the pain is constantly there nagging at me and I cant concentrate....

Now the reason why I am here....Next year, my leg is coming off..Knowing that has triggered something in me to get to the gym....Firstly to lose the weight before the operation, and secondly to bulk up to look good in my wheelchair :thumb: .....

I am happy for people to judge me, but until they live with the pain I have, please dont...... Once the OP is done, the gym is going to be my salvation to a speedy recovery...

Hopefully by time I am a decent size, they may have a Bionic Class so I could enter some of the comp's with my titanium false leg on... 

O and lastly thanks for reading this...many of you will be bored but I wanted to get out the reasons why I am here and hopefully find the support I need to push through what I have going on and get the right food intake in place....

*O AND BY THE WAY I CURRENTLY WEIGH 118KG.*

Cheers Daz


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## murphy2010 (Dec 17, 2010)

Sorry to hear about the injury 

What part of the army was u in out of curiosity?


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## latblaster (Oct 26, 2013)

There's a bloke down my gym who had his leg removed, & he's really fvcking fit!

Welcome to UKM Darren :bounce:

Since I joined UKM it has helped me so much, in lots of ways. Training ofc, diet, personal health, banter it's a bloody great place to be.

Just contribute where/when you can, & ask as many Q's that you want. I'm sure alot of us will support you.


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## Sambuca (Jul 25, 2012)

thats terrible 

hope everything goes ok mate.

welcome to the board!


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## chunkydaz79 (Oct 16, 2012)

murphy2010 said:


> Sorry to hear about the injury
> 
> What part of the army was u in out of curiosity?


Hi mate

Your going to laugh but basically I was a Pay Clerk....got some really interesting postings...First I went to 1 PARA, where I soon realized my fitness was slightly below what they wanted....

secondly I went to 29 Cdo In Plymouth where I was from....Holy hell that was like being tossed to the lions...it took a while but while I was based up in Poole with one of the external Artillery Batteries, my fitness went through the roof....running 50 - 60 miles a week, squash at lunchtime and then in the gym for 2 - 3 hours in the evenings....that was to much for my body and it eventually gave in while I was doing a 15 miler...

I am looking forward to getting my leg off....basically I will have my life back...Numerous mates of mine have various body parts missing, thanks to their holidays to Afghan....

I can see your applying to go into our beloved Army...good on you mate...u wont ever regret it...

Cheers Darren


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## murphy2010 (Dec 17, 2010)

chunkydaz79 said:


> Hi mate
> 
> Your going to laugh but basically I was a Pay Clerk....got some really interesting postings...First I went to 1 PARA, where I soon realized my fitness was slightly below what they wanted....
> 
> ...


I am applying and hopefully ill be in soon  im aiming for the Para's


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## chunkydaz79 (Oct 16, 2012)

murphy2010 said:


> I am applying and hopefully ill be in soon  im aiming for the Para's


Good on you mate...I had a right laugh while I was with the PARA's. They were based in Aldershot at the time but all of 16 Air Assault are in Colchester now.

Anyway, I am having a blonde day and dont know where to start with my diet.

I will be using scrambled eggs, beans and oats for breakfast, even though I hate eggs.

Tuna, chicken, rice, pasta and various veg's for lunch.

And the evening meal will consist of either chicken or beef, with new potatoes and veg again. I have a craving for broccoli at the minute so that will be on my plate every night for the evening meal.

I need to add protein shakes in between the meals really.

My head is spinning with all this. May not seem hard to others but the medication I am on really messes with my head and I find easy tasks stupidly hard at times.....

Cheers Darren


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## fozzard (Oct 13, 2012)

Well bad ordeal threw many years it sounds but i see you have not lost the will to fight...just a tip mate oats grain etc etc will put weight on you you need them for carbs for energy so you dont use the protein for energy get me? so balance enough carbs out for the day eat them mainly in the morning so when it comes night there burned off and wont store into fat...now if you can do this the protein your eating will directly go were you want it to muscle mate...just do some google search's for top carb meals and top protein meals and start your training from there mate good luck.


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## Bull Terrier (May 14, 2012)

Sorry to hear your story mate.

Just one question - please don't bite my head off..

Have you just been through the NHS or have you also spoken to private specialists regarding your leg? Unfortunately there is sometimes a considerable gap between the quality of health care between public and private.

Since we're not talking about a relatively minor ailment it may be good to be 100% sure about it all.


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## Ser (Aug 10, 2008)

Hi Darren, welcome to uk-m

If you hate eggs why force yourself to eat them? Just have oats with a shake or something instead sweetie...you'll just find it difficult to stick toyour eating plan if you are forcing down food that you don't like!

as for waiting for a bionic class...i have been to loads of shows where people who have lost limbs have competed...go for it!

Good luck with your goals


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## chunkydaz79 (Oct 16, 2012)

Bull Terrier said:


> Sorry to hear your story mate.
> 
> Just one question - please don't bite my head off..
> 
> ...


Hi there

Its a bit of a funny thing with the docs and the NHS down here. We have a lot of Military docs down here as well, and they see civy patients as well as forces ones.

I have been through the NHS and I have the option of going private after my appointment with the specialist on the 24th of this month.

The NHS hospital and the big private hospital we have in Plymouth, are across the road from each other. The docs, do NHS patients in the morning and then go across the road and do a through Private appointments. Irrespective of NHS or private, you can be assured you will see a doc from the NHS hospital.

And why would I bite your head off mate. I dont mind talking about my leg and what it has done to me not only physically, but mentally as well. AS someone else said, I did lose the will to fight, but I am slowly getting it back knowing that there is an end to the pain, even though its a drastic solution, and I can get back on with my life. I can play with my 3 little girls again, walk up steps/stairs without having to stop, walk around town without stopping every 30 seconds to ease the burning sensation in my leg.

Some people think I am mad to even think about it, but I say to them, "live in my shoes for a day with the pain I have, and then see what you would do."

I have kinda learnt to live with it, but its still a huge distraction in my life.

Cheers Darren


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## latblaster (Oct 26, 2013)

You're fighting back mate, the stuff that life throws at us...well sadly some of us remain down forever.

But it's obvious that you're getting yourself together, & great results will follow.


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## Simspin (Sep 5, 2011)

nice to c ya to c ya nice


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## chunkydaz79 (Oct 16, 2012)

Hello all

Well my first breakfast was a bit horrible....O well grow some and get on with it...

Now first hurdle...Finding a gym which is open late enough to be able to squeeze a decent session in.....I finish work at 7.00pm and the 3 gyms I really want to go to, close at 8.30pm... By the time I get there and get sorted I would be lucky to have an hours workout....

What to do...

Cheers Darren


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## The Cheese (Sep 22, 2012)

What are you eating, mate?

What's your diet like?

Getting it right is the most important part about losing fat. You can lift all the weights in the world, but if you're nutrition is no good, you're gonna be spinning your wheels.


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## The L Man (Sep 13, 2010)

Good luck mate!


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## chunkydaz79 (Oct 16, 2012)

I am trying to sort my diet out now.....

I am on medication at the minute for my legs, and one of the painkillers makes me not want to eat... I do drink a lot though...Normally more than 5 litre's a day.

What I am eating though is the big concern for me....To be honest I am struggling with it trying to sort a decent plan out....

Breakfast is sorted....either oats blended with protein powder and some fruit, more than likely strawberries or scrambled eggs and beans on toast...

Lunch will be pasta and tuna..I found a nice recipe on here with jalapenos and spices added to give it a little zing....

Tea will be new potatoes, chicken/fish and veg....

I need to add some protein shakes in there as well but I want to also add variety to the diet....

Cheers Darren


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## latblaster (Oct 26, 2013)

Do you mean water, when you say you drink 5 litres?


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## The Cheese (Sep 22, 2012)

Diet is all wrong for fat stripping. You've got more of a bulker there. Too many starchy carbs and processed stuff with sugar in it (like baked beans).

You need to be eating 1-1.5g of protein per lb of your lean body mass. Also get in 0.5g of fats per lb and the right vitamins and minerals (supplement with a multi-vit if you need to).

Work out on an online calculator what your BMR is and then work out your Total Daily Energy Expenditure. This will give you your starting figure. From that, cut about 500 calories. That will be the deficit which you eat at every day to lose the fat.

Use a site like http://www.foodfocus.co.uk/ to count your calories with. Count *everything* that goes into your mouth. If you lose 1 to 2lbs a week, then you're on the right track. Any more than that, up the calories a bit. Any less, drop them.

For workout, use a 5x5 program. Lift heavy and build some strength. Don't worry too much about isolation work - stick to compound lifts, hitting as many muscles as you can. Obviously, with a gammy leg, you're not going to be able to squat properly, but if you can, try doing one-leg body weight squats, single leg extensions, single leg curls, that sort of thing. Build up your good leg. Yes, you're going to lose one, but you don't want the one you're keeping, looking like a chicken leg, so work it as hard as you would as if you had two good ones. You're going to get hit with a sh*tload of physio when your bad leg comes off, so the bigger and stronger you can build your good one now, the better.

It's gonna be hard, but remain committed. Doesn't matter if you're able bodied or not. Commitment is key. Want it bad enough, put in the hard work and you'll get the results you're looking for.


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## kelvinspear86 (Sep 9, 2012)

good luck with your journey darren im near the same weight as you and i have had load of help from the members on here and i am also doing a journal to track the progress. it will probably help you i have just updated my pictures for the 1st time since starting it and the difference i can see in them is a real confidence booster  so if i was you take some pics even if you dont put them up on here it will be good to look back at them and see the progress.

good luck.


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## chunkydaz79 (Oct 16, 2012)

The Cheese said:


> Diet is all wrong for fat stripping. You've got more of a bulker there. Too many starchy carbs and processed stuff with sugar in it (like baked beans).
> 
> You need to be eating 1-1.5g of protein per lb of your lean body mass. Also get in 0.5g of fats per lb and the right vitamins and minerals (supplement with a multi-vit if you need to).
> 
> ...


Many thanks for that..... my head is spinning .lol...... The one thing my remaining leg will look is skinny....they are both built already without doing anything..... My calves are huge..

Right back to the drawing board for my diet then...

Cheers Darren


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## mrproc (Oct 26, 2013)

welcome mate


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## haza (Nov 19, 2010)

Welcome daz; )


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## Simon01 (Feb 23, 2009)

Welcome welcome.


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## chunkydaz79 (Oct 16, 2012)

Well I am back after being away for just over a year.....

I started on a weight loss programme, and hitting the gym three times a week....didnt last long though....Work became more hectic and I ended up working back as a Door Supervisor again...I was working over 80 hours a week and physically and mentally killing myself...

Well my back went last christmas and I couldnt hit the gym for about 6 weeks....my motivation hit rock bottom and basically this year has been ****.....legs are staying where they are (one comes off the other would have to as well)....new medication, where I am taking nearly 150mg of morphine a day...lost my granddad, who brought me up.....my 2 year old nearly died in my arms after having a vasuclar fit, her airway became blocked...fully first aid trained, and my mind went blank...shes alright now......

enough of my crap year....motivation is back as I know my health is getting really bad...I now weigh 132kg, which I am totally ashamed off....taking 5 lots of meds everyday for my depression which has now been diagnosed as PTSD and the injuries to my legs.....

WELL JUST WANT TO SAY HELLO TO EVERYONE AGAIN, and back on with my journey....I am going to start a journal, with embarrassing pics of my body so people can see the process...

Thanks for all the positive comments last year and look forward to speaking soon....

Cheers Daz


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## Rob_bigman_smit (Nov 29, 2013)

Hi Daz, im pretty new here too and already i've gained some useful info, even after 10yrs of training! Hope fully your journey will be a successful one mate. I'v also suffered from PTSD after leaving the military, i totally understand where your coming from. Iv had days where even getting off the sofa to make a cuppa seems like the biggest task in the world. And its awful being percieved as lazy, but that just aint the case, depression strikes in so many ways. But i found as always working out saved me, the buzz after a good workout is better than any drug ever made! Im sure you'll beat it and become a raging beast once more mate! All the best. Rob


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## Rob_bigman_smit (Nov 29, 2013)

chunkydaz79 said:


> Well I am back after being away for just over a year.....
> 
> I started on a weight loss programme, and hitting the gym three times a week....didnt last long though....Work became more hectic and I ended up working back as a Door Supervisor again...I was working over 80 hours a week and physically and mentally killing myself...
> 
> ...


Meant to ask: where u from?


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## ItsFuzz (Nov 19, 2013)

chunkydaz79 said:


> *Hello to all those who read this thread.*
> 
> *
> *
> ...


I thought I was watching Take Me Out there :lol:

Best of luck as well matey! You can do it!!


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## teramobil (Nov 14, 2013)

you truely are a solider mate.... :thumb:

one Love bro.....


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## liam0810 (Jan 6, 2011)

chunkydaz79 said:


> Well I am back after being away for just over a year.....
> 
> I started on a weight loss programme, and hitting the gym three times a week....didnt last long though....Work became more hectic and I ended up working back as a Door Supervisor again...I was working over 80 hours a week and physically and mentally killing myself...
> 
> ...


Sounds like you've had the year from hell mate but i'm glad to see you've come through the other side of it and now loooking forward to getting a little fitter.

How are the legs feeling nowadays? anymore news on treatment for them or is it just dose you up on morphine? as you can't run can you use a bike?

Have you got a diet plan set out and training routine?

If you have post it up and i'll give it a few tweaks if needs be pal


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## Jister1 (Feb 14, 2008)

Daz,

all the best mate and the very best of luck!!


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## chunkydaz79 (Oct 16, 2012)

ItsFuzz said:


> I thought I was watching Take Me Out there :lol:
> 
> Best of luck as well matey! You can do it!!


Many thanks mate....u can take me out anytime.... :devil2:



Rob_bigman_smit said:


> Hi Daz, im pretty new here too and already i've gained some useful info, even after 10yrs of training! Hope fully your journey will be a successful one mate. I'v also suffered from PTSD after leaving the military, i totally understand where your coming from. Iv had days where even getting off the sofa to make a cuppa seems like the biggest task in the world. And its awful being percieved as lazy, but that just aint the case, depression strikes in so many ways. But i found as always working out saved me, the buzz after a good workout is better than any drug ever made! Im sure you'll beat it and become a raging beast once more mate! All the best. Rob


Cheers mate......the legs are never going to get better so its the case of getting my head down and going for it......I am working nights from January so it will be easier for me to hit the gym around lunchtime....the lack of motivation is killing me....I hate just sitting around doing nothing, but when I go anywhere with the family, I end up in agony....only good news is that my consultant said the nerves in my shins and calfs are dying off due to the pressure, meaning I wont feel the pain....



Rob_bigman_smit said:


> Meant to ask: where u from?


I am from a dump called Plymouth mate....I hate it down here.....Been all around the country with the Army....Winchester, Bulford, Andover, Arbroath, Poole, Dover, Larkhill, Senny Bridge, Catterick and Colchester....The only place worse than Plymouth was Arbroath.....  

Cheers Darren

Many thanks for all the offers of help as well....Pay day on Tuesday and first big shop for the diet...I am going to be peeing for England drinking a decent amount of water each day


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## chunkydaz79 (Oct 16, 2012)

liam0810 said:


> Sounds like you've had the year from hell mate but i'm glad to see you've come through the other side of it and now loooking forward to getting a little fitter.
> 
> How are the legs feeling nowadays? anymore news on treatment for them or is it just dose you up on morphine? as you can't run can you use a bike?
> 
> ...


Not had the best year, but the only was is up...legs are never getting better...just the case of take the pain and move on, one step at a time...as said in another reply, nerves are dying in my legs now meaning I wont feel as much pain.....

I will be taking a nice gentle 20 minute ride on the bikes to get my blood pumping and then onto the weights...

I will put my diet up as well...nothing special as I am a fussy eater so it will be a lot of chick, rice, steak and eggs....

Cheers Darren


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## Rob_bigman_smit (Nov 29, 2013)

chunkydaz79 said:


> Many thanks mate....u can take me out anytime.... :devil2:
> 
> Cheers mate......the legs are never going to get better so its the case of getting my head down and going for it......I am working nights from January so it will be easier for me to hit the gym around lunchtime....the lack of motivation is killing me....I hate just sitting around doing nothing, but when I go anywhere with the family, I end up in agony....only good news is that my consultant said the nerves in my shins and calfs are dying off due to the pressure, meaning I wont feel the pain....
> 
> ...


Ahh good ol Plymouth, i know it well as i served with four oh RMC


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