A wild Katydid appears!

[Katydid]

Hello!

 

I'm lazy so I'm just going to copy-paste the about me I just wrote...

 

My name is Kate, or Katydid. I go to school in California, although I grew up in Indiana and Washington DC.  I'm a college student trying to stay fit and gain strength amid a busy schedule.  I'm also trying to move away from a history of disordered eating and negative body image by focusing on positive health goals centered on strength, nutrition and self-love, rather than weight and calories.

 

I've been reading NF articles for the past couple of weeks, and I'm on my first week of the BBWW (those lunges tho...).  I've also picked up running again using the app "Zombies, Run!" which has been fun.  I also enjoy yoga during the school year when I have access to cheap classes.  My long-term goals for now are to run a 5k and complete the ABWW.  They seem like dinky goals to me when I look at all the NF success stories, but I have to start somewhere!

 

My eating habits are pretty good now during the summer, when I'm in an apartment and can control the food that's available to me, but I know when I go back to the dorms in the fall and have to deal with dining hall food again (just one more year...), there will be some challenges.

 

I'm looking forward to exploring the forums and getting to know some people (thinking of becoming a Ranger after spending some time with the Adventurers), and hopefully joining the next 6WC!

[redimagination]

Hi Katy and welcome! I am glad to hear you are trying to move away from disordered eating - as someone who has had to deal with that in the past I know how it feels. Even now, if I don't work out for a while and then do something like go for a run old feelings come back. But I then eat something healthy and the feeling passes. Now I try not to worry too much about my food (while eating quite healthily).

 

Your goals are good and realistic; don't worry too much about what other people are doing. Just keep going and focus on your own improvement; it will start to show soon!

[virtualmonkey]

Welcome aboard and your goals are perfect! 

 

Have you used Zombies, Run! at night? I'm not going to lie I get a little freaked out when it's midnight out and all of a sudden I'm being told Zombie's are chasing me. I did it at the lake house the other day (dark woods, only 3 houses in 10 miles) freakiest thing I've ever done to myself, I think I outran a deer that night.

[blkhole24601]

Ugh, I hear you on the lunges on the BBWW! Hate them more than the push-ups, let me tell you...

 

And yay, Zombies, Run!  I'm not as far along with it as I wish I was (still near the beginning of season 1, sob) but for a person who hates zombies, I'm finding it a blast. The chase feature keeps it exciting, too!

 

Best of luck with switching the focus from weight and calories and more on nutrition and self-love; that's my current goal, too, but it's hard breaking my brain out of the habits I've developed from poor body image and self-abusive mental talk that accompanied my calorie counting. Have you tried keeping a food log? I'm finding it a good transition from keeping track of how much I eat and towards keeping track of what I eat without worrying about over (or under!) eating.

 

Welcome!

[Katydid]

Hi Katy and welcome! I am glad to hear you are trying to move away from disordered eating - as someone who has had to deal with that in the past I know how it feels. Even now, if I don't work out for a while and then do something like go for a run old feelings come back. But I then eat something healthy and the feeling passes. Now I try not to worry too much about my food (while eating quite healthily).

 

Your goals are good and realistic; don't worry too much about what other people are doing. Just keep going and focus on your own improvement; it will start to show soon!

 

Thanks!  It still feels a little weird to be in the crowded gym struggling to complete a set of kneeling pushups with all these much more advanced people around, but I try to stay focused on my own journey!  I'm excited for when the increased strength starts to help me with other activities, like biking around campus or rock climbing.

 

Welcome aboard and your goals are perfect! 

 

Have you used Zombies, Run! at night? I'm not going to lie I get a little freaked out when it's midnight out and all of a sudden I'm being told Zombie's are chasing me. I did it at the lake house the other day (dark woods, only 3 houses in 10 miles) freakiest thing I've ever done to myself, I think I outran a deer that night.

 

I haven't tried it at night yet - the road I like to run on doesn't have sidewalks the whole time and it's a bit isolated, so I try to stick to daytime runs when I'm alone, just for safety's sake.  I bet it would be extra motivating though!

 

Ugh, I hear you on the lunges on the BBWW! Hate them more than the push-ups, let me tell you...

 

And yay, Zombies, Run!  I'm not as far along with it as I wish I was (still near the beginning of season 1, sob) but for a person who hates zombies, I'm finding it a blast. The chase feature keeps it exciting, too!

 

Best of luck with switching the focus from weight and calories and more on nutrition and self-love; that's my current goal, too, but it's hard breaking my brain out of the habits I've developed from poor body image and self-abusive mental talk that accompanied my calorie counting. Have you tried keeping a food log? I'm finding it a good transition from keeping track of how much I eat and towards keeping track of what I eat without worrying about over (or under!) eating.

 

Welcome!

 

I use this other app called Argus which lets you take pictures of your food and record what food groups are included in each meal.  I like it because it's less time-consuming than a written log and keeps me focused on eating a variety of foods rather than quantity or calories.  It also incentivizes me to eat colorful foods so that my pictures will look pretty.

 

Thanks so much for the warm welcome, everyone!