keetabirdy

Thanks! I did walk today at lunch like I hoped to. 1500 steps (appox.) I counted one lap on the playground and then estimated from there. Not sure what that translates to in miles, but it's something. And now I'm baking three different kinds of bread for a gathering this weekend. I know lots of carbs, but I promised these long before I found nerd fitness. I promise I won't eat much of them.

*is getting antsy as well*

Cooking ideas would be great! For now I've decided that I'm going to do mostly vegetarian or salad lunches to at least get me started. This is a meal I have to plan ahead for anyways, since I take lunch to work with me, and I'm forced to make healthy choices because that is school policy. So, I'll try and make the most of it by eating as healthy as I can at lunch time. Plus I'm limited on time and so busy after lunch that it means I have a distraction from eating out of boredom. I think I've even talked my co-teacher into walking the playground while we supervise the kids. I did the beginner's body weight circuit on Monday and my quads are still killing me! Lol. I'm trying to make my battle plan for my first challenge. I think I will stay away from a scale goal, as those have never seemed to serve me well in the past. I will still keep track of it once a week or so, but I think measuring inches or clothing sizes would be a better one. I'm thinking of perhaps a longer term main quest like where I can be comfortable wearing dresses without shorts underneath (rubbing thighs, who me? ). It'll take me a while, but I would really like to get there. Or perhaps that's my motivating factor that I need to put on the mirror, haha. For the smaller goals to help with the main quest I'm thinking: * Do body weight circuit OR Zumba, AND walk at least 2 miles 3+ times per week. * Drink 8 cups of WATER daily. * Bring Vegetarian or Salad lunches to work 4+ days per week.

Well I would but I don't think I'd be able to keep up as of now. I have a ways to go before I'm ready to hike again. I did love the Butterfly Trail on Mt. Lemmon when I was younger though. The last big hike I did was seven falls. It's been several years since then.

Ditto on Henry Cloud. I did a small group study with the first Boundaries book. It really helped me clear up some things in my life. I'm certainly not perfect when it comes to boundary issues yet, but at least I'm more aware of the changes I need to make. And very awesome goals BTW. I'm getting ready to set up goals for my first challenge.

Thanks for the welcome! *high fives Gem back* I would love to cook in bulk if it meant I could freeze things for later, but unfortunately, where I am living most often, freezer space is at a premium. I often find if I leave any of "my" space open, someone decides that it is theirs to use. I also find it challenging to use the kitchen at times as it is usually cluttered and sometimes unsanitary. I am looking into other living arrangements, as I think it would be better for my health, but until then I need to deal with what I have. @ alienjenn: There may come a time and point where my father and I part ways, but for now he lives physically near me and I am repaying a loan to him. I have more than once considered cutting him out of my life, as he has trouble understanding that he is human like the rest of us and needs to take responsibility for his part in conflicts.

These are beautiful goals! I wish you all the best in reaching them.

A New Hope. No, Star Wars is not among my top fandoms, but I couldn't resist the fitting allusion. That's how I felt when I stumbled upon this community last night. I have struggled with being overweight and then obese, since middle school. I'm now almost 29. My family has generally offered very little understanding with my weight issues and I have heard no lack of remarks regarding it. I already struggle with self esteem due to a birth defect that has made "fitting in" challenging from the get-go and being overweight only adds to the problem. I'm constantly reminded about the health issues that come with being overweight and the challenges that poses in finding a boyfriend, as if I didn't know that. My dad struggled with his weight when he was much younger (before I was born) and he has found ways to overcome it that work for him. I'm very happy that he has been successful, but his success makes him feel like he has the right to judge me. I'm asked to exercise with him repeatedly, but whenever I take him up on it, I'm met with frustration on his part when I can't keep up with him. And he wonders why I don't like to exercise with him? While I've given weight watchers and working out the "old college try," I find it very difficult to stick with anything for very long. I have a persistent sweet tooth, an unhealthy enjoyment of fried foods and carbs, and a less than ideal love for veggies (although I'm getting better in the veggie department). The fact that I am single and relatively nomadic in my living situations, usually living in someone else's home, means that it's challenging for me to set up routines and design my environment to set me up for success. It also means that if I'm cooking, I'm usually cooking for one, which I hate doing; so I eat out a lot. The fact that I have a 35-45 minute commute to and from work also means I spend a lot of time on the road and eat on the go, so I can salvage that little bit of extra time. I spend a lot of my free time on the computer, or I'm multitasking, doing something for work while watching TV, all of which involves sitting. Finding motivation to exercise has also been greatly challenging. I've tried finding workout buddies for walking, etc, but they have all flaked out on me and I've found myself facing this increasingly forbidding challenge alone again. And then yesterday I had a mini break down when I found my shirt/ dress size had gone the next size up. I wanted help and answers and when googling for any workout buddy matching sites, I found the Sidekick section of this site. I was intrigued and read further. I was so encouraged and amazed by what I saw! A community of people banding together to fight a stereotype and have fun, in the spirit of living a healthier life. It's given me Hope, and while I don't have a battle plan yet, I'm hoping that reading, learning and coming together with the others on this site will help me make one that works, and eventually leads to a healthier me. I want to look in the mirror and feel good about the person I see there and I think all of you can help me get there. So thank you in advance to all of you who will be traveling with me on this road! -Keeta

Just saying hi since you're the first person I've seen from Tucson! I just joined this evening and I'm just trying to get connected with people. I travel a lot between Tucson, Sahuartia and Tubac, so I'm kind of all over the place.

Hello, I'm brand new to NF and I am looking forward to getting started with the upcoming 6 week challenge. I would really appreciate the help of an accountability partner/ workout buddy, as I need someone to kick my rear into gear once in a while! I'm a female teacher in my late 20's for sake of reference. My preference would be to find someone to meet up with to work out, but if I can't find that I'm willing to see if online accountability will work for me. Let me know if you're interested. Hoping to find my sidekick!