handymanning

Used to be roughly 50 lbs overweight at 215 (my heaviest). No longer, thanks both to NerdFitness and the few and far between real life people who've supported me on my fitness journey. Not gonna lie, Steve's articles kickstarted my lifestyle turn around, and continue to provide weekly inspiration and perspective. I grew up in an odd spot. My dad passed on while I was still young, a car accident to be precise. I was with him, but survived. After I woke from the coma, my then widowed mother packed up and moved us all (brother and sister) to North Carolina. Due to some religious stuff, I didn't have a normal childhood, car accident and resultant laundry list of medical issues aside (ranging from multiple concussions to spinal issues to epilepsy to total retrograde amnesia, to mention the major ones). Wasn't allowed to play with other kids, participate in school sports or clubs, that kind of thing. The biblically justified physical abuse didn't help either. When I was about ten, my mother again decided to pack us up and move across the continent, all the way to Alaska. We lived with an old family friend of my mother's for a while, but had to leave after they had a falling out over my mother's prescription drug abuse (she was stealing my seizure meds, way to twist the knife eh?). Anyway, in a (presumed) act of desperation, she found a dude and married him after two weeks of dating. Recipe for disaster if I ever saw one. Up until this point in my life, I was relatively healthy for a kid my age, medical issues aside. The guy my mom married...well, he shouldn't have been allowed to procreate. My sister and I (big brother had moved out when we were still in NC) were removed from the home by the state and placed in foster care. Bounced around for a bit, then finally settled back in NC with some family, an aunt on my mother's side. The point I'm getting at is that sometime shortly before being placed in foster care, I developed a binging disorder. At this point I had absolutely zero knowledge of proper nutrition. Moving in with my Aunt didn't help, as that entire side of the family was obese (and dropping like flies because of it). After one of the aunts kicked the bucket early in life, I had a rushing realization that I was on the verge of following down that same path. Now I've always been a Nerd. What I lacked in early life social interaction, I more than made up for by devouring books, comics, games, whatever worlds I could live in that weren't mine. Over time I developed a startling aptitude for absorbing information, which I finally turned to fixing my health. After a short while, I found this community, and the rest is history. I graduated high school, moved to Dubai, and now work at a Technical Consulting and Project Management agency. I'm healthier and happier than I've ever been. Last year I completed my first ever 21km run in under two hours, and have been lifting and fighting ever since. This is my story. If you've made it this far and have any questions or desire clarification on any details, feel free to PM me. Thanks for reading! Before/After

Sorry about the late update, I havn't had access to a computer for a while. I ran 5 miles this weekend in one go, plus curcuit training. I'm looking forward to competing in a 5k here soon. Aright, ADW signing out. Peace!

I've been keeping up with my workouts, and I'm back on 90% Paleo. Oh, and I got a girlfriend! (Charisma points for this guy!) Not sure how often I'll be able to post this next little bit, but I'll do my best. Peace! ADW, signing out.

Sorry about the late update. Was in a car accident last week and my phone got busted. Anywho, I ran 4 miles the day of the accident. Took a break for a couple days to let my body heal up, then got back on the horse (figuratively) Saturday. Ran 6 miles, with roughly 2min walking breaks every 2 miles or so. Pretty proud of myself considering the circumstances. Okay y'all. ADW, signing out. P.S. How do I allocate my stat points when I get them? Is there a program for inputting them? Any information is appreciated. Peace!

I'll be sure to keep that in mind. Thanks for the advice everyone!

Thanks so much for your help guys! Nuala, I was checking out the guilds and stuff and the rangers definitely spoke to me. I appreciate your support! Edit: I ran about 4 miles yesterday (cold, like an idiot), and did some deadlifts, about 225 for 8 reps. I know it's not a lot, but recovering from an old leg injury. Still working on it! Stretched after running, and after the deads. I'll post again as soon as I can. Peace!

Hello all! This is my first challenge thread. (I hope I'm posting in the right place. If not, please let me know.) I've been following Nerdfitness for about a year, lurking about the forums and such. Steve's articles and advice have helped me turn my life around. As of right now, I am well into my fitness journey. I've lost 50 lbs in the last year, and I have been attending modified Crossfit classes (inceased intensity and length) on the regular. My current life quest is to get get my diploma in a couple months and then go for my bachelors. My current goals include increasing my flexibility, running an official 5k, and cutting my bodyfat percentage to under 15%. I intend to stretch every day, run every other day, and lift when I'm not running. I'm already eating mostly paleo, and it's worked wonders for me. Signing out, ADW P.S. I'm looking to select my race and guild soon. Any advice would be appreciated. Peace!

I'm new here, and wondering if there's still time to get in on the current challenge. Any information is appreciated! Also, I'd like to join a guild and create a character. Thanks for any help!