Hi All, Long time listener, first time caller and all that...I've been reading Nerd Fitness for several months now and over the past 8 months have lost a little over 50 pounds. I realized I was sick of feeling bad about myself all the time and wanted to get stronger both physically and mentally. What finally convinced me to join to boards is that I had a major setback tonight and need a place to vent. I went to my usual boxing class today, and was really excited to get a kickass workout in since it's my last day in the gym before I head to Thailand for a week. When I got to class there were hardly any people, which was great, since that meant it would be a killer workout with lots of individual focus. We started running like we always do, and I was feeling pretty good about the fact that I was able to keep up and never stopped for more than a few steps to catch my breath. When I first started the classes, I couldn't run half a lap without feeling like my lung was going to collapse. After we finished running it happened - possibly the most dreaded thing that can happen to a former fat kid: The gym teacher told us to grab a jump rope. Never in my life have I been able to make it more than a few skips without tripping myself up and feeling like a complete idiot. Even 50 pounds lighter, that hasn't changed. I gave it my best try, I honestly did, but after a few minutes of tripping myself up, I was on the verge of tears. So I left. And I'm ok with that. For me, a huge part of this has been working so I can be proud of my body and what it can do, but at the same time, I have to recognize that I can't be good at everything, and there will always be some things that don't work out. Fitness should be fun and awesome and empowering, and I don't need to spend an hour doing something that makes me feel clumsy and awkward and bad about myself in order to say I worked out. So, if you'll excuse me, I'm off to the gym - on my own terms.
