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Hmm so about me.... Lets start from the beginning of this journey. About 5 years ago I was a helicopter mechanic for the Navy, so working out was kind of part of my job. It also ended up being a hobby and an escape come deployment when at the end of the day I just needed to crank my music and blow off some steam. Then I got out, got pregnant and had my beautiful daughter. She was 9 pounds and I got to keep the rest of the extra (anyone else with me here?). Then came college, awesome that I graduated with my BSN-RN, not so great that I went ahead and added about 20 more pounds from lack of sleep and over eating my feeling. So now here we are to today, 27 years old!! Ready to push forward, ready to set a routine and stick to it, ready to get my little body that makes my current body cry just thinking about back. I can't wait to fall in love with eating good food and working out again and making it a habit again (not that Fallout 4 and binge watching Netflix haven't been fun habits ) My Goals: 10lb down by New Years Meal prepping most days (just being realistic) Exercise minimum 3 times a week

Hey everyone! I have a feeling my general narrative isn't too unfamiliar - I've been reading Nerd Fitness for a good while now (a couple years actually!) and only just now decided to join the forums. Given my commitment to and enjoyment of working out, I think having absolutely no social life that is at all involved in fitness has become a bit of an obstacle for me, so I decided to solve my problem by becoming involved! A little about me: I'm 26, male, currently working for my county and studying for the GRE so I can go to grad school in 2018, am into video games (I'm a Nintendo guy mostly, but I love the Elder Scrolls series), board games (especially cooperative), Pathfinder and a few other tabletop RPGs, reading, pets (my cat Olive is the best), and lifting. I'm a trans guy, but not really involved with the LGBT community - I don't feel like I have much in common with that crowd in general. I'm mostly interested in powerlifting, but in the back of my brain there's a little lingering part of me that wonders if I might be able to enter an amateur physique competition or something one of these days... One step at a time though - powerlifting first! Looking forward to meeting everyone!

Hey! I'm a 25 year old college kid who is also working nearly full time. I am mother to 4 awesome furbabies (or I have lost all control of my life, I'm not sure), one of them being a one-year-old golden retriever/lab/great dane puppy. I have a plethora of goals, some fitness related, some not, but all that will lead to a healthier me. I'm also getting married in April of 2017, so I want to achieve the goals set out here by then. The Objectives: Begin working out regularly to build muscle (I have strong forearm muscles [kind of] because I work in fast food, but my legs and arms are weak). I am aiming to workout 3x/week, first thing in the morning (which for me, is like noon, because I close at said fast food job). Begin doing yoga 2x/week, when I am not doing a workout. That gives me two off days to focus on my mental health and/or be lazy in general. Join a sports league that will accept beginners The Non-Fitness Objectives: Meditate for 5 minutes daily Do daily check-ins with myself to see how the process is going

So, it's been a few months since I've posted here on NF. I'm sad to say that I've fallen off the fitness bandwagon and have been slow to restart. I was in a pretty good routine (morning stretch/workout, mid-day walking breaks, healthy eating), but that all kinda fell away when I sustained a foot/leg injury. So, those 25lbs. that I'd shed are back and I'm feeling as crappy as I every have... probably more, knowing that I've taken such a colossal step backwards. Between the weight gain, the lack of exercise, a few negative life experiences, I don't even FEEL like trying anymore. But I know that's just my brain stumbling over speedbumps. So, consider this my re-commitment to a healthier lifestyle. I hope that I can make some lasting changes with the help of NF and it's awesome community.

of the questions of these recurring, Of the endless trains of the faithless, of cities fill'd with the foolish, Of myself forever reproaching myself, (for who more foolish than I, and who more faithless?)Of eyes that vainly crave the light, of the objects mean, of the struggle ever renew'd, Of the poor results of all, of the plodding and sordid crowds I see around me, Of the empty and useless years of the rest, with the rest me intertwined, The question, O me! so sad, recurring -- What good amid these, O me, O life?Answer. That you are here -- that life exists and identity, That the powerful play goes on, and you may contribute a verse. The first thing I thought when I first came here was, "What if I drown amidst this gargantuan forum?". So many posts and threads bombarded my sight, it feels daunting to even start lurking here. Then this poem popped into my head. It portrays how I currently feel quite accurately and reminds me that as vast as life or this forum may be and as insignificant as I may feel in the face of it, I can still contribute something of myself and that makes all the difference. So hello, how are you and do you happen to love "Dead Poets Society"? Because that is my ultimate favourite movie ever. Omgletsgushaboutitplease. And you, whoever you are, strolling around the Introduction forums, be it other newbies like me who are looking to feel less alone in this huge place or regulars who enjoy greeting fresh bloods, I just think that you must be a very warm, friendly individual or in a serious need of collecting good karma. Now I should probably share my health goals. Its been a long while since I last checked my measurements and last I remember it was 143 lbs, 4'9". I aim to lose 2 pounds 4 weeks from now. I know, I know, I'm starting small. I've done the beginner's bodyweight workout twice this week and I jog 20 - 40 minutes 3 times per week. So I'm not concerned about staying loyal to my exercise routines...it's my diet that I'm devastated with. I live with my family and we eat a lot of carbs and never enough vegetables. I ate a slice of pizza for dinner last night for goodness sake! I need a buddy to pair up with and help keep me disciplined on eating healthier. Anyone want to be my diet buddy? Would be a bonus if you're a (South East) Asian like myself since you'll understand my palate. I'm planning on cooking for myself more and more often so I can control my nutrition and calorie intake. Also, anyone else use myfitnesspal as a daily food journal? Let me know so we can add each other and learn what good things to eat. For those of you struggling to manage a healthy diet like me, holler at me and could you please tell me how you improve your situation? 'tis a pleasure to meet everyone!

Hello, I'm Ellie by name, Aeri by choice I'm a 27 (nearly 28) year old human, or so I am told. Currently founding a startup, hoping to get some great deals by the time we are ready to pitch to investors. Meanwhile gotta survive freelancing AND also improve my lifestyle, a challenge that should be fun. What I love love love about this site's philosophy and Steve's book, Level Up Your Life, is now I get to game all the time irl in a much more exciting way if you consider the thrills of the hunt, you know... So, ...I had a dream. Of living like I belong in an MMORPG, lol. Well, my battle plans 'cough' goals are basically a little bit of everything--so there's balance and lots of fun; learning the ropes in business, research what I care about, travel to far away places and learn about their ways, get to know people in such places, get fit again and then some, create peace, and so on. I'm big about The Teachings of Don Juan (minus the drugs). There's a large amount of meaningful+useful thoughts in that book, and I've shaped my game around my interpretation of them plus a few changes here and there. [Clearly a Druid, I'd say] Looking forward to becoming a Lord of Knowledge through The Way of the Warrior and sharing the journey with all of you fellow rebels. Much love, - Aeri

Hi my real name is Jeff, I have ventured onto Nerd Fitness in a quest to find motivation again in my quest for Iron. I have grown a little bored with going to the Gym daily and have come hear hoping to strike some friendly competition and finding motivation in successfully achieving all quest and challenges I set out on. Little more about me 41 years on this planet220 lbs (last time on the scale was last month)26% BF (last time on the scale was last month)Lifting history every style and formI am a hunter, fisher and adventurer, by day I am a Systems Architect(I draw pictures and lines all day ), my biggest adventure sense quitting smoking has been what to snack on and eat in the evening on the couch watching TV Now on to the fun Stuff My goal and battle plan I would like to see at least a six pack of Abs instead of the six pack of craft beer that I am very fond of on me. So over the next two months, “shooting for the end of Febâ€, I plan to drop down to at least 12% body fat at roughly 195 or 193 while struggling not to lose any muscle. This comes out to be about 0.25% body fat reduction a week, around a .5 pounds a week if you are into counting pounds which I am not. To achieve these goals I am deploying an attack on some heavy metal, while depleting all reserves with a limited ration of food. My Table I offer up advice on multiple different disciplines of weight training and fitness training that I have acquired from the military training and life experiences with what works and what is a bunch of muscle mag mumbo jumbo. Just don't ask me about diet, I have failed at this every-time I try to lose body fat.

Well, hello there! Just found Nerd Fitness a week or two ago, and been lurking, but decided to join. A little about my journey so far: My journey to health and weight loss has been sort of slow. I'm 5'1", 28 years old, currently 135lbs and around 28% body fat. I've pretty much hovered somewhere in the range of 135 lbs most of my adult life (usually within 10 lbs plus or minus, but sometimes quite a bit more: looking at you senior year of college) and then started trending upward when i hit the age of 26. So about 2 years ago I joined a gym and started working out with a trainer. At that point, I was weighing in at around 155, which is close to the most I've ever weighed. Another year went by, with not very much change. Sure, i was going to the gym once or twice a week, but it was a struggle. About a year ago, I decided it was time to get serious. Made myself a cool motivation board, and got to it. Getting up in the morning was a struggle at first, but now I'm used to it. I started weight training 3 times a week and working in some cardio here and there. Tried to make a better effort to eat more healthfully and the weight started coming off and my clothes are suddenly too big (and I love shopping so that's been a great excuse to buy new clothes). So that's the positive. I was losing weight pretty steadily up until about July and now my weight loss has plateaued at 135. It's like my body has decided that I've reached the weight I should be and it doesn't want to let go of the 15 lbs I have left standing between me and my goal of 120lbs. So I've kicked up my workouts a bit more. My current normal looking workout week: I weight train 2-3 times a week with a trainer. I spend 30-45 minutes on the elliptical 3 days a week. I started running 3 days a week (stopped for the past 10 days though. Started to get shin splints around week 5 of my training schedule) but I am running a 5 mile race tomorrow and as long as my shin splints don't come back, I'll go back to running 3x a week starting next week. I also do yoga 1-3 times a week. Yet, despite my renewed efforts, that scale is barely budging and often fluctuates between 134-136. So I must be doing something wrong in the area of what I am eating. Since I have made almost no progress in 5 months, despite changing my workout routine, I am hoping getting a little support, advice, and encouragement from this great community to help me figure out what the issue is and how to get that scale moving again. I am definitely feeling frustrated at this point.

I'm hooked, so I thought it might be time for a real intro. And so it came to pass... TL;DR: small town living, moved west, health struggles, recovery, NF, ooh pretty pictures. I am 46 (47 this month and during the challenge, woot!) and I call Utah home. I was born and raised back east. Have lived in Tennessee and Maryland. My youth was a typical small town story with a bit of hiking, fishing, rapelling, farm adventures, even some target shooting. A combination of unsavory youthful dalliances led me to move back home with my folks in my early 20s… always a stellar moment in one’s history! As luck would have it, my folks made a big move out west within a couple of months of my arrival and I went along for the adventure. The west was home instantly. Alpine, desert, red rock vistas, hot springs, salt flats, lakes, rivers. Ahhh…. It was a new beginning in many ways. My 20s were filled with adventure. I maximized my western experience. I backpacked, camped, rock climbed, skydived, even did a little flying. Visited all the places. Some of the most amazing and awe-filled times of my life. Perhaps a bit reckless in my ways, but nearing the end of my 20s, married my husband and began to settle in. Bought a house, had 2 kids, 2 dogs. My medical @#$% hit the fan in my early to mid 30s with a diagnosis of Graves disease and the aftermath of same. I hesitate to list my trials here, but in participating in the women’s NF Academy group, I’ve found many others going through some of these things with questions and fears. My path was ripe with complications and certainly most with a Graves diagnosis do not have this sort of experience. It is, however, a BIG part of who I am. Here is my 30s people… (skip ahead if you like… seriously) after the birth of my 2nd child, I joined weight watchers to take off a few. It worked miraculously well. In fact, it seemed I could eat far beyond my “points†and still win at the scale every week. It was amazing. Weight watchers was the best thing EVER!started falling down a lot, knees gave way, could not put on mascara without taking out an eye, severe hand tremors, racing heart most of the time, kept losing weight despite terrible overeating, terrible temperself-diagnosed and got confirmation from MD… graves disease. referred to endocrinologist.tried thyroid blocking drugs, but was madly swinging from hypo to hyper and EKG indicated ongoing resting heart rate of 120 bpm and doctors recommended RAI, radioactive iodine, treatment to essentially kill thyroiddrank radioactive juice out of a straw under a giant vent hood while guy in a biohazard suit watched from across the rubber lined room, escorted from hospital by security. Freakiest experience of my life. No superpowers were gained.at first post-RAI checkup, a lump was found in my neck and surgery scheduled. Cancer possible. Biopsy to happen during surgery. I awoke from surgery with no voice and no ability to swallow. Tumor was non cancerous, but growing around nerve that goes to vocal cord. 2 inch tumor in total. Enormous for a neck tumor. Frankenstein scar… totally! Sadly, not Halloween.attempt raise 2 kids under 5 with no voice above a whisper (lots of clapping and stomping), drink only from a straw, speech therapy for swallowing help and voice.wake repeatedly at night with laryngospasm, a very terrifying sudden inability to breathe accompanied by loud wheezing noises and occasionally passing out, likely caused by lack of tension in vocal cords allowing for reflux.sign up for experimental surgery to reinnervate my vocal cord with a nerve from the sternocleidomastoid muscle, two surgeries later I can speak at a normal conversational level and shout if I have to. Eternally grateful for this. It was a huge turning point for me.now that I can eat, and speak, it’s time to deal with my eyes. I have protrusion associated with the Graves and severe dry eye. In fact, I’ve had plugs inserted to keep my tear ducts from draining and thereby keeping my eyes wet. I wear goggles to sleep in (yes, this is not comfortable) to help retain moisture. orbital decompression surgery (you can google it if you want, but suffice to say… it’s a bitch and the pictures ain’t pretty), two procedures, one each eye. 4 or 5 blepharoplasties to fix my eyelids afterward without anesthetic or sedative (really not very fun to watch someone cut and sew your eyelid, but you have to be able to move your eyelids for them).at some point during this time, I also had a breast cancer scare and lumpectomy. It’s a blur. My 30s weren’t all strife though. Our family had many, many adventures during this time. We camped in incredibly amazing places… We hiked, biked, skied, visited the ocean, grew our hair long, had disco parties, and celebrated all the victories! We badassed those 30s! Ah, the golden 40s… A time for gratitude, mental and physical recuperation. I am still in awe of my and my family’s ability to gracefully persevere in the face of my trials the last decade. It was hard for everyone and they were rock solid. I don’t think I ever really lost it during the whole of those medical processes thanks to their support. Near the end, at a general physical, my doctor was a bit concerned upon palpating my neck and sent me in for an emergency thyroid ultrasound and I LOST MY SHIT. I parked my car in the parking lot and threw a giant pity party with tears, throwing things, whole 9 yards. I still don’t understand why. I suppose it was my limit. It turned out everything was fine and I left feeling it was over, really over. I’d made it. We’d made it. It was a perceptible shift from survival mode to healing mode. I look back at that list above and it seems unsurmountable even when I know I made it. In hindsight (and with the wisdom of NF), the key to my success was my support system and that I naturally fell into a one-step-at-a-time mode. The next step was unknown or out of my hands. This is NOT my normal mental state. I am a classic underpants-collector to the extreme and extremely impatient. My greatest successes have happened one step at a time and when I bring my team. I’ve gained weight through the last decade, nothing insurmountable, but it’s harder to lose with hormone issues of any kind. I’ve given myself too much leeway in eating well and being active. I’m turning that around now with NF… one step at a time. Dear self, small sustainable steps. Don’t think too far ahead… about 6 weeks is perfect. PS. Fell in love with photography along the way, all photos my own.

Hello All. On one hand, this feels like a normal introductory post on the other hand, definitely is respawn in mentality. I am new to the Rebellion. Right now I need to head check, continued motivation to refocus all whole lot of things in life. I joined the rebellion last year, and then my personal life became a bit of a mess, unfortunately this also included the life of my partner who also joined up and we went on a unplanned preemptive hiatus... That would be the best way to put it. If you read my profile I have a lot of fitness interests.... However, I have been finding myself in dismal physical condition, unable to have the stamina, dexterity, fortitude, to even enjoy for any length of time what exercise I have dabbled in over the years. I desperately need to lose weight,(total goal is a whopping 72lbs!!) and I want to change this. I need to stop fooling myself. I also need to do more than walking around the neighborhood every few days. I have some fitness DVDs, but honestly, the living room needs work, I don't have the space to use them yet, and besides, as I said before, I need to regroup mentally . Also, and/or before. I need accountability. I need to permanently read erase some negative tapes regarding working out, especially at the gym, should I choose to try that again. I am posting this fresh from a trip to ring one of the local gyms in town, look pleasant enough and had options besides treadmills which I have no current interest in whatsoever. While I'm not in too much of a rush to identify with other guilds, I do feel lost as to *how* to go about getting to where I want to be, and need to find a place where I can challenge myself physically, and yet mindfully. I'm not sure what else am asking for here, but if anyone is inclined to read my profile and give me some feedback as to where to start as an adventurer/generalist looking to build some fitness discipline again, and further what other guilds besides Druid and maybe Scout might have some challenges that would be in line with some of my other interests. I would really be appreciative. In short, I love hiking, martial arts, dance (various styles) , archery, rapier combat. I also wish to build disciplines in meditation, various types of visualization and walking meditation, am interested in picking up tai chi and Qi gong. Some of these do relate to my actual spiritual and religious commitments,and priorities. I want to be able to swim. I want to be able to hike for as long as I desire to. I want to be able to dance for as long as I desire to. I want the stamina to be able to get back into martial arts. I Need to get healthy. Part of needing to get healthy is refining my diet further than I have already. This includes paying more attention to nutrition that does not conflict with my myriad of health issues. This can be challenging. Considering I have co-morbitity and dietary recommendations that can conflict with each other. I do plan on joining the Academy as soon as finances allow. Grateful to be here/be back. thank you.

Hey there peoples! So I'm a 38 yr old guy who's picture could easily be seen next to the definition of skinny-fat. And since I am a writer by profession, that means I spend over half my day sitting down hunched over a computer. Which doesn't help the severe Kyphosis I've had my whole life. To sum up : skinny, slouchy, bad back, a big derriere from sitting and I'm getting old. Awesome. I've never felt like I've had time to work out. And because working out always hurt my back - I was always quick to put it aside. But I live in Southern California where it is 80 degrees and sunny literally year-round. And my kids love to go swimming. It really sucks to be so ashamed to take off your shirt that you watch your kids swim in the pool or the ocean and not join in. Like massive amounts of suckage. And shameage. Shuckameage. So damnit, I decided to finally do something about it. I joined a gym on the way to work. Always been nervous about weightlifting, but committing to doing the SL program. And I'm starting NF Yoga to try and increase flexibility and help my back. (never been able to touch my toes) My goals: Have shoulders wider than my hips (invert the triangle!)Be able to stand up straight with no back painPlay with my kids without insecurityNerdFitness is my kind of peoples. I love fantasy, sci-fi and genre. I love the vibe I've seen on the boards, in the posts and in the videos. Very much looking forward to this journey.

Im a father, biker, home brewer, leather worker and new to the Rebellion. I heard about this site on the art of manliness podcast. I thought it was worth giving a try. Im on day 3 and Ive done the at least 10 minute walk twice so far and I have cut out all sodas. Its baby steps I guess. I want to keep at this and see where it goes. Saying and doing is two different things. I start back at school in a few weeks and as a father to a 12 and 3 year old there is not enough hours in the day it would seem. Ill get a before picture soon. Hopefully this gets my wife into wanting to try this out.

Hello fellow nerds! My name is Elijah. I am 22 and transgender. I am also severely overweight. I weigh 316 and am 5'7. I have always said oh yeah I will lose weight blah blah blah. But now.. I am ready to become the man I was always meant to be. The old me is a lazy, couch potato. Elijah I want to be a strong, confident strapping young man. Before I start taking hormones, I want to practice being in shape. That way when the hormones kick in, it will just be fuel to already great habits. I am a huge nerd also. I love Doctor Who, Harry Potter, and Pokemon. My guilty pleasure is My Little Pony lol. I am really excited to have found Nerd Fitness though and can not wait to begin leveling up.

Hello world! I found this site a couple years ago before the Nerd Fitness Academy existed in its current form, and made "plans" to join some day. We all know how "plans" go sometimes... well fast-forward to now and the weight that I had just started to gain above a not-great-but-manageable baseline has only added up more. Time to stop the planning and start the doing! Okay, I'm kinda talk about myself a lot now, because what's better than telling your life story to strangers on the Internet? Feel free to ignore me. Stats I'm about a month short of my 1/3 of a century birthday (which I fully plan on celebrating more than my normal birthday), just shy of 5'11", and as of last time I braved the scale, about 215 pounds. I have a build where I wear weight pretty well, such that the first 20 pounds I put on a few years ago was barely noticeable; I went up an inch or two in waistline but I didn't really look different, you know? That let me get complacent and I put on 25 more. Damn. Even in my current state I can do at least 20 pushups, tread water for minutes at a time, and can run jump and climb when I need to... just not nearly as well as I used to. And I get way more tired doing it. Life I grew up in NJ, currently live in Austin, TX with my partner (who I may try to get involved on this site, we'll see how he feels about it--he's skinny but eats terribly and is bordering on "skinny fat"). Also sharing our apartment: an 8-year-old dog Basset/terrier mix who still acts like a puppy, a pushover of a black cat who could use some fitness help himself, and two sugar gliders. By day I work for a software company as a QA engineer. I like my work a lot but I occasionally get some serious impostor syndrome. I've had varying degrees of depression over the years, doing okay right now despite being un-medicated. Yet another thing regular exercise and a better body image would help! Fitness/Nutrition background I generally understand nutrition pretty well--when I eat poorly I know I'm doing it, I just love food and don't have as much willpower as I'd like. I know that good-for-you food can taste good--I've had it, I've even made it occasionally. But bad-for-you food that tastes good is quick and easy, and that's the part that's hard to get over. Fitness... I'm kinda a noob. I've done very little beyond some running around my neighborhood/apartment complex, some pushups/situps, and some very simple weight training--always using machines. Free weights kinda scare me, but I have both an apartment gym and a work gym freely available to me and I know I ought to put them to use. Short-term goals Lose some weight, not be tired getting to my third floor apartment. Do it while living my way-too-busy life. Long-term goals Lose lots of weight, get fit. I'd really like a six-pack one day, but I know that's a long way off and there's plenty of milestones to be happy about before then. Nerd cred I call myself a gamer, though it's kinda gamer-lite. Mostly WoW (Guardian Druid main, Alliance on US-Alleria), occasionally a console game here or there. I like them but other things eat my time and the TV is often occupied. I love board games too, I'll go whenever a friend hosts a session. Dominion and Roll for the Galaxy are a couple of my favorites. I play D&D 4e (Zeitgeist--really cool campaign!) about once a month, as a level 11 Razorclaw Shifter Gunsmith Seeker. I love movies, especially Action and Sci-fi. I love fantasy novels; Brandon Sanderson is my absolute favorite. I like TV but prefer it when I can treat it as a movie and binge-watch. Back in the day I would encourage Heroes and Lost marathons (interested to see how the Heroes reboot turns out, but not getting my hopes up). Nowadays it's usually Food Network. Race to Escape is fun too. The other big part of my life is a local community show choir (it's like Glee for adults) and weekly karaoke. Singing is fun; it makes me actually willing to get in front of a crowd, unlike any sort of public speaking, from which I will run screaming. If you just read all that... Why? I mean, I'm flattered, but wow. That's dedication. You're my new best friend.

Greetings and salutations. I come to you today as a 35 year old military helicopter pilot stationed in the Pacific Northwest with one (1) amazing wife, two (2) dogs, six (6) blessings or our union, and innumerable dreams, hopes and aspirations. I come to you today looking for inspiration, aspiration and dedication for fitness and life goals. I come to you today as a NF neophyte, thirsty for knowledge and hungry for accountability in performance. I've always been thin and athletic without really trying which I think has led to a "tyranny of ease" in nearly my entire adult life. I don't have to watch what I eat yet stay thin; I don't have to train hard yet achieve "excellent" marks in my physical fitness assessments; I don't have to study hard yet continually come in at the top of my professional academic pursuits. I do not say this as a brag or as backhanded compliments to myself...I struggle (and often fail) mightily in many areas and know that I could perform much, much better if it meant simply putting my mind to the matter. I am no paragon of fitness, wisdom or character by any stretch. What happens when you think you can sit back and skate through, not applying yourself? Degradation. Atrophy of the mind and body. Hubris. Wanderlust. Vice. All this as well as the realization that much more needs to be done and sometimes it has never started in the first place. As the leader of my home, I am in charge of the spiritual, emotional and physical well-being of my family and as such I have noticed that my leadership has been lacking; sorely, in some cases...the excuses of a full time job, frequent business trips and other events has allowed my priority pyramid to become inverted. It's time to change this back to the created order: God, Self, Family, Community. I hesitate between swapping numbers two and three but if I cannot take care of myself or I am in tatters, I am also in no shape to lead, love, lecture or lift-up those that matter most to me. So, all the above to say that I need to re-calibrate my orientation, plan out my daily/weekly/monthly/quarterly/semi-annual/annual events and get motivation to truly push myself in all spheres of life rather than settling for "good enough" in a few and letting others slide. More personal insight and revelations in future posts throughout the fourms but until then, thank you in advance for your wisdom, support, encouragement and advice.

Hi there! Username is Lady Ninja, but if you're reading this, you've just earned the ability to call me Aly J (Alyssin June). It'll be a great inside secret for us who read and welcome other new members such as myself! I like lists. I am: -a soccer player/enthusiast -a martial artist -lifter -avid reader -in college because degrees are a thing -obsessed with sugar I like: -lists -sugar -blankets -April 25th, because it's not too hot, and not too cold... all you need is a light jacket Who am I..? Well... I used to play soccer in high school. In college, I became a fine arts major, had no time to devote to team sports. A year passes. Then, I started kickboxing. It became my LIFE. I loved it. I loved the mat. My instructors, my partners. It was a family. I was on the mend, but a day after getting my first belt, it was time for... Knee surgery. Invasive, but not to the point where extensive surgery was needed. I have Osgood-Schlatter's disease in both knees, and my left was so bad that I needed to get a bone chip removed. All I needed was one month to heal, then six or so months to make a full recovery. Doc said I should be able to pretty much resume everything in that first month I had been doing previously. But school started again, and I went back to a university that had no kickboxing gym or classes anywhere nearby. I fell into what was probably depression, and tried to do >100g of carbs a day... cold turkey. I ended up gaining fifteen pounds, which, in all honesty, probably was somewhat healthy for my non-feminine figure. I picked up another style of martial arts, but it wasn't the rigorous training that had me looking like a Rousey wanna-be. Went back home for winter, did more kickboxing. Transferred schools, no time for consistent martial arts with my internship. But... I picked up a personal trainer. He taught me how to weight-lift. In six weeks, I dropped 3% bodyfat without it being my goal! My goal was to learn how to use weights and learn exercises that would keep me interested. Now I am an avid lifter. I train martial arts, life and do interval training when I can. I recently finished my five-and-a-half-week stint as a camp counselor (loved it), but my diet was whatever we had in the dining hall and s'mores, and my exercise program suffered because, well, you just can't outrun your fork. My body and my mind? Well... not exactly ring-worthy. Without further ado, I present Lady Ninja's (Tentative) List of Goals: ATHLETIC: -Run a 5k comfortably -Be able to do two consecutive non-assisted pullups -Have a solid routine -Lose body-fat PERSONAL: -Have a better outlook on my personal body-image -Sleep better DIET: -Set long-term, tasty, attainable goals -Learn how to cook!! -Go back to eating as clean as possible -Figure out a way to control my blasted sweet-tooth I say tentative because I would love suggestions about how to attain these goals/modifications to them. The body-image and sugar control are my two biggest concerns. Once I've committed to any/all of these goals, I'll boldface them Thanks for reading, and for having me as part of the Rebellion! Talk to me about books, fashion, movies, martial arts, soccer, nerdy things, whatevs! I love being part of a community, and I can't wait to get to know you! ~Lady Ninja (Aly J)

Hey guys, I finally stopped lurking and decided to check out the forums. Basic stuff: Female 30 yrs 5 foot 2 from 185 to 145 lb's Goal: around 127 lb's Workout: every second day is cardio, the other days muscle 1 Rest day per week (Friday or sat depending on work schedule) Story: I found NF about a year ago because of an imgur post. But until a few days ago I don't think I was really serious about anything. I was always kinda chubby. Rather spend my day playing video games and reading than go outside and actually move myself. I am rather short (5 feet 2) on top of that. At University I realized I wanted to be slimmer and started jogging every second day for an hour or so. Just that uninformed me kept eating junk food. Cheap and fast. Then through a friend I started playing University Rugby and loved it. I slimmed to 136 lb's but was severly malnourishd due to daily sport and not eating right. I finished University, moved back home and found an office job. My weight started rocketing and all I did just held it off until I reached a point when I couldn't even look at myself anylonger. I had no more sports but tons of comfort food and no moving at work. And there was another problem. Constant stomach pains (I mean all day, no break any day), reflux and sickness. For the pains I went to my physician and she found out I reacted with certain foods basically: wheat, noodles of any sort, rice, potatoes, possibly raw egg whites, maybe cream. She told me straight out I needed to eat alkaline. As a food loving German from a family with Bohemian backgrounds and constant hearty cooking, I was devastet and refused flat out. I just made sure I ate more veggies. about a year ago a 6 year friendship went up in flames (I still haven't figured out what happened) and I realized I didn't respect myself so wh should others? I was at my highest weight, I was always tired or sick and basically shied away from others because i was the fat kid. That moment I feared I had thyroid because my weight had balooned so and I went back to my doc who did the bloodwork and called me back in a few days later. She sat me down and said I wasn't sick, the stopped and actually said: You are just obese. That hit me like a ton of bricks because I always thought I was chubby but she did the measurements and it put me into obese. This is what made me change and I got a fitbit and myfitnesspal since my doc told me she wanted to monitor me and gave me strict food guidelines. I read up on good calories and started logging it all. I shed weight swiftly just by eating right. Also she told me to excercise reg. but here I am the couch potato who thought she coul lose weight just by eating right. With the change in weight there also came the constant inner need to move about. I never had so much energy in my life. I basically eat only veggies and fruits, some muesli that I can stand as well as meats and fish. I still try to eat potatoes and such but keep them on sundays when I can be at home with bely aches. Why am I here? I hit a severe plataeu (sp?). My doc warned this would happen. After months I am stuck at 145 lb and can not get lower even tho my daily calory intake is the lowest allowed (1200kcal). So weeks ago I started every second day cardio on my parents x trainer and actually am able to spend an hour on middle intensity. I still won't weigh less. That's when I remembered nerd fitness and I started reading up on things here. I now added the beginners body weight circle and can do 4 reps (hello aching thigh muscles). Thanks to NF for the always helpful articles and hello community, thanks for baring with my story and I hope I can find many good workout ideas here because I still have some way to go and I want to do it the healty way and find something to stick with the rest of my life. Thank for reading sorry for spelling or grammar mistakes, Couchsurfer

Good morning! Today I'm starting my first NF challenge. I'll do the write up later today and then post it here. I've been around NF for awhile. After a couple of false starts, I am ready to go all in. I am 56, 50lbs overweight, out of shape after a knee replacement a year and a half ago, and determined to get back, get healthy, and possibly even thinner. I would like my knee replacement to last as long as it's able, and I would like to live an active, healthy life, enjoying the outdoors in the Inland Northwest where I reside. I have a job, soon two jobs as a professional driver, and I run a small bed and breakfast in NE Washington. Life is Good!

Hello All, Im Tkbird45. Im just recently graduated from High School. Im 18, and im ready to finally shed those baby pounds so im below the Freshman 15 for college. Anyway. Im Male From California, San Diego Im 6'2" I am a bit chubby in the midsection and thighs and would concider my "race" to be either Human or Half-Giant. Weigh 236 lbs as of today. I go to the gym once a day. Im currently transitioning into the Paleo diet. And i take protein powder and creatine. My ultimate goal is lose my gut and go down to 175 lbs, i weighed about that much about 2 years ago and was in much better condition health wise and would really like to get back to that. Similarly i would like gain muscle, so that i can visibly see it, my goal is not to look like a body builder but to appear fit and healthy.

Just married, starting a family with a couple of fur babies, getting noticed by your awesome bosses at your awesome Texas radio station job, then... BAM! The same day I get promoted is the day my husband gets the job he's been waiting for since leaving the military... In Pennsylvannia... When life hands you lemons, I am right? We had our first real-life, grown up talk that day (on Valentine's Day, 😓) and as much as we hated to admit it, both of our life changing job opportunities were something we couldn't pass up. He had to move to PA and I had to stay in TX. I gave my bosses a "1-year garantee" that I would stay and do the job. My husband moved and I began life as a geographically separated wife with 2 dogs and a cat to take care of and living on my own for the first time. Nothing would had prepared me for what challenges I would face. To make the year long story short, this is what happened in a nutshell: Dove in head first into my job Realizing that I had no real support system in this game changer Lost confidence in myself Ultimately became depressed I lost the trust of my bosses Finally hitting rock bottom by using food as a reward/punishment Quit my job after 11 months and moved to PA a month early with no real plan on what I'm doing. So here I am, one month in living in PA, no job, no confidence and absolutely no motivation left in me to even do the simplest things. But... You can always hit restart So here I am, looking to restart. So for months I had Nerd Fitness open on my iPad of how to do a push up. It was always opened just like I was always going to start one day. Never looked past to the vast awesomeness that lurked behind that blog post. Till 4 days ago... I decided to join the rebellion because I need similar, like minded people to tell me I matter. That I can get healthy again. That I can be happy with my new life, even if it doesn't go according to what I dreamed of. My husband told me once the best time he ever knew me was back to the first summer were engaged. I was happy, I had just graduated and I was living my life the way I wanted too. I want to be that happy again. I just gotta restart somewhere.

First of all I think i've done this the wrong way around... I have already started my first 6 week challenge(albeit a bit late) before even introducing myself. I'm 19 years old, still live with my mom, and am starting university soon. I "dropped out" of highschool, well not really.. but I skipped over 100 days of school in 9th grade(To play WoW and CoD) and basically failed, so I just got my GED instead at 17. When I was young(1st - 3rd) grade, I was actually quite fit and played soccer for my school, after 3rd grade I quit playing soccer and my health and fitness started to decline. At around 8th grade I basically became a recluse, I stopped going to school and didn't leave the house much, spending 90% of my time playing video games. During this 2-3 year period is when my health and fitness hit rock bottom, not to mention my social skills as well. I simply forgot how to communicate with other humans, and became extremely "shy". It was around this time(16 years old or so) that I started reading Nerd Fitness, and NF also helped encourage me to just get my GED and move on with life. I had been reading NF for years and just getting short bursts of motivation to work out or eat right before quickly falling back into my old ways. It wasn't until the start of January 2015 that I decided to really get serious, not just with fitness and physical health but with mental strength. I am still pretty socially awkward, but not nearly as much as before, and i'm improving every day. I've lost about 35 lbs since then and gotten down to ~18%-20% body fat, and I get remarks about my weight loss from my family and friends all the time. I still have a long way to go, but at least now Iv'e started to walk the path. It's as Walt Disney once said: "The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing." My goals for the future are to become less socially awkward, get below 10% body fat, get a job(any job for now), get into school and DO WELL, also i'd like to start training in Martial Arts and Parkour. -------------------------------- I probably could have improved this post a lot, and gone into much more depth, but I didn't think about it. I will probably come and edit this later to make it better.

What is your name? ShadowFire. What is your quest? Too kick some serious Ass. Wait seriously, no Holy Grail stuff just kicking ass? Yes, now may I please pass? No, I mean yes, ahhhhhhhhhhhhh Wait. Does that count as an intro? I mean it has my name. Well just in case, Name's Shadowfire. I'm 25, male, currently trying to get my life on track. I figure this is the best way for a guy who spends more time with his nose in a book or a computer screen too get in shape. On fitness stuff, I hate running. Straight up haaaaatttttteeeeee it. And I'm not a fan of free weights but I can do them if I feel they will help. I like biking, climbing, swimming, and I seem to spend an inordinate amount of time upside down. I was a boxer and did a small amount of Muay Thai and Capoeira.

Background: I am 39, am married, and have a 19-month-old little boy (his name is Arlo). For as long as I can remember, I have had a problem with overeating (and not exercising enough). This includes eating when I am not hungry and secretive eating. Currently I am right around 230 pounds (227 as of this morning), and would like to be around 180-190. Nerdy Pursuits: Back in the day, I played D&D and collected comics (favorite titles: Spiderman, Wolverine, Punisher, Daredevil). In my old age (39), I still love these things and reading fantasy novels. I have picked up another non-traditional nerdy pursuit: playing banjo! I love to do it, plus I make a little side cash for playing out with my band and sitting in with others. Main Quest: Lose 50 pound by the end of the year. I would like to lose 7 pounds during the 6-week challenge. I want to be more fit to play with my son, and want to feel comfortable with my shirt off. Sweating less would be nice too. Subquest 1: Walk 10 minutes a day A = 40/42 days B = 35/42 days C = 30/42 days A = +2 STA, 0.5 CON; B = +2 STA; C = +1 STA Subquest 2: Body Weight Strength Training 3x/week-Do a pullup! A = 18/18 days B = 15/18 days C = 12/18 days A = +2 STR; B = +1.5 STR; C = +1 STR BONUS +1 STR to do a pullup by end of 6 weeks Subquest 3: Cut out processed foods (nothing with refined grains or added sugar (honey ok)) A = 40/42 days B = 35/42 days C = 30/42 days A = +2 CON, 0.5 CHA; B = +2 CON; C = +1 CON Life Side Quest 1: I am a banjo player (if you want to hear my band, check us out at tanglersbluegrass.com), but haven’t been able to play as much with the baby. So, I will play music at least 15 minutes/day. A = 40/42 days B = 35/42 days C = 30/42 days A = +2 WIS; B = +1.5 WIS; C = +1 WIS Motiviation: Be healthy for my son. Feel good without a shirt. Feel healthy. Looking forward to this!

Hi team! Here’s my intro, sorry if it’s long, I want to have it posted for accountability so that I can look back on it and feel proud! I’ve wanted a fitness forum for a while, but I find a lot of related subreddits etc intimidating, so I figured I’d give NF a try. In case folks skip the tl;dr intro, my question -- for anyone who has paid the full fee for this site, is it worth the money? Did it significantly improve your workout routine? The cost is very reasonable but I haven't found many reviews of the services online, so I'm a little nervous about it. OKAY. Intro for real. I’m 5â€4’, 30, female, and 150 pounds (68 kg), with a goal weight of 135 (61ish kg) by September 2015, when I will be moving to the UK to do postgraduate work (yay!). My highest weight was 190 (86 kg) about 9 years ago, but I've been hovering between 150 - 160 for the last few years. I’ve dropped ten pounds since the end of November, but I feel like my results would have been better if my workouts were more varied. As for race, I'm short with a petite frame, so I'm going to be completely self-indulgent and go with my personal favorite race to play, the versatile and adaptable half-elf! Half-elves are travel-prone wanderers, adaptable and diplomatic... perfect for me. In real life I would totally be a Bard, as I have all my skill points in social/language/musical/craft skills and only a few in physical skills..... in NF terms though I am aiming for ranger. Right now all I do is run, but I want to build a more balanced routine. I need to work on core strength as I've begun to have back pain if I sit for longer than two or three hours. Hoping to improve on all of that this year. I'm so happy to have found this community! I've been thinking of my own hobbies as skill-point based for a while now, but I've never made the jump to applying that to fitness. Running: I’ve been running since 2012, mostly because running is something I can do anywhere. I generally run three times a week and while I’m not particularly fast (10 – 12 minute miles) I can run seven or eight miles comfortably. I hope to run a marathon next spring and so at present I’m using the Galloway method (run/walk intervals) and just trying to maintain reasonable level of endurance from which to begin proper marathon training this fall. Strength-training: The whole reason I’m here! I have zero experience in weight training (and unsurprisingly, zero upper body strength) beyond occasionally trying out the machines in hotel gyms. The pushups were by far the toughest part of my first beginner circuit... I miss my marching bands days when I had arms of STEEL. Food: I live out of hotels six-seven months of the year for work, so I rarely cook. It also makes changing my diet difficult, since I don’t have access to the same foods regularly. I also have a history of disordered eating, which means I have to be cautious when restricting my diet. That being said I eat pretty clean anyway – I’ve been gluten-free since 2009, I don’t drink soda or eat fast food/processed food, I don't eat much red meat, and the only grain I eat regularly is rice. I'm not really a dessert person, but I love salty snacks -- popcorn and potato chips are tough to turn down at parties etc, though I rarely buy them. The only major changes I want to make to my diet are cutting back on salt, alcohol and dairy (cheese... mmm). I believe my goal weight and diet are 100% compatible if I mind my portion sizes. Personal Challenges: I have never really enjoyed exercise (got through high school using marching band as a PE credit...), though I fell in love with running a few years back. I’m hoping this community will help make weight training fun, too. I have limited control of my diet, since I work out of hotels. I tend to add salt to everything I eat (I’ll sometimes catch myself adding salt before even tasting the meal…), so that’s on the chopping block first, followed by cheese. I have a routine in the evenings of buying a bottle of wine and sipping on it as I do paperwork/read/chill out with my DS.... and I can knock back a bottle in one evening if I put my mind to it. As of this week I’m going to stop drinking inside my hotel room and go down to the bar if I want to bother with a drink. If nothing else, bar drinks are expensive so that should help me cut back... Nerdery: I am a total history nerd, a bookworm, and I always travel with my DS. I love renaissance festivals and make my own garb -- the last few years I've been attending as renfaire-lady-Captain-America. I also love tabletop roleplay, though these days I don't have a group. Hoping to make a few friends as I drop the last of this dead weight!

Greetings All!! My name is Chris and I'm so extremely happy to be joining up with Nerd Fitness. I heard about NF about a month ago and ended up posting for the first challenge but just finally getting to an official introduction. A little about me: I'm a 38 year old male living in the Midwest (northern Indiana) but originally born and raised in the suburban Detroit area. I'm I'm just shy of 6 feet (5'11 and 1/2; 1.8m) and currently 328 pounds (148.8 k). My nerdiness knows few boundaries. A personal motto is "I'll try anything once, twice if I like it." Some of my major fandoms include Star Trek AND Star Wars, Doctor Who (both classic and current), Chuck, the Marvel Cinematic Universe, along many others. I love movies of many types, from sci-fi to comedy, and music, anything from pop & rock to jazz and music used in movies. Gamer of many flavors (video, board, card, RPG) and my brain doubles as a Vault of Useless Information. My goals for joining up here is to help in my efforts to better myself, mentally, physically, and spiritually. I've grown and adjusted into my current weight for almost 20 years but I know that, while I'm a good person, I can be an even better version of myself through effort and learning. Much of my family is very well-lived and I have a small worry that if I don't become healthier, I may not live as long as I'm supposed to. Plus, I'd also like to do things that might weight current hinder me from doing, like skydiving and running a half marathon. I have already seen and experienced so much support and help here and I knew that I'm in the right place! I have tried some weight loss programs previously but here, I feel like I'm part of a community of people that really are just like me. I couldn't be happier that I'm here. So, in a nutshell, that's me. Anything else, just strike up a conversation here or anywhere. I enjoy to talk, bounce ideas off of, listen, or just discuss things.