Search the Community

Hey, y'all. I'm here to regain some measure of fitness. I'm a disabled veteran who nevertheless managed to keep more or less fit once I got out of the Army, only to really let myself go over the last year due to the double whammy of illness and finally winding up in a desk job. I like hiking, Pilates, and also running, but am on an indefinite hiatus from that last because of several bulging discs. I'm kind of interested in lifting weights, but I have nerve damage in one arm and hand that might make that impractical. Got to get my doctor to bless off on it first, anyway. Hmm. Trying to think what other kinds of exercise I enjoy. I keep wanting to like yoga, but being told to relax makes me tense. It's just not my bag, I guess. Anyway, I mainly made an account to do this six week challenge that starts tomorrow.

Hi! I'm Ellis. [Edited]

Where to begin. I'm obviously new here. I am very excited to find this site, however. I've always been comfortable pursuing and enjoying whatever interests me (I guess that's called being a "nerd" now) and I've been mindful of health and fitness my whole life as well. This site seems like a really great mix place for support, community, encouragement, and education. Let's get the stat-dump out of the way. Species: Human Age: 29 Sex: Male Height: 5'11 Weight: 165 lbs. Recent Picture: Here's me, looking tired, after helping a friend move As this community is the fusion of Nerdiness and Fitness, I'll introduce the two sides of me: Nerd: I've always loved Fantasy and SciFi. I've been a Dungeons and Dragons player since I was in high school (Thorin, level 1 Fighter) and I started playing PC games on our old 386 when I was about 6. I have played many (admittedly, too many) video games since then. Lots of Diablo II and Vanilla World of Warcraft as a teen. Favorites have been . . . opens Steam account Fallout 3, BF2142, Left4Dead, and DayZ, among many others. #1 spot goes to LoZ: Ocarina of Time. I love the Zelda series and OOT will always hold a very special place in my heart. Other "nerdy" interests, aside from the tabletop gaming that I don't think I'll ever give up, have been PC tinkering and recently quadcopters. Fitness: I am fortunate that I have grown up in a family that was generally healthy. As a result, for most of my life I have been rather conscious of health and fitness. I feel like I was also lucky to get pretty good "base stats." Good immune system, no significant medical problems, and a metabolism I can barely keep fed. I wrestled in High School for 3 years, and in my adult life I have lifted weights on-and-off with wildly varying regularity, focus, and intensity. I've been eating between 75% and 95% Paleo for longer than I know exactly. Over a year. I really believe in the principles of the lifestyle and it was already pretty close to what I was eating. I don't drink soda at all. Sugar truly is white death. Exercise aside, I feel fantastic on Paleo, my parents tried it for about 6 months and lost quite a bit of weight (not a goal for me) and had much more energy. My dad, for example, went from about 215 to 185. I am trying to convince myself to like running. I sit a desk all day (IT work) and I know I'm not doing my heart any favors just letting it sit around, so occasionally I'll put on shorts and run 3-4 miles. So, why am I here? -Lots of reasons. So far, this community seems really cool. I struggle with motivation sometimes (bed feels so good) and I think by connecting with other people, I'll challenge myself to stick with the plans I make for myself. So "making friends" is on the list. aww -Achievements! I know we "work out to improve ourselves" and all that, but the idea of getting EXP and leveling up for being healthy is just too cool to pass up. -Track my progress. Scribbling weights down on a paper in my gym shorts isn't nearly as cool as recording my progress on a forum. -Motivation. Lately, I'd started a new lifting schedule and was really enjoying it. Going pretty regularly, putting on some weight and really starting to feel a strength difference over a few months. I was cooking well, eating well, even running a fair bit (ok, like once a week maybe). Then I got dumped. It really took the wind out of my sails. My gym bag just sits there. My running shoes do the same. My "95%" Paleo diet has turned into "Paleo + Beer, donuts, and pizza." Beer for dinner, drinking coffee again, back to a terrible sleep schedule - the works. The whole ordeal really took the wind out of my sails, and while breaking up is always hard mentally, I know its been bad for me physically as well. Geez, I feel like I should have been laying on a couch for that sob story. Nothing like getting it all out, huh? So anyway, that's me. I'm going to poke around the forums and read about the guilds, check out some profiles, and hopefully start up my own little progress thread. If you made it this far, thanks for reading all this! Feel free to say hi! - Dash

Hello! I'm TheBubbleNinja (Or sometimes Cassie), I'm 24 years old and trying to change my life. I've never been fully happy with my life and I know it's because of my weight and how it can affect me in the future. I've never lived a fully healthy lifestyle but over the past couple years I've been making small changes. Two years ago I cold turkey stopped drinking pop, earlier this year after lurking the website I tried not eating bread. I haven't been fully successful there but I am trying. I know a big part of what I need to start doing is continuing to slowly change over to a healthy diet and exercise a lot more. To kick start that I am going to a Yoga Fitness class at my local gym with my best friend for the first time on Wednesday. It's the day she has free so that's why it's Wednesday. I'm currently torn between two classes that both happen on Monday and I really want to go but I know I can't physically do both. I'll put what they are at the end of the post. There's one other point I need to get out because it's a large portion of my issue and any guidance anyone can give me if they are in a similar position is welcomed. Okay so, the issue I'm having is creating a routine. It's damn impossible with my job to have a stable routine. I currently freelance in Master Control at a TV station. My shifts can be any combination of the following: 8am-4pm, 4pm-12am, 12am-8am, 7am-7pm, or 7pm-7am. I also live 2 hours away from where I work so my days can feel excruciatingly long. With all this going on during the week (and weekends) I haven't figured out the proper way to maintain a solid schedule. Or even a flexible one that still allows me to get enough sleep each night so I can not kill myself on the drive. So uh yea. I'm really not trying to make excuses but I do understand how it sounds exactly like one. So if there's anyone that can help me or just help me brainstorm a way to handle this. The Classes In Question: Strength or Express Strength These classes provide overall body toning and conditioning using free weights, stability balls and other fitness equipment, with emphasis on muscular strength and endurance, postural awareness and stretching. Group Power® is now in all YMCA Membership Centres! Group Power® is a weight training class that blasts your muscles with high-rep training. The class uses an adjustable barbell, weight plates and body weight. It combines squats, lunges, presses and curls with functional integrated exercises. Dynamic music and a motivating group atmosphere will get your heart rate up, make you sweat, and push you to a personal best! So um yea, nice to meet you all and I hope to make some great friends during my stay here! Sorry long post is long.

Alrighty, I am a 43 year old woman of varying talents and skills. I am a mom to 2 teenage boys, one with HF autism/aspergers, depending on who you ask. I am almost step mom to another teenage boy, preteen boy and cutie pie little girl. I also raised my 23 year old nephew I have gone from being in what I considered amazing health and fitness to less than fit and tired. I have lost both my parents, and gone through divorce. I have been on the divorce diet and lost too much weight in a very unhealthy way. I have gained that back and then some due to lack of movement and loving all food. My struggle with weight is nothing compared to some other people, but it's my struggle and my journey. I stumbled on NF looking for something for my BF to embrace, but found something I want to embrace. I have been following principles of moderation and have been lifting weights and doing cardio. My strength and endurance are improving and I want to continue to improve. I have completed a half marathon (walk/run) and have my black belt in TKD. I have a new crazy goal of a marathon next year with a group of friends. I am hoping that my strength training and cardio training will help avoid injuries and just having a new goal is exciting. I am looking forward to joining challenges and meeting other newbies.

Hello Hello to all my fellow soldiers! My name in real life is Yannick de Mol but my soldier name on here is Rab397. I am sort of a history nerd, i want to become a teacher someday. the reason why i joined, i have been trying to lose weight for quite a long time now and i gained a lot of knowledge but no support. That is exactly what i need right now Support! and i hope to find it here with my fellow soldiers. I am a karateka, so a martial artist. But my body is preventing me to grow anny further. At the moment i weigh in on 110 Kilo's with a BMI of over 30 and a fat percentage of 33%. I know what to eat, how to excercise i just need the support of people. As a way to keep track of my progress i was thinking about a weekly blog/vlog for certain people. If you are interested in supporting me by watching or reading my blog/vlog let me know. Goodluck to you all!

Hi there! I've been lurking on Nerd Fitness since about March, and I finally decided to actually join up instead of just lurking. I've been sorta working out, sorta healthy for a few years. I've been running for years - first with my Dad, now on my own - and it's something I love to do. I added strength training in a year ago - both bodyweight and kettlebell, and occasionally my Dad's borrowed dumbells - to work out, and I love it. I also love food, but I grew up in a family that didn't really cook at all. I've improved my cooking skills throughout University, and now that I'm living on my own for college without access to a full stove [i have a convection oven & a hot plate], I'm struggling to make healthy meals again. My biggest struggles right now are keeping a consistent eating schedule as well as healthy habits, and continuing to work on strength. The majority of my classes fall right on lunch or dinner, so by the time I get home, I'm starving. Small changes are the way to go, so I'm collecting slow-cooker and prep-ahead recipes to start trying so that I have something healthy to eat when I get home. As for workouts, the struggle comes now it being harder to get access to heavier weights - the school gym is expensive, so until I get a job, I'm unfortunately out of luck buying the membership. But I'm not giving up - this is just another bump in the adventure.

Hi everyone! I'm excited to get started on my first challenge! Introduction My goals are to gain Strength, Agility, Endurace, Freedom. Also known as get stronger so I can do anything myself, gain agility for climbing and injury prevetion, be able to run long distances, and have the freedome to do anything I want to at any time (run a 5k? Sure. Climb a mountain? I'm not going to die half way through 14 miles). I currently do some of this but not consistently, plus I'm overweight so I need to lose weight to be able to do what I want. Stats: Weight: 168Height: 5'4"Race: Mountain Dwarf (Is it tall? Can I climb it?)Goal Classes: Scout/Assassin cross (run for a long ways, jump a wall and smack you upside the head.)Main Quest: Lose weight [30-40 lbs] and gain strength, edurance and agility for running, climbing and life Side Quest/Main: Run Pike's Peak Acent - Super long ways off but I want to write it down. Not a quest here, but I'm also tracking how often I lift weights, water, and planning meal preps to help with all of this. Quest 1: Keep calories under 11,200 per week (around 1600 cal per day) Measurements/Rewards A: Stay under 11,200 every week - CON 3 B: 200 Cal over 2 weeks - CON 2 C: 500 calories over 1 week - CON 1 Quest 2: Run 3 times a week Measurements/Rewards A: Run 3-4x a week for 6 weeks (barring injury or races), DEX 2, STA 2 B: Miss 1 run - DEX 2, STA 1 C: Miss 2 runs - DEX 1, STA 1 D: Miss 3 runs - DEX 1 Quest 3: Yoga 2-3x a week Measurements/Rewards A: Yoga 2-3x a week for 6 weeks - DEX 3, STR 1 B: Miss 2 sessions - DEX 2, STR 1 C: Miss 3 sessions - DEX 1 Life Quest: Study 6 days a week for at least 30 minutes Measurements/Rewards A: Study 36 times for 30+ minutes - WIS 3, CHA 2 B: Study 33 times or 3 sessions less than 30 min- WIS 2, CHA 1 C: Study 30 times or 6 sessions less than 30 min- WIS 1

Hi! My name is Amelia and I found NF after realizing I needed to pay more attention to my health. I'm a big traveler and in the past I've let that get in the way of committing to a healthy lifestyle. If I'm only going to be in Morocco for a week then I want to try all the food/drink! Especially the super sugary mint tea or sweet cookies but I'm also a huge nerd and when I'm not traveling I'm generally in bed, surrounded by pillows making goo-goo eyes at whatever's currently on my computer screen. This past year I've been in London completing an MA. While a great academic achievement it's left my diet and fitness routine in shambles. For example, before moving here I never drank coffee, now I can down a large Starbucks coffee no problem. And it's not that I drink it black, oh no. I like it more like a milkshake And that's just the tip of the iceberg. I've become a sloth! My exercising routine was decimated by the amazing amount of studying I had and the fact that I never bothered getting a gym membership. But now I'm moving on! My MA is over and I leave for Boston (helllllo USA!) in a week. But I am a serious comfort eater. So stressful MA=food, stressful move=food, stressful job hunt=MORE FOOD! In the last two weeks I found myself scarfing down two king sized Reese's Peanut Butter cups and I realized it was time to re-evaluate. I don't know how much I weigh because a stepping on a scale is terrifying, but I know my body and there are bits that have become much larger in the last few months. If we're doing full disclosure, I have my second degree black belt in Tang Soo Do (Korean style martial arts similar to Tae Kwon Do). I started as a four year old and continued training regularly until I moved here. It's not something I tell most people because like runners, people have a very specific idea of what a martial artist should look like, but it is something that I am proud of and is a fundamental part of my life. My RL name is from a fantasy character who was an amazing knife-wielding, spy badass and I've always thought it would be cool to move like she does. I've got the sparring, but I want to be able to run and leap through the air and keep going. I don't want to throw myself in head first and get overwhelmed and back out, but I don't want to allow myself to chicken out either. Autumn is the time for fresh starts so I'm hopeful this will prove to be successful.

Hello, My name is Doll. I'm 23 and really love fallout, yarn everything, and tiny houses. I have lurked around NF for a couple of years but decided to really give it a go since I have become fed up with being stuck and not knowing how to eat. Zillions of eating disorders and weight fluctuations later, here I am! My goal is to lose the excess weight in a healthy way, develop a healthy relationship with food, and find my class. Im not sure where I'll end up honestly... Like waiting for the sorting hat! (Hehe!) Hello fellow newblets and senior fitfits alike. My first challenge is here . °u°; ♡ Thank you, I hope I did this right...

Hi everyone, just posting to say hello to this wonderfully nerdy community! I'm a 21-year-old Australian who would very much like to be able to do things. I've always been embarrassingly bad at running, sports, swimming, bike riding, or anything even remotely physical. I need to change, or else I'll continue to miss out on a whole area of life I could be experiencing. First step is to be able to run 5ks without stopping. Classing myself as an adventurer for now (running, yoga, and casual bike riding) but hopefully will find my own little niche. So, any tips for a beginner runner?

Since I put up my “first†challenge with a week remaining in the previous 6 week challenge, I am going to call that a trial run and start this as my official first challenge. First, a little about myself and some background... First, my name is not “Tom†(yes, you will have had to have read Lord of the Rings to get that). Although I am trying not to define myself these days in “professional†terms, I will make an exception here and say that I am an enginerd at heart who sold my soul to the “business†side several years ago. All was plodding along while focusing on my career until some significant life events occurred relatively close together (divorce, moving for the 6th time for my career, dating again, getting married and mom passing away). Since then, I have taken a step back and evaluated my life, where I am and if I am happy. Believe me when I say that this was/is not easy for someone who thinks like an Engineer (all those squishy, non-logical, non-quantifiable “feelingsâ€). What I found is that I have spent so much of my life focused on career, money and “stuff†that I lost who I actually am. I know that sounds very funny, but believe me when I say that it really has been enlightening and the journey back to being oneself is a lot more difficult than you would think it would be (burdened with all these adult responsibilities)... So, with all of that being said, I am finding all of those long hours in an office and very little physical activity in my life has left me in poor physical shape. I have always been a very large guy (an old high school coach would call me “house†because he said i was built like a “brick s*%t houseâ€), but at 5’ 7†tall, I weighed 251 lbs with 33% body fat. Needless to say, I need to prioritze getting back into shape so I can start to enjoy other activities I enjoy again (camping trip on my motorcycle while exploring the U.S., target archery, hiking, etc). About 14 weeks ago, I started (or more precisely, I got serious / consistent) the strong lifts program to build my base strength. I am now currently at 238.4 lbs and 28.6% body fat. I have recently moved over to the “Madcow†strength program because, well, I am not 20 anymore and my body does a lot better with eh “light†day in after the “heavy†day. I am really enjoying strength training, and feel my body is somewhat built for raw strength, but I feel that focusing only on the strength aspect neglects improving other activities that I really enjoy such as camping, hiking, backpacking, archery, etc. In a nutshell, I put “warrior†on my profile because I am somewhat focusing on building strength as a foundation, but there is a large part of me that feels like a Ranger too.... Luckily, I just read that it is possible to have challenges in other guilds regardless of what guild you are registered with. Is it possible to dual-class like in the old Baldur’s Gate days??? Lifetime Quest / Goal: Be able to do a hike-through of the Appalachian Trail. Quest 1: Limit daily calories to 1956 calories/day. This was determined by myfitnesspal for a 1 lb/week weight loss. In conjunction, I will eat a minimum of 190 g of protein per day. I am not an strict Paleo follower, but believe in most of the principles and will follow a mix of Paleo/Eat Clean (more of a Eat Clean with a strong lean towards Paleo). This will be tracked through myfitness pal. Oh - I will also drink a minimum of 3l of water per day... Quest 2: Continue Madcow program and have the following lift #'s (for a x5 set): Sq: 275Bench: 225Row: 145Press: 135Deadlift: 275 (ugh... I love the results, but it just really beats me up!) Quest 3: Take my lovely wife on a very long overdue honeymoon and make sure she is treated like the long haired Italian princess she is! The only bad part of fulfilling this quest will be that it will be for two weeks right at the end of the 6 week challenge! Quest 4: Start incorporating stretching exercises into my daily routing. The metric for this to perform a 30 minute stretching routing (regular stretches, some kind of Yoga, etc) five times a week. This will be independant of “warm-up†stretches before lifting. This will be my start into some more "rangeresque" challenges as well... Side Quest 1: Stop looking at that traitorous, back-stabbing, filthy beast of a machine called the scale and just be happy that my clothes are looser and I am feeling better! Side Quest 2: Practice Archery twice per week with the goal of consistent groupings in the gold from 20 yards (bare recurve ILF bow).

Figured I would give my introduction since I will be trying out a challenge for the first time I'm a 25 year old male, basically been addicted to video games since I first tried out Mario Kart. I've played countless hours of WoW, League of Legends, Counter Strike, Skyrim, and more. Honestly, I don't really regret the time I've put in, but of course this hasn't left me with the most balanced of lifestyles. I do hold a good job for being only out of college for a few years. However, I really need to lose some weight, get in better shape, and be more social outside of my online friends. I'm hoping that I can complete this next challenge, and meet some people that have similar backgrounds!

Hello there NERDS! Upon reading some article here I was intrigued and decided to join the team. So here I am! Actually I'm just really looking for poeple to converse with regarding fitness and health! The theme of this site added to my taste! Its Great! Actually I've already had my fitness plan even before...my work often gets in the way...though now, not anymore! Here's my menu: Mondays, Wednesdays & Fridays: GYM Upper body workout; weight/resistance training Tuesdays & Thursdays: ROAD WORK jog-walk intervals or non-stop jog for about 5km (planning on going to 10km) Saturday: REST Sunday: Stretching (Tai Chi: Quigong) What do you think? Oh, and I also need advise for a Healthy - budget meal (I've read the article here but some more wouldn't hurt right?) I'm currently diagnosed to be obese level 1 (due to my unhealthy diet) I'm 5'6'' with 182lbs though currently active in all kinds of sports and outdoor activities (biking, hiking, etc.) Any hepl?

Hello! I am Michelle, online usually known as Renn. I am 19 years old, and I have been quite unhappy about my body for years now. Now that I have gotten medical help for my joint and muscle problems, I decided it was time for a change. So here I am! My goal is to lose 20 kilos/about 40 pounds, a pure loss of body fat and condition improvement - I don't care about muscle. As for now I don't have a deadline. What I like to do: Game - World of Warcraft, Minecraft, Skyrim, Garry's mod, Sims 3, Heroes of the Storm, Pokémon - those kind of things. Mostly PC, although I'm a nintendo fan too. Dogs - Doges are love, doges are life - seriously though, one of the reasons I really want to lose weight is because I want to own and train many dogs, and I need to be able to give them what they need. Archery - I have actually only done a beginner course once, but as soon as I got money to spare, I want to just buy a longbow (traditional) and start shooting some arrows again! Books - Whenever my butt isn't stuck to my pc-chair, you can find me lying in my bed reading a book - Fantasy and Sci-Fi; Hunger Games, Eragon, Wolf Brother, Game of Thrones, that sort of stuff. I really want to make an RPG-style achievement system, goals and rewards, so if you happen to have suggestions for that or for Really easy-mode fat-loss workouts, please do tell me. Keep in mind that I haven't done the slightest of excersises in years, so my condition is at an absolute zero, and I'm not the healthiest of persons - I mainly suffer from hypermobility, wich means I'm quite flexible, but it also gives many joint issues and pains. (For example, I can't do squats. My ankles just can't make that bend.) Have a good day! ~Renn

Hello, I'm Mera Curry, AKA Mrs. Curry or Mommy. I'm looking for accountability... my hardest thing is to start. But once I've started, I can keep going.... I'm like the energizer bunny. I will be posting my eating journal here. I'm an emotional eater. Things are a lot better now, but I still need some help now and then. I'm not a nerd so much with the movies, although I am a big Star Trek fan. More of a nerd with the sports. I love watching and cheering for my home teams, even if they suck. I want to be around for my hubby and my 3 kids... they are my world. I'll also be posting how much I'm working out. I love challenges, and love to be dared to do things, although I draw the line at roller coasters. Can't and won't do them. Don't make me try. But if you want to challenge me to a workout, for example how much weight I can lift... that's cool. Thanks, and looking forward to the journey.

Hello everyone! I am just starting out here, looking to lose some inches and some negativity as well. Not really sure what to say up front here, but I am sure my story will grow as my successes come. Accountability is big and this is right up my alley, as I am pretty nerdy (as you can tell from my name and profile pic). I will be posting regular updates, so please follow my story! Aquaman for DC, Thor for Marvel (yes, you can love both). Love everything Star Wars, even the prequels, Star Trek, DS9 is my fave, and of course LOTR... would love to learn Tolkien Elvish. Avid player of Magic: The Gathering as well! My wife will be joining in as well, she will be coming on board in the next couple of days, so together we hope to make ourselves fitter and healthier. Not just for ourselves, but for each other and our 3 kids aka the "nerds-in-training"! Stay tuned!!! AC

Hi! I'm Earendil. I've been following NerdFitness for a little over two years. There have been various reasons I've not joined the Rebellion until now (ranging from "I don't have internet" to "I forgot"), but I'm here now! Here's some of my story... I'm a teacher. I spent the past two years teaching high school math, and I'll spend the next year teaching middle school.I recently moved! I spent seven years in the city I'm now in before I moved away for work. I spent two years in that city and then moved back here.I'm using my move to hack my habits. Referencing Steve's 1/19/15 Matrix post, it's as if huge chunks of my life's source code are suddenly cut. I have the option to paste them back in, but I'm rewriting from scratch instead.I'm a smidge under 5'11'' and about 292 lbs.I have an above-average knowledge base for someone of my weight. This is mostly from reading (but not practicing) NerdFitness for two years. I know (in general) what stuff I need to eat (lots of protein; tons and tons of veggies; fat isn't bad; processed foods are Glaurung [look it up lol]). I know what exercises are best for building muscle, burning calores, and getting cardio at the same time (deadlifts, squats, lunges, bench press or pushups, overhead press, pull-ups or bent-over rows, planks; machines are bad).At the same time, I don't have much first-hand experience of my knowledge. E.g., I know what to eat, but don't have much experience cooking to make it palatable; I know facts about good deadlift form, but I have a difficult time performing it consistently.Nerdy stuff (skip if you prefer): I prefer The Silmarillion to Lord of the Rings (cc: earlier Glaurung reference). I'm a huge Doctor Who fan, but I've seen miniscule amounts of pre-Eccleston Who. I love coffee: my tasting and brewing is on the upper tail of the general populace bell curve, but on the lower tail of the craft coffee bell curve. I don't play video games because I get too addicted too quickly. Other TV shows I like are Avatar/Legend of Korra, Arrow, and Flash.Given those as my starting point, here are some of my short-term and long-term goals: Short-term (3-4 weeks): Get up at 6am each morning. (Huge for me, especially during summer break.)Eat one homemade, non-breakfast meal at least 5 days a week. (Leftovers and frozen homecooked meals count.)Eat at least one serving of veggies at least once a day.No soda.Track food using MyFitnessPal.Expand flexibility so that back squats are doable. (I currently can't get my arms far enough back to rest the bar on my traps rather than my neck. It's getting better, but not there yet. I'm using the Smith machine as a stable, neck-level bar for stretching. I'll use freeweights once I get to actual squats.)Master deadlift and bench press form. (Deadlift must be mastered before I add large amounts of weight - I don't want to strain my back. Bench press form is mostly to strengthen stabalizer muscles before adding weight.)Find my upper weight limit for bent-over rows. (I currently know that 30lbs is doable.)Work out at least four times a week. (Goal: two days deadlift, two days bench + bent-over rows.)Note: Though this is a lot to do at one time, I've found that due to my move and the fact that I'm in summer vacation, it's actually not unfeasible. Long-term (continual) Form new goals each time a goal is reached.Research gym options. (I'm currently in my apartment complex's gym, which has enough for my starting point, but not as much as I'll eventually need.Get a calendar to track goals.Create a reward system for goals.Reach 270lbs by November 1 and stay at or below that weight over the holidays. (I think I can probably get below that... I have before. The big part for me is sustaining the loss.) So that's it for me. Introduce yourself, and let me know what you think!

Hi, I'm Mike, and I am a 26-year-old physics graduate student in Indiana. Other relevant physical stats: height: 6'3" (190 cm), weight: 175 lbs (80 kg). First, some history. I've never been an extremely out-of-shape individual. My childhood was running around and playing outside (coupled with SMB3 on the NES), and I actively played sports and did other activities. Unfortunately, I also never really thought about training as I got older since I never had a problem with it. I was a four-year varsity and senior captain runner for my high school cross country team, played basketball, lacrosse, and ran track as well, and didn't struggle much. That continued into college and graduate school where I "famously" (to my family after telling them about my training) ran a half marathon in 1:45 and a marathon in 4:25 without training much at all. And by much at all, I mean no running whatsoever in the month leading up to the event. More recently, I also completed the Tough Mudder in Michigan on, you guessed it, minimal training. That event was my first wake-up call to actually start training, since I did complete the event but struggled through most of the strength-based obstacles. I did do some strength training before, but again that dropped off over a month before the event. After, I tried getting back into rock climbing, since that had also fallen off my radar due to work, but then work became even more stressful. So, here are my goals, which signing up here and for the mailing list has already helped me with: stick to a training schedule (3/4x week) over the long termeat healthier (more veggies, mostly) and make sure I take in enough caloriesbuild upper body strengthLong Term: climb Mount Moran (12,605 ft/3842 m) in the Tetons I just moved, and my apartment complex has a very basic gym available so I have some free weights available, but past that it is very limited. I like working with dumbbells anyway since I usually exercise alone and thus don't have a reliable spotter, so almost all of my exercises will be body weight or dumbbells. I have a training guide (Training for the New Alpinism) for my long-term goal, but my biggest problem is building up the strength to even be able to use it. So, right now (and for the next couple of weeks, since I'm going on my honeymoon), I am doing basic exercises to help build up some strength before I can get back into a gym. The beginner body weight routine has been my go-to over the last week (using a ~15 lbs weight for the rows and squats), and I'll be adding in inverted rows to help with my upper body. Thanks for taking the time to read this! I'm sure I'll see you around soon!

Where to begin? I guess the most efficient way to summarize my fitness life up to now is in bulleted list. See below: Active childhoodMarching band in high school (along with a little weight lifting)Lots of drinking and no exercise the first few years of collegeyears of not caring about fitness AT ALL!5 years ago - A series of tragedies woke me up to the fleeting nature of human life4 years ago - FINALLY started caring about my health, made some diet changes, lifted some weights, did Crossfit for a few months, tried paleo and felt great - completed a Spartan Race (hoo-ya)3 years ago - Got married and moved to Honduras to teach at a Bilingual school (started lurking on NF site)2 years ago - maintained a generally active lifestyle with lots of walking and traveling, but did not maintain fitness as beforeLast year - started Krav Maga classes - had our first son (which tanked my fitness) - noticed some tingling in my legs and feet after prolonged sitting (which I had never had before) and promptly came to terms with the fact that I am getting old. NOW - in the US for the summer, changed jobs (still in Honduras), started trying to walk consistently and doing the NF Body Weight and Warm-Ups to get myself moving. Ok, that was probably more info than necessary, but there it is. I am not a stranger to fitness but I lack the discipline to maintain my fitness. Honestly, with the job change and having our son I am yet again reckoning with my own laziness and trying to figure out to stay healthy for my son. Living in Hondu makes some of the stuff difficult as equipment is really expensive and gyms are even more of a rip off. I absolutely love my Krav classes and plan on continuing those when we return. The dojo also does TacFit (its like Crossfit but with less weightlifting and more functional movements) which I am thinking of doing. I am naturally a generalist so I think I fit with the Ranger world best, although not sure if that is set in stone. I do well with goal/activity based fitness rather than routine based fitness. I like to be able to mix up what I am doing and learn skills while doing it. I am turning 30 in less than a month and I weigh 195 lbs (which the most I have ever weighed). I am realizing that I have fewer and fewer years to get my body working better. I want to be able to take my son hiking, camping, hunting, fishing, and generally just play with him like a kid. I am looking forward to learning and pushing myself!

Hello all!! I thought I would stop by to say hi! My name is Laura. I'm 23 and from Minnesota. I am just starting the workouts tonight, so I'm excited to see how I'll do! I've been Vegetarian for almost 2 years, and a Vegan since January. I've been spending the last week or so working on my diet/meal plan. http://rebellion.nerdfitness.com/index.php?/topic/68581-lulas-log-and-journey-to-success/ This is the link to my Battle Log (and my story), I'm going to be updating it daily with my workouts, my progress, and my food logs. So far I love the whole Nerd Fitness Community, and I can't wait to make some progress!!!

Hi. You can call me Fa773n (fallen). This is my first post on nerd fitness, and I just recently joined. But I am, to people around me, a long time nerd and casual gamer. I am no stranger to starting a fitness routine and then dropping it. I usually follow my mother,s example, but lately I just haven't had the motivation to get up and do it. I'm hoping that having people holding me accountable will help out a little more than waiting for the motivation to come back and hit me. I weight 230lbs as of today, and I hoping for now to drop 20lbs by the end of august, and run with out stopping more than three times in the wipe out run in September

For as long as I can remember, I have had big ideas, big goals, surges of motivation to become the person that I have wanted to become. This has been true not just in regards to my fitness, but in other areas of my life as well... organization, finances, spirituality, etc. Rarely, if ever, have I stuck with anything. Typically I have "fallen off the wagon" within a few days of getting started. This has created an underlying negativity to much of my thinking and how I view myself. I typically assume I can't do things or that I won't follow through with them. This has caused tremendous frustration for me as I always feel as though I am at the fed up stage, or the very beginning stage of getting to where I want to be. I never reach the stage of seeing results because I don't stick with anything. I am 38 years old and I don't want to live the rest of my life as I have up to this point. I don't want to reach my 40+ years saddled with regret.

Greetings Fellow Rebels, I am here looking to improve my overall health. My job has allowed me to become very lax in eating right and getting up and moving. I want to change that and feel better. I’m hoping to find others who are also looking to have fun getting healthy. I lack any real upper body strength, but I do alright with walking a lot. I’m not interested in becoming a runner, but would love to become a long distance swimmer. I would also like to be able to build my upper body strength. I would like to improve my overall heath for my long term betterment. I can’t wait to see what I can do. I’m looking forward to making friends and getting fit. Let the Fit begin!

Hey all, My name is Kirsti (Saera Windrunner for RP). Just joined today, and I'm loving the concepts here so far. I've already started my first challenge. There's a link in my signature that'll tell you more about me and the challenge. I'm here because I don't really know where to start. I need motivation, and to be held accountable for what I say I'll do. I'm currently that person on the couch everyone else is lapping... I want to be out there running with them. A big goal for me would be to do a Tough Mudder. That was my initial motivation to get started on becoming fit. I don't know if I could do a push-up, or a pull-up. I get winded going up stairs. I eat like crap, and make excuses. It's time for that to change. Hello, my fellow Rebels. See you on the road to fitness!