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Hey! I've found NF two days ago after looking at myself in the mirror and thinkin "I need to finally take care of myself". But maybe let's start with an introduction (I hope this forum is alive and well btw ;)) I'm (almost) 26 years old. I work as a web developer in Poland. My first encounter with a gym was when I was around 16-17 years old. I've always been a very skinny kid, and in a couple of months in the gym I've managed to gain a little bit of muscle and look somewhat healthy. Unfortunately I've abandoned that habit and never managed to get back on track consistently. I'm struggling to build a healthy habit of exercising and eating well. Some of my unhealthy and destructive habits are getting in the way also, so there are two fronts to manage for me. I think my biggest problem was always trying to do a thousand things at once (that's why NF philosophy brought me here - it's sound like a perfect solution for my situation and an awesome community as a bonus to that :)). Right now I'm trying to get into calisthenics, I feel too nervous to get back to gym and workout with other people. I just don't feel comfortable enough with myself to make that kind of wourkouts sustainable. I feel anxious even writing about it. Before I started to work as a programmer, I was working night shifts at a club as a bartender. This kind of work requires a lot of movement, so I haven't got any problems with maintaining my weight. Unfortunately, now it's a lot more of sitting and trying to figure out why is something not working and I'm starting to see negative effects of a sedentary lifestyle. I would describe myself as a skinny-fat person with more and more "fat" than "skinny". Recently my blood tests showed a TSH thyroid hormone above the norm (I looked up some info and it seems that people my age should have this near the lower limit), so I'm pretty scared that's a beginning of something bad. I've been thinking about my "big why", and there are multiple reasons for why I would like to get rid of my bad habits, build new ones, shake off my mental and emotional baggage and start living as a 26 year old man is supposed to live (right now I think I feel older than a typical 26-er). First of all - I would like to feel manly and attractive to women again. I live in a long-term relationship with a woman I love, but I just feel that there's a pattern that after some time together, most people just stop working on themselves. I've seen this pattern in my previous relationship and in my friends' relationships. I just feel invisible for other women. Don't get me wrong - I don't want to cheat on my girlfriend, I just want to feel attractive to her and more manly. I think that feeling attractive to other women is a part of this. Right now me and my girlfriend are both falling in and out with different workouts and "diets". I just don't feel that's right, because we're not getting any results. In fact, I feel like I'm spiraling down when it comes to my health, fitness, attractiveness, you name it. Second big thing is health problems in my family. My mom died of cancer three years ago. Her mother also died of cancer. My grandfather from my dad's side died from leukemia (it's basically a blood cancer). It's become something of a phobia for me, especially after my mom passed away. They died pretty young (my grandma was 66, my mom 51). My living grandma has diabetes and is basically unable to walk cause of her obesity. All she's able to do is sit in front of TV and watch brainwash-stupid shows. My parents were smokers (my mom smoked even when she was in the middle of her chemo), my dad is smoking a pack a day to this day. I was a smoker myself. I think I was an addict by age 15-16 till my early 20's. I was a miserable construction student, chain-smoking two packs a day. Destructive relationship also threw me into more and more booze to manage my anger and resentment. On top of that, I found out that my mom is sick at the time, so that only deepened my problems. I think it was the first time I thought about suicide. There were days that I had no money for food because I bough booze and cigarettes earlier. I haven't finish college and after my return back home I decided that I have to do something about my smoking and drinking. That's when I found some pushups, pullups and running routines and that period lasted for something about 8-9 months. I was in the best shape I was ever in my entire life - that's what I would like to strive for and even further ;). OK, im floating away from the topic - I don't want to be miserable and sick when I'm older, I want to be an active and happy senior, and live long and well. I wan't to live to see my grandchildren and to be a role model for my kids. I wan't to be a good father with an energy to pay attention to his kids and be able to guide and aid them with their struggles in life. I don't want to be dependend on medication and spend my senior years sitting in hospitals' waiting rooms. Third "why" is discipline and ability to stick to my goals. I have a problem with concentration, being productive at work and stick to my fitness goals. I feel overwhelmed with things that I want to accomplish and I need to work towards a maintainable system to manage all of it. I think that working out can benefit with sense of discipline mentioned earlier and help to create a ripple effect on other aspects of my life. In some sense, I want to become a good-habit-machine After all - i just want to have a happy and fullfilling life and I'm ready to fight for it. I just feel that I've tried so many times to do this on my own and I've learned that I'm not as strong as I thought I was. I need help and I hope that I will find like-minded people and we will finally strive to get each other out of our personal mess. Wow...that sound very pessimistic when I look at it after writing it all I hope you didn't get the wrong picture of me - overall I think I'm OK, I have my struggles and flaws that I need and want to work on, and I would love to be a part of this community and help anyone in need as good as I can Hope I didn't scare you off P.S. Feel more than welcome to correct me if you find anything wrong with my english! ! !

I've been using NF for the general goals for awhile now. So, I decided to swing by the forums and say HI! I'm not too handy at writing introductions, so I suppose I'll talk in brief about my own fitness and goals. I've been studying martial arts for a couple of decades now, but I grew up lacking fitness in a lot of other key areas. As an adult, I've ventured more into weightlifting, cross-training, and kickboxing. Now, I'm kind of interested in incorporating meditative goals and just... trying new things, ya know? Anyway, greetings!

Good morning! So I finally decided to commit to living a better life. This means keeping a cleaner house, creating meal plans that can feed two adults, and two toddlers while still packing big nutrition and enough calories to fuel our shenanigans, and completely restructuring how we think so as to be productive to our goals instead of undermining. I hope that in joining this community that I can get some advice from other like-minded folks. So my first questions for my fellow Rebels are as follows: 1.) As a half-time online college student and mother is it really possible to pull off something like this while still giving my children the attention they need and deserve? 2.)What are some sample meal plans that are healthful and simple enough to fit into a super busy life that are also desirable to the carnivorous hubby and picky kids? 3.) Has anyone else been able to regain their body after having two kids close together? and 4.) Does anyone feel comfortable sharing their struggles on this journey and how you've overcome them? (It doesn't have to be super detailed, I'm only asking to gain a sense of confidence to be able to surmount the challenges that are sure to come.) I know nothing worth having comes easy. I've been there, heck before my husband and I were married I was at the peak of my physical fitness, I was strong, at the lowest weight since middle school and I had confidence. While he still complements me and truly has a high opinion of me I have lost all of my confidence, that fire that drove me, everything I was before. This is mostly due to the depression but also because I've learned so much in the last four years about health and diet, and even things like organizations that I've found that the majority of what I had confidence in back then was a lie. I'm here not to mope about the past, or even to recapture it. It was a wonderful time in my life, I found my love, and found a deeper purpose as a wife and mother, don't get me wrong. It's just time to move forward, and be the best me from this point forward. More people depend on me now than they did back then so this beginning is very important and admittedly, I'm going to need a lot of support from a solid community. There it is, I admitted to needing help! There's one accomplishment already! Ready, set... Go! Let's get started!

Hi everyone! Long-time lurker here. I am currently a student studying in California. I weigh in at around 175 lbs and am 5'5". In the past, I've been really into kickboxing. As of late, however, I've returned to my third-grade roots by taking gymnastics classes! I'm super excited about that. I also have taken up geocaching, which I highly recommend for anyone looking for a new hobby. I've recently gotten into weightlifting (with the encouragement of my wrestler SO.) For cardio...I always think I'd like to be a runner, but the instant my feet hit the pavement, I change my mind. I am a total elliptical queen though - it's a great time to catch up on my Netflix shows! Plus, when the weather is nice, I can be coaxed out for a hike or roller-skating adventure. I think my biggest pitfalls may be eating. If abs are made in the kitchen, that explains why I don't have any. I will have to be more mindful of what I'm eating - bit of a snackoholic over here - and hold myself accountable. "Big Picture" goal: lose 20 lbs by the end of May (my birthday is the 24th). Obviously, it would be great if it happened more quickly, but as I am just getting into fitness and want to keep it off, I think this will be a good timeframe. S.M.A.R.T goals: Cardio 3x week - I may update this to 4x later depending on how this challenge goes, but I don't want to bite off more than I can chew right off the bat. This will be in the form of elliptical, roller-skating, hiking, or whatever comes my way. Maybe one day I will pick up running - I keep hearing about that Zombie Run app, and I'd like to give that a try. Track everything I eat - this will keep me accountable. No matter how embarrassing the binge, I need to pay attention to how I eat. Level Up Your Life goal: Journal 1-2x a week. I love journaling, but I never do it - just dump a ton of information once a month! I'd like to journal more regularly, so I'll keep the bar low and ease into it.

Hey everyone! So I stumbled across Nerd Fitness while doing a bit of research on weight loss. I've been trying to lose weight for years... But let me back up a bit. I'm Deana, and I'm 27 years old. I'm currently in college, pursuing my degree in Medical Laboratory Science. I'll be done with school in June (Can't. Wait.), and then hopefully I'll be well on my way to establishing my career as a lab rat. My hobbies include video games (especially horror-themed ones... and zombies), binge-watching shows, writing, exploring, and basically anything that I may find interesting at the time. I tend to gravitate toward bizarre, dark, or disturbing topics when it comes to past times such as gaming and shows. Supernatural is my absolute favorite show, and it influences me in so many ways. Health-wise, like I said, I've been trying to lose weight for years. I know what I have to do (eat healthier, sleep better, be more active, etc.), but the application and dedication are lacking. I have tried almost everything, but I haven't been successful. I make the mistake of having an all-or-nothing approach, and have a tendency of being a perfectionist (I struggle with playing open-world games because of this. Get alll the things!). Because of this mentality, if I 'mess up',i give up entirely, and that basically sets me back to the start. I have to remember that this isn't a race, but a journey. There's no pressure to do or be anything but a better version of who I was yesterday. I have a Myfitnesspal account, which is pretty cool and helpful, but I feel out of place in the forums. Needless to say, when I bumped into Nerd Fitness and realized it was structured like a game, I was more than excited to give it a try! Maybe I found my people... So my plan to conquer my issues with weight loss: I aim to set small, realistic goals for myself each month, and just focus on those. I'll make sure they are helping me with the big picture, but I don't want to overwhelm myself with trying to remember what I should be doing. I'll set up the goals with the knowledge I've gained (and hopefully learn here, too!), and tap into my perfectionist tendencies to achieve these monthly goals. I may check out the challenges here in the forum, too.

Hey Everyone! Thought I would try to introduce myself today since there is no time like the present. I have been pretty dedicated to the whole "healthy living" goal for the past couple of years (though results have only really started recently). I am 25 years old and 210 pounds, having already lost over 60. Currently I attend college, working towards an art degree, so I am using my time here as an excuse to sign up for athletic classes as often as possible. Before this semester I only worked out twice, maybe three times a week using things like tennis, aerobics, archery, and videos I found on YouTube. This semester (which has only just begun) I have upped my workload, attending Zumba AND Weightlifting class, totaling 4-5 days a week (and I am hella sore). Over the past 6 months, I have also slowly begun to adjust my diet (probably why I am only now seeing real results), but I still have weaknesses as my job gives out free candy and I get munchy while working on art. Still tho, I have cut out all liquids aside from milk and water, and chips... so we're getting there. My favorite physical activities are Cycling, SCA Sword Fighting, and LARPing, and I really want to learn Mui Thai and Parkour. I want to become healthy and athletic enough to compete in long cycling races and overall kick butt (I am aiming for a fitness level that could pass the army PFT). I think what is bugging me most is that, while I have come a long way, I am still leagues behind others. Outside of fitness - I am a huge fan of Animation and Comic Books from around the world, Fantasy Novels, Mythology and Heraldry. I am a Ravenclaw, the 4th and 10th Doctors are my favorites, I play the Upright Bass, American Mcgee's Alice is my favorite game (but I also have a soft-spot for MMO's), and I listen to both Soundtrack Music and Punk Rock on a regular basis. I DM 5e D&D Games on Saturdays with some of the other college students.... it's fun. Finally, I am currently drawing a webcomic about all the funny/frustrating/difficult things that I have experience thus far in my fitness journey, so please feel free to check it out, It's called The Trouble With Losing Weight. Thanks! i hope we all get along!! You're Awesome!!

But Self-Destruction.. it's the key..." The immortal words of Tyler speak to all of us. To create one must destroy, destruction of the old self to allow the birth of the new self. This is the non-sense I deal with constantly. heh. Just joined up, hi to all, let the destruction begin.

Once upon a time, I set the record for most bench presses by a girl at my High School. Then life happened. I listened to the masses and started cardio-ing myself to death. It worked, I lost weight! But paired with a Biggest Loser-esque (physician guided) low calorie diet, it was easy. Then life happened. Pregnancy happened. Food aversion and non stop nausea for 10 months happened. Cheeseburgers and chocolate milk shakes happened. Gaining back all I lost PLUS some happened. And then... tragically... cancer happened. Not to me. To the fiercest mentor a fledgling superhero could ask for. My mom. Type 2 diabetes that lead to Stage IV Pancreatic Cancer. I looked in the mirror and saw all those things that 'happened'. And I'm headed straight into the path of my nemesis: Diabetes. It's a trap! So, I'm making changes. It's never stuck before, but that's because I was listening to what the masses said should motivate me. Now, I'm listening to what I KNOW motivates me. Feeling Strong. I miss feeling strong. I miss lifting weights. So that's what I'm going to start doing. Today.

Hi there, I'm Whimsy. I turned 26 years old this year and something about that I guess brought forth the fact that I allowed myself to just survive and not really live my life. What's worse is that I find myself turning into the sort of person, I have never wanted to be. That's my wake-up call and my motivation for this journey I'm determined to start and see through till the end. That's my BIG WHY, but other than that, I want to become a competitive pole dancer. I big part of me still can't quite believe I can achieve that but I have written it and I allowed myself to admit it and I guess that's a start. Wishing everyone success in their journeys.

Hello Everyone! You can call me Thea. I'm new here and ready to start my quest! I have recently gained a lovely forty pounds the last year after giving birth. I'm ready to take my body back and get back into shape! My plan is a combo of walking, running and some simple weight training. I'm going to take it slow and make minor changes to my diet and lifestyle a long the way. I joined for encouragement and the occasional push when I need it. Also for the accountability. I hope to help and be helped! Thanks! Thea aka Sunshine

Hello all!I recently found this site and wow....nerdfitness?As in gamers that love to move?I believed I was the only one! My story has always been very strange,ever since I remember myself I loved to eat,being fat and mostly not moving.I was really happy with myself really,being fat didn't bother me really. My life was average and normal till I became 11 years old, days after my birthday I started feeling strange pains in my gut, I believed I was hungry or ate something?What else would I have thought?So I mostly ignored it and it went away, the thing is it didn't a few months after it started again and again and again, till I started feeling pain by merely breathing and eating!It's funny I lost 15 kg in a week and let's not talk all the pain.After a while from doctor to doctor wrong diagnoses wrong medication and all the bad luck really I ended with 6 months of constant pain,untill I finally got diagnosed "Ulcerative Colitis" I always liked to think myself a bring person for my years, so I completely understood what this meant for me and my future, a complete lifechanger.Very very heavy medicine with many side effects I was in fine for 5 months untill exactly 6 months later I started feeling the pain, the doctors didn't know what to do... I hate those greedy bastards my parents had to bribe them so that they even cared. In the end that didn't matter one bit I literally had to endure 1 year and a half more with NO medication, because the doctors didn't know what to do with me,I didn't go to school for 2 years because of this!It's all hell after really untill my mother finally found a very experienced doctor, I'll say I owe my life to her if not I probably wouldn't be typing this right now! Now I'll stop with the shady stuff let's talk fitness! 1 year later I just remembered: After that I barely convinced my parents (understandably they were very afraid) I started going to a friends gym, he's a pro from the old days very fantastic guy!I was 1,70 cm tall and 65 kg then, I had no muscle literally no muscle just fat and water on me,but dedication didn't let 1 year later I was 60 kg and lean as you can get(Very thin as well)Another year and a half I'm here at 70 kg lean and very well built,But it's almost been 3 years and I start thinking, why am I progressing so slowly?I recently remembered that my problem might be the reason I go as so slowly so I started looking everywhere if anyone had my problems but least to say my problem seems to be unique.I just found this site.And well here I am writing this story! My dream is to get a well paying job and be able to train untill the time comes for me to leave this earth,I also dream to get a nice quiet house and read books untill then! Cheers everyone I appreciate the fact that you are reading this and have a nice one!

Hey, guys. I'm new here. There is so much stuff to take in I'm a little overwhelmed. But I am determined to get healthy. So, hi.

Hey all - You can call me Myrna if you like; I'll explain the user name in a sec. But first - backstory! I was always a bookish, not terribly athletic child. Conveniently, I had been born with a heart condition, so exercise, and even overly strenuous playing was never really allowed, which was kind of ok by me. I did like having back yard adventures - my swing set was alternatively a time machine, pirate ship, the millennium Falcon, and Zorro's hide-out, all of which I mentally occupied as a cool, smart, strong character. Still, not alot of running/jumping/climbing, more sitting around thinking up stories. Fast forward to end of high-school, I am the token slightly chubby & super cynical kid in the back of the class, who writes fanfic rather then homework assignments, and knits in the back row of class to ignore the useless teacher. Graduation was quickly followed by heart surgery, and blicky-blam, easiest 10 pound weight loss in the history of the world - just required having your chest cracked open like a walnut, and a week in the hospital refusing to eat the awful food. Suddenly I was actually kind of fit! After recovery, joined the workforce in a fairly active profession, took up dance classes, and stayed this gloriously svelte weight for about 6 years (abject poverty of the 20-something lifestyle helped too! lol) Press "A" a few times to skip some dialogue about marriage, growing addiction to the Xbox, job changed to completely sedentary office type, etc, etc, and here we are - just turned 30, and those ten pounds brought back 40 of their closest friends, but forgot to bring any motivation to lose them. So, I've always loved great adventure stories - to watch, to read, to write, to play. The tough warrior girl who took no crap from anyone always was my favorite. I always wanted to be her, but never actually thought I could be. And then I started playing Dragon Age Inquisition and decided I wanted to be Cassandra Pentaghast when I grow up. Except - I already am grown up! What started off as a joke, me telling my one friend who is the spitting image of Lelianna that we should go to a con and Cosplay as the Right and Left hand of the Divine, spurred on a realization: If I want to don the Seeker's armor, maybe I should be more like her - physically and mentally. I googled "warrior workout" and eventually stumbled across NF. And so my quest began. I doubt I will ever be half so determined, dedicated and kick-ass as Cassandra, but I won't ever be if I don't try, right? Starting small - walks, drinking more water, basic work outs,, that sort of thing, and then hopefully shifting to some strength training eventually So that's me. Hope I didn't bore y'all. I really am getting a slow start - just doing some extra walks until I feel confident enough to start the basic workouts, but hopefully I will get there. Wish me luck!

23 year old here. Male. From Mexico. I have been physically active for periods, then I drop off. I've done gymnastics as a child. I played soccer (but pretty much sucked at it..) Then I did swimming, I don't remember why I dropped off. (Age 13) Then Joined the gym. I bulked up and changed my diet but It was all muscles and no flexibility, mobility also if for some reason I couldn't do my workout because of lack of equipment I would get frustrated and do nothing... that's why I want to do Bodyweight now) (age 15-17) Then I joined a theatre group. And they would put us do a lot of excercise (sort of crossfit) and this is the most ripped I've been, but I also would be very stiff. Then I decided the gym and lifting was boring and not dynamic also I didn't gain dexterity (wanted to be better at sports). So I swifted to yoga, which helped me gain awareness of my body. I did it for like Six months. Also I returned to swim, which I did little. I came back to the gym but I felt it stiffed me up. (18-20) Then I moved to another city and I did P90x, insanity. I completed the challenge but I never got ripped. I came back to the city I grew up and I met this ex-body guard who taught me wing chun (martial art) for a couple of months. (22, yes I did nothing for like a year and a half). His wife would teach me yoga in exchange I would teach them both Spanish. For some reason we ended the practices but it was enough to learn movements I could practice of my own. Today (23), I want a solid physical practice that will give me strength, flexibility, endurance, dynamic movement, mobility. I do yoga regularly, but I thing I might be missing the explosive part. So I might want to do body weight and cardio. Also keep it dynamic and fun so I keep motivated on doing it and acquire good dexterity and stamina to play more sports. I'd be happy to share my progress and hear your feedback and contribute in some way to this community! Sincerely, Diego Moreno

Hi there, I'm new to these forums. Actually, I made an account with NF quite some time ago, but this is the first time I've had the guts to do anything with it. This is waaay out of my comfort zone! I'm here because I need inspiration and accountability to get in better shape. Inspiration because, well, I'm kind of a geek, and NF is the only platform (with its characters, classes and quests) that, for me, turns health and fitness into a fun challenge. And accountability because, as you know since you're here, community is important, and I need to be talking to other people about my fitness goals, successes and struggles. More about me: I'm a Californian living in the UK. I'm a fairly accomplished musician and play(ed) guitar in a progressive rock band back home. I read a lot - theology, philosophy, politics, history, fiction. I love music, television and film. And food, I love food (ugh). I'm 30 years old, married, and have a four month old daughter. Yesterday I started a nutritional and fitness regime with the aims of losing about 25lb, getting leaner and hopefully building a bit of muscle, or at least toning. We're going back to California on holiday in November, so I hope to hit my weight loss targets and make some noticeable changes to my physique by then. You wouldn't look at me and think I'm terribly unfit, but I am a bit doughy these days. I walk a lot and get to the gym when I can, but I'm not in great shape and am not eating as well as I should be. Jason Bourne, Star Wars and watching baseball are the things that best motivate me to want to get my ass to the gym! One question about the classes: I've narrowed it down to choosing between an adventurer, assassin, monk or ranger. How should I choose between them? How did you ultimately choose your class? Basically, which class would Bourne fall into, because that's the badass I'd like to become in my dreams haha. Anyways thanks folks, nice to meet you and hopefully see you round!

Hello there, I'm Kage and I'm looking to make some positive changes! I've tried to become healthier and get in shape in the past but so far I haven't been able to stick to anything. These four week challenges look like they'll be able to hold my attention and from what I've seen the community here is top notch!

Hello everyone, I come to join you all in the rebellion, as I begin (or continue?) with my epic quest. As a 37 y/o male who is quite overweight, starting to hit some health issues, and dealing with long term mental illnesses there really is no time like the present to get to work on all these things. Previous attempts to get healthier have all been very short lived so this time I am going for the small but steady progress approach, as frustrating as that can be. My current goals are of the vague eat healthier, get fitter and stronger variety with no real motivation other than these changes need to be made (and might be useful if the apocalypse occurs). I've spent enough time reading the articles on this site - now it's time to get doing. Twoheadstalking P.S. The whole "20 seconds of courage" things is meant to take all day to achieve - right?

Well, where to start. Let's start with the blurb from my character sheet: "Started life as an elf scout. 4yrs of Cross Country in high school had me graduating at 5'9" and 120lbs. I could run forever. A sedentary adult life, most notably after the discovery of beer and women, has turned me into a chubby, balding human desk jockey." I'm (nearly) 45 and am in probably the worst shape of my life. As noted above, I spend a majority of my workday camped in front of a computer monitor. Having said that, my "goals" from my character sheet should give a clear picture of where I am in my head... "I can still get out and go in the woods, but I'd rather it be easier, and less painful to recover" I enjoy hiking, hunting, fishing, (light) mountain biking, and basically being outside. I still play paintball occasionally with my son, from short, easy recreational play on weekends to full 26 hour scenario games. I'd like to do more of all of the above without feeling like death warmed over the following day(s). Some accomplishments from my outdoor time since I turned 30: I've hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon and camped 3x. I've done probably 30 miles of trails in the Rocky Mountains on a vacation last summer. I've competed in 4 or 5 single day "sprint" adventure races, including one that got us about 60 miles on our bikes and over 12 miles of hiking/running through the woods. Now, looking at all of this, I'd guess my choice of Scout as my character class is probably accurate. I'd like to be a bit stronger, but in general Scout seems to fit. From a (movie) nerd perspective, I see myself as more this guy... than this guy...

I am a nerd. A Gandalf loving, Yoda wanna be. The thing that drew my attention to this program, believe it or not, is the name and content. I've been to the gym. It is not the Rebel training camp that I was hoping it to be. I felt so out of place. NO one spoke. I felt like I was in high school gym class, waiting to get pushed down in the locker room again. I thought to myself, " Isn't there other guys who like comic books, watch Lord of the Rings, and can quote every Starwars film ever, and wants to get lean and healthy? Can I even get lean and build muscle while being a vegetarian?" Now I have my answer and that's why I'm here( except the vegetarian part. I haven't learned if that's possible yet). I have had much difficulty in losing weight, let alone building muscle. There's so much misinformation, fake products, and people only in it for the money, that I gave up. I put on the One ring and disappeared. I thought that this is it. I'm 47, fat, unhealthy, and inactive. So here I am. Ready to come to the Light side again. Thank you for A New Hope. I have dedicated myself to this program. I have great expectations because I will put in great effort. This is life changing for me and I am glad to be apart of this endeavor.

Hello guys and gals, and that techno-color rainbow in between, my name is Nethlion. Recently I turned 29 and realized that I am really out of shape. My goal is to be a lot healthier by the time I turn 30. I've been to multiple gyms, tried multiple diets, and nothing has really worked. I kept making excuses, but I know that they are just that; excuses. I work 40 hours a week, and enjoy ending my day by playing some video games, typically getting lost in an MMO or Skyrim, and wondering why it's suddenly 8 am and I should've been in bed hours ago (I work third shift). I know I have the time, but I keep making excuses as to why I'm not doing better. Having recently discovered NF, I feel like I've found a place that I will enjoy coming too, learning new things, and applying said things to my life. Earlier today I cleaned out my fridge, and am about to leave to goto the grocery to fill it back up on things that are going to help me along this journey. Wish me luck!

Hey Everyone! I just wanted to re-introduce myself. I have been on the forums before (~6 months ago), where I was very serious about my weight loss/healthier lifestyle adventure. This site is one that inspired me, and especially the facebook group had really got me thinking about making some major changes in my life. I am planning on re-enrolling in the academy and just reset all my completed quests to make for a "fresh" experience (got a little sad knocking myself down to level 1, but it had to be done!). So I guess here's my story: I'm 22 years old currently residing in the Tampa Bay (FL) area. After some pretty serious changes in my life about 1 and 1/2 years ago, I decided I really needed to do something different about my life style. I have had experience with crash dieting in the past, however unfortunately at this point I have re-gaining most, if not all, of the weight shed by that experience. I enjoy hiking, reading, board games, and playing video games. I enjoy most genres of music (except country), but mostly lean towards hard rock/metal. Since my last check-in with NF, I had moved ~1000 miles away from my hometown and changed jobs, something that I never before thought I was capable of. With the stresses of a new location/new job, unfortunately I had drifted back in to my old eating habits and sedentary lifestyle. After a few months in my new location, it seems like I'm back on my feet and ready to continue my weight loss journey. Hope that wasn't too boring, and I'm excited to meet everyone!

This community is huge! I just LOVE that there are sooo many nerds in the world. I'm an engineer student so, truth be told, I'm quite used to be surrounded by those of my own kind, but outside that enviroment... Its refreshing to find so many in the fitness world. I'm here to improve myself, to level up. +WIT: beating the oh-so-frequent anxiety and the ocassional (and recently also frequent) depression. +DEX +STR I want to be faster and stronger. +INT I want to learn lots of new things... ...told you I was a nerd. Anyway, jus wanted to say 'hi', to officialize my adition to this challenge so the good kind of pressure helps me stay on track; to pay my respects to all of you out there that have acomplished your goals, even if they're small; and hoping that the fact that I'm posting in a forum (hadn't done it before) will convince myself (the lazyest, unmotivated and undisciplined part of myself) that this time is for real, that I'm doing this, right now. Happy to join you, nerds! Isa.

Ohai! My name is Haze and I'm from a tiny island most people can't find on a map... in Canada.. where it's cold... But I'm not currently living there, and am in China where I'm currently making a living teaching English! Not what I expected to be doing with a bachelor of psychology, but meh. I'm a new teacher so still learning the ropes but that's one thing I really love to do: Learn! I've never been a very fit or active person. I was a chubby kid, bullied for being chubby even though there were other kids in my grade bigger than me. I did become quite small at one point but my self-esteem and self-worth couldn't have been lower so it really wasn't any healthier. Bad friend breakups, a string of gay boyfriends, struggles with emotional issues and a love of all hobbies sedentary has physically left me a person I really don't want to be. I've gained more than 100 lbs. since high school and even though I like who I am much more now, as a person, I really don't like looking in the mirror a whole lot. Don't get me wrong, I love me! But I know that there's a better me I can be. That was a mouthful... Point is, I'm ready to level up my life! So, I have no idea how I've never heard of this website before! My awesome friend, Gurdris the Imbiber, showed it to me and I know that this is something that can really help me! Thing is, I enjoy exercise, I really do. I get a rush and I don't mind sweating (unlike the rest of my family). But I never keep myself accountable for my diet or exercise for more than a couple weeks at a time, but I'm really ready for a change. And my self-competitive streak and obsession with gaining experience in DnD (and now life) is going to finally really work to my advantage! BWAHAHAHAHA! IT WILL ALL BE MINE! ((How has no one made a gif of this adorable scene yet? Come on!)) I've joined a gym and intend to consistently be more active. My family is supportive, but not people to join in and they are currently half a world away... But I have a couple great friends here in the city I'm living in who are on their own journeys and can help keep me accountable! I'm also planning on tracking my food but will likely use pictures because there are loads of times I don't even know what I'm eating and as I can't speak more than 50 words in chinese, I have little chance of finding out! XD Suggestions for great, fun workouts would be very welcome! I love to dance and swim as my favourite physical activities but don't currently have access to a pool. This mermaid is grounded T_T And I am not a picky eater, I boast that I'll try just about anything once! I'm not going to leave that as an open challenge to eat ANYTHING, but I welcome healthy recipes too. Share your favourite with me! Have you made it this far? Wow. I'm impressed! Here's some stuff I like in general! - Languages (I speak english, french, and am learning chinese) - Drawing - Reading - Writing (generally fantasy) - Lord of the Rings (I've been listening to/reading them since I was about 4) - Superheroes - Dungeons and Dragons - World-building - Sleep (oh, sweet sleep... zzzz..... zzzzzzzzzz...... wait, did I post that topic yet?!) - Making Friends - Dancing till I drop! (no really, LET'S DO THIS!) I'm looking for more friends out there on similar journeys or just someone who wants to say hi! I'm a great listener and am always willing to help share any of the random information I've picked up ^^ Anyone out there in the digital land?

My Story? Hmmm. Well, my real name is Stan, also known as Ziggy and my online persona is Axiel (pronounced Ah-shell, don’t drop the S ). Currently 50 years old, (6 ft) 255 ish lbs. (Down from 270 4 weeks ago). I’m a 30+ yr Type 1 diabetic that’s been reasonably well controlled with no major complications as yet, other than a slight neuropathy (numbness) in the feet and frozen shoulders (which until recently I didn’t know was a complication from diabetes). For all this time I’ve been following the standard dietary advice of my dietician and endo, and generally gained 2-3 lbs a year. The few times I’ve tried ‘dieting’, always ended disastrously as I found trying to balance insulin and high carb meals to be almost impossible. (Standard dietary recommendation for diabetics from both the American & Canadian Diabetes Association is along the lines of 60-70g carbs per meal plus 2-3 snacks, and avoid all fats – boy is that bad advice ) So, about 5 years ago, just after turning 45 I suffered a minor heart attack (MI), with no permanent damage, and a follow-up angiogram indicating two additional ‘future’ blockages currently at about 35%. At that point I was terrified to do anything exercise wise, and dieting was still difficult for me to break out of my established eating / insulin regimen. Shortly after turning 50 earlier this year, I was almost defeated, I would get up, eat breakfast, go to work, come home, eat supper, sit in front of the TV for the rest of the night, and repeat. Weekends weren’t much different, except I’d be in front of the TV more, and I finally had the simple realization that if I kept on the same path, I would be lucky to see my 55th birthday. Since I was never successful dieting, but I knew there had to be others that had been, lets just say my life changed with a simple google search ‘lose weight as a type 1 diabetic’. The search results from this exposed me to tons of research which I’ve devoured over the last few months, and has led me to adopt a low-carb diet. For anyone interested, an excellent starting point would be to lookup ‘Dr. Bernstien’s Diabetes Solution’. I won’t get into details here, but send me a note if you want. So adopting this style of eating (wasn’t too difficult for me as I was also diagnosed celiac 10yrs ago, so cutting the rest of the processed carbs out of my diet wasn’t a big deal), has already seen some weight loss over the last month, but more importantly, much better controlled blood sugars. For those curious my target is 4.6mmol/L or 83mg/dl (for the math nerds, that’s a conversion factor of 18). My plans as I see them now are to: 1. Reach and maintain a 30 day avg blood glucose of 4.6, 2. Bring my HgA1C down to under 5% 3. Reach an eventual target weight of ~180 lbs 4. Get my 1st degree black belt in Taekwon-do (long range, still waiting to meet with instructor about shoulder injuries) I’m quite introverted by nature, and really have to work to put myself out there, but I hope to bring a level of dedication to the community to be able to help and encourage others with their journeys. I'd love to follow along any other T1 or T2's journeys (well anyone's journey to be honest), so introduce yourself and we can journey together. I haven't found much in the way of discussion here regarding this lifestyle for diabetics, and I really hope we can change that, cause diabetics can do everything 'normal' people can. Now to see what I want to do for my first challenge and battle log. tldr; 50yrs old, 30yr Type 1 diabetic, time to get off my ass and do something about my health and life. Oh, and 25xp to anyone that can name the game where my online name came from.

Kuros, through passed down stories that have become nothing more than legend, is known to most as the "Knight Warrior of the Books of Excalibur," but few would know it upon meeting this unassuming hero. Less bulky warrior and more agile ranger, with a mind sharper than any blade (except Brightsword, of course), Kuros is a servant of light, far more humble than the picture this old keeper of lore will paint for you. Always cloaked and seldom seen, it would be easy to mistake him for an assassin (a poor one at that if he is indeed seen), or a scout. Alas, this is not the case. Jack of all trades, but a master of none, except maybe stillness of mind. The sum total of his attributes is what makes him a force to be reckoned with. Any obstacle or any foe can be conquered, and the only limiting factor is his force of will. With the proper application of blade and bow, mind and manners, Kuros can equally well disarm both the hound of Hades or the daughter of Zeus. Ironically though, given his tremendous capability and power to sway the forces of evil, Kuros has not been seen for many years, and as we approach our darkest hour, the world needs all the heroes she can get. Whispers on the wind have become widespread rumor, and these tell of a broken husk of a man that was once humankind’s staunchest advocate. It is said that he has withdrawn from the world, grieving for a loved one who has passed from this life. If Kuros happens to be reading this right now, know this. This world is merely a doorway to the next life. You will see your beloved again, but not yet… not yet. Take heart. There are many more beautiful lives to preserve and the darkness is ever encroaching. The bell has been rung and the hour is now. The time to reforge ourselves into something new, something stronger, is here. I call upon all the hesitant and all the eager heroes of the world. Our world is at your mercy. Will you not answer her call? Hello everyone and sorry for the over the top RPGing. I had serious fun with that. I'm really looking forward to this experience. Such a cool site and idea. Anyways, my real name is Mike, I'm 27 years old and I'm looking to get fitter than ever. How fit? Like Gimli and Legolas had a baby and that kid grew up in the wild raised by wolves and surrounded by orcs level of fit. I like to do a little bit of everything to be honest with you. Traditional strength routines, cross-fit style circuits, sprint workouts, distance running, and climbing. If anyone's in the Idaho Falls area (just about to move out there from Virginia), let me know if you're looking for a workout partner. Also, that list is by no means exhaustive. I also like to snowboard, play ultimate frisbee and competitive online video gaming. My xbox live gamertag is Terra Unu if anyone wants to add me. Right now I play Overwatch and Left 4 Dead 2 (yes I know it's old) mainly, but I also occasionally get on Battlefield 4, Halo 5, Destiny, Diablo III, Titanfall 2 and Call of Duty: Black Ops III. My favorite games of all time are Rygar, Wizards and Warriors, Donkey Kong 64, Goldeneye, Nightfire, Halo, Left 4 Dead, Jak and Daxter, Champions of Norrath, Fusion Frenzy, World of Warcraft, Counter Strike and the original Star Wars Battlefront games. This last part I'll end up posting in a more appropriate section of the forums, but I thought since I'm introducing myself, I might as well introduce another idea that I think would be great for the site (or terrible, not sure yet). What do you guys and gals think about all our character profiles and quests being accessible via a facebook-like network? I personally think it would be cool to check out and gain inspiration from other people's profiles and keep in touch with one another via a facebook-like interface, but in the style and format of this site with this specific community. Or should I just shut up and go use facebook? Ha, anyways thanks for reading and rebel on. Mike (AKA, Kuros) https://www.nerdfitness.com/character/191847