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Hey gang, Jefe here! Read Level Up Your Life after I decided I needed to change things up; break free of the routine and start getting wins again! I used to enjoy adventuring, seeing fantastic things, going far-away places, and acts of fun-but-questionable wisdom. After I got out of the Marines, I let the usual lame excuses get in the way: not enough money, too much work, time to be an adult. All that junk. I'm tired of making excuses, tired of the same old routine, so here I am! Look forward to working with all of you to achieve our goals! Quests: Break 300 on bench Get back to 500 on DL Two major adventures per year, plus monthly minor quests At least one epic adventure, such as riding a motorcycle from Cairo to Capetown Master Spanish and Indonesian Dive with Great Whites Learn a trade or a craft Complete one of the big three (Pacific Crest Trail, Continental Divide, Appalachian) Raise a puppy until it's ready to head off to guide dog school Complete Search and Rescue training with my dog

Hi all, I guess I'll start with a bit about myself. I'm not new to fitness, been in the game a while, but I find its been a bit like playing a game of darts blind folded. I'm trying to hit the bullzeye but I have no idea which way to aim. It's only been the last few years things have really started to click but I still have a long way to go. Qualifications A recently certified personal trainer Level 1 Olympic weightlifting coach with the AWF (Soon to be Level 2) Competitive Olympic weightlifting athlete since 2014 Fitness Nerd If it's not obvious from the meager qualifications I have my passion is Olympic weightlifting. My lifts aren't anything amazing and I've hit a wall for the last year and a half which I've finally worked out how to break down recently and have started to progress again. My current lifts are: Snatch: 105kg (231lb) Clean and Jerk: 127kg (280lb) Back Squat: 175kg (385lb) Front Squat: 137kg (302lb) I've done a heavy deadlift once in my life and I bench press once a year but here are my numbers for them: Bench Press: 105kg (231lb) Deadlift: 185kg (407lb) Bodyweight: 100kg Height: 6"3, 189cm BF: 12% Where I'm at I've been throwing myself at a brick wall trying to improve my Olympic lifts for a while now. I read everything a could, I analyzed programs, talked to coaches but I just couldn't seem to improve my lifts or even my base strength. I finally figured out my problem wasn't in my strength but it was in my mobility and how my CNS was firing. You can get away with a little bit more with this when your short but when your my height you hit a wall pretty quick when you aren't using your glutes at all. So that's been a focus of mine for the last 6-7 weeks and I've seen more gains in this time then I have in the last 2 years. Good sign I'm on the right track. I feel like I've got the programs in place and dialed in now to leave that to improve, but I've come to my next hurdle. Nutrition. It's always been a weak point of mine and it's something I really want to nip in the butt. One of my main hang up points has been there are so many different opinions out there it's very easy to get flustered and confused, which I was for a long time. But when you look at all of these things enough you start to see patterns, real or imagined, that start to join the dots for you. This is kinda where I'm at now. I can see the pattern, I've got a good idea what works for me now, I've made huge adjustments to my diet, I'm still perfecting it but I feel like I'm pointed in the right direction at least. That's more or less why I'm here. I've always liked forums and things but haven't really found any that gel with me, but I've been reading a lot of stuff and this one seems to be in my wheel house. I want a place I can be held accountable to my goals but also help people out if I can. My Goals Back Squat 200kg by the end of the year Snatch 110kg by the end of the year Clean and jerk 140 by the end of the year Have my nutrition on point. Mostly Paleo, supplementing with Protein powder. I think I've warbled on enough. I look forward to talking with all of you. Andrew Taylor

Hello everyone, I was referred to this site by a friend who is currently reading the book. I previously listened to the Nerdist Way by Chris Hardwick which certainly touches on some of the items that are discussed more in depth here. I signed up for the mailing list and a few days into things. So a bit about me I guess. I am a 35 year old male, I work in the IT Profession (shocker), and went thru Weight Loss Surgery (WLS), specifically Gastric Sleeve. I was close to 500lbs at my highest, and I am currently around 290ish. I leveled out my weight loss for almost a year by not really watching what I was eating, and I decided to get back on top of things with weight watchers which certainly helped, and does help as long as I keep plugging stuff into that app. When I am not tracking food, I know I tend to make poor choices.. So why am I wanting to change, it's for reasons that are simultaneously internal, and also externally driven. In the bedroom I prefer things of a very alternative variety, and in that context I am very much an alpha male. With some of my partners, I am able to maintain the necessary level of energy, to maintain that alpha male stature. With a particular partner, I cannot maintain that. Mind you there is a 9 year age difference between us, with me being 35, and her being 26. I desire to be able to keep up with her as well as my other partners. Please note, I don't cheat on people, my non-monogamy is above board, and I play safe. On the website sealfit.com, there is an explanation on what being sealfit means, I am excerpting it below... The SEALFIT athlete demonstrates the following traits, distinct from the sport athlete: ** Must work at near peak output for very long periods of time, with unknown periods of rest. ** Must be prepared for the known AND equally prepared for the unknown. Does not always have access to a gym and the “proper” training tools Is not competing to win, but to survive and accomplish a mission that can have life, death or strategic consequences well beyond their own pay-grade. Must be strong, but not so concerned with maximal strength. Needs Strength Stamina to move heavy stuff far and long. Must have exceptional endurance and be able to go long, under load ** Must have an intense capacity for work in short, medium and long time domains** ** Must be durable, have powerful core strength, not be prone to injury, and knowledgeable about how to sustain the body at a high level of readiness over the long haul.** Must be mentally tough and trains to be so Usually works as part of a unit or team, and works out with that team The items of concern, I emphasised with asterisk marks. These are the things that I currently cannot perform, and these are the things that ironically enough, sound like a "fun night" for this partner in question. I desire this for myself, as well as for her, and I am sure there is more psychologically connected to this. I imagine myself wanting to be at the fitness level of a spartan warrior. The strength to engage any individual opponent and one, the endurance to engage enemies over and over and over, and the flexibility to adapt to the ever adjusting landscape of the field of battle. I am looking for functional core strength and flexibility, I desire to be able to walk into a room and my body language speaks for me. I desire to be able to engage in all sorts of activities and not worry about my body giving our or failing before the event is done. I am looking forward to find the necessary guidance and wisdom to work toward my goals. It may be months/years away who knows, but it won't ever happen, if I don't start.

Hello! Well, I started this off with a bang and had my first post disappear (I think I was somehow logged out, no big deal), so I'll try it again. I'm new to NerdFitness, and it's been a hot minute (or 15 years) since I've used a forum. But dusting off some old skills (apparently not so well) and shining up some new ones! My name is Valerie, I live in a little town in the woods on a mountain. I am an "interdisciplinary artist", making illustrations/comics, puppets, and music. I have a "buffer" part time job that I am lucky to have, such that I don't worry about bills too, too much, but it has me rather sedentary most of the days that I work, and I've begun to feel it after a few years. I'm looking to get fighting fit and run around more. I am lucky to live in the outdoor jungle gym where I am (rocks, lakes, waterfalls into large pools, mountains, trails... all of it!), that I am not terribly interested in gyms (though I might seek one out for weight training on rainy days). I'm a long time (but not angry) vegetarian, so I give long sideward glances at Paleo diet, I am excited about being Paleo-ish though! My story? Eh, there's a lot to tell, and not much at the same time... I guess most recently what has spiked my interest in getting involved in NF after being interested in it for several months is: my long time sweetheart moved away. It's sad, but we knew it was coming, and we've got visits scheduled in the future, so it'll be okay, etc, but my daily routines have been upended. I am trying to reorder and reorganize my life, and NF has been a useful tool in that. Not to mention it's been proven exercise releases endorphins, and while I've not had much experience with that, I might need it every now and again. My plan is to work in the Assassin class, I'm all about bodyweight exercises and running around outside. I've just started Kung Fu and I am trying to get a yoga class or routine in my schedule. I've dealt with asthma for years and I am pushing back at it, we'll see how it goes. I am also trying to keep my little batcave clean and productive (building puppets is messy work, messy work that needs to be far away from any digital illustration setup). I'm cutting way back on sugar in my diet (though I eat mostly whole foods and don't ingest tons of it,), I'm making sure I don't add it to anything, and am reading the ingredients list of what I eat that I didn't make myself to get the low down. On and on and on... As for what I can offer? I don't know, what do you need? I'm a good supporter, and am up for giving pep talks if anyone needs one. And if there is anything else I can offer, let me know! That's about it... I'll end with this blurry photo of almost-not-me, rather it's of my Doctor Who Puppet ("#puppetcapaldi", it was named) that my friend took of me last year at Dragon Con... It's ridiculous, but it sums me up rather well. Cheers!

Salutations my fellow travelers, I have found myself finally joining the NF community after years of wandering through my quest log distracted from the main quest. I've known of Nerd Fitness since 2012 when I thought the idea of forging fitness and gaming together and so I stumbled across Steve's site, Nerd Fitness. Overwhelmed by the chaos of life during that time my side questing began and today I approach the gates shouting, I'm ready! I didn't realize it at the time but the years ahead of me would prove to be my most challenging story line to date. Having worked tiresome jobs for disgruntled employers and having met other wonderful travelers, I struggled with the purpose of life. "This can't be what life is meant to be?", "My life isn't going to be lived within the walls of others adventures". And so my entire world fumbled from day to day attempting to sort out my purpose, my position in life, and who I am meant to serve. One thing was always certain, I was and will never live my life by the limited beliefs of others. With such a profound thought poking a prodding at my brain, I realized a few things over these past number of years, 1) my life isn't meant to be spent working for others being supressed and unable to unleash my full potential, 2) since graduating college (having attended four separate times) I do not place my trust in the educational system, rather in myself to forge academics and passion together. These revelations took many moons to realize, as obvious as they may be to others. Some parts of a quest are already in possession of some, where others need to grind out a little time to accumulate these items. One thing that was always consistent however was the gym. In fact I had intended to compete in a men's physique show in 2014, but the beginning of my educational journey began and so my time reduced drastically. Working out and nutrition remained consistent for a while heading into school, but quickly I found myself overwhelmed and worn out. By the end of my first semester I had almost quit the gym entirely and my nutrition was limited to a couple meals a day and garbage food as fuel. I work at a supplement store so my knowledge surrounding supplements in abouve average and as such I was able to manipulate supplements to help keep parts of my physique... for a time. This was just the beginning, a new year imminent to bestow it's will and lessons upon me. Had I remained a Monk and kept up with my meditation and nightly routines I may have better dealt with the coming months. Fourteen days following my 25th birthday I got news that my Mom wasn't doing well and that I had better go visit her. ADDITIONAL QUEST LOG DETAILS: My Mom was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) when I was five years old and during my entire life her MS progressed until 2009 when she had to be placed into a nursing home for proper care. March 7th, 2015 I visited my Mom for the last time. I stood there in denial telling myself today wasn't the day, it couldn't be. It crushed me to think my mom, the one who introduced me to stories, fantasy, imagination, creativity, life, was sipping at air. My entire life I had watched her work on a fantasy story, which had my Dad picking up books from the library every night for research purposes. She wrote pages of notes, but a day came where her quest line got harder, and her hands lost all feeling and movement. Her story, her writings locked away in a drawer. But she knew the power of perseverance and though she now had to be fed her meals, her story was not yet done being developed. She took to recording her story ideas on cassette tapes - and so she recorded. But, as time went on her mind slipped and her story remained locked away in her mind where she would reference her characters until she could no longer talk. This progression of her story is apart of my story and part of my driving force to have the focus I currently posses. A few months after she passed away I developed an athletic apparel company that focuses on empowering the wearer and those around. I have since added the development of a Podcast which I am titling The Legacy Leaders Podcast, which focuses on interviewing individuals travelling through their life and questioning what their legacy is, how and what they do to define their existence. The motto I developed was to empower your purpose and define your legacy. It became very clear to me after the passing of my Mom that time, right now, this moment we call the present, is but a fleeting moment in the grand scope of earths lifespan. With these limited moments what do we do to live a life worth having lived? What are we doing today to leave behind a legacy that stretches the span of time, whether it be globally or within your family? What empowers your to wake up every morning to hustle, to take on each day as the magic of the unknown reveals itself each passing moment? Nerf Fitness to me has always been the idea of combining the greatest parts of my life, stories, narrative, gaming lore, fitness, inspiration, empowerment, and purpose to my everyday! Thanks to Steve continuing his journey and recently publishing his book, the beauty of a random rare drop occurred in my life. As I browsed Chapters (one of my favourite stores) I walked past a shelf that was vibrant in colour, and my attention was drawn. There it was, a light beamed on this book Level Up Your Life, and so I picked up my loot, ran over to the nearest tavern to begin reading the lore of Steve Kamb and discover the hidden secrets and community that exists as we know, The Rebellion. I believe that when I first came across Nerd Fitness I wasn't leveled up enough to join the community, or wield it's magnificence. But now, I have grinded enough side quests to appreciate and join The Rebellion and provide my most authentic and passionate self to the many travellers found within. My name is Ben Smith, I hail from Ontario Canada and like all of you, I've wandered out far enough on my own to appreciate the importance of a community full of like-minded and passionate individuals. Continue providing the world with your most authentic and passionate self, we deserve to see what greatness exists within you and the legacy you lead. Thank you

Hey, I'm Mike I love playing board games, I like to play paper and pen RPGs (currently playing D&D a lot), I enjoy being outside, I enjoy being with my family, I enjoy target shooting with my lever action Henry .22 rifle. I DONT enjoy being out of shape....and I've been thinking a lot lately about getting in shape. I'll be honest, I haven't been in shape for a while as long as I can remember.I have had times where I have been in better shape, and have lost weight and inches... but then it starts come back. I've kept a chunk of it off, but I never seem to reach my goal, and I fall down a lot. So, this is kind of scary for me. It is a goal I've had for a long time, and I have always struggled getting there. This time, I think I have found the place to help me succeed. I'll need help and support... I'll need to make changes in my mindset. So fellow nerds, are you up to helping me? THANK YOU! I joined a gym yesterday, and I'm going to be going a few times a week with my coworker. My wife helps me eat better. You will help encourage me and support me, and I will do the same for you Anyway, that is my story as to why I joined nerd fitness. Three quick things about me: I speak Mandarin Chinese (lived in Taiwan and China for about 5 years), I live in Southern Alberta, and I recently started working at a Bank. If you want to know more, ask away. Mike

Hi from Houston. I found an ad for Nerd Fitness in my latest Runner's World. Bought myself a membership as a birthday present. I have a 200 mile a day commute, an 8 year old, and need to get tenure, so I'm a little busy, but I also really want to get back in shape and be able to complete half-marathons much faster than I am going these days (an hour slower than my already slow PR). I tend to be very motivated by nerdy game-type things, so this seemed like a perfect way to structure getting back in shape and pursuing other goals.

Starting an intro thread for all who are just starting out on NF (aka. Noobs); since the regular one is being difficult. Hopefully the NF team is ok with this. As a noob to NF; the Rebel section is where you will start for your first challenge. Welcome and best wishes for your success.

I have always strived to better myself. However I always took on too much, planned poorly, and allowed setbacks to knock me out of the game completely. It seems now though, that after 34 years, I have the right mix of experiences, desires, and tools to make my life exactly what I want. It's exciting and daunting to say the least but I am approaching it with honesty and use of all the tools available to me. I look forward to getting to know some of you and seeing the incredible things we can do together.

I feel the call... It's been years. I've read. I've studied. I've dabbled. I've lurked. I've lived on the outside. I've watched and gathered all the information a man could ever need. Why is it year after year after year I continue to sharpen my ax but have yet to take an honest swing with it? My vision was blurry and the fog made the world unclear. As I looked down the road I saw many things that I thought were important. There were so many paths to take that I ended up walking them all only to realize I've gone in a circle. What was it about my recent birthday - I turned 35 - that seemed to clear the fog and focus my vision? As I look around me I can finally see my destination. The distractions are gone and I have a direction. I feel the call, the call of the wild. That pretty much sums me up, hopefully more exciting and entertaining that what is to follow. Hello fellow rebels. Randy the Red here. I'm 35 and finally feel like I'm starting to get it. I've spent so many years (since about 2010) reading things like Nerd Fitness and The Art of Manliness and loads of personal development books, rarely taking the time to act on what I've learned. The wife and I are pretty much on the same page. We read all the info, sort of exercise, sort of eat right, but never really quit the junk food and wine. But I guess it's good that we keep on chugging along. As for community, we're both pretty much lurkers online and in the real world, especially when it comes to this health and fitness stuff. Really this is kind of weird because both my wife and I aren't awkward or shy people. My day job is a coder, which there seems to be a handful of those around these parts. In my off time, my hobby seems to be hobbies. In no specific order: art, web design, guitar, photography, blogging, astronomy, martial arts, screen printing, electronics, cooking, travel, painting figurines, typography, yoga, designing shirts, wood whittling, writing, programming, gaming, video editing, stand-up comedy, cars...honestly, there are probably a few more that I'm not remembering, but you can see I've dabbled in a lot of stuff! After 35 years of wandering aimlessly I feel like I'm figuring things out. I've cut out all the distraction hobbies and have narrowed it down to a few: astronomy, karate/jiu jitsu, writing/blogging, and stand-up comedy, with just a hint of electronics mixed in. What all of this boils down to is I want to be a bad ass. I've never been one, and I feel like the time is right. I'm feeling the need to dominate in life. I want to be a threat when competing. I want to show my kids that their dad is confident, and bold, and adventurous, and that he kicks ass at life. I want my wife to be married to a confident man who can show her the world! I want to be strong and healthy and rid myself of anxiety. I want to live up to my awesome beard (note: I have a big, manly beard but often feel I don't live up to standards of the beard). That pretty much takes us to now, where I am expanding my comfort zone by coming out of hiding and introducing myself here. I'm looking forward to being a part of and getting involved in a great community! Please feel free to say hi or ask me your silliest question or ask me about myself. Here is my character: https://www.nerdfitness.com/character/67361. I'm still working on figuring out my goals, but it's a start, and from what I hear starting is one of the most important things.

I started a GIF war on my latest challenge page that made me realize that I don't even know if I have "introduced" myself since I respawned. In honor of that, I give you this. Here is my bio, as given to you by New Girl. Hi, I'm Kat! I sort of respawned during the last 6 week challenge. But here is a little about me to those who didn't know me then and may want to know me better now! THE END.

Hey Rebels!! Let me tell you a little bit about myself: Nice to meet y'all, you can call me Grace (or whatever nickname you choose as long as it's nice). I'm a 20 year old from North Carolina with some ambitious plans for the next phase of my life. I'm currently pushing 190 lbs, which is an all time high for myself... and I'm rather ashamed of it. That's not the only thing in my life I'm unhappy about though, and I've decided to do something about it. It's going to be a long and painful journey for me, but by the end of this I want who I am today to be completely gone -- I can't be any part of who I am now and also be the person I wish to become. I've come to grips with that, and thankfully my home environment is one where I can do this without much outside hindrance. So now, I need only defeat the ultimate enemy: myself. The First Steps: · Starting a diet. I'm still researching different diets, but I hope to have one started up by the end of the month. · MORE WATER. HAIL HYDRATE! · Meal Prepping. Dividing food into proper portions when I'm not hungry so I don't eat more than I should when I am hungry. · MORE SLEEP. I'm an overnight clerk and I usually have chores or errands during the daytime, so this one will be hard for me. · Make a routine. Start going to the gym on certain days. Not even to seriously work out yet, just to get me used to going. · Research Everything! I love learning and this is a new frontier for me, so I have a lot to learn! What I Bring to the Table: · I'm a creature of habit. Once I get a routine down I'll be more likely to keep it going just because I don't like changing it. · Journaling. I love writing things down, it's an odd motivation to be able to look at a page and see what I've done and learned. · Support. My friends and family are cheering me on, and I'm doing the same for them. Team mentality is what keeps me going when I feel like giving up. We believe in each other and I don't want to let them down. The Impossible Goals: · To be under 150 lbs by my 21st birthday (September). I've been overweight my entire life and I have hovered around 180 since my young teens, I honestly can't remember a time the scale said anything less than 160. I want to be in the best shape and health that I've ever been as a birthday gift to myself. · Freedom to do anything. All my life I've allowed my weakness to define me. My childhood friends made fun of me for how slow I was, so I stopped even trying to run. I've limited myself to thinking that I can't. But if I were honest, I'd admit that one of my dreams is to be able to go freerunning.. just go out and run and let nothing and no one stop me. I'm now choosing to believe that one day I will be able to do that. · To look and feel better. I'd be lying if I said that I wasn't at all motivated by my mirror. I love myself and my body, but that doesn't mean I don't want it to be better. My quest is a daunting one, and there is no path through the darkness.. but I won't back down. I'll keep pushing forward through this new world before me. My focus will remain on my goals, though I excitedly await the side quests and companions I hope to encounter. The way is not yet known, and I'm sure to fall into some traps and take wrong turns... but to me, that's half the fun. I'll fill my books with tales of great discoveries, strange creatures, people of all kinds, amazing magic, and fantastical adventures! To be honest, I feel somewhat overwhelmed by the journey ahead. Still, I'm excited to go on this quest and I look forward to meeting new allies and maybe even having rivals to compete with. I'm taking my first steps into a new life, with new battles and adventures! I may be a chicken chaser for now, but I'm on my way to becoming an unstoppable force of wisdom, courage, and power! Thank you all for taking the time to read this! For those who didn't; Tl:DR - Friendly 20/F/NC tired of being a fatty. Decides to completely recreate herself. Dreams of being fit by 09/2016 and eventually freerunning.

Hello Everyone, I've been reading NFs Blog for around a year now, and since I need my first respawn since I started exercising I'm here now. I hope to find new nice contacts here, also maybe a group to motivate me and to keep the goals I'm aiming for more binding. So about me: My Name is Schaengel and I'm living in Koblenz, Germany (that's around 1h away from Bonn (former German capitol) and 1h away from Frankfurt). I'm doing sports all my live but since you can't outrun your fork I always have had some pounds more than I like. Last year I turned my eating upside down and lost around 65pounds (hope I'm translating that right). Since I have been falling back into bad eating and skipping exercise I'm starting over this time with more Nerd Fitness Help I hope. At the moment I'm already doing climbing, kick-boxing and running and trying to meditate on daily basis (with poor result so far). I'm mainly looking to improve my cooking/eating here but would also like to get some things going that I am putting off for quite some time (picking up parcour, play/learn guitar(on hold till april)). Yeah so here I am hoping for some new companions My First Challenge, Yeah: http://rebellion.nerdfitness.com/index.php?/topic/76499-hey-ho-finally-lets-go/#entry1755246

Hello! I'm Emily. I'm new to the forum, and new to strength training. Here's my backstory: I found about the forum because my friend sent me a link to Staci's story. (He is the one encouraging and helping me to train. He also showed me how to do the five stronglifts exercises). I could relate to her story very much, because I've also struggled with an eating disorder (anorexia) in my past. I've also traditionally kept myself excessively thin through cardio, but I never focused on building muscle or strength. But recently I've become more interested in getting strong. My goals are to build muscles and improve my bone health, and in general to feel better in my body. Even after my first session, I realized that the feeling of successfully squatting even the empty bar far exceeded that feeling of exhaustion that follows an intense cardio session. My challenges... well, I guess I'm struggling a bit just because I'm so weak... I struggle a little too with fears about lifting incorrectly. (For example, I think I deadlifted incorrectly the other day, because my lower back and hamstrings are quite sore. I also worry a bit about the diet and nutrition side, in terms of getting enough protein. I'm a vegetarian, (although I eat fish and eggs occasionally), and I don't eat dairy. (My dietary choices are based on environmental concerns). ATM, I'm also trying to gain weight more generally because I dipped a little during my exam period. I'm very eager to chat with other vegetarians and see where they get their protein! A related challenge for me, though, is that because of my past struggles with anorexia I want to avoid becoming too obsessed with food. I worry that might be a slippery slope. My dad was concerned a little with me entering a gym again, for similar reasons, but I have found (similar to what Staci discussed in her story) that weight involves a totally different set of motives than cardio. And I've also found that I'm more inspired to- have a more positive attitude towards- eating when I think of it was fueling myself to get strong. That said, my experiences with eating disorder have- I hope!- given me a lot of empathy for anyone who is struggling with body image issues, and with getting over the concept of exercise as a means to burn calories. Anyway, I'm very excited to join this community. I'm also a video game fan and the idea of relating to strength training like leveling up a character really appealed to me. I'm so happy this forum exists and am looking forward to meeting you all!

I'm.. a bit of a nerd. "How much of a nerd could she possibly be?", you ask. Enough to recite "I. AM. COMMANDER MOTHERF*CKING SHEPARD" while exercising for extra motivation, perhaps. Enough to visualize myself sprinting away from Halo's Elites and Grunts for that extra kick. Enough to put myself in the mindset of different characters for confidence's sake. Yeah. I go by Echo or Cheshire, whichever floats your boat! The reason why I'm here... Well, I've been reading NerdFitness for close to 5 years now, I think. Gotta start young, yeah? And with anxiety constantly looming over my shoulder, and the huge transitions that college has brought me, I'd like to kick life's ass and have control over something. And that something happens to be me. I WILL take control over my life. My body. My responsibilities. I WILL fight tooth n' nail to become stronger, to become fierce, to not be afraid to fight back. Here's to being in it for the long run, yeah? [i will also be joining the Monk's Guild this go-around. Karate OP!]

My primary goals are increased strength, muscle endurance, and to not need a walker when I'm 85. I'm 34 now so that last bit is still something of a long-term plan. I run about 2-2.5 miles several times a week, I do martial arts (Uechi-ryu), and I love hiking and backpacking. I've never been consistent or very knowledgeable when it comes to strength training, though. Spending 20 minutes lifting things with long breaks in between just never seemed to give me the sort of happy-making endorphins which I associate with physical activity, but I'm realizing now I'm going to have to learn to suck it up or find a way to enjoy it. Strength-training is simply necessary if I want to continue to effectively do the other things I want to do, and I'm getting old enough that I can't just coast on natural, youthful athleticism too much longer. Plus, I hate it when people (especially women I'm dating) call me "delicate" or "skinny." I'm short and compact, but "delicate" is not the kind of thing I want to hear when my shirt is off. On a more personal note, I'm a single mom of two (ages 9 and 7), my video game of choice is Elder Scrolls, I'm a sucker for Korean historical dramas, and I have an amazing recipe for pecan pie.

Hello there! I’m a 24 year old girl who lives far from where I was supposed to be. Nice to meet you all. Kunmaar is obviously not my real name, it means “hermit†in Dovahzul (the dragon language in Skyrim), well, at least according to the dictionary (I’m still new at learning it). Why? Because I’m basically a modern day hermit. I’ve kind of lived my life backwards so far; when I started college, I was fit, confident and healthy. I had dealt with bullying in both elementary and high schools, but with the help of friends, I gained my confidence back and was totally ready for a new adventure. But then, life happened… By the time I graduated from university, I felt like all the reserves of my energy and willpower had been drained. I still feel like the same way. Sometimes I want to pull myself back together like I did before, but I’m too afraid to do anything. I’m too afraid to work, exercise, or even talk to people. Most of the time I just hide in my room from the rest of the world. I just eat, eat, and eat until it makes me feel good, and not move around much. This is how I’ve been wasting my life for the last 3 years. Long story short, college was the end of a chapter in my life, not the beginning of a new one. I had great friends, we used to support each other in everything, but I lost most of them along the way. The rest kind of accepted me as who I am now, and I’m grateful for that. But I need motivation. I don’t even know how I’m going to find it anymore. I’m quiet overweight and it will be a very long journey. if I’m going to do this, so I need to make sure I have strength to go on before I start. Many people here seem to be achieving great things and writing their own epic adventures. I’m hoping you can inspire me to do the same.

Hi everyone, I'm a big fan of the idea of "leveling up" my life rather than just working out forever without goals. I used to be big into running and was getting decent at half marathons, but a slipped disc and a slightly bulging disc in my lower back last year stopped all that abruptly. The back is still an issue on some days, but I've found that working out actually makes it feel better. Sitting on the couch is the worst for it. I like to think that I'm 90% healed, but still need to make a conscious effort to keep good form and posture. I've found my clothes no longer fit as well since my running days. I haven't even gained five pounds, but my muscle mass has redistributed to fat. I want to be strong again. I am mostly interested in getting back to running but the back injury made me realize that there is more I need to do. My injury boiled down to muscle imbalance putting too much strain on the lower back. I'm only 25. I'm too young for this to be a problem. So now I'm on a journey to level up my flexibility and strength in order to become the best scout I can be. I joined a yoga studio to help with flexibility. I started the BBWW a couple of weeks ago, and I love it! I also recently got back to intermittent running on the treadmill and use a fitbit to count steps all day. Hope to see you along my journey.

Hi, fellow Hobbits, friends from distant lands! I just arrived to middle earth, from the old Númenor, a little wet journey. I want to introduce myself, I'm Eddy Turambar, son of Manuel, heir of Isidoro... As you can see, i like LOTR, and I'm sure I'm not the only one ;D Hope to make some new friends and to give something in return, maybe a ring of powah! May the light of the Valar be with you.

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

Hey there, rebels. I last posted back in late April, when I had begun seeing a nutritionist, and my cat Mike was sick with toxoplasmosis (probably - it was never confirmed what he was sick with). Since then, Mike got well and then sick again, although unrelated to the last - he had to have surgery for a broken ball joint. That was 2 weeks ago. He's recovering really nicely. Also, the contract with my nutritionist ended. I learned a lot. I mainly learned the value of mindfulness regarding what I eat. I'm returning to Nerd Fitness now because watching Jessica Jones has made me realize I have an affinity with other surly loners like her - Rocket Raccoon, Toph Beifong. But ultimately, they need Trish, and Groot, and the Aang Gang in order to be their best. I need community. I need to be better at humbling myself and admitting weakness when I'm going through a time of not getting enough exercise (like right now), and not eating like I should (also like right now). I need to talk my cravings out instead of being really good at making excuses for cheat meals. I also discovered green smoothies, and I need a community to share recipes with, especially quick fix meals for busy times. So I'm back, and wanting to engage more deeply this time, because anyone can crankily step away from others and hide all their problems. It's much more rebellious to admit to it and be vulnerable. (I'm watching Guardians of the Galaxy right now, and it's at this exact scene).

Hey there, Y'all! My name is Karen and for the first time in ages, I am hunkering down and getting back on track with my fitness and wellbeing goals. I've been slinking around the site, trying to figure out if this is the right community for me to achieve my overall fitness goals. Since 2009, running was my primary avenue of working out, but in recent years, I've been leaning toward yoga, pilates, and strength training. Healthy Mindset: Struggling with my fluctuating weight, especially with the upcoming holidays, I want to work on building the will power up, but also remind myself that I should not compare myself to others. In the last year, I've cut out toxic relationships and it's worked wonders. Weight loss: I would love to drop 30 pounds and get back to that healthy-without-sacrificing-curves size 6 (135 pounds). If Ronda Rousey and weigh-in at 135, so can I, right? Would I love to have Gwen Stefani abs? Absolutely, but I would like to have a cupcake every now and them without feeling like the world is going to end. More Plant-diverse Diet: I've done Paleo before, but if possible, I would like to have a greater diversity when it comes to protein sources. I know that this is challenging as many animal alternatives can be high processed. I am pushing myself to experiment in my kitchen, but it is hard when there are so many ingredients I am unfamiliar with. Discovering What Works: I've always loved sports, but I noticed that when I started sharing them with other people or seeking out groups, my passion quickly deteriorated. I started running and later my friends followed. Unfortunately, so many of them became competitive or too picky, that it completely turned me off something I truly loved for over six years. I want to cross train (swim, cycle) without the expectation that I have to do a triathalon. I want to learn yoga without the label "fat" attached to it. I want to lift without bulking up too much. I know that these goals are exceptionally lofty and will require a heap of work. I am simply hoping that this will be the right environment to seek support. I do have my list of celebrities whom I wish to eventually look like, but the hardest part is finding ladies with fit, but curvaceous bodies. I'm ready to start leveling up and bolster my confidence again.

Hey everyone! I joined a ways back, honestly it was a long ways back, and never really got off to a start. So it's time to commit and get it in gear. About me. I'm 27, an avid pc gamer - but more and more board games are creeping in like Talisman, Sabotuer, etc - and a self taught front end engineer. I've been told I'm a craft pizza making "wizard" and just generally love to cook. Pizzas, from scratch, while camping, are my small claim to fame. I can be pretty sarcastic but when you grow up overweight (was always the fat kid in the group) you find a defense mechanism and stick to it. Learning to reign it in as an adult is whole nother matter. Besides that I try to get outside when I can. Hiking, kayaking, camping, cycling - I love it all. Only, I tend to get distracted with games, javascript frameworks, or random crafting ideas like a diy bushcraft knife. (I will be making this knife though if it's the last thing I do) The run down and why I'm here. While not in terrible shape now (5' 9" and 195) I wasn't doing very good a few years back. A high stress job, death in the family, and no real support mechanisms had me miserable, 40 lbs heavier, and pretty much sick all the time. Bad diet and zero exercise didn't help much either. As luck would have it at about that time my car broke down and I decided not to fix it; instead I bought a bicycle and started riding to work. Over time I lost about 20 pounds, quit my abusive job, got one I love, and progressively things got better. But then I got stuck again. I started obsessing over my work, stopped riding to the office, and quickly found myself unhappy and having gained back about half of the weight I worked so hard to lose. Enter luck again. My new employers are a wellness company and happen to believe that the best employees are happy & healthy ones - so they help sponsor employee groups to get in better shape. They pay for gym memberships, nutrition and fitness classes, try to motivate you, and then pretty much leave it up to you to go at your own pace. I joined, lost another 20 lbs, found muscles I forgot I had, and again progressively got happier. But that was 6+ months ago and while I've kept the weight off I never really made it to where I want to be - fit, happy, and active. For me the biggest battle will be with what I eat and avoiding chocolate cake. It is seriously my kryptonite. So now I'm here. I've got some rough plans together, tangible goals, and a list of skills I've always wanted learn. The fact that that skills list includes things like archery, herb knowledge, hunting/fishing, and leather working make me think that I've found the perfect guild. I also joined the academy when I first started and am knocking off the smaller quests as I get back into the swing of things. My rough goals are: Improve nutrition. More homemade meals and less junk.Lose fat, not weight. No hard target but a 6% decrease would be awesome. (was at 31%, currently at 21%, would love to be at 15%)Cut back on the coffee. Mornings are fine but 3:30 pm really isn't and I sleep better without it.Get back outside. Start with climbing and hiking again on the weekends and camping once every couple of months.Run a 5k. Not because I love to run but to prove to myself that I can. And that's it. Hope it wasn't too rambly and thanks for reading!

Greetings, fellow rebels! I go by the name "Elric" on the internet. I'm male, 18 years old and currently attending college, among other things. I've been a huge nerd for most of my life. I was introduced to Star Wars and other geeky culture as a small child. I'm also a big gamer (both the electronic and tabletop variety) and consumer of anime and manga. I also enjoy reading traditional comics (Marvel, DC, etc.), though I'm still working on my collection. I joined the Nerdfitness lifestyle November 5th, so I'm getting into my third week thus far. I've been adapting to a mostly-paleo way of eating, and I'm really enjoying it. I've found that I'm eating much more balanced foods and drinking more water than I have in the past. I originally thought drinking 2-3 liters of water per day was insane, but now that I've cutout liquid calories and started exercising more, drinking that much water, or more, feels natural. When I began on November 5th, I measured in at 5"9 in height and 215lbs. I measured my body-fat-percentage a couple of different ways, and found I'm somewhere between 30-33% body fat. I want to get healthier in every way I can, but my main goal is to half my body fat percentage by Anime North 2016, which is 6 months and some change away. Losing 15% body fat in 6 months? Let's do it!

hello everyone, my name is carles and i used to live in east texas, but now i am back to barcelona where im originally from. i never felt the need to care about fitness, health, or any other related topic. i grew up playing lots of sports, i was very active during colleague and until my mid 30s, and then the slow downslide began. during quite some time i have been thinking about (ie wanting) doing something about it, but i dont deal well with matters i am not enthusiastic about or highly uninterested (eating healthy, consciously taking care of myself, etc). though by the end of the summer, i couldnt stand being grumpy and annoyed at how i felt about myself, and i KNEW i had to do something about it. so about a month ago i went to the doctor for a checkup, asking for a meal plan to reduce weight (i have skinny arms with a larger-than-it-should belly). since then, i started reading about eating healthy, familiarizing myself with fitness and working out. i bought myself a fitbit (i really like it) to help me track a series of data, and i went through several websites until i landed on this one. and i like it enough to stay! and after feeling determined to go through with this (im of the opinion that, if i gotta do something, i might as well do it correctly or not do it at all), i have a food plan laid out, have the tools to work out, and now i only need knowledge and guidance in order to start my journey! my goals are 1) to go from 172 lbs to 150 (even though i have been told my ideal weigth is closer to 145), and 2) to tone my body losing enough body fat to be able to exercise without feeling that im about to die out of shortness of breath. so wish me determination and perseverance! (no lucky matters here...) best wishes to all! carles