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Hello and welcome! Come on in, grab a warm beverage of your choice, and have a seat by the fire. This is the place we can all chat and get to know each other. Questions? Ask away! 

Hello and welcome! Come on in, grab a beverage of your choice, and have a seat by the fire. This is the place we can all chat and get to know each other. Questions? Ask away!

Hello and welcome! Teleconference on in, grab a warm beverage of your choice, and have a seat by the (virtual) fire. This is the place we can all chat and get to know each other. Questions? Ask away! 

Hello and welcome! Come on in, grab a warm beverage of your choice, and have a seat by the fire. This is the place we can all chat and get to know each other. Questions? Ask away! 

Well, perhaps not "Overlord" in the strictest sense, but I've found that there's a great deal of power in the idea of being strong enough to be a lord or lady in a position of authority. As my gamertag of many years, I feel that it suits me well. (I reserve the right to change this username, just in case.) Why in the world does a female choose to call herself "Overlord"? Perhaps she's just a fan of Overlord as a game? Or was that just a coincidence?! Or was she inspired by the now famed 'Overlord List'? What about the Manga? Anime? The recent WW2 thriller? For me, it was a coincidence. e0verlord, or, the Eternal Overlord, fancied herself as powerful and capable, just as she felt herself to be in many of the different games she played. Yes, indeed. I enjoy titles of power. I enjoy games that allow me to build on strength, power, cunning, and on which I can direct and organize people. In a way, it's playing on the fantasy that I love so much. I was more active when I was younger, partly because of the insistence of my parents, and facilitated best by a YMCA membership. I have earned up to a brown belt in Tae Kwon Do in middle school and early high school. I have done a Couch to 5k style program called "Zombies Run 5k" a few times over the past few years, and have noticed that my times are slowly going down. (YAY!) In more recent years, I've become more and more aware of how stagnant my life really is. I rarely went out through high school, or through college, and I have a lot of skills to learn if I want to enjoy my life and realize the full capacity and strength of my body. I have enough experiences that have hurt me, and that I have neither recovered from or fully processed. Processing and moving beyond these things is and will be the goal and purpose of the upcoming years. It is my intention to conquer these challenges, master my body and the care of it, further understand myself, and attain all the excitement of a life well lived. So naturally, as a nerd of fiction, science fiction, video games, books, and lore both real and imagined, I was naturally drawn to the phenomena and the marvel that is NerdFitness. Turn my life into a game? Use the concept of gamification to transform my fantasies into memories and experiences? How extremely fitting, I thought to myself. Because people have the capacity to change, to grow, to decide for themselves what they focus on, surely there exists the possibilities and potential for the growth and freedom that I desire. But is it possible to be everything I enjoy in the games I play? First person shooters? The roleplaying games? The crafting capacity? The strength? It is easy to imagine the experience, as I have done through thousands of hours in daydreams, through millions of words in stories and self-made fiction, and in my drawings and sketches. Fantasy is a wonderful escape. But are these things possible to me? Are these experiences I can have? Goals I can achieve? Can I be everything I imagine myself to be in stories, dreams, and games? If so.... What an intriguing possibility..! And suppose this does help me overcome my fears. Suppose I can reach out to those that have gathered here. Suppose, then, that I can find my place and where I want to go. I have taken risks before. This seems a risk that will result in fewer injuries to my soul. Hello world. I'm here.

Hello and welcome! Come on in, grab a warm beverage of your choice, and have a seat by the fire. This is the place we can all chat and get to know each other. Questions? Ask away! 

Hello, all and Welcome! Come on in, grab a warm beverage of your choice, and have a seat by the fire. This is the place we can all chat and get to know each other. Questions? Ask away!

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

Evening all, It's been a while since I discovered Nerd Fitness and I figured that now is as good a time as any to finally get involved in the community. I've been struggling with consistency in my workouts for the last 6-8 months. I moved from New York (back) to the DMV in Aug 2016, leaving behind a deep connection to my yoga studio and a generally active lifestyle. Financial constraints have kept me from getting a new membership around here and my lack of discipline in home workouts has gotten me off to a slow start. Things are starting to look up; I'm learning more about Ashtanga yoga, which is free to do at home and has consistency baked in to the tradition. As an added bonus, it builds off knowledge I already have (ego boost!) and makes me feel strong (double boost!). My hope is that I get to know others and their goals while also being held accountable for my own. I am also a budding yoga teacher, so I'd love the opportunity to lead others in a practice. Right now, I lead a monthly class at my job, but am always looking to expand! Best, r

A few days ago, one week shy of my fortieth birthday, I decided that I need some help on my journey… Backstory: As an adult, I've never really been fit or healthy. About 10 years ago when I moved to Mumbai, I was a UK size 20. A few stints at the gym along with portion control helped me to lose weight and get reasonably in shape, levelling out at a UK size 12. I was my lowest weight about 5 years ago, but as it was due to a combination of immense stress and illness, I was not healthy or really prepared to maintain that weight. Over a two year period, I steadily put on weight until I started running. Setting myself a challenge of running a 5k and a 10k kept me going at it for just over a year, and in turn helped me lose weight and get back to a good level of fitness. Then a promotion at work, a dickhead boss, and dug up roads threw a spanner in the works - I couldn't run at my usual time or place so I stopped. At that point, I was the closest to being 'fit and healthy' as I've ever been. I even joined the Rebellion just over 2 years ago, but I just lurked in the shadows. Instead of participating, I went solo. I dabbled with working out and doing yoga at home, but nothing really stuck. My healthy eating habits were slowly replaced with more and more treats. My portion size got out of control and I ate out of boredom, especially at weekends. I ate because it was 'time to eat', yet I wasn't usually hungry. So over a two year period, I moved from my 'small' sized clothes, into my 'medium' and finally into my 'large' size clothes from my pre-running days. Then in December 2016, my 'large' clothes started getting tight. This was the kick I needed to get back on it. I found a 90-day training program to follow, with a variety of workouts to stop me from getting bored (an issue with me). I also started to make changes in my food. Measuring portions. Cutting out soda. Cutting back on bread & packaged goods. Over the last 3 months, I've made exercising a habit and lost 10lbs. I've bought some dumbbells to use at home. I've found my hunger. But…. As I got closer to the end of the 90 days, I was starting to feel lost and overwhelmed - what next? I realised that I needed a new challenge. The universe must have heard my plea! One of Steve's emails sent me over to the NF website, and on to the Level Up Your Life site to build my character, which reminded me of this fabulous forum I'd joined back in 2015 but never taken part in. I made it back here just in time to see that the next 4-week mini challenge was about to start!!! So why do I need y'all in my life? I need new challenges and goals - I get bored easily I need accountability - I find it easy to start stuff, I rarely finish or make something a lasting part of my life (I've been learning Hindi on and off for 10 years now… This year it will stick!) I need support from positive people who are changing their lives one step at a time And what do I want to change? I want to get fit & strong I'm excited to get started

I joined the academy and the men's Facebook group a month ago, I've never really used fora in the past and don't really know what to expect. I have had some real success in this first month and have lost weight, inches and my sense that "I'll just end up giving up like I always have in the past". I don't have 100% support from my family who seem to think I'm either a little crazy, a little obsessed or just plain annoying. Once I settle into feeling like I can have a less than perfect meal or lay off walking every day (I've stuck at it every day for a month now) without beating myself up this may settle but I'm not keen on missing even one and know that I am going to keep the quest of never missing two in a row. Not struggling yet and I'm determined to keep at it. I'm on NF diet level 7ish and BW level 3. I do a couple of chin ups every time I pass my bar (in my bedroom doorway) so I hope to progress with pull type exercises pretty well (always a bugbear in the past) Not sure what else to add.

Hello! My name is Rachel and I am currently 26 years old. I am originally from California, and now I live where everything freezes my soul in Michigan. (Its currently quite frigid out at 17ºF, but feels like 9ºF.) I am getting married in June of this year and I essentially need to lose a bit of weight of get the last bit of my dress to zip up. My fiance and I have been together for almost 8 years now and he's very supportive of my lifestyle change. He is with me, just can't let go of his breads and pizza. I have three cats: Smoak, Marbles, and Ceres. All in all, I have roughly 30 pounds of cat running around my house. This isn't necessarily my first fitness journey. I was at my fittest 2 years ago when I was really paying attention to what I consumed and I was consistently working out at a gym with a personal trainer. Now, the present day me, I am at my heaviest and at the weight I told myself I would never get to. I have been dabbling with paleo for quite some time now, just an extremely inconsistent manner of paleo. I had completely fallen off the wagon when I had accidentally (Yes, I know) put myself into a state of detox when I forgot to take my anti-depressant/anti-anxiety medication. This time, I am not giving up. I have separated my food from my fiances, set a workout schedule on my Google calendar, and I am actively tracking my water intake. If anyone has any questions for me, feel free to ask! Hopefully I can be a decent addition to this great community!

Good morning folks. Been reading the site for awhile, never realized there was a forum section that I had completely skipped over (I don't do facebook or social media, but forums at at least alright)! I'm roughly 30 years old (I say roughly as I don't really care). I've always been a "fluffy" fellow (fans of Gabriel iglesias will understand, only been a "DAAMN!!" for a couple years). Weight has been an issue with me since roughly 4th grade (helped in football but thats about it). Even when I played competitive soccer, I was still by far the largest person on the field and still relatively heavy framed. My first weight loss journey began after making a wedding video for my brother. Seeing multiple chins on several hundred photos will get anyone to start trying to lose weight. I did it the bad way, crash diet: half a cup of plain yogurt, dry salad, small dinner (then get drunk in evening). I dropped a lot of weight, went from 350 - 230 in a short while. Then went off diet and gained about 50 of it back. Had some health issues and threw out my back about 3-4 times a year (always doing manly things like sneezing or farting hard). Finally got fed up with it a few years ago. Started tracking my weight/calories when a doc said the best thing I could do for my health was drop some weight. Eight hundred sixty-six days (866) I started using Myfitnesspal. Lost twenty pounds and have kept it off. Then plateaued. Google "how to run" and found a NF article. Started the beginners body weight circuit in october/november of 2016. Since then, I've recently discovered that...I...have...collar bones! Biceps (not huge but I have them)! Pectorals! Hope to keep learning here with you all. P.S. Gaming interests Favorite series by far are metroids, zeldas, and fire emblems (recently discovered). I almost always have a kindle (or kindle app) or my 3DS with me. Also love walking my dog (dogs favorite thing to do is clean the sweat off my face when I'm doing planks, which makes it surprisingly difficult to keep count)

This story doesn't start with a bang. In fact, Mr. Six found himself to be 'exceptionally ordinary' in every manner except for the secrets he kept. He had achieved quite a bit with the cards fate had dealt him and had enjoyed his journey. But Mr. Six longed for more. Not only to do more; but also, to be more. So when he discovered the rebellion and it's cast of characters, Mr. Six decided to take his first steps... Sorry for the third person and hello to the Rebellion. I have been watching from the sidelines for a while and it's time to jump. I was told once, long ago, to "be an adventurer, because there aren't enough in the world." While I lament not taking that sage advice to heart, I am here now and looking forward to the coming challenges.

Hello, introductions are always so tough. Well, let's start with the basic. My name is Alexander, 22 years old and I'm from Sweden! I like daydreaming and coming up with all sorts of fantasies in my head, it's amazingly fun. So, here's the thing. I have always been struggling with my weight, I eat when I'm bored, stressed, sad and the whole spectrum of emotions. After so many years, it has turned into an extremely hard habit too break and I need your help! A place that I can turn to in my darkest hours, when the craving for "sugar" is strong. It feels nice joining Nerdfitness and it's community and I hope you all will welcome me with open arms. Thank you for reading and it's so fun meeting you all! Thank you!

Hello all! My name is Blake I am 26 years old, 6'3" currently around 245 pounds. I started my weight loss journey about 18 months ago after I hit an all time high of 340 pounds! I began by cutting out my sodas and slowly phasing out the bread. Then incorporating and increasing different exercises. I did well for the first 6-9 months losing 70+ pounds before hitting a serious plateau. I followed some bad advise and changed my tactics to strictly maintaining and reincorporating all of the foods I love (pizza, cupcakes, etc.). I did maintain but eventually I realized I had to this was not working. So I again cut out the junk and focused on exercising. Since then I have been yo-yoing fairly badly and realize that I can't do it alone. And with the ridiculous overload of information available online I don't know what way to go. But, happy to have found Nerd Fitness and hope that it will help with my goals.

Hi there! Here is a little about myself. I am 26 years old and a "traditional" traceur that fell out of practice. Last year, about this time, I took a job quite a few states away (Formerly a resident of Pennsylvania, now working and residing in North Carolina) that consumed me and took over my life to the point where I lost who I was and I fell out of shape and stopped doing the things i loved. Recently, as of a few months ago, I decided to change up my diet and began a strict exercise regiment that has me at a good level of fitness, where i can safely begin training via parkour techniques, etc. However, even with this success I still missed training parkour, when I quit a hole was left in myself and despite the results I was still unhappy due to living in an unfulfilled state where excuses flowed and stood in my way of finding myself. Then a certain book led me here (You know which one I'm talking about *nudge nudge*) And now I'm ready to begin my quest, to a better version of myself.

I am 5 feet 5 inches and as of last October I was 215 lbs. My doctor said I needed to lose about 25 lbs to get my blood counts back into good range. I tried cutting back on carbs (or so I thought), and bought a treadmill which I was using 5-6 days a week. A friend told my wife and I about a low-carb high-fat type of diet in april, and we switched to that kind of diet immediately. I also introduced kettlebells to my workout routine which I use 6 days a week or so. Within 4 weeks I was down 19 lbs and am on target for losing 50 lbs by my daughter's wedding in October. Just completed a masters in cyber security at the age of 55 years old, and am ready to start applying the new knowledge in depth.

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.

Hey everyone, Oh my god. It's been a good 20 months or so since I was back here. I had a baby in December 2014, she's now 11 months old. Here we are I am still the weight I was when I had her- no lie. Probably a few pounds off, but not much. My life has changed quite a bit, to say the least. And now I want to focus on losing some weight. I am trying to watch my caloric intake. I am not at the point of a complete diet overhaul because I am breastfeeding. I am going to start slow, so here we go! Goals: 1. Log at least 5 days per week into MyFitnessPal (raraohlala, if you want to friend me) Grade scale: A: 28-33 logged days B: 20-27 logged days C: 14-19 logged days D: Less than 13 logged days 2. Take two walks per week that equal about 10k steps- probably at the mall, with baby in tow. Grade scale: A: 10-12 10k days B: 7-9 10k days C: 4-6 10k days D: 3 or less 10k days 3. Try to stay within (no more than 200 calories over) my calorie limits on MyFitnessPal as best as possible. Grade scale: A: Average of 1800 Calories through entire challenge B: Average 1900 Calories through entire challenge C: Average 2000 Calories through entire challenge D: Average more than 2000 Calories and I stopped caring Life: Do research on how to pay for school. Bonus: Check in with you all at least once a week. I need to get batteries for my scale and will report numbers later. I'm excited to be back. I love this community and hope to get to know you all!

Hello, I'm Jess and I'm from the UK. I've tried many times to lose weight and get healthy with mixed results. I've had problems with my digestion for the past few years and I've recently reintroduced eating wheat based products to my diet that has helped me lose 3 lbs (which I think my be due to increased fiber in my diet.) I am 5'4.5" and I currently weigh 203 lbs. This is getting close to the most that I have weighed ever and I am between a UK 16 and UK 18 dress size. I have mild asthma which I think is due to my weight gain as it has only appeared in the past three years. I am 30 years old and I am sick of trying yo yo diets and being tired all the time. I want to get fit and lose weight. I am hoping that by signing up to this site I can achieve that. I started a food log on the 1st of December as I want a clear picture of what I'm eating so I know where to start making changes. I know that Christmas season is probably not the best time of year to start but I am really sick of putting things off. It has become next week and next month for the last time. I've read up on a lot of things regarding diets and eating plans and there is too much information out there. I really am at a loss of where to start. My GP told me I should look into swimming and just eat things that don't irritate my stomach, but there is no pool that I can get to where I am within walking distance. My boyfriend says he also wants to eat healthier but I think my odd eating plans in the past have made him skeptical and he wants to eat "normal food". We are students so we don't have the best budget but I do enjoy cooking and I'm not afraid to experiment. The plus side is that my University has a free Gym membership that I want to utilize but again I'm not sure how. It has machines and free weights but the people at the gym are not the most helpful and when I went there for a "personal assistant plan" they told me to just use the rowing machine for ten minutes three times a week. Which I only managed to keep up for a week before I quit. Is there any newbie advice or threads or topics I should look into? I really want to make real changes this time. Thanks for reading TLDR: Girl wants to get of the diet wheel and make real changes but doesn't know where to start

Hello everyone, Where do I begin? This is probably the saddest I've ever been in my life. An artist and entrepreneur who has had mild success but hasn't reached a consistent revenue stream yet. Somehow I still managed to fall in love and find the woman of my dreams. At the moment of writing this post I have a negative balance in my bank account. I weigh the most I have ever weighed in my life with a nice high body fat percentage to go with it. I'm extremely out of shape. This time last year I was hitting the gym 6 days a week. I did it for almost 8 months straight. Then I landed a "dream job" that ended up taking all of my time and stressing me out. Thats when I began going to the gym less and eating unhealthy more. A few months into the job a good friend of mine asked me to take a leap of faith and quit my job to join his start-up...I jumped. Its been extremely stressful and really taking a toll on me and my life. I spend most of my time hunched over a laptop with little to know breaks or physical activity. I started drinking more too. It feels like every time I look down at my gut it gets bigger and bigger. Last night I hit a breaking point. I got drunk and acted out of character. My awesome fiance called me out on it today and it has put things in perspective for me. I'm going to down a dark path. So I decided to google fitness forums. Last week I saw a video about a virtual bully that joined a health forum and it changed his life. He dropped his old ways lost half 3/4 of his body weight (he was in the ball park of 600-700 lbs.) He said it wasn't possible with the help and encouragement of the forum members. I'm broke, and really sad. I don't know if any one will even read this but this is a cry for help. I want to change my life for good. I want to get in the best shape of my life. I hope someone sees this, I could really use the help. I'm tired of being good, I want to be great. If there's anyone out there listening, I don't have any more to offer but maybe we can do a trade-off. I paint and am a graphic-designer by trade. I hope to hear from some one soon. In trust, 2

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

Hello there. You may call me Nika, 24 yo American woman. I struggled between choosing Hobbit or Wood Elf for my 'signature' race. Since I'm 5'5" and grew up in a forest, I went with wood elf since that isn't particularly short and when I'm not overweight, my frame tends for that lithe-look (though I got dem "babymakin' hipbones", in my grandmother's words)... though I'd say it's much more of a Wolfrider/Wendy Pini kind of Wood Elf. I thought about putting down Wolfrider Elf, but wouldn't know how many would get the reference so went with the regular...... Anyways, I'm sure that says plenty about me already. I've known about NF for a year or two, and have used a number of the articles for help, but never felt the urge to join the community before now. What changed? Well, first I had a recent perspective shift from "I don't want to be fat" (which I've been operating around for the past couple of years) to "I want to be strong". Second, I felt like it. Third, I felt so inspired by reading the Staci/Spezzy article, which I only happened on recently. Then, I went and read all the other success stories and was like ":I *join*" Despite aforementioned hips, I do not have any children. I do have a wonderful husband (who IS, more or less, a hobbit) that I've been with for the past 4 years. It was a pretty happy and busy past years too, lots happened. And, I gained 45 lbs. and am, currently, at my peak weight of 180 lbs with absolutely no strength in muscle. I used to have a regular routine of cardio and yoga @ 20 yo, but at that time I started having medical issues and dealt with a lot of pharmaceutical changes to a chronic pain condition I manage. It was easier to stop exercising, instead of trying to navigate the resulting pain that came from my usual activities. /background. Right now, I've gotten it under control (less and less pain each day) and have gotten entirely off all pharmaceuticals. My body's immunity seems to have strengthened a great deal from not constantly taking OtCs and other drugs (I don't smoke cigarettes or drink either). It's important for my condition to strengthen the muscles in my back and shoulders, specifically the rhomboids and latissimus dorsi. I, also, hope to improve the flexibility of my spine and hips. My neck has a tendency to collect tension and the occipital artery swells in response, causing pain on the nerve underneath, so any exercises that take this into account are welcomed. My ultimate goal is to strengthen my body to be able to cope with anything that may come its way... a strong, fit body that if I need to run from zombies, I can. For me, it is important to keep a mind-body connect and maintain a mindfulness towards my activities. I regularly meditate, though I don't have a rigid practice set in place. Yoga has a special place in my heart. I've spent a lot of time doing yoga in the past. I enjoy physical practices that include spirit-mind-body connects. I'm not sure which guild to join up with? Adventurers or Druids? Can I do both? Since I'm a week late on the challenge, I'm going to join the next one and lurk this one. For the past couple of months, I've been walking 30-50 min. every day or so (been trying for every day, but missed a few). I used to have notorious discipline, aware of it, working on it, getting better. I feel like there's probably a specific thread for this talk on whatever guild or group or challenge...or... I'm feeling a little overwhelmed by this forum. There's so much to explore! Does anyone know how to get those neat tracker bars on the sigs? What guild should I go to? What is the meaning of the universe? Where do I go? What do I do? I'm plannin' on starting with the Beginner Body Weight Work-Out (today, after I post this) and keeping with my walking routine, while watching my eating habits (like usual), and lurk the current challenge. ...And track like crazy in a private journal.

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