Hello from Belgium!

[Misty]

I've spent today screwing around on these forums and blogs and I think this just might work for me. I grew up as one of 6 girls and was always the odd duck. While nearly all of my sisters were and are beanpoles, I was the 'chubby one'. Looking at my pictures from the time, I have a hard time calling myself chubby because I'm back at that same weight now. I've never been fat, per se, but I've spent most of my life around the higher end of a healthy BMI. While I hid myself with baggy tees and jeans when I was this size before, I embrace my curves now and have an increasingly positive body image. I just wish I was more fit!

When I was a teen, I walked a paper route 3 hours a day, 6 days a week with about 40 pounds of papers hanging off of my shoulders all year round. I'd ride my bike ten miles just to go visit a friend and never thought anything of it. Once I left the home, those activities vanished in the face of college studies, an early marriage, housewife duties and just general grown-up life.

I'm nearly 30 now and have been working for the past 6 years to try to get rid of my belly rolls and thin my thighs and arms. I started around 175 lbs and have been as low as 130 (though that wasn't a healthy 130 and you could certainly tell.) I'm not sure what my weight is right now, I haven't looked at the scale in weeks. I was trying (for the umpteenth time) to start an exercise regimen on the Wii and after two weeks of watching my weight inch up even though I was working up a sweat every day caused a chasm between the two of us and the Wii and I are not talking at the moment.

I've not been legally able to work for the past year and a half so I've (unfortunately) spent most of that time hovering around the computers trying to research how to improve my life. Phase 1, right? In the meantime, my weight has been sneaking back up.

I have even more motivation to get fit now because one of my step-sons has become slightly overweight. You need a crowbar to pry that kid's butt out of his computer chair and even a walk around the block makes him complain about how much his legs hurt and how thirsty he is. (The whining is mostly habit, however as he recently did a 5k walk for charity with his classmates and smiled the whole time.) Both of my step-sons are little geeks like their father and me, so I'm hoping that something like this would help me create missions for them to earn points and level up themselves too.

My biggest hurdle has always been a bit of ADD regarding exercise. I love it when I'm doing it but if I take one day off... because it's too cold or I don't have time or any other reason... months will fly by before I remember that I was supposed to go running. My partner and I have tried to encourage one another but are distracted by the same things so it only lasts for a couple days. I still catch myself thinking sometimes that I don't really need to exercise because I used to be able to ride bike for hours and hardly break a sweat, part of my mind doesn't understand that those times were nearly 15 years ago.

I'm hoping that this group will be able to act like AA sponsors for me. If I don't check in for a week, I need someone to smack me upside the head, at least until I can learn to smack myself!

Thanks for creating this community, I hope I can add to it!

[Swthrtsuzy]

Welcome! Looking forward to hearing more about your progress

[AKLulu]

Gathering lot of undies, huh?

Welcome! We'll do our best to help you want to get fit, but I know you're well aware we can't make you I'd offer to be your sponsor, but I'm still working on getting out of the hole myself! I hope you succeed and also that your boys will want to join you Activities with kids can be so fun!

Also, maybe instead of allowing yourself to forget you're supposed to be working out, make it a regular part of your schedule. Don't just work it in on the days you can, but say something like, "Okay, I WILL work out three times a week - Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday." And on those days, even if you only manage to get a 20 minute walk in, you'll have exercised and feel good about being able to stick to your schedule. I had to give myself a strict schedule like that (I HAD to go Tuesday, Thursday, Sunday - couldn't substitute different times, though I could add extra days) for the first month I worked out at CrossFit and now I'm a bit disgruntled when I can't make it 3+ times a week. I treated it like a college class (I was never good at skipping). Also, if you can find another group or community of some sort to work out with, it might help. I've never been good at keeping myself to a fitness program, but if I have a 'team' it's a lot easier. For me, CrossFit is a really great thing. It's a bit expensive, so I can see why a lot of people wouldn't be able to do it, but I know that I'm not good at sticking to programs otherwise, so it's worth it for me. So find your weaknesses and counteract them!

Again, welcome to the Rebellion! Sorry for the rambling. If you have any questions, don't be afraid to ask!

[Misty]

But it'd be so much easier if someone could just force me! I don't wanna be in charge of myself.

Fortunately, I can't sit on my butt too many days in a row anymore. I've got a ten month old dog who will not hesitate to destroy the house if she goes too long without a walk.

Part of the problem for me is that our little village is out in the middle of nowhere here. The community center has athletic classes but only for children and seniors. I can't afford even a cheapo membership at the closest thing to a gym either, it'd be nearly half my paycheck. Not to mention that between work and chasing after the family I have to squeeze my workouts in wherever I can fit them and can't really afford to devote an hour or so to the gym.

Thanks for the welcome and no worries about the rambling, it's an art form that I highly appreciate.

[AKLulu]

Well you definitely don't have to have a gym to workout I was just saying what worked for me. Keeping up with kiddos and a pup can definitely be a workout in itself! When the dog gets you in shape from all that walking, be sure to thank her

[Maj. Bloodnok]

The beginner bodyweight workout here/ is pretty good; three sets of that will work you from top to toes. (Certainly kicked my butt, I gotta say!) I'm also finding rope skipping to be excellent cardio (or you can chase the dog for 20 minutes, hahaha!) Don't know if you can score PVC pipe and closed-cell foam in your town, but it might be time to introduce your oldest to the wonderful world of boffer weapons...