Looking for my support team!

[csouter02]

Hi all,

 

My name is Chris and I am new to the Nerd Fitness community. I am looking for a support team to back me up on my endeavors! 

 

First, a little bit of my story up until recently. While going to high school and being an all around teenager, I suffered from depression. This led me to drop out of high school, work crummy jobs through my twenties, gain a lot of weight, and never finish college. 

 

When my Grandma passed away when I was 13, I never realized how much it had affected me. I had gone down a path of depression. 

 

Until a few years ago I decided enough was enough. I decided to go back to college, dropped fifty pounds, took up weight lifting, and running, made new friends, got back in touch with old ones, took the Fire Fighter exam in my state (NY), branched out to new jobs like teaching, and read tons of self help books.

 

Until recently it all seems to have fallen apart. I quit my job in November because I hated it, my girlfriend dumped me a few weeks later, and I had a hold on my account at college so I missed a full year. Not to mention my sister tried to commit suicide in December.

 

So far I am back in college after fighting the hold on my account and looking for work all of the time. I am diving back into fitness heavy like before as well. 

 

All-in-all I am looking for some people to be on my team, and help me while I help them. If anyone is interested please email me/IM me at csouter02@gmail.com or contact me on here. 

 

Thanks guys!

[Shukar]

Welcome to Nerd Fitness Chris, we're glad to have you. Feel free to look around and post any questions you might have here or in the various areas around the forums. Glad to hear you got things worked out with school.

[Laureleye]

Wow, you've been on a rollercoaster.  Getting fit is always a good plan, so I'm glad you found us.  My advice is to join a guild (see http://nerdfitnessrebellion.com/index.php?/page/index.html) and look around at their challenge thread - see if there's someone in that guild who is on a similar fitness path.  Hope you're able to find work soon and start getting things back together. 

[csouter02]

Thanks for the replies everyone! Renegade I am going to check out the guilds and see if anyone is on the same level as me there. Thanks a lot for the info! I hope I can find a good support team in addition to my friends offline. 

[FyreFlies]

Hi, hello.

 

Feeling down is a natural part of life. Feel it fully and get it out of your system. A lot of times we try to cover up our pain with other stuff - whether it's working out, hanging with friends, doing things that don't let us truely feel the sensation. The best way to deal with depression is to sit down and dissect stuff that has happened to you in the past that you might be carrying around. Are you the same person as before? If that happened to you today - would you let it happen? Were you REALLY at fault - or was it just something that needed to happen, so it happened? Ask urself stuff like that.

 

Good luck on your training and your educational goals. Take it easy, you have all the time in the world.

[PrincessHeather]

You've come to the right place! NF is full of awesome people who want to help answer your questions and support you in whatever your goals may be. I second what Laureleye said... when you're comfortable, you can join a guild and participate in the next 6 week challenge. The guilds are built around the type of training you do (weights, running, yoga etc) but I guarentee that there are all possible levels of skill in each one, so don't be intimidated! Welcome

[csouter02]

Thank you everyone for the kind responses! Rebel actually that is what I have done lately. I have embraced the pain and the way I am feeling and have not run away from it. I've stood right there with it, and even started making a blue print of how to change what happened to me, and how to be better in the future.

 

Coconut when is the next six week challenge? I am challenging myself even further now doing Spartacus 2013, and the Batman Body Weight Work Out. I do a lot of strength training and body weight exercises. I reached my original goal of dropping from almost 250 lbs to 200 lbs now. Just want to take it even further to the next level!

 

Thank you again everyone and I hope to hear more from this great community. I love this blog!

[Shukar]

Just a note that may help you out around here, and an easy oversight to make, the Username is the one in red above and to the left of the avatar, the text right about the avatar is the "rank" which goes up as your post count does generally. The more you know!

[KimPossible]

Hey!  Welcome!  Sounds like you have a lot to work for - its so awesome that you are taking initiative to attack your goals and improve yourself.

 

The current 6 week challenge is done on February 18.  The next one will probably start up a week or so after that.  You'll see lots of announcements floating around about it, as well as a flurry of postings as people start making goals to crush.  If you're into bodyweight stuff, then you might head over to the assassin's guild.  That's where I started, and they are a great bunch.  The skills range from beginner to completely amazing parkour badasses.  Check it out and good luck!

[Tanktimus the Encourager]

Good job getting back into healthy habits.  Have you gotten any help with the depression, like counseling/support groups?  It can be a big challenge to overcome alone, and while we are a very supportive community here at NF, even we can't replace real life support from other people.  Good luck

[csouter02]

Thanks again everyone. The support coming through is always nice to see. I actually have been doing some counseling and it has helped a lot! Reading this site, books, focusing on school and exercising has done wonders as well. 

[csouter02]

Just went running two miles in eight inches of snow. Love this site and the support! I even started working on my own blog: http://withoutdad.wordpress.com/. Let me know what you guys think. Thank you.

[the.simple.songbird]

Hi Chris,

 

So sorry to hear about all the ups & downs.  I know how you feel.  In November I started having a pretty severe health issue that remains undiagnosed, and caused me to gain 30 pounds.  Until very recently, I was slipping into some heavy depression.  I also know what it's like to have rough family stuff--my oldest sister attemped suicide many times when we were growing up.

 

Life is never easy--all you can do is try to find the lesson in all of this chaos so that you can come out the other end stronger & more resilient.  It's either that, or curl into a ball on your bedroom floor & cry for eternity.  I choose to be an eternal learner instead.

 

I bet picking up that barbell is already making you feel better!  I know it has worked wonders for me.  I feel so much more vibrant & alive knowing that I can kick ass in the gym.

 

I'm happy to connect with you & support you however you need!  Don't hesitate to get in touch!

[chris_de_maas]

Hi there Chris

 

I'm so sorry to hear about all the lemons life's sent you. I'm not going to tell you to make lemonade out of them though, that'd be the stupidest advice I could give you. But I want to tell you that you're not alone. We have all been through some pretty hard times, some more than others, obviously, but still, we all have luggage that weighs on our shoulders and makes us feel like curling up on the floor and cry for the rest of eternity. I know that I have, and not just the one time. But I also know that the only thing that has ever really helped me is working out, and telling my Yoda about it.

 

I don't know if you have found your Yoda, you know who I mean, that person who will always be eager to hear how and what you did. If you have, I'm very, very happy for you! Don't be shy about telling them what you did and what you would like to achieve. If you haven't, I'd be happy to root for you and be super proud of you for that pullup or the extra 10lbs you lifted at your workout.

Send me a line if you ever feel the need to.

[csouter02]

Not sure what to say to everyone. This has probably been the most supportive site I have been a part of! 

 

Thank you Chris and song.bird for the advice and warm words. Since finding this site, it has helped me a ton. It inspired me to workout more, and start my own blog. I am working on finding a job now, and being there for my sister. Like a lot of you I am refusing to quit. 

 

Thank you again!

[Bubbette]

It sound like you have a great attitude about things. That and determination go a long way. Good luck!

[csouter02]

I try my best to keep a good out look. Probably the hardest part is trying to stay positive. Being lonely from breaking up with my girlfriend and trying to reorganize my life without her. 

 

Being a good role model for my sister. A lot of it is really hard. Missing her is the hardest part. 

[csouter02]

A lot of great support from everyone in the community! Thanks so far to everyone who has responded and kept in touch. Anyone feel like being email buddies please email me at csouter02@gmail.com. Thanks!