Here We Go

[Una]

Hello all! I have been subscribed to Nerd Fitness for a couple of months now, but up until now I did not venture in the NF community. Well, I became intrigued by a whole community centered around health, fitness, and positive motivation that I decided to take a leap and join. So far I've been just shimming around, looking at this and that, but I do enjoy very much what I've seen so far and cannot wait to delve deeper.
 
A little background on myself: I'm a 18 year old female, weighing 170 pounds and at a height of 5'4" from the United States. After years of disliking how I look, but never really doing anything concrete about it, I became more committed during my senior year. I was introduced to the paleo diet and tried my hand at running, and then later on weight lifting. The problem I have is that I will become highly motivated to become fit and eat well, but then after the initial motivation wears off, I slouch in my commitment. For example, I'll eat paleo for 2 or 3 days straight, but then binge the next day on really unhealthy foods or I'll go to the gym for three days one week and not go at all the next week.
 
I'm here because I want to turn my motivation into healthy, concrete habits.
 
Also, I want to do awesome things with my body. I want to pull myself onto a branch and climb a tree, or play soccer with friends and not be left behind, or free run, or do a hand stand, or any one of the other millions of amazing things one can do with their body.
 
Basically, I want to turn the world in my playground.
 
Right now, I'm doing my own challenge, trying to eat more paleo, and focusing on body weight exercises, biking, and running. My challenge is that for 30 days I score myself on a point system of 10, where 7 points are my based on my diet, 1 on exercising, 1 on if I wake up on time, and 1 on if I read that day (I am an avid reader, but I don't always find the time). If I fail more than 5 days (getting less than 9 points) then I have to give my best friend my phone... for good. If I pass the challenge, then I allow myself to get the update that I've wanted (goodbye Apple, hello Android!). Today was day 7, and so far I have already failed 3 days... But! I believe that I can do this.

Anyway, that was just a snippet about myself. Tell me about yourself. Dreams, goals, failures, successes, even hobbies.

 

I do love a good story.

 

 

-  B

 

 

[Katariana]

Hey, that's pretty awesome finding a way to stay motivated (phone loss is a pretty big thing).

 

I know I've had two ways to conquer my "omg this is going to be the best thing ever" three days later... "yeah...Id rather read/talk online/pinterest" 

 

The first way was to just constantly look up new exercise things that I'd get excited about. Yeah, it means not sticking to a solid workout for a long time, but if it got me into the habit of working out and it being part of my life. I spent a lot of time on the Health & Fitness section of Pinterest, Women's Health, looking up new workouts..whatever. I'd find something fun, do it once or twice, and then when I didn't feel motivated I'd look around online again until I found something else new and exciting. 

 

Now I'm pretty used to working out all the time, and I have more of a solid - boring - plan, but I'm committed to it, because when I don't work out I feel kind of weird.

 

The second way (which sucks and is way harder) is to just keeping chugging at it. I had to do this for an ab challenge I committed to (30 days of straight ab exercises). I failed the challenge..erm..4 or 5 months straight. (Like, I did the workout 7 of the 30 days or something). Finally the 5th or 6th month I actually did it every day for 30 days. I just got sick of giving up. But I wouldn't have been that determined (and frustrated) if I hadn't had already failed it so many times. It gave me the extra umph. That was actually just this past January I finally did it, but now Im still doing it every day because it only takes like 10 minutes now ( I actually do 5 minutes when I first wake up and 5 before bed).

 

Im still struggling with the diet part. Its more of an every day I eat Paleo for the first 80% of the day and then at the end of the day I eat something junk. Plus I tend to just eat whatever on the weekends on top of that (sigh). It's better than I used to eat (whatever I want whenever) but its not what I'd like my habits to be. 

 

Anyways, good luck! There's a book club here too if  you're interested!

[Una]

Hi Katarina (that's a pretty name), thanks for replying!

 

Workout-wise, I'm now doing the primal fitness from Mark's Daily Apple. It combines the stability of a regular workout, with the "newness" of trying new workouts. Every day of the week is either Sprint (high intensity interval cardio), Move Slowly (low intensity cardio), and Lift Heavy Things (body weight exercises/strength training). The great things is that other than following a loose guideline, I can pretty much do whatever I want. For example, yesterday was a Move Slowly day, so I went for a bike ride at my local dam trial. It wasn't intense, just a leisurely ride, but I rode 7 miles without it even feeling like it.

 

So far I've been doing that for about two weeks, and enjoy it a lot. If it sounds like your thing, you should definitely check it out.

 

I hear ya on the diet thing. Slowly, but surely we're getting better. As long as we're improving.

 

A BOOK CLUB?! I know where I'm going next!

 

 

-  B