How to beat a boss that is glitched

[Sweet Xana]

Hey everyone,

 

so I've been trying to beat this boss of my physical and mental health and no matter what I throw at it...it never seems to die...in fact it sometimes seems to grow stronger every time I "defeat" it.

 

every time I get serious about my getting my butt moving and eating well...it works fantastic...until it stops....then its back to the tutorial. I've tried everything from potions to master gurus and nothing ever seems to stick...I always lose my way and end up back into old habits.

It can be anything from being lazy and skipping that workout, ordering out instead of cooking, family issues, my work getting in the way, financial issues...the list goes on.

 

I don't know what to do anymore to stay on the horse so that I can finally beat this thing and be happy (I'm not saying being thinner will =  happiness but it would boost it)

 

TLDR: I'm done being fat and miserable and need advice.

[Stellakin]

I think that so many of us find ourselves slipping up one day and running off-the-tracks, and then feeling crazily discouraged as a result to the point where we think "well now there's a blemish on my perfect record on my journey to a super clean, super great lifestyle, what's even the point?". That might just be the iddy-biddy perfectionist in me talking. Often it isn't even our fault; either our bodies get in the way, or anxiety creeps up and throws your plans into discord. I  suffer with anxiety and whilst it is so much better now, I would be lying if I said that there isn't an uphill battle to be had before I've got a grip on it, rather than vice versa. I also have a recently diagnosed chronic condition that causes me so much fatigue and pain. This means that I can do great for a few days; eat three meals a day, go out for adventures and feel like I'm living my best life; and then I might suddenly feel a tad too anxious to exert myself outside of the house, or maybe I find myself too tired-and-in-pain to do anything, and as a result of being stuck inside, I eat less than I need to, or can't make it out. There've been times when I've thought "well I've already sodded up my epic quest" but I've found a few things that helped.

 

Tons of us here love to roleplay as fearsome assassins or magnificent elves or agile rangers; as our own selves but in universes we've grown to love; such as Star Trek or Skyrim. Often this means aspiring to a stronger self, or a more skilled self, or vaguely somewhere that we hope to be in the future; what we would love to be were we in our favourite movies, or our favourite games. But the thing to remember is that if you think of any good nerdy movie, even the bravest of characters have their "whoopsie daisy" moments - its character building! In Lord of the Rings Frodo tries his best but succumbs to the power of the ring despite his efforts. Luke underwent his training and had a few slip-ups of his own, having to be reminded several times by Yoda that he must face his fears, not necessarily fight them, ie. his "failure at the cave". Aang panicked when faced with his true calling, running away from his home and in turn, abandoning an entire world! 

 

Slipping up is okay. In fact; see it as making your journey stronger! I know that for some of us (myself included) its happened so many times that we wonder if it is possible to make significant progress at all, but I promise you that it is. Take into consideration all three of those dorky examples above; do you know what all three of those protagonists had in common, which ultimately helped them succeed? They had companions, friends and masters to show them the way and to support them on their journey; and whether you let yourself rely wholeheartedly on those that love you or whether you come here, that's such an important weapon in your arsenal.That boss monster might seem impossible to beat; but with a few fellow rebels at your side, it'll get easier as time goes on. Consider Nerd Fitness your own little clan, ready to help you kick some serious boss monster butt!  And I just know that a bunch of people here are going to be with me on this one; you'll find so many people keen to follow your challenges, to cheerlead you on your progress - and to help pick you up when you're feeling down. And honestly, that can make all the difference between staying consistent with your progress, and staying on the right path.

 

Remember to be kind to yourself. In every great nerdy story you have your ups and your downs along the way; it makes for good reading. These are yours; but you can overcome them! You just have to forgive yourself when you do slip up - not see it as something you did "bad"; just say "oh well!" and try to look on the bright side; then begin the next day as another day.

 

Just remember...

  

[Sweet Xana]

@Stellakin Thank you so much. *internet hug*

[Stellakin]

45 minutes ago, Sweet Xana said:

@Stellakin Thank you so much. *internet hug*

 

Eep, just realized I wrote a bit of an essay! My bad!

But no need to thank me! Here to help! *more internet hugs*   

[Kat Savage III]

Hey Sweet Xana,

 

First off, the fact that you are posting on the forums seeking advice shows that you want to improve. In my opinion, being willing to change your life, mindset and habits is the first, and one of the most important, aspects of leveling up your life. Since you have shown that you want to change, I'd say you are already well on your way towards beating your boss

 

I think Stellakin hit some really great points but I'll throw in my two cents as well. 

 

--Having friends/a support system/masters/NF rebels at your back, who have you no matter what, is really, really important. Whomever you surround yourself with, whether they be positive or negative forces, impact so much of our lives it isn't even funny. (Honestly, it feels like the Force. You can't necessarily see it, but people impact you whether you feel it or not). Ever wonder why some runners hit PRs when they run races, but not when they just run around the block? It's because they can hear the roar of the crowd cheering them on, and that positive energy spurs them to great speeds. The same is true for whether you want to improve your finances, lose weight, leave bad relationships, etc. Surround yourself with people who love you, want the best for you, and will challenge you to do your best. It also helps tremendously if these folks are also trying to level up their life in some way - then you don't have to spend so much time explaining why you are changing your own habits. They'll just get it and support you from day one. 

 

--As a perfectionist, I hate to say this, but nothing in life will ever go exactly the way you want it to. It sucks, but in my experience, it's the truth. On the bright side, that's what makes great stories! I'd be one boring story if all the characters acted morally, never acted out of step and did everything perfect. We're human and we slip up - the only mistake you can ever make is thinking that you can never improve and not trying. Even if you fail a thousand times, if you get back up and try again for the one thousandth and one time, you are still succeeding.

 

--From your post it sounds like you may be trying to change too many things at once. (Just my understanding, I could be wrong). If you're anything like me, you want to try and change all your bad habits all at once. (All the things!) Try instead to just change one small thing at a time, until you feel comfortable with the change and its easy for you to. For example, if you want to stick to a budget, your one thing could be sitting down every Monday night (or whenever works for you) and record your receipts. That's it. That's all the change you do for the week. Repeat this until it feels comfortable and you are doing it regularly. Then move onto your next goal.

 

--Keep a folder of stuff that motivates you/makes you happy. I have a folder on my laptop called "Hey, It's Gonna Be Ok" and it's full of moments that make me happy - like pictures, letters from friends, inspirational articles from NF, Instagram quotes, etc. You can make one to remind yourself of all the times that you have succeeded at something. This'll help when you feel like you've fallen from the path and can't find a way back - but you'll prove to yourself that you have in the past and so you can do it again. 

 

--Finally, it could be that you just haven't found a method that works for you. Let's take working out for example. I don't know what your routine is at the moment, but maybe whatever you're doing doesn't excite you. Fitness doesn't have to be boring, so I encourage you to find something you really love doing. Maybe that's playing hockey, weightlifing or swing dancing - whatever it is, it'll feel like fun when you do it, rather than a chore.

 

One last thing - it's perfectly fine if you find that you have to respawn. Everyone has done it. Heck, even Steve did it a few years ago when he realized he was putting work above his fitness life  - and in his words, that was ridiculous since he runs a fitness site! Respawning doesn't have to mean you failed. It can mean that you simply found a method that didn't work for you, and now you're moving onto a new method. 

 

Whew. Like Stellakin, didn't realize I wrote so much until the end. Hope this helps, and let me know if you have any more questions!

 

 

 

[Sweet Xana]

@Kat Savage III thank you, you guys rock!

[miranda]

I think everyone here hit the nail on the head. I think you just trying and doing what your doing is amazing. I have been trying to quit certain things and it felt like a punishment to give them up. So I had to find a way to change my mental though to be able to do it without too much trouble. I love my mocha lattes. I would have them several times a day. Every time I would think. I can't have this anymore it's bad. I would do it for a day and then binge like crazy.  However when I changed to this is going to be a special treat. I it became much easier to stay away from it. Because my favorite drink is now a special treat that I can have on special occasions only.  That made it much easier. and made the not having my favorite thing as much not a punishment but something to look forward to and to enjoy on special occasions. Long story short. Just keep trying keep tweaking your way of though until you don't feel like you're giving anything up. Find something you love to do and do it.

[Raincloak]

You keep using language like "ending," "failure," "defeat," "finally.."   You might need to reframe this whole fitness business as more of an ongoing process or lifestyle.  

 

People talk about "getting in shape" like it's a fixed point and once they get there, they can stop... stop eating veggies, stop moving, whatever.  That's not how it works, of course.  Fitness must be continually built or it will continually decay.  To keep it up for a lifetime you need to find healthy foods and activities you like, and renew yourself with them often.  If you stop liking an activity it is not the end of your fit life, it is time to find a new moving activity.

 

Likewise, if you spend a while eating junk and sitting on the couch, that is not an end either.  It's just a bump on the road.  There is no big defeat, you just made some different choices for a while and you can change your current (ongoing) choices any time.  So you ate a box of cookies?  Fine, you ate cookies, it doesn't make you a bad person.  You can choose carrots today if you want.  Or not, it's up to you.  Carrots don't make you virtuous, but they might improve your digestion.