Level 1 Dwarf Druid Reporting For Duty!

[somanaut]

Yep, you can tell I read the blog here a little too much. I've been lurking on the forums quite a bit and... here I am.

So I have always been "round," as my mother describes me. Even at the peak of my fitness, when I was a highly trained yoga teacher teaching "power vinyasa" (more difficult, strength-based yoga) every day and practicing for 2+ hours, I was "round" or "curvy," albeit with some great looking muscles to balance it out. I put on muscle and weight pretty easily, and I am short to boot, so I'm gonna roll myself as a Dwarf. Beer is a big temptation, too, so it fits.

So that's what I want back. It all dropped out when I stopped teaching (what was great for my body was not great for my finances or my stress level- I was not meant to be a yoga teacher!) and went to grad school for psychology. I'm now in my practicum, meaning I am working on seeing clients in addition to my coursework. I moved cities to do this and, between my focus on school, an injury last fall, and moving in with a partner, I'm officially overweight.

I know some of it is also in relationship to getting older, having different priorities. And some is muscle weight- I also took up biking as commuting in the last two years, and remember my legs feeling like numb cinderblocks when my body was first adjusting to it. Now that I am in my professional training setting, I can't bike to work most days, so I am supplementing that loss with more training.

I'm not going to really fit in well here with my current choice of training modalities, but I hope I can fit in here otherwise. I've been doing extremely annoying and cheesy workout DVDs for the past two weeks. They're enough, at the moment, to leave me super sweaty and sore the next day. I'm also doing short-but-sweet yoga practices (20-25 min) to supplement and balance that work. I'm hoping that as my body adjusts to them, I can fit in more bodyweight exercises. Oh, and I've been sitting on and using a stability ball. I like the way it makes me want to die after doing 20 crunches on it. But please, please, don't relegate me to that other side of the internet, where people discuss yoga, dance DVDs, and balance balls. I'm not getting fit for my wedding, post-baby, reunion, hubby, whatever. I don't want to be encouraged with animated smiley faces and bible quotations. I want to train alongside my compadres in the Nerd Rebellion!

(I so don't mean to be negative! All of those things are fine on their own. But I have tried other "online weight loss communities" and they just don't fit my feminist, rebel, gamer geek sensibilities.)

[Kelleytastic]

Hi Somanaut! I am working against a big handicap too. Let's call me a human-dwarf half breed, with all the frailties of a human. I've decided that I want to be a monk/druid hybrid, so I have a lot of work to do.

I've been doing the bodyweight exercises, too, but maybe try something else instead of the jazzercizing if that isn't working for you. I do yoga each morning, I walk and cycle casually, and have incorporated the NF Interval Training Workout into my off days from the Beginnger's Body Weight Circuit. Additionally, I'm going to try to get a quest in each weekend on my "off" days.

I'd love to bike to work, and there's lots of ways to make it work even if you have a corporate job. I'm doing some research right now, and for me it's going to be in play as soon as I feel that I can bike the 10 miles comfortably in under an hour with a pack on. Freshen up and get dressed at the office, then work. And vice versa.

[So Late So Soon]

Welcome somanaut! I have a few friends who bike to work, one actually works at a bike shop and gets a bonus for biking to work everyday! It's good to see that you have thought out some options that you can do to help you get fit. If you ever need any advice or need a quick boost to get back on the workout track we are all here for you.

[somanaut]

Thanks, both of you! What's surprising is that the exercise videos actually ARE working.. I am kinda embarrassed. I am enjoying them and they make me feel great but I am excited to mix in something more... Respectable!

I am debating taking my bike to work tomorrow. It won't be raining, and it's kind of an off day and I don't need to be dressed nice, but the other conditions are still there- poorly paved roads and a badly planned route through the downtown traffic (which is scary).

[Kelleytastic]

Hey: if it's working for you (re: videos) go with it! The only person you need to impress is you. Your fellow Rebels will support you being active in a way that makes you happy and gets results. No questions asked. To quote the colloquial: there's no shame in that game. :-)

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I am here: http://tapatalk.com/map.php?3oiis5

[AuroraNorth]

As a fellow video user, welcome! I love my bellydance DVDs because I'm awkward at putting together a workout from scratch, especially on the fly. Also, some days, not needing to brain while exercising is really, really important. *g*

[So Late So Soon]

videos are just as respectable as anything else as long as you are giving it your all. My mom comes to the gym with me occasionally and she is always embarrassed that she has to modify things like push-ups and I always tell her "As long as you are giving everything you have on every rep what does it matter what other people think?"

[somanaut]

Yay! I'm thrilled that ya'll are so positive about it.

Just finished today's video. Feeling used up and grossly sweating, so I guess it's working!

And, Aurora, I'm with you on the "not using my brain" bit. I definitely overthink everything and have absolutely had trouble doing my yoga practice in the past because I like to create my own routines and it can get really exhausting. Having someone talk me through it is a treat!

[katscratch]

Welcome!!! And heck yeah you'll fit in here, we all do

[jrhunter]

Welcome aboard! And don't be embarrassed about using videos. You should have seen when me and another group of about 7 Marines were following P90X together. It was often the P90X yoga, too, which just had the ability of looking very funny! If we can follow videos, then you can too! If anybody trys to make fun of you, tell em the Marines do it!