I’m 2 years old today! In Which BigM finally posts an introduction

[bigm141414]

Hello fellow rebels!

First the Woot: Two years ago today I officially joined the NF rebellion, by which I mean the forums. How’s that for awesomeness. Now that that is out of the way what follows it is a long rambling intro thread where I wax philosophic about life, fitness, NF, and general badassery of all things. So you are welcome to skip down to the end or go on to the next thread. Anyways, let’s get started:

In the Beginning.....

There was nothing. Then a bunch of stuff happened. And then a whole bunch of other stuff happened. And then about 28 years ago I was brought about onto this glorious plane of existence. The Earth trembled that day in fear and ecstasy I swear. Okay, maybe not but still it was a good day to be me. I grew up and was the typical shy awkward child. More into books and school and video games than I was physical activity. I had an older brother who was the jock; always good at sports no matter what it was, so I developed the mental side to counterbalance him and seek attention my own way (Fun Fact #1: I was in the same chem class in high school as he was; Me - Freshman, Him - Junior).

As a child I did play the usual sports: baseball, basketball, Lacrosse (loved lacrosse), swimming (although not very good), etc. Most never interested me. And then I moved to Austin, Tx and my new high school had an outdoors club. My parents wanted me in a sport/activity and it came down to being forced to do crew or go outdoors. I chose outside. It was great and for two years I fell in love with nature. I went caving (Fun Fact #2: The farthest I have descended into the earth - 345 meters down.) I went climbing (Fun Fact #3: Highest climb - 3.5 pitches [1 pitch = 90meters]). I went camping and enjoyed every second of it. Although I would not consider myself fit at that point I was stronger than most. I was the pack mule being the biggest guy. So yeah great two years, but I still ate like crap, was overweight, and generally didn’t have a good attitude about “fitness”.

Then came college. And beer. And school. And a small living budget and crappy food. I gained weight. I stopped climbing and camping. Everything for the next 5 years was focused on getting me through school. I was still very shy and awkward. But I eventually graduated, but by then I was so far removed from any activity that I thought it silly to “workout” or do anything that wasn’t Halo, beer drinking, or EvE playing.

In Which BigM Enters the Real World....

I got a job right after college and oh boy was I happy! Real money! I could afford to drink and eat and party like I always wanted to in college! And boy did I. After college my weight ballooned pretty badly. I remember that first year where my XL shirts and 36in jeans were starting to get really tight. As in there were days I had to lie on the bed and suck it in just to get my pants buttoned. It was bad rebels. Bad. I had it in my mind that I should get back into shape. And I tried. My roommate was a fit guy, played high school baseball, rode bikes, etc. He actually convinced me to train with him to do the Hotter n’ Hell Hundred. For those not in the know it is a 100 mile bike ride out in Wichita Falls, Tx. At the end of August. So hot. So I trained a bit, but never hard enough or with enough accountability to accomplish anything.

I raced. I failed miserably at 80 miles. I guess it wasn’t that bad, looking back on it but it was tough. And the ride showed me that there was hope for me and fitness. I began riding my road bike a lot in hopes of shedding a few pounds. And to a certain degree I did. My pants weren’t as tight so I did just enough to keep me from going up a size. I did a few more long rides (Fun Fact #4: I have completed 4 100km rides and 2 100 milers to date.) but again no accountability and no focus on what I wanted to do. Just riding for fun I guess.

267.5....

One night in early 2009, probably around mid-February, my friends, roommates and I were enjoying the usual Saturday night party booze fest at the house we were renting. It was cold, snowy and the alcohol was flying. It was a good night. Good looking girls were around, all my friends were having a good time etc. One of my roommates had bought a scale that day and it was still sitting in the box on the table. At some point in the evening everyone thought it’d be a good idea to see how much everyone weighed. I joined in on the fun and what came next was the light bulb moment of my fitness journey, although at the time I didn’t recognise it. I stepped up onto the scale, inebriated, and looked down. Now as the digital numbers clicked around trying to determine my size, I reflected that I hadn’t been on a scale in a long time. I didn’t want to know what I weighed and so I avoided them. The scale finally flashed and I saw the number: 267.5lbs. My friends smiled and laughed with good cheer, as did I. Because honestly I didn’t think I was that heavy. Oh I may have had a feeling looking in the mirror but honestly I thought I was lighter.

Anyways, the night went on and then evening ended. But the next day, and the day after that, and the day after that, the scale number kept coming back to me. 267.5lbs. That’s not a good place to be at BigM, I told myself. I need to get into better shape. So I started biking more. I bought a mountain bike and went with my roommate. I started playing weekly softball with some coworkers. I took the stairs instead of the elevator. I parked in the bottom level of the garage at work just to force myself to walk farther. I attempted to set up a morning routine of pushups, situps, planks, and “squats” (haha! the early days I had no form and didn’t know what good form looked like!). I couldn’t even do knee pushups. And a 10 second plank about made me vomit. All in this time I still ate like crap, drank too much, and was unaware of what it takes to be healthy.

In Which BigM Finds Nerd Fitness....

I did what any trained nerd and informational geek would do. I sat on the interwebs for hours on end trying to learn about routines, nutrition, gym exercises. I studied everything I could. It was hard to slog through all of the marketing, all of the BS, all of the steroid rage of strength building sites.

My first encounter with NF was the 300 Workout article (March 13, 2009) that got me interested in the site. For those who are relatively new, you must imagine a time when Steve still had his old job, there were no forums, the main site was not as polished as it is today. It was the wilds of the Nerd Fitness days, let me tell ya. I read the article and then Steve’s Level Up Your Life series. And then he kept posting geeky, nerdy related stuff in a no-nonsense, I’m-not-trying-to-sell-you-this-fantastic-magic-bullet-that-will-give-you-abs articles. And it was very refreshing. I fell hard. NF became a permanent member of my Google Reader feeds. So Steve kept churning out the good stuff, motivation, tips, workouts, MOAR motivation, etc. The site went through a redesign. Then the site added forums! I did not immediately join as they were brand new and I like to show up fashionably late. Plus, I was waiting for it to turn south like a lot of other fitness forums. But it didn’t so I joined.

In Which BigM Falls off the face of the Earth....

I didn’t post much starting out. Namely because I didn’t know what the hell I was talking about. And mostly because there were only about 100 rebels out there and the boards weren’t active. I did sign up for this thing called the 28 Day Challenge (yeah before 6 weeks it was 28 days). I still believe I am the first to have a zombie themed challenge. Anyways, I signed up started to post......and then promptly fell off the face of the earth.

The main reason was I wasn’t holding myself accountable and I didn’t want to post my set backs to the forum. So I didn’t post. And I stopped checking the boards. I still read the main site, but felt bad about being lazy that I just kinda stopped the fitness stuff. So that was in Sept. 2010. I finally reappeared on the forums some time in May or June of 2011. A long time gone, but I was so surprised how the community had grown. There were lots of posts. There was lots of support. There was lots of information. So once again I dived right back in and haven’t left since.

[bigm141414]

In Which Stuff has happened since then....

So I joined up. I started seriously getting back into fitness (it helps when the doctor tell you you can’t drink for 7months. Stupid blood clot). I ran more. I did body weight routines based off of what Steve posted. I learned about proper form and about nutrition. I found a place to find ideas and arguments based on reason and research not just on personal experience and Bro Science. I started studying. I bought Starting Strength and read about form and how it doesn’t take fancy stuff to get strong and fit. Just will and determination. I’ve joined challenges, and failed at some, but excelled at others. I have made friends in the community who care about the progress I make and are always there with encouraging words or funny banter.

Closing Arguments....

So yeah. That is my journey here. I went from fat slob who couldn’t walk up a flight of stairs with no sense of direction to a mostly fit geek who is constantly pushing his own limits in new ways. I have to say that while NF wasn’t the sole reason it definitely was 90% of the reason for my transformation. I could not have done it without the Steve’s blog and the community at large. I have run a 5k without stopping. I have an under 9 min mile without trying too hard. I can lift a previously thought insane amount of weight. I have abs (not visible yet, but I can feel them). Most of all I have the confidence that I can do this. That I am smart enough to figure this out and that there are people out there who will help me when I falter. I want to stick around forever but even if for some reason this site goes away (Don’t do it Steve! Spezzy, don’t go dead lifting the servers ) I will always remember what I learned here and the people I’ve interacted with.

For those new and old, those just starting out or those experienced, for those that no longer post on the boards but remain in our hearts, I thank you for being so many levels of awesome that I cannot properly put it into words.

Stay Classy Nerd Fitness

-BigM

[Book]

That is freaking awesome, BigM. And the great part is that it's not just the successes, but the setbacks and coming back. Thanks for sharing that, man.

[ETFnerd]

i think you sell yourself short. the site is great, but you decided to do all the work... and you did it...! congratulations on your anniversary and your many successes..

[Loren Wade]

Many props dude. Awesome story.

[AKLulu]

Welcome Thanks for sharing your story! We're glad you're here, BigM

[empeg9000]

Woot! Awesome story. I hope to write a rockin story like that some day!

[DustMite]

You have a great story--Thanks for sharing!

Happy 2year anniversary.

[Hammlin]

you rock! Thanks for sharing!!!

[Timmy M]

awesome post bigm, just noticed that i'm roughly a year old myself! not even a year paleo (ish) as well seems much longer

[WizardTrip]

I almost put this post into Instapaper, but found time to read it over lunch!

Awesome story!! I love reading about the moments when people realized a change was needed.

Now its time to see how I fair against you in the virtual powerlifting meet!

[Hermione Gainser]

Great post, BigM! I can't imagine a world in which you are anything but supremely bad ass. Happy Anniversary!

[The Tin Man]

Wow bigm, all I really knew was the monster numbers you have now. I had no idea where you were coming from. "Welcome", old-timer. This is hugely inspiring.

[GreenEyesBright]

Happy Birthday Seriously though I really appreciate you sharing your story with us. Reading about your failures and successes reminds me that I'm not going to get it right the first time around but if I keep trying, I'll get there. Thanks for the great post!

Go Big or Go Home! Sent from my Atrix using Tapatalk.

[ducatisteve]

Very well written, thanks for the fun story!

[Guest Snake McClain]

BigM...This was a great read. Honestly I was interested in reading your story. I have no idea what your current numbers are or your level of fitness and i'd be interested to know but It's great to see that you seem so happy about this. Ultimately that's the point isn't it? Being happy? Well done, bub. Go forth and be fit.

[katscratch]

Hell YEAH

[Lachy]

Awesome bigm, great post!

[Bumblebee4]

Happy 2nd Birthday Bigm!!! Does this mean you're potty trained now?

[bigm141414]

That is freaking awesome, BigM. And the great part is that it's not just the successes, but the setbacks and coming back. Thanks for sharing that, man.

i think you sell yourself short. the site is great, but you decided to do all the work... and you did it...! congratulations on your anniversary and your many successes..

Thanks Book and ETF! It's been a long rough road but I wouldn't trade the experience for anything.

Woot! Awesome story. I hope to write a rockin story like that some day!

I hope so too! I look forward to reading yours.

awesome post bigm, just noticed that i'm roughly a year old myself! not even a year paleo (ish) as well seems much longer

Been a great year having you around Timmy!

I almost put this post into Instapaper, but found time to read it over lunch!

Awesome story!! I love reading about the moments when people realized a change was needed.

Now its time to see how I fair against you in the virtual powerlifting meet!

RAWR! No doubt, but I've got some climbing to do since I haven't broken the 400 club yet

Great post, BigM! I can't imagine a world in which you are anything but supremely bad ass. Happy Anniversary!

Oh Miss Laura, I can't imagine a world where you weren't a badass yourself. So glad NF is around so I can know cool people like you.

Wow bigm, all I really knew was the monster numbers you have now. I had no idea where you were coming from. "Welcome", old-timer. This is hugely inspiring.

Thanks Tin! We're never born to our potential, but have to fight for it every day.

BigM...This was a great read. Honestly I was interested in reading your story. I have no idea what your current numbers are or your level of fitness and i'd be interested to know but It's great to see that you seem so happy about this. Ultimately that's the point isn't it? Being happy? Well done, bub. Go forth and be fit.

I will now oblige you:

Weight: 267.5lbs -> around 200 (it bounces a couple pounds, but I've stalled out and happy with it)

Running: Gasping breaths after 30secs of running -> 5K under 30min

Bench: Like 20lbs DBs -> 170lbs

Squat: 5 bodyweight squats used to wind me -> 260lbs work sets.

Dead lift: Hah! Nothing -> 375 work sets.

Pull ups (this I am really proud of): couldn't do an inverted row 15lbs DB rows -> sets of 7 dead hangs.

There are other smaller woots like looking good in a suit or getting over my anxiety at the gym or working out or running outdoors, but those are hard to quantify. And yeah, I am happy with what I've accomplished. Although there are days where life seems impossible my dark days of insecurity, self doubt, and self loating are behind me.

Happy 2nd Birthday Bigm!!! Does this mean you're potty trained now?

Oh yes, I can use the big boy ptty all by myself!

Many props dude. Awesome story.

Welcome Thanks for sharing your story! We're glad you're here, BigM

Thanks Loren and AKLulu!

You have a great story--Thanks for sharing!

Happy 2year anniversary.

Thanks Dustmite. We all have great stories, sometimes they just take a while to put together!

you rock! Thanks for sharing!!!

I do rock! Also, I roll sometimes too...

Happy Birthday Seriously though I really appreciate you sharing your story with us. Reading about your failures and successes reminds me that I'm not going to get it right the first time around but if I keep trying, I'll get there. Thanks for the great post!

Go Big or Go Home! Sent from my Atrix using Tapatalk.

GEB, oh you will definetly get there. And I will be following you along on your journey to greatness, stumbles and all.

Very well written, thanks for the fun story!

Thanks ducati! Glad you enjoyed it, took me a looooooooooong time to write it

Hell YEAH

^ Completely appropriate

Awesome bigm, great post!

Thanks Lachy!

[Pat G]

Happy 2nd Birthday Bigm!!! Does this mean you're potty trained now?

My guess is he still using walker nappies. the pull up kind with the batman logo on the front.

Solid work BigM its good to see the discipline, knowledge and STRENGTH you've gained.

[Strawberry Squatcake]

Happy birthday! Two's a big year. You get to be sassy and people generally think it's adorable.

I snorted at the phrase "Bro Science." I have a few guy friends that phrase brings to mind.

Thanks for sharing. And here's to all that's to come!

[Corbab]

Wow. Just wow. There was always a certain level of mystery hidden behind the giant gauntlets, but I never imagined such a back story. It's great to have you around.

[Timmy M]

Been a great year having you around Timmy!

[ATTACH=CONFIG]2578[/ATTACH]

It's been an honour

[katscratch]

Read this again today, uh probably just because i may have spent too much time here last night and ran out of new threads to read, heh, but I gotta tell you your words are really moving, seriously your last line made me cry. I'm a sap like that. I didn't say it before 'cuz I realize I don't "know" you, and I can't really pinpoint what is so goosebump-tear-in-the-eye inspiring....

I think it comes down to the fact that whenever someone joins an online forum, it's pretty easy to identify the core members....across the NF boards your sense of humor shines, your compassion for and belief in your fellow NFers is obvious and true, and it's awesome that the heart of the community is made up of people as solid as you. This community matters, and you're a helluva big part of that.

So, thank you.