I volunteer!

[Ensi]

Good morning Rebellion, Finland says hello! My name is Ensi and I'm a 21-year-young woman from the forests of Turku, a town in our southwestern shore. And I'm here to join the Rebellion! My journey doesn't start here, though. It goes years back...

I have always been overweight. I was lonely and depressed through my childhood years and I had an eating disorder of some sort: I could easily eat one chocolate bar a day, if not two (that's half a pound of chocolate per day... every day). So I was the lonely fat kid who couldn't walk through the class room to her seat without bumping her clumsy legs to all the other chairs on the way. But as said, I was that kid.

Two years ago I weighed 204 pounds on my heaviest (I'm about 5'5'', 168 cm tall. In Finland we have the metric system, but I'm going to use pounds and feet for everyone's convenience). At that time I got fed up and changed my habits: I ate less chocolate (couldn't give it up right away, it was way too addictive), ate more right foods and started exercising. I went jogging and did weight training. The weight started to come off quite easily and I ended up losing 28 pounds, now weighing 176. Then I was introduced to a lovely thing called the stall. I've been stuck here alone for a whole year or so, and now I'm joining the Rebellion in order to get back on track. And how did I hear about this glorious, ambitious army?

Well... Google told me. I asked Google, "How to become an assassin?" (I'm curious, nothing serious here, I'm just an artist...!) and the fifth path Google showed me led me here: http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2011/03/24/assassins-creed/

I read the article and then started to sniff around: what is this Nerd Fitness...? Sounds fun! I've struggled with exercising because it has simply become boring. Running on a steady pace for miles is just boring. Lifting kettlebells in my appartment is boring. Gym is also boring when there's a huge gorilla between me and the dumbbells. But I need the exercise. I have PCOS. That means that losing weight is a constant battle. A battle I'm going to win. Like a boss. And NF seems like the fun boost I need!

Today I'm a happy loon who respects herself. My thoughts don't spin around food all the time and I feel like I've woken up after years of depression and thinking about food that I'm not allowed to eat 24/7. Now I just want to see just how far I can get in this Rebellion! I bought the basic Rebel Fitness Guide yesterday and did my first workout (started on level 2, because I do have some years of exercise behind me). The exercise took an hour, and I was able to go through it. I was positively surprised because I was steaming red and tired after the exercise, but I felt very good. I had been afraid that the exercises wouldn't be tough enough. How silly of me! This helped me to set my initial goals.

Goal #1:

- Level up to level 3, OUTCAST

- Lose 5 pounds in the process

- Learn to eat dark chocolate in moderation (too much of an addiction at the moment)

- learn a healthy portion size

Goal #2:

- Level up to level 3, OUTSIDER

- Lose another 5 pounds in the process

- learn 3 new food recipes

Goal #3:

- Level up to level 4, REBEL

- Lose another 5 pounds here as well

Goal #4:

- Level up to level 4, RENEGADE

- Lose the final 5 pounds in the process!

I might add something to these goals later on, now I'm concentrating on the first one... I've managed to switch milk chocolate to dark chocolate (at least 70 % cocoa), but I'm eating it too much and too obsessively. Now it's day 4 without any dark chocolate, and I'm feeling good about it. I've had a couple of hard moments at the grocery store, but once I've held that chocolate bar in my hand I've reminded myself of my bigger goals. Also, a friend of mine does exercise and tries to lose some weight, so I thought what she would say if I bought the chocolate. Si, I'm clear for now...!

So, Rebellion. I'm a volunteer who loves archery, walking in the woods, arts, movies, literature... And I'm ready to rock.

LET'S DO THIS, PERRRRKELE.

- Ensi

Also, The Avengers was amazing. 8D

[Maledictus]

Welcome that was quite the intro looks like you have a pretty clear idea where you are headed.

[Ghost]

An archer? How interesting.

And welcome to the Rebellion!

[VorJoshigan]

Nice intro! I think you will actually find many SI users here on the boards, but I appreciate not having to attempt the on-the-fly conversions.

[Ensi]

Thank you, everyone! I'm not sure, if my intro was supposed to be this long, but I do love writing and get carried away easily... Ehehee! Even though I can spot some mistakes in my grammar. Oh well, I'll hopefully learn more English with you fine people!

I'm not a professional archer, far from it, but I love doing it for fun. I moved into this town last autumn and I'm trying to find a place where you can just walk in, pay a fee and shoot them arrows for a couple of hours. I would also like to try rock climbing or bouldering... My upper body strenght is pretty miserable, and I figured that climbing could help me with that. Parkour is also something I'm interested in.

VorJoshigan, I think I'll stick to feet and pounds to keep things simple. Also, it's nicer to say that "I can lift 15 pounds!" instead of "I can lift 7,5 kg!"

Now I'm getting to know this Forum better... What are those strenght, stamina etc. things in your signatures? I've seen them around here a lot.

[Red1263]

Welcome to the Rebellion! We can help you with anything you need from advice (I recommend checking out the Assassin's Guild) to Motivation via a chocolate bar in front of you while you're on a treadmill. The things in our sigs is from a 6-week challenge that we're doing so you don't need to worry about them. it's just for Nerdi-ness. If you want to start parkour, I recommend starting with body-weight exercises, ie. pushups, pullups and the like, they'll help you get oriented with your body more intimately as well as.... well... train you. Hope to see you around!

[Ghost]

I am still getting used to the forum too, so I am hoping we can both learn.

I wish I could find a field to just fire arrows all day. We both seem to have some of the same interests.

I would love to try rock climbing and parkour also!

[Red1263]

I wish I could find a field to just fire arrows all day.

Hopefully they're not Fire Arrows! O_o

[Ghost]

Nope just very pointy

[Ensi]

Ehehee, I love the idea about the chocolate bar (almost typed "car"!) in front of me! Oh, we have an Assassins Guild? Awesome! And thank you for the tips, I'm doing now the Level 2 Recruit workout, which is superrrrr. Today I might take a long walk in the woods for my exercise. I do walk a lot every day, though, I'm having my summer break from studies and I'm working as a cleaning lady. I work approximately four times a week, and it's walking all day long. Am very happy about that.

Nice to hear that, Ghost! I'm definitely going to try climbing, there's also a neat "pirate ship" in a children's playground near here. http://www.lappset.fi/Custom_modules/Lappset_loader/loader.aspx?DOC_ID=168923&SizeCode=TUOTE <- A lot like that... I like to fool around in it, hanging and climbing. Luckily there aren't many children around that often. Yeah, let's help each other out!

Why have fire arrows when you can have exploding fire arrows?

[Ghost]

I have a feeling we will be signing a peace treaty for Nuclear tipped arrows.

And that is the best playground ever! Beats the tiny one near me, but I just have to get creative

[Ensi]

But we'll have nice and ecologic Nuclear arrows... Once they hit their target there won't be a mushroom cloud but a real mushroom. Planet saved! 8D

Yep, gotta love that playground! There are also a few outdoor gyms around where I live that are free to use, but I'm tired of gym machines. Free weights and kettlebells all the way!

[Ensi]

Oh. My. Thor.

I haven't taken any pictures of myself for a loooong time, because I just don't like being photographed. But now I took the before pictures and GURL, do I need to get fit! Flabby flabby flab flab. After seeing those photos I just threw away all the salt nuts in my appartment. Bye byeee!

I'll keep taking these photos every month. Maybe I'll show you my progress in a few monts, but for now... I'll just keep these pictures to myself. Maybe I should print them out and put them on my fridge's door.

I've had a lot better body image in my head. Time to make that picture the reality.

[Red1263]

Inspire yourself in any way you need, it doesn't matter if it's public or personal, so long as YOU stay on your path of getting fit!

[tigersheart]

welcome! And if you find regular exercise boring, and you live in or near forests...you have the perfect outdoor gym(baring freezing weather and heavy snow:P )

and NF will give you tons of non boring ideas for exercise

[Ensi]

Thank you for encouragement! And yes, the forest near me is perfect for working out. It's also quite exciting since there are frogs, snakes and all kinds of birds there. Don't worry, there are only two kinds of snakes in Finland and only one of them is poisoneus. There is a very good change to come across with one, though, so I won't let my guard down.

It's springtime, and snakes are on the move. I actually saw one the day before yesterday (not my photo): http://www.sammakkolampi.fi/lajit/kuvat/rantakaarme_rullalla.jpg

It was actually quite beautiful, but when I ran into it I only realised that it was a snake that I didn't recognize. Result: a wildly screaming blond running for her life. But this is a grass snake and not harmful at all. Sometimes people even lure them into barns to keep mice away.

Well, snakes are ok, but I must admit that what really frightens me are spiders... The webs are probably the thing that I find very uncomfortable. I hate being stuck or caught. .__.

Right now I'm getting to know the forum better... Might go and take part in a conversation somewhere. And start my own blog here.