Wiglaf Wannabe

[Silas Randwulf]

Wassail!

I've been kind of lurking around for a few weeks now after reading the roleplaying article explaining this whole system, and I think I'm hooked! Everything else I've seen has been geared towards taking nerds and non-bros and turning them into fitness crazed juiceheads. Not for me. I love this whole idea, have always played RPGs, and there seems to be a great community on here so I'm diving in!

 

My Backstory

Quick version? I'm a 6'2", 280lbs, 24 year old, bald-headed, long-red-bearded, cis-gendered, anglophone, heterosexual, middle-class, Anglo-Saxon heathen, predominantly-English-blooded-caucasian male from Newfoundland, Canada. If that's too many adjectives but not enough words, sorry and keep reading haha.

 

 

I've always been big for my age, in terms of both height and weight, but I could always say I was strong so it was fine. I did a couple years of Tae Kwon Do, I'd help build fences/ decks, do a little landscaping around the house, and every job I had was in manual labour.

 

However, after a back injury (a string of them actually) just after high school (~2006), my energy levels, my strength, and any trace of agility I actually had have all but completely vanished. Now I live every day in a lot of pain because I can't afford the chiropractor visits anymore and I'm trying to stave off using any pain meds (prescription or otherwise) until it's unbearable, so any physical effort is particularly draining. However, I could stand to lose a good hundred pounds, and that would only help my back. With a better back, my entire life would improve a thousand-fold, no question.

 

Essentially, that's been my situation for years now, but depression has left me drifting in a state of apathy. I still live with my parents, don't have a car, a pathetic job, and I've changed career paths so many times I'm still working on my first bachelor's degree (finally in a field I love) which has saddled me with far too much student debt.

 

Well, I've finally had enough of that BS, so here I am. I can't change the housing market, the economy, or the past, but I can make my body into a far better vehicle for getting through life than it currently is. I have no aspirations to be a super-jacked Dragonborn version of Beowulf or anything, I'd be more than happy as a healthy Wiglaf!

 

My Goals

Broad goals for this experience are essentially these:

       -Lose weight. This will take the pain away to a large extent, and also make me happier with my self.

       -Regain strength. Like I said, I'm not looking to be a muscle bound meat-wall, but I want to be confident that I have the strength to do whatever I might have/ want to in the run of a day.

       -Get a career. So, finish school (BA in Anthropology), do more school, get a real job, etc.

       -Become more independent. Also called growing up I guess? Apartment, vehicle, etc.

       -Have more of a life. More good friends, a particularly good lady-friend, kids?

       -Develop my spirituality. My religion is one that requires a lot of self-driven academic study, which has been lacking of late.

 

Conclusion

This is me taking back my life. This is my reawakening. This is my stab at living before I die.

[Ba'sini'on]

Welcome dude!

 

Congrats on taking charge of your life! I know how it is being big and yet strong. I'm 5'8" and I weighed....well a lot, but I got by because I could lift hay bales without a problem and carry heavy stuff like it wasn't a problem. Just don't ask me to sprint or run long distances. I still live with my parents to, don't have a car, I don't even have a driver's license, a job, not even a college degree. But I'm trying to change that. And I wouldn't have gotten as far as I have if I hadn't had the support from Nerd Fitness. I'm sure you will find that here to!

 

How bad is your back injury? Because I know some Nerds that have back and knee injuries, and they have knowledge on exercise alternatives.

 

Feel free to PM me if you have any questions!

[Laureleye]

Hi, and welcome to the adventurer's guild.  I've had a couple of injuries that while not serious, took a long time to heal.  The pain becomes a constant weight you're carrying around.  It's hard to get out from under that, so I applaud you for making this decision.  You are absolutely correct - losing some weight is going to help your back and (we can only hope) reduce some of the pain. 

 

What type of diet (in the "what you eat" sense, not the "special short-term eating plan" sense) changes do you have in mind?  Is there any activity at all that you can do?  Maybe something in a pool? 

 

If you need any help at all, drop me a message.  Good luck with your goals. 

[Silas Randwulf]

Hey, thanks for the welcomes!

 

Lost, my back is pretty screwed up. Differing opinions from different specialists, but basically at least two discs in my lower back are badly subluxated, and because of that, the rest of my spine is off just trying to compensate that the pain is all over it now. I've been dabbling with the beginner bodyweight circuit and don't find that too bad. I can do it through once fairly easily, but any more than that and my back is completely shot through with pain. The way I figure it, I'm not taking anything for pain at all, so if a couple of ibuprofen a day is as much as I need to start doing to drop the weight (which will reduce the pain on its own), then I can push through for a couple months. I've been using pain as an excuse to not do anything for a while now. Gotta suck it up for a bit basically.

 

Laureleye, the pain absolutely weighs you down, I agree. It's changed my entire life for a good five years now, and I'm just getting the will to do actually do something about it. It's crushing, physically, mentally, emotionally...just debilitating. Thought about the pool stuff before, but no, not with this body haha. Nowhere near the confidence level I need to be at that yet. Social anxiety is bad  enough in a normal school/work situation, let alone if I were to be shirtless and wet. Diet wise, I like the reasoning of the paleo diet, so maybe that. Gluten free I've tried for a bit and I feel way better so that's pushing me towards paleo too.

 

Thanks for the replies! I'll be sticking with the adventurers until I feel like I can take being a ranger (so like, a few 6 week challenges for sure), so it's good to see you're friendly!

[Laureleye]

I'm impressed that you can make it once through the beginner's body weight.  I can understand not wanting to go to the pool and feel like folks are staring.  Even if you're just doing a little bit every day, remember something is always better than nothing.  I'll be looking for you in the next challenge. 

[Silas Randwulf]

When I say I can make it through once, I mean just 10 minutes stationary bike warm up, 20 squats, 10 push ups, 20 lunges, 10 rows (20lb dumbbell), 15 second plank, and 30 jumping jacks. Not the three times through the workout page seems to suggest is a full cycle. Like I said, I used to be strong so I guess I still got some of that. I also know how to push myself because of those manual labour jobs, so I can do more than some people think when they see me.

 

A little bit every day is what I have to keep reminding myself too. When I get frustrated that I can't do as much as I want to, at least I'm doing something. 1 pushup is literally an infinite amount more than none (though hopefully I can keep doing 10!).

[Silas Randwulf]

Oh also, I'll definitely be in the next challenge! Already got my goals and XP allocations done up!

[Bekah]

I'm veeeery late to this challenge thread, but you have the right attitude and I am over here cheering you on You are so far ahead of where you were just because you got up and tried!

[Silas Randwulf]

Hey Bekah! Thanks for the support! Really excited for this challenge to start.