I'm looking for guidance, advice and any fellow history nerds

[TiburonVolador]

Hello everybody.

 

I have come to this website and community because I am seeking something I have sought since my most awkward teenage years, to get more into fitness and be comfortable with myself and my body. Long have I struggled for a balance that allows me to achieve the body shape I've always wanted and a lifestyle that doesn't stress me to the brink of madness. I came across Nerd Fitness and decided I should take a peek into it because I really don't have nothing to lose, and this seems a very welcoming place where I could be myself about myself and open up about my concerns and hear out what much wiser and experienced people can tell me about my concerns.

 

Alright, so first off, some factoids:

 

- I am a 23 year old guy living in Bogotá, Colombia, my hometown but not a very welcoming place for nerds and geeks in general, we are a small minority.

- I am somewhere around 120 pounds, I think. I think every thing in metric BTW, so last time I checked I was 60.5 kilograms.

- I am not really overweight, thankfully, but I am lanky, haver very little upper body strength and my body has the nasty habit of storing fat in my thighs, to my never ending annoyance.

- I used to swim, but never with the right dedication or discipline. I managed for a long time to stay in decent weight (with not that much muscle) by swimming. I have never been a fan of gyms. While I am a very outgoing and social guy when eased into social settings by my friends and acquaintances, by myself on strange settings I become socially inept. And I have always been far too self conscious about my body to use a gym constantly. That, added to the fact that I always have the paranoia that I am doing every exercise incorrectly has made me terrible at fitness. My very obvious lack of self-discipline has not helped either.

 

I ask of any one willing to read this to point me in the right direction. I have read plenty on the website, and from what Steve has written I take two first takes on what the community says:

 

- Paleo Diet: Oh boy, I have to put modesty apart and be thankful that I have this huge advantage over 90% percent of you guys. Living in this country almost any kind of meal and grocery item is probably valid for the diet. Everything is so naturally grown here its amazing. Just look at one of the typical farmer's market here. The meat, fish and chicken are all as natural as they can get. I am already happy I have this covered.

 

- Competitivity: Ah yes, the ever evasive motivation. Some have bets (yes I read the story....i crye evertiem), others use the community challenges, others simply have their gut driving them away from chubbiness (I salute you guys). Me? Well, I think my most viable objective and drive is...the beach. I am planning on visiting a friend that lives in São Paulo, Brazil, and we are most likely to hit the beach at Santos, Angra dos Reis, heck, even Rio. As I said above, I am way too self concious, and if I were to hit the beach as I am now I would begrudgingly feel too anxious to enjoy it. Therefore, I am here sharing my story with you guys.

 

My objective: I need more muscle! Biceps to mach my Medieval Iberia wit! Abs to match my knowledge of German Critical Theory! PECS TO ROCK OUT MY ABILITY TO DESCRIBE SOCIAL ECONOMICAL STRUCTURES BASED ON CULTURAL IMPERIALISM.

 

Of course, I know that achieving this is not an easy task, and I don't really expect to get ripped in no time, just get a body I can feel confident with. Perhaps the odds of time are against me (I work a full time internship until mid december, but maybe this once, with the help of any of you guys, I might just make it through to Brazilian beaches as I talk to some lovely gals about that time Brazil was a full fledged empire.

 

Thank you for reading!

[themisfithero]

Welcome to NF, TiburonVolador! Deciding to take the first step is always important, so congratulations. I have to say that the allure of Brazilian beaches is a damn good motivator. This coming from a guy that doesn't like the ocean. I highly recommend browsing through the forums (if you haven't already) to get a better idea of a specific plan that you'd be interested in. There are a lot of great people here willing to jump in and offer some advice. Best of luck to you.