Squishy, busy 23 year old seeks to reclaim her high-school weight

[schulace]

Hi world. 

 

I'm an art student in Colorado, a state that's full of fun for fit, outdoorsy people. I love it here, but I'm not one of those... yet.

 

I've never been athletic...

In 4th grade gym class when we had to run a mile, the fattest girl in school slowed down to run with me so I didn't feel bad finishing last.

 

I learned early on to hate sports and fitness because they weren't my strong suit, and ever since I've been self-conscious. I always feel awkward and weak and clumsy like I'm doing it wrong and EVERYONE CAN TELL. Ugh. No more of that crap!

 

Glory Days

134 lbs

 

At 18 I had better energy, flexibility, strength, balance, focus... all around I was healthier. High school gym class was a lot more demanding than 4th grade, and I had a better diet - I was a pescetarian for 2 years. And, I was a size 5! I miss that old me!

 

Nowadays

F, 23, 5'10", 160lbs

 

Overall, I'm probably physically weaker than anyone you've met. Seriously, I'm like, Novice Mage weak. 

 

Been dieting and exercising on and off for years, with varying levels of commitment and success.

 

The longest I seem to be able to stick to anything is about 2 weeks. Trying to break that record!

 

Currently cleaning up my eating habits, going with the diet Tim Ferriss outlines in The 4-Hour Body--essentially it's Paleo with no fruit and a weekly cheat day. Aside - anybody read Ferriss' book? What did you guys think? I'd definitely recommend it. It reads like it was written by Tony Stark. It's going great so far - I'm in week 2 and down 1.5 lbs!

 

My primary goal is to get back down to where I was at the end of High School, when I felt my healthiest. I don't want to waste my 20s carrying around this extra 25 lbs of pizza and ice cream.

 

In Conclusion

From what I've read so far, you people are wonderful, and I can't wait to be a part of this community! 

[RunMonkeyMama]

Hi! I'm in Colorado also!  I love it here.  Good luck with your journey!

[Damaramu]

Sounds like you have the right attitude!

Do you have a plan?

[schulace]

I've got plenty of plans, it's the implementation I'm having trouble with. 

 

Right now I'm formulating my goals for the upcoming challenge that starts in November. I think it's going to involve Yoga and bodyweight cardio routines, I've got a lot of 'em stockpiled from years of wanting to get in shape, haha. Best thing about failure is, you've already got what you need to try again.

 

So what's your plan, Damaramu? Are you gonna do the next challenge?

[Bekah]

Yoga and bodyweight exercises are by far my favorites of them all. I really want to do adult gymnastics but there isnt anything here...so Im not doing it yet, but I will I'm having a " Nerdiversary Party" next challenge so no goals to speak of, just fun

[Damaramu]

I've got plenty of plans, it's the implementation I'm having trouble with. 

 

Right now I'm formulating my goals for the upcoming challenge that starts in November. I think it's going to involve Yoga and bodyweight cardio routines, I've got a lot of 'em stockpiled from years of wanting to get in shape, haha. Best thing about failure is, you've already got what you need to try again.

 

So what's your plan, Damaramu? Are you gonna do the next challenge?

 

I may do the next challenge. But, I've been working out for years so my plan is kind of just a continuation of what I've been doing with my powerlifting. I have a battlelog. It need to be updated.

[ZalatwicZach]

You had me at "Tony Stark"   

 

What happened to you in the fourth grade, happened to me in the fifth   I pretended to be sick on every "Sport's Day" until I moved to a private(no sport) school in grade ten   I only started enjoying things like running and cycling because I wasn't forced to do it competitively   

 

I haven't read The 4-Hour Body, unfortunately. What type of training are you focusing on? 1.5 lbs is excellent! I'm glad that you're joining the Six Week Challenge...it can only help us on our quests   

 

Stay Awesome,

Jacob  

[schulace]

Jacob - I know what you mean! There's something so freeing about being able to do something at your own pace, without comparing your ability to other people's! That's why I level so slowly at first in MMOs   Competing only seems fun once you've gained basic proficiency.

 

I'm mainly focused on bodyweight-based cardio, I want to start running, since all the cool kids are doing it. Apparently it only sucks for the first two weeks, or so I've heard. I also want to get better at Yoga. I've never been very bendy. What's your focus? Is there a guild you're leaning toward?

 

Aside - nice photo. Did you make the shot?

[mightstone2k]

Really?  Running stops sucking after two weeks?  I never got that memo  I'm not a fan of running, unless it involves sports or a Mudder (and really, I didn't run much in the Mudder; it's all about the obstacles!).  More power to you; all the runners I know think it's teh uberzz.

 

More than slightly jealous that you live in Colorado.  I've heard wonderful things.

[AlexCold]

I've got plenty of plans, it's the implementation I'm having trouble with.

Right now I'm formulating my goals for the upcoming challenge that starts in November. I think it's going to involve Yoga and bodyweight cardio routines, I've got a lot of 'em stockpiled from years of wanting to get in shape, haha. Best thing about failure is, you've already got what you need to try again.

So what's your plan, Damaramu? Are you gonna do the next challenge?

Welcome Shulace!

This is the best e-place to get motivated and get fit. Everyone is super nice and supportive. And the knowledge base is diverse.

If I may offer a suggestion, I would make your first/most important goal about what you eat. Nutrition is the most important part of any fitness goal. I've lost 50 lbs of my total 75 just doing paleo with no added activity. It is also the hardest to do because its an every day 24/7 type thing. If you focus on that for the next few challenges and stick to it you can then really step up the exercise.

With that said, I think yoga and some cardio are some achievable entry goals. If you would like to get into running I highly recommend a C25K app for your phone. This will build up your running endurance slowly and you can build

Towards running a whole 5k.

Running does suck but the feeling afterwards is freaking amazing.

Good luck!

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2

[samanmoran]

Hey There, I relate in so many ways. In spite of discovering at age 29 that I'm actually somewhat of a natural athlete, in elementary school I was the only girl (beside the "fat" one) who couldn't do a cartwheel, and for some reason, I just identified myself as not athletic. But then I discovered biking. I grew up in Colorado and the whole state is covered in bike paths that are safe and fun to ride. Getting out alone and going exploring is a great way to spend an afternoon and it's so fun it doesn't feel like exercise. And you can do it in cold weather, too. And unlike running, you get to coast!

 

I also like to run, but I'm really not suited to it, and so I can never get the distance or stride to really go far.

 

Glad to hear your goal of getting fit in your 20s! I started at 29 and I think of how much more I could have done at 23. But it's NEVER too late!

So, good for you. Hope you find your fitness passion and let it take you away.

[ZalatwicZach]

Jacob - I know what you mean! There's something so freeing about being able to do something at your own pace, without comparing your ability to other people's! That's why I level so slowly at first in MMOs   Competing only seems fun once you've gained basic proficiency.

 

I'm mainly focused on bodyweight-based cardio, I want to start running, since all the cool kids are doing it. Apparently it only sucks for the first two weeks, or so I've heard. I also want to get better at Yoga. I've never been very bendy. What's your focus? Is there a guild you're leaning toward?

 

Aside - nice photo. Did you make the shot?

 

Hahahaha I also started running because all of the cool kids were doing it. I also created a World of Warcraft account and explored all of Skyrim, because those are apparently also requirements. 

 

I used to run like a zombie, so I was getting hurt quite a lot when I started out. I had to learn from a running club how to position my hips and feet while running in order to be a bit more "economical". 

 

Running and Strength training are definitely my focus. I'm trying interval training. It's a lot more exhausting than just running at a constant, slower pace. 

 

I think that I'm leaning towards the "Ranger" guild (Cardio and weight-training). Which guild seems appealing to you?

 

Haha thanks! I don't actually know if I made that shot - my friend took sooo many photos and it's difficult to tell which one that is  Let's just pretend that I did 

 

Jacob 

[schulace]

 

Hahahaha I also started running because all of the cool kids were doing it. I also created a World of Warcraft account and explored all of Skyrim, because those are apparently also requirements. 

 

I used to run like a zombie, so I was getting hurt quite a lot when I started out. I had to learn from a running club how to position my hips and feet while running in order to be a bit more "economical". 

 

Running and Strength training are definitely my focus. I'm trying interval training. It's a lot more exhausting than just running at a constant, slower pace. 

 

I think that I'm leaning towards the "Ranger" guild (Cardio and weight-training). Which guild seems appealing to you?

 

Haha thanks! I don't actually know if I made that shot - my friend took sooo many photos and it's difficult to tell which one that is  Let's just pretend that I did 

 

Jacob 

 

Interval training, specifically interval running, is something I keep trying to get into myself. What way do you find is best for tracking intervals? I keep trying to find a good interval timer app for my Android, but once I've got a music app and a run tracker and an interval timer all going at once, it's just cumbersome to be fiddling with all of them during my workout. Any tips?

 

I'm torn between the Assassins and the Druids. I like yoga and hiking and being outdoorsy, but I also love dancing and want to get into freerunning! We'll see what happens after this first challenge!

[Red1263]

HEY HEY WELCOME TO THE REBELLION!! I HOPE THAT YOU CAN FIND ALL OF YOUR ANSWERS HERE!

 

So you want to do yoga and bw exercises? That sounds stellar! You should try to make as detailed a plan as possible so that you know EXACTLY what to do! but have fun with it too, because exercising is a journey, not a destination, there'll always be bumps, changes, audibles, and randomness all throughout. Feel free to ask any questions if you have them.

[ZalatwicZach]

Interval training, specifically interval running, is something I keep trying to get into myself. What way do you find is best for tracking intervals? I keep trying to find a good interval timer app for my Android, but once I've got a music app and a run tracker and an interval timer all going at once, it's just cumbersome to be fiddling with all of them during my workout. Any tips?

 

I'm torn between the Assassins and the Druids. I like yoga and hiking and being outdoorsy, but I also love dancing and want to get into freerunning! We'll see what happens after this first challenge!

 

I use the Nike+ sensor and the Nike+ running shoes in order to track my running. There is also a Nike+ running app for Android. It has helped me quite a lot. 

 

Oh that sounds awesome! Good luck, Flower Child!