Newb who loves yoga, cooking, running, and swimming

[cacodaemonia]

Hi everyone!

I came across Nerd Fitness today via the No Meat Athlete blog. I'm excited because this seems like a very active, supportive community.

Anyway, my name is Chelsea. I was really sedentary as a kid and spent my teenage years dealing with anorexia and bulimia. Eating disorders aren't something you ever "get over", but I manage my eating habits just a little better with each passing year.

I used to eat really unhealthy foods, but over the past several years I've learned a lot about nutrition and have been making a lot of my own food. I love cooking and baking vegetarian foods!

I walk my dogs a few miles every day, and run and swim sometimes (currently recovering from Achilles tendinitis), but since December 2010 I've also been doing hot yoga. It's really amazing! It's helped me be more aware of my body and has been a big part of why I'm now in the best shape of my life. In the past 18 months or so I've gone from about 165 lbs. to 133 lbs. and have definitely gained a lot of muscle.

My current goals are:

- Reach and maintain a weight of about 130.

- Get back into running without re-injuring my Achilles tendon.

- Work up to running 5K two or three times a week.

- Do five slow plank -> chaturanga (can do 4 now) without coming to knees.

- Lengthen calves, external obliques, lats, traps.

- Move out of the US in the next year.

- Do a salamba sirsana (supported headstand).

- Hold bakasana (crow/crane) for 5 seconds.

Thanks for reading!

[MegaCarp]

Hey awesome to have you Chelsea, pretty cool goals you have there. I am curious why you want to leave the US? Is it just to explore or other reasons?

[spezzy]

hey chelsea, welcome!

congrats on the weight loss! are you just running and doing yoga or doing strength as well?

[cacodaemonia]

@rcarper Hey thanks. A bunch of reasons; mostly political and economic. I don't trust our economy enough to keep my money in USD and I have no faith in the 2-party system.

Have you been on the NF forums for a while?

@spezzy Thank you! I don't lift weights or anything, but yoga does require quite a lot of strength. I do a lot of planks, chaturanga (like holding a push-up just above the ground), horse stances (basically a squat that you hold), chairs, and various kinds of crunches. I see that you lift a lot of crazy weights! Have you ever injured yourself doing dead lifts?

[Thrymstan]

Welcome!

Seems like you are on track to a healthy lifestyle. Nicely done.

I have thought that 2-party system is more efficient than multi-party system where all the parties tend to resemble each other. Though I can understand the frustration having followed US politics a bit.

Maybe I should try yoga. Though I probably would be the only guy there. "No, I didn't come here only to stare at your asses"

[spezzy]

@spezzy Thank you! I don't lift weights or anything, but yoga does require quite a lot of strength. I do a lot of planks, chaturanga (like holding a push-up just above the ground), horse stances (basically a squat that you hold), chairs, and various kinds of crunches. I see that you lift a lot of crazy weights! Have you ever injured yourself doing dead lifts?

Yeah, I also do yoga, because i've found that it seriously helps my lifting. I'd definitely recommend some sort of strength training in addition - even if its not with weights

I haven't ever hurt myself doing deadlifts. As long as you're doing it with correct form, stretch properly, and dont let your ego get in the way, its pretty hard to actually hurt yourself.

Maybe I should try yoga. Though I probably would be the only guy there. "No, I didn't come here only to stare at your asses"

There are always a few guys in the yoga classes I go to. Don't worry about that!

[cacodaemonia]

@Thrymstan - Yeah, there are guys in my yoga classes, and people of literally every shape and size. Yoga is the best!

@spezzy I read the most recent post on the NF blog about your weight-lifting. It's such an awesome story! I can definitely identify with your past feelings of intimidation at gyms; I hate going to gyms and always feel like a moron who doesn't know how to use all the complicated machines! I've been considering getting a set of weights, but if I want to lift heavy stuff I think I'd pretty much have to get a gym membership, huh? Or I could just pick up my dogs over and over!

Oh, and you motivated me to try out the Angry Birds workout today. Thanks!