Into the further we go...

[Persephone23]

Ahoy!

 

My name is Dani and I am 28 years old...I am married, work in corrections, and am starting my graduate studies in January.

 

Once upon a time I was an athlete...and I still am on the inside...however, I have allowed myself to utilize a series of bad excuses to become overweight, out of shape, and overall unhappy with myself.  Over the past 4 years, I have yo-yo'd upwards of 80lbs...every time I start over I swear this is "THE LAST TIME."  

 

But NO MORE!!  

 

I have finally come to grips with the concept that starting over comes after quitting...and if I don't quit, I don't have to start over

 

I live about 8 hours from my nearest family, with whom I was very close prior to my relocating for school/work...so I occasionally feel like I am on an island.  I miss my "people" dearly, but when I do get the chance to see them, I am usually insecure and embarrassed by how much weight I have gained and how miserable I feel about it.  

 

I have lived a healthy life before, and I am fairly confident that I have the tools and knowledge to do so again...but I am in need of motivation.  The people I have surrounded myself with today-although loving and loyal-are not the most health-conscious people and so it becomes easy for me to ignore my better judgement.  When I do stick to my guns and turn down temptations of eating lunch out or skipping workouts to go out for drinks, I am often treated like an alien being..."Oh yeah, you're being good today..."

 

I work in a stressful environment and am about to embark on an overall stressful journey.  Now is my time to make healthy habits second nature so that I can thoroughly enjoy the adventure that I am on.  I am here because I am in need of a support group that does not judge me based on who I used to be, does not alienate me for wanting to develop healthy habits, and does not make fun of me for my weekend video game marathons  Based on what I have seen...NF is the place for me! 

 

 

 

 

 

[citizenkade]

Hey, Dani! Welcome to NF! Stress might be the biggest obstacle you have to face, do you have some ideas on how to cut down your stress load? I know exercise can do a lot to help, but with your line of work you might need some big time de-stressor!

 

You came to the right place, though. This is a good community! Have fun!

[Persephone23]

I will admit, I use alcohol to de-stress... I'm not proud of it and I don't drink everyday, but I do find myself reaching for a beer or glass of wine after days that are...well..less than smooth sailing on calm seas.  However, I also play video games as a sort of stress relief...mostly run-n'-gun, limited strategy games...some find it mind numbing, but I find it incredibly relaxing to virtually dismember a zombie with a chainsaw...that probably has a deeper implications for my life :/  Unfortunately, I usually wind up planted on my couch in front of the TV eating salty, carby foods.

 

I am wanting to venture out and try something new...like yoga or something like that...but that is SO far out of my comfort zone.  Plus, I feel awkward doing yoga...I am so overweight that it is uncomfortable and often less relaxing and more frustrating for me.

 

My first big goal is to nix the booze...I know I will feel better with that small change alone.  But I am open for any suggestions for other activities to help bring me down from "prison mode" after work

[citizenkade]

I used to work in behavior management, and while they're separate lines of work, the stress really did a number on me. I gained over a hundred pounds in 5 years doing that job, and I never learned how to manage the stress.

 

I've learned a lot since then, there are some good ways to kick that stress in the ass.

 

Exercise is HUGE.

-Cut the processed foods: Your body is breaking the simple carbs down into sugar, which helps the frustration and stress for a bit, but it will all come crashing back

-Take some time for YOU, even if that is video games! That chainsaw therapy could be really good for you! (I still play Skyrim for "therapy")

-I've replace my nightcap with Kava root tea. There are a few different ways to get it, Yogi tea makes some that is really tasty, and takes the edge off the day. You can also get pure powdered Kava root, but it tastes like murder. It can also knock you on your ass if you're not careful. Kava is also very legal, which is a plus.

-And the last thing you've already done! Getting a support network together can really help when things get stressy. Reach out to folks over here, we're all here to help!