Hi All!

[Ambee]

Hi everyone! I've always been bad at titles, so thank you for clicking on my hello amongst a lot of far more interestingly titled threads.

 

Yes, I am part of the near-inevitable 'it's a new year, I'm going to start exercising more!' brigade, but I first found and started looking into Nerd Fitness about 3 months ago. Previous attempts to lose weight have always been done alone, half in secret, almost shamefully really, not wanting anyone I knew to know about it, but I'm starting to realise that being open, sharing my experiences and frustrations and being part of a supportive group is much more likely to yield the results I'm looking for and stop me from giving up too easily. And anyway, I'm a sucker for RPGs, so trying to keep up with my Skyrim character should be a good motivator...!

 

I've had problems with my weight since I was 15 or so - I went from a size 10/12 to a 16 in a matter of months. I was diagnosed at 17 with polycystic ovary syndrome (which my doctor attributed the initial rapid weight gain to) but the extra gain after I went of to uni was definitely more down to lack of exercise, too much alcohol and a pretty bad diet (eating very cheap, processed food) than anything else. I now work as an animator for the film, TV and games industries and, as you can probably imagine, sitting my backside at a desk all day is a pretty sedentary lifestyle. Luckily I finish at 4pm each day if I don't need to work overtime, so I have the time there in the evenings and weekends to fit some kind of fitness routine in. Any suggestions what to do on my overtime days (of which there are unfortunately a fair number of at the moment) would be much appreciated!

 

While I love my job, it's currently not the best paid so I'm trying to do things on a budget as much as possible, so I'm trying to focus more on things I can do for free, or at least relatively inexpensively. I've tried working out at gyms before and they just don't seem to work for me - I get very nervous in them (fear of making a fool of oneself or being judged, I suppose?) and so start to avoid going, wasting the membership money. I do, however, enjoy swimming, cycling, and running - I just haven't made time for any of these things in quite a few years now, so it's my hope that if I start to bring these into my routine again I might start seeing and feeling a difference! I would like to do some sort of after-work class too, for social reasons as well as doing something active, but rather than something like Zumba (which I've tried and wasn't too keen on) I'd quite fancy something a little more on the unusual side like boxing fitness, sword fighting or archery.

 

Starting Age: 24

Height: 5ft 1"

Starting Weight: 219lbs

 

So, my first mini milestone, which I think is definitely achievable if I put my mind and body to it, is to get to 200lbs, and then identify another achievable mini goal from there. The overall goal would be to get to somewhere between 100-114lbs but I'm not going to rush that.

[Basement Cat]

Welcome Ruby!

 

It's awesome that you want to improve your life! I know the feeling of being stuck in a dead-end job that doesn't pay much. But take heart! Most people at the gym are busy doing their own thing, but if you feel uncomfortable going to the gym, there are plenty of alternatives. Take a look at the bodyweight workouts list, it's pretty good and they can be done anywhere, anytime! http://www.nerdfitness.com/bodyweight-training-resources/

 

You can even do them at work! I often do squats and push ups at work when time is tight. The important thing is to find something you like and stick to that. You say you like cycling and walking, would it be possible to cycle or walk to work? Ok, maybe not now, but in the Spring? That's a great way to integrate exercise into your day!

 

Good luck with your goals and keep us posted!

[alhena_dioscuri]

Hi Ruby!

 

I'm new here as well, and our feelings seem quite similar. As I said in my introduction post, I've been reading the blog for quite a while now, but never joined the forums. I don't tell many people when I'm trying to lose weight/get healthy. Its been my secret every time, and that is never a good way to actually make progress. Hopefully this time I can truly get healthy with such a supportive network to rely on. Welcome, and good luck!

[Ambee]

Welcome Ruby!

 

It's awesome that you want to improve your life! I know the feeling of being stuck in a dead-end job that doesn't pay much. But take heart! Most people at the gym are busy doing their own thing, but if you feel uncomfortable going to the gym, there are plenty of alternatives. Take a look at the bodyweight workouts list, it's pretty good and they can be done anywhere, anytime! http://www.nerdfitness.com/bodyweight-training-resources/

 

You can even do them at work! I often do squats and push ups at work when time is tight. The important thing is to find something you like and stick to that. You say you like cycling and walking, would it be possible to cycle or walk to work? Ok, maybe not now, but in the Spring? That's a great way to integrate exercise into your day!

 

Good luck with your goals and keep us posted!

 

Thanks SilverRapier! Luckily, though my job doesn't pay too much at the moment it's got some great prospects lined up so I'm hoping to move up from the bottom rung of the ladder sooner and start earning a bit more sooner rather than later!

 

I have thought about cycling to work, but I'm struggling to find a safe route at the moment as currently the most linear route involves a motorway; not exactly the safest place to cycle! It's also about 8 miles away from home, so I think I'll work on getting myself to a point where I can actually cycle that distance before trying to find a safe route to get there. Mind you, another alternative could be to cycle to the train station, get a train, and then cycle from the other station to work... I'll give that one some serious thought!

 

Thanks for the resource link, I'll definitely try some of those things! It would be great to have some stuff I could actually do in the office. I've also discovered an 'adult playground' (it's like an outdoor gym that's free) just down the road from work and it's on my route home, so I'm going to give that a go too!

 

 

Hi Ruby!

 

I'm new here as well, and our feelings seem quite similar. As I said in my introduction post, I've been reading the blog for quite a while now, but never joined the forums. I don't tell many people when I'm trying to lose weight/get healthy. Its been my secret every time, and that is never a good way to actually make progress. Hopefully this time I can truly get healthy with such a supportive network to rely on. Welcome, and good luck!

 

It's definitely reassuring to know you're not the only one who's tried to keep trying to get helathy and fit under wraps, isn't it? Being open about it though definitely feels like a better way of doing things! Good luck to you too!

[Lady Eleventy]

Hi Ruby! Welcome to Nerd Fitness! I'm Ele and I think those goals are perfect to start out with! I know what it's like to live a very sedentary life (all my hobbies are art related and my last semester of Uni is online) and I find the easiest way to get some activity during the workday is to get a pedometer (I have a fitbit flex) and set a moderate steps per day goal.If you don't have a great deal of time or are on low energy, walking is better than nothing. I try for 7,000 steps a day right now, and are working my way up to 10,000 which is the standard for a healthy lifestyle. Also during the day you can do some chair squats without even having to leave your desk (if you work at a desk...). Just stand up from your chair without the aid of your hands or arms (keep them by your side or something) and sit back down. It's kind of like an assisted squat if you want to look at it like that. Doing five to ten reps per set throughout the day when combined with walking always helps me breakup the sedentary monotony. Hope that helps a little bit, welcome again to NF, we are sure glad to have you

[Ambee]

Hi Ruby! Welcome to Nerd Fitness! I'm Ele and I think those goals are perfect to start out with! I know what it's like to live a very sedentary life (all my hobbies are art related and my last semester of Uni is online) and I find the easiest way to get some activity during the workday is to get a pedometer (I have a fitbit flex) and set a moderate steps per day goal.If you don't have a great deal of time or are on low energy, walking is better than nothing. I try for 7,000 steps a day right now, and are working my way up to 10,000 which is the standard for a healthy lifestyle. Also during the day you can do some chair squats without even having to leave your desk (if you work at a desk...). Just stand up from your chair without the aid of your hands or arms (keep them by your side or something) and sit back down. It's kind of like an assisted squat if you want to look at it like that. Doing five to ten reps per set throughout the day when combined with walking always helps me breakup the sedentary monotony. Hope that helps a little bit, welcome again to NF, we are sure glad to have you

 

Thanks Ele! I've discovered that the iPod I was given for Christmas has a pedometer/fitness app with it as well, so that will definitely come in handy. Thanks for the chair squat information; I didn't know about those and they're definitely do-able during my day!