hippiefitness

[redwoodfog]

Hey! I've been poking around these forums for a bit, and figured it was time to join.

 

I am a 25 year old gal, play the banjo, and have a year-round sandal tan. Maybe more socially-awkward hippie than nerd, but I trust you folks can overlook this!

 

I was somewhat overweight as a kid, and as a teenager I gained a lot of weight. In May of last year I was at a highest weight of 232, at 5'6â€. From May to November I worked as a farm hand and lost about 20 pounds, and gained a ton of strength! I've kept the weight off, but my fitness level has definitely decreased.

 

I realized recently that I don't just want to lose weight. I also want to get really fit... to be an outdoor badass. Climb rocks and trees and hike and backpack and cycle and swim in rivers. I want to feel vital and healthy, and embrace life more fully.

 

It's super exciting! It's also... overwhelming. I feel strangely daunted. I'm not quite sure where to start. I feel like I need a simple plan of action in terms of fitness and nutrition. Any advice on taking these first steps is appreciated!

 

Anyway, I'm stoked to be here. You folks seem like a very sensible, kind, and helpful lot.

 

Hasta pronto!

[thegingerdances]

Welcome, redwoodfog!  We are excited to have you here at NerdFitness.

 

 

It looks like your goals are to lose weight, gain functional strength, and spend time using your strength in the great outdoors!  A great starting place for you would be to do some form of strength training program (body weight workouts, weight lifting, etc) combined with some form of cardio (walking, biking, hiking, etc).  Both of these will help you lose fat and earn the strength and endurance necessary to be that outdoor badass!  You didn't mention anything about food, but many of us clean up our diets when we get started with our workouts.  The right fuel can help your body work at its highest level.

 

Of course, you don't have to make radical changes to all aspects of your life.  It's fine to just start with one aspect, like lifting weights, and adding in other elements once you get used to going to the gym regularly.  

 

I'm going to link you to the main "resources" page on NerdFitness.  It has a ton of resources for workout routines, getting started, sticking to your plans, and more.  Just scroll down, and you'll see all the awesome categories: http://www.nerdfitness.com/resources/

 

Feel free to ask questions on the forums!  We have places for specific questions (i.e. what workouts are best, what diets are helpful in reaching your goals) so the people who know the most on a given subject can help you out.  You are also welcome to message me if you are struggling to find anything or just need to say hello to someone you've already met!  

 

Congratulations on the progress you've already made (20 pounds lost! Woot woot!) and good luck!

[redwoodfog]

Thanks thegingerdances! 

 

You hit the nail on the head as far as my goals. I watched the body weight workout video a couple of days ago, and it definitely seems up my alley/doable!

 

I'm excited to start exploring the forums, and will check out the 'resources' page you linked to.

 

I appreciate the warm welcome!

[thegingerdances]

We're glad you are here, redwoodfog!

[Nightside]

Hi there and welcome.

Just do it, don't look back in years to come and wish you had, that was my mistake.

[redwoodfog]

Thanks Nightside. That is really important advice, and something that's easy to lose sight of. There's that saying "A year from now you will wish you started today."

[Truetopath]

Welcome!! I love your intro!

[Nightside]

When you feel like giving in just remember why you started in the first place.

[ARock10]

Hey, redwoodfog!  Nice to have you on the boards.  I'm not into video games either but really like this site.  I'm into outdoors stuff like hiking, biking, and camping.  If you need help getting started, I would suggest looking at meetup.com for outdoors activities so you can be around people who are active or becoming active.  I met a friend at a kayaking meetup event 5 years ago and we still bike and hike together a lot.  She introduced me to rock climbing and road biking.  Anyways, I wish you much luck with your goals!

[redwoodfog]

Thanks, Truetopath! (and Nightside, for more words of wisdom.)

 

ARock10: Thanks for the welcome! I actually joined meetup a while ago and found a local outdoor group, but have thus far been too shy to go to any events. Glad to hear you vouch for it, though!