Hey

[michelespaceviking]

Hello. I'm Michele. I'm a 24 year old (perpetual) college student in Pennsylvania. 

I sort of just stumbled over this site today while searching the interwebs for body weight workouts because I'm broke and can't afford a gym (plus I never like the atmosphere of a gym when I had gone in the past). Anyway, I found this site and started clicking around and I really just began to dig it. And the idea of making my weight loss into an rpg got me really excited. 

When I was a kid, I was pretty active. I was in a recreational soccer league for six years, tried out martial arts, rode my bike everywhere, swam constantly in the summer months, and basically just like running around outside. I never was the fastest kid or anything (in soccer I played goalie which started because I was one of the few little girls not afraid to get hit in the face with a ball. Then I happened to excel at it so the position just stuck), but I was strong. I wasn't heavy looking, but I was built pretty solid for a girl and earned the name Muscles McGee. 

I wasn't confident in my body per se... My body wasn't something I really thought about when I was young. I knew I was strong and I knew I was tall for my age, shooting up to 5'6" with a shoe size 10/11 by the end of fifth grade (of course I then stopped growing at that time. I thought I was gonna be hecka tall or something at the rate I grew, but nope)... I never felt ashamed of myself. Even though the other little girls were all dainty, waif-ish dolls, I thought I was like Xena or something.

Then when I was a teenager I moved to a new state where I didn't know anybody. I quit playing soccer because I was shy and didn't want to play with strangers when most of the teams I played on as a kid were made up of kids I was in school with my whole life. I lived in a place where I couldn't really ride my bike anywhere because I went from shore town to living in a rural valley. Then with being a teen, the girls around me became obsessed with their bodies which eventually rubbed off on me and I became depressed. Still, my body was sturdy and though I started gaining some extra dough around the middle, I was still okay with my body. Then near the end of high school I started gaining a bit more weight and starting college I gained more and so on.

I've tried diets like low carb, low fat, whatever fad was advertised, and tried gyms and cardio dvds, and I would lose some weight. Then after 15 pounds or so, I'd plateau and shame spiral and gain it back in half the time it took to lose it.

 

Anyways..... I want to gain that vision I had of myself as a kid... Proud of a strong body. I want to lose my fat and gain muscle and just feel strong.

And for once I feel like with this nerd fitness community I can really remain motivated because it speaks to me on a different level than other fitness programs have... especially because I always compare whatever real life situation I am in to one of the many fandoms I am in. 

Like just the other day while thinking about getting in shape and things that might motivate me, I thought: "I need to get in shape because if I am abducted and sent to the game preserve planet, predator is going to kick my ass."

Now that I have rambled far too much....hehe

Peace out.

Michele

Space Viking

[Red1263]

Heya Michele, WELCOME TO THE REBELLION!! I can relate to your background, I am the smallest and skinniest of my family, and yet I've used my nerdiness to motivate myself to get into shape (Prepping for the Zombocaplyse, for example). Anyways, What are you fitness goals exactly, laying them out can provide a helpful blueprint as to where you want to start and how to get there. I'm an Ambassador for the Assassins and I'll help you in any way I can, just let me know, I'll do my best to answer any and all questions you might have, and if I don't know it, I'll ask someone who does!

 

Let's get you strong enough to beat that Predator! GET TO DA CHOPPAS!!

[Jworgo]

Welcome Michele! I have a different back story, but can definitely relate on the neediness of this community being a major asset when it comes to helping motivate. Gyms never worked for me either, but I can relate to all of these wonderful people and the awesomely nerdy way they come at weight loss. I also am trying to gain some muscle and by default lose some weight. I mean, Dr. Who has never had an overweight companion and if he is going to whisk me away, I need to be able to kick butt. I plan on signing up for the next 6 week challenge (it will be my first), you should check it out and see if it interests you. Anywho, good luck and let us know how if we can help motivate!!

[michelespaceviking]

Thanks for the support 

As far as a game plan. My first step is going to be to start eating paleo because I am legit addicted to carbs. Mashed potatoes and pasta are my biggest comfort foods.

And I also want to sign up for the next six week challenge.

My biggest goal right now is to lose weight and fit into the old clothes that I have packed away in the attic because I always told myself "I'll fit into these again".

I also want to work on upper body strength. The house I live in right now has a pull up bar in the barn yard (I live out in amish country) that the landlords had put in for their son when he was a teenager, and I look at the bar everyday and think to myself that I'd really like to be able to do chin ups/pull ups someday. So as part of the six week challenge, I'd like to be able to do at least one proper pull up by the end of the six weeks. 

As far as the rest of my goals, I'm sort of figuring it all out right now. I know what I want my end result to be, but I'm going to be taking some time over the next day or so to really break it down. 

Anyways, thanks again for the support.