Hello There!

[Matt]

Hello there fellow rebels! So I guess this is where I begin my journey towards levelling up my life! I've been reading NF for a couple of weeks, so I thought why not actually join the rebellion? I've heard so much about how supportive it is already!! (Also I was watching the "It's a trap!" episode of Family Guy last night, so it must be fate! )

So, a few things about me:

- My name is Matt Smythe, so I thought it was quite fitting to have a picture of Matt Smith as my profile picture! (nerdy/similar name/even nerdier thinking that's kinda cool! ) Might change that at some point to an actual picture of myself though! Also I couldn't quite believe that no-one had yet taken the username "Matt", so I nabbed that one for myself!! . I'm 5'11.5" -ish, and around 154 lbs (or 11 st for those of us in England!) This means I'm fairly skinny (with a bit of a belly), and looking to gain some weight.

- I'm currently in my second year at university, studying Biomedical Science (nerdy enough? ), and this year I decided to take up Ultimate Frisbee and I'm loving it! I'm hoping to make it onto the actual team, which requires me to do fitness outside of training, so I figured here would be a good start! I pretty much do no kind of physical activity other than the frisbee once or twice a week, and nothing since I've been home for Christmas, so I really need to start doing something!!

I've got a bit of a list of goals to help me towards the next level in my life:

- Goal #1: Get onto the Ultimate Frisbee team, or at least increase my fitness in the process of trying. I figured that I'd start with Steve's Beginner Bodyweight Circuit (http://nerdfitness.com/blog/2009/12/09/beginner-body-weight-workout-burn-fat-build-muscle/), and build from there, maybe even (hopefully!!) eventually join a gym! But whenever I tell myself that I want to start doing some sort of fitness, I always give up a couple of weeks later, much like many others out there I'm sure, so I'm gonna need some motivation!

- Goal #2: Get good grades in my January exams. I'm gonna aim for a 1:1 because, well why not aim high?! I didn't get nearly as good grades as I could've last year, and it's simply because I didn't study enough and it's entirely my own fault. I even missed out on getting an industrial placement year in my 3rd year because I didn't get the 60% average required, but I just didn't have the right mentality about it all (first year doesn't count, why try?). So this year I'm going to try and put in MUCH more effort, partly because this year DOES count towards my final degree! (Scary thought!!)

- Goal #3: Apply for, and gain, a summer internship/placement. This is the alternative to doing a whole year, and is really good for job prospects etc, so I'm going to try and get onto one of these. For this I pretty much just need to start applying ASAP

- Goal #4: Start eating more healthily. I've heard a lot about this paleo diet, and it sounds like a great idea, but I just don't honestly know if I'm ready to radically change my eating habits that much. Plus the fact that I'm a student, meaning I don't exactly have a lot of money to be spending on grass-fed beef and the likes (didn't even know you could buy meat that's been fed differently!!). But I am going to try and start making better food choices, however I might need some help with this, like what to buy, what to cook etc. (pasta tends to make up a large percentage of my diet atm!)

- Goal #5: (This one's purely superficial) Look better with my top off. I'm going to Italy in my easter break with the frisbee society for a tour/general fun times, and it would be really great if I could look good on the beach! I don't exactly have a problem with taking my shirt off, it would just be nice to be a bit beefier by the time summer rolls around. Plus it would no doubt help with my next goal:

- Goal 6#: Gain confidence. I can tend to be kind of shy and quiet around new people, and just tend to get intimidated by others, who I see as kind of "above me" per se. I'm fine once I get to know people, and I really come out of my shell, but until then, I'm not so hot. This one's quite important, as it will really help me in the interviews I'm hopefully gonna get for these summer placements! It will also hopefully help me step foot into a gym at some point for the first time!

- Goal 7#: Talk to my parents about my coming out. (yes I'm gay lol) This one's quite unrelated tbh, and it's not that I haven't told my parents that I'm gay, but I told them so long ago (when I was home for easter 2011!), and it's barely been mentioned since! I know this probably isn't really the right place for this one, but I figured I might as well put it down along with my other goals for the coming year!

Well I think that's me done here for now, sorry for such a long post, I can end up rambling on things like this, as I'll think of something and then write it down as I'm going, as opposed to planning what I'm going to say!

If anyone actually read all of it, thankyou very much! And I hope to see you around the forum sometime in the near future, where I'll hopefully become a regular (although I may need a kick up the backside every now and then!). Also ANY tips on any/all of the above/anything really, would be GREATLY appreciated, as I'm very new to this.

Thanks,

Matt.

[ETFnerd]

Hey Matt, welcome to the nerd joint. Looks like you're a focused individual with a lot to accomplish. I wish you the best in getting it all done. I think this is the first time I saw a goal like the one you listed in #7 here, and I am glad that this place is becoming wider in its reach, and that we are becoming a richer place for having you in it. I'm happy that this community is known for being supportive and as the place gets bigger we hope to keep this place special.

Last time I visited the UK, I saw the prevalence of the pub-belly, yet I think you're the first Brit to call attention to it here, haha. Keep on blazing your own path and I look fwd to reading how it all works out for you.

[Matt]

Hey ETF, thanks a lot for the kind words, and I'm glad to hear that I'm helping to enrich this community! and yeah about the pub/beer belly, I don't actually have one just yet, but I think that if I did nothing about it, in 10 years or so, it would possibly be fully formed!! (maybe not that bad, but you do see people walking around who look like they've stuffed a space hopper under their top! it boggles me, it really does!!) thanks anyway, now I just need to get started properly!! here we go...

[Damzie]

Welcome! I think it's awesome that you have such well-rounded goals. I wish you the best of luck in making progress towards each one!

[Matt]

Thanks a lot Damzie!