Terrible at Titles and Naming Things

[Dani.L]

Hi.

 

My name is Dani and I work a bottom rung job for a corporate office in Fort Worth, Texas. That just pays the bills so I can go home and co-run a book review blog though.

 

This is Attempt Eighty-Two Thousand at trying to lose some weight. A few years ago I weighed in at 190 lbs and made a commitment to lose weight. I actually managed to lose about 30 pounds. My strategy that worked so well for losing weight kind of kicked me in the butt when I hit my first goal though. I would weigh myself every pay day and for every pound that I had lost since the last time I would put $10 aside. Once I hit my goal I planned to go shopping for new clothes with that money. And it worked! And then I went shopping and had nothing left to work for and I quit working at it. I also did not really make an effort to lead a healthy lifestyle during that time though and I really feel like that was a huge part of my ultimate failure. I would do decent at eating well during the week and worked out 4 days a week but on the weekends I had no apparent self-control. Looking back, it is kind of amazing that I lost any weight at all.

 

Anyways 6 months after that I ended up gaining a total of about 40 pound then got pregnant with my son. Que endless one-week attempts at dieting and working out. 

 

About 3 weeks ago I made a renewed commitment after reading an article that I just happened to stumble on. I don't remember exactly what the article was about or exactly how this was worded but it said something to the effect of love as a verb. Loving something means constant action and commitment. Like, I love my kids but I don't give in to their every whim because my job is to nurture them and help them grow as people as well as keeping them happy. It's a balancing act. And it just kind of hit me for some reason that I don't follow that same rule with my own body. Why should loving myself mean giving in to every slice of pizza and cupcake rather than actually taking care of my body?

 

So yeah that's what got me back on the Healthy Train and I actually feel like I am doing great! I used to have to force myself to eat vegetables and now I am wondering how I can fit them MORE into my meal plans (my kids don't like me very much for this lol). I am at a point where I am looking forward to working out and have (at the moment) stopped having cravings for junk food and sodas which feels amazingly freeing. It kind of hit me during this week that for this to work I am giving up regularly eating those things forever, not just for however long it takes me to hit my goal weight. It is kind of an enormous feeling to realize that all those habits I have built up over the past 27 years I am working at knocking down for good.

 

I found Nerd Fitness about 2 weeks ago while I was looking something up (I think it was something about brown v. white rice) and I loved the sense of humor and ended up exploring more of the website. I plan to join the Academy soon but have not yet. One of the hurdles that I am facing is that, while there are people that are supportive of my efforts to get healthy, I don't have anyone in my life that is dedicated to the same thing, no one to work with and keep me accountable. I have been doing well on that on my own so far but am really looking forward to joining a community that is more actively involved in the same things I am involved in in order to make it even more enjoyable as I am sure the road will just get more difficult. 

[bker1370]

Welcome aboard Dani,

 

Glad you have decided to join us, you will find plenty of support and accountability here.

[Bookish Badger]

Hi Dani! Your timing is excellent as we are going to start a new 4-week challenge a week from tomorrow, so you have plenty of time to plan your goals. 

 

The way the challenges work is this:

 

1. Pick your goals. Pick three or four small improvements you want to make in your life. It could be anything like "replace a soda with water each day," "Do the Beginner Bodyweight exercise program 2x/week," "go to bed by 10pm nightly"....whatever small change can add up to big impact over time. The over time part is important. We've all had the short-term successes that don't last, and a big part of this community is getting over that and making permanent change. That's why the goals should be meaningful but tiny.

 

2. Pick your class. In the 4-Week Challenges forums, you'll see a lot of titles like "Warrior," "Ranger," "Druid," etc. They are groups that focus on particular areas: Warriors focus on strength training; Rangers on...well, they don't really focus  they like to do All the Things; Druids have a yoga and mindfulness focus, etc. If none sound appealing right now, come join the Rebels. It's where most first timers start, and where many stay.

 

3. Start your challenge. In the class of your choice, start a topic and post your goals. Other Rebels will read and comment upon your topic, and you'll do the same for others. Next thing you know, you're part of a supportive community who will cheer you on. 

 

Good luck on your journey!