Time to get serious

[Voider]

Hey all!

I have been following NF on and off for over a year now and always telling myself one day it would help me get fit. Turns out I need to start if I want that to happen!  

 

I live in Melbourne, Australia I am 25 years old, overweight and realising that as my 26th birthday rolls around I want to change my life and get happy in my own skin sooner rather than later. So after many false starts and failures at getting fit I am giving it my all and getting involved in the forums in the hope that it will help with the motivation to keep going. Anyway enough of an essay from me, can't wait to get you to get to know you all better

[Stonie]

Hey Voider! Welcome to the rebellion it's a great place to get started once you pick some goals. The community here is super supportive and knowledgable. 

 

I've just had to bounce back to the beginning of my fitness journey, but I've done it before as part of the Rebellion and it's definitely do-able.

 

Do you have any specific plan yet? d=Do backflips, run a marathon, lose weight? Those kinds of things to aim for (even if they seem super far out of reach) are great motivators to make you do things to reach your smaller goals  

 

[Voider]

Thanks  yeah absolutely my goal is to drop 35 kg and just start feeling good again basically 

[SlowHorse]

Excellent goal. And definitely start now (turns out if you don't do it your 20's, it follows you into your 30's and 40's). This year I'll hit 50, but currently am in the best health of my life (which is both awesome and a bit tragic).

 

If you've been following NF for over a year, I'm sure you know what a wonderful resource it can be. For me, learning to love running (a thought which I would've thought impossible 3 years ago) was a key to success. And if that's something you want to try, I could definitely give you ideas about starting out (although I am far from being an expert... or being fast). 

 

If not running, maybe something else (strength training seems to be a popular choice in NF land). But definitely something else beyond purely the weight loss. I suggest this because if you can develop a passion (running for me, roller derby for Stoney), it helps support the weight loss goal. I started running to help me lose weight, now (about 28kgs lighter) I focus on weight loss as a way to help my running (which is a wonderful paradigm shift!).

 

Maybe a passion can do the same for you - just a thought. Anyway, glad you decided to join the forums. Hope to see your success story build as it unfolds (oh, and it will take some time, so don't beat yourself up if you're not ripped by next Tuesday). 

[Stonie]

^ Defintely this. Having something that motivates you to keep up the fitness (and not just for the sake of being fit) definitely makes it feel much less like a chore. I wouldn't be doing anywhere near as well if I didn't have the motivation to get better at roller derby helping me make decisions. (especially once I got on the team, getting beat up by the big girls is plenty of motivation!) 

[Voider]

Awesome, thanks guys, i'm pleased to report i'm down a few kilos and settling into Paleo pretty well now. Also im feeling a lot better already so im pretty pleased

 

[Artorias]

Way to go Voider. I just joined the Rebellion it's awesome to see people succeed. Gives hope, thanks

[Voider]

Thank you Artorias and a big welcome to you also! As the awesome people above (thanks guys) mentioned it helps to know what you are aiming for.

What's your motivation?

 

For me it has really become wanting to be able to run distance again

 

(Oh and looking good in a pair of jeans :P) 

[Artorias]

Thanks Voider.

 

And to answer your question.

29 minutes ago, Voider said:

What's your motivation?

Just like you having your 26th birthday comin' round the corner, my 25th birthday is gonna be here sooner than later and I'd like to finally be in a good shape by then.

Of course I have specific feats of strength I want to accomplish; for instance, I'd like to be able to go from an L-sit to handstand with rings in about a year or two, I want to get my 5k under 25 minutes, also I'd like to increase my squat, dead-lift, bench and overhead press, but beyond these motivations the largest motivating force I have is the memory and adoration I have toward a friend I once had. 
He worked out everyday and for him it was never a chore, it was never a pain, he genuinely loved to workout. He had a child like since of play when it came to going to the gym, and my great motivation is to capture that since of fun that he had when it came to fitness and make it my own. 

Also trying to replace smoking and drinking with working out.

 

Also looking good would be nice.

29 minutes ago, Voider said:

(Oh and looking good in a pair of jeans :P) 

 

[Stonie]

 

5 hours ago, Voider said:

What's your motivation?

 

I had no external motivation for years. I just wanted to "look a bit better and not be so sad inside my own body" which was great, but I had nothing specific to aim for. I was never overweight or about to die of a medical condition so I wasn't properly motivated to do anything then the occasional bout of "do all the things!" that over took me. Then I'd stop because I had nothing to aim for. 

 

Then I joined Roller Derby. Being a non-sporting person with absolutely no coordination or fitness level to speak of, I picked up the skating skills okay but when it came to playing my lack of endurance and strength kept letting me down. It gave me a set of goals to work for, because I -really- want to get better at derby and not get pushed around by the stronger girls. It's my overarching long-term goal to be a solid part of my team that helps us win all the games we face against the other state teams. Also, MVP trophies. xD

 

Right now, my motivation is to get back to playing roller derby because I'm trying to rehab a broken ankle. I spent all that time learning to be an active person and it all stopped when I broke. I'm trying to stay as active as I can while non-weight-bearing on one leg, and then I need to do everything I can to get my ankle back to 100% so I can get back on skates. 

 

I really needed an external motivator to help me with my goals, because while I did want to run faster and lift more, just doing it because I could wasn't enough for me. If I can sprint for a few minutes and squat heaps, it means I can skate faster and hit people harder on-track. And having those goals now while I'm stuck couch-surfing stops me giving up on everything completely while I wait out my non-weight-bearing period, and stopped me doing anything stupid like trying to walk before I'm able. If I heal properly then I can go back to skating, and I reallllly wanna do that. 

[taymonsta]

Hey @Voider !  Welcome to the rebellion! 

 

It's an awesome time to get started on your fitness journey! And thats really cool that you have been actively following nerdfitness already!  Just remember small changes over time lead to big results! And its all about building habits, and taking it slow. You've got this! Good luck