HELP! New Nerd in Need of Navigation

[queen_of_hearts <3]

Hey Guys ---

 

I have convinced myself that no one will ever read this, but here it goes anyways.

 

This is my first week as part of the nerd fitness academy! I am a big ole closet nerd, but I've never been a big user of forums and internet communities. The idea of sharing personal feelings and experiences scares the shit out of me (can I say shit on here?). I never even comment on Facebook posts! BUT I have read several articles on this site that say the community is so kind and supportive, and the most successful users are the ones who participate in the community, and I really want to be successful. So I'm summoning up all my courage and sharing my fitness story with you all as my introduction. 

 

My Relationship with Fitness- 

Growing up I was an extreme competitive swimmer. I practiced morning, nights and on the weekends; running miles, strength workouts and miles and miles of swimming. Because of the extreme stress on my body at such a young age, I suffered a severe injury (worst case they'd seen in someone my age). I went to physical therapist after physical therapist (at least four), with no (emotional) support from my team or coaches. Instead of help or support, every night I would attempt to practice injured and would in turn be made fun of by my adult coaches. Friends would have to carry me to my car each night — but it was better than the torture I endured if I didn't show up at all. I had to officially quit when I was 16.

 

Afterwards, I tried other varsity sports in high school, but was constantly frustrated at the pain it caused me. From the emotional and physical stress I endured, I had a very bad relationship with fitness. When I started college, I gave it all up — working out, running, swimming, all of it. It was causing me so much frustration and anger, and I wanted to be "happy" over being fit. I found other activities that made me happy. But, to no surprise, I gained a lot of weight.

 

I recently graduated college, moved to the big city, started the big job. I'm not one to stay in one place long and I love a good challenge. I finally signed a year lease and a contract for a salary job — meaning the thrill of not knowing where I would be tomorrow, college, new adventures and new internships was temporarily over. My life is very together now, on the right track and in a good place. So I decided I needed a new challenge in my life. I decided to rebuild my relationship with fitness. (I also selfishly want to be able to hang by the pool all summer and not hate myself). 

 

That's how I found Nerd Fitness, as it seemed the least threatening, most supportive place on the internet! I am also a huge closet nerd — a HUGE lover of Harry Potter, Star Wars and Doctor Who. Hello fellow nerds, misfits, mutants, oddballs and goofs!

[Red1263]

Wow, what a history! But in here, you're not a closet nerd, you're just a nerd, a misfit, a mutant, an oddball, and a goof.

 

So you want to rebuild your relationship with fitness, what are your short term goals? Long term?

 

And the reason why yo can't be in the closet is because, we'd never leave you alone and then there'd be no room in there!

 

sent from my phone whilst exploring new dungeons

 

 

[Guzzi]

On 30/03/2017 at 7:04 PM, queen_of_hearts <3 said:

Hey Guys ---

 

I have convinced myself that no one will ever read this, but here it goes anyways.

 

There are so many new Nerds posting intros each day that it can take a few days for people to get around to reading each post, but don't worry, we got your back.   Most of the people who post intros don't actually stick around for longer than a week or two, but I get the feeling that isn't going to be the case with you.

 

On 30/03/2017 at 7:04 PM, queen_of_hearts <3 said:

This is my first week as part of the nerd fitness academy! I am a big ole closet nerd, but I've never been a big user of forums and internet communities. The idea of sharing personal feelings and experiences scares the shit out of me (can I say shit on here?). I never even comment on Facebook posts! BUT I have read several articles on this site that say the community is so kind and supportive, and the most successful users are the ones who participate in the community, and I really want to be successful. So I'm summoning up all my courage and sharing my fitness story with you all as my introduction. 

 

Holy crap!  No, you can't say words like "shit" or "fuck" and for the love of God never say "Bugger me!  My arse-twat, wanker of a manager manager got rat -arsed at the staff Christmas party and told me he wanted a shag, well he can piss off!  I poured my bloody drink over his bollocks.  I'm not taking shite like that from a bell-end like him!"  

 

Sorry, couldn't help it.

 

 

 

You heard right, this is an amazingly supportive community.  It's so different from any other "fitness" forum where they have a culture of competing with each other and feeling threatened by someone else's success.  Here, people support each other and celebrate someones success with them, it's like no other place on t'interweb.  I don't know how things work in the academy, never having joined up, but the biggest tool you'll find on the forum is the 4 Week Challenges.  They're great for breaking down your long term goals into small, manageable chunks that are easily achieved, and it's the best way to get involved with the community and get the support and encouragement that you're (read: we're all) looking for.  

 

The challenges are simple: pick three goals that you want to achieve over the 4 weeks, decide how you're going to score your progress, do it for 4 weeks.  Simples!  Now, your goals don't have to be some dramatic change to your lifestyle, in fact that's the opposite of what you want.  The idea is to pick 3 things that you can incorporate into your life and actually keep up for the whole 4 weeks, after which it should be no bother to keep doing it as it's almost become habit by that point.  Drinking 2 pints of water a day, getting off the bus two stops early and walking the rest of the way, eating a portion of vegetables with 2 meals each day, these are all examples of the kinds of things that work really well as challenge goals.  The reason most people don't complete their first challenge is usually because they've tried to - change their diet, work out 4 days a week AND give up all caffinated drinks all at once, and that doesn't work.  Read this NF article if you don't believe me.  

 

The challenges run every 5 weeks, four for each challenge and one rest week in between.  Here is the link to all the info about the challenges, if you're interested.  We have just started one, but there's no Challenge Police to say that you can't join in at any point, or to tell you you're doing it wrong.  It's very personal and you decide the rules for your challenge.

 

Of course, you don't need to take part at all if you don't want to, and if you feel like it's not for you then you could always start a Battle Log instead (or just hang out with us and ask questions whenever you want to know something, there's really no pressure to take part in anything).  The Battle Logs are your own space to keep track of your progress.  You can use it however you want: you can use it to keep a record of your workouts, you could use it as somewhere to post monthly progress pics, you can use it to write you character's saga as he/she progresses on his/her Epic Quest (if you're into all that RPG stuff), or you can just use it as your own personal doodle pad.  It's up to you

 

On 30/03/2017 at 7:04 PM, queen_of_hearts <3 said:

My Relationship with Fitness- 

Growing up I was an extreme competitive swimmer. I practiced morning, nights and on the weekends; running miles, strength workouts and miles and miles of swimming. Because of the extreme stress on my body at such a young age, I suffered a severe injury (worst case they'd seen in someone my age). I went to physical therapist after physical therapist (at least four), with no (emotional) support from my team or coaches. Instead of help or support, every night I would attempt to practice injured and would in turn be made fun of by my adult coaches. Friends would have to carry me to my car each night — but it was better than the torture I endured if I didn't show up at all. I had to officially quit when I was 16.

 

Afterwards, I tried other varsity sports in high school, but was constantly frustrated at the pain it caused me. From the emotional and physical stress I endured, I had a very bad relationship with fitness. When I started college, I gave it all up — working out, running, swimming, all of it. It was causing me so much frustration and anger, and I wanted to be "happy" over being fit. I found other activities that made me happy. But, to no surprise, I gained a lot of weight.

 

I recently graduated college, moved to the big city, started the big job. I'm not one to stay in one place long and I love a good challenge. I finally signed a year lease and a contract for a salary job — meaning the thrill of not knowing where I would be tomorrow, college, new adventures and new internships was temporarily over. My life is very together now, on the right track and in a good place. So I decided I needed a new challenge in my life. I decided to rebuild my relationship with fitness. (I also selfishly want to be able to hang by the pool all summer and not hate myself). 

 

That's how I found Nerd Fitness, as it seemed the least threatening, most supportive place on the internet! I am also a huge closet nerd — a HUGE lover of Harry Potter, Star Wars and Doctor Who. Hello fellow nerds, misfits, mutants, oddballs and goofs!

 

That sounds rough.  People like that (your coaches) shouldn't be allowed near kids.   You've probably done this already (as an adult I mean) but if not then I suggest you see a physiotherapist to see if you ca do something about the pain from your old injury.  Pain is the body's warning sign that something isn't right and that you're in danger of doing more damage, so I wouldn't do anything that would aggravate your injury before you see someone about it.  I'm probably telling my granny how to suck eggs here, you've lived with this injury all your life so you know more about it than anyone else, but if it's getting in the way of you enjoying an active life then I think you should get a physiotherapist on board.  

 

All that said, welcome to the Rebellion!  I hope you enjoy the Academy, and being part of our community.  If there's anything that we can do to help then please don't be shy in asking.  See you around?

 

 

 

 

 

[J3NN]

Hi @queen_of_hearts <3 welcome!

 

I'm in my second challenge, so I'm pretty new here too. It was just my birthday and we got tickets to take the family to Universal Studios The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. It opened last year around my birthday, but I didn't want to go with EVERYONE and their family, so I've waited an entire year. I can't wait! Alas, we didn't schedule it until the end of May, so I still have a couple months to wait, but still Butter Beer, here I come! I read the books straight through after the last one had been released, when I finished the series I felt like my whole world collapsed, Where were my friends? What were they doing? Never had a series infiltrated my life more.

 

But enough about me. The challenges are a great way to get involved and start working on you. Having people check in on you, cheer you from the sidelines and provide so many resources you won't know what to do with them all are more than enough reward to come out of the closet, I promise!

 

I'd highly recommend it, it's changed my life (all 8 weeks I've been in)  But like @Guzzi

shared, it's about differences that can you incorporate into your life, and for me, so far so good, so I feel like it makes it manageable and inspires me to keep on keeping on.

 

Good luck!