A Nerd’s Guide to Anxiety

We all know the feeling…increased heart rate, feeling overwhelmed, can’t think clearly, palms sweaty, knees weak, mom’s spaghetti…sorry, I lost my train of thought.

Anyway, that feeling is called anxiety and we all feel it sometimes. It could be about our medical test results, public speaking or whether the Pokemon GO servers will load today.

Anxiety is a normal human emotion that’s part of everyday life. We evolved anxiety to help us avoid danger or perform at our best. A predator near by, or running out of food? The warning bell of anxiety turns on, and changes our physiology to encourage us to act.  Sounds pretty cool, right? And for most of us, anxiety kicks on and off in our day to day in the modern world without too much trouble.

But for many others, the feelings of anxiety can be much more extreme. It’s like they have it maxed out on their character sheet, and instead of being an helpful, it’s an intense and persistent worry that makes aspects day-to-day life an ongoing battle.

This is surprisingly common, but like a lot of mental health issues, we don’t talk about it much because of a stigma which comes from a lack of education and understanding. So let’s change that today!

We briefly covered anxiety in ‘A Nerd’s Introduction to Mental Health’, today we’re digging a little deeper. The signs, the types, how we can manage it, and maybe even if we can turn it from our enemy to our secret weapon. 

Signs of Anxiety

The signs of anxiety aren’t always that obvious to everyone. Largely because we all experience some anxiety, plus symptoms can develop gradually, so it can be difficult to know how much is “too much.”

One of the most common aspects of anxiety conditions is to think about things a helluva’ lot more than you would normally. We’ve all been there, right? Lying in bed, unable to sleep at a ridiculous hour, replaying social conversations in our head from years ago, over analyzing what we said, how others reacted to it, thinking how stupid we were.

We may know what we’re thinking about is irrational and unhelpful, but it’s still hard to stop these overwhelming and sometimes intense thoughts. This thinking tends to be repetitive and often negative in nature, causing our feelings of anxiety to get worse.

This is just one example of a generalized anxiety, and while we all experience different levels or types of anxiety, the common signs and symptoms can include:

Physical

•     increased heart rate/racing heart
•     shortness of breath
•     nausea, even to the point of vomiting
•     muscle tension and pain (e.g. sore back or jaw)
•     feeling detached from your physical self or surroundings
•     having trouble sleeping
•     sweating, shaking
•     dizzy, lightheaded or faint
•     difficulty concentrating

Psychological

•     overwhelmed
•     fear (particularly when having to face certain objects, situations or events)
•     worry
•     dread (that something bad is going to happen)
•     constantly tense, nervous or on edge
•     finding it hard to stop worrying
•     unwanted or intrusive thoughts
•     uncontrollable or overwhelming panic

Behaviors

•       withdrawing from, avoiding, or enduring with fear objects or situations which cause anxiety
•       urges to perform certain rituals in a bid to relieve anxiety 
•       difficulty making decisions
•       being startled easily

One key step in turning our anxiety in our favor is recognizing our own signs and then managing these. Knowing the ‘If this then ____’ of ourselves can be a great tool to have. Personally, I know if I start getting the strong urge to pull out my beard hairs (a disorder known as Trichotillomania), then my anxiety level is getting quite high and I need to quickly implement some control strategies (more on those later).

Do you do start feeling sick at the thought of a social event? Do start fearing the worst has happened to your partner if they’re ten minutes late? What about having to arrange your desk in a very particular way? Just by identifying these behaviors and catching yourself in the act, you can set yourself on a completely different path.

The Sneaky, Formless AnxiEty

Like Mystique or Gumby, anxiety can take many forms, and these forms have varying impacts.

Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD): GAD is the broadest type of anxiety and is essentially worrying ‘too much’ about everyday things. But the real question is, how much is “too much”?

Generally (get it?), if you’re having persistent anxious thoughts on most days of the week, for more than six months, and if these thoughts are interfering with your daily life and well-being, this would be classified as GAD.

Panic disorder: Panic attacks are periods of intense fear or extreme anxiety which happen suddenly or when there is no sign of danger. This could happen while going about your everyday work, and suddenly feeling like you’re losing control and going to die. Physical symptoms such as sweating, feeling short of breath, pounding heart, dry mouth, or feeling as though you’re about to collapse, are common in panic attacks.

Social phobia: An intense fear of being criticised or embarrassed, even in everyday situations, such as meeting people, eating in public, work situations, or making small talk.

Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD): The need to check things repeatedly, perform certain routines (or ‘rituals’) over and over again, or having certain repetitive thoughts.

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD): Develops after someone is exposed to a traumatic event (like assault, war, or car accident) which can lead to disturbing thoughts or dreams related to the event.

Specific phobias: Feeling anxious about a particular object or situation, like going near an animal, going to a social event, and going to great lengths to avoid it. Common phobias include animals, heights, the dentist (my #1 phobia), and blood.

High Five Anxiety: A classic nerd anthem by one of my favourite bands.

These are just fancy names for issues that are pretty common. If any of these things sound familiar, you’re not weird, and you’re certainly not alone. We’re all playing characters with the “anxiety” trait, yours just might need a little extra hand holding.

BUT WHY ME? WHY US?

With all the silly, clinical terms combined with our confused past, it’s clear something of a stigma beast has developed around anxiety (and well, the whole field of mental health). This lurking beast continues to thrive on exacerbated media reports, discrimination, and lack of knowledge… Like those fitness myths that just won’t go away. But in this case, this misinformation can delay or impede getting treatment, recovery for something that is often very very treatable!

We all know (and may even fit) the stereotype: Socially anxious and awkward, introverted, quiet and avoiding small talk at all costs. Although it seems us nerds have a higher propensity for this anxiety, I searched high and low for a research and evidence demonstrating this… (Google Scholar, Psychology Journals, Longitudinal Mental Health Studies, Personality Disorder Test Results AND Encarta 95 Student Edition) but I came up empty.

Anxiety issues affect so many people (around 1 in 5), from all walks of life, whether you’re the reclusive WOW player, a pro athlete, or an amazing A-List Celebrity (please let us know if you’re reading, Emma, or Emma).

Anxiety can manifest itself in a number of ways. As nerds we think of shyness or social anxiety, but anxiety can trigger the opposite, too. I’m sure we’ve all heard “I talk when I’m nervous.”

That may not be satisfying, but there are some risk factors that may make you more susceptible to developing an anxiety condition. These include:

• Traumatic life events – Either as a child or adult
• Stress – Be it due to your health, work, study, finances, or anything else
• Other mental health issues – People with other mental health disorders, such as depression, often also have an anxiety disorder
• Genetics –  Anxiety disorders can run in families
• Drugs or alcohol – Abuse or withdrawal can worsen anxiety issues
• Being female – Sorry ladies, but you’re about twice as likely to have an anxiety issue compared to the fellas

This does not mean every overworked female with a family history of mental health issues is going to have an anxiety disorder, it’s just more likely.

I’m often amazed by some I meet who don’t have anxiety issues, they tick all the risk factor boxes, yet remain totally in control of their emotions and behaviors. These are the people who’ve learned how to effectively manage their anxiety, like they’ve picked up the master controller and figured out the Konami code to what’s going on inside their head.

“So Dan, how can I figure out my head’s Konami Code?”

It may not be as simple as “↑↑↓↓←→←→ B A Start” (or just blowing in it), but I’m glad you asked.

identify, battle, level up

So, thinking perhaps you, or someone you know, is having some issues with anxiety? Don’t panic (I know, easy enough to say), because anxiety disorders are highly treatable.

After you’ve recognized your anxiety signs as we talked about above, there are many tools out there for managing your own anxiety. This is not an all inclusive list, but here’s a few ideas to get us started:

Diet and Exercise: Surprise, surprise. It’s very well known that eating well can make a difference to your energy levels, and exercise is a natural anxiety buster. It can be difficult to get started if you’re feeling overwhelmed, but starting small and working towards realistic goals is a step in the right direction. One of the first Nerd Fitness posts I ever read, ‘Getting Back On Track When Life Sucks’, is a huge help for anyone looking to battle their anxiety with exercise.

Challenge your thinking: Ask yourself how realistic your anxiety-causing thoughts really are, by weighing up the evidence for and against. Some find taking notes and journaling their feelings to also be helpful.

Practice Self Love: Accepting your flaws and finding yourself can go a long way in building your mental health. Check out the Deadpool Guide to Self Love by Amy to explore this further.

Time-out: Try to make sure you do at least one productive thing you enjoy each day. Be it walking, playing music, cooking, yoga, or meditation. Just do that one thing. Don’t stress so much about everything else going on or multitasking while you’re doing it. Make that time about you and the thing you’re doing.

Avoid avoidance: And certainly don’t Avoid Avoiding Avoidance, I can’t make this any clearer. By always dodging situations that make you anxious, you never get a chance to see that they might not be that bad. Instead, work up that 20 seconds of courage and let yourself experience these feared situations, just a little bit at a time. You’ll find they’re not as bad as you thought, and you can slowly build up a tolerance to what is making you anxious.

Go easy on alcohol and drugs: I’m not here to kill anyone’s buzz, and we’re all free to make our own decisions, but if you’re using alcohol and drugs to cope, you could actually be making your symptoms (and physical health) worse in the long run.

Talk it out: Talking to a friend or family member is a great for expressing how you feel, and also to get an outsider’s perspective on what’s going on. If you’re having trouble finding someone understanding, seek out a counselor or mental health professional. You would seek out a squat coach when you need to make some tweaks to your form patterns, why wouldn’t you seek out a mental coach when you need to make a tweak to your mental patterns.

Meditation: Learn to be more aware of what’s going on your mind, and give yourself a power up on this quest.

Use Technology: Check out some of the best phone apps for dealing with anxiety through promoting relaxation, mindfulness, and self guided Cognitive Behavior Therapy.

Mastering your own mind and figuring out what works for you is an ongoing quest, but those committed to the mission can recognise the signs, implement strategies that they know work for them, and ultimately start controlling some of their anxiety. An amazing ability to have in high pressure situations.

“There’s more to me than lack of sleep and anxiety”

Again: One in five. One in five of your friends, relatives, colleagues is currently having issues with their mental health, primarily anxiety, and it’s been shown that nearly one in two of us will have a mental health issue at some point in our life.

This isn’t just something that impacts a select few, this affects everybody. Everybody is dealing with anxiety to some degree, but some will be having a tougher time than others.

I need to state this again. ANXIETY ISSUES ARE BOTH COMMON AND HIGHLY TREATABLE, often promptly and without medication, but only about one-third of those having issues seek help. One in three, that’s pretty shocking. Anxiety can be self managed, but only to a certain extent in some cases. 

If you find you’ve been taking care of yourself as best you can (and using some of these strategies) but your anxiety symptoms are still winning the battle, please go see a doctor or mental health professional. With the appropriate treatment and support, the vast majority of people can learn to deal with their symptoms and start pwning life again. It’s no different than going to see our physiotherapist for a sprained ankle or a personal trainer to help work on our squatting technique.

If you still aren’t convinced to see a doctor, do it for yourself: what could start as a small anxiety issue can quickly evolve (unlike my 27 Zubats) into something else, and left untreated, this can be devastating.

If you are dealing with anxiety, know that you’re a bad-ass taking on battles in ‘insane mode’ while other plebs are still fumbling around with the controls. You got this.

I urge you all to talk openly about your experiences with mental health issues, this has been proven to assist in slaying the lurking stigma beast we spoke of earlier, feel free to even start sharing now:

How do you deal with your anxiety?

When do you know it’s getting ‘too much’ for you?

What do you wish more people understood about your anxiety?

Rebels, take care of yourselves, and each other.

– Dan-xiety (Sorry, I had to get in a dad-joke somewhere)

If you, or someone you know, would like further support with mental health, here are some excellent links and services that will get you started in the right direction:

North America – Suicide Prevention Lifeline, List of Mental Health hotlines

Canada – Mental Health Helpline, List of Mental Health services

Great Britain & Ireland – Samaritans, List of services via Mental Health Foundation

Australia – National helplines and websites, Lifeline

New Zealand – Lifeline, Mental Health helplines

India – SNEHA

Worldwide – Worldwide mental health hotlines, Worldwide suicide hotlines,Befrienders Worldwide

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Image sources: Stressed Lego, Shy Batman, Group of Lego Heads

source https://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2016/08/22/a-nerds-guide-to-anxiety/

The Biggest Enemy You’ll Ever Face…

“The first principle is that you must not fool yourself and you are the easiest person to fool.”

-Richard Feynman, Nobel Laureate in Physics

You are about to enter a battle of wits with the greatest enemy you have ever faced.

Sure, you’ve slayed dragons in World of Warcraft, you’ve crushed tests in school after pulling an all-nighter, and you survived an encounter with your miserable boss that made you want to set the building on fire like Milton from Office Space.

This enemy is different. It knows you better than you know yourself. It’s been studying every move you make since the day you were born. It’s been whispering subversive messages in your ear every minute of every day. It’s like playing chess against a computer that has tracked every move you’ve ever made.

Ruh roh.

Luke Skywalker knows what I’m talking about. He couldn’t defeat Vader and the Emperor until he confronted this very same enemy in the swamps of Dagobah.

It’s hard to even SEE this enemy. Fortunately, there’s usually one place you can look…

Is Your Ego Keeping You From Starting?

Have you ever been afraid of trying something for fear of looking stupid? I DEFINITELY have.

Have you ever been in a gym and been afraid to try an exercise because the person next to you is lifting 3-4x the amount you are going to attempt?

If you’re a guy, would you be comfortable lifting next to Staci as she pulls 425 lbs (193 kilos)?

If you’re overweight, do you worry that everybody is looking at you the whole time as you wheeze while walking on the treadmill?

This is your Ego telling you “I’m too fragile for this. Let’s get out of here and go back to our safe zone.” I know I constantly struggle with feeling inferior around people in the gym, and I’ve been doing this stuff for a decade. It’s not just the gym either. I once sat in a car for 20 minutes fore taking my first Swing Dance lesson because my ego wouldn’t let me get started.

You’re not alone. Our egos are fragile creatures, and their feelings get hurt very easily! And damnit we don’t want to feel like crap when we’re looking to better ourselves. If we’re not careful, this can result in

Your ego says: “We’ll look foolish and this isn’t for us and look at these other people who are stronger and more fit than we are. They’ll probably make fun of us, so don’t even give them the satisfaction of trying.”

In short: “Screw you guys, I’m going home.”

The reality: Everybody started at level 1. The most popular rap song in history is a rags to riches story. Even our Canadian friend Drake started from THE BOTTOM and now he is HERE.

When you play World of Warcraft you need to pay your dues and go through the crappy levels killing spiders before you can slay dragons. You’re new. Be proud to be new. Be proud to be you.

Henry Rollins loves the church of the Iron, because it never lies to you. Your ego is often times full of shit and can make you feel better or worse than you really are, but the iron never lies – it’s the great equalizer.

200 pounds is always 200 pounds.

So go pick it up that bar if you can. If it’s the best you can do, then it’s the best you can do. Let everybody else around you battle themselves for a personal best while you do the same. Headphones in, hardhat on (figuratively, and do work!).

It won’t be easy. You’re entitled ego will expect fast results or tell you to quit when things get tough. Your ego will expect you to be rewarded and advance quickly. You might, you might not.

But you have to step in the arena. You can acknowledge your ego, and then pick up that rusty sword and fight.

Your Ego Keeps You From Stopping Something that isn’t working

Your ego is one stubborn son of a biscuit.

I know. I have been dragged into many arguments because I let my ego get the best of me: in relationships, with family members, with coworkers, and with myself. I let my ego get in the way, stubbornly sticking to a losing battle because I was too afraid to admit something wasn’t working (or wasn’t worth it).

Whether it’s continuing even further down a career path that no longer satisfies you (because it was your college major), joining a team that you’re no longer happy with, or being in a relationship that everybody else loves, your ego keeps you around longer than you should be there.

This manifests itself in a few ways. We get hooked on the accolades and achievements we’ve collected. Our egos tell us that our parents and friends are proud for what we’ve done and changing that up would be weird… and disappoint them.

We throw good money after bad, chasing dead ends because we’re too embarrassed to admit that we were wrong in the first place. When a diet doesn’t work we blame it on our genetics rather than realizing maybe it wasn’t the strategy for us. Because our egos fool us, and we confuse “the strategy didn’t work” for “I’m a failure if this doesn’t work” and we stick with it.

Don’t even get me started on relationships! It might be us, or we might know somebody in a relationship which stopped being healthy 6+ months ago… and yet, they stay in it! Our egos say “If we break it off, our mother will say ‘I told you so.’” Or our egos tell us, “Hey, it’s better than being alone. Only losers are alone!” Which we know isn’t true. No wonder half of all marriages end in divorce – many people don’t want to ruffle any feathers and end up waiting years too long to have the tough conversation.

It works for Nerd Stuff too! We read a whole book or play through a game in its entirety that we don’t actually like because our ego tells us we need to finish everything because we already bought it. Our egos tell us “you bought it, you have to use it or you’re wasting money,” not understanding the concept of a ‘sunk cost’ fallacy: once you bought it, it doesn’t matter!

In fact, you’re worse off if you spend a single minute more on something you don’t enjoy just because you bought it. That’s a minute you could have spent on something else that you’ll never get back!

If something really isn’t for you, STOP DOING IT. If you have a shitty job and a path you’ve always wanted to pursue, QUIT. If you are in a bad relationship, make the hard choice and move on.

Your ego is making this wayyyy more complicated than you need it to be. Your friends will support you, your family will still love you, nobody freaking cares about your job status or financial worth other than people who are trapped by their own egos.

Your ego won’t let you ask for help

There’s a cliche that often felt true in my life: guys don’t like to ask for help. Or directions.

We’re afraid to ask for help in the gym on how to do an exercise because we want to look knowledgeable and strong. We’re afraid to ask for help on a project at work because we want to prove we can do it ourselves.

We’re afraid to ask for directions because we don’t want to admit that we made a wrong turn 20 minutes ago when we should have went left at Albuquerque instead of right.

In probably a far more important example, we see mental challenges like anxiety or depression as a battle we must face alone, because admitting that we are having problems is to admit that we’re broken or weird. And our egos don’t allow that. If this sounds like you, PLEASE read this.

Fun fact: I’ve seen different therapists in the past seven or so years (as I’ve moved around the country), not including the hundreds of hours I’ve talked to my friend Lindsay (you’ve read her articles) who has served as my relationship/life therapist and good friend throughout. I remember first talking to Lindsay about this 8 years ago and she said something that forever changed my thoughts on it:

“Steve, people that are in shape go to the gym to work on things and get better. Talking through things with somebody is the same: you can work on mental things and improve.”

I really struggled with my ego to accept the fact that I needed help on some things that I just couldn’t wrap my brain around, and speaking with a qualified therapist and arming myself with exercises and mental models to work through those struggles was so freaking helpful.

Your ego tells you that asking for help is stupid and to keep doing what you’re doing. To hide your struggles because you need to get over them yourself.

Reality shows us that asking for help is no big deal. Sometimes it’s the fastest way to get results and get back on the right track!

Your fragile ego needs a wake up call

Last month, I had an opportunity to go see best selling author Ryan Holiday speak at Google HQ about his newest book, Ego is the Enemy.

I made it through the book in a single day, and felt compelled to immediately write this post after. It’s also the only time I wrote a review for a book on Amazon, because I felt compelled to spread the word.

It perfectly illustrated how:

• Our egos can keep us from starting something.
• Our egos can keep us from STOPPING something that isn’t working.
• Our egos can keep us from asking for help when we desperately need it.

If we fail to see our egos for what they are, they can consume us and force us against our will to make unhealthy or time-wasting decisions.

Whether people are talking shit about me (hey, it’s the internet), or saying nice things (hey, it’s the internet), my ego seems like it’s got a mind of its own. The worst part is, sometimes I start to believe my ego! It’s quite loud, it’s needy, and it never goes away.

So I have to acknowledge my ego in certain situations, and then act how I would if it wasn’t there. It makes me feel like Westley in The Princess Bride, tasked with defeating Vizzini in a mental battle. By understanding how my ego works, I can beat him at his own game:

I want to hear from you! Leave a comment with how you’re battling your ego and I’ll pick 3 people at random to send them a copy of Ryan’s book, Ego is the Enemy.

-Steve

PS: I have no affiliation with Ryan other than the fact that I liked his book and it inspired me to live differently!

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Photo: Alex Eylar: Lego Mirror, Eduardo il Magnifico: Blue Lego Mirror

source https://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2016/08/18/the-biggest-enemy-youll-ever-face/

Create a Free Character Today and Join the Fight!

War is coming…

Okay not really, but like the start of any great epic nerdy movie, we need to set the stage: WAR IS COMING.

There we go!

Every day, our modern world is being dragged further into the darkness. Fast food to keep us fat, technology and entertainment expertly crafted to distract us and make us lazy, forcing us into a life void of direction. This insidious sickness has been wreaking havoc on us unsuspectedly for decades, and only now are we starting to fight back.

Hmmm, that’s a bit dramatic. But I bet I got your attention, right?

Today is a big day for the Nerd Fitness Rebellion. Starting RIGHT NOW, you’ll notice some changes around here, and we’ve just released a fun update that can be the foundation on which you’ll be building your leveled-up life.

You can now create your free Nerd Fitness Character, turning yourself into a video-game character, and start completing a multitude of quests designed to challenge you and help you get stronger, lose weight, and live a healthier life.

We’ve been working on this for years, and today we’re excited to add a fleshed-out questing feature to the mix!

If you’ve been reading NF for a while and you’re already sold, stop reading now and click below to create your free character today!

CREATE YOUR FREE NERD FITNESS CHARACTER NOW.

If you need more convincing, keep reading below about the benefits you get from joining the 20,000 people who have already created a NF character.

Get hooked on leveling up your life

If you’ve ever played a video game before, you know how addicting it can be to watch your character turn from weakling with just a cloth tunic and wooden sword into DRAGON SLAYING BAD-ASS!

Games are successful at this because they actively target certain parts of your brain that love to make progress. When you’re level 1, you know what you need to do to get to level 2, onward to level 3, and so on. Like a carrot dangled in front of a horse, we see that next quest and say “okay fine just one more…”

I’ve dedicated the last decade of my life to studying video game mechanics and how they can benefit my personal health and fitness, and the wellness of my fellow NF rebels.

Starting today, you can level up your life too. After all, what kind of boring game would Life be without quests!?

When you create a NF character, you’ll have access to hundreds of free quests, tied to corresponding experience point values, that help you get started (and stay committed to) your journey to living a healthier life. Whether it’s going for a mile walk, making healthier food choices every day, or even deadlifting twice your bodyweight, you will have tasks to complete that are designed to help you cultivate a healthier, stronger, happier life.

Just like in a game, as you complete these quests your character will level up. That satisfaction of seeing “DING! LEVEL UP!” can become addictive, and you’ll start to wonder what other quests and things you’re capable of.

You’ll always have a quest to work towards, you’ll be motivated to reach the next level, and you’ll have fun with it along the way. These quests are broken down by category depending on how you want to train:

• Interested in heavy strength training? Keep your focus on the Warrior quests and work on getting stronger through their challenges
• Love running, swimming or biking? Work your way through the Scout quests that will help you build endurance and stamina.
• Want to be more flexible and focused? Druid quests are your game! Follow the progressions and work on becoming more bendy.

With each additional quest completed, you’ll get closer to that life you’re fired up about. Life CAN be a game, and it CAN be fun.

Note: outside of the HUNDREDS of free quests, we have some added quest lines that are locked – those are quest lines available to people that have joined the Nerd Fitness Academy, Nerd Fitness Yoga, or Camp Nerd Fitness.

We’re excited to add more free quests as time goes on, along with new quest lines that tie into NF premium courses and events. courses.

Have fun with it!

I want to help you find out what you’re capable of.

I love hearing from people that have really taken this “I’m a character in a big ass game of life” to heart. When you create your character on Nerd Fitness, you’ll be asked what type of character best resonates with you. You can learn all about each of the different classes but here’s a quick breakdown:

Your CLASS is based on your physical training. You can read all about it here:

WARRIOR: You love the idea of getting stronger and more powerful. Every day is an opportunity to move heavy things or test yourself against others in competition and prove your might.

SCOUT: Built for distance and efficiency rather than strength and power, you can outlast any animal on the planet. Your muscles are designed with endurance in mind, and you can cover great distances whenever necessary.

RANGER: A jack-of-all-trades, Rangers are well-equipped for any situation. You’re good at strength training and pretty good at covering distances when required, but neither is a specialty.

ASSASSIN: Every building can be climbed, every gap can be jumped, every obstacle can be conquered. Assassins spend most of their time training with functional body-weight exercises, as that’s usually the only thing they need to lift.

MONK: Monks can kick your ass with their fists and feet, and they can do it before you even know what’s happened. Incredibly agile, lightning fast, and loaded with power, Monks specialize in martial arts to stay in shape and destroy the opposition.

DRUID: Druids spend a majority of their time training in the arts of yoga, tai chi, and other movement-based disciplines. Each movement has a purpose, and that purpose is to further improve the dexterity, agility, and strength of the druid.

ADVENTURER: Adventurers are brave souls who fear nothing and are always curious about what’s over the next hill or across the ocean. They are often found working diligently with their allies to help ensure that every adventure leads down the correct path, exploring and learning for the sake of others.

Think of this like a fun way to differentiate your character and give him/her/it an identity.

You can change your class whenever you want depending on how you’re training or what you’re working on in your life, so have some fun with it!

In addition to that, you are definitely encouraged to craft a badass character name, write an epic origin story, and share your dreams of world domination with friends and fellow Rebels. You’re only limited by your imagination, and you can choose (or not!) to nerd out as much as you’d like with roleplaying your character in this game of life.

In addition to really digging deep into your character’s identity and origin, you can even create your own series of life quests and assign point values to those as well.

If you’ve read my book “Level Up Your Life,” you’ll learn all about how to structure your life quests and make progress on them.

So, you’ll have two different leveling systems: your NF level goes up when you complete the free quests, and your EQ level goes up when you complete the Epic Quest missions you’ve created for yourself.

Be Part of Something Bigger than Yourself

You are not alone.

Nothing makes me happier than getting emails from people who stumble across Nerd Fitness say “I feel like I’ve found my new home.” 20,000+ people have already created characters, and almost 300,000 people from all over the world have joined the Nerd Fitness Rebellion.

Turns out that even though we may feel weird and alone, we’re not. We’re dispersed throughout the world, but we can level up together right here.

Regardless of where you live, where you’re at on your fitness journey, and what you’re struggling with, here you can be who you want to be, quirks and all.

Join us.

Create your character and start leveling up your life today. Share your character page with your friends and fellow rebels and ask for help. We have a thriving message board community ready, willing, and able to help you join the fight for a better life.

Embrace what makes you unique – and share it proudly. Create a character that speaks to your personality, pick quests that align with your goals.

This is just the beginning… we have some grand plans for our Nerd Fitness character system, so I hope you have grand plans for life.

Let us know and share your character page below. Who are you, and what character are you building?

I’ll start:

I’m Steve Kamb, aka Rebel One, a level 15 Assassin hell-bent on world domination inspiring my fellow rebels to live healthy, happier lives by setting a good example. I want to find out what I’m capable of, and every day I wake up excited to find out what I can do today that I couldn’t do the day before.

Who are you, what is your class, and what do you hope to accomplish?

-Steve

PS: In case you skip to the PS, or you think I’m too long winded (definitely true), just click here and create your character!

source https://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2016/08/15/create-a-free-character-today-and-join-the-fight/

Why Drink Limu?

A popular question that gets asked is “should I drink Limu?” The answer is really simple in that it depends on what you’re looking for. The following are some of the reasons that people drink Limu. You just might find that one or several of these reasons work for you too!

Limu Original – Health and Flavor

You may have seen pictures of this bottle all over the place. It is probably the most popular product sold by The Limu Company. Limu Original is usually mixed in with water and taken periodically by people who are interested in preserving their health or even enhancing it. It is rich in something called “fucoidan” which has been speculated to have many amazing benefits. Without getting into too much technical stuff, fucoidan is something you get from seaweed and it is sought out by people all around the world because of the supposed health benefits that it might have.

In addition to health, Limu Original has a really great taste! You’ll probably notice the organic papaya or even the mango taste. It’s really amazing! It’s made with natural flavors and it’s vegan, kosher and gluten free too. These are just some of the great benefits of Limu original. You can check out the products page for more info!

Limu Lean – Lose Weight

As the name implies, Limu Lean is a product that people from all over are taking to lose weight. At the time that this is being written, it is the only weight loss and meal replacement system that also has fucoidan. It’s endorsed by Olympic gold medalist, Rowdy Gaines too!

Unfortunately there isn’t a huge variety of flavors available for Limu Lean at this time. But if you’re interested in losing weight, this might be a good product for you to try out. The entire package is extremely convenient in that you can also have Limu Burn which is sort of like a “shake on the go”. It’s packaged and ready for you to consume right away in case you happen to be in a rush.

So if you’re overweight and asking yourself “should I drink limu?” the answer is might just be yes. Just make sure to take a look at the product for yourself and make that decision on your own.

Blu Frog Energy Drink

Are you already drinking energy drinks? Monster and Red Bull are terrible for you! Even the stuff from Starbucks is pretty bad. However Blu Frog is an energy drink that is made with some Limu Original. In my opinion it’s way better than anything else you can get on the market. It always leaves me feeling great after I drink it and I don’t crash after having one.

I would have to say that Blu Frog is probably my favorite limu product. It’s also gluten free and vegan! Check out the Blu Frog page for more info on the benefits, reviews and ingredients.

So, Why Drink Limu?

In the end you’re just going to have to come up with your own conclusion based on the facts, reviews and information that you’ve acquired through our site and the many websites out there. I drink limu because it makes me feel great, it’s clean, it tastes awesome, and it seems to be so much better than any other products available.

If you’re still not sure about limu and you need more information, you can find out what limu is here. This is an article written to help people who are unfamiliar with limu get a basic understanding.

Thanks for checking in to our blog and be sure to share!

The post Why Drink Limu? appeared first on Limu Juice.

from Limu Juice http://www.limujuice.net/why-drink-limu/

source http://limujuice.tumblr.com/post/148870154178

Motivation: You’re Doing It Wrong.

Dear motivation, I owe you an apology.

I’ve been pretty hard on you lately, and it’s not entirely your fault. You see, most people use you as an excuse or beat themselves up over not having enough of you:

• “I’m just not motivated to exercise.”
• “Why can’t I get myself motivated to eat better? I suck.”
• “I’ll start writing my first novel when I’m motivated.”

Look, I like you. You’ve helped me through some really tough times in my life. When I watch a YouTube video of Rocky climbing a mountain in Russia, it makes me want to train harder. When I watch a movie like Whiplash, it makes me want to practice music more. When I watch a documentary like Jiro Dreams of Sushi, it makes me want to perfect any craft that I’m working on.

You help me get started. you make me feel like I can conquer the world.

But – and I hate to say this – you’re just not very reliable. Like the friend that enthusiastically makes plans with you only to bail via text message with some lame excuse.

You fill people’s heads with illusions of grandeur. You get them all fired up to make changes in their lives and fill them with a sense of hope, only to disappear the next day when they need you most.

So, I guess I should say, “I’m not mad, I’m just disappointed.” And I know it’s not your fault; you’re the bad boy that mothers warn their daughters about (even though they married one!).

Motivation, I’m gonna teach the Rebellion how to deal with you, properly.

The Problem with Motivation

January 1st: “I’m motivated to get in shape this year!”

After watching a superhero movie: “I want to get in shape like that actor!”

After reading Born to Run: “I’m gonna run a barefoot marathon some day!”

After watching Pumping Iron: “I’m gonna train like Arnold!”

Most of us start this journey with a single moment of motivation. We were motivated to take action, and sure enough on that first day or two after being motivated, we DO take action. We go for that run. We do some push-ups. We head to the gym and crank out some bench presses and squats. Whether it’s a movie, a Facebook post, or a conversation with a friend, we see our motivation jump up for a short period of time.

And for two days, things are great! As long as you have enough motivation to overcome inertia, you’ll take action. However, after a few days (or a week if you’re lucky), your motivation tank starts to run low. That initial boost of motivation is finite and fleeting. You filled the tank after watching that movie, but now the effort required to get up early and go workout (or whatever it is), is slowly chipping away at your reserves. The tank of motivation is finite, but the need to get up and go to the gym? That’s like concrete – it’s not going anywhere.

So, you need to keep that motivation tank filled if you are going to keep going. So like an addict chasing his next hit, you’re back on the search for “more motivation” to get back up above the effort line.

See the above handy chart. When your effort/motivation line is above the action zone, you take action. When it’s below the action zone, you stay sitting on your couch.

This is why people are CRUSHING IT in the gym for the first week of January, or for the weeks leading up to their weddings/vacation. They are seriously motivated to make change. But, that darned wavy line, that damn motivation. It wavers. But the demands of you don’t.

When this happens, when motivation wanes, old habits start to creep back into the picture and pull you back down to where they want to be: out of the action zone! This is when you wake up a few months from now and realize: “oh crap I’m back to where I started and I abandoned my goals. DAMN YOU MOTIVATION, YOU FLEETING FOX! How dare you abandon me in my time of neeeeeed.”

I’m just assuming that’s how you’ll talk to motivation internally. Not that I talk to myself ever.

How to Use Motivation Correctly

It’s time to stop blaming motivation when you don’t change, and stop waiting for motivation to give you permission to change permanently.

Here’s how to use motivation properly.

You know the phrase: “Give a man a fish, he’ll eat for a day. Teach a man to fish, he’ll eat for a lifetime.”?  We’re gonna steal that sucker: “Give a nerd some motivation, he or she will train for a day. Teach that nerd to build structured discipline, he’ll train for a lifetime.”

OHHHHH SNAP.

So, the next time you are motivated, don’t use that motivation to JUST do the activity you are fired up to try. Instead, use that motivation build permanent systems that make you stay in the action zone longer. Long term, non-fleeting stability.  How does this work?

STRUCTURED DISCIPLINE! Mic drop.

…wait, I still need that mic.

Build Structured Discipline

Structured discipline is your magic ticket to long-term success. The more discipline you have, the less reliant you’ll be on another dose of motivation to take action.

In short: “F*** motivation, cultivate discipline.”

Motivation is going to promise you things, and then leave you when you need it most. When you can capitalize on that motivation by lowing the amount of inertia you have to overcome to take action every day, the more likely you’ll be to succeed.

Let’s see what that looks like in reality with a life goal to learn a musical instrument:

Person A is a regular dude. He watches Whiplash (intense, awesome movie), and is inspired to finally get back into playing music. He dusts off his guitar/violin/open the piano, and sits down and play for two hours. On day 2, he plays for an hour. On day 3 things get busy and he forgets to practice. On day 4, he plays for 20 minutes. By day 5, motivation is gone and he’s back to not playing music until the next big motivational moment spurs him to action.

Person B is a NF Rebel. She watches Whiplash (still intense and awesome), and is inspired to play more music. She then immediately spends an hour restructuring her environment to maximize structured discipline. She goes on Amazon and buys a new book of sheet music and a music stand. She hops on google calendar and schedules a 20 minute block every day in which to practice. She also finds tickets to a concert known for the instrument she’s practicing. She reaches out to a friend and ask if he wants to jam with her every Thursday afternoon. They play music for probably 30 minutes and call it a day.

A month from now, who do you think will have practiced more? I can tell you with absolute certainty it’s Person B. Because I’ve been both of those people! Here’s person A again:

Now see the chart with structured discipline built in. When you use your motivation to enact permanent adjustments to your life: adding in accountability, making environmental changes, creating rewards and penalties, you are less reliant on motivation to take continued consistent action:

Here are some other examples of how to build structured discipline:

• Motivated to eat better? Don’t just eat a healthy meal. Prep healthy meals for the whole week! Learn an easy recipe and add it to your “toolkit” forever.
• Motivated to work out? Schedule all of your workouts into Google Calendar and make a system for packing your gym bag the night before you got to bed. Commit to a life-changing course, or a trainer.
• Motivated to start running in the morning? Move your alarm clock across the room and build a system to sleep in your running clothes. Start/join a running group.
• Motivated to live a tidier existence? Don’t just put things away. THROW THINGS AWAY you never use so they never have to be put away again.

Motivation is a Power-UP

Motivation is like getting star-power in Super Mario Bros. It can help you do things that you never would have been able to do otherwise. In that sense, motivation is awesome. That’s why I’m going to give you some powerups, right now:

MOTIVATE ME TO WORK OUT MORE: Watch the documentary Pumping Iron (or this video). Watch Rocky IV training. Or this.

Now take action:

• Prepay for 10 personal trainer sessions.
• Schedule your workouts into your calendar for the next month.
• Give $50 to your friend. If you miss a workout, they will donate it to the political candidate you hate.

MOTIVATE ME TO PREPARE HEALTHY MEALS: Watch Jiro Dreams of Sushi. Watch an episode of Cooked, Chef’s Table, or Top Chef.

And then take action:

• Buy containers and batch cook all healthy meals for this week.
• Do a house audit and throw away junk food so you’re not tempted.

MOTIVATE ME TO HAVE AN ADVENTURE: Watch this video, or this one, or this one. Read Level Up Your Life (and then leave me an honest review please!).

And then take action:

• Go online and book a ticket somewhere.
• Pre-pay for an adventure that you’ve always wanted to go on.
• Join the adventurer’s guild in the NF message boards.

Just like Star Power in Super Mario Bros, motivation runs out pretty quickly. Use it while you got it! Pair fleeting motivation with action to be effective.

YOUR TURN!

What are you motivated to do after reading this article? And what’s one SPECIFIC ACTION you’ll take so you’re not relying on motivation to make it happen long term?

-Steve

###

photo: Pekka: star power up

source https://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2016/08/11/motivation-youre-doing-it-wrong/

Cooking 101: Basic Knife Skills

This post is from Rebel Chef, Noel.

Hello brave Rebel. Are you ready for an adventure in knife skills?

Imagine this – you’re in a kitchen-like dungeon. Torture devices hang from the walls – maces and hammers and sharp objects of varying size and cleanliness – pots big enough to boil 6 or 7 human heads. The room you’re in has a blue tile floor and several metal prep tables lined up neatly in the center of the room.  A 10 burner cook top flanks the wall to your party’s right and several stacked ovens sit beside it.

It’s been a while since these kitchens have been used. They’re dirty and fly infested. They smell like mold and rotting meat. The sick, yellow bulbs of the fluorescent lights above you flicker. Most of them have burnt out, but a few remain on their last legs. You just want to get the heck out of there.

You start making your way to the swinging door on the opposite side of the room, careful not to step in the puddles of god-knows-what as you cross the kitchen dungeon.

You and your party make it about halfway across the room when the room begins to heat up. You hear a heavy, metallic *clink* as the door behind you locks shut. You’re trapped.

A red glow appears in the cracks of the swinging doorway, and a mechanistic CHEFBOT 2000 kicks his way through the doors armed with a flamethrower at his back, a massive meat tenderizer in his left hand and a sharp chef’s knife in his right. Smoke pours from atop his tall chef’s hat.

He appears to run on charcoal fire. The heat emanating from him is immense, and the smoke billowing from his hat is filling the room, sure to suffocate you and your friends if you don’t do something.

Let’s make sure you have kick-ass knife skills to defend yourself!

Knife Skills Quest: Begin

CHEF beckons you to the prep table in the center of the room.

You feel your skin begin to burn ever so slightly as you stand across the prep table from him. He challenges you to a knife skills duel: a battle of  skill, precision, and accuracy.  You reach inside your pack and pull out a wooden cutting board and place it on the table. It begins to crackle and burn slowly – you better get this over with fast.

Strapped to your leg are your weapons of choice – 2 sharp knives: a paring knife and a chef’s knife. CHEF snaps his fingers and a bowl of fresh vegetables and a prep sheet appear at your table. The prep sheet reads as follows:

• 1 Cucumber – sliced
• 1 Onion – diced
• 1 Bellpepper – Julienned
• 1 Clove Garlic – Minced

In order to defeat CHEF and unlock the doors out of the kitchen, you must successfully cut each of the things on the prep sheet with accuracy.

Have you practiced your knife skills lately? You damn well better hope so, pal.

Choose Your Weapon:

• Paring knife? A paring knife is a small knife (2.5-4in or 6-10cm long) for delicate work such as peeling, de-veining shrimp, removing seeds from peppers, and cutting garnishes.
• Chef’s Knife? This is your all-purpose kitchen knife. It has a broad, heavier blade that is pointed at the end. It’s significantly longer than the paring knife (6-12 in or 15-30cm).

[we should link both of these to amazon links]

For this exercise, you choose the all-purpose chef’s knife.

3, 2, 1, GO!

Slice – Take your cucumber and place it across the cutting board. To slice any fruit or vegetable, line your knife up perpendicular to the vegetable or fruit and cut down, creating uniform sized slices.

With a cylindrical item like a carrot, cucumber, or zucchini, this will create circles or medallions. Do your best to slice them into similar sizes – this way they cook at the same rate.

Dice – Take your onion and chop off the top. Peel the skin from it and throw the skin away.

Place your onion so that the sliced part from the top is facing you. Carefully cut the onion in half down the middle.

Now you have a  flat surface to place on the cutting board. This will help you keep control of the onion and prevent it from rolling or slipping as you dice it. Safety (even with the CHEFBOT breathing down your neck)!

Now make several incisions along the top of the onion with the knife perpendicular to the top of the onion that you chopped off. Make sure when you’re making these slices that you’re cutting ALMOST all the way through to the end. The word almost is important here, people.

Keeping the onion whole at the butt-end will make dicing much easier and will give you something steady to grip when you make your next cuts. Now your onion is pre-diced.

Place your onion on the cutting board (with the top of the onion that you already chopped off at the beginning) parallel with your knife. Turn the onion 90 degrees and make uniform slices starting at the end of the onion that you already cut off.

Slice as uniformly as possible.  As you slice the onion, the bits you’re slicing off will be diced. Fancy!

Julienne – “Julienne” is a fancy word that means cut into long, thin strips. You can do this with bell peppers, carrots, potatoes, etc. First cut off the top and the bottom of the pepper. Remove the insides.

Then cut the pepper into rectangle-shaped quarters.

Now you’ll have smaller, relatively flat pieces of pepper to work with instead of a round pepper. This is safer and easier. Take each quarter of your pepper and make thin slices of it – again, you’ll want to do your best to make them uniform in size.

The more you practice, the easier this becomes.

Mince – “Mince” is a fancy word for “cut up super duper small.” It is done for more aromatic or flavorful ingredients like garlic or ginger. When mincing ginger, you’ll first you’ll want to pull your cloves from the bulb. The bulb is the big guy. The cloves are the small pods that make up the entire clove.

Next, you’ll want to peel them. To do this easily, take each clove separately and smash between the broad, flat side of your knife and the cutting board. Push them flat so that the skin cracks and begins to pull away from the flesh of the clove. You can now more easily pull the skin from the bulb.

Now you’ll roughly chop the cloves (uniformity isn’t necessary here) until you’ve chopped them into tiny little pieces.

Usually I start at one end and work my way to the other – similar to slicing the cucumber.

Then gather all those little garlic bits into a pile, place your hand over the top of the knife, and chop in a back and forth, rocking motion over the pieces of garlic, making them extra small.

Victory!

You finish your cuts, sweat dripping from your brow. Behind you, the rest of your party quietly cheers you on, but they’re coughing from the charcoal smoke and ash in the air. You present your cutting board to CHEF. He stares at it quietly, his robot brain calculating the accuracy of your cuts. As the gears in his head turn, you cooly clean your blade and place it back in it’s holster at your side.

The light above the door changes from red to green as you hear the metal *clink* and the door is unlocked. CHEF steps aside. You have passed the knife skills challenge and are free to go. Covered in soot and coughing from ash, you and your party pass by the robotic CHEF ever so carefully. On to the next room of the dungeon!

knowing is half the battle!

You now have four basic cuts that you can practice and use in your every-day cooking. Consider this a skill formally unlocked in your character.

Remember that as you practice your cuts, they don’t have to be 100% accurate – and they won’t be if you’re just starting out! That’s totally okay!

Unless you’re working in a professional kitchen, your techniques don’t have to be perfect, but knowing what a recipe means when it says “3 carrots, julienned” without having to look up what “julienned” means gets you one step closer to making that dish.

Eliminating even the tiniest steps between you and your food (and keeping you safe) is the goal here.

And let’s be honest, if cutting an onion this way feels like too much work at first, don’t do it that way! If your mother taught you something different and you prefer that, do it her way. There’s more than one way to slice and dice!  Don’t let doing it the “right” way or feeling like you do something “wrong” stop you completely from getting in the kitchen.

Your slices and dices don’t have to be perfect, but now you’ll be able to confidently cut up some veggies when you’re helping out at Thanksgiving dinner. Maybe you’ll be able to show off some of your knife skills instead of being charged with setting the table and washing dishes!

• What other skills would you like to learn?
• Do you have other cuts that you would add to this list?
• How do you do things differently?

Let us know in the comments!

-Noel

###

Photos: Stijn Nieuwendijk: Kitchen Knives, ArshrAAm: Dungeon Kitchen 02, clry2: Bad Robot, Stijn Nieuwendijk: Eden Classic Damask, Jenn and Tony Bot: George Mendes Bot, tmib_seattle: Dungeon door

source https://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2016/08/08/cooking-101-basic-knife-skills/

How Amy Gave Up Perfection and Lost 116 lbs

Amy lost 116 lbs in 13 months.

That might sound like a big, daunting number. Amy certainly felt that way once. She had no idea how to go about losing weight, had tried and failed before, going in half heartedly:

I would cut my portions or eat salads for a week but I really did’t have the information to lose weight in a healthy way. I also thought I had to be perfect. If I ate a cookie, or if I missed a workout – I just gave up.

In the quest to get healthy, sometimes it’s simply about finding a way to go workout when the situation isn’t perfect (it’s too hot, it’s too cold, you’re tired, you’re busy…) or eat right when we really don’t want to.

Amy’s path forward embraced the realistic, sometimes reluctant heroism of heroes like Deadpool or Wolverine.

“It isn’t ever going to be perfect – no one is perfect. The way I eat today isn’t perfect but it’s a helluva lot better than the way I used to eat. I tried things, and some of them worked and some didn’t so I kept what worked and changed what didn’t until I got to something that worked and I could live with for the rest of my life. Don’t be afraid to try, you can always make changes as you go. In fact, if you never have to make any changes, you are probably doing something wrong.”

Let’s learn a little bit more about how Amy lost the weight, got in shape, and transformed her life in the process.

Amy’s Beginnings, Your Beginnings

Two years ago in the summer of 2014 Amy was experiencing some hip and knee pain. Her doctor told her that it was bursitis in her hip, either caused by overuse or from being overweight.

“He was kind enough to let me figure out which one of those reasons might apply to me,” Amy recalls.

Like most of us, it wasn’t that Amy was oblivious. She actually had problems with a herniated disc when she was 18 and had surgery at 25. In her late 30s talking to the doctor, she knew that carrying that extra weight was doing her no good.

“But it was a moment of awakening,” she remembers, “to be told I was damaging other parts of my body, too.”

No matter what change we have been thinking about making, there’s usually a difference between knowing it intellectually, and feeling it deeply enough in your bones to get started and stick with it. This was Amy’s: “I started wondering what I would be like in another 10 years and how much damage was I doing to myself.”

Amy’s Unsure Start

When we decide to get started on the quest to get healthy, there seem to be a lot of pitfalls. One of the big ones, as we call it, is collecting underpants. That’s what we call reading and reading and reading, and using the information-collecting-phase of your process as an excuse never to get started.

This was one area where Amy never had any problems. In the fall of 2014 when she decided to get started, she just started with what she thought she needed to do: eat less. But, she didn’t exactly approach it in the most skillful way. Here’s Amy:

“You can imagine that if I was starving all the time eating my regular portions, I was really starving cutting down my portion size. This did not work. My husband has a friend named Mike and he said if I ever wanted to know how to get in shape I should talk to him, so I did. He is into strength training and he knew how to get in shape, lose fat and build muscle. So I picked his brain and he told me that when it came to losing fat, nutrition was the key. He also suggested strength training to help maintain muscle.”

Amy’s new fitness adviser explained the importance of protein, how macronutrients worked, and introduced her to strength training.

But this didn’t happen right away. Amy did what she had always done, and she struggled for over a month until she tried something different. That’s when things really seemed to pick up:

“From there I started doing a ton of internet searches looking for information on protein and nutrition and strength training…. that is how I found Nerd Fitness. The first thing I read were the Rules of the Rebellion and I remember thinking, “Ok, these people are cool!” I just started reading all of Steve’s blogs and absorbing as much information as I could. I loved the idea of making permanent changes because I knew what I was doing wasn’t getting me anywhere and I really wanted to change my life. I was willing to make the commitment, I just needed to know what direction to take to get started.”

How Amy Got Healthy

Amy, congrats on your success, and thanks for shining a light on the path you took. I’d love to hear more about how you went from being totally confused when it came to nutrition, to the superhero you are today.

“In the beginning, I was at a total loss for what to eat. At first I just reduced my portions but was still eating the same processed foods. This didn’t work at all. I had read Steve’s article, “How to Not Suck at Losing Weight.” decided to make small sustainable changes in my diet. But I couldn’t help to be at a loss sometimes: If I didn’t have cereal for breakfast, what else was there? Everything I ate was processed or a starchy carbohydrate. I had to spend some time at the grocery looking in the produce department and trying to come up with something other than a salad as a way to incorporate more vegetables into my diet. It was also tough to let go of soda, and sugar in general. I really thought I wouldn’t be able to live without my soda or sweets. I transitioned from it slowly though.

How did you make the transition?

I went from eating my sugary cereal in the morning to eating Cheerios (not perfect but it worked while I transitioned) and I drank my whey protein shake.

I started bringing my lunch to work.

I swapped the potato chips for carrot sticks and the soda for unsweetened tea.

I started eating heartier vegetables at dinner instead of the white potato.

I made little changes every couple of weeks. There was something Steve had written about how hard it is to get rid of an old habit and how it was easier to establish a new habit and crowd out the bad one. That’s what I started doing. I just started adopting more and more good habits until there was no more room for the bad ones.

When I started I was counting calories, and eventually got sick of it (one extreme downside to this method is that you never get to stop thinking about your weight or what you are eating – you are always planning and calculating – bummer). So, I decided to go “modified” Paleo with the strategy above. The transition took a couple of months. I still eat dairy and I do eat a sandwich for lunch during the week, but the majority of what I eat is meat, vegetables and fruit.

Wow, what a journey. It’s great to see how you took gradual steps over the course of many months just to sort out certain aspects of your diet. When we see progress photos or inspirational photos on Facebook, it can feel like we’re just expected to become an overnight success. You’ve really shown how the real work is in the trenches, day in and day out.

Love the focus on diet, but what role did exercise play?

Because of my back and hip issues, I was worried about injuring myself. So, I set the goal of eating healthy every day and doing at least 1 physical activity everyday.

Because I didn’t know what my physical condition/pain level would be on a daily basis I didn’t want to tell myself I had to exercise for a set amount of time or miles, etc. If my back was hurting and I wasn’t able to workout for an hour, I didn’t want to consider myself a failure.

My goal was just to do one thing, even it was just stretching… it was one positive step in the right direction. I just made a promise to myself that I would do the most I was physically capable of doing everyday so if I knew in my heart that I was in pain and all I could do was stretch or walk for 5 minutes, I was a success. I started off very slowly with strength training and bought the seated elliptical to accommodate my back issues.

I found out though that the more I did the more I was capable of doing. I didn’t always feel like working out though. Steve had written an article about if you get dressed to exercise, you’ll do it. After dinner every night I would change into my workout clothes. I was sore and tired but I would get dressed, and then I would end up on the elliptical.

Wow, you not only were determined, but incredibly smart and kind to yourself. It sounds like a winning combination: the grit to stay with it, and the self-compassion to give yourself a break when you need it. What did you work up to?

Well, I actually put 8 miles on my elliptical regularly for 6 months straight. Which I know is a lot and not for everyone, but for some reason, my body was loving it. It was almost like my body had just been waiting for me to use it. By this time it was summer, both my elliptical and strength training progressed, and I was able to get outside so I started to ride my bike and play tennis. This is when I started doing Steve’s beginner bodyweight workout. With my back issues, I found that I did better with bodyweight workouts and resistance training than using free weights. I have also found that doing push-ups (I started that with Steve’s 30 push-up challenge) have been great for my back as well (I’m up to 100 push-ups 3 times a week).

I still don’t keep a set schedule for exercise – my goal is to just do something physical that I enjoy everyday. Because I’m no longer in pain, the exercise is fun, and I have a lot more options to choose from. This past spring I even went on a hike for the first time in my life. I hiked in a state park with my husband. We ended up hiking about 6 miles. It was an awesome experience and I was really proud of myself.

We always talk about how when you level up in a video game, you see your experience move forward right before your eyes, giving you the motivation you need to keep moving forward. Did you use any technique to track your progress?

At first I tracked my progress by weighing myself daily. My mood really rose and fell based on that number but after awhile I noticed patterns of when I would gain and lose and remain the same. It helped to desensitize me because I knew that there would be fluctuations and that I always started to lose weight again. Steve wrote an article about how the scale can lie and it’s a good idea to use measurements and take pictures so I started doing that. It really saved me, because there were times when I felt I wasn’t making any progress and I was able to look at my pictures and see how far I had come, and it gave me the motivation to keep going.

It sounds like there was a separate, complete learning process in every area, from diet to tracking. What was the most important one?

The most important change I made was my attitude. I didn’t need a diet; I needed to change my life. I knew I wasn’t healthy. I felt miserable, and I was missing out on life. I originally wanted to lose over 80 lbs to be at a weight that was considered healthy. I mentally couldn’t face that number so I decided on 80 lbs as my goal. I focused on my two daily goals and only told myself that I needed to move forward. Using my two goals each day (making healthy nutrition choices and moving my body), things took care of themselves. In 13 months I lost 116 lbs.

The stress of dieting and getting healthy can often be an impediment, leading to doubt and all sorts of bad decisions. How about your support network? You had an early fitness adviser, what else?

I had a wonderful support system of family and friends. Everyone was cheering me on, and so happy for me. In the beginning I didn’t want to share what I was doing with anyone because I was afraid I was going to fail. But it’s hard to make life changes on your own, you need support. I felt like everyone at Nerd Fitness had my back too. There was always an article I could relate to or read posts and I knew I wasn’t alone. When I joined the Rebellion, I felt like I was finally in a group that had the same goal for their lives that I had – I just want to be the best version of me that I can be.

Congratulations on your success. What’s new these days? Anything you’ve been doing that you didn’t’ do before? Any other changes you’ve noticed in yourself?

Tennis! I used to play and haven’t been able to play in close to 20 years. I started playing again last summer and have been playing this summer as well. One of my goals is to start playing in tournaments again.

I have a lot more confidence in myself. I am stronger and more capable than I ever gave myself credit for. When I’m faced with challenges now, I know I can handle it. I also am a better problem solver. I was constantly having to evaluate what I was doing and how it was working and coming up with ways to get around obstacles and challenges. Now when I set out towards a goal I know I can get there.

Okay, nerd cred time: Star Wars or Lord of The Rings?

Star Wars (the original trilogy)

Yes! Favorite Video Game?

Donkey Kong

Favorite quote?

“Nothing is impossible, the word itself says, ‘I’m possible’.” – Audrey Hepburn

perfect Really is The Enemy of good

Don’t give up. You only have to get it right once. Don’t beat yourself up about the past; that was yesterday and you don’t live there anymore.

– Dumbledore Amy

In the Nerd Fitness Rebellion we have hundreds of heroes like Amy. Sometimes this can feel daunting, like walking into a gym and seeing a “level 50 version” of a character. But just like Harry and Luke, Frodo and Katniss, these are just ordinary people, who took one step after another.

They didn’t start with all the knowledge required. They didn’t start with a love of fitness. Amy certainly didn’t start with a love nor ability to do miles upon miles on the elliptical or the ability to rock a bodyweight workout.

Instead, they asked, “What’s first?” And they got started. They took action right away, and sometimes they made mistakes. So they made some changes, and they kept going.
Amy made tiny changes to her diet over time. She gave herself a huge break when it came to fitness, but was also her own toughest coach: she had to do something every day.

She built a system that was both determined and forgiving.

And she had smart systems in place to help her keep going. She used photos to track her success, and learned to stop freaking out so much about the normal fluctuations of the scale. She built a team of allies to support her along the way.

These systems helped to keep her on her path, but ultimately it was her own decision to keep figuring it out that led to her success.

There’s a million corny quotes about the importance of failure and getting back up. But that only matters if we get started in the first place.

Our heroes stumble along the way. That’s why their stories are so darn impressive. So get started. Stumble. And figure out what’s next.

Do you have any questions for Amy?

Stop by and leave a note of congratulations!

-Taylor

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source https://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2016/08/01/how-amy-gave-up-perfection-and-lost-116-lbs/