This is a guest post by Nerd Fitness community member Jessica Broughton. She has lost over 65 pounds since beginning her weight loss journey back in 2007, and more recently has lost 20 inches off her body since September (dang!). Take it away Jessica!
Step into my DeLorean and journey with me back to 2007.
I guarantee you wouldn’t recognize me.
I weighed the most I had ever had in my life – almost 300 lbs. I was newly divorced, trying to put my life back together, and starting over 2600 miles from home in California.
In short, I was pretty miserable.
I started changing my eating habits, exercising more, and slowly but surely I started to see the results.
Last year I discovered Nerd Fitness, and that’s when things really kicked into high gear:
I discovered that I had super powers.
The ability to see the future
In 2007, I looked into my future, and I did not like what I saw.
If I kept doing what I was doing (not exercising regularly and eating junk food), the future looked pretty bleak. I saw a life where my body wasn’t able to keep up with all of the things that my mind wanted to do. I didn’t want another week to go by being at the same spot, let alone have another three months, six months, or a year go by and to be in the exact same place as I was when I started.
NF showed me a different path so that I could become the “me” that I always wanted to be.
More importantly, NF showed me that the future isn’t written in stone, and that I had the ability to change it.
So I did.
I can leap tall buildings in a single bound
Kinda.
Since I’ve been reading NF and done a few 6 Week Challenges on the message boards, I have more energy than I’ve ever had, ever.
I sleep through the night and wake well-rested, which is a miracle for someone with insomnia. I wake up on my own without my alarm clock. I’m more focused during the day and my productivity is through the roof. Juggling the day job and writing and having a life is not just doable, but I have a smile on my face and a giant spring in my step.
Instead of balking in the face of life’s challenges, I’m leaping over them.
Know Your Kryptonite
Every super hero has a weakness: Superman has Kryptonite, Wolverine could never work at the large hadron collider because of the magnets, and Iron Man has a broken ticker.
My kryptonite?
Breaking my workout routine.
Because once I miss one workout, it’s super easy to miss another…and then another…and then before I know it, I’ve missed multiple weeks of exercise. My energy drops and the weight starts creeping back on.
It’s not just about knowing your kryptonite, but also making sure that you’re not setting yourself up to fail.
If you can’t eat just one potato chip, it’s easier to not have potato chips in the house. I don’t have anything sugary to drink in my apartment ever because if it’s there I will drink all of it. There’s no leveling up that happens from sabotaging your own efforts.
It’s easier to say no to junk food if it’s not easily available, and I’m motivated to work out tomorrow if I take the time to work out today.
The Power to Persevere
One of the themes in Batman Begins is the power of perseverance. Alfred echoes what Bruce’s father said to him all those years ago: “Why do we fall down? So that we can learn to pick ourselves up.”
I wasn’t always this nice to myself. I spent too much time and energy beating myself to a pulp instead of talking to myself the way Alfred talked to Bruce.
You’re going to slip up.
It’s okay.
The important thing is that you get yourself back on track as soon as possible.
Don’t beat yourself up. Don’t berate yourself.
Just do better next time.
Remember that your legacy is more than bricks and mortar, and you can decide what you want that legacy to be. It’s never too late to turn things around, and it’s never too late to put yourself on the right track.
I’m not where I want to be – yet. I’ve lost over 65 pounds since 2007 and I still more to lose…but I’m working on it, and that’s the important thing. I’ve been using The Rebel Fitness Guide to keep myself on the healthy track. I’m losing inches (down 20 inches overall since September!) even if the number on the scale isn’t budging and I’m living a healthier lifestyle than I ever have before.
I’m also talking to myself the way I would talk to a good friend instead of a super villain, and those talks keep me motivated.
Everyone Needs a Sidekick
You can’t make this journey alone, and one of the greatest super powers of all is to know that you need help.
I tried to do all of this on my own and I failed miserably.
As soon as I put my fitness and weight loss goals out to the world, magic started to happen.
The Nerd Fitness community has kept me motivated and inspired on my most challenging days. The Rebel Army has encouraged me to go for one more push-up, taking a walk even when I just wanted to curl up in front of the television, and helped me take care of myself during a knee injury.
The NF Community also inspired me to take big, giant leaps of faith. This year I graduated from college, got my first piece of fiction published, exhibited at the Long Beach Comic and Horror Con, and self-published a short story. Every single time I thought I couldn’t, they were right there to tell me that yes, I could.
As we’ve learned from the Rules of the Rebellion, “Once you’re in, you’re in for life.”
The greatest super power of all
The greatest super power that I got from Nerd Fitness is not the ability to fly or X-ray vision, although that would be pretty darn cool if Steve could work on that. (Steve’s note: I’m on it!)
The greatest super power I’ve gotten from Nerd Fitness is that I believe in myself.
I believe that not only can I do this, but that I can keep it up. I believe that I will continue to level up my life, although this year has already been pretty epic. Through the highs and lows, I keep on keeping on, and my life has improved because of it.
The great thing is that you already have this super power, even if you don’t believe in yourself just yet.
You already have it because I believe in you.
You are a super hero.
Jessica M. Broughton is a writer living and geeking out in Pasadena, CA. She has a passion for Art Deco, vintage typewriters, and Halo. Come say hello at Grrlwriter.com. Check out her book, Bespoke.
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From Steve: this is the first guest post I’ve run on Nerd Fitness in over a year – I told myself I would only run a guest post if it made me say “damn, I wish I wrote that!” This is an incredible community and I know quite a few rebels are also great writers…so, moving forward, I will be accepting guest post submissions. Fair warning – I will be absolutely brutal in deciding what gets published. NF is my life and business, so I’ve put together a ridiculous set of guidelines on what I expect out of a guest post. If you think you’re up for it and interested in writing for 10,000+ subscribers and 130,000+ visitors a month, email me at [email protected].
