Morrigen

Quest Log: January 14th Training: Consisted of several minutes of light exercises, and many, many periods of stretching. I had certainly been feeling the burn from a previous workout, and moved just like a tribal Elder. Time spent on regaining flexibility- 25+ minutes.Herbologist: Majority of foods consisted of vegetables and fruit, but haven't been getting enough protein. On campus, it all seems to be breaded, fried, or similar. I've added eggs and nuts to my weekend grocery list. Progress note: No unexpected meals/emotional eating. I ate only when hungry.Sage: Short meditation period, and put thoughts on paper. It helped to keep negativity out of my thoughts. January 15th Training: Completed workout, and managed more leg exercises than previous day. Arm/back muscles and abdominal muscles are still strained, so reps decreased. Also set five minutes aside throughout the day for stretching. Curious as to when things stop hurting, and how to be productive until then. Herbologist: Mostly vegetables today, with a few fruits as dessert. I caved for wanting protein, and had some of a dairy-free, soy-based protein drink (energy potion =p). It's sugar was high though, so I need to find alternatives as to keep glucose and insulin levels from spiking. Otherwise, I checked the back panel and found not much else on it I worried about, just too many ingredients. Spent some time searching for Paleo-based recipe sites, and have now bookmarked them to find excellent alternatives to the junk food around here. I did mess up on one meal, where I was short on time and picked pizza over the vegetarian stir-fry station. No emotional eating, but I had a snack of fruit, when I noticed I was actually thirsty. Put the fruit back, and picked up water. Behavior correction successful. Sage: I had a short window for meditation this morning, but I want to take some time this evening to relax as well, so that's where I'm headed the moment I log off. Hoping to come next time with an update on my scheduled appointment, and perhaps side missions.

Awesome job so far, you're doing great! It's good that you're making sure to avoid injury, as when going too fast it can happen. And your will power against sweets? Amazing. I've stuck to a similar goal, and have found solace in various fruits so far. Congratulations on the interviews as well, Japan sounds exciting! =3

From what I know, nutrition deteriorating isn't so much from sitting in the refrigerator, but from the cooking process. Water soluble vitamins and minerals are lost when you boil your veggies, so I'd suggest try steaming them for reduced vitamin loss. From what you listed, most of those last longer raw versus cooked. Spinach and other easily damaged greens, I'd leave raw and toss it in when you reheat or serve a dish. Everything else, the less you cook it, the longer it seems to last. I'd say it's safe to pre-chop or slice everything except spinach, 'other greens,' tomato, and squash. Though, if you cook the squash right away to serve easy through the week, I'd suggest eating it sooner rather than later.

Hello All, first timer here. I found the site at the beginning of last week, and after much reading (and subbing class work) I'm ready to start! By the way, I'm totally winging this, so if you've any recommendation to help tweak plans, or how a goal is set, advice is much loved. Starting Point:Weight: ~179lb.Height: 5'5.5"41-39-42 Able to do (without rest):2 "Real" pushups, 17 2.5' incline pushups. 20 sec Planks40~ish bicycle crunches.38 squats QUEST JOURNAL - Goals & Definitions: Quest: Training from an Elven Hunter1) Lose Weight and get fit with Basic Parkour Training and Aikido practice (up to 7th or pre-6th Kyu). End Goal: Lose Ten+ Pounds by end of challenge. Do Ten+ full push ups.I've posted a list of basic recommended exercises for parkour beginners on my wall, along with all the training I remember from Aikido class.Spend at least 10 minutes daily working through the list, increasing reps by +1 every two days. Minimum time +5 min for each week.Weigh-in, photo (personal) and measurements on Sundays, so I don't stress about progress in between.On days I hurt too much to do the harder exercises, it is acceptable to replace training with 20 minutes of stretching. +5 minutes for Yoga with each passing week.Skill Points: STR 3, STA 2, DEX 1 Rewards: Archer's Gloves (Rare), Gatherer's Satchel (Common) Quest: Herbologist Training 2) Eat a Paleo-themed diet at least 50% of the time, keeping everything healthy the other half. End goal: To have switched to a Paleo/Primal based diet, instead of the pizza/rice one I eat. I've scoped out all the locations on campus which would support Paleo related eating habits, and no longer go to the places that won't.Swapped out fried foods and baked goods for roasted foods and fruit.Cut back on grains until february first, when they're completely out of my diet (Reason for slow change is that grain is a large source of fiber for me).Research and menu plan for dorm-friendly, low-mess Paleo snacks and meals (that can freeze well). Have menu ready for next weekend (Jan 19th).Side Quest: Research anti-inflammatory foods & herbs. Skill Points: CON 3, STA 1, WIS 1 Rewards: Small Herb Cabinet (Rare), or Trainee's Manual (Common) Quest: Journey to the Sage 3) Work on my mental well-being and Health. End Goal: Visit and speak with a counselor. Reduce anxiety, to stop the emotional eating triggers - defined by frequency of bingeing. Visit the school counseling office 1+ times a month, to work through anxiety and personal issues. Schedule an appointment.Keep a weekly journal of things that cause me great stress, and work on solving the triggers.Meditate a few times a week to soothing music. Three to four times is desirable. Skill Points: CON 2, WIS 1, CHA 1 Rewards: Book of Wisdom (Rare), or Book of Secrets (Common) *Note from Headmaster: Each week starts on Monday. Side quests may become available with progression. Completion of all side quests may earn additional rewards. Any Student's rewards for quests cannot be obtained unless the quest has been achieved at the basic competency level. Anything lower than a (C) will be dismissed as a failure. Rare Rewards may only be obtained in the event that a mission was completed in full (A), and every other quest grade has been satisfactory (C).

Origin Story: On a small inland coastline, tucked in between a sprawling dark forest and miles of open water, was the bustling town I called my home. Raised to be an inquisitive lass by a Merchant and Healer, I grew up traveling across the land and learning to aid others, to the point that it became part of who I am. Not long into childhood, the joys of exotic foods and ancient tomes made themselves known, and frequency of my adventures decreased. It seemed the more knowledge I acquired, the more my figure acquired. Fast forward to the cusp of adulthood; standing at only five-six of feet, and weighing two-fifty in pounds, my health had reached a point where I had endangered myself. As the ward of a healer, I was shocked at the diagnosis. Pre-diabetic. Knee problems. Endocrine problems. Maybe, unable to have children. And it would only snowball if I didn't do anything about it. That was enough to shock me into making changes, albeit slow ones. In the two years following, I had been able to lose over eighty pounds, on my own. Yet in a period of darkness this past year, I had gained twenty of those pounds back. Unwilling to let the demons roaming my home lands defeat me, I fled south, and found apprenticeship in a scholarly institution. I am now studying to be a nutritional healer, but still struggle with the results of years of self-abuse. Real Time: Now that I'm a university student, and far from the source of many of my struggles, I've felt so much more free to tackle and take on my own inner monsters. I've been working steadily since last fall, and have managed to take off six pounds already through diet alteration alone. I'm hoping that by joining this community that overflows with support, I can find a steady source of encouragement and an extended hand, when I stumble on my journey. My plan is to get in on the challenges (I've started offline already!), and become involved and report back frequently so the ball stays rolling. I've even managed to find a campus work out buddy, but they're waiting until the classes settle to join me. So! Here I am, excited and delighted to meet you all. I look forward to seeing everyone around! ~Morrigen Starting Statistics: Hume Adventurer Level 1 STR 2 | DEX 1 | STA 2 | CON 4 | WIS 5 | CHA 1

I was diagnosed with insulin resistance and PCOS when I was a teen, and hypothyroidism within the past couple years. I'd say that from experience with weight loss, keeping away from sugars and grains definitely help. Also, reducing added sodium and sugar intake helps to stop excess retained water weight (that feeling of swelling or bloating). I can confidently say losing weight and building muscle is possible. I've lost over 70 pounds (Started at 250lbs) since diagnosed, and that was after I stopped metformin and yaz (both were recommended by my endocrinologist, but address the testosterone and hair, not weight). Putting on muscle (core, lean) was fairly easy to do, given you put in the time necessary to acquire it. I've still a ways to go, but that's more due to letting my eating habits slip than anything hormone related. When you start to lose weight due to healthier behaviors (get more active, eat less processed foods), your hormones try to balance themselves, and the process becomes easier and easier. As for the supplements, there are certain things that can help with weight loss, but I find in a lot of cases not many formal studies have been done. When there is a study, it's usually by the companies producing or selling the product. The garlic helps with immune system though, and the green tea extract has antioxidants, which helps keep your body's cells healthy and protected. I'd say if you're looking to improve your feeling of well being, those aren't negative choices, but the same effect can be achieved through a healthy and balanced diet (think along the lines of Paleo). My thoughts? I've tried calorie counting, I've done the "cut out sweets, no, cut out starches..." routine. Now that I've found NF, I'm going to try the Paleo, because it makes the most logical sense, targets and rids of all the foods that triggered my weight gain, and matches with everything I'm learning in my nutrition classes about healthy eating. Sorry it's lengthy, but I'm hoping I was able to help someone.