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Week 1 - Cumulative Progress Walking 120/180min Yoga 131/180min Moderation 15/21 Free Passes 3/3 -- all gone :/

Not really planning meals, but I've got it pretty easy there. Usually i'm not that hungry in the morning so I'll just grab some fruit or a hardboiled egg. Lunch is usually leftovers. My better half is the chef of the family, and cooks great, healthful meals, so I've got no problems with dinner.

Week 1 - Cumulative Progress Walking 90/180min Yoga 131/180min Moderation 10/21 Free Passes 2/3

Rough week so far... Sorry but tonight is BEER NIGHT!

Heh, true. I used to be a vegan, but I was the must unhealthy vegan imaginable. Tons of processed fake "meats," pre-packaged meals, fake ice cream, you name it. Shudder.

Week 1 - Cumulative Progress Walking 90/180min Yoga 81/180min Moderation 8/21

I like it, a lot actually, but avoid it as it's a heavily processed/manufactured food. Even though it's veg*n, it's definitely not a natural food!

Smart move! "The perfect is the enemy of the good."

Great challenge goals! Exploring that resistance can be very revealing! The source can often surprise you. I had much resistance to many of my daily spiritual practices at first, and doing them in spite of the resistance was rewarding. Good luck!

Week 1 - Cumulative Progress Walking 60/180min Yoga 41/180min Moderation 5/21 Oh noes! Fell into a convenience store trap and ended up getting a Diet Coke so that's one of my three already for the week. Man it tastes good, even though I know I will feel like crap after and throws off my appetite.

Welcome to all the new druids!

Week 1 - Day 1 So far... Walking +30min Moderation +3 Yoga +41min

Thanks all! I think it will be tough, but I need a tough challenge this time Yeah that's a good idea... I always have a bunch of dates in my fridge. They are my go-to whole food "dessert"--super sweet and they usually satisfy me. Also keep Lara bars handy, as they just have a few ingredients. My favorite is Cherry Pie, which just has dates, cashews, and unsweetened dried cherries. But I try to avoid those as they are addictive and pretty high calorie, although they are "good" food. But I need to get some more fresh fruit/veggies to always have on hand when I get snacky...

Ready!

Last challenge, I discovered that yoga and walking (and other cardio/interval exercises) are a good fit for me. Also, though I was successful with the Warrior Diet, I don't think it's as stable or sustainable in the long run as a moderation diet. This challenge I'm focusing on these areas. The last challenge was simpler--an attempt to recover from my previous mostly failed challenge. This time, I'm going to make it challenging. If I can even get 75% I'll be happy, just want to shoot high this time. I feel like I'm ready for more of a challenge this time. So here is my 3-3-3 plan. I will fill in details re: attribute points and scoring later. Main Quest -- Fit into those pants! Still ultimately aiming to fit into my size 34 pants 3 hours of yoga per week, including at least two times during the week. No cramming it all in on the weekend! Points will be based off % of maximum 18 hours for the challenge. Strength +1 Dexterity +2 Stamina +1 Charisma +1 3 hours of walking or any other exercise each week. At least two hours during the week. Points will be based off % of maximum 18 hours for the challenge. Stamina +2 Constitution +1 Charisma +2 3 moderate meals per day. This is really tough for me, as I have a tendency to overeat. I will be eating more slowly and mindfully, focusing on chewing completely and pausing frequently. Obviously "moderate" is a bit nebulous, but I can easily tell (based on how I feel afterward) what is moderate and what is excessive. I will allow myself 3 "excessive" meals over the whole challenge for any special occasions, but I plan to eat moderately even in those situations. Bonus points if I don't use them. Also, only allowing myself 3 "fake" foods per week. "Fake" includes anything with lots of artificial ingredients, heavily processed/packaged foods, or excessive sugar/sweeteners. Some examples would include packaged sweets (Twinkies, etc), sodas (including diet), and fast food (McD's, etc). Points will be based off % of maximum 126 meals for the challenge. Constitution +2 Charisma +3Here we go!

Congrats to everyone who made it through! And for those who didn't, just get back on the horse and go for it again this next challenge!!!

Glad to hear from you! Sounds like you learned a few things about how best to modify your routines. Hope to see you next time!

With the exception of the workout goal, I'm really happy with this challenge. I discovered that I really enjoy yoga, and it's really great exercise for my incredibly stiff and inflexible frame. Next challenge I will be expanding this and replacing standard workouts with some more strength-focused yoga. Walking at work has been great, and it shows that small changes make a big difference. Although I managed to stick with it, I think I will be abandoning the "monk" diet in favor of a simple moderation diet, as it's just too tricky to not eat during the day with so many family/work functions. And the best thing of all, I lost some serious pounds and inches!!! Check it out Before Stats: Weight: 212 Waist: 46" Hips: 39.5" R. Thigh: 26" R. Bicep: 14" Neck: 16" Chest: 42.5" After Stats Waist: 43.5" Weight: 200.5 Hips: 39.5" R. Thigh: 25.75" Bicep: 14" Neck: 16" Chest: 41.75" I lost 11.5 pounds, 2.5 inches off my waist, and 3/4 inch off my chest! That's where I tend to carry my extra weight, so it was nice seeing it come off there first, instead of my legs, arms, neck etc. Now I just need to keep this momentum going!

Final Challenge Wrap-up Workout: 7/12 (C.) Walking: 18/18 (A+.) Yoga: 18/18 (A+.) Diet: 34/42 (B.) Goal 1: Eat like a Buddhist Monk Const +2 Char +3 So I get 75%, or ~1.5 Constitution and ~2 Charisma Goal 2: Build strength, burn fat Str +3 Dex +1 Sta +1 I get...50% for strength (so 1.5), but will get 100%, 1 Dexterity and 1 Stamina for the walking Goal 3: Get flexible Sta +2 Const +2 Cha +1 100% on this one -- 2 Constitution, 2 Stamina, and 2 Charisma With the exception of the workout goal, I'm really happy with this challenge. I discovered that I really enjoy yoga, and it's really great exercise for my incredibly stiff and inflexible frame. Next challenge I will be expanding this and replacing standard workouts with some more strength-focused yoga. Walking at work has been great, and it shows that small changes make a big difference. Although I managed to stick with it, I think I will be abandoning the "monk" diet in favor of a simple moderation diet, as it's just too tricky to not eat during the day with so many family/work functions. And the best thing of all, I lost some serious pounds and inches!!! Check it out Before Stats: Weight: 212 Waist: 46" Hips: 39.5" R. Thigh: 26" R. Bicep: 14" Neck: 16" Chest: 42.5" After Stats Waist: 43.5" Weight: 200.5 Hips: 39.5" R. Thigh: 25.75" Bicep: 14" Neck: 16" Chest: 41.75" I lost 11.5 pounds, 2.5 inches off my waist, and 3/4 inch off my chest! That's where I tend to carry my extra weight, so it was nice seeing it come off there first, instead of my legs, arms, neck etc. Even though I did pretty badly on the workout, I made really great progress towards better health and fitness, so I'm going to give myself an Overall rating of A- Now I just need to keep this momentum going!

Final Challenge Wrap-up (just realized I was using the %s wrong based on Sunmage's Report thread!) Workout: 7/12 (C.) Walking: 18/18 (A+.) Yoga: 18/18 (A+.) Diet: 34/42 (B.) Goal 1: Eat like a Buddhist Monk Const +2 Char +3 So I get 75%, or ~1.5 Constitution and ~2 Charisma Goal 2: Build strength, burn fat Str +3 Dex +1 Sta +1 I get...50% for strength (so 1.5), but will get 100%, 1 Dexterity and 1 Stamina for the walking Goal 3: Get flexible Sta +2 Const +2 Cha +1 100% on this one -- 2 Constitution, 2 Stamina, and 2 Charisma

Week 6 - Day 7 Done! Not great, but pretty good considering. Week Six Running Stats Workout: 0/2 Walking: 3/3 Yoga: 3/3 Diet: 7/7

Week 6 - Days 5 & 6 Sinuses still raging, but I managed to get some yoga in today. Just need to do some tomorrow to make sure I get that "A"! Week Six Running Stats Workout: 0/2 Walking: 3/3 Yoga: 1/3 Diet: 6/7

Thanks! I'm bummed that my last week isn't going to be my best, but c'est la vie!!!

Week 6 - Day 4 Still feel like crap, doing what I can. Week Six Running Stats Workout: 0/2 Walking: 3/3 Yoga: 0/3 Diet: 4/7

Is there a university counseling service that could work with you on your anxiety?