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Day Two Decided not to do the ABW due to chest cold, but did 45 minute yoga session instead. I may end up switching to yoga in general, as I always feel great afterwards. And it always ends up being much more of a workout than I anticipate! Week One Running Stats: Workout: 1/2 Walking: 1/3 Yoga: 1/3 Diet: 2/7

That was my big mistake last time--bit off more than I could chew, and then ended up feeling down on myself for not being able to live up to those high expectations. You want to set the bar high enough that it's challenging to reach, but not OUT of reach.

I know what you mean about the DVDs. I bought a cheap player, as I watch everything streaming these days. But this is a kind of unique DVD. There's probably like 70-80 different asanas, but there's a menu structure that has them organized into over 35 different routines. So there's hip sequences, leg, back, shoulders, energizing, quieting, and so on. So it doesn't get boring like DVDs where its just a couple fixed routines that get old fast. Really money well spent!

Which is funny, since it was originally taught and practiced almost exclusively by men!

Day One Just finished my lunchtime walk! I'm a bit frustrated already, as it seems the cold I've been fighting has gone to my chest a bit. I'm going to try the workout tomorrow morning, but if I'm feeling worse then I will substitute yoga for the rest of the week. I'm not going to risk aggravating it with an intense workout. So far so good on the diet today... Did yoga tonight! So off to a good start. Week One Running Stats: Workout: 0/2 Walking: 1/3 Yoga: 1/3 Diet: 1/7

Oh yeah, grading...thanks Eve I forgot about that I'll update tomorrow

Good luck, future Druid!

Beer...lots of beer And maybe some rye

You should definitely check out the DVD! http://www.amazon.com/Yoga-Inflexible-People-Judi-Rice/dp/B00006JXWB/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1374788404&sr=8-1&keywords=yoga+for+inflexible+people It has TONS of different progressions, so it never gets boring or repetitive. This way of eating is very, very liberating in terms of food preparation. The whole "six small meals a day" philosophy just stressed me out, always having to think about eating. The other huge benefit for me is that my energy stays consistent and steady the whole day--there's none of that sluggish post-lunch feeling.

I hear you on the caffeine. I just recently cut it out almost entirely. I have caffeine maybe once a week now. It's definitely helped me!

Looking forward to it!

I thought that too at first, but after reading through it, it's really not that much different. Looking at your challenge goals, you don't really have to change anything, other than specifying your "Main Quest," which sounds like "Pull my way to the top"

Hi Melyssa! Thanks for dropping in--I will follow your challenge thread

Welcome and good luck to you!!!

Looks like good goals--good luck to you!!!

I learned a lot during the last challenge. Namely that I bit off far more than I could chew, and that I focused too heavily on removing negative behaviors instead of adding positive ones. This time I aim to correct those shortcomings. Main Quest: Fit into my "Healthy Pants" I've got a bin under my bed full of all the clothes I used to wear when I was fit and active. I've managed to swell up four pant sizes since becoming a father and moving into a more sedentary job. Ultimately, I'd like to get back down to that pant size, which puts me right in the middle of BMI/BF% range for my height. Motivation This one's easy: Be a fit, active role model for my family Goal 1: Eat like a Buddhist Monk Const +2 Char +3 Many years ago I followed a diet known as The Warrior Diet. It's essentially a diet based on intermittent fasting and focusing on whole foods. It worked really well for me for a couple of years, and for whatever reason I stopped (a lot of things changed when I had kids ). This is sort of an inverse monk diet. Many Buddhist monastics do not eat after noon. This is a similar eating window, except only during a four hour (4pm-8pm) window in the evening. Raw fruits and veggies are okay during the day, so not a true water fast. Also small amounts of nuts/seeds/kefir as recovery after a workout. Ideally, this also encompasses a non-processed, whole foods approach. For this challenge, I'm really focusing on adjusting to the diet and not worrying too much about eating perfectly. Although I will try to limit junk food. This diet worked well for me in the past, as my appetite is most active in the late afternoon/evening. I've never been a big breakfast person and usually work through lunch anyway, so it's very easy and freeing to just be able to grab an apple or a handful of berries and not have to worry about packing a big lunch. More about the diet: http://www.warriordiet.com/ Goal 2: Build strength, burn fat Str +3 Dex +1 Sta +1 In order to ramp up my metabolism, I need to increase my activity and strength. To accomplish this, I will do the Angry Birds workout as a high-intensity circuit two times per week. Since I have a sedentary job, I will also make a commitment to go for a 30-minute walk at least 3 days per week at work. Although I won't be measuring this part, I will also make an effort to be as active as possible in the evening with my kids, whether it's going for walks, playing outside, etc. Goal 3: Get flexible Sta +2 Const +2 Cha +1 Sitting in an office all day is just horrible on the body. In addition to the strength and endurance training, I need to make sure my body stays flexible and resilient. To do so, I will do at least 30minutes of yoga three times per week. I am incredibly stiff and inflexible, but fortunately I have this great DVD called "Yoga for Inflexible People" that does a great job of modifying asanas (with chairs, blocks, etc) for those who are very stiff. I'm not going to specify any Life or Side Quests this time. I don't want to spread myself thin, as I really need to lock in these good habits. So the short version for tracking is 1) Follow the Monk Diet every day 2) Angry Birds workout at high intensity (circuit) twice per week + 30mins walking at lunch three times per week 3) 30+ minutes of yoga three times per week Scoring will simply be a % based on # of days/times I succeeded for each goal. I'm also going to post my current stats here. I do not plan to weigh/measure myself again until the challenge is over, as I don't like to get hung up on numbers. I know that especially weight can fluctuate quite a bit during the day. I'd rather just get a long-term snapshot. Stats: Weight: 212 Waist: 46" Hips: 39.5" R. Thigh: 26" R. Bicep: 14" Neck: 16" Chest: 42.5"

Hmm, also looks like they are not allowing first timers to post in the Guild threads. So I guess I'll seek out a few in the "first timers" thread with Druid-leanings to support them. Then also a couple here.

By the way, I was overwhelmed with the number of Challengers last time, so I basically stopped following all but a couple of people. What I'm going to do this time, and I encourage others to as well, is pick at least 3 "newbies" and maybe 1-2 "veterans" and commit to following them and supporting them fully. That way I don't just pay lip service to a couple dozen people without really following them closely. I think maybe this will help people stay committed if they have more frequent support. What do you think?

Looks like they've changed the Challenge format quite a bit... see http://nerdfitnessrebellion.com/index.php?/topic/33328-challenge-instructions/

Bump, cuz this is really good. And I don't even lift. p.s. it's still free on Amazon Instant Prime

A+ in caffeine reduction. Most days I have none! F in everything else... but I actually think I did OK, just really set my goals too high. But now I know how to frame the next challenge!

Awesome job man!!! You deserve a treat!

Well I can total up my numbers already, the rest of today won't change the percentages. I got an "A" in the caffeine limitation, and a big fat "F" in everything else! But I honestly don't feel that bad about it. I definitely set the bar way too high. I definitely know better where to set it for next challenge that will be more realistic while still being tough. This time, though, it's just +1 Constitution

Oh now that's a damn good idea!

Update: I'm cheap, so kept putting off the purchase, continuing to struggle with the table rows. Fast forward two months, and I am now able to do them without fingers slipping/pain. Guess they got stronger after all. I couldn't do more than 5 when I started, and today I just did 16. So I'll keep being cheap for now