Targaryen

After various respawns, all with a mixed bag of success, I'm deciding today is a good day to try again. I'll put the star in starting over… and over! So without further dallying, here is my challenge to go from Jedi Inductee to Jedi Apprentice Main Quest: Build the foundations towards healthy daily habits. 1) Reboot my Hero's Journey workouts! Every Jedi starts from scratch and often get scratched along the way. I have no excuse for not knowing what to do next. I left off on day 11 a week ago, so I'll start again on day 11. it's going to take both physical and mental fortitude to actually keep this up. So if I miss NO MORE than one workout in two weeks during all six weeks, then I gain +1 to strength and +1 agility. 2) Eat only when hungry, stop when full! Jedi don't feel the need to indulge on a daily basis, especially when it interferes with other goals. When it comes to food choices, I pretty much know what I need to eat now. However, counting calories hasn't worked, and it actually leads me to overeating and losing steam. As a trade off I'm not counting a single calorie this whole challenge. But I can only eat foods I know to be beneficial to me, and only eat until I'm full. If I'm not hungry, I won't eat. I can track this with a calendar and a mark on the calendar for each day I ate mindfully, and if I miss NO MORE than one meal per week, I'll gain +1 to constitution. 3) Meditation! Jedi didn't reach the Force by overstimulation. I sleep better and feel better when I do either yoga or seated meditation daily, especially since I'm in front of a computer so much for work. This habit has fallen to the wayside a bit, so I want to get back to it. If I do a daily meditation exercise with NO MORE than one miss a week, I'll gain a +1 to wisdom. Life Quest: Explore and be social! With my good friend leaving the area, life could potentially get a lot more lonely, so this life quest is designed to combat the side-affects of being introverted. My challenge to myself is do at least one social-orented activity, with the mindset of also interacting with other people, at least once a weekend. This could include a martial arts class, archery open range, art class, festival, library event, and so on. If I do this I will gain +1 to charisma! Why? Because I know my body and mind tend to gravitate towards what is normal, whether or not that normal is healthy in the long run. I seek the strength, patients, and wisdom to change my normal into something that can sustain a long and healthy life. And lets get real here, I would like to drop a dress size. I'll be doing check-ins daily if I can and taking measurements once a week to track my progress. Beginning measurements to come. So, now for the doing. As our favorite little green master would say, "Do or do not. There is no try." Good luck to everyone for their challenges!

Thanks Vibrantnotions! And I hope your first week went fabulously! Week 1 Progress! (Even though it's week 2. Shhhh!) Food: For the most part I'm pretty happy with food consumption. All of it, apart from my drink choices on Saturday and a half a cup of ice cream on Thursday, were healthy choices. I think next week I'll need to work on portions, but that's less of a battle than making the decision to eat an egg scramble over nachos! I also beat the binge monster yesterday by putting away a bag of pita chips I had bought. I NEVER put away a bag of chips once I started, and it didn't even cost me any willpower. I just ate my fill, closed the bag, and put in back in the cupboard. The one adjustment I'll make is the eat less cheese. But every day I recorded (I didn't record on Saturday, I just ate until I was satisfied) I had met my calorie intake/use goal. Win! Exercise: I missed both my workout and my yoga yesterday, so I'm going to make sure to get it in today so I don't lose momentum. Note to self, get workouts done in the morning on weekends! For the most part, win! Headstands: I started out strong, but I've missed practice both Friday and Saturday. I'll need to make sure I do this today so I also don't lose momentum. Half-win. Writing: I also missed two days this week, and while I made up for it on other days, it's still something I need to carve out time for. Still, I DID put in the time to write the other five days this week. Half-win! Measurements haven't changed all that much. I think the last time I did this challenge there was a gap where one week the measurements wouldn't change at all, and the next they changed drastically. But here they are anyway. Waist: 28in 28.5in Hips: 40in L Thigh: 22in 22.5in R Thigh: 21.5in 22in L Calf: 15in 14.5in R Calf: 15.5in 14.7in L Bicep: 11in 10.5in R Bicep: 11in 10.5in And the knee note, I think it's getting easier to run on my knee with the proper shoes. Still can't run to bus stops in my flats, but I'll take the progress. Hurray for healing!

Thanks! I got really, really lucky! And I can't help it, I felt a little bada** for being able to walk away with nothing but a bruised knee! Also, plot twist totally applies! Day 1 and 1/2 are great so far. No deviations, I'm under the calorie count, and I managed to resist the homemade cinnamon rolls and theater popcorn at work. Now to so some yoga, write, and I'll be done for the day! Because everyone needs more !!!'s in their day.

I'm from the Tri-City area (Fremont, Newark, Union City)! I never realized there were so many rebels nearby!

I have a quick accountibuddies question! I missed the first week of the challenge (oops!), and I was wondering if it's too late to sign up for an accountibuddies group? If not, how would I go about finding one?

So I think I've been a bit distracted and totally missed the start date. Oops! But it was probably a good thing because I got hit by a car a week and a half ago, and my knee is still in recuperate mode. I normally run, and that has been out of the question for the moment. So I figure this is the perfect time to work on headstands, flexibility, and pull-ups. I've never done a pull-up before! Or a headstand for that matter. I equate the car accident with a set back in the hero's journey. Like the Fellowship losing Gandalf in the Lord of the Rings, the quest seemed more hopeless after Moria, but it turns out Gandalf came back stronger than ever and the ring was destroyed. With that in mind here are my goals for the next five weeks. Main Quest: Gain momentum for a new leaf in the fitness journey. Goal 1: Food for Health I'm tracking my food progress with MyFitnessPal. I'm vegetarian, so I won't be doing a full paleo anything, but I will work towards eating lots of veggies with balanced amounts of fruits, nuts, oils, protein-heavy grains like quinoa, eggs, and dairy products like greek yogurt and cheese. No refined sugars or wheats allowed, unless it's accidentally in one of my cheese products. Only two off-meals per week allowed. It's going to take some planning and willpower to pull this off, but it's totally worth it. If Success: +2 Con, +2 Wis Goal 2: Yoga and Strength Practice Do at least 10 minutes of yoga every single day. Preferred time allotted on weekdays: 30 minutes. Preferred time allotted on weekends: 1 hour. Also do the workouts from The Hero's Journey workout. My chosen weapon will be the greatsword (pull-ups). This will help keep my body flexible and flexibly strong, so it will help prevent injury and deal with the one I already have. It will also help prep me for future goals. If Success: +1 Dex, +1 Str Goal 3: Headstand Practice Practice some variation of headstand progressions every day, with an off-day on Sunday. Practicing crow-pose from yoga is a good alternative if I feel my body isn't going to benefit from that day's practice. If Success: +1 Agil Side Quest: Write 500 Words a Day This 500 words a day needs to be in my own projects. One day off allowed per week. Maybe I can finally make headway in either my blog or my novels! If Success: +1 Wis Beginning Measurements: Waist: 28in Hips: 40in L Thigh: 22in R Thigh: 21.5in L Calf: 15in R Calf: 15.5in L Bicep: 11in R Bicep: 11in Headstand: Can barely get my back perpendicular to the ground. Food: Eating cake and cookies at work is regular, with ice cream at home. I also need to change my oatmeal habits, since I've been eating the super sugary ones. Also planning meals ahead of time to avoid binging from hunger. Exercise: I've been going on Youtube instead of doing my usual yoga and/or strength routines. So I've got some work to do there! Lets see how this thang goes!

Hey all! I'm currently trying to bounce back from a rough bout with food poisoning (bad fish), and this is the first time in my life I've ever been tempted to try some kind of detox diet for a few days (once I can hold down solid food). The only problem is I don't even know if that is a good idea, or if it is how to go about finding one that's safe. Any thoughts, fellow rebels? Thanks for stopping by!

***May Contain Game of Thrones Spoilers*** I'll try to keep them to a minimum. This is my second challenge, and the first one was all about building the will power to achieve my life and fitness goals. I'm one step closer to achieving my current quest. To me, the first challenge was equivalent to Daenerys Targaryen building up her confidence in book/season 1. That confidence and character development was challenged again and shaped throughout the second half of book/season 1, which culminated in the building of the huge pyre that ignited her dragon eggs. I'm seeking to begin building my own pyre through the next six weeks by building upon my previous quests. Last time I was able to kick-start fat loss and build healthier eating habits. This made it easier to stick with a weight training and running routine, which has given me a boost in confidence in my abilities. In three months or so I'll be a college graduate. It goes without saying that the post-college transition is both daunting and exciting, and given today's job market, I want to tackle it with both strength and grace. Part of that is building confidence and healthy habits, both of which I can achieve through health-centered fitness. They're all part of the structure I plan on building. Main Quest: I'm striving to gain a healthier body so after college I won't need to think about it any more. Also, by creating a healthier lifestyle, other new post-college habits won't seem as lofty and unreachable. It's the first step for me to dominate one of the hardest and most defining transition periods of my life (so far). I'll be one step closer to claiming my own Iron Throne. The Three Journey/Quests: 1) Fueling the Fire: Eat mostly paleo, but add in a few "buffer" foods to get enough calories. I'm eating in a dining hall every meal, and eating all paleo there made me so tired and hungry that I ended up binging every three days. I realized it was because I wasn't eating enough and that the dining hall doesn't have enough heavy caloric paleo options, so I'm adding in some oatmeal and rice as a buffer zone. My net goal is about 1,300 calories a day, but given how active I am, the actual number of calories consumed tends to be closer to 1,800. 2) Collecting the Wood: This is lumping in my weight training and running into one goal. I used to weight train three times a week, but due to school scheduling, I think it's more realistic to do twice a week instead. I'm also planning on running a 5k three times a week. That's a total of 5 workouts a week. 3) Reviewing the Structure: This will be me recording my progress, particularly with food. I find that if I keep myself accountable with a food journal, I tend to eat healthier, particularly when trying to eat well in the college environment. I will also write down when I hit a weight training milestone. But mainly this is to support the food goal. I will also measure myself every Friday morning. Life Quest: Reduce Social Media Time I've noticed I spend a lot of time just mindlessly looking at sites like Facebook and emails when i could be getting work done. So I'm limiting the number of times I can do a 'mindless' Facebook scroll. I can do this twice a day, but it cannot be early in the morning. Instead, when I'm tempted to turn on the website, I'll grab either a book I need to read for my novel class or read more in The Lord of the Rings for my Tolkien class. I have one more semester, and I want to do well. So, it's time to cut out the time-wasters. Pre-Challenge Stats: Measurements: Waist: 29 Hips: 37 Thighs: 22 Calves: 15 Biceps: 12 Weight Abilities: Pull-Ups: Assist 120lbs, 3s 10r Dips: Assist 110lbs 3s 10r Chin Ups: Assist 120lbs 3s, 10r Pushups: Full 3s, 10r 1-Leg Squats: 3s, 15r Lunges: unassisted 3s, 10r Squats: 50lbs 3s, 20r Rocket Jumps: 3s, 6r Planks: 3s, 50 seconds Running: Two days before my last run for Zombie, 5k! 8-Week training program completion The Reward: Upon completing this challenge, and hopefully dropping a few more inches, I'll reward myself with another dress (rollover from my first challenge) and a movie. This will give me a tangible reward when things get tough. The dress is for the exercise journeyquests, and the movie is for my less social media goal. Aaannnnd..... Since this post is a little later in the challenge, I'm doing a quick status report at the bottom here. Week 1 Status Report: 1) I've been within my caloric goals Tuesday through Thursday this week. Tuesday had two small cheat items, Wednesday had one cheat item, and Thursday had two. Today I haven't had any yet. CHECK! 2) I've done three runs this week, and one weight lifting routine. I'm planning on the second weight routine today and I'm going to yoga with my roommate. So SUPER CHECK! 3) I have recordings for every day this week starting Tuesday, so CHECK! Life) I was able to pull myself off of Facebook last night and then got a lot of work done on my resume/cover letter. I'll be monitoring this one more closely now that I've given myself a reward for success. I'm excited since I'd call this a strong beginning! Lets do this! ~Targaryen

Ooo, I agree on the progress bar. That's neat! And my phone neglected to tell me there were responses here! Oops! I joined Aegon's Conquerors too, but after doing that, I thought about you guys. Want to just jump ship from the Starks to the Targaryens? Maybe in the third challenge we can take on the Lannisters. I haven't made a challenge post yet, even though I've been keeping up on it this week. The semester is now in full swing!

Hey awesome people! Is anyone else doing the next 6-Week challenge? If yes, anyone still considering which accountibuddies team they want? I was thinking of starting one if a couple of you guys wanted to join in!

Thank you for the responses, guys! notanartmajor: On most workout days when I was at home, I was struggling to eat up to 1500 calories in a day doing paleo, and I wasn't having the same kinds of struggles with energy and binging. Now that I'm eating in the dorms, that number probably fluctuates a lot more, so I'm starting to keep a food-journal on my best guestimation. I also use a protein powder in water after working out. Elastigirl: They dining hall is pretty good about offering rice, and I just recently found olive oil. (I know that olive oil is technically not paleo according to some, but it's a good sources of healthy fat and easy to come by.) I've normally been supplementing lunches with as much avocado as I can find at the sandwich bar. At every meal they have burgers, french fries, and pizza, and then there is a sandwich bar with more processed lunch meats (and all kinds of bread) that just taste like chemicals to me, but they do sometimes have good things there like pesto and avocados. The salad bar usually has carrots, celery, broccoli, cherry tomatoes, and an occasional rotation of other veggies. This is fantastic, but I find on days when I only eat cold veggies (even if I supplement with avocados) that I just get really hungry and tired. Your suggestion of adding in a serving of rice is pretty feasible on most days, so thank you! Gobain, cline, Zorch: I like the suggestion of asking for steamed veggies. I'm planning on going to the diner's club meeting to suggest steamed veggies at every lunch and dinner (my roommate is vegan, so it's something I know more than just the one paleo kid on campus can benefit from). They used to do this, and I'm not sure why they stopped (they also never used to have pizza and french fries with every meal, and I'm not sure why that was added either). Unfortunately I can't pull the gluten intolerant card, but when I find a friendly lunch lady I'll try asking them. I also do dairy (putting nonfat milk in my coffee has been keeping me going the past few weeks!), so the cottage cheese in the morning has been great. Also I agree with the avoiding sauces bit. Putting aside the unpredictability of sauces, anything good they might put in them is usually thin, as in you might get one or two limp broccoli pieces in a cup of sauce. That part just feels like a waste. The fruit is probably the best part of the dining hall. They have this huge fruit stand that is always full of apples, bananas, oranges, and occasionally kiwis, plums, and peaches. I've been sneaking these out to stash in my dorm in case I'm overcome with hunger at some point.

Hey all! I'm not quite sure how to tackle this one, so I thought I'd turn to the collective wisdom of the message boards. Currently I'm living in the dorms and doing 1-hour workouts six times in a week while taking a full course load at college. It was during this last challenge that I've been trying to switch over to paleo; when I was cooking my own food I was doing well with both satiety and energy. However, since I've been back at the dorms I've been having trouble with energy and sticking to paleo. My dorms don't always have steamed veggies at lunch and dinner, and nearly everything else is smothered in sauces, bread, potatoes ect. It seems like I can do okay for a few days, but then I'll just take an energy and hunger crash and start craving anything and everything food wise. It's more the binge aspect of this that worries me, because if I can't maintain paleo for this hunger and energy reasons, I need to find an alternative. Does anyone have any suggestions on foods to add back into the paleo died that are cafeteria friendly, warm, and will stave off the binging tendencies?

Likewise, SpaghettiMonster! Thank you everyone here for the support and celebration during the ups and downs of the challenge! And thanks for making sure I'm accountable to all of you. Final Assessment! The last two weeks (since returning to school) have been a bit of a challenge to keep up with my budding habits. The dorm doesn't always have enough good paleo-like foods to let me eat them and stay full, unlike when I was cooking for myself. This was a little frustrating because then I'd end up giving up and diving into something warm during a meal or two, and that something warm isn't always healthy by any standards, not just paleo. So, ugh. I'm still getting way stronger and faster, but I'm also gaining back a few of my body fat losses. Main Quest: Gain a healthier mind and body before graduation this December. Goal 1: Run or swim three times a week I've been running mostly using Zombie, 5k, and my running strength has been dramatically increasing. So woot!! I also have been good about not missing too many workouts here, so I call this one COMPLETE! Goal 2: Lift three times a week Same as the running goal. I have missed a workout here and there, but overall this one was really successful. I can also say a few things I've gotten stronger in: I can now do negative pull-ups, I don't need a support for lunges, I'm back up to doing full push-ups during the ABWW, and carrying books and groceries while maintaining correct posture is easy! So physically I'm so much stronger now. Goal is COMPLETE! Goal 3: Eating mostly paleo I was doing REALLY well on this before returning to college, and whenever I go out with friends it seems to go downhill. But, I've been making the change gradually. After this challenge I'm going to be continuing to record my food so I can try and keep on track here. But even when I slip, I've been getting right back on paleo the next meal (especially when my dining hall has steamed broccoli!). Considering my nickname before was the "Carb Queen" and I have been doing well here for the most part, I'm going to call this COMPLETE! But with the note that I'll need to keep working on it. Life Goal: I ended up dropping this goal, and so I won't assign the forth attribute point to myself. Once I got back to university, I had way too much to do priority wise, and I was already iffy here. I have lots of short stories now though. It's half completed. Final Measurements: Waist: 31" 29" Hips: 38" Thighs: 22" Biceps: 12" 11" Calves: 17" 15" I have no measurement losses since the mid-evaluation, and that's probably for the food fluctuation in the dorms. But, as I promised myself, if I lost a few inches by the end of the challenge I get to buy myself a dress!!!! So guess whose going shopping?! There were a few pitfalls, but I'm happy to have completed my first challenge! With the major successes in the first four weeks, despite the minor setbacks in the last two due to a major change in my environment, I actually have a glimmer of hope that I can lose a little bit of fat from the past few years! This hasn't happened before, so I'm pumped for the next challenge!

Final Assessment! The last two weeks (since returning to school) have been a bit of a challenge to keep up with my budding habits. The dorm doesn't always have enough good paleo-like foods to let me eat them and stay full, unlike when I was cooking for myself. This was a little frustrating because then I'd end up giving up and diving into something warm during a meal or two, and that something warm isn't always healthy by any standards, not just paleo. So, ugh. I'm still getting way stronger and faster, but I'm also gaining back a few of my body fat losses. Main Quest: Gain a healthier mind and body before graduation this December. Goal 1: Run or swim three times a week I've been running mostly using Zombie, 5k, and my running strength has been dramatically increasing. So woot!! I also have been good about not missing too many workouts here, so I call this one COMPLETE! Goal 2: Lift three times a week Same as the running goal. I have missed a workout here and there, but overall this one was really successful. I can also say a few things I've gotten stronger in: I can now do negative pull-ups, I don't need a support for lunges, I'm back up to doing full push-ups during the ABWW, and carrying books and groceries while maintaining correct posture is easy! So physically I'm so much stronger now. Goal is COMPLETE! Goal 3: Eating mostly paleo I was doing REALLY well on this before returning to college, and whenever I go out with friends it seems to go downhill. But, I've been making the change gradually. After this challenge I'm going to be continuing to record my food so I can try and keep on track here. But even when I slip, I've been getting right back on paleo the next meal (especially when my dining hall has steamed broccoli!). Considering my nickname before was the "Carb Queen" and I have been doing well here for the most part, I'm going to call this COMPLETE! But with the note that I'll need to keep working on it. Life Goal: I ended up dropping this goal, and so I won't assign the forth attribute point to myself. Once I got back to university, I had way too much to do priority wise, and I was already iffy here. I have lots of short stories now though. It's half completed. Final Measurements: Waist: 31" 29" Hips: 38" Thighs: 22" Biceps: 12" 11" Calves: 17" 15" I have no measurement losses since the mid-evaluation, and that's probably for the food fluctuation in the dorms. But, as I promised myself, if I lost a few inches by the end of the challenge I get to buy myself a dress!!!! So guess whose going shopping?! There were a few pitfalls, but I'm happy to have completed my first challenge! With the major successes in the first four weeks, despite the minor setbacks in the last two due to a major change in my environment, I actually have a glimmer of hope that I can lose a little bit of fat from the past few years! This hasn't happened before, so I'm pumped for the next challenge!

Hey everyone! I'm glad to see a few posts here! Okay, I was doing great(ish) for the first week back at the dorm cafeteria up until this weekend. Up until Friday it was flawless because they always had a tray of steamed vegetables that would fill up my plate (I try to only eat meat once a day, and that meat is lean); on Friday during lunch they didn't serve any steamed vegetables and instead had french fries and roasted potatoes. Their "vegetable" was a curry that was all sauce and a few diced carrots. Ugh. Instead of figuring out a good alternative, I ended up eating the oh so tempting processed food and grains plus a really fatty hamburger with lettuce instead of a bun to make a nod to paleo. Last night I was thinking on it because I've come too far to revert back now just because it's slightly more difficult than before. To adjust it, I'll probably have to eat more fruit than I had been before on days when the vegetables are quite pitiful or on really hungry days. To the dining hall's credit, they always have good, fresh fruit. Plus it gives me an out when I want something filling without going for the bread and french fries. I might also fake being vegan or gluten intolerant and ask the staff for steamed vegetables when they aren't serving any already. If they don't do that, I'll be going to the next open meeting with students and the dining hall staff to suggest they make more steamed veggies available for vegan/paleo students. Excercize-wise trying to figure out a good daily time is being tricky, but that'll work itself out. I only missed one and didn't make up one run this week, and I missed one lifting day (Friday, I forget why). My food and workouts slipped at about the same time, so I think if I keep the food under control, the workout motivation will stay in place. *knock on wood* Darwin: Good on you for getting back to the gym! I had a similar story of getting there and finding out it's close (although here they closed it all together, boo!). Your dedication is motivating! Arya: Glad to see you get back on track! Let us know how your run went! Spaghetti: Congrats on hitting your distance goal!! That's all kinds of awesome!! One week left; we can do it!

What's up House Stark! It's Day 31, so 11 more days to go until the end! I just noticed that there aren't too many posts on here, so I was curious if it's because people don't need the posting to keep on track or if they're beginning to slip away from the challenge. We're about to turn the corner into the home stretch! My review of Day 29-30: Goal 1: Weights- I haven't missed a weight workout yet, though I did venture into the main weights area in my gym for my workout. It'll make my circuit more efficient now that I know where everything is. I also bumped up my legs routine using a higher step, a 40lb barbell for squats, and added some deadlifts at the end. My back and arms (from doing assisted pull ups now) were so sore I could barely open the door to my hall. It probably looked a bit funny. So I'm excited about this! Goal 2: Trying to readjust my routine to include running here is going to be a challenge, and I missed my run on tuesday so I just switched my sprints with my run. Today I'm doing an easy run with a friend of mine, and he doesn't run nearly as often as me, so I'll probably be taking it easy. Goal 3: When I'm not going out to eat this part is easy now. Writing: I'm getting better about writing a flash fiction a day. I need to do a side-project for one of my classes that'll take up 30-40 hours, and I might decide to do a flash fiction anthology as mine. When I sit down and write, the stories are coming a little easier, or at least I know that the blank page can be filled up because I did it the ay before. With that and working for the school newspaper/magazine, I'll be padding my portfolio quite nicely! Overall, the purpose of getting these aspects of life formulated into a habit is working. With such a major shift in my scheduling it might take a week or two longer to solidify these habits, but I've made it this far so the rest will follow. Side-Note: I don't know if my size has changed at all, but all of my clothes are fitting better. I have several pairs of pants that need a belt now, other pants I can wear that I couldn't for a year or two, and I got compliments when wearing a dress that I normally look really chunky in. This is fantastic! We're almost there, House Stark! Hang on!

Moved in, formatted/edited newspaper, survived first day of class, ect ect. Okay, so Saturday I missed my run because I slept in, but I hadn't been getting enough sleep during that time. By Sunday I was asleep on my feet while looking at dinosaur skeletons with friends. Later that night I completely broke the paleo thing and had fish and chips, beer, and various deep fried treats (like twinkies, oreos, and pop-tarts). I called this a birthday outing with friends (I seriously hadn't seen these people for three years, so there was a lot of celebrating to do!) and went right back to paleo today. It might not be as bad in the cafeteria as I thought as long as I don't spend longer than ten minutes there. The bad day was in the office working on the newspaper the night before. Our editor-in-chief was generous and bought us all pizza while we figured out InDesign, and I was dying of hunger by then. I resisted and am glad someone else doesn't eat gluten too, so next time food is being ordered we can buddy up and find grain-free options. Workout wise, I got my weights in today and bumped up the arms. I can't feel my back (muscles, not pulled) because it was so effective. Now to figure out how to make the legs harder, since they have gotten way too easy. I'm planning on running tomorrow as well, so check and check. Goal 1- Weights=win Goal 2- Run=scheduled Goal 3- Paleo=doable but will require more will power now Life Writing: I actually wrote a story today! I might be able to get back on track with this goal! Okay, off to homework and bed! Winter is almost upon us!

Thanks UnterDennis! Yeah, I like the measurements way more than either the scale or the body comp. It also feels like it fits the goal a bit better, since I just want to fit into my clothes better. And the cat is eating again (we've had to give her an IV at night), so at least she out of the immediate danger.

I just tried out the Vega One two days ago, and my run yesterday was stronger than normal (day after trying Vega). I also had my one serving of grains (small bowl of oatmeal) about a half an hour before I ran, so I'm not quite sure who the culprit was. Placebo or not, I'm not as achy after working out as normal, which is nice. So far so good. Thank you everyone for the suggestions!

Happy birthday to ME! Happy birthday to ME! Hey guys, just wanted to type out a quick update since I'm not sure when I'll get a good chance for the next few days. Today we're traveling back to my university and tomorrow I move into the dorms with only two hours to unload and get rid of all my boxes before running over to my editor's desk until midnight or later. Then monday is the start of classes again. So, if I'm away for a few days, that's why; I'm still very much with this challenge! Last night I celebrated my birthday with my family (the actual birthday is today, but we're driving six hours after my mom and brother get off work, so not too much time for super-eleborate food-celebrations today). I stuck with my run and eating clean pretty much all day. The only exception was the tortilla and cheese I had on a single taco for dinner (for an Englishwoman, my mom makes REALLY amazing tacos!)! Apart from that everything was on par and I still came out under my calorie count as usual. I even convinced my family to be okay with a little food experiment and had paleo cupcakes with a strawberry puree instead of frosting. It. Was. Delicious. And guilt free! Today I'm celebrating by having another cupcake for breakfast and as many potato chips as I'd like (this isn't much anymore. I think I've retrained my brain to think one serving is way more than enough. Talk about a win!). Anyway, for the past few days I've been completely fine as far as the health bit of the challenge goes. I've hit all of my workouts (MWF weights and TThSat run) and my food has always been coming out under the calorie limit and has been paleo (except for the occasional beer or wine. I'm indulging now because I almost never drink during the semester. I might have one drink in three months). I haven't gone over the limit mainly because I get super-full by the end of the day and can't stuff any more bell peppers or broccoli down. Writing wise, I've been writing a bit every day, so slowly working back up to a story a day. I think I get a D/C on this one, but oh well, the rest of it is going so well I don't really care. Stay strong House Stark! If my calculations are correct (ha, they're prone to error) we have 26 days down and 16 more to go!

That's what I thought, glad to hear it reaffirmed. Ah well, I ended up going with the Vega anyway, and hopefully it'll help counter dorm food in the coming weeks (mmm, chemicals...). I like your price justification too!

I'm a little late for the mid-challenge update, but I was up last night with a sick cat instead. Anyway, the update! Quest: Gain more self-discipline starting with a healthier body, especially with post-college stress coming up. Goal 1: Run or swim at least three times a week. I haven't been in a pool at all since the start of this challenge, but I have only missed two runs in three weeks, and one of the runs I made up the next day. The one I didn't make up was due to 15 hours of traveling, so I wasn't bothered. I'd give myself an A here! Goal 2: Do the Advanced Bodyweight Circuit three times a week. I totally dominated this one. I haven't missed a single weight training day even if I've been completely exhausted, and as a result I've seen marked improvements in my strength. First, I've swapped out five regular pushups each round of ten, I'm doing fifteen one-legged squats each round, and instead of having bent knees for underhand inverted rows, my legs are now straight and I can do twelve without stopping instead of ten. Finally, I can perform lunges (I've struggled with lunges for some reason) without holding onto a support. I've always done three circuits. On most days I also do some form of sprint drill, and I've also added a quick core circuit (abs, back, butt) right after the main one. Goal 3: I will track my food intake using MyFitnessPal, and be predominantly paleo. This one was much easier than I had anticipated. At first I had a problem with hunger, which is when counting was really important, but this past week I've had trouble eating up to my caloric goal because I've been so full. What this tells me is that my body is acclimating to fewer carbs (the only two sources of grains in my diet right now includes one serving of oatmeal in the morning and the occasional beer). The most difficult part is my love of potatoes, but slowly the cravings are going down. If I have an overwhelming craving, I just count out one serving, eat it, and call it good. This is where I'm happiest for my success! Life Goal: Write a story everyday. Eeeeeeehhhhhhh. This is my weakest point. With the semester coming up and a few other things on my mind I keep forgetting to write something. I may switch this to newspaper articles for the my page (I'm an editor for one of papers on campus) and other some such until that workload is more under control, that way I don't feel bad about myself for not completing this goal. Mid-Challenge Measurements: Waist: 31" 29" Hips: 38" Thighs: 22" Biceps: 12" 11" Calves (not originally reported): 17" 15" What the measurements don't reflect: I have slimmed down A LOT and many clothes I stopped wearing, because I was getting that fluffy "muffin top", now fit again. My back used to be extremely lumpy but now it's much less pronounced; I'm no longer as embarrassed to wear shorts, skirts, or tank tops. It's not just me seeing this either. My family members have all said the same thing without prompting. In the past my shoulders have gotten huge when I lift (especially when I was on the crew team), but even though I'm gaining muscle mass my arms and shoulders aren't bulking up, they're slimming down. I'm beginning to wonder if this is because of all the grains I ate when I was rowing, but it's nice to see I'm not running the risk of reclaiming my "Helga" nickname. So woot! This is so much victory after only three weeks! I don't think I'm any closer to dropping a dress size (thank you hips!), but the underlying desire to be happy with myself when I look in the mirror is being realized. The one thing I need to work on is making sure I get my story written. I'm going to set aside time earlier in the day for that instead. Alright, off to eat! I am conquering with fire and blooood!

(Hey, Arya, high five for our alter egos getting highlighted in Steve's latest blog post!) I'm a little late for the mid-challenge update, but I was up last night with a sick cat instead. Anyway, the update! Quest: Gain more self-discipline starting with a healthier body, especially with post-college stress coming up. Goal 1: Run or swim at least three times a week. I haven't been in a pool at all since the start of this challenge, but I have only missed two runs in three weeks, and one of the runs I made up the next day. The one I didn't make up was due to 15 hours of traveling, so I wasn't bothered. I'd give myself an A here! Goal 2: Do the Advanced Bodyweight Circuit three times a week. I totally dominated this one. I haven't missed a single weight training day even if I've been completely exhausted, and as a result I've seen marked improvements in my strength. First, I've swapped out five regular pushups each round of ten, I'm doing fifteen one-legged squats each round, and instead of having bent knees for underhand inverted rows, my legs are now straight and I can do twelve without stopping instead of ten. Finally, I can perform lunges (I've struggled with lunges for some reason) without holding onto a support. I've always done three circuits. On most days I also do some form of sprint drill, and I've also added a quick core circuit (abs, back, butt) right after the main one. Goal 3: I will track my food intake using MyFitnessPal, and be predominantly paleo. This one was much easier than I had anticipated. At first I had a problem with hunger, which is when counting was really important, but this past week I've had trouble eating up to my caloric goal because I've been so full. What this tells me is that my body is acclimating to fewer carbs (the only two sources of grains in my diet right now includes one serving of oatmeal in the morning and the occasional beer). The most difficult part is my love of potatoes, but slowly the cravings are going down. If I have an overwhelming craving, I just count out one serving, eat it, and call it good. This is where I'm happiest for my success! Life Goal: Write a story everyday. Eeeeeeehhhhhhh. This is my weakest point. With the semester coming up and a few other things on my mind I keep forgetting to write something. I may switch this to newspaper articles for the my page (I'm an editor for one of papers on campus) and other some such until that workload is more under control, that way I don't feel bad about myself for not completing this goal. Mid-Challenge Measurements: Waist: 31" 29" Hips: 38" Thighs: 22" Biceps: 12" 11" Calves (not originally reported): 17" 15" What the measurements don't reflect: I have slimmed down A LOT and many clothes I stopped wearing, because I was getting that fluffy "muffin top", now fit again. My back used to be extremely lumpy but now it's much less pronounced; I'm no longer as embarrassed to wear shorts, skirts, or tank tops. It's not just me seeing this either. My family members have all said the same thing without prompting. In the past my shoulders have gotten huge when I lift (especially when I was on the crew team), but even though I'm gaining muscle mass my arms and shoulders aren't bulking up, they're slimming down. I'm beginning to wonder if this is because of all the grains I ate when I was rowing, but it's nice to see I'm not running the risk of reclaiming my "Helga" nickname. So woot! This is so much victory after only three weeks! I don't think I'm any closer to dropping a dress size (thank you hips!), but the underlying desire to be happy with myself when I look in the mirror is being realized. I am conquering with fire and blooood! And for the suggested Darwin's_Demon's three. 1) My favorite achievement so far: I've fallen into the food/workout routine a little easier than I had initially anticipated, particularly the food. I was nervous this was going to be a huge struggle (it did have it's moments), but it hasn't been as difficult to get into the swing of. I also haven't been napping during the day, which is a habit of mine since I was small, so the diet changes have been huge for me! 2) Most challenging goal is going to be the writing, and the most difficult part is staring at the blank page. This is something I need to work on with simple self-discipline, but it's been hard. The second anticipated challenge is returning to the dorm cafeteria and all it's lovely assortment of non-paleo-friendly food. I've heard rumors that the staff sprays the salad bar vegetables with chemicals to start them turning funny colors, but this chemical can sometimes make you sick if you eat too much of it. I'll try eating normally (well, past three week normal anyway) and see if I end up getting ill off of it. If I don't, awesome. If I do... well, I'll just have to figure something out. My kitchen will be missed. 3) How I plan on overcoming the challenge and why: I need to put more effort into the writing. Maybe waiting until just before bed isn't a good idea, so trying to get it done in the early morning might be more feasible. When I move into my dorm (one more semester!!!) I'll put up a calendar where I can only cross off the days when i completed the story. I'll also make it the beginning of my paperwork/article writing time, so hopefully it'll kickstart the "getting work done" mode. This is really important to me because after college I want to write and get published, but without the class assignment of "bring in the next chapter of your novel on tuesday" I need to have the self discipline to write everyday, start a project, and finish it too. As for dining hall food... I'll just have to wait and see if I get sick off of their vegetables. I don't want to revert back to old habits after finally seeing real progress to end my war with the mirror. Darwin: Good luck with staying away from drinking. It sounds like that's a tough goal but an important one. Arya: Woohoo full pushups! Isn't that an awesome feeling?! That little motto during your runs is also brilliant. I'll have to remember that next time I'm running away from zombies/white walkers. SpaghettiMonster: Hopefully you'll recover from your traveling soon! Maybe then you'll feel better about staying on track Snowfox: Welcome back and glad you're still with the challenge! It seems like week 3 has been a challenge, but you've already come so far with passing CrossFit level 1! Maybe to help with feeling overwhelmed pinpoint something that needs to get done but has also been stressing you out and set aside time and just do it. That way instead of feeling overwhelmed you at least feel partially accomplished. Maybe that'll make everything else feel manageable again. You have our support! Okay, now that I've finished this, I'm going to eat something and write a story. My run is already done for the day so woot! Keep conquering, House Stark! The Lannisters have a debt to pay.

I like the Vega One suggestion. I'm not sure I can afford that right now, so once my current batch is done (Designer Whey, it was already in the house when I started the 6-week challenge, and it seems to be working for now) I'll compare prices of VegaOne vs. Spezzy's suggestions. Hey, the timing comments in the past few posts have made me wonder about when is best to drink protein shakes. I automatically assume post-workout is the best time (particularly if you can't get a good meal within a few hours), but I suppose assuming isn't the best way to go about health. I noticed on Spezzy/Staci's success story, she drinks protein shakes before a workout and then half a day after the workout. Is there a better time to drink this than post-workout (within 60 mins after I should say, since that's what I've been doing)?

RolandTembo: The best advice I can think of right now is to remember why you're gone on your main quest, and then how your goals will create stepping stones to that main quest, like handholds on a rock wall. Maybe going back to your original challenge thread and re-read what you said there and refer back to it whenever you're having moments of struggle or tiredness. Likely, if you're taking care of yourself food, sleep, exercise (owie!), and relationship wise, you're body is probably just going through an adjustment downswing. That means it'll have an upswing soon enough as long as you can ride out this wave. From what it sounds like, everyone is going through it too, so you're not alone. The past page of posts I think has been nothing but either asking for help (myself included) or giving encouragement. What Darwins_Demon has been doing might help, and that's evaluate how well you've been doing on each goal to support the quest. Beginning with the end in mind, and then keeping the blueprint in front of you! And then have a good laugh with yourself on it! You've already come this far, and most people drop out after two weeks! It's time to assign our Level 0 stats! You studly leader of ours! Darwin's_Demon: Dude, you still have an A on your goals! One day of slipping through drinking won't ruin three weeks of heroic work that you've put in! The important thing is just to get a good night's rest and instead of reminding yourself of your slip, reminding yourself of the solid changes you've seen (switching from negative to positive reinforcement) through the goals you've set. You said yourself that your clothes are fitting better now and you handled your conference with bravado! Next time you look in the mirror, straighten your shoulders and say "I'm awesome!". Week three is done with only one semi-major slip. That's a job well done! UnterDennis: That life goal is a tough one if you're used to having a smartphone or iPad like an extension of your arm, but it's good that you're catching it now (you're wife's a smart cookie). And well done on your other goals as well! It's good you're seeing yourself getting stronger, even if it is a small change. SpaghettiMonster: Congrats on the 7.5km! Ripley: You can do it! We'd be sad to lose a fellow wolf after three weeks! Maybe keeping up with daily updates here until you start tracking daily again to help along. I'm glad you feel like you're back on track. Good catch! Abtacha: I know that feeling all too well. I had some bread yesterday with soup that tasted oh-so-good. I liked the suggestion from when I had my "help, wolf desperate!" post a few days ago. Try and get your mind on something else for a while and maybe it will subside, and then maybe drinking two or three cups of water at once will help because then you won't feel like you have as much room for snacks. LIke with Darwin, one day's worth of slip snacking won't ruin three week's worth of work! One thing i'm learning is that having one or two slip-ups like this is part of the process. The key is to use the slips to help you keep on track rather than the other way around. And then have a good laugh about it! I hope these help each of you. When I posted for help I had an overwhelming positive response that helped me get through it, and wanted to return the kindness. So if my words don't help, hopefully the intension will! I'll post my own three-week update tonight before I go to sleep. I'm just finishing up breakfast now (apart from no potato chips, I'm getting used to this style of eating a lot easier than I thought... and now that I say that returning to the dorm cafeteria in a week is going to throw me. Oops!). The pack that prepares for winter together sticks together. Well done House Stark! We've made if longer than, what was it that Steve posted? Ninety percent of people dropped out within the first two weeks? Even if we're struggling, we've already beaten the odds! PS: I think someone here mentioned home-brewing and trying to figure out how to fit it into the their goals? From the post it sounded like they had a 5-gallon fermenter. Maybe investing in a 1-gallon kit instead, but brewing just as frequently as you would the 5-gallon? It's helped me not drink too much when I brew, and it's also easier to lift. 5-gallons of water and mash is tough to pour! Hope that helps/sparks an idea and sorry the suggestion was late in coming!