claysad

Bridesmaid dress in my future in Summer 2015, too! I know that feel, bro. Good luck with your quest!

These look like great goals! I think you're dead on about the tracking. I've read that tracking can help regulate eating automatically, as long as you track everything. Good luck!

That's the spirit! That's what I'm hoping, too.

I see there are tea fans among the rebels! Hot tea was an acquired taste for me (like coffee), but eventually, I learned to drink both with no milk/sweetener additives (though I do love honey in tea AND coffee). The good thing about tea (well, one good thing) is that there are so many to try! Some teas are also naturally sweeter than others. Mighty Leaf has an African Nectar tea that doesn't need any sweetener, and I've had a couple of honeybush teas that are pretty sweet on their own. Adagio Teas has a zillion ones to to select from, and they have a nice collection of "fandom" teas created by fans and inspired by everything from Harry Potter to Batman to Sherlock Holmes. There's this one Batgirl tea that's especially delicious and also needs no sweetener! Good luck on your mission!

I started my first 6 week Challenge back in September... and promptly pulled a muscle. Blerg. Four months later, I've gained a bit more weight, and lapsed into crappy eating habits, but I've actually managed to ease back into running a bit. I was thinking today about rebuiding healthy habits and remembered the Rebellion. Lucky for me, I'm just in time to re-start my very first Challenge. Last year I was side-tracked in my fitness goals by (minor) injuries twice. Back in January I did some PT for knee pain/weak hip muscles, and September through November I did PT for lower back/piriformis pain. This year, instead of making lofty goals and resolutions that might set me back yet again, I want to focus on building a leaner, stronger body that won't get injured once I do set my sights on the stars. Behold, I give you... the year of injury prevention! In the long term, to me, that means building a stronger core and slowly building strong running and skating endurance foundations before embarking on longer distances. It means stretching more and taking time to cool down. It means proper hydration and nutrition, consistently. It also means losing weight and building muscle. To this end, I have four specific goals for this challenge: 1.) Run 3 - 4 times/week for 20 - 30 minutes each time. 2.) Attend classes (strength training & yoga) at the Y 3 - 4 times per week. 3.) Perform injury prevention exercises at least 6 times per week. 4.) Eat home-prepared meals most of the week (all breakfast; 5/7 lunch, 5/7 dinner). I'll post weight/measurements on Wednesday, when I'm back at home (still visiting my parents on break right now). I think I'd like to lose 6 - 9 pounds this Challenge. Good luck to everyone! May the force be with you.

Yesssss, pictures! And tutus are the best! Though they can be difficult to run in. I think the short kind are good for running, though. I did a kind of long one for the Suds run once and it got to be kind of a mess by the end. But, I was running in a tutu, so it was all good.

Immediate answer--yes. Longer answer--yes, but I haven't decided as what, yet! I love costumes, so there will be one, I just gotta pick. Debating between a Wonder Woman costume (that's also running-friendly...) and a Lady Thor. OOOOH or Carol Danvers/Captain Marvel. Carol's the best.

Good luck! Nice and specific, that's the way to go!

So, at some point in Fellowship of the Ring, Sam turns to Frodo and says, "If I go one step further, I'll be the farthest from home I've ever been." That's how I feel about my fitness journey. I've yo-yoed back and forth with my weight and fitness level for so long. Every time I get to a "place" I've never been before, life "gets in the way"--i.e., I start making excuses. I want to stop making excuses, make the time for fitness and health, and take the ring ALL THE WAY TO MOUNT DOOM. Once I get there, I guess the Eagles can fly me back. But I gotta get there first. I call myself a runner, though over the summer I kind of slacked off running and am now working to build those muscles back up. I'd like to run a half-marathon in November--my first. I don't have a time goal; I just want to finish. I am also a roller derby referee, and I'd like to improve my on-skates skills and endurance. However, sometimes my running goals and skating goals conflict. I went through some physical therapy last winter because weak hip/glute muscles led to knee pain when I tried to both run and do derby at the same time. As part of my challenge, I want to make injury avoidance a priority. ~SO~ Main Quest: Lose 15 pounds by December 17th. Goals: Exercise: Derby twice per week, run three times per week, strength train twice per week Diet: Stop eating out at work Injury prevention: Complete at least one set of physical therapy exercises once per day. Ice once per dayLife Quest: ELIMINATE CREDIT CARD DEBT. Motivation: I'm generally terrible at self-motivation. I start self-projects and then stop. I'm really good at school, where people tell you stuff to do and you do it. I get that stuff done; other stuff falls by the wayside. Is wanting to develop self-motivation a motivation? I suppose a more precise word would be "self-direction." I tend to drop self-directed projects that are only for myself. If I have to do something for someone else, I'll do it. Hmm. That makes me sound like a martyr, which I'm not. I'm just... less committed to myself? Ugh. I don't know. Essentially, I want to be the kind of person that runs half-marathons, whatever kind of person that is. Also, I want to avoid being a third-generation diabetic. Both my mom and maternal grandmother have it. Clearly it's in my genes. I want to do everything in my power to prevent those genes from expressing themselves. Generally, I'm all for self-expression. Not with diabetes. And heart disease, which is on the other side of my family. Blerg. Here. Can I just use this awesome panel from Captain Marvel as my motivation? Carol says it pretty well: "And we will be the stars we were always meant to be." Will follow up with numbers tomorrow morning, which is when I generally weigh myself.

FITBIT!!! Looking for fitbit buddies: http://www.fitbit.com/user/267GS3 Good luck with your goals. You got this!

Hey, Twin Cities Nerds! Uptown nerd here. I've been to Devil's Advocate before, but only once. I can recommend it, though! Anyone doing the Women Run the Cities 5k or the Big Gay Race? Those are my two September races. October--Monster Dash 5k! Did I see someone else say they were also doing the Monster Dash?

While I've never been much of an RPG-er, this site makes me happy to my (admittedly kind of weak so far) core. I tend to set goals for myself, but then struggle to follow through. I hope that "gaming" the goals will, if not make things easier, then at least strengthen my resolve and remind me in my weaker moments what I'm fighting for. What am I fighting for? To finally stop yo-yo-ing in my weight. To get strong. To run a (half and then a full) marathon. Specific goals? I'd like to drop 20 lbs by the end of the year. I'd like to run a half marathon in November. I don't need to win any medals; I'd just like to complete the thing, running The. Whole. Time. And I want to be strong like Wonder Woman. First and specifically, I'd like to be able to do a pull up for probably the first time in my entire life. I maybe did one on a Presidential Fitness Test when I was like in 7th grade, but I could have made that up in my mind.... What do I bring to the table? I am a cheerleader to the point where I worry about it being obnoxious. I know that sometimes, some people don't want cheering; they just want an empathetic ear to listen (eyes to read?). I tend to offer encouragement and optimism because I often look on the bright side myself, and I forget sometimes that that's not what everyone needs. Too much sun can burn. So I'll offer encouragement, and if you need to tell me to tone it down a notch, I will not be offended. That being said, thanks for reading and good luck on your own quests! I look forward to stepping into the next 6-week challenge and leveling up my life!