UniqueMonique

bgvanbur - That post confirms everything I have always practised in regards to drinking water BUT in the Nutrition Challenge "Eat your calories, Don't drink them" you only get to mark the quest complete when you "Drink a minimum of 3 liters (13 cups) of water during a day for at least 5 days in a given 7 day stretch." Not to get all TMI on you nice folks here, but the only time my pee is even slightly tinted yellow is a) when I first wake up or after I've taken a B-Vitamin supplement (I'm Vegan). I am a well hydrated individual and I am seriously struggling with this quest! I've actually started ADDING salt to my smoothies and eating 2 bananas a day because I'm worried about leeching the minerals out of my blood and body! But I want to mark my quest as completed and I don't think 5 days will kill me...though I've only honestly reached the goal 2 days out of 6 so far... I've been playing with the idea of counting my teas (green, mint and herbal) and after reading that post, I definitely think I will. The quest should probably be looked at though; I'm not sure if it's as lofty of a goal as we should be setting for ourselves. If you have any pull in that area...

Thanks for checking in guys - you're so amazing! So far everything is going really well! I have not had any processed food and no alcohol at all. I have been drinking loads of water, though I'm not sure it's physically possible to consume 13 glasses of water in a single day. Seriously...does tea count!? All I drink is tea and water and I have to get up to pee every half an hour! I have also gotten up successfully ever morning since I made the goal, which is only a few, I know, but it counts! And my days have been SO much more productive! I've stuck to my exercise plan, which rotates running / yoga every other night. They are light activities which I feel refresh rather than attack my body, so I have no problem doing them every day. I've also been on track with my Level One exercises each morning, every other day! Whoop! I hope being here at NF is just as encouraging and motivational to every single member!

As with most of the replies here, I advise you to do your own research and do what feels right for your body. When I say research, however, I don't necessarily mean articles you find on About.com or the likes. Make sure they are sourced with scientific backing! And I also think it's really helpful to try an elimination diet. Cut out nearly everything, then slowly add items back into your eating plan to see how you feel. I am a very health conscious Vegan. I went Vegan for ethical reasons, partly, but also in large part for environmental reasons AND health reasons. I don't want to get preachy here, but personally, I haven't had a single moment where I missed the animal products I used to consume. I feel like an entirely new person. From the research I have done, I attribute the majority of my change to cutting out dairy, to be honest. Dairy has been shown to increase inflammation dramatically in the body, which is where almost all chronic diseases start. Please, don't take my word for it though - I'm NOT a doctor! - but do your own research. With all that being said, I eat loads of grains and legumes. Every meal will have one or the other or both! And I have no weight issues and I am full of energy from the moment I open my eyes, all throughout the day, until I pass blissfully into sleep at night. After going Vegan I lost about 7lbs without making any other changes. From a 5'7" 130lb starting point, that was quite significant! I haven't put it back on, and little things that I didn't even realize were bothering me (digestive issues, headaches, tension, acne, dry skin...) have all disappeared and not returned. I don't have any sensitivities, of course, and I try to eat the least processed versions I can. I get dry beans and soak them myself 80% of the time (sometimes I am in a hurry and use canned organic beans, rinsed well). For my grains I eat rice, quinoa, and whole-grain pasta. I eat bread products too, but only whole grain (the seedier the better!). I have looked into Dempster's products and found that they are quite good for eliminating the big bad preservatives, like parabens, that you sometimes find in bagels and wraps. (Can you believe that!? It's not just in your shampoos, people, it's in your food! How tragic!). I also eat seeds and nuts - chia, sunflower, flax, cashews, walnuts...all sorts. I was actually having my own line of questioning when it comes to levelling up in the Nutrition Section. I eat incredibly clean according to my own eating plan, but it does not resemble the Paleo format that NF prefers, so I'm stuck at a Level 5 and I refuse to change my ways because for me, they are the healthiest choices already. I'm not really sure what to do from here, but I hope my 2 cents were helpful in some small way! Best of luck to you!

Wow! Everyone here has some great goals for races that they're going to be doing - I'm so impressed! I'll be running the TC10K on April 24th in Victoria, BC, Canada. Details here: http://www.tc10k.ca/ My goal is to complete it in 50 minutes or less and with all your inspiration I can't fail! Best of luck to everyone!

bgvanbur - thanks again for the further clarification! I'd love to stick here as I am certainly a Scout right now! The yoga is just to keep my body operating smoothly while I push it in training for the big race and get accustomed to the general strength training rountines in the Academy. In time, I might gravitate towards the Assassins, but right now all my efforts are focussed on the big race! awesomesue - thanks for the encouragement! It has already been so motivating to know that people are "watching me" and there is no option but to stick to my guns and reach my goals! I will post to the event calendar, thanks for sharing!

Thanks for clarifying! I'm all about following the rules as well, I honestly didn't know I was breaking them. Should I re-post over in Rebels camp and...somehow?...delete this thread or let it fizzle out? I'm not sure how best to proceed. In any case, 4K is simply one step in the direction of 5K and ultimately 10K. I've mapped out each day of my fitness regimen until April 24th to get me to my ultimate goal safely and in a fairly assured manner. This Challenge is only for February, however, so I just included my biggest goal for the month! I hope that makes sense :-)

@Strickland5 - I'm sorry for the inconvenience to you and anyone else who has been reading this. I thought that starting in the Rebels was an OPTION for those who hadn't chosen a speciality guild yet, I didn't realize it was a hard and fast rule, though I've been trying to pay close attention to the guidelines, I must have misunderstood. I have to admit, though, bgvanbur and 18ck made me feel very welcome and encouraged, which is what I thought the overall goal of NF was? I realize I'm new here, but I would hope that Guild Leader's, such as yourself, Strickland5, would have more words of encouragement than glares and stares for newcomers.

Sorry if I have multi-posted, but for some reason I cannot see my replies, on the comments from others. Am I missing something, technically speaking!? 18ck, thanks for the suggestion about the calendar thread, I'll have to go check that out!

Thank you so much for taking the time to reply to my first post and leave your feedback! @Bgvanbur, 60 minutes of yoga every other day will be rather intense, I know, but it is so much different from the training that I will be doing either for strength or for running that I think my body will love it. I used to do 1.5 hours a day, every day in my youth and boy was I flexible! The alarm before bedtime is a great suggestion - I'll put it into practice tonight, thanks! @18ck, 10K in 50 minutes or less is going to be a super stiff challenge, for sure! The last time I ran this far was 2 years ago (same race, so two years and a few months) and I set the 1 hour goal with only about 3 weeks to train. I barely made it, but I did it! Since then I haven't been running too much, but my fitness level has increased significantly, as has my attention to nutrition and basic all around mental state. I did my first small run yesterday, in preparation (with almost 3 months this time!) and I did 3K in 18min06sec. I have to increase the distance and shave 1min/km off my current time, but I feel very confident!

Challenge #1: Pick 3 diet and/or fitness quests quest, and one level up your life quest. A quest is simply a goal that you’d like to complete. This is my first post, on my first day of membership and it commemorates my commitment to my first challenge! The quest template suggested creating 3 Diet or Fitness related quests, and 1 Level up your Life quest. I am very new, but I tried to follow these suggestions to the best of my ability, based on my current lifestyle and improvement goals. I'm looking forward to holding myself accountable to this AND I want to thank you all for just being here so that I feel like I have no choice but to answer to a higher power. Diet: No processed foods or alcohol for 1 month I not only love to cook for myself, I also have a business with the goal of helping others learn to cook healthy, nutritious, satisfying and delicious meals on a budget. I have no right or excuse to be eating pre-made food! Exceptions to this rule include: Ancient Grains Wraps,12 Grain Bagels, milk-alternatives, and tofu once per week. I do not consider rolled oats to be processed. I quite like beer and wine, but I am more clear headed and driven towards the successful completion of my goals when I don’t have any alcohol at all. In trying to keep this goal attainable, I will allow myself 3 drinks total throughout the month IF the circumstances are extenuating (i.e. first date, business dinner) Fitness: Run 4K (2.48mi) in less than 22 minutes This is fairly self explanatory, but I do have it broken down into smaller, bite-sized daily pieces for my own accountability. Fitness: Build my tolerance and mental fortitude to practice yoga for 60 minutes a day, every other day. My mind wanders and my body rebels. I will start with 20 minutes and build up my tolerance to 60 minutes of quality yoga. Life: Wake up successfully every single day. I hate wasting moments of my day, so I vow to wake up successfully each and every day this month. A successful wake up means NO SNOOZE BUTTON, a short burst of exercise, a few moments of calm to set my mind and goals for the day, a healthy, hearty breakfast and 30 minutes devoted to inspiring my day (podcast or reading). I have also created my first Epic Quest, and this challenge is helping me meet the deadlines I have to complete a 10K (6.2mi) run in 50 minutes or less on April 24th 2016.