Yayhem

Time to get serious Life has been throwing a fair amount at me. My father passed last August, My sister got diagnosed with the early stages of heart failure a month ago (She is 22, with the years to live without a transplant), I don't have a job at the moment, and my girlfriend and I are about to break up. I have wallowed in my anxiety and depression for long enough. I need to be strong for my family. I must develop the mindset of a warrior. There can be no more failure. Quest 1: Build a solid foundation. In this quest I will abide by one rule. Work out everyday. I don't have access to a gym at the moment but I do have a kettlebell/pull-up bar. I understand that working out everyday may not be the best in the long run but it is mainly to build a warrior mindset/prepare myself physically. This workout is cumulative throughout the entire day. Workout is as follows. 50-100 push-ups 100 air squats 100 crunches 100 kettlebell rows 50-100 kettlebell swings 5-10 pull ups Walk/Run everyday Sprints once per week. Loot: Gym membership, ability to accept Starting Strength quest. Quest 2: Get your mind right In this quest I will abide by 3 rules everyday. No technology after 9pm, meditate for at least five minutes, and do some sort of cold exposure (cold shower, cold bath) the mediation is self explanatory. Technology at night keeps my mind stimulated. This can lead to more anxiety. There is a lot of talk of blue light exposure from screens disrupting circadian rhythm as well. The cold exposure is recommended by a lot of people for its hugely beneficial effects on human physiology. Doing it everyday forces me to overcome discomfort for a greater reward. This quest comes with 4 life exception points. Meaning I could have some days out with friends without full failure. Loot: New Kindle and access to the Warrior State of Mind quest. (Will be described in next challenge thread if I pass) Quest 3: Eat big, don't pig This quest is all about diet (duh) The rules are simple. NO JUNK FOOD and eat a "paleoish" diet. This will include all safe starches. (Potatoes, white rice, tubers) and beans as I tolerate them well. Shoot for 130-150 grams of protein a day, and enough carbs to support my workouts. Healthy fats will be used to a large degree as well. Body composition is not my worry at the moment. Getting through quest one, and supporting muscle/strength is all I care about. Loot: A huge expensive sushi dinner at my favorite restaurant. Access to Godzilla Mass 5000 Bulking Protocol. (Lol) (Will be fleshed out in next challenge assuming I pass) Quest 4: Maintain the castle. Due to some complications my mother has had to move back to our old family home we have been trying to sell in NC. I am living in the home she and my dad bought in CO. She has a good job there, and is able to be with my sister. She has to bear the stress of two mortgage payments though, along with the weight of my sisters illness. With my father no longer around, and medical bills starting to pile up, I have to take action. By the end of this challenge I will have a solid job, and be paying rent. eventually taking over the full mortgage payment. I will also work towards cleaning out the garage, and doing a lot of deep cleaning here. This is one goal I cannot fail. Loot: Having the satisfaction of being a good son. Prerequisite to earning any quest rewards from 1-3. Access to the quests Puppy Lovin and So You Wanna Be Self Employed? This is a lot to take on, but I have never been more ready to make a change. I would appreciate any tips and support. Best of luck to everyone else doing their on challenges. We're all gonna make it!

I always wanted to be a Jedi as well. It's never to late to start down that path. I was overweight for most of my life until I finally took control. You are already on the way. Pretty soon you'll be doing the fascinating things. Best of luck!

Oh okay I see. It will be, obviously in a different way Visualization is a very powerful tool. Motivation is tough. Perhaps watch videos of people doing what you want to do? Looking like you want to? Remaining vigilant is important, but not as important as accepting that we all fail at times. Rules get broken, gym days get missed. It is important to not let that derail you. I've been there.. Setting up people to hold you accountable could help.

Welcome. I'm new as well. Your children will appreciate you taking care of your health now, later. Best of luck!

Holy shit. I can't believe you climbed a sequoia. With guts that takes, and the tenacity your path in school requires, you'll have absolutely no problem with your fitness goals. Sugar addiction is a pain in the ass. I find if I don't set some sort of cheat date/meal I can easily succumb to it. You got this!

Welcome to you as well. I am sorry to hear of your struggle but it is good you are ready to get out of it. If it effects you, it is concrete. I have no other choice than to move past it now. I agree that it is good to suffer sometimes. Wallowing in your pain provides the best contrast when things get better. Best of luck to you in your endeavors.

Hey everyone. My name is Alex. I first discovered nerd fitness through a recent podcast with Robb Wolf. In my youth I was extremely overweight. When I graduated high school I began to modify my behavior and rather quickly dropped 100 pounds. The biggest problem though, was a lack of exercise. I've read a lot on both diet and exercise, however, implementation of exercise has been sporadic. I have always been to some degree a party person, and have often let work/partying get in the way of my health. Basically I would either do fairly well, or live in a state of absolute debauchery. I feel as if I've always just been waiting to happen, as I have no tangible progress to show. Fast forward to last August. My father suddenly died of a heart attack. I realized how much I had focused on my friends, work, and partying, instead of my family. I felt such shame, and fell into a deep dark depression. I buried myself in a bad lifestyle. Anxiety/panic attacks consumed me. I invested my time into people I shouldn't have. Finally, though I don't know how, I found strength. I started working out regularly, made great strength and muscle gains. Then I began to notice a pain in my shoulder, and had to back off of that. I continued to rehab, and worked out some, though way less. I started dating someone, loving life, finally starting to get wind into my sails. I would soon start back in the gym and my life would be back on track right? Wrong.. My sister was just diagnosed with heart failure after mothers day. She has three years to live, unless she receives a transplant. Shortly after this news I quit/got let go from my job and me and my girlfriends relationship hit the rocks. I had lost all of my strength. I have been in a pit of deep depression/anxiety akin to when my Dad died. This is all very recent. Today is the day I end it though. I made this account, and need to become seriously focused on myself and my health. I need to cultivate my strength. I cannot be weak. My mother and sister need me. I will become a warrior. I will find my lifes purpose. Thank you to anyone that read all of this sob story. There will not be another. I'm here to help if anyone has questions. My main area of knowledge is in diet. Hope to make lots of new friends also on a path to success. Take care.

Hell yeah. Congratulations on the recent weight loss. Strength is a fantastic all around goal.

Welcome. I'm new here as well. Best of luck with your goals. Parkour sounds like a ton of fun. Hope you are enjoying your time in my state of birth.

The biggest tip I could offer would be to get on a whole food diet, and sleep as much as possible. If you want to nerdify that imagine it as your fortress. Fortify that with proper supplementation. A good fortress will not withstand siege without warriors. This will be where working out comes into play. You are the tactician. A wise tactician, will read as much as you can on all of these subjects. Motivation is its own beast, but normally comes through momentum. These are the tips I would give to any beginner without specific goals in mind.