kidschala

Thank you for the link and the congrats! Crunching my numbers, the site shows a BMR of 1812, with suggested "cutting" calories of 1675, figured for a sedentary lifestyle (which is what I pretty much have — desk job, lots of sitting hobbies, etc.). I'm eating somewhere between 1600 and 2000 calories every day, generally in the 1800 calorie range, and burning between 2100 and 3000, depending on my activity level for the day. I'm not feeling faint, hungry, or deprived (I also don't have a list of off-limits foods or anything like that), so that's a good thing, but I worry that that could suggest metabolic sluggishness. I'm also not hitting the macro counts I'd like, but I'm trying not to change everything all at once. I also haven't decided on a guild for the next challenge. I'm not entirely sure what my goals will be just yet. I'm starting strength training again next week, so at least one of my goals will have to do with that, I'm sure, which could put me in ranger, monk, or warrior, I guess?

Ack, so sorry to be so late responding to this. Life got in the way, in a big way. My base calorie intake is 1290, plus whatever I burn off in exercise. I started tracking food intake when the challenge began, but it was a bit lower (around 1200 or 1230, I can't remember which) for the first week or so. I think I was getting ahead of myself in terms of weight loss, because I'm down 7.6 lbs as of May 13. However, having my metabolism slow down due to undereating was a legitimate concern (and still is). I've been trying to eat the 1290 + exercise + ~100 calories every day, just to make sure it doesn't slow down. I'm also trying to work out earlier in the day, as opposed to 10 PM, to try to get all the afterburn effects I can. The total lack of rest day planning was a failure on my part. I've had to take several total rest days over the last few weeks, simply because I felt like my body was about to give out. Moving into next week and the start of the next challenge, I'm going to be more lenient about incorporating rest into my workout schedule. Thanks so much for this thoughtful response! I'm sorry I didn't get to it sooner.

Week 2 Update: Things got a lot harder for me this weekend. My body was screaming for a rest, so I took a cheat day on Friday. I did some mindful eating (without counting calories) and didn't work out at all. I am losing weight, however, so we're moving right along on that front. I'm just trying to listen to my body to avoid overtraining.

Day 12 Update: I failed my water goal yesterday (only 2L out of 3), but I took a 70+ minute hike and passed out when I got home. I feel kind of bad about not reaching my calorie intake yesterday, but I ate intuitively and I just didn't want anything. I'm worried that this (plus the fact that I've only lose 3 lbs) means my metabolism might be slowing down. So I'm going to try to eat a bit over my suggested calorie intake for the next two weeks and see if that does better.

Day 10 Update: Getting my 30 minutes in yesterday was tough, and involved a lot of weird speed-walking around Barnes & Noble. But I had a small win today: the arm-toning portion of my Richard Simmons tape is getting easier! I didn't have to stop nearly as early, I stopped fewer times than normal, and I kept the "weights" — cans of sparkling water — in my hands the entire time. I'm really excited. If all goes well tomorrow, I'll be starting a cheap gym membership in town, so cross your fingers for me!

Thank you! I hope your challenge is going well, as well!

Congrats on the weight loss! You're doing great!!

Don't beat yourself up over the bunny! It might be a slip, but it's not something you have to work out extra to "make up for." Just keep on keeping on!

Yay, reading goals! Any books in particular that you're working on?

Yes! I'm so glad you're having a good time with it, too! This feels really manageable and sustainable to me right now, which is fantastic.

Hi all, I'm kidschala — you can call me Kid, Schala, or K. I'm a longtime reader/lurker on NF, but this is my first time really digging into a 4-week challenge. Just a quick about me to anyone who wants to say hi. Nerdy stuff: Books and TV/movie-wise, I'm a fan of weird horror and SFF, and I read a lot of litfic, too. I love the MCU and will fight God for my sweet baby Asguardians. I read trade paperbacks of my favorite comics series, because I can't be trusted with floppies. I play tabletop RPGs every week. I also harbor a deep love for JRPGs, if you couldn't tell by my handle. Outside of role-playing games, I play a lot of Gears of War, Overwatch, and Stardew Valley, and I used to be a devoted Halo 3 player. Fitness stuff: I've been gaining weight (fat) for about 10 years. Things really started to go downhill two years ago, when I started grad school and got involved with a toxic "friend's" wedding. I'm the type of person who eats her feelings, so I took comfort in food during the tough times. I'm a very body positive person, but my body is not working for me as I need it to, and I need a change. Two years ago, my partner and I were doing the StrongLifts program and loving it. A gym membership with barbell access isn't feasible for us right now, though, so I'm working on building healthy habits that will lead me to my goals of weight loss and muscle gain. Right now, I'm working toward establishing the following habits: spending 30 min/day active, drinking 3L of water, and logging food in MyFitnessPal. For the next challenge, I'll add in strength training (the beginner bodyweight workout) 3 days per week, and continue doing cardio on off days. I eventually want to be a Ranger type person, and do Spartan Races and other ridiculous, functional fitness things, but right now I'm just a Rebel with a cause (It's me, I'm the cause). But my true love is lifting, and I can't wait to get back to it. My fitspirations are Josie Hamming, Kaisa Keranen, Iulia Danilova, and She-Hulk. I just want guns of steel and buns of cinnamon, y'all. Anyway, I figure that's enough for now. Thanks for stopping by!

Do you have any of those little silicone can openers or trivet? You could try putting them under your hands to prevent slippage and make yourself feel more secure.

You're doing great! One week down, three to go!!

Week 1 Update: I'm so excited to have stuck with this for a week (AKA 5 days longer than any 4-week challenge I've ever done previously). My scale doesn't have batteries right now, so I can't update my weight, but I'm going to fix that tomorrow. Cross your fingers for me as I move into the final paper-writing and grading stages of my last semester of grad school.

Ugh, I know that feeling. I just want to watch it over and over again, haha. I feel the same way about my goals. Tomorrow is the most sedentary day of my week, and I'm trying to figure out when I'll have a spare hour to work out and shower. I think I'll be able to squeeze it in before my gaming group meets, but Idk yet. As for the water, I've always been the type to drink a lot. I almost always have a bit of a sore throat (chronic condition), so keeping my mouth and throat hydrated helps. I just sub in water for the tea and sodas I would normally drink. I'm using my fitbit to measure it. Basically, if I'm active for more than 10 minutes at a time, Fitbit registers that as "active minutes." Some days I can hit 30 active minutes just by living, but other days I have to work out to hit it. I love my Richard Simmons tapes, as I said above, and I also like getting out of the house sometimes. So yesterday, I did a tape. Today, I went for an hour-long hike. Tomorrow, I'll do another tape.

Day 5 update: Day 5 is pretty much in the bag. My partner and I caught up on GoT, I decided on a new haircut for graduation, and now I'm working on one of the two papers I have left to write as a student. Drinking my last liter of water now, as well.

That's a fantastic reward! How's meeting your goals going?

Day 4 Update: Today was fantastic, because I met all of my goals and got to see the new Avengers movie. (No spoilers, but please go see it.)

Congrats on Day 2! As a heads up, you can use an app like 5x5 Strength to keep track of your weights, reps, and progress on mobile.

Thank you! I'm using a combination of my old Richard Simmons tapes (upgraded recently to the less-old Richard Simmons DVDs) and "work exercise" (walking instead of taking the bus, taking the stairs instead of the elevator, etc.) for now. After this challenge is over, I'll start incorporating some more dedicated strength training. Right? When I read your goals, I was convinced we were on the same wavelength, haha. Good luck to you as well! :D

Holy shirtballs, we have similar goals! I'm rooting for you! <3 Although cutting out full-calorie sodas and fast food aren't in my challenge goals, I've been trying to make them a reality, nevertheless, for about the last 2-3 weeks. I've cut out full-cal sodas by chugging water and the occasional seltzer or diet soda instead, and I've avoided fast food by buying quick-fix salad mixes and meals from the freezer section (Birdseye Protein Blends and Atkins). Idk if that would fit into your lifestyle at all, but it's what has helped me!

Greetings and salutations, This isn't my first challenge, but it is the first one I've made in a while, so I'm labelling myself as a newb and a filthy casual this go-round. I'm a recent returner to NF (there's some about me at the bottom here, if you're interested), and I'm looking forward to getting back on track with my fitness journey. All encouragement is appreciated! Cheers! — K. MAIN QUEST: to build a sustainable habit of healthful activities that will assist me in reaching my longterm goal of ~100 lb weight loss, better cardiovascular health, eventual Ranger membership SIDE QUESTS: Get at least 30 active minutes in every day Days Achieved: 21/28 Days Failed: 4/28 Drink at least 3L of water every day Days Achieved: 20/28 Days Failed: 5/28 Log food in MyFitnessPal every day Days Achieved: 22/28 Days Failed: 3/28 Finish up my last semester of grad school ACHIEVED ADDITIONAL INFO: I'm not setting up any hard weight loss goals for this challenge, but I do want to track myself and stay accountable. HW: 237.2 CW: 228.8 (13 May) GW: 135 I'll add measurements on 4-week challenge #2! For more info, check out my NF character: https://www.nerdfitness.com/character/97420/

'Lo, all. I'm doing that cliche, mid-20s thing where you try to get yourself in order? Yeah, that.