Sambalina

I think you did a great job, and straight 'A's' are definitely counted! Sounds like you learnt some solid stuff in your challenge, too - which is awesome. Now, I'm gonna find your new thread....

Dude!! You got engaged!! That is TOTALLY HUGE progress! (not to mention, super awesome)

Sucks about the protein, Dom Any idea what it is that's giving you tummy problems? Sounds horrible. Have a truly awesome time at the party!!!

Yeah, I'm not so sure I'm really 'feelin' the academy. It is definitely currently geared towards beginners and maybe people who haven't been reading NF very long. It is basically just a collection of all the knowledge here and on the blog that you read through step by step. I'm halfway through the 'lessons' and haven't really found anything new. I'm going to try focussing on the barbell workouts for the next few weeks and see how they feel compared to stronglifts (which I've been doing for months now). Also - life update!! I'm probably going to visit my parent in Vanuatu in about three weeks time! I don't know if there's a gym or anything, so I'll probably be swimming and doing bodyweight work while I'm there. It says something about how my priorities have changed when 'are there free-weights available?' is one of the first things I think about Also, I bombed on diet yesterday. I went to this department store I have never been to (to see Ender's Game in 4D!!!) and they had a stand selling organic ice cream with real honey comb on top. I ate it. I'm not sorry. It was all kinds of special and delicious! And yup! I teach a Film and Literature paper, but it's aimed at ESL students, so it's not all theoretical or anything. More like learning film language and how to discuss movies and stuff. Just finishing off my newest lesson on Alice in Wonderland (2010 version). It's so weird, we should have plenty to discuss! Once that's all done, I'm off to the gym to try out the Women's NF academy barbell workout #1

The paleo/no sugar always seems like such a simple goal at the outset, and then turns into this massive struggle somewhere along the way. I'm just hoping that if I keep trying, I'll gradually get better and better. So glad to have you guys along for the ride So, unofficial day 1 went very well - met all my goals. An excellent practice day! And, I just joined the NerdFitness academy! It sort of sounds like it's focussed more on people who don't know what they're doing, while I think I have a pretty good idea of what I want and how to get it, but the price was good, it's membership for life, and the demo vid in the woman's section is Spezzy doing a chin-up - something I would love to do! Big time! So, I signed up and am about to go check it out I am a little concerned that I'll have heard it all before, but there are some great sounding interviews which I'm looking forward to seeing. I am also a bit worried that the meal plans will be useless because I don't live in the States... but I can get meat and veg here, and I'm sure that'll be the focus. Plus, Steve says he'll give your money back, so I guess if it's that useless, I can get a refund. But I probably wouldn't - I've gotten so much out of NF for free, I've got my money's worth already, I reckon

New challenge posted Thanks, PA! Yeah, I do feel like I'm getting back into the right space. However, I decided not to W30, I'm just not prepared to do it right now. I am returning to my paleo roots though. I am sure this year is going to be great for you - you've been working so hard on making things better for yourself, and I think you're really going to start feeling the differences this year Fingers crossed for me, too!

New challenge time! It always feels so special and full of hope to start a new challenge. Each time I do it I feel like I can really make a big difference. Sometimes it works out, and sometimes the changes are smaller, but each and every challenge results in me improving something, even if it's just my own knowledge of myself and where I'm likely to fall down next time. I think this is something like my 13th challenge. Coming up in April, I'll have been 6-week-challenging solidly for two years! I have certainly learned a lot about myself in that time. Now, the first challenge of 2014! No stats, no points, just goals Diet goal: This got a wee bit out of hand over the holiday period. Well, relative to how I usually eat, and I want to reign back in and get things back to normal. So my goal: 80-90% Paleo. This means I will make all my main meals paleo and only allow myself non-paleo stuff if I want it when I am out with KJ. I will be tracking all my meals on the Calorie Count app, and broadly aiming for <150g of carbs a day because I feel best there. Key points - NO SUGAR! For the love of Jeebus, stop eating the sugar, Sam!!! Exercise: I'm working very hard on form right now, which means I have completely de-loaded and am working back up from nothing. I started at bodyweight last challenge and am now aiming for: Squat 25kg with 2sec pause at ATG 5x5 (currently 20kg) Dead 60kg x5 (currently 50-55kg depending on the day) Bench 35kg 5x5 (currently just scraping in at 30kg on a good day) Skipping 3mins (currently at 1min) To achieve these goals I'll go to the gym 3x a week and increase the weight gradually until I can reach the numbers for 5 sets of 5 reps. Life: I want to get my elective course for the next school year completely planned, set up, and ready to go come the end of February so I can focus on writing two new teaching articles during the semester. By the end of this challenge I will have planned both my Film and Literature course, and ESL Low including ppt, printouts, tests, and homework. To achieve this goal I will plan at least one lesson fully every day. Most of the framework is already there from previous semesters, I just want to upgrade. This totals about 30-35 days if I include making all the tests and exams (which takes a little longer). Totally do-able for this six week challenge! Ok, I am starting right now! Paleo breakfast complete, gym scheduled this afternoon, and right after I post this, I off to make a lesson for my film class. Let's start 2014 off the right way

Niiiiice reward, Dom! If rewards work for you, that one is a doozy - awesome! You've set yourself some challenging goals, but I am positive you can do them. You've done them before (mentally at least, even if the protein powder made it a lie), which means you can do it again. Subbed for the ride!

Hope your trip is going amazingly, Blaidd! All the best wishes for you!!

Thank you, Kim, Panczo, and Dom! Things are going well - I'm making great headway getting back to where I want to be. I'm secretly starting my new challenge today (Monday) rather than next week - I am ready to get back on track and don't want to wait!! However, writing it up will have to wait - I'm outta here early this morning for my best buddies 40th birthday! Had a good Christmas, saw KJ a massive 3 times last week He seemed to like the scarf, but was even more impressed with the book I got him - 'The Warrior of the Light' by Paulo Cohelo (one of our shared favourite authors). Its a book of short inspirational passages that's fairly spiritual, which is kind of where he is right now. Ok, I better get going, but I hope to be back this evening to check on everyone's threads

I am snacking on my secret Santa gift as we speak (type?). It's popcorn! The package says it Chicago style/flavour... what kind of weirdos are you guys mixing cheese and caramel popcorn!?! Haha, I suggested 'a selection of regional treats' as my gift, and it's totally awesome! We 100% have to do this again next year!! P.S: Vella - I was your Santa!

Merry Christmas guys!! My gift arrived yesterday, so I savednit for Christmas morning. It was super amazing!! Thank you so, so much Lady Lydia! I got the most amazing selection of healthyish goodies including gormet hot choc mix, homemade trail mix, popcorn, and dark chocolates... plus a Burts Bees gift set! It was more than I even expected and it truely made my day. For someone who lives FAR from home and doesn't get packages from them, this was absolutely lovely. Thank you!! I can't even say how much this kindness means And phtots: It arrived in a mysetrious shoebox... http://rebellion.nerdfitness.com/uploads/gallery/album_781/gallery_6233_781_60057.jpg And was full of awesome!! http://rebellion.nerdfitness.com/uploads/gallery/album_781/gallery_6233_781_26150.jpg Merry Christmas Nerds!

Oh man, that protein powder.... that makes me so mad. Sorry to hear it, Dom But, excellent that you may have discovered the reason why you are stalling. Definitely a promising start to the new year.

This is just purely awesome!! I don't have my gift yet... I hope customs hasn't stolen it!! When I do, pics and exclamation marks will be posted! Merry Nerdmas everyone!!!!

Thanks everyone! The KJ situation is going well, I got to spend all day Sunday with him including going to see the Hobbit movie, plus I'm seeing him tonight for a nice dinner and exchanging gifts. He's actually thinking about quitting his job and starting something up on his own, so it'll be interesting to see how that goes - things might be better or 10x worse Ok, I guess the last challenge for 2013 is over! I went So, So strong in the first 4 weeks, and then almost completely fell off the wagon the past two weeks. I've been super busy and too lazy to plan around being so busy so both the gym and my diet have suffered in a major way. The changing room of my gym isn't heated (Korea sucks sometimes), and it is getting very difficult to motivate myself to go first thing in the morning when it's -8 to -15 degrees. If I have time and I can go at 8am instead of 6, I'm fine. So, starting next week, I'm going to rearrange my schedule and make gym time a priority and instead of trying to fit it around other things, fit my appointments around the gym. Overall progress at the gym has been slow but good over the past six weeks. My squatting form is really starting to develop well, and I can do squats with a long pause in the hole with the 20kg bar now. I'm still working of getting my back not to round as I go down, but that's a long term-thing I think. I am thinking of re-incorporating yoga into my workout plan next year. Actually, I'm tight on time and it's cold and dark this morning, so I'm staying home to do a bodyweight and yoga workout. Not as effective as lifting IMHO, but better than nothing. Now, my diet :'( I have been eating worse than I have since April of 2012 when I joined NF. Sugar, gluten, processed, you name it, I've eaten it in the past two weeks. I'm pretty upset at myself, actually. I feel a little out of control and dumb. I have two meals coming up where I still need/want to eat a bit poorly, (dinner tonight at an Italian restaurant, and Christmas morning I'm making French toast for my friend and I), but other than that, I'd like to start prepping to eat much cleaner in January. As it's Christmas, I don't want to do anything drastic right now - don't want carb-flu over the holiday, but I am toying with the idea of starting a whole30 in the second week of January. Some interesting things to come out of this diet collapse are.... pimples, headaches, near endless stomach upsets, increased motion sickness, much lowered willpower and personal control, desire to sleep all the time, reduced motivation, and cravings. And I just feel... unclean on the inside. Not in a judgemental way, just like things aren't as they should be. So, maybe whole30 is a good way to kick back into gear and start 2014 right? I've been watching Blaidd and Pallas Athena have so much success with it, that I'm tempted to try it. The one goal I did do pretty well on consistently was the 'having fun' plan. I didn't do everything on my list, but I got a good way through and did some things more than once. - Knit a scarf --- Yup! Giving it to KJ this evening. - Go somewhere new ---- Yes, I went to some areas of Seoul I've never been to before. - Buy a new handbag ----Two of them - Cook a meal from a recipe --- I made apple roasted pork loin. - Stay at home and play games/read books/watch tv all day ---- I didn't manage this. In six weeks I didn't manage to spend even one day at home. - Go to a meetup --- Yeah, amde it to 2-3. - Try a new makeup style using equipment I already have --- Yes, I tried 'tighlining' with my eyeliner and love it. - Plan and research a new article --- If doing it in my head counts? - Celebrate getting published --- I forgot to do this! Well, I bought new clothes with the money, does that count? - Read a book club book --- No, I was too lazy. - Try a new restaurant near home --- Yes! - Eat out alone ---- If you count fastfood. Which I don't - Go to a movie, incl. popcorn. --- I went to 3-4 movies! - Eat a pizza --- twice - Volunteer --- no - Read a new author --- no So, my strong 4 week start gives me hope that I can work my way out of this two week slump. I'm worried about my brain, body, and that my little abs will disappear. Really, a little indulgence started a landslide that I'm having trouble controlling. I will though - I will get this back under control and start working on some awesome life and lifting goals for 2014!

Yeah, the pasta is semolina or duram wheat, which might make a difference. Great work on the steady + slow reintroductions. Yay for Mexican food!!

You're learning so much, Vixen. It's great to watch your progress. Hope you get you lifting stiff for Christmas!

Huh? What's this? Don't go, Lord Swoldy - You're our Nerdmas leader!

Huge woot for that life goal, Vix! Awesome work! Lol, keep on giving the baseball some lovin' :D

Wow!! Congrats Momo! You made it!

Excellent stuff, PA. The reintro phase must be really interesting! Total bummer about the awful ice cream reaction, but you might be better off with home made. Plus, home made ice cream is about one million times more amazing than store bought anyway! (tentative) Good news about the gluten. I know I get immediately nauseous from cookies, cake (home made or store bought) and bread (crappy kinds, artisan seems to be ok), but feel fine eating moderate amounts of pasta, which is really high in gluten. Haven't figured out what it is yet. So, I am really interested to hear how your reintroductions all go!

That is Awesome with a capital 'A', Dom! Hope your holiday continues to be amazing

Hey P! Thanks for stopping by my thread to see where I was Now... where are you?

Uh, guys? Was that the end of week 5? I'm pretty sure it was... time is getting hard to track! Anyway, what with the holidays approaching, and NF being very quiet, I'm still going to keep updating. My vacation starts today, and I have a Christmas party at my best friends house on Saturday. I'm so looking forward to it. She's asked me to make my world famous pumpkin cheesecake Sadly, Jay can't come, but I'm going to invite a couple of friends from work. Should be a good time. Update on my goals: Gym 3x this week: Yup! Despite snow, rain, and FREEZING temps, I made it all three times. I'm not solidly benching 30kg at 5x5, which is great for me! Food: Still struggling to get firmly back on track in the face of the holiday season. I've been doing MUCH better the second half of the week though. I was careful, and my dyspepsia is finally gone. I won't be doing anything to inflame that in a hurry. Have fun: Yes - hung out with Amy most of the weekend. Snuck in a quick drive-by hug for KJ at his work on Sunday. As for the KJ situation, it's going ok. He had to fire two people last week, on top of everything else. I still desperately want time with him, and am getting on measly dinner on Christmas eve. I want to wait for him, because I really like him, but I don't want to be dumb and waste my time. Arg.

Woah - you lost two sizes! Awesome progress marker Blaidd, so cool It's a really pretty skirt, too. I am drooling over that salad. Looks totally delicious! How was your weekend? I hope all is good with you since your last update - NF has gone awfully quiet over the last week or so. Build up to Christmas, I guess