ninjaMel

Thanks! I appreciate the suggestion. Sadly, the lunges are a physical thing rather than balance. My knees can't handle them at all. Squats are iffy, but I've found that if I'm doing them right they don't bother me as much. But lunges? Nope, nope, nope. I've been doing some standing donkey kicks instead, so I'll probably keep with those and add in some glute bridges if I have the room. (My workout space is like, 4x4, and I'm not even kidding, lol.)

Woot for day 4 wins! Also, do you have semi-decent self-control? Like, if you allowed yourself 10 minutes of video games for every hour you didn't drink/worked? Or intentionally giving your character bad stats/weapons/thingys if you do drink? (Sorry, don't ban me, but I'm not familiar with D&D! I'm still a cool person! Okay, that's probably a lie, but I am nice...ish.) Semi-relevant random tidbit: I don't know if it's possible or something that'd work for you, but long, long ago, when I tried quitting smoking, I used to do 10-20 crunches every time I wanted one. I think I ended up with about 2,430 crunches that day. Instant abs! (Okay, that's another lie. But still.)

Good luck with your goal! And I hope you can find some other ways of coping to make things easier for you. P.S. That's NOT how the sleep thing works, y'all. You don't hit snooze repeatedly. You skip setting an alarm altogether. Duh. P.S.S. Random vote for properly-er. If for no other reason than it feels funny to say.

Thanks, veronicaab! Those are good ideas. I'll definitely keep them in mind if/when I hit a road block there. I *should* be okay(ish) on the food front, thankfully. I love my munchies, but they're mostly convenience food for me because they're cheaper than the fruit I like. And the sad truth is, I get most of my calories from Mountain Dew. Cutting back there will help tremendously. It just tastes so darn good, lol.

My first week could be going better. I had a planned rest day Monday, then I felt run down on Tues/Weds. Today I'm feeling worse, but I'm going to try to do at least one set of some of my exercises (might have to skip the squats because my knees are bothering me). 10 mins. I'll probably regret it tomorrow, but I'll be proud of myself today. So, er, it'll be worth it, right? Work Out: Zip so far. Clean: Done today, but plan to do more. Diet: So far so good. No fast food, and I've been nursing the same 12 pack this week, so I'm drinking less sugar. Learn: Boom. I've read at least one NF article a day this week, along with the newsletter. On the...less dim side of things, I did get my geek on and redo my workout spreadsheet. It's now pretty and color-coded. I also added a Stats sheet that automatically updates my, well, stats. I gave myself a star rating: 3 stars for hitting my goal of 3 days, 2 for getting 2 days, etc. So if I hit my required goal, I have instant gratification. Or, for this week, instant guilt, haha.

Good goals! Looks like you're off to a great start, too. Hope you feel better soon.

Welcome, and good luck with your goals! I especially like the first one about making time for yourself. Everyone should do that.

Welcome! Those seem like good, reasonable goals. Your eating habits sound a little like mine. I feel like I go weeks without eating anything (not intentionally), but then spend weeks eating everything that won't eat me first, lol. Currently, I think 90% of my calories come from my Mountain Dew. I drink enough to keep them in business. But hopefully that'll change. Good luck!

Knowing what didn't work before and working around that is definitely the smart thing to do. Good luck with your goals!

You're off to a great start so far! Keep kicking butt. For the relationship stuff...I'm really sorry. Long distance is hard enough without the added uncertainties mixed in. And you're absolutely right. You don't deserve to feel gross or unwanted, especially when it's a partner making you feel that way. That's...so many levels of wrong. What you're doing for yourself is amazing and you deserve to feel awesome for it. If he doesn't or can't see that, then he doesn't deserve YOU. So whatever you decide, I hope things work out for the best. P.S. Don't forget those affirmations, especially now!

Hello! *waves at both* That's such a cheerful big bear! <3 Yeah, it's definitely vague. Mostly, I'm looking to see progress in any form. Like, less flabby arms, less belly fat, more definition in muscles, etc. Just something that says "Hey, look! Your workouts are paying off!"

I started a basic workout plan at the beginning of the month, and so far I'm doing...not bad. There's room for improvement, but compared to last month, I'm a boss. I'm hoping the 4 week challenge helps keep me in line. Main Quest - Get comfortable in my own skin: This is probably too vague of a quest, so I'll try to define it more. I want to like what I see in the mirror, because I never, ever have. I've always wanted to look better for this or that reason, but I'm learning that it needs to be for ME, even if it is a little (or a lot) vain. For that to happen, I know I need to lose weight/fat, though I don't have a real weight loss goal. I simply want to put in the work and see the progress I'm making. Weighing myself will happen, but I'm not going to pay it much attention. Side Quest 1 - Exercise: Workout 3x a week - Modified versions of the Beginner Body Weight Workout and/or the Angry Birds Workout. Track Progress with Excel spreadsheet - Get my nerd on. Walk 3x a week - Even if it's only 5 minutes. WALK. Buy weights - Somehow I ended up with only a 2lb dumbbell and a 3lb one. The others disappeared in The Move. Side Quest 2 - Eat Better: (Starting this in a few days when I get paid) Less Mountain Dew (I'll always love you, promise!) - Cut back by at least 1 can a day. Drink Water - Any water, you idiot. Less Fast Food - Cut back by at least 1 meal a week & choose healthier alternatives when possible. Eat Healthier Snacks (Sorry, Doritos. You have to go.) - Buy carrots and fruits and...stuff. Side Quest 3 - Clean: Straighten up one area / clean for a minimum of 5 minutes a day. Side Quest 4 - Keep learning: Pay attention to bodily cues. Read at least 1 exercise/health/NF article a week. Adjust workout when needed. Random aside: In one of the many NF posts I've been reading these last few weeks, I saw something that just made stop and go "huh, that's true". I mean, I KNEW it was, but seeing it written out like that just made it click. The gist of it was, temporary diets and exercise programs will only lend temporary results. So, if I only want temporary results, then my dietary/exercise changes can be temporary. But if I want lasting results...I need to get and keep my butt in gear. I know it's one of those Duh things, but hey, it was a light bulb moment for me, haha. And I did read the challenge guidelines/FAQ, so hopefully this is a decent start!

Wow, congrats on your progress! You're doing awesome. Sorry, I'm just starting out myself, so I don't have any real advice. But maybe one of these will interest you: https://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/beginner-body-weight-workout-burn-fat-build-muscle/ or https://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/strength-training-101/ Good luck!

Thanks for the welcome, Wobbegong! Err, I may have started writing out my 4 Week Challenge before I joined the forums, haha. I just have to find where I put it and finish it...

Hey! I'm Mel, a 30-something year old nerdy-lite girl from Florida. At the beginning of the month, I decided to try working out again and thought it might be a good idea to find some like-minded people. So...here I am! I'd like to lose weight, but I'm more interested in what the mirror shows me than the scale, if that makes sense. I hope to have the funds to join the academy someday, but for now, I'll settle for trying the Beginner Body Weight Workout. Well, a modified version since I can't do lunges or jumping jacks. That's my battle plan, anyway. And since I'm horrible with intros, I'll stop here. Thanks for having me!