Jakosaur

This is definitely the right way to go....small steps are what make big changes! Good luck and I know you’ll do great!

You are rocking this challenge! I don’t think I have ever under-spent my budget while away from home.

This is my issue as well. I want instant results and that just isn’t reality *sigh*. You are off to a great start though, don’t forget it! on the sugar front, I have had a lot of luck looking at keto friendly recipes for desserts. I don’t follow keto specifically, but it helps when I have a major sweet tooth. https://www.isavea2z.com/3-ingredient-keto-peanut-butter-cookies-recipe/ is a recipe for peanut butter cookies that are amazing and very very low on sugar. It does use artificial sweeter though so give it a pass if that doesn’t match your goals.

Woot Woot! You are killing it! Keep up the great work.

Update #2 Everything seems to be going quite to plan. Got the meditation in last week during a yoga class. Not sure it was strictly 10 minutes as I didn’t time it but I’m counting it the same. I got in 2 more planned/prepared meals and have a solid plan in place to cook all dinners this week. Working away way at my next course as well. It’s a beast so it will consume a lot of my energy, but I have to get it done! On the workout front, I have had a bit of an ego check. We bit the bullet and joined a much more expensive gym. Partly this was to get access to free weights, but it also includes group workout classes for my wife and swimming for my girls so it works well as long as we can keep the budget in check. Part of joining got me a few free PT sessions and I went to my first one yesterday. Unfortunately, the trainer checked my form (which was ok) but said my mobility in my hips and thighs is not where it needs to be. He doesn’t suggest lifting heavy until I can get it corrected so Greyskull’s has to be put on hold for right now. I’m still committed to gym time at least 3x a week but the workouts will be different. I’m letting him again tomorrow to find out what routine will be best. Current XP gained: 31

I do it on my phone. I have a list of the food I have in the freezer/pantry and then make out a list of meals for the week. Then a shopping list of what I need. I’m really good at the planning part actually, just not as good at the follow through. I need to add in the prepping I think that way it will be easier to actually use the plan I’ve made.

Thank you for the support! It really was a life changing decision and one I would make a million times again. Other places on the internet have not been so friendly toward it which has given me pause, but the support here has been amazing!

Hi Everyone. I'm new here and ready to get started. I'm gonna be a little lazy and copy my backstory from my 4-week challenge here in lieu of a regular introduction. Some backstory. I am 35 father of 2 girls (7 and 9) who works a desk job. All my life I have been obese, literally ALL my life. They don't call babies obese, but I was born at almost 11 pounds. By high school I was clinically obese at close to 250 lbs and the weight continued from there. 2 years ago I went into the hospital with what I thought at the time was a heart attack. Luckily it wasn't, but I was diagnosed with Prinzmetal's Angina, which is a condition where the inner lining of my arteries and veins is too weak and occasionally they will collapse causing heart attack symptoms. My cardiologist said if I don't change they will continue until I am actually having heart attacks of the "no real recovery" kind. He told me i could expect this within 10 years. Additionally, my father passed awat last September of a heart attack/stroke combination. He was 65 and only 2 months away from retiring. I can't allow myself to leave my wife and children to this fate and have begin taking immediate steps to turn myself around. In August of last year I underwent gastric sleeve surgery and have lost 127 lbs from my heaviest recorded weight. I say recorded weight because there was quite some time that I just stopped weighing myself. I'm sure you could easily add another 30 lbs lost from my actual heaviest. I know many people in the fitness realm online will feel like this decision was "the easy way" or a cop out, but I am thrilled with my progress and only wish I had made this decision 10 years ago. My current weight is 205, UI surpassed my surgeons goal for me 3 months ago and have 20 lbs more to reach my personal goal (40 lbs more to hit a normal BMI, but I am honestly not sure if that would be the healthiest place for my build). In any case the cost of this (outside of the thousands of dollars) is that I have lost a whole lot of strength with that weight and I now feel as week as that fat baby I used to be. I have started lifting to counteract this and am currently using a slightly modified Greyskull's LP program on the Smith machine at Planet Fitness. I know this is also unpopluar but it is where I am at. I am looking into other alternatives but I don;t think I should wait until I find a different solution to start making gains. Some Nerd Cred: I am an avid board-gamer and have a collection of +'/- 100 games currently. Additional interests include Nintendo, High Fantasy, Audiobooks, and trying to keep up with my kids. You can find me various places on the internet either as Jakosaur or DadVsTheNerdettes although I tend to be more of a lurker than contributor...so maybe you can;t find me after all. I look forward to working my way to health with all of you.

Update #1 I have succesfully gone to the gym 3 times this week and completed the first of the 2 courses I have to do. I have not done as well on the food planning or meditation. I have only planned/cooked 1 meal this far and have not meditated at all. Still a couple of days to get my meditation in for the week though so I still have a chance to not lose those XP. Also got paid today so $100 went straight in the emergency fund. Current XP Gained: 20

I'm loving the support from this website. I'm so glad i stumbled on it. Thank you very much for your support in particular! It means the world to me

3 days is awesome. Well worth being proud of. I've never been one to workout with people, but I tend toward antisocial . I'm glad your boyfriend is stepping up for you though. I'm sure that will help you kill this challenge!

Hi Autumn, I'm so glad you are questing this month. Those look like some great goals, although TBH fasting for 2 weeks seems like it could be seriously scary. I am hoping you do it in a responsible way although admittedly I don;t know enough about long term fasting to even know what that is. In any case I'm rooting for you!

Thanks! I'm excited to have some company on my journey LOL! I plan on sticking with each of these "Main Quests" for at least the next six months and taking "baby steps" in each every month. The exception is my degree which should be done within 2 months. And to be fair, some of these things (like the weight lifting 3x a month) I have already been doing so they are just continuing down that road.

I find druidry in general, and OBOD in particular, fascinating. Not in a condescending "I want to study a different species" fascinating, but the philosophies of nature and self reflection have always seemed so natural to me. I'm definitely glad you are here doing this challenge this month! Getting out of debt is one of my goals as well. Have you even looked into the debt snowball approach. It could help you with the large interest cards especially.

Thank you so much for your kind words!! TBH I'm mostly a lurker online but I have seen some downright hateful responses online to people who have had weight loss surgery and it has me a little gun shy. I've seen everything from people being called lazy, stupid, and destined to gain all the weight back and be fat forever. There is even a very VERY prominent member of the weight lifting/strength training conglomerate that told someone with the exact same surgery as me that they couldn't help them get stronger because they chose a "surgical solution to a psychological problem". But still I am determined to get healthy and find an online community that will help me with that journey. I can't tell you how much I appreciate the support.