Tides

The tide is ebbing today. Schools head back tomorrow and today was a teacher work day. I got a lot of things accomplished, but I'm also exhausted and kind of dreading going back. It's a draining group of kids and I know the transition back to the routine is going to be rough. Thank goodness we only have two days this week.

WARNING: LONG Every day the ocean tides rise and fall, rise and fall. Constant. Reliable. The heartbeat of life on this planet. The tides represent a predictable pattern in the fabric of life. I have begun to notice a similar pattern in my own life, one of ups and downs, ups and downs. Interests flare up and then wane. Eating habits shine forth in health and fall back in gluttony. Happiness gives way to anger or sadness before surging back with gusto. Motivation, likewise, flashes forth with brilliant light and then fades to barely a flicker. The pattern of human life. So, how do we deal with these patterns? Do we stand on the beach of life and rant at the ocean as it slowly rises around us until we drown? No. Just as oceanfront housing is built with the wind and tide in mind to be able to stand strong at all seasons, we must also build a life that can withstand the tides of life. I am ready to stand forth and begin building that life. I’m 30, female, average in almost every way, and experience life much the same way as everyone else. That is, I am overweight, lazy, eat poorly, and feel dissatisfied in my work. I might plunge into a diet for 8 months and lose 25 pounds. I might purge the kitchen of every scrap of junk food in a blaze of good intentions. But just like the tides flow out to sea, the diet fades in favor of candy, and the kitchen soon hosts an impressive variety of chips. Last year I discovered and subsequently joined, the Nerd Fitness Academy. It was perfect and appealed to the loner bookworm nerd inside. It also really grabbed my inner video game completionist who saw the quests and had to “catch em’ all”. So, great! I jumped in! It was high tide indeed as I tried to juggle the 3 modules with their many quests and articles while introducing new exercises and trying to eat a bit better. I was checking off quests and trying to get as much done as possible. With an approach like that, I’m sure you all know how that ended. As someone in the teaching profession, all progress came to a halt in August. Stress began to pile up. The exercising went first. I stopped taking the time to read the articles and modules online in favor of mindless youtube binging. Teaching is dangerous in that unhealthy food presents itself constantly, either from the teacher’s workroom or from various parties in the classroom. And then it was holiday time! Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's Eve, they all took their toll. So, here we are, another year, and another chance to change things. Do I go through the resolutions, the sudden changes to habit, the failures that create other failures? Do I delay things, waiting for the perfect time? I’m tired of doing that, to be honest. Years of trying and failing has gained me nothing. In the Academy I unchecked every quest I had “completed”, knowing it was a hollow trophy. I could try again. Even as late as this morning I was ready to walk that path again, however. Determined to change, but unable to see another way. Until this afternoon. I opened Nerd Fitness Academy. I went to the Module One Intro page. I started to read through the module again, figuring I’d get the early articles read so I could start checking off some quests. But I didn’t get too far. Because I found a sentence that I had previously skimmed over. And it changed everything. Seems rather mundane, but it was honestly an eye-opening sentence. Previously, I had been working on all three of the modules at the same time! Mindset, Nutrition, and Fitness. And yet here was the first page of the first module telling me I didn't have to do it all at once! This went against the grain. Surely there's no way I should be ignoring what I eat? Shouldn't I purge the kitchen, or at least start logging all of the crumbs that made it into my mouth during the day? Shouldn't I start the exercise routines, and buy some fancy equipment? It's the New Year! Don't I need to radically change several habits at once in order to suddenly become the best version of myself in a short amount of time? I speak sarcastically to be dramatic, but it was truly an arresting moment. Suddenly I understood that the Academy was serious about changing default habits. I've read so many posts here on the forums. I see people doing amazing things - lifting weights twice my size, cooking meals that sound like they should be in a book, even losing weight - and I wanted to do that too. Let's face it, the internet is the perfect medium for comparison. Compare your life, your habits, your progress, or your lack of progress, to hundreds of others at the mere click of a button. I fell into the trap. I needed to do more. I needed to be more. Change everything so I too could feel the fulfillment that others seemed to have in such abundance. I thought I was going slow, just like all of the guides and articles said to in order to change your life. Turns out I was speeding along trying to catch the Jones'. That one sentence in the Academy article tore away the blinders. I must change my approach to this. The mind and habits must be first, before food, before exercise, before anything else. Above all else, though, there is no more lone wolf inclination. This battle log will serve to document not only the changes in my lifestyle habits but will also serve to start and build the habit of sharing. Of learning that it's okay to share myself and do so in a way that doesn't compare me to anyone else. It's going to be a long journey. I know my devotion to this will rise and fall, and that my weight and health will do the same. But that's why I changed my username. The tides are the natural, and so are the emotional changes of life. Let me embrace them rather than fight. Let's get started! ---------------------------- Battle Log of the Tides January 1, 2019 * Quest Completed - Respawn * Starting weight: 183.2 pounds Ideal weight: 135ish Current Objective: Restart the Academy - Mindset Module Today's Thoughts: This battle log will serve as the public log of my journey through the NF Academy. I will be working through the Mindset module first before doing anything else. I will continue certain habits that I had already started last year (at least those that stuck) such as morning walks six mornings a week. I do plan on also creating and completing the forum challenges, but those will be separate from this log. In time I will be posting things such as training logs, food logs, new habits, and other thoughts here. I hope to get into the habit of posting more elsewhere in the forum as well, and not being such a lurker.

>_< Guys, what do you do if your biggest obstacle to success is your own inability to remember to do things? Because I apparently have the memory of a goldfish when it comes to remembering to complete workouts. I made notes, put them up, even looked right at them and had coherent thoughts that this was indeed a thing to be done, and then poof! next thing I know it's late at night and I'm tucked into bed and just drifting off when I remember I forgot to complete my workout. The first week of the challenge was good. I did my workouts Monday, Wednesday and Friday as planned. Week two comes up (that's this last week) and bam, nothing! I miss all three days without even realizing my failure. Now, I have been adding walking to my lunch break routine now, but still, the task was so simple and my brain just so oblivious! Bah, I've got to do better this week! The other tasks are proceeding nicely. A roadmap is coming together, at least of the overall timeline of the main academy quests. I'm not even going to look at the guild quests yet. Who knows what wormhole that will open. Of course now we're heading into the holiday season, and the urge to set it all aside is strong. I prevail so far, but the struggle is real. On the zen front, things are going better. I've found a very therapeutic way of dealing with stress at school, and it's productive as well! I need a couple thousand tiny butterflies for a project being planned for the end of the school year, and so I've traced several hundred already and prepared a stack to be cut out. When I feel stressed or need a moment, I cut out a few butterflies! It gives me time to pause and breathe.

Thank you very much! I find that I'm the most motivated when I am crossing things off of a list and working towards 100% completion of a goal. I got into video games for the same reasons, because it was an immersive activity that allowed me to cross things off a list and work towards 100% of a goal. I'm the type who sits there in Zelda and fishes for 3 hours because doing so will catch me the Hylian Loach and earn a piece of heart. It's all about completion, and knowing that I can work towards changing my habit in a way that pleases my brain and tricks it into wanting more.

Wow, time for my 4th challenge already! I've successfully integrated walking into my morning routine, cleaned out my living spaces and gotten rid of a lot of useless clutter and knickknacks, gotten pretty good at completing at least 5 days of 10,000 steps, and have renewed my interest and commitment to the Nerd Fitness Academy goals and ideals. Where to go from here? I think it's time to take a close look at my goals and start creating some plans. For this challenge, I will be going through the academy modules and planning out a rough timeline of quests and other elements. I'm a huge planner in everything I do, and I know that having a written roadmap will help me stay accountable and on track. I'll also be working on a few other things to help me get started strong on a few bigger goals I have. So here we go! Raksha's Challenge Goals Goal One: Create an Academy Roadmap and Timeline By the end of this challenge, I will have gone through the 3 Academy modules, written down the quests contained therein, and planned out a month of progress incorporating those three modules and several of the quests. Since some of the quests are easy to accomplish, and some take a longer amount of time, I feel that this planning will allow me to complete several quests in the most efficient manner. Plus I want to make sure I don't miss anything that can be connected to other goals or quests. Goal Two: Begin the Workouts One area of the Academy I'm already familiar with is the workouts. I had sporadically completed the first body weight workout, but never really fully committed. That changes now. I will complete the 1st level of body weight workouts (that workouts 1A and 1B for fellow academy member) consistently. I will workout 3 times a week, probably Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, completing either 1A or 1B. This will continue for the whole challenge. Goal Three: Find my Zen As the school year progresses, I find that my temper gets shorter and shorter, and that my stress rises and rises. I snap at the kids when I get stressed, or get a little sarcastic when they ask a question for the fourth time that day. I know I need to learn to manage better, so that's going to be a specific goal during this challenge. So, the goal is multi-faceted. First, I will make myself pause before responding to the kids negatively. I made a little sign for my desk to help me remember. I am also going to set aside time daily for a relaxing activity, such as working on some art or completing a puzzle. I have reminders ready to help keep myself calm and collected, even when the kids get a little silly. I'll be tracking my stress relief efforts versus my mess ups and see how I do.

Nerd Fitness 4 Week Challenge Post-Challenge Reflection Name: Raksha Challenge Number: 3 Duration: September 17th, 2018 - October 14th, 2018 Guild: Rebel —————— Goal One: Walk at least 1 mile in the morning 5 days a week What did you do to help your success?: I made it part of the goal to do my walking first thing in the morning, when I know I will have the drive to do so! What would you do differently next challenge?: Having the 5 day goal during each week kept me motivated without being too perfectionist. It also gave me a couple of days of rest if needed. Continue this goal next challenge?: Yes, this is an excellent way to wake up for the day, I’ve found. I definitely want to continue this. Goal One Score: 5+ days a week for 4 weeks completed = 100% A Goal Two: Start Building The Batcave What did you do to help your success?: I went into this challenge with a plan. I knew I needed space for my home gym area, and that would mean sacrificing some of the many books I’d accumulated. I knew I’d keep some, and I knew where I was going to put them. Systematically cleaning the book shelves helped me tackle this huge challenge. What would you do differently next challenge?: Nothing. This went smoothly. Continue this goal next challenge?: Nope, this one is done! Goal Two Score: Corner Empty! = 100% A Goal Three: Time to Be Epic! What did you do to help your success?: This built on the last challenge. Re-reading Level Up Your Life helped give me a structure to build from, and to use for brainstorming. I’ve added some new quests to my profile, and have a better idea of where I want to go from here. What would you do differently next challenge?: Nothing. This is a one and done. Continue this goal next challenge?: Maybe, by creating new quests and organizing my existing quests. Goal Three Score: New quests & goals created = 100% A ——————— Final Overall Challenge Grade: 100% A (PASS) Final Challenge Notes: This challenge has gone very well. Dropping the challenge to 3 quests helped me focus more, and gave me a better chance for success. I know my quests may seem a little tame compared to others, but I feel like I’m setting myself up for good changes that will carry thru my life long term. I’m trying to change my life permanently, and get off the yo-yo of weight loss and gain. This challenge is a step in the right direction.

That was my thinking as I did it! Do I absolutely love this book, and really enjoy reading it? If the answer was no or not really, or anything other than a resounding yes, it got cut. I've just finished boxing up all of my books, actually. I'll be dropping them off at the donation center on Monday. After that, it's get to work on rearranging some furniture and planning out a workout space. I continue to walk in the mornings, 5 days a week (and even Saturday too!). I also am making progress on brainstorming some quests and goals for the future. By the end of the challenge I hope to have some filled in on my Academy character page.

Thanks, I'm enjoying the progress so far! I ruthlessly combed through my massive collection of books and pulled out only those I read often or couldn't part with. Probably 75% of my collection was cut. Next weekend, I will box it all up and donate it.

Congratulations! That's a major accomplishment! I'm working towards this boss right now. Good for you being able to do so many squats. That's my weakness at the moment, haha. Good luck on future boss battles!

Week 1 is going well. I walked every morning this week, Monday thru Friday, completing my 5 day requirement for Goal one. For Goal two, I'm planning on spending some time this weekend going through my books and starting to sort things out. Hopefully I can make some good progress. For Goal three, I haven't really had time yet to start that one. I will be planning on getting my Level 50 write up done by next weekend, then start thinking about Epic Quests.

Time for my next challenge! I did complete my last challenge, though it was a bit of a struggle. Now that work has a steadier routine established, it's time to focus on my next goals. In my last challenge, I re-read Level Up Your Life, and it reinforced for me my choice to join the Nerd Fitness Academy. That being said, I've really neglected that program lately, and I need to do better. Especially when it comes to doing anything other than just sitting on the couch and watching TV. So for this challenge, it's all about getting some Academy routines set up. Let's jump right in! Raksha's Challenge Goals Goal One: Walk at least 1 mile in the morning 5 days a week This goal transfers from my last challenge, where I began the habit of morning walks 4 days a week. I actually found it to be a very enjoyable way to begin the day, and so I want to continue this habit as well as expand it. So I will commit to walking for 5 days a week for all 4 weeks of the challenge period. Goal Two: Start Building The Batcave I am an introvert, no question. So the gym has never been an option in my mind. So exercise has never been a big thing for me, because how can I work out if I don't go to the gym? Flawless logic! However, reading Level Up Your Life did help remind me that the gym isn't the only option for working out. Ideally, I would like to eventually set up a nice little home gym. To start, however, space must be found. And that means I need to clear some space. I have a corner of my room filled with books on bookshelves. I love to read, but usually do so on my ipad. Only a handful of actual paper books get read from my shelves every year. I think that corner would be perfect for a home gym. So here's my goal: Get that corner cleaned out! Go through all of the books and either sell them, move them to a different location, or donate them to charity. By the end of the challenge, that corner should be empty. Goal Three: Time To Be Epic! Reading Level Up Your Life reminded me that there needs to be goals that aren't just Academy goals. I need to map out my Level 50, as well as begin to shape my Epic Quests. So during this challenge I will write up what my life at Level 50 would be like, and I will also plan out and post some Epic Quests to work on over the years. Life has to be about more than exercising, and I want to solidify some of my passions and hobbies into concrete goals. I want to level up in all aspects of my life.

Nerd Fitness 4 Week Challenge Post-Challenge Reflection Name: Raksha Challenge Number: 2 Duration: August 13, 2018 - September 9, 2018 Guild: Rebel —————— Goal One: 10,000 steps per day for at least 5 days a week What did you do to help your success?: I made sure to wear my fitbit everyday as a way to measure steps. What would you do differently next challenge?: Having the 5 day goal during each week kept me motivated without being too perfectionist. It also gave me a couple of days of rest if needed. Continue this goal next challenge?: Probably not. I’ve done this for 2 challenges now, and it’s become enough of a habit that I don’t need to make it a specific goal. Goal One Score: 5 days a week for 4 weeks completed = 100% A Goal Two: Go for a one mile (or more) walk 4 days a week What did you do to help your success?: I decided that the walking would have to be done first thing in the morning. I knew that once I got going with my day, I’d find a million excuses to do something else. It was also a good way to wake up, I found. What would you do differently next challenge?: I might increase the number of days I walk, as I’d like to get to at least 5 days a week, and maybe 6 eventually. Continue this goal next challenge?: Yes, but with a 5 day a week goal. Goal Two Score: 4 days a week for 4 weeks completed = 100% A Goal Three: 3 liters of water daily for 5 days in a row What did you do to help your success?: This had to be pre-planned for the Labor Day weekend, when I knew I would be able to focus on tracking my water intake. I also made sure to remind myself to drink during work times. What would you do differently next challenge?: Nothing. This is a one and done. Continue this goal next challenge?: Nope. Goal Three Score: 5 days in a row (F, Sa, Su, M, T) completed = 100% A Goal Four: Re-read Level Up Your Life! What did you do to help your success?: I kept the book accessible and with me as often as possible to sneak in moments of reading when I could. What would you do differently next challenge?: This was a hard goal to complete because I just wasn’t into the book as much. It’s very basic information, which I had already been on board for. It was a nice refresher, and I may take some aspects of it to make future goals. Continue this goal next challenge?: No. Goal Four Score: Book Completed = 100% A ——————— Final Overall Challenge Grade: 100% A (PASS) Final Challenge Notes: this second challenge took a little more effort, as I had to fit it into my work routine. I wasn’t quite as pumped for this challenge, though I did enjoy the water drinking goal set. I think I will be focusing on more Academy based goals for future challenges, because there is a tangible reward for completion. It is all about motivation!

Since it's the weekend, I wanted to take the time to give a more complete update. I haven't been paying much attention to this site lately, and that includes this challenge. I don't want to slide too far though, because it's a short leap from ignoring this site (because I'm too tired at the end of the day), to going back to late snacking, and TV watching (because I'm too tired all the time). Hence, I'm hoping an update here plus some browsing will keep me on track. Plus it's a long weekend. Yay! Raksha's Challenge Goals: 10,000 steps per day for at least 5 days a week - 8/13: 11,507 8/14: 13,087 8/15: 12,609 8/16: 12,533 8/17: 12,128 8/18: 10,616 8/19: 3,830 Week 1: 6/7 8/20: 12,599 8/21: 14,184 8/22: 13,944 8/23: 15,751 8/24: 13,187 8/25: 11,923 8/26: 6,447 Week 2: 6/7 8/27: 12,207 8/28: 12,577 8/29: 16,952 8/30: 16,780 8/31: 15,311 Go for a 1 mile (or more) walk at least 4 times a week - I have been walking almost daily. A 2 mile path in my neighborhood, which is very nice. It's actually starting to become a habit now, and I feel lazier on the mornings I don't walk. I'm actually thinking about getting up Monday and walking, even though I have that day off. It just feels like the right choice. We will see. Drink 3 liters of water for a 5 day stretch at some point during the challenge - I started this yesterday! Completed one day of the 5 days required. It was a little hard, I'll admit, and I had to really pay attention while at work. Today I'm working on Day 2 and making sure I have a big cup of water close by at all times. I even took a drink just now as I was thinking about it. I think I will succeed with this, though Tuesday at work will require vigilance. Re-Read 'Level Up Your Life' - This is the goal I'm struggling with, currently. It's a great book,don't get me wrong. Reading it the first time really helped me, and I remain committed to leveling up my life and becoming the badass I am in my mind. But the book just isn't doing it for me right now. I have started making more concrete plans, and I guess I've moved on from the more basic advice in the book. I'm going to complete this goal, but it's going to require some effort on my part, and I'm not sure what I'm going to get out of it.

Well, I finally found a free moment to update this! It's been a while, but I'm still kicking! Raksha's Challenge Goals: 10,000 steps per day for at least 5 days a week - I've been doing really good with this! I have been keeping my step count at about 12k a day for the main work week. Not as good on weekends, and I'm downright lazy on Sundays! But I have been accomplishing this goal. Go for a 1 mile (or more) walk at least 4 times a week - I have been walking every morning, Monday thru Friday. I found a nice path in my neighborhood that is about 2 miles long. At a leisurely pace, I can finish it in about 45 minutes and then get ready for work. It's a bit hard, some days, to get up that early, but it does get me going for the day nicely. Drink 3 liters of water for a 5 day stretch at some point during the challenge - I haven't done this yet. I think I will be focusing on it over the Labor Day Weekend, in order to make sure I can get it done. Re-Read 'Level Up Your Life' - Started this. I'm a few chapters in already.

Yes, it definitely is! Students are starting tomorrow, and things are going to be even more chaotic then. That's why I tried to keep this challenge more low key, haha!

Thanks! I've been guilty in the past of making changes and promises that are too much, too fast, and then I end up abandoning that particular line of pursuit when I quickly burn out. I figure this way I might actually stand a chance of success!

I really enjoyed my first challenge, and I'm ready to try a second one! With the arrival of August, however, my focus shifts to the start of school. As a teacher, I've just entered my busiest time of year, going back to work and frantically getting ready for a new class of kids. So now is not the time for more involved challenge goals, I think. In fact, I want to really take the time to establish some basic habits, and to re-read the book that introduced me to all of this: Level Up Your Life. So my challenges this time will be: Raksha's Challenge Goals: 10,000 steps per day for at least 5 days a week - This is a continuation from my last challenge, tweaked a little to allow life to happen, as it were. Five days a week should be a reasonable and achievable goal. For the four weeks of the challenge, this means at least 5 days every week must meet the 10,000 steps goal. Go for a 1 mile (or more) walk at least 4 times a week - This is a habit I want to establish, with the hope of eventually walking daily. I've done this on and off, and I think now is a great time to get back into this. It's a quick and easy way to begin to add some exercise into my life. Eventually I'll be doing more than walking, but this is a good way to start, I think. Drink 3 liters of water for a 5 day stretch at some point during the challenge - This is one of the academy quests, and it's one I've been considering for a while. When I get into the school mode, I tend to drink a lot less water, and in turn, get dehydrated and feel bad. This impacts my students and me, and I want to avoid that this year. So I will complete this goal not only to earn academy points, but to help establish a habit of drinking more and keeping hydrated. Re-Read 'Level Up Your Life' - This goal is not only to just read the book again, but to go through and make notes, add sticky notes to important passages I want to revisit, and use the book to begin creating a plan for the future. This will eventually be expanded to my Academy goals as well, which I need to organize and sort to see what quests I want to complete. Reading this book again will help me stay motivated to change my life and be more healthy.

As a woman, I enjoy their site, lol. The articles are interesting and informative. I actually considered signing up for their Strenuous Life program before I found nerd fitness. I was really drawn to both the philosophy of the program and the level system inherent in the merit badges. I ended up passing on it because of the male-centric view and the price. I wasn't sure I would fit in and be able to keep up. But it all worked out, because that led me to search for other programs, and I found the Nerd Fitness Academy shortly after!

I agree with your wife on this one, lol! 6 pack or not, I'd go insane very quickly. Sounds like torture to me!

Welcome, I love your can do attitude regarding the zombie apocalypse! You'll feel right at home here. There are all sorts of martial arts enthusiasts here, and even a guild dedicated to that interest. Wander around, have a look, and jump in anywhere!

Welcome! This site is a great place to get your geek on, as it were, and we do some awesome challenges here you may want to check out. A new one is starting in a week or so, I think! Wander around and jump on into a conversation!

I find this to be hilarious! Welcome to the forums! There is so much going on here, and you'll find that whatever whims you may have, chances are you're in good company. Wander around, do some posting, and jump into the pool with us!

Welcome! There's absolutely no problem with not feeling drawn to a particular guild, we always welcome a fellow rebel! Wander the forums and jump in anywhere you feel like!

Welcome! So glad you came to join us. It sounds like you have a general plan and are ready to start leveling up! Look into the four week challenges, they rock! Good Luck!

Congrats! That's quite an accomplishment, and it's great that you've got some newfound passion for running. It just goes to show that sticking with something, even if its hard or not enjoyable, may yield surprising results!