FortBacon

Real simple - I need to work and study my brains out for another 2-3 years, so my challenges will not be nearly as awesome as everyone else's (no prose, no RPG narrative or GIF/MEME-posting). However, the challenge goes up anyway because this community, has been fantastic - as I got out of debt, moved my family to a new city, acclimated to new job, on and on! IT'S TIME TO FINISH my "life-repair" efforts before I transition to maintain-growth-pace-of-life! Time to stop dabbling and actually take care of my health and long-term vocational stuff (thus the 2-3 years of studying/working). Simply, in 3 years (or less) get lean and jacked and financially liberated (and, of course, enjoying the journey in the process) I want to track a daily checklist of items to keep the fitness going, while life is full of working and studying and family-ing, I'm going to borrow @Laghail's checklist format All of this toward fat loss, plus some strength building: drop 10 pounds. This should be do-able with beginner gains (all bloaty and lazy these days) Daily strive for □ Morning meditation □ Keto-calorie restriction (adjusting fat for activity levels) □ Steps □ NF Academy Bodyweight level 3 (4 days each week) □ Career studies Here we go - in 3 years I will be lean and jacked and financially liberated - and then will have cooler challenges

Following my fellow-busy-person-with-hardly-any-time-for-posting... and for Simpsons "hear the lions ROAR of determination!"

Thank you, brutha Laghail

In this challenge I finally embraced my "limits" - it was more about learning than doing - read a lot about food, keto, and started moving my body again (finally). I need to FIGURE OUT how to do a workout while traveling - even when in a hotel that I'm creeped out by ... and even when I'm intimidated to go to the hotel gym - why is it I care what people think - people I will NEVER see again? And people who, very likely, are happy for the little fat man trying to get in shape - lol. So, those are my big take-aways - learned a lot on food/sleep (very prepared for my next steps) - and close to having a solution on working out no matter what (at home, on travel, etc)...

Seriously, this is the last day of the challenge? That went way too fast. I wonder if the forums busted (I stopped getting email notifications of threads I follow, and nothing is in spam folder).

I have a friend who SWEARS by Renaissance Periodization spreadsheets - giving this a look... https://renaissanceperiodization.com/

So late to the Laghail party ... but here goes: About the above note on "tracking" from 5/25 - thanks for being so transparent - I'm inspired to track... and to be honest about it on NF (shut up, self-preservation-self!!) Disagree - I think the metaphor goes even further - Facebook doesn't only use what you publish, but it then has the right to follow you around the internet-globe!! Users consent to this by merely logging into the website - and that creepy cookie gets to hang out with you all over that web... and SURE it has NO IDEA what we do in "incognito" mode <<wink wink>>... but yeah, TSA probably could care less than my compliance department does (ugh) No - I'm not sorry for reviving old topics. Eldredge - man, you are "thoroughly initiated." I haven't heard that name in a long time. And, is that a chick-tract?! They had great artwork. More coffee, more conversations... less worky! Thanks again, man.

Okay - Keto Kata theme is dead, but Keto-efforts are not. Just going to be posting factual updates for now - too much work and travel! Last week was all travel the whole week, and I did not gain weight/fat. Yeah, I'm bragging about not gaining, but on a travel week, that is actually an accomplishment for me. These last two days (Saturday and Sunday) have been recovery days for me - so tired. Time to get into a groove of healthy eating and working out before I travel again. Here's to a great week - for everyone on NF!

Link to the Podcast Link to her website The theme is a little too "pick up" oriented - dating, etc - for me

It was an interview with Vanessa Van Edwards - on Michael Covel podcast 541 (Covel is usually an investment guy, sometimes good, sometimes filler). Vanessa has tons of videos on YouTube - she had two things she sites in regards to"switching confidence on/off." First thing was more of an "inspiring quote" from Vince Lombardi (Lord of Wisconsin and football) "Confidence is contagious, and so is lack of confidence" - mkay, that's interesting. The more helpful bit was the second story - she sites a study conducted by Alison Wood Brooks - Harvard professor who did a study on how we interpret our physiological responses can influence our confidence. She had subjects each perform in front of a group - they had to sing "Don't Stop Believing" into a program that would tell them how accurate they were (notes, words, tempo, etc). So, the software combined with an audience definitely challenged their confidence. She broke the subjects into 3 groups: those who started by saying "I'm nervous" and those who started by saying "I'm excited" and the 3rd group was the control (no words stated before singing). Here is the accuracy score for each group: 1 (I'm Nervous) 53% accuracy 2 (control) 69% accuracy 3 (I'm excited) 80% accuracy So, I think this was her way of introducing the concept of choosing the language we user to interpret how we physiologically feel is a way to influence our confidence... and, of course, she has a book ready to help me out, and a bunch of videos on YouTube. Not quite ready to buy a book or binge her videos, but the concept is helpful. Good stuff, I think.

JK @Laghail - I shall quote (when I find it) Man, I'm turning this "challenge" into a real "Dear Diary"

NO!

One more topic I'm considering writing about here - confidence. We're all nerds here, right? Good chance that I'm not the only one working on "confidence" - right? This topic though - when people say "be confident" - I feel like they are saying "be taller" or "have more hair" - not something I can just do or be. I can act more confident, for a little while, but not just BE more confident. However, I may have stumbled on a solution - digging for an article I recently found where the guy claims confidence can be switched on or off easily. I'm dubious, but will give it a read - when I find it.

I need to enhance my Keto Kata - particularly, the skill of resisting urges in moments of increased weakness. Specifically: * When going by the drive through of places with tasty breakfast foods that I don't need to be eating right now * When getting back to the hotel after a LONG day, tired and weak-willed, with a budget available to spend on food I don't need to eat For now, the skill I'm thinking through is: * acknowledge the thought (as opposed to locking horns with it to do battle) * say to that thought "noted - and good night" * and proceed to my destination (next meeting, bed, etc) Any other magic/Kata? Maybe have a parachute/failsafe - if the urge stays strong after 5 minutes, get a glass of water and hold off another 5 minutes

Yeah - maybe this is a bit convoluted. Keto Kata just seemed to roll off the tongue, but maybe a stretch in actual concept. I just had funny images of fighting off carbs and such with Keto KATA!!! Anyway, fat loss will ensue - had another successful day managing food intake - woot!

It was great - got a ton of distractions off the plate (books, articles, nagging projects) and some holiday weekend - with a chosen day for some yummy eats outside of plan. So, today is the day I start the Keto Kata challenge officially, with some momentum on my side. Thanks for checking in!

This is good guidance Beautiful... And now, I name my enemy...

Placeholder / Draft If Christian Bale and Sean Bean can use Gun Kata, then I can have a challenge using Keto Kata ... flying meat, destroying bread... who knows - but "it has been broughten!" GOALZZZZZZZZZZ: FAT LOSS (would like to lose it and never find it again) 1) 4 Weeks of Calorie Restricted KETO: shooting for <50g carbs per day, over 150g protein, and control fat to stay under total 1,750 cals (increasing if I find myself more active than normal - I exist primarily behind a desk or the wheel of a car 2) 3-4 strength workouts per week doing NF Academy - bodyweight level 3 workouts 3) Daily - Get at least 30 minutes walking (bonus points for exceeding 10,000 steps) LIFE GOAL: Get through 3 investment books (beneficial to both work and personal goals That's it - and whatever images / GIFs I can conjure that illustrate Keto Kata - the art of blocking carbs and getting a SICK body (pronounced "sih-eh-ick" I think) by shedding fat GOALS DONE - draft done - here we go

Heads turn as a herald enters proclaiming "Bacon for all" announcing the entrance of jolly FortBacon. With the permission of @Tanktimus the Encourager, he quickly distributes his gifts, offering crispy vs soft bacon (depending on the preferences of the good people), and occasionally apologizing to the vegan/vegetarian, meaning no offense. FortBacon is glad he fully charged his devices as this appears to be an olde-time-fantasy-guilde-shoppe (can't be anything space-age with all the "e's") - not an outlet in sight. He finds a table by a window, sets up his solar-energy collector, and attaches all 100 of his devices for charging (apologizing to the other patrons for taking up so much space). He tips the herald and sends him on his way, after a good laugh at the absurd idea of him being heralded at all. Knowing he is in good company and a trusted establishment, he leaves all his devices at his table (without asking anyone "do you mind watching this while I step away") and begins a search for tasty cheeses and beer.

Had a good "final week" on this challenge - lost a few pounds, got some other barriers out of the way - and I think I have a good theme in mind for my next challenge...

Still thinking that through... ... .. . lol

Yeah - still amazed by the 4 lbs - but newbie-fat loss is always best - especially after a season of bloaty-fat-gain

Very well put. Hot sauce maybe? I'm trying to think of a sauce solution that wouldn't add sugar and not much fat.

I'm down 4 lbs ... just say'n WOOT!

Well - I saw it sitting there in the store and some voice in my mind from fitness-past said "it's full of nutrients and you can acquire the taste - it just has social stigma" But when I tried it, I realized there is also a "taste stigma"... Tons of vitamin A!! Wisconsinites love that - "vitamin eh?!" That and the fact that it has a German name - BRAUNSCHWEIGERRRRRRRrrrrrrr! So, that was my third reason for trying it - to further my Wisconsin-ness