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This is my first 4-week challenge. Super excited for this. Starting a little early because I'm ready to dive in. Here it is DIET Have a green smoothie every morning for breakfast to get my day started right. (recipe below) No meat Log every thing that I eat FITNESS Complete the NF Bodyweight program 3x a week. Walk at least 5 minutes per day LEVEL UP YOUR LIFE Put $14 a paycheck into savings (Equal to $1 a day) Green smoothie recipe 1 cup almond milk 2 cups spinach 1 green apple 1/2 cup strawberries 1/2 avacado 1 tsp. Organic green superfood powder

I remember, back when I studied karate, there was a man who came to our classes. Just like every other first arrival, he came onto the floor last in line, wearing a white belt. At the time, I was a green belt, going on brown (our dojo's belt progression was white, blue, yellow, green, brown, black). I introduced myself to him, welcomed him to class, but didn't think much of it. And then he started training. His technique was perfect. He performed kata first time perfectly, though he obviously had to learn the sequences. I was stunned. How could a white belt be so good? It wasn't until the end of the first class that our sensei told us that he was actually returning to karate after a six-year hiatus. He'd trained in a different style, hence why he had to learn all the kata, but he had been a black belt before that. He'd decided to start at the new style in a white belt, because he was new to the style, and because he didn't want to seem presumptuous. He wanted to remind himself that he was still a newbie, even if he had a lot of the techniques already under his belt, so to speak. I always sort of admired that symbol - to willingly start from the beginning just so that you didn't get too overconfident. I'm absolutely no fitness black belt, but I've learned a few tricks. My technique is good, it's the consistency that's lacking for me. So I'm taking a leaf from that black belt's book. I'm taking the techniques I know work - the foods and diet that worked best for me, the motivation tricks, the attitude - and going all the way back to Square One. Fresh start. I'll be joining in with the Monks after this, but I figured this first challenge was better off with the General Rebels, since I'm not actually focussing on fitness this time around. Doing fitness things comes, for me, when I'm not hung up on just trying to get through life. So I'll leave the fitness goals to the character creator, and this challenge will be me starting to make a base for those fitness goals. I've got four goals - four weeks and four goals seemed like a nice symmetry. ONE - Finances This comes in two parts. One of my biggest stress factors is money - I'm only just getting started as a freelancer and I don't have much money spare at any given time, which often leads to me getting stressed about overdue bills, feeling like I have to stay home and work even when it's probably better for me to get some fresh air (both literally and metaphorically) and then just getting overloaded and ordering takeaway, which is both bad for my health and my bank account. This goal comes in two parts: In order to get my finances in order, I need two things: One, spend less money. Two, earn more money. I'm good for work at the moment, but I'm going to start having trouble when my current projects are done. Part One - I'm set for expenses this month with the payment that's just come in. But through a combination of not spending money on impulsive purchases (I don't regret buying those Cowboy Bebop shirts but also I shouldn't have done that) and being careful about the money I get in any other projects I have, I want to have $500 in my account at the end of the month. Not necessarily saved - I can have $500 towards next month's rent and I'll consider this accomplished - I just need to have a $500 balance across my accounts. Part Two - This one's a bit easier. Two project proposals a week, every week, unless I get enough responses back that I can't fit in any more work in the next couple months. I want to put that caveat in because overwork is a huge thing for me, and I need to be careful about not taking on too much. But unless I get, like, two big, multi-month projects, I'll continue to apply for jobs for the entire four weeks. TWO - Outstanding Paperwork I'm not an adult, and I don't pretend to be, except when I have to. But sometimes that comes with some pretty inconvenient side effects, like putting off some semi-important tasks. In these four weeks, I will: - cancel an old gym membership that for some reason, despite expiring, is still draining money from my account. Also cancel the charity donation I got signed up to because the doorknocker caught me on a bad day and I haven't had the courage to work my way through the guilt trips and "are you sure"s to cancel it. - call to enquire about private health insurance - attend the doctor's appointment I need to book, and get the blood test I need - update my personal details on my Medicare card because it's been months and this is getting ridiculous - pay any bills that come through on time and promptly - I think I'm due an electricity bill, and I will pay it the day I get it this time. Some of these feed into the Finances thing, but also they've all been hanging over my head and I just need to get them done. THREE - Housework See above about the adulting thing. I'm incredibly bad at housework, especially when I get overwhelmed by work, but it always contributes to my stress, and so I will stop it building up. In order to do this, I will: - Do the dishes every day - my goal is to leave each evening with a clean kitchen, but if I end up doing some the next morning, I'll give myself leeway. Just so long as they get done. - Sweep the floors once per week - I have a cat. The cat sheds. I need to start getting more vigilant about the floors. - Clean the bathroom at least twice during the month - I'm usually pretty good about scrubbing the toilet, but the shower needs to be scrubbed a bit more often than it is now, so I'll try and do that a bit more regularly from now on. FOUR - Chill out! I have pretty bad anxiety, as is probably clear from the above, and things can get out of hand very quickly. Because I work from home and set my own hours, I can often end up working (or "working" - that is, staring at the screen and psyching myself out) for about ten hours a day every day of the week if I'm allowed. Tuesdays are my usual gaming afternoons, so they're now officially also my day off. On Tuesdays, I can't do any writing, either paid or for my own projects, I can't respond to work calls or e-mails unless they're truly urgent, and I'm not allowed to get stressed that I'm not doing any of those. Things I can do on Tuesdays: - Go to my friend's place earlier than the game to hang out and chat - Catch up on TV shows - Get back into language learning like I've been promising I would do - Get back into learning the harp because it's sitting in my cupboard gathering dust and I need to make time for it - Read a book for once - Plan a trip or vacation out of the many I've been telling myself I'll get to at some point - Practice my Capoeira music for classes I might not get to all of these, I might do something different every Tuesday. Doesn't matter. The point is, I'm not allowed to work. So, hi all, glad to be back on the forums, and I'm looking forward to the challenge! ETA: As mentioned below, I'm also adding a mini-goal to try and reduce stress about my martial arts. tl;dr: I want to make positive associations with my Capoeira classes, so you're all going to have to put up with me coming on here to brag/rant about at least one good or awesome thing that happened (or that I did) at each class I attend. I'm trying to reinforce that 'hey this is a good thing and this is fun and I want to be here' more than 'oh god I messed up and everyone was staring at me and I'm sure I'm the worst in the class and I skipped class that one time and my Mestre is judging me and aaaaaaaaaaa'. So that's happening as well.

Hello! I'm new here, so, hi! I've read through a lot of other posts about challenges, and you all have such entertaining and thoughtful posts! I'm afraid mine will be very droll. But here I go.... I'm a tech nerd, so starting with a Google doc template for figuring out my challenges was my dream. I worked through all of that, and put a lot of thought into it. I'm used to goals like, "lose weight. Boom, go!" without any particular plans, and without considering the rest of my life. I mean, I am more than what I weigh, right? I'm slowly figuring that out. My top four Quests, and the thoughts behind them: Quest: Be Proud of my Body At first I had a collection of goals, like, lose weight, be strong, etc. As I looked at my mind map, I saw that they all roll up into one master Be Proud of my Body Quest. I don't really care about meeting a number on the scale, but I do care about being healthy and strong, and presenting myself as confident, energetic, and as someone who cares about herself. First Challenge: Lift 3x a week. I love lifting, and I'm just starting a new protocol focused on building strength. The weights are heaving than I've used before, and it's scary, but it feels good to challenge my body and my mental fortitude. Quest: Get Out of Debt I've carried debt for a long time. I don't know what I spent some of that money on. This debt holds me back from doing things I want to do, like travel. As part of this Quest, I have steps to pay off this debt. First Challenge: Stop Using my Credit Cards. 'Nuff said. I took them all out of my wallet except for one that truly is for emergencies. Control my Drinking I wrestle between thinking I should stop drinking altogether, or moderate my alcohol. I know when I've tried to not drink at all, I've ended up binging. However, I am able to set a limit and stick to it sometimes. Based on that, my first goal is to moderate. First Challenge: Limit myself to seven drinks a week. I know any alcohol can sabotage my fitness goals, but for now at least, I am going to moderate. Be More Respected as a Musician I play in a couple of bands, I've been in bands for the past 11 years or so. I can write good lyrics, and my music tends to be funny/entertaining, all of which I'm happy about. Truth is though, I'm not a very good musician. I'd like to be seen as more than funny. I'd like to be seen as a decent musician. Next truth is, I'm totally inconsistent with practicing. I slack off until I have a show, then I cram practicing in at the last minute. First Challenge: Practice 15 minutes a day. I'm starting by adding consistency to my playing. 15 minutes doesn't sound like a lot, but most days, I don't play at all. This will at least get me playing every day. I'll attach my mind map here for this challenge, in case anyone's interested! Thanks for reading all of this!

well, here goes. It's my first time and one my big anxieties is "am I doing this right" My goals are: Do bodyweight exercises 3x week Walk to work at least three times a week (3 miles one way) Drink a beer or glass of wine a night, rather than two or three Keep the kitchen clean. I do like my beer and wine and my husband and I make wine, mead and beer. We're also looking into getting the kitchen remodeled and I want to practice keeping it nice. I haven't quite figured out how one chooses a class, so I'm here as a rebel for the foreseeable future.

Anyhow for the moment I'm in as a REBEL. and Jumping into the 4 WEEK Challenge starting August 12, 2017 seeing as i have a sh@t-ton of interests and goals and troubling nailing all to completion I am going to start easy so I can win. First goal - My Neverending Story of getting my weight down on the scale. 5 pounds seems reasonable to lose in four weeks although i have NEVER hit that goal EVER. If i do 50 XP points on my own awesome life quest!!! How will I achieve this? give up alcoholic drinks for the four weeks get protein and veg into two meals a day cardio daily and strength workout 3 times week Second goal - Get the house ready and listed for sale THAT IS IT PEOPLE AND IT IS ENOUGH!! Oh... just thought I must get this underway so 3 goals.LOL Third goal - Study for my radio operator license exam 10 mins per day. These two things are big and need focus. So next four weeks should be interesting. daily motivation can be a struggle. Now I have three things (also how to I make submissions? Ie. Is everytime I post a new topic...or how do I post to my same thread? Thank you)

Figured I would finally join in! My first challenge contains the following: - Replace candy with no carb drinks or a piece of fruit - Max. 3 cups of coffee a day, tea and water otherwise - Commute to work by bike min. 2 times a week (30 KM round trips, will link Strava profile for tracking) - Do bodyweight workout (or yoga) 3 times a week - Continue Zombies 5K training! Additional: - Clean up kitchen before I go to sleep (I have two cats so I should probably do this anyway!) Support is welcome since I have a pretty crazy work schedule now alongside 2-3 nights a week of raiding (on World of Warcraft). TODO: - Link Strava profile - Link one of my exercise tracking app profiles Edited: removed 2x strength training in favor of 1 extra bodyweight so that i can balance that + zombies 5k training during the week.

Hi everybody! I just found this website last week and I'm super excited about it! I've really been making some good changes over the last 11 months or so, but fitness comes and goes too much for my liking. I'm at the tail end (day 29!) of my third Whole30 and it occurred to me about 2 weeks ago that the small, self-contained block of time of a month is really pretty helpful for me. Have a plan, execute for 4 weeks, evaluate, develop new plan. Much better than just "do this forever and ever amen!" So here I am. I'd love some feedback on what I think I'd like to accomplish for this 4 week challenge. Diet (2) This one is a little bit funky as I really have it mostly dialed in. Yay! I eat mostly paleo most of the time. I'm wrapping up my third Whole30 since mid-September 2016 and feel great. I tend to do pretty well for a good while afterwards but at some point I slip off the rails and go crazy for about two weeks until I feel disgusting and reboot with another Whole30. I hate that the black-and white-ness of Whole30 seems to actually work for me. I like the idea of moderation so much better! But certain things just HAVE to be left out. And I think that others need to be regulated. That's where this goal comes in. For those who don't know, Whole30 is 30 days of no alcohol, added sugar/artificial sweeteners, legumes, grains, dairy, or additives like msg and carrageenan. Also no recreating paleo-fied baked goods and stuff. Believe it or not, the only things I really miss when eating this way are dark chocolate, cheese, and drinks with friends. But the drinks are more about the social aspect and not looking like a weirdo than the actual alcohol. I do enjoy a nice glass of wine, but otherwise I can mostly take it or leave it. So how to find a nice happy medium with these things I love and maintain it? So far my only real ideas are to limit each to a certain number of times a week, and to track everything I eat. Fitness (1) I spent way too much time in the last 2 weeks, since I came up with this harebrained 4-week idea that has apparently been going on over here for years, researching various exercise programs and the like. But in reality, I just need to cultivate the habit of going to the gym, and feeling comfortable there. I put together a workout based on the NF "build your own workout" thing, because I need to have some idea of what I want to do once I get there. I have a Planet Fitness membership and they don't have squat racks. Any ideas what to do about that? (Getting ahead of myself--I'll be just fine with bodyweight squats for a good while) Anyway, my challenge here is just showing up--Go to the gym, with a plan, 3x a week. I'm not toooo focused on perfect execution of the plan because I know I'm not that likely to deviate drastically once I just get my butt inside. Just gotta get there. Life (1) I have so many things here! Help me pick one?? -I'm really wanting to either start my own bookkeeping business or expand my current accounting/bookkeeping knowledge so that I can shift my position. I have a self-guided book/course. I need to read it and take notes. Challenge: 15 min study a day? -I used to read before bed every night. Smartphones have decimated this habit. Challenge: 15 min reading before bed? -I'm a crappy housekeeper. I read a book called Unfuck Your Habitat that broke everything down into manageable chunks of just 20 minutes and it actually made sense to me. Challenge: 1 20/1 each day? -Headspace had a year long special that was too good to pass up as I was learning to meditate. Challenge: meditate daily to get my money's worth? -I'm an introverted homebody. I have a very small circle of friends and for a variety of reasons I should probably consider expanding it. Not sure how to go about doing this as I am 37 and that shit ain't easy. So there's my brainstorming of my first challenge. Hit me with your suggestions, please!

First Challenge Goals: Bring breakfast and lunch to work this month. 10/10 –week (s) 38/40 – month When I cook at home I tend to make much healthier meals with veggies and meat as the main focal point. Even if I don’t do that, it will still be healthier, and cheaper, than eating out. Drink 111oz of water each day. 6/7 – week(s) 24/28- month (using Plant Nanny to track)- I am working on less coffee and booze, and with that comes more water. Even if I end up not succeeding with those two pieces, I need to drink more water regardless. Sub-goal meal prep each week 4/4 (I just ordered Well Fed - I love her weekly cook up!) Complete the NF bodyweight workout at least 2x a week 2/2-week 8/8- month I would love to get to 3x a week/this month, but I don’t know if that will happen. Sub goal- Walk a good walk (hour+) with my pup 3 x a week. This won’t count towards totals, but I want to track it. 5 minutes meditation daily 7/7 week- 26/28- month I feel so much better when I take a few minutes. Sub goal- Keep my phone on grayscale all month to help with use Not all of the numbers equal exactly, but I also think it is important to have at least some grace towards myself for the month as a whole. I need to stock up on steamer veggies because they go well with canned fish/hardboiled eggs for emergency meals. It will be important to meal prep this weekend, and process the CSA veggies on Tuesday to keep up with lunches. I have a ton of stuff in my freezer in terms of protein, but I have to remember to defrost it. I used a template, and am very open to feedback to hopefully make this more achievable.

Hey! Welcome to my first challenge - hopefully it's gonna be a weird and wonderful one! I am currently on a Summer break from university and looking to get some routine back into my life before returning to my student ways In theory, I have chosen goals that will set me up for continuing these challenges after I return, in the hopes that I can introduce and maintain some healthier decisions for my mind and my body for the foreseeable future. In short (with explanations hidden due to my inevitable waffling on) my weekly goals are: 1) Get dressed properly every day. Goal = 6/7 days. 2) Somewhat linked to Goal 1) is to get outside and walk for at least 20 minutes EXTRA each day. Goal = 4/7 days 3) Do (and record) sets of either push-ups or squats each day. Goal = 5/7 4) Read at least one chapter of Level Up Your Life each day (until finished). Goal = 5/7 I have deliberately chosen goals that I have already made a little progress with outside of challenges in the hopes that this will ensure they aren't too big of a change for me. I have also avoided diet and nutrition goals for now as I wish to start these once I have found my footing and am back into a routine come September. It is more difficult when living at home with parents to follow separate meals - I have decided to just be mindful of what I eat and think about how I am fuelling my body more for now. So there it is! My first challenge. Any advice or comments are always welcome - as I said I'm new here, so any information is useful to me right now! Please drop in, say hi and I'll be sure to follow any other newbie threads/challenges! I think I will use this weekend to prep and motivate myself. I'll begin properly on Monday... so watch this space! PS: If anyone is still reading, I'm a little bit in love with gifs, so show me your best hitters...

Okay, let's do this! First time challenger here! Ready for battle! Goals - Drop 5lbs OR reduce measurements (I don't mind if I keep the weight if it's muscle, but I'm not sure what a reasonable conversion of weight to my measurements would be) - Memorize choreography for 2 songs and be able to run through them without a lead or video Actions 1) Fitness - Start strength training 2-3 times every week. Do this by... - Beginner's Body Weight Routine Started this on 8/8 ...I will probably need to get an actual dumbbell or find something that I own that's heavier than my enamel cast iron pot (unfortunately, my heavy cat has refused to be my dumbbell substitute) 2) Fitness - Continue dancing class 2-3 times every week. (Kpop, zumba, motown, etc.) Dance Goal - Become better at learning/retaining choreography Do this by... - Retaining Goal - Practicing Playing with Fire by BLACKPINK & clean up choreography for first verse - Clean up verse choreography for Rumor by K.A.R.D. Stretch Goal: Learn chorus and dance break choreography for Ko Ko Bop by EXO 2) Food Habits - Intermittent Fasting every day. Fast 14-16 hours and feast 10-8 hours, depending on my schedule. No firm diet changes yet. Trying to build the IF habit. I will eat till I'm full and make sure I have enough protein to last through the fast. Technically, I started this on 8/7, since my eating schedule was pretty close to it anyways. Personal Randomness - Sketch 2-3 times per week - Make Fennel infused liqueur

First time challenge for me. I'm going to start out a little basic to get in the swing of things. My full length diet goal is to quit soda, cut wayyyy back on the sweets, no fast food, eating healthier and more vegetables. For my fitness goal, I want to work towards doing at least 10 minutes of yoga before bed to relax every day, go to the gym at least 3 times a week and start running. My third quest line is saving the money to remodel the upstairs of my house by my birthday (October). S1k is my first mini-goal because that's roughly the amount I need to get the duct work professionally installed. Then there will be a second 1K towards insulation, drywall and paint to fix it up. I am only focused on the main 1st step of the quest line. I've thrown in bonus objectives, just in case I meet the goals and want to take it one step further in the challenge. Quest Line- Filling Tummy with Goodness Diet choices 1. Last day of each time off, prepare lunches for the next couple days of work Fruit, veggie, protein, snack 2. Limit fast food to no more than 1x week. Bonus-No fast food Quest Line- Get Your Butt Going 1. Go to gym at least 1x week Bonus-2x week Bonus Bonus- Bodyweight work out at least 1x week Bonus Bonus Bonus- Yoga at least 1x week Quest Line- Get that mola 1. Save $400 towards remodeling the upstairs Bonus- Save the full $1k for the duct work

Greetings all! New here on the boards but I've been familiar with Nerd Fitness for quite a while. I'm 31 years old, a brand new father, work as an urban planner, and recently woke up to realize I've gained 30 pounds over my normal weight over the last 2 years. Remarkable how slow and steady it was to make it all seem normal. But suddenly my clothes don't fit and I can't run a mile anymore without some serious exhaustion. So here I am at 202 pounds, with some not great attitudes toward food (lots of bingeing and overeating), and some frustrating body image issues after a life of being used to being 170 pounds. This challenge is going to be very conservative . I need to get a handle on portions, get an idea about what I am actually eating every day and what kind of exercise is right for me at this time, and be kinder to myself after a few months of beating myself up over this weight gain. Without further babbling, here goes: Long term quest: Get back down to my fighting weight (170), get stronger and leaner, and develop a healthier and more enjoyable relationship with food. Secondary quest: Pass my AICP (basically the Bar Exam for Urban Planners), and develop my piano repertoire. Fitness Exercise: Three bodyweight circuits per week. Daily 2 mile walks on off days. Food: Overall goal is to get a hold on bad habits and develop a healthier relationship with food. One mindful no distractions meal daily. Write down everything I eat for the duration of the challenge. AICP Study: Daily exam study of at least 45 minutes. Long intensive three hour sessions on Saturday and Sunday. Piano Daily practice of at least 20 minutes a day focused on one piece. No moving on to a new piece until the current piece is complete. And that's all. Short and sweet. I hope to use this page as my daily log and post here regularly. Look forward to following along with others. Cheers all!

This is my first challenge. I've been working on the academy goals for about a month, but wanted to take it up a notch. Goals 1. drop 5lbs and or 2% body fat 2. be able to touch my toes 3. run 1 mile with out stopping Actions Fitness - strength train 3 to 4 times a week using Gym Work out 3A and 3B swing my kettlebell 3 to to 4 times a week for 10 30 second rounds with 30 seconds of rest 15 minutes of yoga 3 times a week at least 2 run/walks a week 1 minute of jog 1 minute of walk for 15 minutes gradually increasing the jog and decreasing the walk each session nutrition - track meals at least 5 out of 7 days follow meal plan at least 5 out of 7 days Drink a gallon of water a day stress management meditate 6 out 7 days read for 15 minutes each day

Challenge Goals: 1. To lose 8 lbs 2. To have established a workout routine that can be followed long-term with minimal planning 3. To establish a starting point to begin training for hiking/backpacking 4. To have a front page rough draft for freelance website to begin freelancing online Quests: 1. Food - eat 95% unprocessed/clean 3 days per week - make & print a To Buy/To Make list for groceries and meals at the beginning of every week - include 1 exotic fruit or vegetable in each To Buy/To Make list 2. Fitness: Strength - complete Basic Bodyweight Workout 3x/week - complete 35 min. warm up, workout, and cool down all at once (no stopping to rest) 3x in one week - learn 1 basic yoga sequence (8-10 min) and complete it every rest day 3. Fitness: Stamina - go for a hike in the foothills once every week for 4 weeks - walk around the lake once every week for 4 weeks - 20 squats (2 sets x 10 reps) with a weighted pack twice per week for 4 weeks 4. Art - sketch for 10 min. immediately following each yoga sequence on rest days - spend 20 min. per day on website creation - create a daily website log to track progress

My Very First 4-Week Challenge! Woot! I’m hitting the reset button and working on the things I didn’t do so well at. Yay for knowing your weaknesses! I hate vegetables. I really, truly do. If they aren’t stir-fried into something, they’re just the worst. So I’m going to hunt down various recipes and things that I can do to enjoy vegetables. Soaking them in butter seems to help, so I’m going to start with that. Epic Quest #1: The Search For Spock Sexy (Or: Losing 30 pounds) This Challenge's goals toward completing Epic Quest #1: Eat a vegetable at least 3 times a week. I’d like to eat a vegetable once a day, and that’s my larger goal, but setting myself up for failure this early is bad. So 3 veggies a week. Does a can of Spicy V8 Juice in the morning count? I don’t mind that so much. Associated goal to accomplish this goal: Research and discover new vegetable recipes and new vegetables Only eat a sugary snack once a day. I have a huge sugar addiction. Just ask the three cracked teeth and root canals I’ve had in the past two years. Trying to cold-turkey it led to me binge-eating four boxes of cookies last week. So my bigger goal is to only eat a sugary snack 3 times a week, but I think I can start with just one a day. Thankfully, I kicked the sugary-drink addiction a while ago, so sodas aren’t really a problem. Cookies, though? And Butterfingers? Yeah. Yeah. Those are BIG problems. Only 1 a day! Associated goal to accomplish this goal: Find a healthier sugary snack (ha!) or, barring that, actually focus on my sugary snack and enjoy it fully. Walk up and down the stairs for five minutes 3 days a week. I don’t mind this so much. I find exercising really boring (which just means I need to find the right type, but living in Phoenix and having low heat tolerance means my outdoor sports are limited to three months a year). But I’ve been doing this off and not hating it. Progress! My big goal is to do it every day, but starting slow with 3 days a week seems a nice balance. Associated goal to accomplish this goal: Make it a game! Log my activity toward climbing skyscrapers. Epic Quest #2: Hands of the Scribe, Words of the Bard (Or: Writing and publishing my next novel) This Challenge's goals toward completing Epic Quest #2: Write 100 words every day I’m an author, self-published a few books, but I’ve been stalling pretty bad on finishing my trilogy. That needs to stop. My big goal is to write 1000 words a day, but honestly, that’s going to take some work. I can write 100 words a day. (these forum posts don’t count, sadly, or I’d be doing really well). If I make it to 500 words a day by the ends of the 4 weeks, I’ll be very happy. Associated goal to accomplish this goal: Use "Cold Turkey" software to block out distractions on my computer until 100 words are written. What guild do I think I’ll be joining eventually? Not sure. I’m a natural Adventuring Ranger, it seems, as my endurance stinks but I can sprint really fast. I can lift a lot, but find it boring. I love to adventure, but can’t get out and away and honestly Phoenix stinks for adventures (I hate the desert. Hate it hate it hate it hate it hate it hate okay you get the point). I’ll work it out one day.

Hello, Rebels! Giving myself a hard re-boot, and posting a first 4-Week Challenge. I have a tendency to do too much and get overwhelmed, so this seems like a manageable set of goals for me. Some of them are re-instatements of habits I used to be good at (healthy eating, not snacking, exercising)... but that fell by the wayside. Diet Goal #1: Get Yo Greens - Eat a Salad Bowl (or green smoothie) for lunch 5 days a week Just what it says on the box! The goal is to do this quest on the weekdays, at the office. Bonus points if it's a week of homemade salads (also keeping my food budget down!) Diet Goal #2: Three Square Meals - Eat three meals a day with ONE optional afternoon snack (no grazing!) AND: No nuts or chocolate! I 'graze' (constant, mindless eating) all day long. While I'm not overweight, it's not a good habit; it's distracting, and I'm almost never hungry at mealtimes! I love cooking, and I want to have a healthy appetite when it's time to eat. Plus, walking around the office while nibbling is so not chic! Since I do tend to get hungry (and I don't eat dinner until 8pm), I've worked in an optional afternoon snack. If I want some nuts, or a slice of focaccia, or whatever, I can have it... but it's got to wait until that proper time, no exceptions! Fitness Goal #1: Build the Habit - workout three days a week This is lower than I'd like to shoot for... but I have a habit of biting off more than I can chew, and getting discouraged. Just getting back into working out regularly would be a big win! Life Goal: Build the Sanctuary - convert the unused second bedroom into a meditation + movement space! Ever since before we moved into our new apartment, I've been wanted to convert a room into a space for meditation, yoga, exercise... etc. Currently, it's full of unused furniture. The goal is to sell the furniture, get mat flooring, order a rowing machine and create a meditation space by the end of the 5 weeks. I think it can be done! And I know the challenge doesn't start until next week, but this is my first one (so no break needed!), and I'm pretty fired up, sooo I'm giving myself a bit of a head start! Let's goooooo :3

Hey fellow nerds! This is the first time I am participating in a 4 week challenge, but from what I learnt from the past weeks since joining the academy and this forum I will Take. Things. Slowly. I know that I'm an assassin, even though right now my quest below may not look very assassin-y just yet. But I know where I am going to be, so fellow super-assassins - please bear with me. Right, so I have broken down my goals into small, manageable intermediate goals. The bonuses are just that - something on top. I will focus on my tiny major goals in order not to get overwhelmed with having too much on my plate. Get a move on: go outside and take a walk for 5 minutes every day; once a week, go for 10,000 steps (25XP) BONUS: do 4 different asanas in the morning or evening, starting with any number of times a week (1XP per asana session) BONUS: do a bodyweight workout (4XP per completed workout) Do something about that upper-body strength: take on this 30-day-challenge https://darebee.com/challenges/plank-challenge.html (25XP) NomnomnomNutrition: check the labels when buying new food: keep sugar below 5% (25XP) BONUS: make (or find) a super-awesome spreadsheet for my personal food logging needs and particularities (5XP) Levelling up my life: Use a budget tracking app daily and come Sunday, transfer data into AWESOME spreadsheet I already have handily available (25XP) (inspiration from @Valencia's post to include bonus objectives!)

Odinson Awakens (1st Challenge) So Hello all you glorious geeks! This is my first ever challenge after around 12 months of gathering underpants and not really taking this seriously. So I’m 31 now and really need to start sorting my s@*t out so my life resembles something like an adults; to start off with my goals are pretty straight forward and there to build a solid foundation. Thanks again to Dark Raider for the awesome mini challenge which I will be using to form some extra bonus goals. Also Guys just wanted to say what you have built here is pretty amazing seen tons of support and encouragement given to each other as I have been reading posts etc. Diet & Cooking Batch cook lunch for the entire five days of work each week (16 Point) (15) Going to do the chicken, sweat potato and veg meal (need to buy containers) Eat three meals a day! (84 points) (82) Terrible at eating enough so doesn’t matter what I eat as long as I’m eating three square meals a day Log food for Four weeks (28 Points) (28) Just to see how much crap I actually consume also to log beers as I have a tendency to over indulge Exercise & Fitness NF Level 1 (Three times per week) (12 Points) (12) Old dumbbell work outs at gym or beginners workout at home if I cannot make it Log steps daily (6 Points) (6) 7500-10,000 daily (figure out the walk to Mordor) Domestic Rangering Paint the woodwork in the front room (10 Points) (10) Just paint the bloody house Maintain gardens i.e. lawns, hedges & deck (10 Points) (10) Again get off my arse and look after my property Life & Goals Take before Photos & measurements & weigh in (5 Points) (5) Start pondering the big why (5 Points) (5) Paint a full ten man squad plus a Heavy weapons team in three weeks (10 Points) Ring one family member per week (5 Points) (5) Dark Raiders Mini Challenge Goals Construct the thing (set out goals for the challenge) (1 Points) (1 Point) Connect with five (power) rangers (1 Points) (1 Point) Week One Full speed ahead (extra workout) (2 Points) (2 Point) Week Two Fine Tuning (Assess current progress) (1 Points) (1 Point) Week Three More Than Meets The Eye (3 x 1 min Heavy bag sessions per workout) (2 Points) (1 Point) Week Four the Killing Blow (Finish Strong) (2 Points) Loot 80% Pass New Warhammer 8th edition Rulebook Failure Under 80% Donate £30 to PETA 98% Pass rate for the month which means PETA doesn't get my money!

Better late than never! After reading the website, articles, watching some of the vids.. I think I am convinced I want to jump into being a part of this community... I figured what better way to start than by entering a 4 week Challenge! So here goes! I wrote my big 2017 goals already, here are the ones relative to fitness and what I am going to be working on this month. 2017 Quests.. - Finish Montreal 1/2 marathon Sep 24th, 2017 - Accomplish 3 sets of 8 unassisted pull ups (currently at 0, actually a little less. I added this today) - Lose 50lbs (currently 229lbs) and bring down body fat to 25% or less by dec 2017 - Eliminate bad debt For this 4 week challenge: Q1 - Run 3x a week min 15km/week. BONUS points if I run over 20km, TRIPLE point score if I hit 25km in a week I am a slow runner but have been running regularly since Jan 2016. Besides the forced hiatus in Aug and Sep. Right now I am not following a specific training plan besides making sure I get out there a few times a week. At the end of Jan I start a specific 10K training plan that will bring me through a few organized 5K races and then a 10K race in june and then a plan to get me to the 1/2 marathon in Sep. I would like to get a 10K distance done in Jan though if I feel up to it at the end of the month. No specific time goal, just distance. Q2 - Strength train 2x a week I should mention I have NEVER done any strength training before. I am signed up to a gym to get access to a treadmill for running when its just too fraking cold outside so I have access to weights. I went today, not to run, to actually play with weights and machines and really enjoyed myself. Still feel it in my chest. So learning what to do while I am in the gym is a big part of this goal! I plan to use this guide: https://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/do-a-pull-up/ and this guide https://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/strength-training-101/ to figure out what to do. I am open to suggestions! Q3 - Eliminate bread and pasta from diet This has worked for me in the past. I know I will need to get way more specific in my eating habits to lose a pound a week. But for now, this is where I plan to start. Q4 - Look over budget and eliminate an expense and put that money towards bad debt payment. Bla bla.. think smart money.. bla bla.. I know what to do.. Just need to DO IT! OK.. I think I have it all there... I'll post an update on my Monday run and today's gym workout as the first comment.. Actually.. here it is..why make a comment.. Monday Running - 47 min treadmill 5min warm up 3km jog @ ~8min/km 5min walk 8min hike (walk with 6 incline) 5min coll down Tuesday Strength training (I did not write down the weight I used, I'm learning) What do you guys use to track this? 15 Min Cycling 2x10 Leg press 1x10, 1x8, leg curls 2x8 Wide bar pull down 2x8 butterfly machine 2x8 rope pushdown 1x10 machine shoulder press 2x8 dumbbell shoulder press (10lbs each) 2x8 assisted pull up (50kg counter weight) 2x8 assisted dips (same machine, same counter weights) Off to bed to get my run in tomorrow morning!

This will be my first challenge and I'm excited to begin. I already walk at least 40 minutes on most days between work and/or the school run. The main benefit of this goal will be ensuring I also have a basic level of activity over the weekends as well. Diet Swap out one soda per day with water. Eat a vegetable with one meal every day. Fitness Walk every day for at least 30 minutes. Level Up Your Life Clean for 2 minutes each night before bed or first thing in the morning.

Hi all, I'm excited that it isn't too far into a 4 week challenge. Steve's introductory emails to nerd fitness shifted my mindset about becoming more fit from stressed and overwhelmed to smiley and engaged... So I am happy to be here! For my first challenge (trying to keep it simple and challenging, yet not unrealistic): 1) Eat 50% veggies for 2 meals a day 2) Drink at least 2 glasses of water a day 3) Complete BW workout at least 1 time a week 4) Adopt the practice of never being late on Mondays (to start)

Hi! I have read this site for several months and recently decided to jump in and participate with all of you inspiring, nerdy people. I'm looking forward to posting updates as I hope that will aid in the accountability I sometimes lack when it comes to being healthy. This is my first challenge and I plan to check in a couple of times a week so feel free to say hi! I've been climbing for a couple of years and got really serious about it last year. We had a new bouldering specific gym open and it got me hooked again. Unfortunately I had a major reconstructive ahoulder surgery (not climbing related) in July which I'm still recovering from. I am starting to add strenghth training back in to my plan as I would love to correct my muscular imbalance as well as put on 10-15 punds of lean muscle over the next several months. Here is the schedule I'm planning for the next 4 weeks. Monday: easy bouldering routes, 2 hours Tuesday: liffting weights Wednesday: high mileage bouldering, 2 hours Thursday: lifting weights Friday: project routes, 2 hours I plan on doing yoga and foam rolling throughout the week as well. I danced for 12+ years and sorely miss the flexibility that came with it. There are several free community yoga classes around so if I can make to one of those at least once a week and practice at home, I'll be well on my way. I recently took a couple of acroyoga classes and I would love to explore that further! Are there any other (slightly obseesed) Game of Thrones fans? I've read the books multiple times and can't decide if I should continue watching the show or wait for Winds of Winter to come out. Specific goals for this week: -take pictures and record measurements -book flights and car for Iceland! (Has anyone been before? I'd love to hear suggestions) -Sort through clothes and take donations in (part of bigger goal for capsule wardrobe) -Download duolingo and get through level 1

Hi all! I don't do terribly well with socialising (despite what my friends think) so I have decided to create a character for me to live vicariously through! Her name is Saffron McCormick, a devil may care globe trotting treasure hunter. She was part of a book idea I once had and she seemed perfect, she's confident, strong, agile, smart, and adventurous! What more can you ask for in a role model/RP character? The Saffron I described above is what Saffron is at the start of the book. I'm going to be her at the beginning, when she had very little drive, wore her spare tire instead of keeping it in the trunk of her car, and could barely gather up her twenty seconds of courage after numerous defeats. Every adventure starts somewhere and this is hers! Saff's starting goals to stretch her legs and make some good habits: Life goal: Find a good job. I have just moved to the big smoke to start my treasure hunting career! Goal for 2016: Lose 20kg. It just makes temple runs a lot easier am I right? Half yearly goal: Be able to dead lift 0.75 times my starting body weight. Strength will help me carry around the bigger cargo boxes and treasures. Do you have any idea how heavy a solid gold chest is? 1st Challenge goal 1 - Drink at least two liters of water every day. 1st Challenge goal 2 - Go to bed at 2200hrs at least five nights a week.1st Challenge goal 3 - Do a work out every other day.

(breath in) OK, let's start! (breath out) I've recently discovered the whole NerdFitness and this forum, while experimenting with a new fitness challenge (yup, my b-friend gave me a sufficient kick in the butt to get started). While never being into sports or fitness (remember the kid with glasses, dental braces, reading books and hunting for lizards and bugs - that's me!), I needed to face the fact that I'm skinny fat, with a sedentary (art) job (and habits), and without a desired self-discipline. So... although I'm a bit late to sign in for this first 6 weeks challenge, I've already started implementing my plan somewhere around 20th September, which still somehow fits into the scheme (also means I'll finish it about a week later to be fair to the set duration). What is it all about? Main quest: In brief, getting my stomach smaller and having more strength. How: - getting up in the morning between 6 and 7AM (working days) - exercising every morning, 7 days a week for at least 1 hour (jogging + gym) - having a workout log for tracking progress (with weight and exercises tracking) - 2-3l of water every day I'm emphasizing push-ups (barely managing now...), squats and sit-ups. I'm about 63 kilos now, so being overweight is not my issue, but developing more muscles, making the cushion smaller and feeling to have more energy - yes. For now. Sounds reasonable? Mini quest #1: For now, spending at least 2h outside every day (walking or swimming in the local outside pool). Mini quest #2: Regarding my diet, although I'm not really into sodas and junk food, I want to learn more about carbs, fats, and all that, so I can plan my meals with this new awareness. (it's really hard not to eat street food - comida corrida - in Mexico, it's super tasty and there's even the dish called "gorditas"!!!) Life side quest: - Writing an essay (in Spanish) for the course I'm part of. - Finishing (finally!) reading that Karl Marx. - Having a daily plan of activities. I'm in a new city, making new friends, professional contacts and trying to work freelance (from self- to un- employed, depending on the period)... It's easy to get down on certain days, so having a daily plan who to meet / walking / exercising / networking / writing / Skypeing / looking for a job / etc - could really help me keep up the rhythm and good mood. The ideal is to have the fitness discipline pushing the same energy and determination towards the other spheres of my life. Regarding races, for beginning, I belong to Druids, with a desire to become a Monk (that's a future big quest - karate!) Thanks for support and any creative & constructive suggestions

Hey there, I'm The Dungeon Crawler and this is my first time posting here (long time lurker, first time poster) and my primary goal for this challenge is to reduce my Body Fat Percentage by 5-10%. I plan on doing this by adhering to my exercise plan, conforming to the Paleo Diet, and waking up earlier every day. My side quest is to write 700 words a day so I can be at least half way through my first novella. My motivation? I want to be able to look into the mirror without thinking "Wow... How pathetic..." Anyway, I'd appreciate any motivation and advice you guys can give me. Thanks for reading this.