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Sometimes we fail to see the forest for the trees....I was taking to much time looking at trees to see the obvious...huge thanks to @DarK_RaideR to pointing out that a battle log may work better for me in keeping up on here...I had one previously but it was dated and no longer fits...so this one is shiny and new! For those new to my saga, I've been here for over 3 years now (January 2, 2014) I've been a Ranger (and everything that entails) since the big restructure of 2016. I am <95% Paleo in my style of eating, because I have RA and it makes me feel better...I'm slightly addicted to 5k's, and am discovering that weight lifting can be a lot of fun if I take it slowly and don't aggravate my neck injury. I'm an accountant and work for a minor league baseball team in Florida, which is every bit as much fun as it sounds So I have a spreadsheet for tracking purposes (may look very familiar to some, )...if this works for you as well feel free to borrow my sheet (file/save copy into Google Drive I think...) and tweak it to fit your needs My overall, far reaching, want to accomplish this year, goal is to lose 40 lbs...at the very minimum I want to look good nekkid In my opinion, not anyone else! To work towards this goal I'm going to go to the gym 3x a week, or if I'm not able to do that I will do an alternate workout (such as hitting my step goal, bike ride, bodyweight workout...etc) I was aiming for 5x but that was stressing me out because I was not always able to accomplish it due to life/work commitments! I re-worked the routine I worked out with the trainer to come up with to fit into the new goal...I may also add tracking at some point to see where I'm hitting with calories if results are not forthcoming. Sleep is a struggle for me, I rarely get 7 hours a night and this makes a huge difference in my energy, not to mention my pain levels if I don't...I'm going to try and do better with this... The last one is NF related, I am tired of going weeks without checking in on here, so I'm going to make it a point to not only be on here, but post somewhere on here at least 3 times a week to keep myself accountable...I did better with my goals when I was doing that, and I enjoy supporting and encouraging others

I'm stealing the idea from @TimovieMan and using colors to evaluate my progress this challenge. I think I need the feedback on ranges rather than simple yes/no checkboxes since there is a big difference between walking in the woods and a 5K run. Also, plan to use the color ranking as a guide also. When I'm having a challenging day, I'll look at the orange or red categories to remind me what I think I can accomplish. Strength? If LTL is here, then it's exercise snacks and hope that we can get a stroller walk in the daylight ... or biking in the basement. This is kinda minimal, and just focusing on exercise and nutrition, with a nudge to go see people (other than hubby and my daughter's immediate family). With the cold weather and dark nights, it's easy to decide to stay at home and watch holiday specials (or worse, scroll Facebook). General grading schema: Stellar Good OK Poor Minimum Frequency Notes Strength CrossFit partners CrossFit indiv effort Gym routine Basement routine Exercise snacks Daily Rest days are white Cardio OCR/5K training Run 2+ miles Cardio 30 min Cardio 20 min Walk in the woods Daily Social Friends Group Activity Drop in Casual encounters Immediate family Daily MINDful Eating >= 12.5 >= 10.5 >= 8.5 >= 8 >= 5 Weekly Since I'm often too worried that I'll slow down my team or partner at CrossFit, I've separated that from the more typical workout that is individual effort only. I'll go to those on the days when I'm feeling great and emotionally resilient. Cardio can be swimming, rowing, skierg, or bike. Walking in the woods is more of a stroll, especially with snow on the ground. For me, the MIND diet logging is less stressful than logging in WW. It encourages me to eat fruits and vegetables. And since I'm trying to increase my score, I don't get into the negative, budgeting stress of counting calories or points. The result is less rebellion and more creativity. For instance, what would be a festive salad for Christmas? I know that three weekends in December will be filled with family ... and serving festive (calorie-rich) food is just part of the culture. When I've tried serving lower-calorie variations, the response has been disappointment. So bring on the cookies, but in moderation! Looking at Week 0, I already see that I have room to improve this week. My sinus headache is slowing me down today, but I think I can pack up the water and go run on the treadmill. Week 0 S M T W Th F S Strength Cardio Social MINDful Eating 6.5 Good luck to us all!!!

The last challenge was derailed by a train of illnesses that my grandson brought home from day care. I managed to power through most of them, but COVID really knocked me on my butt for three weeks. Not surprisingly, my cardio fitness took a hit. Strength gains pretty much stayed even. Coming into the next challenge, I have loose goals, but I want to stay flexible .... really a big part of the rest of the calendar year (2 challenges?) will be in looking for some new tools and strategies .... and recommitting some that have worked well in the past. I am not going to score these challenges. Daily narration is enough accountability. The murder mystery gets to continue and ties in with this theme. 😉 Goals: Lose fat and build muscle. I'm going to ease back into WW. The investigation focus here is on figuring out how to track without burning out on tracking. Success measures: weigh 150 by the end of the calendar year (151.5 by Thanksgiving) and be able to do a pullup with only 20 pounds of assistance (30 pounds by Thanksgiving). I also will probably be changing gyms again. Write a draft of a novel. Yes, I decided to try NaNoWriMo. I want to write a cozy mystery novel with an older female protagonist. I may warm up with the continuation of the Wolves of Langston .... fanfiction. Investigations: Exercise snacks. On the days that LTL is here, it's difficult to get much of a workout in. We can usually get a walk, but strength training ..... those end up being rest days. But, if I have a plan, I could fit in some bodyweight strength training and stretching. Functional fitness (aka CrossFit) without the box. CrossFit.com, WodWell.com, 50 North fitness classes? The social aspect is almost as important as the fitness, but getting hooked and sticking with it without getting injured ..... Join the "senior center" .... which really has much to offer. It has a gym and a pool (and sauna and hot tub ....) and fitness classes and volunteer and social opportunities. As Rebel One has written, it is really tough to make friends as an adult. This is a possible vector. How to inject some fun into logging food intake?? How to create changes that will become habits?

My main goal is weight loss, for health reasons as well as I want to look good (to me) naked. I'm in a struggle with this goal because it doesn't get easier when you get older. I don’t want this to be a focus for the rest of my life, I want to build some habits/routines so it becomes second nature and I don’t have to think about it. I also want to be around to watch my grandkids grow up and be able to do things with them, as well as things I enjoy as I get older, and I enjoy a lot of things! I work from home as an accountant. I have a full time job and a few side gigs, making sure I have enough movement in my day is important because it's very easy to lose track of time and I feel better when I move more! The Struggle is real! I'm going to take the time to do what I need to do, also making sure I get enough off-time, put in the work and effort that hopefully will lead to lower numbers on the scale as well as other health markers that are important. The Struggle... ( S )teps - Hitting my 7500 steps a day goal ( T )rack - using Cronometer ( R )est - Sleep (7 hours a night) ( U )nder - Stay under calorie goal ( G )o - Do things in life you enjoy, 5ks, ride motorcycles or bicycles, travel. ( G )uitar - practice 5 days a week ( L )ift - Lift some semi-heavy things (I have nerve damage in my neck, so some limitations) ( E )xercise - Exercise, on days I don’t lift things I do cardio Checking in to hold myself accountable is key to this being successful, I don't want to have to post bad news here. Update - Daily Done - 🌈 Not Done - ❄️ I want to get my granddaughter's item I've been crocheting since before Xmas, finished. Yes, I’m still working on it. I want to get my bicycle fixed (tires are flat, not a tough fix) and take advantage of the bike trails around this area when the heat isn’t so bad. I want to take advantage of the fact I have a pool in my backyard. I want to take advantage of a lake less than half a mile from my house and the paddleboard in my garage. My personal life may be falling apart, I am doing my best to keep me from doing the same…therapy is a big part of this, journaling is another part. I'm going to continue doing this, as well as working on getting back to me and what I need in my life.

For those who are new or behind, my main goal is weight loss, for health reasons as well as I want to look good naked, and fit in clothes I used to. I love 5Ks and kettlebells. I'm struggling with this goal because it doesn't get easier when you get older. (W) I work from home, (3 jobs) as an accountant, so making sure I have enough movement in my day as well as not eating "all the unhealthy things" is important. It's very easy to lose track of how much time I've been sitting trying to solve an issue. Not having "all the unhealthy things" in the house also helps. I use a 5K training plan that I’ve used in the past, 3 days of intervals and 1 - 2 of strength/cross training days, I may graduate to the 10K and half marathon plans this year, I may not. I just want to keep moving. ( R )I struggle to get enough sleep so that shall remain on the list until it's no longer a struggle. (E) I found a ‘diet’ plan, the Dr. that came up with its target audience is post-menopausal women. It’s really a combination of several different things like IF, Low Carb/Keto, and Macros. The common denominator is calorie reduction, of course, unless you burn more than you take in, nothing is going to work! My biggest issue is I get tired of trying to figure it all out and do a lot better when someone just tells me how and when to do it, so I’m putting this on easy mode until I lose the weight! So far I’m down 11 lbs. (S) I want to hit at least 7500 steps a day, once this becomes habit I’ll raise it (T) Tracking the things that I eat with an app makes hitting macros and the calorie goal easier, this is in conjunction with E, even though I can eat and not track, doing both is better (L) I’ve been learning Spanish on Duolingo, because this country scares me and I may want to move abroad one day. I also want to learn to play guitar, since I have one collecting dust in my room and it will not learn to play itself. There are plenty of free videos on how to do this on YouTube. Learning something, at least once a week (Duolingo goal is daily) will count towards this. (E) Extra things that make life worth living, 5k’s or more that I may do, motorcycle rides, FL trips, and life events will go here. Checking in to hold myself accountable is key to this being successful, I don't want to have to post bad news here. I plan on posting daily to make sure I'm on track where I need to be The Plan... Workout - Intervals/Kettlebells Rest - Sleep (7 hours a night) Eat - Stick to macros and don’t make excuses to eat the unhealthy things Steps - Hitting my 7500 steps a day goal Track - using Cronometer Learn - Duolingo, other stuff Extra - Rides, 5k's, events, and life Update - Daily Done - 🌈 Not Done - ❄️ My mental health has taken a serious beating since 2019 and the events that happened there, it's not anything I care to rehash but D and I have been talking about our feelings surrounding that time of our lives. It's not been easy, I do feel it will be worth it though. Seriously considering therapy for the first time in my life, but not certain if that's a step I'm going to take or not yet. New Stuff: Yes I carry goals over from one challenge to the next, for those that stick around for multiple challenges (I love you, seriously, thank you!) New stuff will always be at the end of the first post About the title, granted, I haven't really watched wrestling since the 80's (who remembers the VonEriks?) but I do remember it's about pining your opponent...this is me trying to pin my goals down so I can start seeing more progress. Weight loss has stalled, I really want to get back on track with this. It's discouraging because I feel I'm doing most things right, but nothing happens and it makes me want to give up. Last challenge I started seeing a therapist, she calls me out and gives me homework and I believe it's helping.

This challenge is a little different, although I am still working on attaining a healthy weight (152 by the end of November ....). My major goal is to manage my mental health and to be calm, rational, and adulting by the end of the year. With the approaching holidays, I am feeling dread and stress. Not at levels that would send me to a health professional or counselor, but enough that I know I need to institute self care routines to head off problems. For the most part, I think that small changes will have a big impact. I have been noticing that I am spending too much time online with social media and news sources, and it is definitely stressing me out. In addition, some nasty graffiti has been appearing on campus. This wouldn't stress me out, but the campus reaction and blame-game is definitely pushing me over the edge. Especially since, there is little to nothing that I can do about any of it. My first sensei, may he rest in peace, always told me that I should remain relaxed until an opponent came into the "red-zone" --- the point at which they could strike me. To be calm and relaxed in the center of the my circle was the goal then. And I think it needs to be the major goal for the next challenge. How?? Working on it ..... but here are a few ideas: A social media and online news fast. Other than Nerd Fitness forums. Meditate Hang with my peeps: Pound class, pottery class, CrossFit sessions, etc. Be with people off-campus. In fact, be off campus unless I am in class or holding office hours. Improve 5K time. My last attempt was 48 minutes. I can beat that if I just keep working on it gradually. I like the Zombies, Run! app. Lat pulldown max of 100 pounds. I already dropped a bunch of Discord server memberships. Not that I am on Discord very often .... Facebook is more of a problem. I turned off "news" notifications on my cell phone. I am not going to log!! That can also become a point of stress. I will come and describe what I am doing and how I am feeling. Time to ....

For those who are new or behind, my main goal is weight loss, for health reasons as well as I want to look good naked, and fit in clothes I used to. I love 5Ks and kettlebells. I'm struggling with this goal because it doesn't get easier when you get older. My birthday happens in the middle of this challenge so there will be some flexibility for that if D decides to plan anything. I work from home, (3 jobs) as an accountant, so making sure I have enough movement in my day as well as not eating "all the unhealthy things" is important. It's very easy to lose track of how much time I've been sitting trying to solve an issue. Not having "all the unhealthy things" in the house also helps. I struggle to get enough sleep so that shall remain on the list until it's no longer a struggle. I found a ‘diet’ plan, the Dr. that came up with its target audience is post-menopausal women. It’s really a combination of several different things like IF, Low Carb/Keto, and Macros. The common denominator is calorie reduction, of course, unless you burn more than you take in, nothing is going to work! My biggest issue is I get tired of trying to figure it all out and do a lot better when someone just tells me how and when to do it, so I’m putting this on easy mode until I lose the weight! I’ve decided to go back to the 5k training plan I used in 2019 that worked better than anything else I tried…it calls for one day strength training, three days ‘running’ (intervals at your pace is suggested) and one to two days cross training or rest days. I took a break in the middle of this because NF Journey had a 5K training that was very similar, so I’m doing that instead. I will be transitioning back mid-challenge because that will end, I’m also using the NF Journey app for workouts on the two days I’m not running. Checking in to hold myself accountable is key to this being successful, I don't want to have to post bad news here. I plan on posting daily to make sure I'm on track where I need to be. Workout - The 5k training plan/NF Journey App Rest - Sleep (7 hours a night) - sleep is important Extra - Rides, 5k's, events, and life events go here - because fun makes life worth living Steps - Hitting my 7500 steps a day goal, minimum Track - Food, follow Galveston Diet, track in Chronometer Update - Post in thread at least three times a week. - self explanatory Duolingo daily

For those who are new or behind, my main goal is weight loss, for health reasons as well as I want to look good naked, and fit in clothes I used to. I love 5Ks and kettlebells. I'm struggling with this goal because it doesn't get easier when you get older. I work from home, (3 jobs) as an accountant, so making sure I have enough movement in my day as well as not eating "all the unhealthy things" is important. It's very easy to lose track of how much time I've been sitting trying to solve an issue. Not having "all the unhealthy things" in the house also helps. I struggle to get enough sleep so that shall remain on the list until it's no longer a struggle My last 5k (on the 6/5) was a real wake up call. I've let a lot of things go since the pandemic, I could barely move for three days after doing it, I was not trained for it and in retrospect I probably shouldn't have done it. I've decided the best way to motivate myself is monetarily...it worked last time when I hired a trainer, so I've decided to do that again, through an app this time that will write a program based on the equipment I have. I have four days of weights/bodyweight workouts, and I'm making my step goal a priority again. I'm also going to start tracking for the month that I paid for the trainer for, at the end of four weeks I'll see where we're at and if it's worth the expense to keep going, I'm feeling pretty sure it will be if I stick to it. So while it worked to motivate me to work out, I wasn’t really enjoying it. I’ve decided to go back to the 5k training plan I used in 2019 that worked better than anything else I tried…it calls for one day strength training, three days ‘running’ (intervals at your pace is suggested) and one to two days cross training or rest days. Checking in to hold myself accountable is key to this being successful, I don't want to have to post bad news here. I plan on posting daily to make sure I'm on track where I need to be The Plan...Still more changes Cardio - The 5k training plan that worked in 2019 (3 interval runs, 1 strength training, 1 walk day Rest - Sleep (7 hours a night) - sleep is important Update - Post in thread at least three times a week. - self explanatory Steps - Hitting my 7500 steps a day goal, minimum Track - Food (stay in deficit) track in MFP Extra - Rides, 5k's, events, and life events go here - because fun makes life worth living Duolingo daily Done - 🌈 Not Done - ❄️ Upcoming Events 6/5 - Atlanta Pride Run - Done in 59 minutes 9/25 - Summer Sizzler 5k - virtual due to prior commitment 9/25 - Fall Finish 5k - see above 12/10 - Mud Girl Run in Jax - may change this to Atl. since no one wants to join me

For those who are new or behind, my main goal is weight loss, for health reasons as well as I want to look good naked, and fit in clothes I used to. I love 5Ks and kettlebells, I'm struggling with this goal because it doesn't get easier when you get older. I work from home, (3 jobs) as an accountant, so making sure I have enough movement in my day as well as not eating "all the unhealthy things" is important. It's very easy to lose track of how much time I've been sitting trying to solve an issue. Not having "all the unhealthy things" in the house also helps. Checking in to hold myself accountable is key to this being successful, I don't want to have to post bad news here. I struggle to get enough sleep so that shall remain on the list until it's no longer a struggle. I've been a workaholic as long as I can remember, mostly because of past experience and not wanting to have to count on anyone for things I need. D (my wife for those new here) and I have had many conversations about this. She understands my feelings because she's the same way, but we also know the importance to our relationship for us to be able to depend and count on each other. This is a very long winded way of saying that we need to remember to step away from work and have some fun, riding our motorcycles are a huge part of this for us, and for right now our every 4 week trips to FL also count towards this. The Plan...making a few changes that I feel are needed Cardio - Treadmill 3x a week, and one kettlebell/strength workout a week - I'm going to start getting up at 5am and working out again, bonus this time is I don't have to drive to the gym Update - Post in thread three times a week. - self explanatory Track - Sleep (7 hours a night) and Food (Just track) - sleep is important, you would think going to bed at 9:30 that 7 hours would be easy! Tracking food is a pain, I dread entering it in MFP, so if I do I do, but I will continue to put it on my spreadsheet Extra - Rides, 5k's, events, and life events go here - because fun makes life worth living Done - 🌈 Not Done - ❄️ Upcoming Events 4/10 - Spring Sprint 5k Unfortunately skipped this one, D wasn't feeling it 5/21 - Terrain Race 6/5 - Atlanta Pride Run 6/12 - Summer Sizzler 5k 9/25 - Fall Finish 5k 12/10 - Mud Girl Run

credit: Old Door by Stefano Aneto CHAPTER 3: AThousandWords Alights (Chapter 1, Chapter 2) I used to think that Doors were rare and mischievous. After all, finding an ephemeral passage between monotonous reality and the tingling prospect of adventure isn't something that happens everyday, right? A lifetime could pass by before the opportunity presents itself again. I was wrong. It turns out that Doors — like cars with one darkened headlight or a word you swear you've never read before — appear far more often after you've noticed them once. As if acknowledging their existence brings them bubbling to the surface. Once upon a time I saw a Door at a train station and walked away, fearing I would never see one again. Instead, the persistent openings pop up in the corner of my eye at every turn. A broad-slatted blue Door out of place in a stone wall; a fairy Door tucked away in the roots of an oak tree; an inconspicuous louvered Door when I stop at a red light. "I liked that one," my son says idly one night, marching a chicken nugget through a trailing doorway of ketchup on his plate. "The green one we saw at the playground. I bet it had dinosaurs on the other side." Across the table my daughter shrieks in delight and chomps down on her fork with a loud roar. I smile at her but my eyes dart to where my husband sits with a raised eyebrow. I shrug in return. It's a conversation that's been played out after bedtimes and in passing a hundred times with no real answer. We've been putting it off, but it feels insistent, inevitable. And if I'm honest, exciting. "A dinosaur Door? Wouldn't you rather open a Spider-Man Door?" my husband teases and I start the lists in my head. What to pack - snacks? Probably. Diapers, for sure... And I wonder what the next door we find will be. Spring is sprouting! And while currently we're still in grey chilly days (and I have a seasonal, non-covid head cold to go with it), I'm starting to look ahead to sunnier and more exciting days. Last challenge, I had a long weekend break with my husband, celebrated my 36th birthday, and ran my first ever half marathon! What started out as a longing for change manifested in a lot of adventure coming my way. In 2 weeks we're hosting my son's first real birthday party, then two days later driving to North Carolina to see my sister's new home, and during week 5 of the challenge I'm flying to Georgia to meet my coworkers for the first time at a developer's retreat. I'm anxious and excited and ready for something new. So this challenge will be flexible (there's a lot of travel days in there!) and hopefully fun. I'm looking forward to not spending my Saturdays doing long runs every week, but I still want to do something active. My next running goal is a sub-30 5k, so I'll be doing more interval runs. And I need to take a closer look at my diet because my cholesterol is up and honestly I've been letting a lot of unhealthy habits slip in because I was running enough to not care what I was eating. In particular, I need to cut out the afternoon snacking because I've gotten reeaal comfortable eating cheetos and girl scout cookies at my desk... Habit 1: Run 3x a week for at least 30 min Follow training plan for improving 5k times Ideally running Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday -- but can move around days if needed due to travel, daycare schedules, etc Habit 2: Endurance Activity on weekends Options include: 5mi+ run, 10mi+ bike ride, 2 hour hike, or similar level of activity Include the family as much as possible! Habit 3: Stop the Snack Follow IF 16/8 (usually 12pm - 8pm) for 6/7 days a week Coffee + creamer or water allowed outside this window (I can't give up my morning coffee!) No after-lunch snacking (eat enough to be sated at lunch) Habit 4: Follow Meal Plan (Weeks 1,2,4*) Meal Plan for the week every Tuesday Cook from the meal plan 6/7 days a week * Weeks 3 and 5 are exempt for this goal, but make every attempt to meal plan and cook on the days I'm home Bonus Points: Eat Well No more than 1 red meat dinner per week Eat 4+ servings of vegetables a day Drink 8 cups of water a day

My mother died in October (at age 85). My daughter got married in October, and she and her new husband are starting to talk about having kids. This has prompted some new soul searching on my part - and some thinking about what I want to accomplish in my life. And some thinking about what I want to BE as a grandma. (Disclaimer - my daughter is not yet pregnant and doesn't plan to have kids for 2 years, which gives me time to lose 40 pounds .....) I was a "cool mom." My daughter looks back on her childhood with fondness - at horseback riding and rock climbing and hockey and soccer and cheerleading and theater and Girl Scouts and videogames - and appreciates how she had freedom and support (I was involved in everything but cheer) to do a lot of different things. That kinda ended when she went to college and I began to slide into habits of an empty nester. I gradually started to internalize the messages that say "you shouldn't be doing that" or "you shouldn't dress like that now that you're over 40/50/60/whatever." Truth is, I want to have FUN and BE FUN. I want to be the grandma that shows my grandkids how to do cartwheels and handstands. Takes them rock climbing. Knows the names of all the constellations and birds .... and who will dig for worms, go swimming, take them hiking, and can help them find well-hidden geocaches. I don't want to be like all of the grandmas in my family (who are, unfortunately, sedentary lumps perched on top of atrophied, skinny legs) who sit around doing needlecraft, or bake a lot of unhealthy foods, or sit in front of TV or computer. I want to beat the expectations of my family and avoid the stereotypes of what a middle-aged woman does and how she dresses and acts. Specific goals will evolve over time, but .... there's the current list!!! Fitness Lose weight and gain muscle (127 lbs and 21% BF by May 2017 - when my daughter will graduate with her Ph.D.) Do a chin up unassisted (again) Do a crow pose Do a handstand Travel Go to Greece Go to Rome Go to London Do the Unexpected Blackbelt in karate Do a Zombies Run Do the ZR Virtual Race Volunteer as a zombie at a Zombie Run Do a bubble run Do a color run Do an obstacle course run Do a 5K Do a 10K Do a half-marathon Bike to work (at least during decent weather ....) Keep Learning Master's Degree Doctorate Learn modern Greek Get my Personal Trainer Certification Defeat the Fashion Police Wear tights and a tunic Wear tights with a skirt

To continue with the acronym… Those that have been following for a while know that in 2019 I was doing really good hitting my goals, so I went back to see what I was doing then that was working so well. I've been more lax this year on the food aspect (thanks Covid) With D cooking her fair share making a detailed plan is a little more difficult, but that's only one meal a day every other week so it shouldn't derail me as much as I've been letting it. Making sure I stop eating when I'm supposed to is the biggest challenge with food, since what I eat is generally good. I'm doing better at making sure my workouts happen, I have a treadmill and workout equipment at home, there is no good reason for this not to be a priority, until I feel comfortable going to the gym again. (I live in FL, my governor is an idiot, this will probably not happen soon) Reminding myself how good I feel and not letting my brain make excuses are helping...my much needed motivation is I have a birthday cruise to prepare for and I need to be in shape for season. Running around a ballpark is probably not going to be easy with a mask on, so cardio is important! The Plan... Cardio - Three interval runs/bicycle rides/HITT Workout, and one strength training a week. Update - Post in thread three times a week. Track - Sleep (at least 7 hours a night) Food (eat on plan when hungry, stop when full) Extra - Rides, 5k's, events, and any other random stuff goes here Done - 🌈 Not Done - ❄️

This year I'm going to continue with the acronym I developed in 2020...I will be modifying a few items regarding it though (because of course I am) Those that have been following for a while know that in 2019 I was doing really good hitting my goals, so I went back to see what I was doing then that was working so well. I've been more lax this year on the food aspect (thanks Covid) With D cooking her fair share making a detailed plan is a little more difficult, but that's only one meal a day every other week so it shouldn't derail me as much as I've been letting it. I've also been lax in making sure my workouts happen, after coming home from my granddaughter being born last year it was hard to get back into the routine, then Covid happened and shut everything down...granted, I have a treadmill and workout equipment at home, but finding the motivation isn't as easy as when I was going to the gym, and when I do them I've only been meeting the minimum. I need to make this as much of a priority working out at home as I did when I was going to the gym, until I feel comfortable doing that again. (I live in FL, my governor is an idiot, this will probably not happen soon) The (new) Plan... Cardio - Three interval runs/bicycle rides/HITT Workout, and one strength training a week. Update - Post in thread three times a week. Track - Sleep (at least 7 hours a night) Food (eat on plan when hungry, stop when full) Extra - Rides, 5k's, events, and any other random stuff goes here Done - 🌈 Not Done - ❄️ The 1/2/21 will be 7 years I've been here...I have a thing for mirror numbers

Per Request 😉 The Plan.... Conscientious: Make 24 hour plan, eat on plan when hungry, stop when full. Unconventional: Rides, 5k's, events, and any other random stuff goes here Time: Get 7 hours of sleep a night, post at least 3 times a week in my thread. Exercise: Weights 1x week, 6,000 steps a day, 3 days treadmill workout (when no work event) I have a bad habit this time of year of hiding away...I want to go to all the things then when the time comes I make excuses and don't do them...this isn't starting off too well since I've already bailed on two plans this weekend. In my defense they conflicted so I canceled one, then the other got rained out...blame Florida weather 🙄

Warriors' Barracks: Run 2 5Ks before challenge is over Exercise 4x a week Monks' Temple: Professor Grant Horner's Bible reading lists: Monday - Thursday Memory verses every day Athenaeum: NASM course - take test on Module 3 & start Module 4 Piano - 175 hours per week or 35 minutes 5 x a week

During the last challenge I made the decision to stay with my job, need to work on being able to talk about an ask for things that I want or feel like I deserve (personal as well as professional) I really do love where I work so this is not a bad thing, was just a tough year on everyone. I stopped doing the weight training program I was working on about two weeks ago, my joints were informing me they had had enough...I'm still doing weight training once a week (a combination of several things from the program) my joints and I are both happy about this. I've started doing 'minimum training' on the treadmill again, basically making a deal that if I do 10 minutes I can say I'm done, going to work up from there. The Plan.... Conscientious: Make 24 hour plan, eat on plan when hungry, stop when full. Unconventional: Rides, 5k's, events, and any other random stuff goes here (at least one item from two "lists") Time: Get 7 hours of sleep a night, post at least 3 times a week in my thread. Exercise: Weights 1x week, 6,000 steps a day, 3 days treadmill workout (when no work event) I also have 4 "to-do" lists encompassing different areas of what is my life: To-do to start own business (this is kind of on hold) To-do general (things that need to be done that I don't want to forget) To-do personal (includes things like re-staining the cabinet I use as an altar, etc...) To-do work (includes things I need to do at work that are out of the norm that I don't want to forget) Complete one thing from two lists each week (and yes, I do have actual lists saved in Google Keep...I know what works for me ) Last week of October we will be in Oklahoma for part of it, seeing my granddaughter and two of my boys. Not sure what we're doing for the rest of it but it IS my birthday that week, though I would be shocked if D does anything out of what I have planned for it...

Obligatory RES challenge disclaimer: At the end of the last challenge I fell off the face of the earth...because I became a grandma!! 😍 (excuse the glasses, I'd drove for 17 hours and my contacts were irritating my eyes) This little one is the reason I will always be broke... Also the reason I disappeared and my goals kinda got put on the back burner for a bit...needless to say she will be the reason I recommit to them because I want to be around for a long time to see her grow up 🥰🥰 6 years ago tomorrow I joined NF...all my challenges are in my signature if you suffer from insomnia 🤣 I've learned a lot about what doesn't work for me but also learned what does...for example I learned a lot last year...2019 was a tough one, I almost lost a lot more than I wanted to, though at the end of it things had definitely improved on many aspects...this year we're moving forward with the knowledge we've learned and earned! My basic structure of last years challenges worked so well for me that I've given them a new acronym and am going to use it again The Plan.... Food: Continue (okay, start again) making the 24 hour plan, eat on plan when hungry, stop when full. Exercise: I'm following NYAR 10K currently, points for when I do what is scheduled (including rest days) Training plan my fluctuate depending Down Time: Three times a week (at least) take time for me, this can be journaling, crocheting, or time to read. This also includes excursions with friends, or anything else I want it to! UP: As in "Give UP" anything that does not work for or serve me...this year is about being a bit selfish. I'm also going to give up some debt this year, we'll pay off the first major expense and possibly get two eliminated! What would a RES challenge be without some 5k's? January 11th - 1st 5k of 2020 February 15th - Mud Girl Run (My 1st OCR) May 16th - Blacklight Run

I love that there's a place for this. Fitness Get better at yoga Learn to do the splits. Any splits. Master crow pose - Learned it for a while but haven't worked on it and can't currently do it Do a headstand Be able to do a friggin' seated wide-legged forward fold properly Wheel and bow poses Try out martial arts again - I used to do karate and I'd like to get back into some sort of martial art DONE Get strong - I'm mostly focused on bodyweight exercises for now but I love weights too. I'd like to easily be able to lift 50lb bags and the like mostly for showoff purposesDONE Stop being winded by stairs Run a 5K DONE Walk 5 hours / week DONE Do 100 consecutive push ups Try CrossfitDONE and DONE Improve my footwork so it stops being so embarrassing I no longer even remember what this meant?? Learn to dance well enough to not be embarrassed Buy a bike and relearn how to ride, then ride around everywhere DONE - can't ride on the street with cars but I'm comfortable on a bike now Get better at swimming IN PROGRESS - I took 2 classes but need more work Food/Diet/Cooking Conquer my sugar addiction Learn more basic cooking techniques by heart Roasted chicken Roasted veggies - DONE Baked potatoes Chicken pieces Sauces Vinaigrette Participate in a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) farmshare DONE Grow my own vegetables (when I have a garden someday) Finance Pay off my student loans much sooner than 10 years (current plan is 4 1.5 years to go) DONE Open a Roth IRA for retirement DONE Max out yearly contributions to IRA DONE One day become a landlord Hobbies Finish a damn novel. I've won NaNoWriMo several times, but I never actually get to an ending. Once I get to an ending, I can actually start editing and trying to make a story good. Learn to write short stories, because of the problems above Become competent in a coding language of some sort Learn to make basic apps Learn to draw respectably Learn to play the Harmonica. Because it's cool. Started learning to play the ukulele instead - but it's related! Learn basic Japanese IN PROGRESS Learn whittling DONE (very basics only) Other Get a cat Hike up a mountain (not a scary steep one though) Learn basic handy skills like carpentry and basic plumbing Go to a film festival Travel somewhere by myselfDONE Finally learn to drive on highways DONE

A few days following the start of this new challenge will mark the date I entered this world....50 years ago... Not too bad for an old lady if I do say so myself... Recap from prior challenges this year below I've lost a lot this year, a lot has changed for me...if you had asked me before where I would be at this point in my life it would damn sure not be here! My marriage is essentially "married companions" we love each other but more than that is not happening in the foreseeable future...we do enjoy each others company and we are a 'safe space' for the other. I used to think I was interested in dating, but right now I find I'm more interested in working on me...I have a tendency to lose myself in relationships, and I'm a pretty awesome individual that doesn't need to go anywhere just because I'm with someone...so this is going to be about 'finding' and keeping me! I had a goal of losing 50 lbs by my 50th birthday...I got halfway there...I'm re-committing myself to losing the rest, and working on losing the excess rolls that seem to not want to go anywhere! I want to not jiggle when I move and try to get rid of this 'hip dip' thing that I've had most of my life...wish me luck I also had a goal of running a 5k entirely and completing a 10k, neither one of those happened either but I did set a new PR for my 5k...the 10k should be done by the end of the year and I have a goal to train for a 15k in March. I'm okay if I never completely run any of them, I run intervals and that's more than I ever did before! The Plan.... Run: I'm following NYAR 10K training plan currently, so points for when I do what is scheduled (including rest days) Eat: Continue making the 24 hour plan, eat on plan when hungry, stop when full. Calm: Three times a week (at least) take time for me, this can be journaling, crocheting, or time to read. This also includes excursions with friends, or anything else I want it to! ommit: (yes I know, spelling, but work with me here) anything that does not work for or serve me...this year is about being a bit selfish. I'm also going to 'ommit' some debt this year, we'll pay off the first major expense and possibly get two eliminated! I have a goal of completing 10 items on my bucket list between now and my next birthday, hopefully by my next challenge the following will be completed: Get Passport Visit Key West Go Parasailing Go Snorkeling (I was going to say scuba diving but I'm claustrophobic so we'll see how snorkeling goes first) Get my motorcycle license (again...been 30 years since I had it) That's one a week...should be a good start! On with the show! Disclaimer, I'm a kinky lesbian in an open relationship. My threads used to have a tendency to get rather interesting (it's been years but I can hope it happens again ) and I have had people unsubscribe because of that...

Yes, the picture has changed, I may go into the reason why at some point....but don't be fooled I am STILL a badass So the big goal is still this... Lose 50 lbs (total) by October, 31st, that's 5 lbs a month January - Done! February - Done! March - Done! April - Done May - Nope June - Double Nope July - Nope Nope Nope August - Yes! The Plan.... Run: I'm following NYAR 10K training plan currently, so points for when I do what is scheduled (including rest days) Eat: Continue making the 24 hour plan, eat on plan when hungry, stop when full. Lazy: Three times a week (at least) take time for me, this can be journaling, crocheting, or time to read. Sleep has been an issue lately so more of this adventures: not an actual goal or on the plan (hence the little a) but I need more of these, less making excuses to not get out and enjoy life! xamine: I've spent a lot of time 'navel gazing' lately...some of it has resulted in some interesting revelations. I want to continue this and finish a couple of 'self help' books I've been reading during this challenge. On with the show! Disclaimer, I'm a kinky lesbian in an open relationship. My threads used to have a tendency to get rather interesting (it's been years but I can hope it happens again ) and I have had people unsubscribe because of that...

So the big goal is still this... Lose 50 lbs (total) by October, 31st, that's 5 lbs a month January - Done! February - Done! March - Done! April - Done May - Nope June - Double Nope July - Not looking good for the home team The Plan.... 1. Three interval runs, and one strength training a week. Make one of these runs outside when possible. Non-game days only, game days give me at least 10,000 steps and at least 20 flights of stairs 2. Continue making the 24 hour plan, eat on plan when hungry, stop when full. 3. Three times a week (at least) take time for me, this can be journaling, crocheting, or time to read Those that have followed me before know I was going through some personal stuff, I posted an update in my last challenge which I will put under a spoiler here for those interested Season is almost over, will be done before the end of this challenge unless we make the playoffs. Good thing for my goals is a lot of temptation will be removed and I'll have time to train. Bad thing for my goals is I have built in activity on days I may not have Still have 30 lbs to go towards my original goal which would be 10 lbs a month, I'm not going to give up on working towards it but not 100% certain I will make it, but shoot for the moon, even if you miss you still land among the stars.

Recap of the last couple challenges The goals... Lose 50 lbs (total) by October, 31st, that's 5 lbs a month January - Done! February - Done! March - Done! April - in progress The Plan.... 1. Three interval runs, and one strength training a week. Look for someplace to make one of these runs outside. 2. Continue making the 24 hour plan, eat on plan when hungry, stop when full. 3. Three times a week (at least) take time for me, this can be journaling, crocheting, or time to read. Yes, baseball season is in full swing, I'm trying to not disappear here but mid last challenge my marriage fell apart, granted, it was only hanging on by a thread to begin with... Things are really up in the air with that right now, we're still living together, we are trying to be civil and be friends...it's tough, not gonna lie, not looking for sympathy it just is what it is. So more than ever I need to meet my goals, running and training help keep me sane, I really miss when I don't do it...where I struggle most is finding me time, especially now.

I think it would be really fun (and motivating) if NF held it's own worldwide virtual 5k. We could have NF numbered bibs, and annual t-shirts, and have lots of fun photos of people around the world upon completion! September seems like a good month. Then we, or those of us who have never run before anyway, could train through spring and summer to get ready. There would of course be a support and training group on the forums before hand each year.

So my last challenge was this.... I have to say so far this is working really well for me. My February 5 lbs went into March a little bit (as of this morning I was 5 more down, for a total of 10 ) So this challenge several things are going to be staying the same... The Plan.... 1. Three interval runs, and one strength training a week. Start looking for someplace to make one of these runs outside. 2. Continue making the 24 hour plan, eat on plan when hungry, stop when full. 3. Three times a week (at least) take time for me, this can be journaling, crocheting, or time to read. Baseball season will start 10 days before the end of this challenge, this is the time of year that is crazy, incredible, and busy as hell for me. I wouldn't change it for anything! The only thing I want to change is I don't want to fall off the face of the earth this season, this is my third year in this position, it's my assistants second year, I have a good feeling it will be easier to keep up with it and NF this season.

Alright NERDS Welcome to the NerdFitness (unofficial) Santa Sleigh 5K 2018! Now, I know like four of us in the Scout Guild but don't be a Grinch! Let's do a 5K... a lowly 3.1 mile run over the holiday! You non-Scouts can join in if you'd like So ... Rules! I mean ... I guess you could walk, job, run/walk too - heck you can do it outside You could do it inside 3 As long as you do it between Dec 24th and January 2nd Now if you'd like you can post a link to your 5K info or just post your time we'll believe you! Happy Running!