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Hi everyone! My human wife is expecting. Expecting what? Identical twins! How does that happen? The only thing I can think of is that I have some fairy blood, and the Fey side is expressing itself. Obviously! Anyway, that means it's time to: 1) Prepare for having a child. This is my first, so... How? What? huh? 2) Prepare for having another child. Simultaneously!!? And so, I set out on my journey, spear in hand, to baby-proof the apartment. Main quest: TWINS!? zOMG. Form healthy and flexible (but firmly established) patterns of living that I can maintain even while twins newborns are in the house and I am exhausted and my wife is exhausted and everyone is frustrated. Deadline: I've got like three months MAX to prepare. As an extra challenge, twins are likely to be premature (and underweight too!) so I probably have less time than that. IT'S GO TIME! Health goal #1: Establish exercise routines that (1) I do regularly and (2) which are baby safe and are (3) time-flexible and (4) fatigue- and frustration-friendly. Health goal #2: Alter my diet in ways that make food preparation faster and easier without increasing my weight or sacrificing nutrition. Losing weight is fine (I'm above my ideal), but my goal here is to prepare to maintain. Baby prep goals: Prepare for baybehs! #1: De-clutter my home like a madman, because more clutter is coming. #2: Learn! SO MUCH TO LEARN. #3: Do the things that people normally do later on, because I would rather do them now when there are not babies in the way. Like electrical safety precautions and stuff. #4: Etc!? AAAAAAAAAAAAAGH! #5: Freak out. #6: Breath. Okay, breath. It's okay. Other life goals: Make time for myself! Draw or paint regularly, and figure out a way to make that happen once the babies come.

INTRODUCTION: Hi! My name is Victoria and this is my first challenge. I know I'm a little late to the party, but better late than never. I've been following the blog and perusing the site for a while but never really participated, until now. My best friend got on the site and was really excited about it and that brought back all of my initial excitement! My nerd interests include reading (books, comics, manga, fanfiction, billboards, street signs...doesn't matter...if it has words I will read it) and cosplaying. I'm not much of a gamer but I do enjoy playing from time to time. Other than that I really enjoy hiking and camping, and pretty much anything outdoors. I used to be quite the athlete. I've played basketball, volleyball, soccer, & softball for 8, 4, 6, & 14 years respectively, but after high school I just kind of stopped. My eating habits haven't changed, but my activity level definately has. I am now a desk jockey from 8-5 and have gotten into the habbit of doing nothing when I get home. I have decided it is way past time for a change, so here I am. MAIN QUEST: My main quest is going to be to lose 30lbs by the end of June. That will get me to my halfway point which I hope to reach by the end of the year. SUB QUESTS: For my sub quests I have created them with the intent to keep me moving throughout the work day since that is always my biggest challenge with any work out plan. The first one is light just to get me started, the second to keep me going when I would otherwise be sitting at my desk, and the third is the big finish. For this challenge a "week" is going to be a work week with weekends serving as make-up days. I wanted to make my first challenge more about getting into a better pattern for my day instead of the rut I've been stuck in. QUEST ONE: Morning workout - walk 30 minutes (with a dog) and spend 15 minutes reviewing taekwondo forms. Total workout= 45 minutes Grade by week: A=5 days, B=4, C=3 days QUEST TWO: At work make 5,000 steps during my 8-5. When I am at work I barely get up during the day. I have plenty of time to go for a walk, and plenty of places to go, but I rarely do and by the end of the day I am completely exhausted. Grade by week: A>/= 5,000/day, B>/=4,000/day, C</=3,000/day QUEST THREE: Complete 30 minutes of exercise. Options include: Beginner Body Weight Workout, 30 min bike ride, or 30 min walk/jog. Grade by week: A=5 complete workouts, B=4 complete workouts, C=3 complete workouts LIFE QUEST: My life quest is to eat out less. This will act as my first step in eating healthier and save me money at the same time. By planning my meals instead of just eating whatever sounds good at the time I will inevitably eat healthier. Not only that but I will be getting used to prepping my food so when I switch to eating food specific to a certain diet at least that step will already been taken care of. So for an attainable goal: There are 15 meals in a work week. I will allow myself one day (or three meals) out, so 12 meals are eating in. Grade by week: A=12 meals in, B=9 meals in, C=6 meals in MOTIVATION: Other than just to get healthier, I have two reasons that will keep me motivated. This August my family is going on a cruise. We are going to Alaska so we won't be doing the whole swimsuit on a beach thing (that trip was two years ago), but I would like to be healthy and to have more energy for this trip. My second reason is my cosplay. It is something I really enjoy doing, but I haven't been all that excited about it the past couple years due to all the weight gain. This year, I'm looking forward to the outfits we are putting together and want to feel confident wearing it. WEEK 1: Q1=C- Q2=C- Q3=C- LQ=A (woot) This week was a bit of a struggle. I wasn't feeling well and I let that sap away any motivation I had in the beginning. Moving on! Week two will be a success!!!

I've been eyeing NFR for a couple months now, and it feels like now's a good time for a fresh start to get my life together. I've got a whole heck of a lot on my plate the next couple months, so I'm going to test the idea that the more you have to do, the more you get done. My main quest is to get down to 199 lbs by the end of 2015. This is really just a quantifier for "I want to be healthier and more active." I have access to a lot of fancy productivity tools and gadgets, but I feel like I just need to simplify and work with my own determination. My 3 specific SMART goals: 1) 10 floors a day. I have a Fitbit, so this is a very measurable goal. On a weekly basis, average of 8 is Achieved, and 12 or more is Outstanding. 2) 1 yoga pose a day, for at least 3 minutes. Much like in order to be a writer you have to write, to say you do yoga, you have to... do yoga. I'm starting a day late, so I have 41 days in this challenge. 1 pose for at least 3 minutes = 1 point. A session for at least 15 minutes = 2 points. I can miss a day if I forget, but it takes more to make up for that missed day. A final tally of 41 points or more is Achieved. 50 points or more is Outstanding. No more than 2 points can be earned per day. 3) Add a veggie to at least 1 meal a day. This will hopefully both improve what I'm eating and limit the bad stuff (pasta and white rice). What counts: Throw extra veggies into my lunch at work, an extra veggie side with dinner (including take-out), substitute a veggie or side salad for a starch at a restaurant. 41 points or more is Achieved. 50 points or more is Outstanding. No more than 3 points can be earned per day. Life Side Quest: Complete our bathroom remodel. This is just horrible procrastination, because we've signed a contract and paid money, but the contractors are waiting for us to get our act together and buy the materials. Well, they're waiting on me, more than my husband, because I'm the one making the decisions. Honestly, I wish I was a Kardashian, and I could just throw money at an interior decorator to "take care of it." Then I'd go on vacation for a month, and when I would come home, it would be done. What do you mean, I'm not a Kardashian???? Or maybe a Kardashian would just buy a new house when they found out water was warping the walls behind the plastic tile in their 1950's bathroom. Either way, not really an option for me. Besides the remodel, my husband and I are working on getting licensed to become foster parents. We have 9 classes we have to attend from the end of January through the end of February, and right now, our "children's room" is filled with bathroom fixtures. There's a lot to be done. Starting small with my healthy habits (but keeping them daily!) will hopefully motivate me and encourage me to keep going with them.

I'm 24 and attempting my first challenge here. The reason I'm here is that I want to live a healthier life, find the joy of exercising again and live a more active life than before. In my teens I was the one who ran long distances as she loved it and played soccer 3-4 times per week with her team. Then the worst happened and I tore my ankle joints in a game to pieces when an opponent managed to step on it and it basically ended my football days.. Three years back (six years since the original injury) I regained my ability to move well and not having use crutches 5-6 times per year or re-twist the ankle countless times per year all thanks to a surgery+good surgeon. A nerve damage though stayed and a year back I hurt my other ankle so I have to keep an eye on both of them. I also have a shoulder injury in recovery but with all of the injuries I've been cleared by a doctor that exercises are great and everything is ok now as long as it's not a contact sport and whatever I do it can't cause pain. My injuries just mean that I have to listen to my body closely. There's though other reasons why I need to listen to my body: I have many medical conditions which cause pain, some cause nerve pain in my face and other body but some cause joint pain. That means that every time I move I have to gauge if that's my normal pain bugging me or is there something odd going on and I need to stop. This might sound difficult but I've learned to do that and it is medically okay for me to exercise in the same "no more pain than my normal daily treshold is without any exercise" condition as with my injuries. Some of the conditions cause sleepiness and other symptoms so they just mean that my life is bit different sometimes. Generally I'm though a person who goes to university, has five pets and a fiancé, likes to read and enjoys watching tv so apart from the health mess I'm not that different. Please don't let this all scare you away, I have learned to live with it and they're just a teeny part of what my life is about. Main goal: Get back to weekly exercise routine and correct your diet to a heathier one by eating 1 fruit daily + drink the recommended amount of water Smaller goals to support reaching the big one: 1. Exercise 3 times per week. Anything from walking, running, exercise biking, workouts etc counts as long as it lasts over 30 minutes and is something I can with good conscience call exercise-level activity 2. Do physiotherapy for the shoulder 3 times per week and the stretches 1-2 times depending on its movement. If the routine changes to less then do that and if it's in pain do as the physiotherapist told you to do and do not do the physiotherapy before the hand is ok. Hand being not okay also means no for any exercises that use it within that time period. 3. Eat a fruit per day 4. Drink 6 glasses of water per day Life quest: 1. Read 40 pages of a novel every day, if there's a busy situation this can be then moved to the next day if you then read 80 pages 2. Work on the master's at least 30 minutes every day I'm excited about this challenge and I'll do my best to accomplish my goals!

Hi there. I have travelled a few steps on my journey already, having lost 50kg in the last few years. But for the last year and a half my weight has stuck fast, even though I adopted a dog and started walking an hour a day, every day (except when it rains!). But it's as Steve says, it's mostly about what you put in, and I have been eating what I want to eat and not what my body needs. That however changed this last easter weekend when I overdid it with the easter eggs and felt sick all weekend. I made a decision that I would like to be healthy, eat healthy and be a healthy weight by my 49th birthday in 6 months. So here goes. I dusted off my connection with NerdFitness in the hope that the community would be able to help me keep on the path when the going gets tough. And so here I am. My life quest is to reach goal weight (30kg away) and be able to run 6km without passing out. My first goal is to make healthy food choices 90% of the time (something I have in the past had difficulty with). My second goal is to go down a dress size (or rather a jeans size). My third goal is to walk (fast) at least 6 times a week for at least an hour (with my dog Guunu this shouldn't be a problem) and to be able to run half a km without stopping. So, let the quest begin!! PS I would like to explain my choice of names. Yesterday I took the last dose of my psych meds, which I have been on for the last 18 years to help me with my severe depression. But I have over that time cured myself, and have no need for meds anymore. I am happy! I am free.

Hi everyone I'm Yrsadur. Im 20 years old and I live in Holland. I've been looking around on this site a lot lately, so I thought i might as well give this challenge a try (even though im super late...) From what i understand, this is the place to post my own goals so here it goes: Main Quest My main quest is to lose weight and fit in a size 38 (europe) or a 10 (USA) Goals In order to achieve this quest, I will: - work out every other day for at least 30 minutes; I was thinking this might be a bit too much, but i really enjoy working out so this should be no problem. - Go for a 10 minute walk every day; Started doing this because of the introduction e-mails i got from NerdFitness. I used to run a lot but i cant do that anymore. That was really hard for me to deal with, but I recently discovered that i like to go hiking and walking almost as much. - learn how to cook at least 5 healthy meals in realistic portion sizes. I can cook. I'm not a kitchennoob. But whenever i dont have much time, my go-to food is usually some pasta with sauce from a jar. Now, that's a waste of cooking skills because I know I can do better. So the goal is to find some new go-to meals to prepare that are both fast and healthy. Portion sizes are important to me because i used to binge eat a lot, so i lost view of how much is too much. On the other hand i can get scared by having to eat a certain amount of food, which is why im not counting calories. I want to find out what amount of food makes me feel comfortable and helps me function better troughout the day. As I said, this is my first challenge so I dont really know what else to say. I hope i've done this right but if i missed something, feel free to ask me

I happened on the Nerd Fitness blog a week or so ago, and shortly thereafter found this forum. I have been eagerly anticipating the start of the next challenge to jump in myself! First, some background about me and my fitness history (feel free to skip J): I was always on the very high end of the ‘healthy weight’ range as a kid and through high school. I grew up eating a lot of junk food and spending a lot of time watching cartoons and playing video games. When I started college I learned about calorie counting, and, being the nerdy numbers person that I am, became somewhat obsessed with minimizing calorie input and maximizing calorie output. I dropped to 120 lbs (54 kg), which, while technically not underweight, in retrospect, I don’t believe it was a healthy weight for me. I had anxiety about food, wasn’t as fun to be around as before, and I wasn’t menstruating. After about a year and half of this, I was finally convinced I should start eating more. However, once I lifted the limits on “bad†food and calorie intake, I couldn’t stop eating. After two years, I was at my highest lifetime weight, 210 lbs (95 kg) when I graduated college. Since then, I have been working full-time doing actuarial work (desk job) while making efforts to eat healthier, exercise more, and get to a healthy weight, without going overboard this time. It’s been 3 ½ years, and my weight has gone up and down with my on again, off again health efforts, though long term it has a negative trend, as I am currently around 185 lbs (84 kg). I seem stuck in a cycle where I eat healthy and exercise for a time (anywhere from a few days to a month), and then fall off the rails and binge eat and stop exercising for a time (again, anywhere from a few days to a month). I think the key for me for long-term healthy eating and weight loss is make sure I eat enough (and don’t deny myself a treat when I am craving one) to not feel deprived. I need to break the restrict -> binge -> guilt -> repeat cycle. I am a 5’7’’ female, and I will update my exact weight per the scale tomorrow morning for the start of the challenge. First Challenge (2/23/15 – 4/5/15): Main Quest: Lose weight and get fitter - My goal weight is 160 lbs (72.5 kg), but my goal for my first 6-week challenge is to lose 5 lbs (slow and steady!). Accomplish Main Quest by focusing on SMART goals: 1) Eat when hungry and stop when full - measure: eat above BMR (~1700) but below 2500 (goal is to break restrict, binge, repeat cycle) Stats: Wis +2 Con +2 A: Don't exceed 2500 on any day B: Don't exceed 2600 on any day C: Don't exceed 2700 on any day D: Don't exceed 2800 on any day Edit: A: Don't exceed 2500 on any day - all six weeks B: Don't exceed 2500 on any day - 5/6 weeks C: Don't exceed 2500 on any day - 4/6 weeks D: Don't exceed 2500 on any day - 3/6 weeks Note: Why 2500? My BMR is a little below 1700 (according to an online calculator). My biggest calorie burning exercise in the winter is probably a 1 1/2 hour tennis drill. My Fitbit usually has me around 2500 calories burned on the days I have those drills. So, the 2500 limit allows me to eat more on exercise days. Obviously, I want to let my hunger guide me so ideally on days with little physical activity I'll naturally be full at an amount significantly lower. 2) Fitbit - 5,000 steps/day, everyday Stats: Sta +2 A: 42 days B: 37 days C: 32 days D: 27 days 3) Play tennis an average of 2x/week Stats: Str +1 Dex +1 Cha +1 A: 12 days B: 10 days C: 8 days D: 6 days 4) Practice Tai Chi 2x/week (the first few weeks will be finishing an intro class 1x/week) Stats: Cha +1 Wis +1 Dex +1 A: 12 days B: 10 days C: 8 days D: 6 days Life Goal: Complete Pimsleur Japanes III (parts A & Stats: Cha +2 Wis +1 A: Complete all 30 lessons B: Complete 25 lessons C: Complete 20 lessons D: Complete Japanese III A (15 lessons) Total possible attribute points: 15 A: 100% B: 75% C: 50% D: 25%

Hey everyone, My name is Matty, I'm 27 and currently in Korea. I'm quite overweight and have very little in the way of upper body strength so really want to improve that here. I do a lot of walking but little else in the way of exercise. My overall goal is to get down to 140 pounds over the space of a year or two, while getting a lot stronger and eating healthier. My reasons are to look better and to find it much easier to carry things that are heavy. My three SMART goals for this 6 week challenge are - a) eat 5 fruit and veg a day do beginner bodyweight exercises 3 x per week. A - succeed at both B - succeed at one or other C - eat 4 x fruit/ veg and 2 x exercises D - eat 3 x fruit/veg and 1 x exercises F - anything less. Pleased to meet you all. Matty.

A-hoi-hoi fellow nerds! This is my first challenge although I have been foraging NF since November last year. I had good excuses not to do the challange before (e.g. Christmas) but at some point you have to step up to the plate, I guess. Anyway, I am a 38 year old male (nerd) and I am here to challenge my long held believe that I cannot get thin (and healthy). I am an expat in the moment which usually means I hardly work less than 10h a day and did not care to much about healthy food options. Having worked like that for the last 3,5 years I managed to get up to 120kg @ 184cm sometime last year (sorry I am metric, that’s about 265lbs @ 6ft I think). That was the ultimate turning point as I now feel some of the disadvantages (you know because of my age) having too much weight. I tried a few things like intermittent fasting and had some success with them but at the end of last year there were two incidences which changed my perspective: I went to Japan for a few weeks and apart from eating A LOT of (arguably healthy) food, I lost weight! The only reason how I could explain that (as we seriously ate a lot) was the fact that we walked most of the days. Basically we were walking for a few hours each day… I found NF and started reading. I was soon intrigued with the concept of the NF challenge and of levelling up as I still remember doing that with a passion to finally be able to beat Sephiroth! As mentioned above I found some good excuses not to do the challenge in December last year but I was planning to it in January. Sadly / luckily I missed the beginning due to work. Once I realized that I put the February challenge into my calendar and kept on reading about the paleo diet (intriguing…). Funnily enough I found the 21days paleo challenge from Mark Sisson which I thought was a good substitute for the NF one (as I was to late). And luckily those 21days made me realize two things which will form part of this, my first NF adventure: Eating paleo works for me! Even with all the cooking involved (which I like) after a draining day at work. I failed miserable at the exercise part. This will be the main emphasis on this challenge. Nevertheless I managed to get my weight with all the above to 110kg (243lbs). But this should only be the beginning! So here it goes: Main Quest : Lose 25kg (and get fit enough to fight Sephiroth along the way) Three Goals: Do the beginner workout 3 days a week (Mon, Wed, Fri); 3 workouts a week = A, 2 workouts = B, anything <2 = fail Walk 10min every day; 7 walks a week = A, 6 walks = B, 5 walks = C, anything <5 = fail Eat Paleo 7 days a week ; 7 days a week = A, 6 days = B, anything <6 = fail unless I fasted the day I am not too sure about the paleo goal. Should I rather go for meals rather than days? Difficult. Side Quest: Last year I started with a: “clean your flat day.†basically cleaning my flat once a week. I worked well but I did not stick to it… This must be changed! So every Tuesday will be my new CYFD! Well there you go. My commitment to change as a L1 Adventurer. EDIT: Added log below Monday WTM: P – Paleo: P – WO: P Tuesday WTM: P – Paleo: P – CYFD: P Wednesday WTM: P – Paleo: P – WO: P Thursday WTM: P – Paleo: P – Did a day of IM Friday WTM: P – Paleo: P – WO: F Saturday WTM: F – Paleo: P Sunday WTM: P – Paleo: F Grade WTM: B – Paleo: B – WO: B Monday WTM: P – Paleo: F – WO: P Tuesday WTM: P – Paleo: F – CYFD: F Wednesday WTM: P – Paleo: F – WO: F Thursday WTM: P – Paleo: F Friday WTM: P – Paleo: P – WO: F Saturday WTM: P – Paleo: F Sunday WTM: P – Paleo: F Grade WTM: A– Paleo: f – WO: f Monday WTM: P – Paleo: F – WO: F Tuesday WTM: F – Paleo: P – CYFD: P Wednesday WTM: P – Paleo: P – WO: F Thursday WTM: P/F – Paleo: P/F Friday WTM: ...... [Tracking Malfunction].... P=pass F=fail

Hello everyone. I've been looking at the blog at nerdfitness.com for a long while, but I just joined. My challenge is to do at least 5 minutes of aerobic exercise at least 6 days per week. The two activities that I usually do are either: 1. the "scientific 7 minute workout" 2. jogging on a treadmill (weather outside is cold and icy), which I do wearing toe socks and no shoes but any aerobic exercise will do. The motivation and benefits are: 1. helps me to sleep better 2. increases my energy level 3. boosts my mood 4. helps me go to bed earlier 5. help increase or maintain bone density The score will be the proportion of days that I do the exercise divided by 6/7. So, a proportion of 6 out of 7 will be 100%; 7 out of 7 will be 117%.; 3 out of 7 will be 50%.

Since this is my first challenge and since the first challenge begins on my birthday I'm actually pretty stoked. So lets get to it. Main Quest: Be Under 200 lbs. Goal 1. Lose 7 Lbs from the challenge start weight. I think this can be done by going on walks and maybe even doing some lite jogging. Baby steps. Goal 2. Don't eat all the terrible things in my freezer. My freezer is full of things like corndogs, and takitos. I'm not in my 20s anymore I got to do better then that. Goal 3. Find a vegetable I can eat and learn to cook it so I will eat it. This may be one of the hardest things I can do, but I saw a good article about it on here that I can refer to. Life Goal: Start painting my Eldar Army for Warhammer 40k. Painting miniatures is really soothing but I've gotten so lazy I haven't done it in months. I would like to get my Wraithknight and my Fire Prism magnetized and painted. If you guys have any suggestions or advice feel free to send it on over. Like I said in my intro http://rebellion.nerdfitness.com/index.php?/topic/62850-orc-newbie-looking-to-someday-be-an-assassin/ I don't know anything about this stuff.

Introduction: Hello, my name is Sophie and I’m a food/video games/tv show/book addict…(You should answer Hi). I’m here for my first challenge and I’m pretty excited about it. I kind of already started since I saw my trainer and nutritionist last week and have already started their programs but I think that doing this challenge will help me go through with it this time and finally get the body I think I deserve. Then I’ll take boxing/yoga/climbing classes (never tried the last one). I’m also interested in Crossfit and heavy-lifting…I want to try everything!! So here I am . Main Quest: Since my scale decided to lie to me on a weekly basis and I don’t know my body fat%, I can’t really put numbers into my goal. So let just say that I want to lose fat and gain muscle/strength and look good in a swim-suit so I can finally go to the waterpark/swimming pool with my friends. If I really have to put a number, I’ll take what my nutritionist told me, so 0.5kg (of fat)/week until June 18, so 8kg in 4 months (guess it’s realistic). And I have to buy a measuring tape to see my progress! My quests will hopefully help me get there. Quest 1: Go to the gym at least 3 times a week and work on improving my strength. My trainer made me a good workout plan. It’s a cardio/strength circuit with dumbbell squats (26#), lunges (20#), inverted rows on TRX, inclined push-ups and rowing (5mn as a warm-up then 3 mn at the end of each circuit). I repeat this 3 or 4 times. Measurement: A = 3 times, B = 2 times, C = 1 time, D = 0. Reward: A = +3STR, +1STA, B = +2STR, +0.5STA, C = +1STR, +0.5STA, D = 0 (fail!!) Quest 2: Eat 1500 kcal/day with 40% carb, 40% protein and 20% fat (I should eat around 120g of proteins a day). I also need to put everything into MFP so I can track my calories properly. Measurement: A = Used MFP and diet at 1500kcal/day (+- 100 kcal) at least 6 days/week, B = Used MFP and diet at 1500kcal/day (+- 100 kcal) at least 4 days/week, C = Used MFP and diet at 1500kcal/day (+- 100 kcal) less than 4 days/week, D = Used MFP and diet at 1500kcal/day (+- 100 kcal) less than 2 days/week, Reward: A = +3 CON, B = +2CON, C = +1CON, D = 0. Quest 3: Take the stairs every day when I get to work and when I leave instead of using the elevator (I’m on the 5th floor). Measurement: A = 5 days; B = 4 days, C = 3 days Reward: A = +3STA, B = +2STA, C = +1STA Life Quest 1: Go to bed early on week day even if I don’t go to the gym the following morning. I should have at least 7:30 hours of sleep per night (8 hours would be best). Measurement: A = 5 days, B = 4 days, C = 3 days Reward: A = +2 CON, B = +1CON, C = +0.5 CON Life Quest 2: Ace my driving licence test on march 17 and finally feel awesome for being able to drive alone with my favorite music blasting out of the window (well, when it’ll be warmer) Measurement: fail/pass Reward: Pass = +2 CHA Motivation: I want to feel good about myself and finally love me on the inside (already the case) as well as on the inside. I want to get rid of all the limits at put myself just because I think I’m too fat for it! Feel free to comment my goals if you think they need improvement! I’ll try to post here at least a few times per week .

So I did actually start yesterday, I just didn't know this challenge existed until today. Brief Stats: 28, Femal, 5'7, 204 lbs SPECIFIC- make my diet 90% Paleo and stick to it. Follow Erin Stern's Elite fitness program for 1 month. Measurable- weight loss goal is 5 lbs loss in 1 month (if not more) following new lifestyle matrix Attainable- yes, eating healthy and following a program are things I can do, and 5 pounds loss isn't unrealistic Realistic- well yeah, especially for me TIMELY- well, I'm going to take it a month at a time and see what needs tweaking. So yeah, 4 weeks unless I experience a massive need to alter sooner The TLDR section: During university my weight crept up to 230 lbs. For a 5’7 female that was not a great feeling, and even if it was mostly due to an illness, I knew I needed to fix that. Cue the montage of several years’ worth of fumbling through fitness routines. Cardio Kickboxing was a hoot and got the ball rolling, or at least the sweat dripping a little. Boot camps were fun and got my endurance level up to stellar but I was still fat. Parkour taught me to trust my body and helped me learn to just do instead of thinking, but I was still fat. The problem? My nutrition SUCKED. I was long past the days of a medium pizza and 2 litre bottle of pop, but I was still not handling my nutrition well. Part of that was simply because I did not enjoy cooking. I’m lazy. I was also at the time eating a lot with people who still ate like we were teenagers. Then I got my hands on a copy of 90X and it sat on my shelf for 2 YEARS. I’d gotten my weight down to 197 by this point but it wasn’t budging even though I had run a half marathon. So I signed up for a Tough Mudder, because being skinny wasn’t motivating me enough but not wanting to die was PERFECTLY motivating. I then also decided ‘why not save my money and drop the boot camp, and give this P90X thing a try’. At this point in my life I had moved in with my then time boyfriend (the husband now ) and he was supportive of my working out and trying to eat healthy. I started to track my calories and somewhere along the line I screwed up my calorie count BIG TIME. I was only eating 1500 a day. Not good. The weight came off, and I was seeing minute strength gains. I got down to 170 lbs by the end of P90X (I dropped some bad health habits during this time too) but the weight loss stalled after that. So a friend of mine gave me a copy of Insanity to try. I was two months until the Tough Mudder, and the Insanity was exactly 2 months long and I figured, I should improve my cardio. But by this time the under eating was catching up with me and I had headaches DAILY. Thankfully the online coach I had gotten into contact to walked me through the proper way to figure out my daily caloric needs and I upped myself to 1800 a day. The headaches disappeared, I had a LOT more energy and strength. I got down to 162 lbs the day before the Tough Mudder, and then I ran that sucker. It was glorious. But after all that careful discipline and drive to succeed, I had hit my goal and tripped over my own metaphorical feet. I didn’t know what to do next. I liked 162 lbs, but I was still flabby and with extra body fat. So I bought Body Beast, a strength training DVD set because I kept hearing how strength training is the best way to increase strength and lose body fat. I had the endurance I wanted (though I am by no means FAST, I will get the job done) but some of the obstacles in the Mudder showed me that I was still weak in many areas. So I switched to trying to eat like a strength trainer and doing the workouts. I put on nearly 20 pounds by the end of it though. Some of it was gorgeous, sexy muscles, but far too much of it was ooey, gooey fat. I was back at 185 pounds and I had no clue how to get strength and lose weight. So I doubled up my programs. I did Body Beast AND Insanity. But my weight just kept where it was. When I went through the second Tough Mudder, my strength was better but still not where I wanted it, and I was much heavier than I had been for the first one. And then my boyfriend proposed and I knew I had to get wedding dress ready. Only I had a year and a half do I didn’t really have a fire lit under my ass to get me into it properly yet. So I meandered through workouts and started to eat portion sizes that were way outside of what I actually needed. When I ran my third Tough Mudder I was somewhere between 190-180 pounds. Now here’s funny little side story. I found my dream dress pretty quick, and we ordered it for a size I could fit into without much worry. But I said what apparently EVERY SINGLE BRIDE TO BE SAYS ‘Oh, I plan on losing weight’. The lovely lady helping me into and out of dresses even managed to not laugh or roll her eyes at me. So I figured ‘I’ve been here before, I know what to do now’. I wanted to lose weight again, but the healthy way this time. So I kept my calories to 1800 but cut way down on the breads and pastas and rice, as they seemed to be where I struggled. I also cut down on drinking, which is hard when you’re a part of a Wine Tasting society. But that combined with another few rounds of Insanity, Body Beast and P90X got me into my wedding dress with a few inches to spare. Small problem that, as now my dress was a bit too big and it was 3 days before my wedding. So my mom’s solution? She stuffed me full of bread for the next three days. Yep. I fit into my dress rather perfectly, and it hid my stomach rolls well enough. But after the wedding? I relaxed. My weight had already gone to about 190 lbs with the whole wedding thing, and eating at restaurants with family/friends/in celebration. But after the wedding, I lost that drive again, the need to beat a goal. I was vaguely training to pass the RCMP’s PARE test, but I still didn’t have a screaming motivation for some reason. After I ran a practice PARE and knew I could pass it, I decided to take some time off of working out because I had officially given up on trying. I was half assing my half assing. So I stopped working out, didn’t worry about food and just focused on trying to get my head straight. And that brings us to the New Year. 2015, my year to get things straightened out right? I got back into working out with a hybrid of P90X, Combat, Insanity and Body Beast. I was avoiding the dreaded ‘burnout’ that had happened when I tried to do it all at once and this time I thought I had it in the bag. But my starting weight was 202 lbs and it only went up. Two months of hardcore exercise and I hit 207 lbs last week. Colour me so not impressed that I COULD SPIT. Once again, I was failing myself because of the nutrition side of things. I was still eating like a much bigger person, and had gotten into an ugly habit of drinking far too much wine and beer on far too regular occasions. So I did research for the last few weeks and finally paid attention to what my body was telling me. I needed to stop being an idiot. Tossing out the breads, pastas and rice had done me a world of good, so why had I let them back in? Because I was used to them and they were easy. But I had heard of a nutrition guideline called Paleo eating, or Primal to some, and it sounded damn good. I love meat, and I am more than willing to trade bread for bacon. Sounds terrible I know but at least I’m honest. I KNOW it’s not going to be bacon galore, but I can enjoy it without guilt now at least. I also decided that it was time to get out of my comfort zone fitness wise. P90X, Insanity and Body Beast are still there if I want to go back to them but I need to shake things up and scare my body into action. So I found a routine by Erin Stern from BodyBuilding.com and am going to give it a go. I spent 6 1/5 hours this past weekend cooking Paleo approved food stuffs for the husband and I, enough food for the whole week. I am going to be using my workplace gym that has the equipment I need. Everything is set up for me to succeed. I just need to pull up my big girl panties and give it all I have.

I have participated in challenges before, but have never gotten past the second week in any of them. What I'm trying this time (to avoid trying the same thing over again and expecting different results) is being in an accountability group.So far, looks very promising! CURRENT MAIN GOAL: To be able to run around the town like Ezio Auditore da Firenze! When I reach that goal I will come up with another, because the ultimate goal is to always better myself 4 Mini-Bosses, Divided into Daily Happenings Mostly Vegetarian, Mostly Paleo - A maximum of one food-item that isn't paleo, if anything (exceptions: Dairy and rice) --------------------------------------- Worth: 0.5% (CON +3, WIS +1) Walk to Mordor - Walk 5 minutes. BONUS 135 Miles to Bree (217.3 km) if reached before/by the end of challenge treat oneself to some brie and a pint - Worth: 0.5% (STA +2, CHA +1) Shameless - Complete 1 hour bodyweight training of some kind, can be intense or relaxed ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Worth: 0.5% (DEX +3, STR +2) Bat Cave - Clean or maintain some part of living space. Minimum 1/2 hour ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Worth: 0.5% (CON +1, CHA +1) These are set as pass/fail. If I don't do them, I don't get the half percent for 'em. The plan is to allocate that 1 hour 35 minutes from my computer time and television watching. If I can, blend them together somehow. I'm aiming for 70% completion as a minimum. Already accumulated 16% just by getting myself organized and ready to go. Weekly updates with a possible percentage reining in at 14% I'm excited! I just hope I stop being sick by the time Monday rolls around

This is my first attempt at a challenge, and I'm hoping it'll give me some incentive to actually stick to things (I've developed a scary habit of being totally okay with failing or just not trying). Finally got a permanent job, so I'm going to throw the stress I was using to worry and look at eight million job listings every day at creating better behaviors instead. Main Goal: Lose 50 pounds by end of 2015. Goal 1: Walk the dog every day. When I adopted her two months ago, I swore I would help her lose some weight for her own health; now that it isn't snowing constantly, I need to keep that promise. Goal 2: Drink four bottles of water daily. I have no idea why I stopped, but I'm pretty sure this is why I have headaches every afternoon. Goal 3: Cook at home three nights per week. Somehow I've found myself ordering out or getting frozen dinners every single night, mainly because I'm too lazy to clean my kitchen. This has to stop, not just for my health, but for my bank account! Life Goal: Reconcile budget weekly. Fell out of the habit of tracking my budget and it's only sheer luck that I didn't get myself in trouble.

Main Quest (for the next 6 weeks) --Lose 5-10lbs --Be able jog/run for 5km without stopping to walk --Complete 2 consecutive push ups with excellent form, no knees! (Yes, it may sound pathetic, but it's where I'm at right now.) Side Quests (also for the next 6 weeks) --Read at least 2 graphic novels that are super hero centered --Apply for the massage program I've had my eye on now that they have announced the dates for this summer --Continue to eat (mostly!) according to paleo diet standards --Keep up with my newly ingrained yoga practice, in the studio or at home --ALLOW ABSOLUTELY NO POP INTO MY BODY Long Term Quest/Life Quest (to infinity and beyond!) --Lose at least 15lbs by my birthday at the end of June --Have a waist measurement of 25" --Be my own boss; working to bless other people with therapeutic massage --Encourage my husband to eat healthily and make exercising together a priority --Aim to challenge myself more and more as I get stronger, faster and healthier "Physical strength creates emotional strength;and fear can be defeated by sweat." -Chuck Runyon

I’m Iyona and this is my first challenge! I have steadily gained 30 unhealthy pounds and several dresses sizes over the past five years. Food is my favorite form of comfort, therapy, celebration, and procrastination; thanks to work, excuses, and a hefty dose of ADD I haven’t been able to get a grasp on a healthy lifestyle. I had high hopes of losing weight for my wedding this past fall, but went about it in the wrong way (relied on pre-packaged "diet" food, over-exercised, jumped on the scale multiple times a day, put myself down). I lost weight quickly then gained it all back! I learned that 1) self-esteem in my own skin is the most important thing, 2) slow and steady wins the race, and 3) I want to try it again, the right way. Plus, our yet-to-be-planned-but-soonish-honeymoon-with-a-new-bikini and my upcoming HS reunion are amping up my motivation. My focus right now is food before exercise so that I can build a firm foundation for long-lasting change. I have a mighty hard time with organization and follow-through when there are too many different steps, so I'm keeping it simple Main Quest: Drop about 2 dress sizes by November to increase my energy, reclaim my health, and fit back into some of my favorite clothes from years past. This will be somewhere around 20-30 pounds and 20-25 overall inches. For this 6-week challenge, I’d truly be happy to master my mini-quests, lose a few pounds, and to be able to comfortably wear my most recently purchased pair of jeans again. Quest 1: Eat at least 2 "freggies" per day. Right now I eat them *maybe* once every two weeks. I have big dreams of going to the farmer’s market on a weekly basis this summer and actually eating the fruits and veggies I buy. Quest 2: Drink only water, green tea, and milk as my liquids during the challenge (the occasional alcoholic drink is okay, I only have one every 2-3 weeks at most). I want to stay hydrated and fend off the heartburn! Quest 3: No "sweet treats." Candy, pastries, donuts, cookies, ice cream, hot chocolate . . . This will by far be the hardest, but I want to push myself to do something courageous. I don't believe in living a life without desserts, but at this point I haven't been able to have "just one." My sweet tooth is strong! For this challenge I'm not completely cutting out all sugar across the board; this is just focusing on the snack/dessert aspect. Fine Print: In March, my husband and I are taking advantage of a couple discounted 3-course meals at some of the best restaurants in our city. These may include a dessert - if so, I'll eat it. If not, I won't order one. Also, my mom volunteers at my work once a week. She brings me a special hot chocolate and we chat together while drinking our morning beverage. I will probably still do this to keep our tradition going. That's it! Life Quest: Read The Fellowship of the Ring. I have loved the movies since they came out and seen all three of them dozens of times, but I have never read the books! I tried to read The Fellowship in high school but didn't make it very far. Reading has always been one of my favorite activities and I've been good about making time for it this past year. Motivation: Me! I want to feel confident, strong, and healthy. There’s a bold and brave person inside me who’s been dying to get out. I want to appreciate the wonderful life, husband, and dog-babies that I have and to honor my body and my health. I'm also doing this for my stomach - it's overly sensitive and it just needs a little TLC. ....... Week 1 Measurements: Neck: 14 in. Arms: 14.25 in. Chest: 39 in. Waist: 36.25 in. (Main Quest: ~32 in.) Belly Button: 41 in. (Main Quest: ~35 in.) Hips: 47 in. (Main Quest: ~40 in.) Thighs: 26.5 in. Calves: 15.5 in. Weight: 185 lb. (Main Quest: below 165 lb.) Height: 5'8" I took so many measurements because I want to see what changes happen around my body. Since I'm not doing any exercise (aside from the occasional walk or hike), I'm curious what simply cutting out sweets/desserts, adding in fruits and veggies, and drinking more water will do for me. Included are a few goal measurements for my Main Quest, though I'd be happy to lose some inches elsewhere as well. I won't be upset not to lose any weight or inches after this challenge. I'll take my next set of measurements in Week 6, and won't be tracking throughout. ....... NF Mini-Quests: Week 1: Let's get SMART +1 WIS (completed) Week 2: Making Friends +1 CHA (completed) Week 3: The Library +1 WIS (completed) Week 4: Checking Your Starting Credits (completed) Week 5: The Cafeteria +1 CON (completed) Week 6:

Greetings and Salutations all!! I've heard so many great things about Nerd Fitness in such a short time that I've known about it so I'm deciding to jump in and take my first challenge. Just had a birthday at the beginning of the month and I'm determined that this year for me will be a great year!! Main Quest To be 20 lbs 10 lbs lighter at the end of the challenge Questing Goals 1. To do bodyweight exercises 3 times per week I have never done a regular exercise program ever. The closest thing I would have done would be either classes in college or all the marching band classes back in high school. To help lose weight and build up my body, I plan to make exercising 3 times a week a focus. 2. Drink less than 42 ounces of soda on a daily basis Soda has been a staple of my life for far too long. I need to equip some better fluids going into me. The immediate goal is to drop my soda intake by roughly a third of what I was used to. It's way too easy to drink soda at work so that is my biggest hurdle. And no diet either, seriously limiting the sugar water consumption. 3. Prepare a minimum of 1 complete meal at home It's way too easy to get stuff carryout or prepacked. I need to be more aware of what I'm putting into my body and help make it better than it was. I'm not picking any kind of specific food plan or ideal, just to be more mindful and be able to provide for myself in a better way.

So, this will be my first challenge. I have been trying to loose baby weight since our second child was born in.....2009! Ugh. Both kids were huge 11# & 8# 10oz and both were c-sections. I did manage to ski and finish the American Birkebeiner in 2010, but ankle and asthma issues have given me fits. I skied it three more times but did not finish. I had ankle surgery in 2012 in which the doc patched up 5 different issues (bone and tendon). I am 5'10" and weigh 238#. Being overweight does not help asthma!! I also had female issues but seem to have that under control now with help from doc. I started a mostly paleo diet 3 weeks ago and love it! Goals: #1. Loose 20# by April 3. #2. Get on a fitness schedule of weights 3x per week and walk/ski/bike/run 2x per week and carry that thru year round. This is something I have not been keeping up on. Skiing for two to three months on weekends does not a 50km race make!!! #3 Have energy for myself and my family and not just for work.

Yellow!!! I'm YooperGirl Ok, so for my first challenge I want to lose a bit of weight and more importantly reduce my pant and bra size. My starting: - weight is 155 lbs - chest is: ~ 39 1/2" across the breasts ~ 37" under my arms - waist is 35 1/4" My Main Goal is to: - Reduce my waist by 5" and - Reduce my chest by ~ 3" under my arms ~ 4" across my breasts My Plan to do this is: 1. Drink only water (at least 3.5/23 oz bottles per day) ~ Pass / Fail 2. Do the Angry Birds Workout 3 times per week ~ A (3x week); B (2x week); C (1x week); F (1< week) 3. Do Zumba 2 times per week ~ A (2x week); C (1x week); F (1< week) I also have a Life Goal, and that is to read a chapter of my Bible every day. This stems from years of going to church, but never actually reading anything in my bible. Its time to change that!

Alright, so this is my second shot at a challenge. I don't wanna pass the buck on my last attempt, but I'm going to anyways and say that life got in the way. Between school and work and money issues, then travelling for the holidays, I slipped. It was because of choices that I made, I enjoyed my lazy time instead of cooking and working out. But it wasn't a total loss! I did build up some good housekeeping habits! I'm finally unpacked, and every weekend I put on some music and clean and organize something. Plus I'm now financially independent and on some pretty solid footing. Fewer things for me to worry about out there will, hopefully, mean an easier time adjusting to a new lifestyle. Which is what I'm hoping to do with this challenge. I'm sticking with my previous quests since I designed them with the idea that after the 6 weeks is up, I would have a new routine. My goal is still the same, I want to go out and enjoy backpacking in these beautiful mountains. So the only new change this time around will be my life quest: I want to read more. I used to read for fun. And it's been so long since I've read a whole book for pleasure, even longer since a new one. So if anyone has suggestions, I'd love to hear them here or on the Battle Log. So, that means my quests this time will be as follows: Quest 1: Eat full Paleo dinner 4x/wk+1 CONA = 6 successful weeks, full points; B = 5 weeks, 2/3 points; C = 4 weeks, 1/3 points Quest 2: Do full bodyweight workout out every other day+1 STR, +1 STAA = 21 workouts, on schedule; B = 17-20 workouts, on/off schedule; C = 13-16 workouts, on/off schedule Quest 3: No fast food+1 CONA = 0 slips; B = 1 slip; C = 2 slips Life Quest: Read 3 new books+1 WIS I'll type up my workout plan tomorrow. I have it written down, but it's in the basement, and I've got an electric blanket right now that just won't let me go.

Last year, I think at this exact challenge start date this year, my sister and I decided we were going to do this thing. . . . . . We failed our mission. But here I am, back again. I'm not sure what happened last year, I don't remember (which is freaky for me, I remember most things) but right around April I had my first encounter with that Boss of Bosses-- Overlord Major Depression, Elite Level 100. So I have a feeling that was contributing to the non-completion of my first challenge. At this point, I am pretty sure it was me returning to "school" for a second degree I don't want (am now, very certainly, not getting). It diverted me from what I was wanting to be doing, have known I want to be doing since, well, elementary school which is: Be an Author. I am going to be frank here and very honest. 2014 sucked at everything creative for me. There's a thing about how artists and writers and blah blah are great and depressed and whatever. Possibly, maybe for some. For this chick, depression sucks the life force giving joy out of everything creative. When brushing my teeth in the morning is a negotiation with myself, there is no way anything will get painted (my first degree is art) or written. I focused everything into work-- I am a personal trainer-- and getting those stupid chemistry classes done. In April I did not get help for the depression and I should have. It was to the point where I couldn't trust myself with anything sharp, even thumb tacks. But it got better over the summer, not really but a little. Sunlight will do that. Then around October after a confrontation with my boss and returning from a family vacation to a lonely apartment it hit again big time. Big enough that my mom, under the guise of just popping down to the better Oregon weather, stayed with me for a week. I got help. Got some meds which I've weaned off of. Got a dog-- probably the best thing to happen last year. He's the best, cutest guy ever. Papillon with the ears to prove it. He's seven months. I am very proud. He's not my kid, but he's my young companion. I like to think I am the doggy equivalent of Gandalf for him. Anyway. Around the end of December I made a pact with myself to change my life this year and stop living in this Peter Pan state I've been in since college. I really need to be an adult (I am almost 27, though I look like 20). It is time. So, my apartment is being overhauled, simplified. I've figured out who I am and where I am going. My diet (thanks half to my dog eating raw) is slowly changing from junk food central back to mostly paleo again. I've joined a run club at my gym, the itty dog and I walk at leaf 3 miles a day, and I am actually happy. I haven't been able to say that for a very long time. But the assessment of myself, even with stuff yet to be finished around here, is happy. Except for one thing. That pesky career thing... and that leads me to my challenge. MAIN QUEST: A Life Quest. I am writer. Finish a novel. --- It doesn't have to be perfect. --- It only has to be the first draft. Bitty Quests: 1) Write 10 pages a day, long hand. (Yes I am one of those). 2) Take a picture of my progress every day (accountability). Maybe post that image here in this thread for all to see (gasp! /nailbiting) 3) Do this first thing in the morning, even if it means I have to get up earlier than I do already. Side Quests: 1) Run once a week. -- I've run races in the past, the next one is in May. I know once a week isn't enough, but currently it's none. 2) Weights/Lifting/Bodyweight/A Class -- 3x per week. 4) Clean/organize/toss/remove from premises something every day. Regular dishes do not count, I need to do those everyday no matter what. And... I think that's it. I haven't really thought too much about this, I just got home from work and decided to pop in here and see if maybe I was tempted. It would seem that I am. So here it is. --DR

About how I came to be here... Last summer I survived a 5-6cm blood clot between my heart and my lungs. It has taken me about 6 months for the fall out of that and everything that full recovery entails. I am lucky in that the drug therapy I am undergoing should only last 12 to 24 months. I am now at a point where I have a good grasp of how to maneuver around the dietary restrictions that come with this course of treatment that I am ready to actively start on the next part - risk mitigation/management. The one downside to my recovery is that I do not have a definitive cause for how the clot came to be formed. Instead I had four major risk factors at the time of the occurrence, Since my stay in the ICU last last year I am now down to two risk factors: my current weight and my activity level. In years past I have done diets and cardio, but it has very rarely lasted longer than a couple of months. I'm tired of doing the same thing over and over again and seeing the same non-result. This year I made a simple goal to be more active which is backed by a 46 item list of what I could do to accomplish that. Then I came across Nerd Fitness and it intrigued me. I've been lurking about for a couple of months to get a lay of the land and the sites philosophy. Today I'm tossing my torch into the bonfire to join with my first challenge. My starting stats are Weight: 306 Height: 5'10" Shirt/Pant Size: 26 (4x) Main Quest: My ultimate aim is to reduce my current weight by about 50% (approximately 150 pounds) and be able to confidently be off Warfarin. Sub Quest 1: Bring my own lunch to work at lest 3 times a week. Sub Quest 2: Reduce my weight by 6 - 18 pounds by the end of the 6 week challenge. Sub Quest 3: Complete a full set of at least 3 body weight exercises (1 set = 10 reps). Long Term Side Quest: Go camping/short backpacking trips once a month. (This is more long term because it's still the dead of winter here in Wisconsin and I have neither the gear nor the boldness to do any winter camping.)

Hello kids and welcome to my sixth challenge! A little about me... I'm 41, live in Nova Scotia (east coast), Canada, unattached (ended a 7 year relationship last fall) no kids (one cat), have WAY too many books and proud of it. I'm a boiler and refrigeration operator by trade, though my dream is to have a "bricks & mortar" used bookstore. I currently, have a part-time one that I run out of my basement in my spare time and my whole inventory is science fiction & fantasy (my passion). Should be a link to my stores facebook page in my signature. Main Quest: In August 2013 I weighted 267 lbs and my doctor said I had to shut up about my sore knees or die (great guy, bedside manner of a doorknob). So, I started trying to get healthy and since I'm a type "A" person I use www.loseit.com as my food log and calorie counter. I have hit my goal weight of 180 lbs and am working to keep it off. So my main quest is to continue my healthy lifestyle and improve my fitness level. To do that... Side Quests: 1. Keep my daily food log and weigh-ins with my loseit.com account. 2. Do at least 2 Cardio workouts a week (min 20 minutes), even if its just walking around my sub-division or playing on recumbent bike. Finding this hard to do during the cold winter months. 3. Do the following BBWW during the week. 50 Push-ups 100 Squats 100 Leg Lunges 50 Dumbbell Rows 5 x 15 sec Planks 150 Jumping Jacks This has been hard for me, I think because strength training is foreign to my nature <g>. Life Quest: My long term life quest is to finish my basement (couple current pic's in my gallery) and turn it into a bookshop/rec-room. To help keep me sane (ish), I also like to write. So I will be continuing the adventure of petefeet as he explores the world around him. I try and take parts from my real life and weave them into a story. So far.... (Check 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th Adventure's for written story) Petefeet is a halfling who was kidnapped by raider's as a small child and taken to a large human city and sold as a slave to the people running the cities gladiator arena. For much of his young life he was used as a servant, used to fetch and carry for the Masters and the gladiators. After many years of this, petefeet starts to realize that he wants more out of life and starts to secretly steal better food meant for the Master's and starts trying to copy the exercises done by the gladiators. Just when the Master's start to realize that something is changing with their normally meek and cowardly Halfling slave, an outside (Maybe the "Lady in Flames"?) force intervenes. How and when it happens is still a blur to petefeet, but one day he finds himself waking up in the middle of a crater out in the middle of the wilderness wearing nothing but his slave robes, which are now tattered and singed. Found by a young human girl named Jan and her Grandfather, petefeet had his burned skin tended, feed and dressed in old work clothes. In an effort to repay them for their kindness, petefeet offered to rid them of an giant rat that had taken up residence in their work hut. With nothing to protect his hands, our little Halfling wrapped the burned and tattered remains of his slave robes around his hands (like boxing mitts) and went into battle. It was during the battle with the giant rat that petefeet realized that the old robes held some magic (or was the focus for an innate ability or a gift from "Lady in Flames"?), for when he became scared, tiny sparks formed on the old robes covering his hands and when he punched the giant rat burns were also left upon the beast though petefeet received no damage. The more is was able to control his fear, the better he was able to hurt the beast. Since that day, petefeet has wandered the land, helping out where he came, getting into the odd bit of trouble and making new friends. He isn't quite sure where he is going, though is sure he will know it when he finds it. Currently petefeet is holed up in an abandoned manor house for the winter months as he tries to deal with emotional issues and be happy on his own, leaving the larger world for another day. Characters within the story petefeet = Me Giant Brown Bear = My friend Hal who I only get to see a couple times a year "Lady in Flames" (figure in petefeet's dreams) = Friend who I realize I'm falling in love with, and the knife edge I'm walking wanting to be more without losing what I have with her. Black Dog (figure in petefeet's dreams) = Depression & that insidious emotion called "Hope" Mickey the Cat (Mysterious Wizards Familiar?) = My cat named Mickey!

Technically this is my second challenge, but the first went so poorly as to be utterly forgettable. No, really, forget it. Don’t mention it again. Ever. In the interest of new starts, here’s my new introduction. I’m Jenn. I’m a formerly fit, currently squishy young woman who doesn’t want to start a new decade (just turned 30) and a new life (getting married in June) on a bad health note. I used to love being active and eating healthily, and I want to be that person again. I just have to dig her out from underneath the weight (literally) of a few years of bad choices. Motivation: Be a badass. Is that motivation enough? Okay, I’m getting married in June and want to look smokin’ on my big day and also start out our life together as healthy as possible. Main quest: Lose five inches off my waist. I was originally going to make it a weight based goal, but I recognize that weight is a wibbly-wobbly fiend whose word can’t be trusted. I don’t necessarily expect to reach that within these six weeks, but it’s my ultimate finish line. My mini-quests are extensions of my main quest. They’re behavioral goals that will allow me to achieve that five inch reduction. Mini-quest the First: Five workouts weekly. Three strength and two cardio one week, two strength and three cardio the next. I will plan out and schedule these workouts at the beginning of each week, as well as back-up plans in case one of them falls through (Gym closed because ten more feet of snow is falling on New England? Cool, I’ll do workout video X instead). Being an adult means sometimes sh*t happens, but being an adult also means being able to react with flexibility rather than throwing up my hands and saying ‘eff it’. Strength workouts +2Strength +1 STA, Cardio +2 STA +1 STR, Yoga +2 DEX +1 STR) Mini-quest the Second: Clean up my diet. Or in the words of my new favorite cookbook ‘eat like you give a f*ck’. For me this basically means not eating out. When I prepare my own meals, I tend to eat reasonably well. I just get lazy at the end of the day and “omg, look, it’s a Panera! How convenient!â€. I also have to stop justifying my diet by saying “Well, I stayed under my calorie goal.†Muffins and French fries don’t magically become healthy just because I eat less than 1500 calories worth of them. (+3 CON) Life-quest: Finish a kick-ass short story. I have a friend who recently Kickstarted a table-top game to resounding success. One of his rewards is a collection of short stories based in his game world. I was asked to contribute, so I want to write an amazing story to do justice to his game. (+3 WIS) These are my current physical stats: Height: 4'103/4 (listen, when you're this short, you count every bit) Weight: 132 BMI: 26.7 (I know this number is imperfect; I just really like quantifying things. What can I say? I'm an accountant. Give me spreadsheets or give me death) Waist: 31 inches Body Fat: 32.3% Hips: 38 inches Bicep: 12 inches Thighs: 23 inches Edit: Creating point attributes for successes seems like a good idea, so I fixed it. Edit: Added in stats