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So with my last challenge I did not do as well as I would have liked, health and personal setbacks stepped in and made me face reality and I discovered I am only human...dammit!! One issue I have is I go to school online, I am a horrible procrastinator and need to make this a priority...I will have my master's degree in December if I can get through this, I am tired of putting it off until the weekend every week because I can always find something else to do instead. My life goal this challenge is to do some homework every night after work and working out, even if I do not get everything done before the weekend I will at least not be rushed to get it all done. c25k, I am restarting this from week one and am going to do it three days a week! BBWW, restarting this as well, at least 2 days a week...or an alternate form of exercise 2 days a week... Sticking with Paleo because it works for me and I have never felt better!! My goal before this challenge starts is to find somewhere that my girlfriend and I can meet up at after work to do the c25k...because after we get home it's all over...We found a spot 'off the main drag' that we can come home, change clothes, and head out to without fear of being run over... Mini Challenge questions follow... Is your overall quest achievable (over a short or long period of time)? Is it reasonable? I believe it is, my overall goal is to fit into the wedding dress of my dreams...I know that will not happen in 6 weeks, but I have over a year to get there! Do your 3 main goals all build towards it in little ways, or are you taking on too much? Two of the three are, the other one (life goal) is to help me with time management, which I struggle with. Are your main goals realistic? Can you scale them to smaller steps to fit your life better, even if it will make it take a little longer to achieve them? I think they are realistic, if I commit to doing them! Are your goals able to be measured and tracked? What will you use to track them? How are you grading your goals? Are they pass/fail (“every dayâ€, “not even once over the six weeksâ€)? Is there a reward for the effort, or are you only grading yourself on whether or not you “lose the weight†or “run the distanceâ€? A – C25k, 18 workouts (3x week - 6 weeks) B – Skipped 1-3 runs C – Skipped 4-6 runs D – Skipped 7-9 runs F – Skipped more than 9 runs A – BBWW, all 12 workouts B – Skipped 1-2 workouts C – Skipped 3-4 workouts D – Skipped 5-6 workouts F – Skipped more than 6 workouts. What is your plan for continuing/altering/grading those goals if you become ill or injured? Then just like last time, I'll revisit and revise them then. Did you take into consideration any special occasions (Passover, Easter, Cinco de Mayo, birthdays, anniversaries, etc) that may occur during the challenge? What modifications do you need to build into your goals for those? The only one that may be an issue is going to my son's graduation May 23rd, and that will just entail working out around it Do any of your main goals conflict with each other? Will one goal make it hard to do another? N/A Do you already have the time in your schedule to actually complete the goals you’ve set? If not, what are you planning to do to make time for them? I do, just have to make sure I do them and not meld with the couch after work! (until homework time!) Are you trying to build multiple habits, or is all your energy focused on your main quest? Pretty much all main quest focused

Somehow last week I came across Nerd Fitness and the Paleo diet, I couldn't stop reading the blog posts... which eventually pointed me to the previous challenge. I like a challenge, but was disappointed to know that I just missed it. But I was very glad to see that a new one is starting, Yippee! So I decided to join the forum and start, and my first post might as well be this one. Backstory: I'm just over 30, and weigh 239 lbs. I've always been overweight and have tried many times to lose some, but never stuck to anything. My main struggle has been with those 7/11 Slurpee's, I'd often get 2 of the biggest sizes per day. My food diet has never been that good either. For the past 1.5 years I have been going to the gym 3-4 times a week, mostly cardio. But I've always understood that without having a better diet, nothing was going to change much. About 2 weeks ago I started house-sitting for a friend, they will be away for another 5-6 weeks. Coincidentally about that same time is when I started to take my health/diet more seriously. Getting out of my old routine/surroundings has been a GREAT thing for me. I've started to eat better (although no where near 100% Paleo yet) and I haven't had a 7/11 Slurpee for over a week now, which feels great. I've actually lost 9 lbs in the past two weeks due to my recent changes. These past weeks have felt great, I haven't made that much change before, so I am confident that this challenge will be well worth it! Main Goal: To get down to 200 lbs (to lose about 40 lbs) in 5 months (Summer!) Missions (within the 6 weeks): 1. Get to a 50/50 Paleo diet (today was my first Paleo meal) 2. Do the "Beginner body weight circuit workout" 3-4 times a week and cardio in the gym another 2-3 days (not leaving more than 2 days a week without the workout or going to the gym) 3. No 7/11 Slurpee's Side Quest: Come to a firm decision on my future job/entrepreneur road map. I'm needing to decide what's next for me. I am looking forward to the next 6 weeks!

I hate throwing up. I hate throwing up so much. I hate it more than anything. I can't even stand being sick to my stomach. So you can imagine my displeasure at waking up at 3:30 am last week and barely making it to the bathroom before emptying my stomach. I ended up being sick for four days, had to call in to work twice (taking 15 hours out of my paycheck), and felt like complete and utter crap for a week. Combine that with the fact that it's still bitterly cold up here and I desperately want it to be warm, and I found myself endlessly daydreaming about summer. A wonderful summer where it was warm, and sunny, and I could breathe through my nose. It just seemed so nice. And unlike last summer, in my imagination, I felt fantastic, I was energetic, I was taking full advantage of the nice weather, and I wasn't embarrassed to wear shorts or tight T-shirts. I want to make that dream a reality. I want to stop being sick all the time. I want to stop being sick to my stomach because I ate like crap. I want to have energy and to just feel good. I want to wear my favorite shirt without looking pregnant. I just want to enjoy myself this summer! So: Main Quest: Feel healthier and stop being sick all the time! Goal One: Keep track of all the foods I eat. I use Calorie Count because it tracks nutrition information and lets you know when your intake is too high or too low for certain things. I used it for a few days last week and was surprised to find that I was really short on a few essential vitamins. Once I determine what I'm too low/high in, I can start adjusting my diet. Grading (done by week): A: Kept track of food for all seven days B: Kept track of food for five days C: Kept track of food for four days D: Kept track of food for three days F: Kept track of food for less than three days Goal Two: Eat at least three servings of fruits or vegetables each day. My diet is just absolutely awful right now. Grading: Basically the same as above. Goal Three: Do the Beginner's Bodyweight Workout three times a week. I've been using the cold as an excuse to be inactive, and I've gotta stop. A: Worked out 3 times B: Worked out 2 times D: Worked out 1 time F: Did not work out Side Quest: Spend at least four hours a week programming or studying. Studying anything really, I'm just trying to build a good habit. I want to go back to college this fall, but the reason I'm out right now is partially because of my laziness and terrible study habits. I need to build better habits if I want this year to be any better. A: 4 hours spent studying B: 3.5 spent studying C: 2.5 - 3.5 spent studying D: 1.5-2.5 spent studying F: Less than 1.5 hours spent studying So I'm starting out slow, but I think in the long run it will help. This is actually my second challenge - I failed my first one and I think it was because I tried too much, too fast. By the end of this challenge, the weather will finally be warming up, and I hope to face spring (and the next challenge) feeling better than ever!

Hello all, I am so pumped up to whip this challenge in it's ugly winter butt! This will be my first 6 week challenge, and I plan to conquer! My Goals: MAIN: Lose Weight, feel great! -Do BBWW Monday, Wednesday, and Friday -Eat Paleo for breakfast and lunch, and as much as possible for dinner -Limit "screen time" to just work, and 1 hr at home Life Quest: -Do a Korean Lesson Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday [bonus life quest, because it needs to happen: MOVE OUT!!] Motivation: My son, who is very active and healthy, and I want him to stay that way, and I want to be able to keep up with him

I'm brand new today! My goal for this 6 week challenge is to be a size 8 (UK), build my strength and be healthy. Currently aged 41, 140lbs (5ft 4in) so although I'm not overweight I'm NOT toned and I don't FEEL healthy. I was diagnosed with arthritis (mainly in my ankles) on 18th Feb and it really knocked me sideways...BUT I vowed when I was going through diagnosis that whatever it was I would change my lifestyle to get healthy and strong. I will not let this define me. my GOAL is to lose weight (and get strong & healthy) and wear a UK size 8 SPECIFIC MINI GOALS Do the beginner bodyweight workout at LEAST 3 times a week with a low impact warm up to build my strength (and tone) I will plan my meals each week and eat cleaner I will walk at least 3 days a week to help my mobility LIFE QUEST To have weekly date night with my hubby I want to reduce the impact of arthritis on my life and be a strong, healthy woman in her 40's I'm not sure which guild would be best for me - I haven't done any exercise in a long time but relied on diet alone to lose 63lbs. I'm a reader and currently attend yoga once a week...other than that I'm pretty much a couch potato Time to change....

Warning, this post is long and detailed. tl;dr version: lose 10 pounds by weight training 3 nights/week, being active at least 30 minutes a day on the other four days, and eating right. Life goal: improve relationships with family and friends by making more of an effort to call and visit them. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Our hero is now on week seven of her new, healthier lifestyle. Wandering around the starting area, not only has she learned quite a bit about the game mechanics, but she has also gained strength and endurance. However, she is not satisfied yet. She has encountered the first boss of her journey, “The Next 10 Pounds.†She realizes that once she defeats this boss, she will feel more confident . She will be more comfortable making conversation with strangers, with signing up for any fitness classes she may wish to take in the future, and with bumping into old friends from her skinny days. But even more than this, she is motivated by the regret she feels for spending so much of her adult life not paying attention to her own health and long-term happiness. Defeating this first boss, she feels, will sharpen her focus and make her ready for what awaits her outside the starting area. Main Quest: Defeat the first boss, “The Next 10 Pounds,†by April 6th Boss: The Next 10 Pounds HP: 100 Attack: 6 Defense: 30 Resistances: N/A Weaknesses: dig, dance, strength Loot Dropped: Workout garb, a new haircut. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- OK, enough of the third-person narration. To lose my next ten pounds, I will: 1. Continue to do weight training three nights a week, typically Tuesday, Thursday, and either Saturday or Sunday, depending on which nights I have to close at work. These workouts, for the time being, will consist of as much of the 40 minute “BeFit GO†circuit training youtube video as I can stand (high score: 25 min 34 seconds), followed by my usual 30-minute full-body workout with dumbbells, the weight of which I will raise incrementally as I become stronger. In case I’ve outgrown these workouts before the end of these first six weeks, I will start the NF Beginner Bodyweight Routine while also continuing my dumbbell reps. 2. Do a minimum of 30 minutes of some sort of aerobic exercise the other 4 days a week. These will typically consist of one of the following, depending on my mood and what is going on in my life: 30 minutes of DDR, which will also help me with a future DDR Mastery quest.20 minutes of interval indoor cycling coupled with at least 10 minutes of Wii Fit activities30+ minutes of heavy-duty housecleaning30+ minutes of gardening (planting season is drawing near! yay) I often come home from work exhausted, especially if I have to close, so in order to successfully complete these workouts I will require myself to get them in BEFORE going to work each day. In case of extenuating circumstances, I will allow myself one day off per week of aerobic exercise without penalty. 3. Solidify my new healthy eating habits. To do so, I will continue to log what I eat, taking special note of the day’s caloric intake if I consume new foods. I am shooting to consume between 1400 and 1800 calories a day. I will remember to: consume a MINIMUM of one serving of fruit or vegetable at each mealeat healthy snacks, such as nuts or fruit, in between meals so I don’t lose my willpower and either binge or eat the wrong foods when I do get around to eating.avoid candies, cakes, cookies, pies, or other desserts unless homemade by my grandmother, in which case I’ll happily indulge. However, I will limit my portion to only about half of what I’d normally eat. I will no doubt face serious challenges when I go on vacation (March 22-28). Before I leave, I will try to anticipate these challenges and develop a plan for tackling them. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- LIFE QUEST: I have withdrawn from family and friends in recent years due to depression and/or general selfishness. I miss them, and I’d like to improve these relationships. To beat my life quest, I will: Call my parents twice a week and have at least a 20 minute conversation with each of them. Visit with them at least once every two weeks (they live in another town). Call my sister once a week. Call my friend Amy at least once a week. Bonus points if we hang out. Visit with my mother-in-law at least once a week. Visit my grandmother at least twice before these six weeks are over. _________________________________________________________ I throw my slippers at the beast. Wish me luck! Quest #1 Initial stats, 2/24/2014: height: 5'6" (168 cm) weight: 168 lbs (76 kg) BMI: 27.0 Waist: 34 in (~86 cm) Waist-hip ratio: .81

This is my first six week challenge. I am excited to get started! Level 0 · Main Quest (Six Week Challenge) o Lose a total of 20 LBS: CHA – 1 DEX – 1 § Eating fresh vegetables EVERY DAY § Drinking 64 ounces of water per day § NO fast food/junk food o Do 25 consecutive pushups: STR – 3 DEX – 2 § BBWW three times per week · Progressively increasing count o Run an 8 minute mile: STA – 2 § Run/Jog/Walk 3 days per week o 60 second (consecutive) front plank: STR – 3 § BBWW three times per week · Progressively increasing time o Quit Smoking: WIS – 1 STA – 1 CON – 1 § Nicotine replacement is OK, but smoking once is an immediate failure § First day of quit is 2/24/14 · Life Quest (Six Week Challenge) o Study for and take the CCNP Switching Practice exam § Schedule the actual test I will update my progress at least once per week.