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A long long time ago in a Galaxy Far Far Away...on a Forest Moon....I found Nerd Fitness, lost a lot of weight and got healthy, fit and strong. Today however is 1 Jan 2019 and the times they are a changing. I'm going back to my roots and will be reading over some old NF articles and challenges. I'll probably revise my goals each month in this log, so here is January: January Goals: - No alcohol - No bread - Angry Birds workout 3 times a week (Mon, Thurs, Sat) Starting weight Jan 1 2019: 98.9 kg's / 198 lbs (this is my heaviest ever) Final Weight Target: 78.9kg's So yeah...20 kg's to lose. I'm experienced enough to know that the scales lie and i should be losing fat not muscle. Anyway that's the plan for now, keep the goals basic and get some momentum going again.

Battle Log Previous Challenge Overall I was very happy with last months challenge. It was my first time getting back into it in a while and I feel like I nailed it. I also felt really busy. This challenge is designed to push me farther AND still give me more free time. Sort of. I'll be going back to the gym. I'm also hoping to set up a routine that will be somewhat sustainable over the next few months when I have a new baby in the house. Ya, it's going to get interesting. The new bundle of joy is scheduled to arrive on April 4th. And I'm not going to lie, things really went down hill for me fitness wise when our first was born. But that was also around a time that a LOT happened in life including a big move and a big job change. Hopefully I can keep on track this time. ON THE CHALLENGE!!! Fitness and Health: 1a) Go to the Gym after work (scored out of 12) -I will go to the gym after work each day I work (3 days a week). -I'll be doing a push pull legs routine. -if there is a work meeting after work I will not go the gym so as to get enough sleep -Saturday, Sunday, Monday 1b) Angry Birds on Wednesdays (scored out of 4) -Angry birds will simply be a stop gap because 4 days off is a long time. 2) Biking Tue, Wed, Thur, Fri (Scored out of 16) -Tue/Thur will be HITT style. 2 min low, 1 min High -Wed/Fri will be the same as what I did last month, going for max distance -this will be done while watching TV shows for the duration of the show (40-45 min) 3) Track Food in MFP and stay within 0-500 Calories Under goal (scored out of 26) Life: 1) Serve 10 Clients or have 10 tickets in the month -Last months challenge was to spend 15 minutes on my business every day, this meant that I would spread simple tasks to two days or do things that didn't really need doing just so I could say I did something. -This will force me to focus on what's important: Finding and serving clients -I hope to do some FaceBook advertising, and get my website out there more. I might also advertise more on Kijiji (Craigslist type site) Well, there we have it. Shifting my main Strength workouts to the weekend when I'm already out of the house will allow me to relax more during my days off. "Relax" - work on business, work on house projects, work in the yard, and maybe even get out to the travel trailer that is in sore shape.

Noor woke early under a warm snoring pile of cat and dog. She smiled to herself, amused by the predictability of animals, even wild ones, during a cold mountain night. She looked for Sovellis and saw his bedroll empty. Stretching and yawning, she slid out from under the sleeping pile and moved to the fire to rekindle the flame and finish the porridge she had left to cook overnight in the coals. She knew that now was a time for planning. She had to find a way out of her Stone Giant form and a way to hold the curse further at bay. As she cooked and thought, she hummed an old halfling song to herself. This felt somehow more manageable now that she was not alone. --,--'--@ Long Term Goal: As always, my goal is to lose 200 LBS. My long term goal is also one of my primary focuses this time because I have to see my parents at the end of this challenge and they are super judgemental about my body and fitness. As such, my goals are going to be designed to try and enhance weight loss and building endurance. Goal 1: Logging food I am going to track my food daily because I find that I lose weight much more consistently if I track. It helps me to be mindful of my food. +3 CON 38 or more days tracked +2 CON 28 days or more tracked +1 CON 14 days or more tracked Goal 2: Endurance Through Cardio: I have had no luck with adding in daily cardio, but I really miss being able to walk all over the place and being confident in my body. As such, I will walk for 10 minutes a day every day. Outside. Option to increase the time as the challenge goes. +3 STA 38 or more days +2 STA 28 or more days +1 STA 14 days or more Goal 3: Getting Strong and Flexible: When training I prefer to work strength and flexibility both, training flexibility on my rest days from strength training. I find that I am less sore overall when I use this method, and I can simply alternate between 2 programs in the same 30-minute block of time, making it easy for scheduling and consistency purposes. I will alternate the following two programs this challenge: STRENGTH: Angry Birds Workout +2 STR 19 or more days +1.5 STR 14 or more days +1 STR 7 or more days FLEXIBILITY: Yoga with Adrienne +2 DEX 19 or more days +1.5 DEX 14 or more days +1 DEX 7 or more days Lifestyle Goals: Self-Care: food, exercise, sleep. Creative outlets. Social support. I need all these things. Goal A: Sleep Schedule: I have to nail this because hospital job starts in August. The true goal is in bed by 10 pm, up at 6. life is complex though, so I m going to say bed between 10 and midnight, up between 6 and 8. On gaming nights, bed as soon as we are done, up 8 hours later. Gaming nights and social events don't like to bow to my schedule. +3 CON 38 days or more +2 CON 28 days or more +1 CON 14 days or more Goal B: Creative outlets: I used to be very creative in my life. I was always making things: sewing, weaving, drawing, crafting, and writing. I have lost all of this in my life through mental illness and graduate school scheduling limitations. I lost the motivation to create, and I feel the lack like a wound that never heals. As such, I am going to add a goal of creating one creative project a week. This can include writing, but for a poem to count it has to also have a dynamic visual component. +2 CHA 6 projects or more +1.5CHA 4 projects +1 CHA 2 projects My motivation, as always, is to shed the curse brought on me by mental illness, stress, trauma, and life. I want to get back to me. (one) (two) (three) (four) (five) (six)

Hullo NF, I'm back again. ^__^ Gonna be digging deep this challenge and stepping out of the fortified turtle shell armor I've built around myself. Depression is a B. So is broken trust. I've GOT to let it go and move on. I want to experience the freedom that comes with being a master of one's own body. I want to be fluid and graceful and ... and I want to learn how to jump/climb/tumble/goof around like a kid and not be afraid of the world around me. I never had that fearlessness... so I'm committing to change that. This is my Quest. Goal the 1st: Fearless Diet - Eat to live It took a 30-day fruit & vegetable juice fast over the month of August to help break the chains of addiction that held me to processed franken-foods. I intend not to let modern diet stick it's burred claws back in me. Time to be fearless in the kitchen! * For the next 6 weeks I will be accountable of EVERYTHING I eat/drink. No hiding. * I will be following a Paleo-type diet, focusing on fresh veggies & fruit and quality meats. No Junk. Thankfully, it's been fairly "easy" to just simple not go back to eating garbage, although that honeymoon-like resolve is starting to wear out now. This is where the rubber meets the road! * I'm going to allow myself small amounts of cheese, too, although I'm going to do my best to avoid dairy in general. This caveat is primarily to allow the continued consumption of my favorite lunch of all time: the veggie omelet wrap, sans wrap from my favorite coffee shop in the world, Java Manjaro. * I'm going to allow myself up to 6 "cheat" days (avg one per week) to allow life to continue as needed. Of Note: my husband, although accepting of my food choices, occasionally unconsciously tries to sabotage my diet goals. I accept this for what it is... habit vs. malicious intent. Life goes on. Time to be fearless of my diet changes. It's MY life. Goal the 2nd: Fearless Performance - Back to Basics I did some light body-weight exercises while on my fast. It's been a couple weeks now, though, and I need to get back into a routine. * Perform a warm-up before EVERY workout. * Do the Angry Birds Workout (& keep track of it!) * Perform a stretching/cool-down session after EVERY workout. * Do the above routine 3 times per week. Goal the 3rd: Fearless Movement - Jump Around! So I really really really really really really really want to learn how to parkour. Not the fancy, showy free-running stuff you see on YouTube (although that might be an interest sometime down the timeline), but the real, functional, physical freedom from obstacles in my environment. Time to start training! * On workout days, I will add in the extra reps on top of my ordinary workout for the 4 exercises laid out in NF's Beginner's Guide to Parkour - ie squats, push-ups, leg lifts & pull-ups (or in my case, body-weight rows/bent over rows). Adding these in starting week 2 to allow my body to adjust to a workout routine again before adding more. PLAN THIS OUT! If I do my primary workout at night, do these additional training reps in the morning. And vice versa if I do my full workout in the morning, these extra ones will be added in at night. * Get a quality jump rope and start jumping! I need to get my heels, ankles, tendons and knees working in sync and re-learn how to jump. I've been too afraid to jump due to my weight for far too long. My goal for now is to simply find a jump rope and re-teach myself how to jump. I will work on setting #s goals once the initial "fat white girl can't jump" period is over. Life Side-Quest: Set and implement a chore chart for our family. This may seem silly, but I've wanted to do this for a while and just keep putting it off. Time to structure our afternoons a bit more now that school is back in full swing. Motivation: To prove to myself that discipline = fearlessness & freedom. And to model that behavior for my sons. LET'S DO THIS!

Hello all, New here and just finished my first challenge, so coming into this one a little late. From the looks of it, I’ll be late to the next party too, but then I should be caught up. Also, my first time outside the Level 1s. The adventurers looked like a good fit for what I’m looking at, glad to meet everyone. I’ve seen a few people do up their challenges as prose, and I thought that would be a fun way to go about it since this is meant to be roleplaying. Please bear with. Hopefully, it doesn’t come across as obnoxious. --- Anno didn’t so much walk up the hill as progressed. Walking was a dignity that had withered and fallen off about a mile back. He’d been limping since near the base of the hill when someone had, apparently, staked his knees with rebar. Staggering had left him when that rebar turned to salt. Now, he held his walking stick like an oar and rowed himself up the hill. In the last few paces, he saw a new, green vale reveal itself beyond the crest. A bright river ran through the middle, opening into a blue lake down below. A village sat on the valley’s far shoulder. On the side of a mountain in the near distance, he saw the outline of a monastery. Standing there on the very top of the hill, looking down on the steep path to the valley floor, Anno threw up up his arms. He let out a loud, “Woo!†and promptly collapsed onto his side beside the path. He let himself roll, content to simply flop down onto his back. His pack, however, was happy where it was and saw no reason to make things easy on its owner. Anno quickly found himself with his head and left arm dangling, the world sitting at an odd angle and him not giving any part of a damn to correct it. “You’re late,†a voice said behind him. Anno tried to sit up, but the pack and worn muscles firmly declared that that wasn’t happening, allowing only a groan and a weak flop. He kicked, squirmed and he tried to shimmy. He finally found and loosened the straps to his pack. He slid off the thing and onto the grass. A pull of the pack later and he was propped up, almost a sit, looking at an old man who sat on a nearby boulder. “I said, you’re late.†The old man tilted his head up to listen to birdsong in the trees. “And the birds are laughing at you.†My first challenge was largely my doing a modified Angry Birds split between two days. I plan to continue with the Angry Birds workout, now condensed to a single day to allow for more flexibility but with the same amount of exercise. 2x per week. 1) Maintain A - All workouts done. Less a grade per 2 workouts missed. (+1 Str, +1 Con, +1 Sta, +1 Cha) The original called for me to reach level 3 in the workout within the six weeks. This didn’t happen. This time, I’ll aim to progress to at least the next level in each exercise of the first by the end of the challenge. Reducing weight on stats for this one, partly because the increases aren’t fast and partly because they’re fairly incidental. Going up a level is dne by hitting 3-star on a part twice consecutively. 2) Progress A - All five, B - 3-4, C - 2, D - 1, F - None. (+1 Str, +1 Sta) The old cleared his throat, looking back at Anno. “Have you decided where you’re going?†“Not yet.†The man’s shoulders sagged. “You know, people don’t usually start up this way without some idea. Rude to make an old man wait here for you if you haven’t got any ideas.†The old man grinned. “Or did you just figure out that you don’t live in assassin country?†“How…?†“You’re not the first, kid.†The old man snickered and pointed down into the valley. “But if you’re still here, I’m guessing you still want to make something of yourself. The village always needs people, strong backs and in the forest, and the monastery’s not far off. You ever worked any of that?†“I was in the militia once, and I trained with a monk, but that…†The old man poked Anno in the gut with a stick. “A long time ago?†“...yes.†“You’ve got a ways to go, son. The Monks won’t accept new students until the Harvest Moon, but you won’t get there before then anyway. And the town needs someone a little less flabby.†He held his hand to shade his eyes as he peered off into the distance. “Still, might just be ready before you get anywhere...†3) C25K The listed three times a week, with the option to trade one out for a hike once a week. A - All workouts done. Less a grade per two workouts missed. (+3 Sta, +1 Con) “...and, for pity’s sake, loosen up. You move like a pregnant yak.†4) Flexibility: Eight Brocades of Silk Stretch. Minimum 3x per week, in-class sessions during Tai Chi count. A - All done, less a grade for each two missed. (+2 Dex) Anno sagged back against his pack and glared at the old man. “Is there anything else, or can I die for a little while?†The man snickered again. “Just one more thing.†He reached behind him and pulled a very slight, straight sword from behind his rock. “It’s dangerous to go alone. Take this.†5) Weapon training. Minimum 2 hours per week. Something I’ve always wanted to get into. Since I’m in a class for Tai Chi, I’ve recently picked up a book on a tai chi sword form. I’ve also signed up for an archery class starting in two weeks. Either or, but a minimum of 2 hours every week. (+2 dex, +1 wis) Anno took the sword and drew it, looking at the blade shining. The old man was gone when he looked back up. He looked around, then down at the village. He looked at the blade again, sheathed it, and promptly flopped sideways onto the ground. He spent enough care to set teh scabbard down and bunch up an edge of his pack for a pillow before he passed out. Above, the birdsong played through the trees as the birds kept laughing, but right then, he was too tired to care. -- That’s my goal this time around. It looks like a lot, and is potentially biting off more than I can chew, but realistically, I’m looking at two days of exercise on my off days from Tai Chi using a modified warm up, plus one lesson/sword study session and one hike a week. Shouldn’t be too bad. And, why yes, I would like some salt with my foot.

For the next six weeks, I will follow the Angry Birds workout routine--which makes me a temporary Assassin, if I'm reading correctly that bodyweight workouts fall within their realm of expertise. Main Quest My long-term focus continues to be getting healthy and staying healthy. To this point, I have been using weight, waist diameter, and BMI as my proxy measurements of healthiness. In 30 weeks, I lost 55 pounds, 5 inches of belly, and 8 points of BMI respectively--and hopefully this has translated to a better blood profile, lower blood pressure, less insulin resistance, and better liver functioning. Although I have made some furtive steps toward increasing my activity level, most of my efforts have gone into improving my diet. For this quest, I will pivot into exercise. Main Side Quests M1. The Angry Birds workout awards stars for each of four exercises, and provides a path for leveling up each one to more difficult versions or a larger number or required repetitions. I will complete 2-3 sessions of each exercise per week, not doing any one exercise two days in a row, and attempting to earn more stars and/or increase my levels to indicate progress in building muscle. M2. I will increase protein intake as necessary to facilitate muscle regeneration between workouts. From what I've read, this is necessary to the process. M3. For six weeks, I will not stress out about weight. If building muscle mass, or eating in a way that encourages muscle recovery puts me outside my target weight range, I will address that issue in a future challenge. M4. I will try to get more sleep. Life Quests L1. I will build my web design business. L2. I will work on my novel. L3. I will continue to organize my office, computer, and life.

Just a heads up: this challenge will probably contain spoilers for Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., because I've got Marvel on the brain, and figured I may as well put it to good use! After the recent events in D.C. involving the metal-armed assassins, falling helicarriers, and the resurrection of HYDRA, it seemed the mysterious organization known as S.H.I.E.L.D. was finished. I certainly thought so, having been reading everything I could find about them (not much—these guys keep their secrets well) since I watched the news reports of costumed super humans fighting aliens in New York. Everything I found said that they had fallen apart, until a guy in a suit showed up at my apartment, flashed a badge, and asked if I was interested in helping to rebuild a disgraced organization—and maybe save the world a few times in the process. How could I say no to that? Cue a whirlwind of tests, interviews, and evaluations, and then a long silence. I figured I’d washed out, until this little message showed up: Congratulations candidate, your application has made it past the first round of eliminations for S.H.I.E.L.D. recruits, but you haven’t been accepted yet. The next six weeks will be your chance to prove that you have the commitment and self-discipline required to become one of our agents. Succeed and you’ll become a Level 1 trainee. Fail and you’ll join the 90% who didn’t make it this far. Your tasks are listed below. Complete each with a minimum 80% success rate to be eligible to continue. Main Quest: Become an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. Goal 1: Strength – An agent needs to be physically strong, no matter what department they end up in. You never know what this job will require you to do. [+3 STR/+2 STA] Body weight training at least 3x/week (20 times total for challenge) Angry Birds at least once a week for progress measurement, the other workouts can be switched up a bit to keep things interesting. Goal 2: Flexibility – Being flexible can be invaluable for getting in to—and out of—a wide range of situations. [+2 DEX] Keep up with sun salutations every morning, and longer yoga practices 2-3x/week (15 total for challenge). Focus on inversions and working up to a handstand. Goal 3: Coordination – Strength and flexibility aren’t worth much if you trip over your own feet. A degree of poise and dexterity can come in handy, whether in a fight or undercover at a high-class soiree. [+2 DEX/+1 CHA] Dance workouts 2-3x/week. Video-based routines that require me to learn steps and choreography, with the hope that by the end of 6 weeks I might have traded my two left feet in for one of each. Side Quest: Eat Well – Good agents know that what you put into your body greatly affects what you can get out of it. Eat accordingly. [+3 CON] Week 1: 40% Paleo. Food focus: soda and candy Week 2: 50% Paleo. Food focus: processed snacks Week 3: 60% Paleo. Food focus: other sugary drinks Week 4: 70% Paleo. Food focus: grains Week 5: 75% Paleo. Food focus: TBD Week 6: 80% Paleo. Food focus: TBD Life Quest: Get Ready – shortly after completing these six weeks, you’ll be headed out for some R&R followed by a relocation to your next base of operations. Make sure your affairs are in order, and don’t forget to pack light. Assignment: Do something each week to prepare for upcoming trip/move. [+1 WIS/+1 CHA] - Get rid of/give away/sell stuff - Finish up UK trip plan/bookings - Sort out money transfers - Stay in touch with people I will be meeting up with - Finalize budget - Plan/make/buy parting gifts for teachers & students - Keep up with other to-dos as they pop up Looks like I have my work cut out for me for the next six weeks—and hopefully a lot longer! I’m off to gather supplies and work a bit more on my game plan. The fun begins on Monday!

I haven't been happy with my progress the last couple challenges, no excuses. It's time to double down and get back to basics. I'm going to focus on Lifting, Running, Hydrating, and Recording. Main Quest: a ) Finish this challenge as intended. b ) Under 200 Lbs by 30th birthday (12/04/14) Mini Quests: 1. Workout more frequently [sTR +3] [DEX +2] 6am workouts alternating with running & lifting. Angry birds workout with added dumbbell workouts. Success is dependent on getting to bed early. A = 5 workouts B = 4 workouts C = 3 workouts D = 2 workouts F = <2 workouts 2. Hydrate [WIS +1] [CON +3] Drink 1+ Liters of water each day. Cut out all juice, booze, creamer. Coffee & Tea are permitted, but no more than 2 per day. A = 5 days B = 4 days C = 3 days D = 2 days F = <2 days 3. Record Keeping [WIS +2] [CON +1] Track food/drink on MFP A = 5 days B = 4 days C = 3 days D = 2 days F = <2 days 4. Clean house [CON +1] [WIS +2] All dishes done before bed + 15 minutes of clutter clean up. A = 5 days B = 4 days C = 3 days D = 2 days F = <2 days Starting Stats Weight Waist Hips Chest Biceps Legs Calves Neck

Hey guys, Guess who's back? Back again? Piddip's back. Tell a friend. Okay, so this is my fourth attempt at a challenge. My first, I completely bailed. My second, I completed. My third, I had to quit for private reasons. My fourth, I haven't done yet, 'cause this is it! BREAK IT DOWN: Main Quest: Get my body in tip-top condition to make the most of the playground we call earth. First Objective: Do the Angry Birds Workout every 3 days. (4 STR, 1 STA) Second Objective: Practise handstands for 5 mins a day, everyday. (4 STA, 1 STR) Third Objective: Drink at least 1l of water a day. (3 CON) Life Quest: Start homework the day I get it, or as soon as possible if that can't be done for whatever reasons. (2 WIS) Also, since I FAIL at keeping myself accountable, I created a Google Docs. spreadsheet. Link here. The table to the left is my workout (I added leg lifts), and the table to the right is for comments, questions, anything really. You guys can go on there and say anything (as long as it's positive), and I'll do my best to reply. And yes, I did create an all-new email address purely for this, so feel free to hit me up with a question or something like that. See you guys soon, Piddip. P.S. Can someone give me advice for parkour rolls? I managed to fall onto my shoulder while doing one... How can I stop this happening? Go faster? Go slower?

Hey All! If you've met me before, you'll remember that I jumped into the last challenge with only 2 weeks left in it. I wanted to get the hang of things and strike while the motivational iron was hot. It was a great way to figure out what worked and what didn't. It also caused me to realize that I automatically equate weight-loss/getting fit with eating right... not necessarily the goals that I chose to accomplish my challenge quest. Old habits die hard, eh? ANYWAY! Welcome to LyricalSharon's FIRST FULL CHALLENGE!!! I gotta say.... boyoboy am I looking forward to levelling up!!!!!! For real (also known as frealz) and levelling up in order to get attribute points. Yeah! SO! This is my MAIN QUEST: Fit into size 4 jeans by Nov 27 2015 (yes, yes, I know it's a long ways away but I'm a 10/11 right now, and I can't remember the last time I was in a size 4.... and if I get to a size 4 before the date, then part of the quest will be to keep myself in a size 4.) My Three Goals: 1. Take la mutt for a walk or run 3 times a week (last time I put 5 but that was crazy. This is more realistic.) 2. Do Angry Birds workout 3 times a week. 3. Drink one glass of water for each cup of coffee I drink. What's my motivation? I want to be able to stop feeling frustrated anytime I try to dress in something other than hoodies! Every time holidays come around, or some special event where I have to dress up, or even if I just want to look nice, I get super frustrated trying to find something that doesn't make me feel like I've got water wings and an inner tube strapped to my body. Hey, just even being able to sit down and not have a muffin top spill out of my jeans would be nice. So basically, my motivation is, to enjoy getting dressed! Thanks for joining me on this challenge!

Preface: Sorry that this post is so long. I have a tendency to be very thorough I guess under the guise, "if you provide half the information/truth, you will only get half the help." Thanks for being patient in advance. So... I'm (obviously) new to this challenge thing as well as NF in general. I'm really excited to find something like this because I've been toying around with the idea of getting in shape for the last eight years or so but my hesitation has always been in actually going to a gym and working out around other people. I'm pretty self conscious. I guess my ultimate goal is to feel completely comfortable being naked in front of someone but I know that's not a very measurable goal. My idea of being in better shape includes building a nice chest, getting back six-pack abs, and lose the scrawny arm thing. I never really saw a way of doing this without going to the gym and if I did, the idea seemed overwhelming. So, needless to say, I am really excited to have found NF. While I am not completely out of shape I'm no where near where I want to be but I know there is hope and I'm willing to put in the effort... I just need a bit of support and direction. So, I guess a little bit about where I am right now / what I've been doing... Diet: Started a ten-day detox thing on Tuesday 3/4. The detox thing is basically eliminating anything containing sugar or flour (ie: no carns, no sugar.) It's almost Paleo but at this point I am not ready to give up dairy and don't know that I necessarily will ever be... we shall see. The main change that this diet has done comes in the way of breakfast. For breakfast, I have a shake that is composed of: cranberries, blueberries, lemon, avocado, chia seeds, pumpkin seeds, almond butter, almond milk, coconut milk and water. I've adjusted it a bit to include a half banana to help with the overall taste. (All this wasn't for naught... it'll come up later in my goals.)Exercise: Over the last few months, I've been doing pushups on and off and I ride my bike and walk a lot because I don't have a car. I found the "Angry Birds" workout on NF and it seemed like something I could get into... it's simple, it's easy to track progress, and there is a definite advancement schedule or whatever with it. I'm all about tracking progress and shit. I've done the "Angry Birds" workout on 3/6 and 3/8. I tested myself to see where I would fall in with the levels, and I pretty much place at least at level three with everything. I've also run on the treadmill a bit at 5mph... got in about 1.5 miles on the first day and like 2.1 miles the second day at 5mph. My endurance was limited by the fact that I'm a cig smoker... but I'm trying to quit in the spirit of better health. Today is day 2 without a cig... down from half a pack a day. So, I guess the part where I need help: 1.) I would like some insight as to whether I am setting these goals in a way that makes sense with this whole challenge thing. 2.) I would like some insight as to how to keep track of my progress. I kind of want to include some stats in this post and consider the same stats after the challenge over. I love NF because I am a TOTAL nerd of a mathematics major and rely on numbers and shit more than subjective ways of evaluating progress. What kind of stats should I take (ie: height, weight, waist/hips, bicep, chest, etc...?) and how would I go about taking them? Is body fat a good thing to track? 3.) Would it make more sense to do the beginner strength training workout or whatever? Or, could I alternate days between Angry BIrds and Beginner Strength Training or would that be too much? 4.) I'm about 5'8.5 and around 155#. I want to gain muscle but lower my body fat percentage. Any tips or advice as far as diet? My Goals (maybe?) Main Quest Reduce body fat percentage to around 12% Drastically improve bicep and chest measurements and attain 6-pack abs Have the ability to run a marathonChallenge-Specific Goal Establish a routine of working out and watching what I eat. Mini-Quests Continue doing "Angry Birds" workout on even-numbered days. Run on even numbered days with the goal being able to run established 5k (3.2 mi) circuit without taking a walking break, getting rate up to 7mph from 6mph Continue pattern of diet where carbs and sugar are eliminated (ie: avoid all processed food to best of ability).Side Quests Find a job. Remain tobacco free.Scoring +2 points for each ABW completed [28 possible] +1 point per circuit complete with walking involved; +2 points if circuit ran in full [30 possible] +3 possible points for diet rating eliminating carbs and sugar (ie: processed foods) were avoided [87 possible] +10 points remaining tobacco free through 4/6 +10 points for securing employment [10 possible] Total possible points: 165 points Score = [Points accrued / 165] * 100 A = 90-100% B = 80-89% C = 70-79% D = 60-69% F = >59% Any and all insight and feedback would be GREATLY appreciated. I've just been doing way too much reading and thinking. Haha.

Good evening, ladies and gentlement. I'm Fallhammer, and I'm pretty new to this whole "take care of your body" business. However, since NerdFitness seems to be the one place where the workouts make sense, and I'm currently a shapeless twig of a man with low blood pressure and sucky eating habbits... Well, I'd like to alter my being into someone who is proud and confident with themselves. So I'm attempting the Angry Birds workout routine. Week 1/ Day 1 (12/30/2013) Squats: (G)30 - 20/x/x/x/x Push Up: (G)40 - 10/x/x/x/x Pull Ups: (G)1 - 1/x/x/x/x Plank: (G) 60sec - 30 sec/x/x/x/x Yeah. Not too hot yet, but not too bad either. Hey, I can do a pull up! 160 lb guy, but I can get my chin over that bar on a wide arm pull up! Still, coulden't make it past a single set of any of it. The workout had flattened me after only 10 minutes or so! Forward to today, with a workout every other day-ish. Week 1/ day 5 (01/10/2014) Squats: (G)80 - 25/25/25/x/x Push Up: (G)40 - 12/12/12/x/x Pull Ups: (G)10 - 2/2/2/x/x Plank: (G) 120sec - 45 sec/45 sec/ 35 sec /x/x So, after a week's workouts and attempting to clean up my diet, I've improved a fair bit. I'm certian that this initial wave of improvement won't last too long... probably just my body waking up, so to speak and saying "oh, you're using me? cool." but then, you all are the experts and I'm fresh from the computer desk. Even so, after this one week, I'm already feeling better, but my diet is still needing work... Anyway, since you all have a forum dedicated to tracking progress, and since it seems this particular community feeds into each other, I conclude that tracking here as well as on my paper on the desk would be fun. -- as far as eating habits go, I'm comming off daily fast food and into a routine of cooking fresh and adding large quantities of spinnach and broccoli and asperagus to my diet. I'm eyeballing this paleo menu, and noting the distinct lack of bread and cheese, two of my very favorite things. Perhaps I can cut bread, but I may keep small bits of cheese and milk in my diet... but then again, that "whole30" program looks promosing too -- but then again, there's a steryotype of the "eager beaver" I need to learn to keep under control. I'm a man of many projects but none that are finished. I aim to change that streak. Anyway, I've cut bread from my diet, and most pasta (still a handful of spagetti when I cook chicken w/ fistfulls of greens), and noticed a steep energy drop-off... I'm adding in sweet potatoes (seems like a no-brainer now that I think about it) to try and get my energy back. Right? The potatoes replace the bread and pastas, from what I gather... Back to the researching I go. See you in a week! EDIT -- Quick update: sweet potatoes are delicious. Why have I not eaten these before? boggles the head...

"Pain is temporary, Quitting lasts forever." - Lance Armstrong. Hey there all!! I've been scouring and following nerdfitness for a little over a year now but never really took the dive in to join the challenge. Background I have been gymming on and off for the last 5 years, not even following routines, or even working out on legs. I used to workout on my own routine using machines, a split on back and chest only (biceps and triceps as well). I'm not so overweight as such but I have lost my general fitness while working on StrongLifts for the last few months, though the strength gains were really good. My gym membership is ending in 8 weeks time, so I've decided to implement a routine for me to get used to without weights and to get back into sports. Some stats: Current weight: 92.5kgsSquat 5x5 max: 270lbsHeight: 176cmAge: 25Body weight training has recently caught my interest, and since I'm trying to lose weight and gain some endurance, I thought this would be the way to go. Main Quest Lose Weight - 2-3 kgs during this challenge (I will be flying out for a cousin's wedding, so I'd also have to control what I eat, and find the time to workout) Sleep early and enough hours (8-9 hours) - I usually keep myself awake until late and I've realized 7-8 hours is actually not enough for me at the moment Control on Diet - No I will not be following Paleo (maybe in the future). Right now I'm aiming to stay away from Mcdonalds/KFC, chocolates, cakes, sodas, ice cream and the lot.Yes my Main Quest has nothing to do with my training and that's because I usually without fail workout at least twice a week. Side quest ​Aiming to read 3 Novels in 6 weeks - Although realistically 2 should be more of a possibility. I play football at least once a week and will be starting with the Angry Birds Workout for the duration of the challenge.

Alright, so I've only attempted one other challenge and that I never actually completed. So while I stayed true to my goals thoughout most of the challenge, I am not counting it as successful because I never completed that final week. Life got too lifey and I was off of NF for a while. I've been busy. Things have been happening. I've faced much I've not wanted to recently, been brought down by it all, and I crave a fresh start. I am setting my goals this challenge to pull through and find myself in a better place at the end of this 6 weeks. I will build my strength through bodyweight training. I will relieve myself of that which is holding me down. I will start over. MAIN QUEST: Since I'm struggling with long term goals at the moment, my quest (unless I come up with something more long-term during the challenge) is to consistently stick with the Angry Birds (AB) workout for the full 6 weeks of the challenge. My breakout goals will be more milestones I am aiming to achieve within the AB workout. Particular areas that I am seeking growth in. The workouts themselves will be logged in my battle log in detail. Here I will comment specifically on the progress made toward these specific goals. Goal 1: Push-ups. Currently in the AB workout push-ups section, I just achieved 2 stars on level 1. For level 1 I am doing incline push-ups (using my kitchen counter). For this challenge, I want to complete level 1 with three stars. Stretch goal: complete 10 proper, on the floor push-ups. Goal 2: Pull ups. Currently on the back exercises I am on level 2 doing inverted rows using my dining table. I've just achieved 1 star (finally completed a total of 20 between 4 sets!). In this 6 weeks, I want to graduate to level 3. I know I will be at level 3 for a while when I get there since that will mean trying to do actual pull ups. So I just want to get there. Goal 3: Timing. I need to do better at getting to bed at a consistent time so that I can get up at a more consistent time. I am fighting lack of daylight since the sun does not rise for an hour after my alarm goes off, but I need to be more consistent about actually getting up when it goes off, workout day or not. If I can make this a better habit, I will not only have more time to have more calm mornings on non workout days, but I will have more time to stretch and shower before getting ready for work on workout mornings. Which will certainly be good for both my soreness and my not running late for work. LIFE QUEST: Lighten the load. As much as I love him, in some ways I am too much like my father. The most prominent characteristic I am thinking of right now that is holding me back is his tendency to keep everything. "You never know when it might come in handy." Famous last words. Now don't get me wrong, I'm not in hoarder territory. But I do have a lot of "stuff" that I don't need or use. Or even remember that I have because it has been in a box under the bed or in the closet for a few years. Like I don't need to keep the box from my broken iron. I don't need to keep my physics tests from 10 years ago. And I certainly don't need to keep my old frisbee bag that is broken. To combat this? Each week of this challenge I need to face either 1 box from under the bed or 1 shelf in the closet. Things are to get organized so that I know what I am keeping and everything else either goes in trash, recycling, or a donation box. Purging my way through this weight will help lighten the load. At the end of this challenge, I want to have built better habits, gotten stronger, and lightened my load so that I feel fresh and ready to move forward. My motivation? (written on the white board next to my desk) "Be stronger. Be happier with MYSELF and WHO I AM so I can MOVE ON." I'm ready for a change. Let's DO THIS.

After a hiatus from the forums after the June/July challenge period, I've returned and am once again hoping that keeping a log will help me stay accountable. Last time I was in the challenge, so that was my "log". This time I've missed the challenge and have no desire to come up with challenge goals to join wicked late. So here I am. Now, don't equate hiatus with "I fell off the wagon and didn't do anything." That is just not true. I may have slipped, but I didn't fall off. Not entirely. With my last challenge (that I never did finish I was too overwhelmed wanting to be on and preparing for vacation), my general workout routine involved playing pickup ultimate frisbee several times per week (2-4 days) and doing the Beginner Bodyweight Workout (BBW) 3 times per week. Aside from on vacation where I traded all of that for kayaking and a 1 day ultimate frisbee tournament, I've been sticking with the ultimate and not the BBW. While it was simple and straightforward and initially seemed like it would work well for me, I think my problem with the BBW was that it was difficult to be able to tell when I should move things forward. When an exercise within the circuits needed to be upped (either in reps or intensity) because the others would still be kicking my butt. Now that I am re-emerging into the forums and re-committing myself, I am trying to do something where there is a more measurable note of improvement and the workout will increase level in its own without my needing to pass personal judgement. And it will still kick my butt. This go-around I am hitting the Angry Birds workout (AB) in combination with my multiple days of ultimate. I started with Wednesday doing what I considered an assessment of where I stood so that in doing the proper workout I would know which level I should be on for each exercise. To do this, because you "level up" when you achieve the prescribed quantity of reps in just 2 sets, I did 2 circuits rotating through the exercises. Each time, I did as much as I could before I felt one more would be just too much, basically maxing out on each of 2 sets. Based on this, I was set to the following: Squats: Level 3 Push-ups: Level 1 Back Exercises (Where these are 1 arm rows, inverted rows, or pull-ups, I did 1 arm rows to determine if I should make it to level 2): Level 2 Plank: Level 2 I've got to get ready for work, then I will post again with this morning's result. Can I just note that I am still a little sore from Wednesday? Clearly I need this.

Hello. I'm SkullHands, and I am a shape-shifter. A noob shape-shifter... A level zero. So far I've been able to change my appearance... but only for a short time before I shift back to my level zero form again. Main Quest Find my Ultimate Form! I want to be comfortable in my skin. This means that I will have lost weight, increased my fitness and be a happier and more confident person. I'm not going to transition from my current gelatinous, blob-like form to my Ultimate Form in one morph. I have tried and failed enough to know this. But what I will do is make small manageable changes in my life that will allow me to find it. I don’t even know what my Ultimate Form looks like, but I know what I need to do to get there... change. I've already made some changes that have got me on the path to my Ultimate Form. I decided to get involved in the forums about a week after the last challenge started. I'm too anal to start a challenge a week in – “I MUST do the whole thing! Or else it doesn't count!†I told myself. And for a week I told myself that I would spend time planning until this challenge started.Then I realised I was just collecting more underpants! So I set myself some goals to get myself started on the road to a healthier life – rather than waiting until this challenge. I did the following: · Go ‘cold turkey’ on the soda (I used to drink a lot) and chocolate/junk food (I used to eat a lot) · Start using my FitBit again and ensure I hit my 10,000 steps per day · Stopped buying my lunch and made it at home instead and started to reduce my portions in all meals By making these small changes I have lost 7kg (15.43lbs) in 36 days. Something I am really proud of. These are small changes. I know from past failures that I will quit if I try to change too much at any one time. So, on my quest for my Ultimate Form I'm taking it slow. Lots of little manageable changes. And you’ll see the same when you look at my missions for this challenge... they are not earth-shattering, but they are challenging and I am going to kick their ass! Mission One: Run three times a week following the Zombies, Run! 5K Trainer. On the first day of this challenge I will be up to W2D1. This means that by the end of the challenge I should have completed W7D3. Week eight can be my ‘victory lap’. If I have to repeat a day as I could not complete it first time that doesn't affect my grades as my goal is running 3 times a week. A repeated day is still a running day (plus... failures are opportunities to learn and improve!) Grading: A: 18 runs completed B: 14-17 runs completed C: 10-14 runs completed D: 7-9 runs completed E: 4-6 runs completed F: 3 or less runs completed Mission Two: Do the Angry Birds Workout Plan 3 times a week. This will be completely new to me, and is going to be a tough challenge. In the past my attempts at losing weight and getting fitter have only involved diet changes and cardio. I am really looking forward to doing this workout plan though. I have no set level that I wish to get to for each exercise by the end of the challenge, but I will track my progression in my challenge thread for all to see. Grading: A: 18 workouts completed B: 14-17 workouts completed C: 10-14 workouts completed D: 7-9 workouts completed E: 4-6 workouts completed F: 3 or less workouts completed Mission Three: Measure myself! I weigh myself a couple of times a week. But I know that the quick weight that I have lost with my small changes so far is going to slow down or plateau. I also know that it’s not necessarily all about the weight loss if you are building muscle mass. As such I want to track my measurements and take progress pictures... both of these I have never done before. These will be another measure of success and motivation for me besides just relying on a number on the scale. I really wish that I had started doing this earlier as I would have loved to see the change over the last 5 weeks or so... I will take my pictures and measurements on each Sunday of the challenge and post them in this thread (well the measurements anyway... not sure yet about posting the pics). I’ll post my starting measurements tomorrow. Grading: Pass/Fail. I either do this EVERY Sunday or I don’t . Life Quest OK... this is a tough one. I have about a million and one things that I need to work on. The biggie for me at the moment though is my work. At the start of this year I began a new role at my work that involved me dealing with a lot of stakeholders throughout the business. I suffer from crippling low self esteem and am a huge introvert. I have found the role very challenging due to this and other factors. What has been happening lately is that I have been letting all my projects slip and not working as well as I could as I have not wanted to ask for help or are too afraid (if that’s the right word) to approach the people I need to. This needs to stop. I will get on top of my work. I will be more organised. I will take chances. I will ask for help. I will stop procrastinating. I will accept that nothing I create will ever be ‘perfect’. I guess my Life Quest can be summed up as Work Better, Work Harder! Grading; This is a tough one to quantify success for. I think what I’ll do is reflect each day/week on how things have been going, what I’ve achieved and what problems I’ve had. Then I’ll grade myself on a “are things better or the same?â€, “how much better?†type of scale. This is much longer than I intended! Good luck to everyone starting the new challenge. Look forward to sharing the journey with you all

Main Quest - Reduce Body Fat to 14-17% ​Three times per week complete Angry Birds Workout (improve from week to week) Walk Barefoot 15 minutes per day Follow basic tenets of Paleo Life Side Quest - Finish 2 items on 'Honey-Do' List

Hi, I'm Caffeineman AKA Tom This is my face: And this is my introduction thread! I've been at this for 4 weeks now and I'm looking to step up to level 2! So at this point I'm sticking closely to the Angry Birds workout (with some changes) to keep the same structure I've been using. Currently my workouts go: Squats Push Ups Bent Over Rows Planks and I work out Monday, Wednesday, Friday. What I'll be aiming for from here on out is: Squats Situps Push Ups Bent Over Rows/Inverted Rows/Pull Ups (as soon as I can get my hands on a chin up bar etc) Planks with Monday, Wednesday, Friday as ON days and Cardio - stationary bike etc. with a goal time for the day and measured in sets, increasing in 30 minute increments for my Tuesday, Thursday OFF days What I'll be keeping from the Angry Birds plan is the outline - i.e. I'll be following the goal/sets/grade system to measure improvement. I'm excited to see how this will fare. While I should count tomorrow as my first OFF day, I'm going to make Friday my first ON day with the following Tuesday as my first OFF day.

Hi guys, I just recently started (about 3 weeks in) working on the Angry Birds workout as my first strength training routine. There has been definite progression in all of my fields other then squats. My problem there is that I was squatting down as far as I could go with my heels on the floor and still just breezing through all of the squat levels without major issues. I could tell something wasn't quite right but couldn't figure it out until I had my husband watch me do them. He nicely informed me that I wasn't squatting nearly enough to get the real benefit of the exercise (which was what I was afraid of.) Here's my problem, I actually can't get my butt to go down any further without completely losing my balance. Looking up the issue has brought me to believe that my ankles are not flexible enough and are preventing my knees from being able to shift far enough forward. Does that sound right? I'd like some advice on how to fix my ankle problem (if that is what it is) and also what I should do about my squats in the meantime. If real squats won't work (for now), is there another good bodyweight exercise that I can do that exercises the same muscle groups? I'd like to keep improving my lower body along with my other areas. Thanks!

This is my first 6 week challenge. My husband is actually doing one as well, and his excitement about it kinda bled over to me. I often have many many many things I want to do and succeed with none of them, so hopefully restricting it to 4 things will allow me to achieve them. 1. Practice vinyasa yoga 2/week. This one almost feels like cheating because I enjoy it so much. I go to a yoga studio in town and I'm coming back off a three week break. I intend on doing a third practice at home but that will not be part of my challenge. DEX +3 STR +2 2. Do the Angry Birds workout every other day. I want to be able to do a pull up and a proper pushup by the end of the 6 weeks. I currently can do a full pushup, but can only lower myself about 3 inches. STR +2 3. Meditate 1 minute/day, adding 1 minute/week. This one will be hard for me to remember to do, and to keep from falling asleep. I will do this at night after my daughter is in bed. WIS +2 4. Create a business plan to earn $300 profit a month working from home. I'm losing my awesome babysitter, and I would strongly prefer to work from home, both to be available to my daughter and to not have childcare eat up my earnings. I'm leaning towards a graphic design/printing business that I already have the skill set and equipment for, or a cloth diaper making business. I would need to learn how to sew the diapers and source unique fabric, obviously more work than the design business. WIS +4 I still have other things I would like to get done (teeth brushing, sleeping before midnight, running and drinking more liquids) but I won't be grading myself on them.

This is my first challenge. I'm super excited. I'm doing it with another friend (and possible another). I believe I've set up reasonable goals and I'm ready to get going. I hope to get to know some of you during this six-week challenge. Starting stats: 5' 11", 232lbs, BF% 28.1, sedentary lifestyle (programmer by day, husband/dad & movie buff by night) Challenge 1 Goals: 1. Do the Angry Birds Workout (ABW) for the full six weeks on Mon/Wed/Fri http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2011/03/10/angry-birds-workout-plan/ The ABW is just the first step to getting to Ranger. STR 3, DEX 1, STA 1 2. Work my way up to jogging 1 mile without stopping by jogging on Tues/Thur/Sat for 30 minutes I have never been a good runner. Ever. I'd like to change that. I will be using C25K for my "trainer" DEX 1, STA 3 3. Start measuring food to correct portions This has always been an issue for me. I really need to start being intentional about what I eat and how much. I will make sure to at a) portion before sitting down to dinner at home and portion the food immediately when it's brought when eating out. CON 2, WIS 2 4. Every week complete at least one of the many DIY jobs my wife planned for this summer. We have several projects which need to be completed and I don't want to let the summer get away WIS 1, CHA 1 Risks: - The ABW and running are about 20-30 min each. It should not be difficult to carve out 30/day. However, it's every day and life tends to get in the way. It's going to mean getting up early to make it happen. - The portioning foods goal will not be dificult if I just remember to do it. - The DIY projects will mostly have to be relegated to the weekends. I get home too late to start most of these projects Check-Ins: I plan to check in Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for goals one and two. I will include updates on goal three a few times a week but will leave goal four updates until the following Monday (unless it coincides with a M/W/F update).

Gus Challenge 2 Overall Goal for Challenge: Be nice. To myself, to others and care more, kinda by caring less… After some self-effacing moments in the last week or two, I realized that I need to chill and I was incredibly hard on myself in many ways. My enthusiasm was making it hard for others to get to know me. Sometimes I feel like I have this knowledge or insight that no one else has, which is fantastically ridiculous! I have so much desire to help; I piss people off and make them not want to listen to a word I say. Growing up each day at 42, blissful pain. After realizing that I need to have a whole lot more of one thing, and that is fun, and that may mean cheap and fun ideas. We are climbing our way out of a recent deed-in-foreclosure, which means we have to put a butt load down on a home in order to get out of an apartment, which is basically a hole in which we throw money, and a ‘filing cabinet for yuppies’… thank you Mr. Narrator. We’ll come up with some fun, cheap things to do and do them. I was ever so close to turning my cable on to watch the NBA again and after my wife and realized the ridiculous idea of watching my favorite team & game be marginalized by superstar fouls and marketing for awful beer, cars I don’t want and food I’m not going to eat. I said to my self: self, “I can start going to a gym with that money, a cool gym, centered around rock climbing. It will be a great new hobby, and I can get outside of my head on a wall, instead of ‘Climbing Up the Walls.’ So, after tracking my measurements, BMI, body fat, and weight loss all at once I’ve realized I need to relax on the numbers, and move in a direction of achievement. Numbers can mislead. I feel that while I feel good about what a statistic says, I feel empowered if I achieve something. Prior to my last challenge I was less active, and pretty weak. The challenge stipulated that I work out 5 times each week. I only achieved that once during the 6 weeks. This goal will have to be more achievable. I want to be stronger and fit all-around. I want to be able to run. I will have to work up to this goal. I have some frickin’ pain on the outside of my left-calf in a specific spot that started during the last challenge and it’s going to be an obstacle. So here is the challenge and the grades associated with each: Goal 1: Complete a physical standards test: 50 push-ups (full range of motion) 8 pull-ups 50 lunges – body weight 40 squats – body weight Run a 5K and not walk Goal 2: Get to be a flexible guy… not like Gumby, just be able to be more flexible Successfully complete this cheap yoga DVD we have at home and participate in a yoga class Goal 3: Eat Paleo 80-90 % of the time If I eat 5 times a day that allows one meal to be non-paleo - this can be fun. Eat a Paleo Breakfast 100% of the time Monday – Friday Cut out self-sabotaging trips to Farmburger or some fail restaurant, thinking that just because it’s grass fed, or it’s just a little rice, I can eat a bun, and/or have a root-beer float… don’t kill my progress with instant gratification is what the goal is here. Cut out dairy in my coffee… all of it Goal 4: Play better guitar Learn 5 nice solos for acoustic Sing and play 5 songs, which are all not four chords wonders Get together and play with a friend and make actual music, cover or not Grades for each Goal: Goal 1: Complete a physical standards test: 1. 50 push-ups 2. 8 pull-ups 3. 40 lunges – body weight 4. 40 squats – body weight 5. Run a 5K and not walk • Complete all 5: A • Complete 4 of 5: B • Complete 3 of 5: C • Complete 2 of 5: D • Complete 1 of 5: F 5 Bonus points for 10+ reps of 1, 3 & 4 - 5 points for each additional pull-up – 5 points for another mile ran Goal 2: Get to be a flexible guy… Seated Meditation Leg High Forward Fold Down Dog Leg High Bent Knee Warrior I & II Plank Knee to Nose Supported Headstand Goal 3: Eat Paleo 80 percent of the time This is basically Pass/Fail, so I will add this: Eating Paleo 100% of the time each day can add two points to my overall grade. Goal 4: Play better guitar Learn 5 nice solos for acoustic Sing and play 5 songs, which are not four chords wonders Get together and play with a friend and make actual music, cover or not 1. Karma Police – radiohead 2. Lola – The Kinks 3. The Killing Moon - Echo & the Bunnymen 4. You & I - Wilco 5. Wild Horses – The Rolling Stones • Complete all 5: A • Complete 4 of 5: B • Complete 3 of 5: C • Complete 2 of 5: D • Complete 1 of 5: F