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The title is probably about as role-playey as I will get with this challenge, but it feels right: picture an intrepid wanderer who has spend many years walking the lands yet steering clear of those parts of the map that show dragons. Recently, she finds that she wants to go into more distant lands, but all of her available paths go through dragon territory. She realizes she must learn how to face them. She looks at her inventory and grimly pulls out the most weapon-like thing she can find -- a titanium spork. "OK," she says to herself, "Let's start with some very small dragons." Main Quest: Overcome akrasia. There are many facets of this for me, but the one that needs the most work at the moment is probably learning how to better manage my anxiety and stress. Goal #1: Meditate for 10 minutes for at least 5 days each week. Goal #2: Do a yoga session as an end in itself, not as a warmup for other activities, once each week. Goal #3: Do something productive between the hours of 6 am - 9 am every weekday. This is my biggest slump time right now. Productive things can include: respond to an email, make myself a lunch, meditate, exercise, minor household chores, write something, work on a hobby. They do not include: make and eat breakfast, read the internet, read email, get dressed, transport self to work (even though these are all welcome things to do). It should be an activity that can be started as well as completed in a fairly short period of time. The intended goal is to undercut some of my morning procrastination. Life Goal: Finish updating my resume. I'm not currently looking for a new job or anything, but I want to revise it and have it on hand as a general preparedness kind of deal. I want to rewrite it to be accomplishments-based rather than skills-based. (Pass/Fail) I will check in on at least a weekly basis. There will be periods when I can check in more frequently, but my work schedule is such that I am in remote places every now and then, or at least extremely busy. I'm going to grade myself academic style: less than 59% = F, 60%-69% = D, 70%-79% = C, 80%-89% = B, 90%+ = A. Motivation: Finishing things I start feels good, and I really ought to try it more often.

This is going to be a challenge worthy of the name. I have loads of work this trimester, so this will be a good moment for me to learn that I can be hyper-busy while keeping control of my life and attain my goals without letting anxiety overflow. Goal 1. Be zenLara. Meditate, breathe, move, rest, and read and think my affirmations. Goal 2. Music is life. 1 hour of flute practice 5 to 7 days/week plus extra time on weekends, including stage fright preparation, plus half an hour 3 to 4 times a week for the recorder. The difficulty resides on finding time for an extra instrument in a period of the scholar year where my performance duties have already increased. I have also several projects at work with my students that can't be postponed. I should include here the tap dance solo I need to get ready for the end of this challenge. Goal 3. Keep moving! It belongs to the anxiety group of activities, but as this is a very important item I'll treat it as a goal on its own. Strength workouts, tap dancing lessons, running and walking outdoors, short mobility work before sleep. What changes from last challenge is that I'd like to be more organized. Goal 4. The key goal. Be disciplined, be organized, keep track of every task, but have fun and don't be judgemental. Procrastination is not allowed, but neither are critizicing or judging. Focus on the process and stay positive. Write down a positive things list. Mentally rewards after every action that helps me leveling up. Goal 5. Life support goal. Eat big and fatty, chew my food, take supplements and sleep well and enough so everything else is easier. Emergency alert. If I feel anxiety is piling up and I don't seem to be able to handle it, I'll do like I did last challenge and stop some activities for a few days: work goals will be put on standby until I recover and I'll do less of everything. Health and peace of mind are more important than work or good performances. Rewards. I want to focus this challenge on immediate mental rewards. I want to learn to reward myself for those little everyday actions I do against chaos. If I finally plan some mid-challenge, fourth-week or final material rewards, I think I'll better choose things that will help with anxiety, such as taking a massage or having a day-off or going to some beautiful place. Points to achieve level 6. STR 1 If I get to do at least 8 strength workouts (goal 3) DEX 3 If I get to finish my tap solo for the end of the challenge (goal 2) STA 2 If I go out for a run at least 8 times (goal 3) CONS 2 If I sleep and eat well regularly so my energy levels don't go down (goal 5) WIS 5 If I succeed at goals 1 and 4 so I clearly level up (goals 1 and 4) CHA 2 If my work projects are done on due time and I get good results from my musical practice (goal 2) Here in Spain we are still on holidays and as I want to give myself every bit of this off-time, and also have to travel to Lisbonne and back next weekend, I don't think I'll start my challenge until january the 12th instead of next monday. Maybe I'll extend it another week to make up for the delay.

Hi friends! I'm looking for an online sidekick (or multiple sidekicks)! I would love to just chat, encourage, and keep each other accountable. I'm new to the forum, but a longtime Nerd Fitness fan. Here's some stuff about me: 20 Years Old College StudentMarvel Comics fan (been reading them since I was 6 years old!) Some Other Things I Love: Doctor Who, Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, Firefly, Sherlock, and DisneyHobbies: Musical Theatre, animation, and cooking. I know, I'm weird. My fitness goals/info: I'm trying to gain muscle and stamina. Losing weight isn't a huge need for me - I'm an "Elf" looking to become an "Assassin". But I'd be totally okay with shedding a few pounds! I have been on a Paleo diet for 2 years. (I'm allergic to gluten and lactose intolerant, so it kind of made sense. ) I have tons of paleo recipes and tips if you're looking to join the club!I'd LOVE to get into parkour, but haven't figured out how yet. What I'm looking for in sidekicks: People who want to work together and motivate each other to reach our goals and be healthy. Gender doesn't matter. (Although I especially love to meet other SuperWomen!) Similar health goals would be great, but is definitely not a necessity. I prefer people around my own age. (18-25ish) Would be good with e-mail/forum/pm conversation. Just wants to make friends and get fit!Sorry I know that's a lot! lol But if you're interested, just let me know. I love to virtually "meet" new people so don't be shy.

My Main Quest: In October I had a minor surgery. Unfortunately, I have to have a second very soon, likely in within this next 6 weeks. The recovery period from the first surgery did two things: 1) It inhibited my ability to work out for months. 2) It brought on about a week of intense anxiety attacks and about a month of not being able to fully control my stress levels. Going into this a second time my main quest is to make sure my body and my mind are as prepared as possible for the second recovery process. I want to be as capable of healing as I can be. My 3 Goals: 1) Record everything that I eat. The idea here is to make small improvements in my diet every day and foster a habit of healthy eating. Recording it allows me to easily see what improvements I am making and keeps me honest about what I am putting in my body. (If I know that I am going to have to write down that I ate an entire box of Little Debbie christmas tree shaped snack cakes, I am less inclined to do it.) I've had a lot of successes and failures in the last year with my diet. The biggest hurdle was overcoming a nasty bout of candida. Most of the struggle was from suddenly being put on such a strict diet. There are lot of ups and downs when making drastic dietary changes. The crashes feel terrible, physically and mentally, and the changes rarely stick around. I want to make small steady changes that lead to long-term habits. A consistently healthy diet is going to allow me to heal more quickly. 2) Small daily workouts. I can say with certainty this second surgery is going to prevent me from working out for a while, but there is no reason to not work out every day until that happens. In fact, the more fit my body is, the faster my recovery time is likely to be. I am doing a small warm up every morning to keep myself loose. I also started the PLPS workout (ask me what this is if you are interested) again on 12/31 and plan to continue to do it daily. In addition to this I am going to be attending weekly parkour classes again starting next week. Once the surgery happens I can move to meditation. This second recovery period is only going to be a minor pit stop on my overall path to fitness. 3) Clearly define my life goals. This may not be directly related to fitness, but when I was having anxiety attacks the issues that bubbled to the surface were a lot of worry about not having a clear path for myself. Now that I've turned 30 the question is burning even brighter for me: What's next? Do I travel, go back to college, WWOOF around the country, start a business, go back to Detroit, head out west, stay put, what? I don't know if I will have all of the answers in the next six weeks, but I am going to have a damn good understanding of my options. I'm going to get clear on what it is I'd like to be doing and the direction I'd like to be heading in. Side Quest: Learn geography. I want to travel and I want a better understanding of the world. Knowing where everything is will be the best starting point for me. I found a wonderful flashcard app that is has already allowed me to quickly learn country locations and major currencies. It will eventually get me through capital and flags as well. Guild: Although my heart lies with the assassins I'm going to be siding with the adventurers for this since this is my first challenge and my goals are a bit more general. I'm proud to be among them. I'm excited for this 6 week quest!

Hi everybody! I apologise for the long wall of text that is coming, but I kind of need to talk this through to myself. Those of you who already know me, also know what troubles me: anxiety, stage fright, low weight... and of course, being unable of doing that damned first push-up. I've been working a bit on all this since I came first to Nerdfitness, and lately I've been focused on my anxiety. I've done a rather good work these last months, and I can perceive how much better I am compared to last scholar year beginning in 2013. Now that I've put almost everything on place, I would like to spend this challenge just trying to get everything in my life going on and keeping anxiety in the lower levels. I've designed 3 main goals: physical care, mental care and brain food. Everyone of them is a tool to achieve a lower level of anxiety, not a “goal†by itself. I want to be stronger, and faster, and have more stamina, and to put on weight, but that won't be the point this challenge. Physical care will include exercising but also resting and taking care of food intake. It's divided in 8 areas which have different demands: Running: 2 or 3 times a week (I am more or less following the C25K program, 4th week right now). Lifting: 1 or 2 times a week. Tap dancing: 1 or 2 times a week. This means I have a lot of flexibility on which kind of exercise I do, but I expect to workout 4-5 times a week. Eating. Eating well. Eating more fat. Not letting anxiety lower my appetite. Chewing what I eat. Staying warm. Not letting winter, cold, rain or snow make me feel I have to hibernate because it is too cold to do anything. Assure myself I am warm at home while I am not moving, try to keep my feet warm, take hot beverages to keep the heat, put my feet in warm water... Whatever helps. Go outside. Yes, it is cold, but outside is good anyway. I run in the country, so I'll be outside everytime I go running, but it would also be nice to go for more walks, or hikes if I have time available. Rest. A rest day between workouts, where I can work on stretching or Feldenkrais movements. A time a day to take a nap or to slow down, or to do something fun. Mental care will include 6 activities: Meditate. At least 4 times a week, but would like to meditate 5 to 7 days a week. Breath. A short break once or many times a day to just focus on my breath for 4 or 5 minutes. Rest. This is similar to physical rest, but if what I am doing is reading, or watching a series instead of just relaxing, breathing or taking a nap, that is not mental rest, it's only physical rest. I need both of them. Anxiety workbook. I've been working with this book last weeks and it's proving itself very helpful. I am only half way in the book. I'll work on it (reading, writing about what I read, working on the exercises proposed) 4 to 7 times a week. Positive things. As an anxious person I have this tendency to give more importance to negative things or to think they are more frequent than good ones. So I'll keep a list, 5 to 7 days a week. I've been doing it for a while and it helps. No-procrastination mode. This is hard, yes. But procrastination is responsible for lots of anxiety moments. Brain food. This includes only 2 activities, just for fun, for distraction, and to educate myself at the same time. They can serve as physical rest moments: Learning icelandic. Reading. Some of you may think “hey, that is a lot of work!†but in fact everything is more or less in place already, as I've been working on slowly adding activities one by one while keeping my anxiety low. So all I have to do, the real challenge, is to keep everything in place, to make it keep going, without anxiety piling up. If it does pile up, then activities will be reduced to anti-anxiety-emergency levels, where there will be only 5 activities that must continue whatever it happens because they are what most help me to reduce anxiety: Meditation. Breathing. Running. Resting. Icelandic. These may surprise some of you, but this really makes me break away from everything. While I am at it, nothing else exists and anxiety about other things in life dissipates. Plus it is really fun. Gradings: Physical care: I exercise as planned and rest everyday: C. All that + good eating, slow chewing and taking care of staying warm as much hours a day as possible: B. All that + extra outside time: A. Mental care: Meditation, breathing and resting: C. All of that + positive things list and time dedicated to the anxiety workbook: B. Everything said + no-procrastination mode: A. Brain food: Icelandic: C. Icelandic + reading: B. Icelandic + reading books on different subjects or areas: A. If I must stay one, or two non-consecutive weeks, at an anti-anxiety-emergency level for justified reasons, I will still pass the challenge. If besides all that, I keep a regular musical practice schedule: A+. Rewards: As challenge goes by, it will be harder to keep everything on place, so the rewards planned this time will also grow in value (value not meaning necessarily more money, but them being more expected or desired). At the end of the first week: my already traditional box of raspberries. At the end of the third week: a slow cooker. Final reward: head massage. Character points: Grade A: Strength 1 point Dexterity 1 point Stamina 2 points Constitution 4 points Wisdom 5 points Charisma 2 points Grade B: Strength 1 point Dexterity 1 point Stamina 1 point Constitution 2 points Wisdom 2 points Charisma 1 point Grade C: Strength 1 point Dexterity 1 point Stamina 1 point Constitution 1 point Wisdom 1 point No charisma points Now, let's do some work!

Hi all! I've been meaning to do this for a while, but seeing as I suffer from social anxiety even online, I avoided it. I also tend to ramble. That said, I found Nerd Fitness earlier this year - around April - and lurked around the site and forums for quite a while. I've struggled with my health and weight for most of my 20s, and while I'd started running semi-regularly around 3 years ago, I wasn't making any progress. Working a desk job and commuting by train every day hardly helps, as I'm sitting 8+ hours a day, not including the time I spend at home vegging. It took some time to realize that no matter how hard I worked physically, my motivation (to lose weight) and methods were all wrong. Until I found Nerd Fitness and started writing down everything I ate, I had no clue that I had no clue how to eat. It took a bit to accept that not all calories are created equal. Also, I found that I absolutely loathed running. While my cardiovascular health improved - somewhat - I was unable to shed any weight and I was just damn bored when I ran. Adding insult to injury, I was diagnosed with asthma right around the time I started running. I'd run, then get a nasty case of bronchitis plus the added bonus of a sinus infection each November that would knock me out of commission for 2-3 months. I think you can see where this is going...the cycle continued. During the summer of 2013, I knew running wasn't a sustainable plan - seeing as I both mentally and physically hated it - so I joined my husband (1st kyu brown) and began karate (Shotokan) training. I had a surprisingly difficult time catching onto karate, to the point that I nearly quit after the summer session had ended. It also didn't help that we train in a group, high and low belts together, going through all the same kata, kihon (basics) and kumite (sparring). I felt like everyone was watching me and judging me for sucking so bad at karate. It took a while for me to realize that no one cared how bad I was, and instead offered tips and my sensei broke down the purpose of each movement (bunkai). I'd hate to say that after my first belt test I had more confidence, but it's the truth. Also, knowing that I survived a belt test while sick with my annual bronchitis/sinus infection, I realized I'm not as weak as I think I am. From the moment I ditched my white belt, I wanted to be stronger for karate. Around May, I decided to start making small changes after stumbling upon Nerd Fitness. I audited my diet (holy crap, that was difficult) and made small changes week by week. That was an uphill battle on its own. I always left at least one day for myself to go out with the husband and enjoy something like a cheeseburger, but maybe not eat the whole thing and skip the top bun. Then, I found the beautiful joy that is lifting. Like karate, I sucked at first. I was impatient and overloaded myself with weight too fast and found myself feeling like I was literally going to fall apart, limb by limb. I read articles written by Staci Ardison on Nerd Fitness and actually applied her tips, and lo and behold, I shed 25 lbs by doing little more than karate one night a week, lifting 3 times a week and filling myself with cleaner foods. Consequently, I started kicking major ass in karate (not literally). My stances got lower and much stronger, and I found a deep love of kata...something that I hated more than anything else in karate. Sorry, for my long-winded intro. I'm also a musician. I play guitar (funk and blues mostly) and trumpet. I've played WoW since vanilla and I've started to get into tabletop games. So far, I think Pandemic might be my favorite, followed by Munchkin.

Hello Friends! I've struggled with anxiety since my pre-teens, but wasn't diagnosed until almost a year ago. Caring for myself emotionally and mentally is essential to anyone to keep your mind, healthy. There are those who's source of their anxiety goes beyond psychological influence and comes from biological imbalances. If you believe this is you and not seen a doctor about it, then I highly you make that it top prior to meet with a therapist or psychologist cause the function of your mind results in how you will live your life. Having that said; Health and Fitness is vital in every person's life. So for someone that deals with anxiety or depression, taking care of your physical body will be an even more beneficial to you overcoming your mental battles. To put this all in a nutshell, Simply Love & Care For Yourself. This isn't being narcissistic, it's just you taking responsibility for the body that carries you around and help keep from not functioning before it's time. Do you struggle with anxiety, or depression? Through health and fitness, how do you care for your mind and body?

This is a new group, and I am open to suggestions - so pipe up and let me know how this group can be made better so that YOU can stick with the challenge and overcome the barriers that hold you back. This group is for people who suffer from depression in all its forms. Seasonal affective disorder. Clinical depression. The "blues". Or as my friend Lycan Thom calls it - The Black Dog. I always thought that I was alone .... or relatively rare .... in suffering from SAD while trying to workout and eat right. And then when I became an ambassador and started seeing so many new people posting about how depression kept them from making changes in their lives, I decided to try making an accountability group for those of us who suffer with depression. Depression ...... It's a chemical imbalance in the brain that can leave sufferers barely able to function in their daily lives let alone find the energy to make significant life changes. BUT we CAN make progress. We CAN learn to recognize when the dog has us by the nape of the neck ... or even anticipate an attack before it hits ..... and we CAN make changes that will lessen it's negative influence over our lives. We CAN tame the beast and become its master. Together. So, if you want support from people who are going through similar struggles - this is the place. I'm no expert on the subject - just a fellow sufferer who has figured out some tricks to keep that ol' puppy at heel most of the time. If you join this group, I'll ask that you check up on fellow members at least weekly. For some people in the southern hemisphere, this is winter, and they need us to help lighten their days big time. I will ALSO have a weekly topic for us to think and post about - these are all optional. Respond and share if you feel comfortable in doing so, but don't feel that you must join in that part of the discussion. AND - if you join, ask for help when you need it!! That's often one of the hardest things for us to do - to recognize when we're slipping and need a hand. Practice asking here. So, sign up on the accountabilities spreadsheet and post here with a link to your challenge thread if you are "in"!!! I'll create a roster of people and their thread links. I will also make a placeholder post for each week's discussion topic and update those as the challenge progresses.

Introduction Hi, I'm Talora Dion, and this is my second challenge at NF. I'm excited to join the Rangers, because I think I've always been a Ranger: I love XC running and mountain biking, as well as lifting weights and getting stronger. I have been struggling with fatigue of unknown origin, insomnia (worsened by exercise), anxiety, and various "weird" medical issues (like seemingly random allergic reactions to food) for about 5 years now. This is my continuing quest to get my life back! Current stats: 5'7", 143lbs (as of September 13, 2014 at 9pm), size 8 (Canadian), a mile long list of minor to moderate severity medical complaints. Last Challenge, I had three main quests: eat strict Paleo, do the NF Basic Bodyweight workout, and sleep a minimum of 8 hours per night, 6 nights a week. I did mediocre on the first, not good on the second, and decent on the third. This time, I want to make things easier (so that I am not discouraged, which happened last challenge), as well as more practical. My Mission I want to be healthy, fit, and happy, with more energy than I know what to do with! Specifically, here's what that would look like: Endurance Measures Able to mountain bike for a full day and be only slightly sore the next day, with no impact on energy levels for the following weekEasily run 5km with my dog 3x/weekStrength Measures Deadlift 200lbs 1rep (Currently 75lbs?)Back Squat 120lbs 1rep (Currently 45 lbs)Bench Press 75lbs 1 rep (Currently 45 lbs?)25 toe pushups in one set (Currently 2 :S )3 pullups (dead hang, no kipping) (Currently none)Other Running my own business, with flexible hoursCamping, hiking and mountain biking on a regular basisWorking on my Epic Quest itemsI want to achieve the Endurance and Strength measures by April 30th, 2015. This will likely entail losing some weight (and I would like to weigh closer to 130lbs) but my focus is on HEALTH and ENERGY. The Other items are going to take a little longer than that. Quest #1: Strong and FreeThis is all about building strength and endurance gradually. I am really out of the habit of exercising and need to make it a habit again. If I am not strong and fit, I cannot be an effective Ranger.Part 1: Bike 2x per week with Castle (my dog direwolf). We're BOTH out of shape, so I'm starting with 2 outings per week, each 2km, and building up to ~5km twice a week over the course of this challenge.Part 2: Go to the gym 2x per week. I'm joining a new gym for this Challenge that will hopefully be more inviting; I will go sign up tomorrow (September 15th). Note that for the time being, I'm not setting any goals beyond just walking in the door of the gym twice a week: no expectation for any workouts. Quest #2: Hunter GathererAgain, this quest is all about instilling habits. Part 1: I want to make it a habit to cook a huge batch of Paleo food twice per week, and then live off it until it's gone. Not only will this reduce the amount of time I have to spend in the kitchen to eat well, it should also reduce the amount I spend on said food. Also, I really hate wasting food--and I waste too much due to buying stuff I don't eat before it goes bad. So, twice per week, I'm going to buy just what I need to make the next cookup. Part 2: I desperately need to get in the habit of eating breakfast. Too often, I skip breakfast and then am ravenous by 10:30am. A crashy, hangry Ranger is a useless, possibly detrimental one. To keep myself safe out there, I need to take care of myself, and that definitely includes eating to fuel my activities. Quest #3: R&RAll the above effort will be for naught if I am not rested and relaxed. My anxiety issues are in full force these days due to work, which I can't really do anything about--except to manage my own state of mind. Sleep, time outside in nature, and time spent doing things I enjoy are how I will get through this Challenge. Part 1: Getting into a bedtime routine: no screens after 9pm, in bed at 10pm, lights out at 11pm. This should allow me to get a solid 8+ hours of sleep.Part 2: Run for the hills! i.e. get out in nature at least once a week. I will be managing and recording all these things using a spreadsheet: here (HUGE shoutout and thanks to ShadowLion, whose spreadsheet this is based on.) And finally, a Life Quest:To get from where I am to where I want to be, I need to put in some serious time working on my side businesses (yes... plural). I am aiming to spend 7 hours per week on this, tracked using RescueTime. Additionally, to reach the goals I've set for myself and my dog, we need to get serious about training. Therefore, I will be recording how many training sessions I do every week, aiming for 7. Training sessions don't need to be long--2 minutes counts--but they need to happen! (I can't figure out how to make the image proper sized :S )

What doth mine eyes perceive? Behold, a scale! A dastardly scale upon which I stand and the number doth rise well above my liking. I find myself weary and worn, too exhausted to focus on the task at hand and bring that wretched number down. Sleep...sleep I must. Sleep, shall I compare thee to a bar of soap? The tighter I grasp the more you slip away. All my chances of dreaming torn asunder. Sleep! Sleep! My kingdom for some sleep! Only with more sleep shall I maintain the focus to reach my goals. This is the short and the long of it. *This challenge being seriously edited due to life circumstances* This has been one of the hardest times I've had in a while. Life came out of nowhere and just kept throwing punch after punch. Everything that could go wrong has been. Starting status: Height: 5'10 Weight: 180 lbs Goal weight: 135 lbs Main Quest: Stay Alive Quest 1: A= Eat vegetables at every meal B= Eat vegetables at 2 meals a day C= Eat vegetables at 1 meal a day D= Eat vegetables every other day F= Eat vegetables less than twice a week Quest 2: A= Drink 8 cups of water a day B= Drink 7 cups of water a day C= Drink 6 cups of water a day D= Drink 5 cups of water a day F= Drink less than 4 cups of water a day Life Quest: Prepare my kingdom for occupation (make our 11 acre plot my new home) Step 1: Get at least 1 acre fenced for chickens +1 STR Step 2: Get a house +1 WIS Step 3: Get house hooked up to water and electric +1 WIS Mini Quest: Experience a previously unknown bounty of the earth every fortnight (try a new vegetable every 2 weeks) +1 WIS #1: Brussels Sprouts Motivation: The healthier I can be the less stress I will put on my husband, other people, and myself Week 1: M- 0 hours sleep, 2 hours outside, followed diet, 180 lbs T- 2 hours sleep, 25 min outside, followed diet, 178.2 lbs W- 7 hours sleep, 10 min outside, cheated, 177.6 lbs TH- 4 hours sleep, 0 min outside, cheated, 176.2 lbs F- 0 hours sleep, 0 min outside, did not eat, 177.6 lbs S- 3 hours sleep, 1 hour outside, followed diet, 177.4 lbs SU- 5 hours sleep, 30 min outside, followed diet 176.8 lbs Weekly Summary: Total weight loss- 3.2 lbs, A Average hours sleep per night- 3, C Average minutes outside per day- 30+, A Diet- cheated 2 days, A Overall weekly grade: B+ Week 2: M- 5 hours sleep, 3 hours outside, cheated, 177 lbs T- 2 hours sleep, 0 min outside, followed diet, 177.4 lbs W- 2 hours sleep, 20 min outside, cheated, 175.6 lbs TH- 3 hours sleep, 15 min outside, cheated, 175.2 lbs F- 3 1/2 hours sleep, 30 min outside, followed diet, 174.6 lbs S- 8 1/2 hours sleep, 1 hour outside, cheated, 175 lbs SU- 5 hours sleep, 10 min outside, cheated Total weight loss- 5 lbs, A Average hours sleep per night- 4+, A Average minutes outside per day- 30+, A Diet- cheated 5 meals, D Overall weekly grade: B+ Week 3: M- 5 hours sleep, cheated T- followed diet

Introduction Hi, I'm Talora Dion! I have been struggling with fatigue of unknown origin, insomnia (worsened by exercise), anxiety, and various "weird" medical issues (like seemingly random allergic reactions to food) for about 5 years now. This is my quest to get my life back! Current stats: 5'7", about 150lbs, size 8 (Canadian), a mile long list of minor to moderate severity medical complaints. Main Quest I want to be healthy, fit, and happy, with more energy than I know what to do with! Specifically, here's what that would look like: Endurance Measures Able to mountain bike for a full day and be only slightly sore the next day, with no impact on energy levels for the following weekRun 5km with my dog 3x/week Strength Measures Deadlift 200lbs 1rep (Currently 75lbs?)Back Squat 120lbs 1rep (Currently 45 lbs)Press 75lbs 1 rep (Currently 30lbs)25 toe pushups in one set (Currently 2 :S )3 pullups (dead hang, no kipping) (Currently none) I want to achieve this by April 30th, 2015. This will likely entail losing some weight (and I would like to weigh closer to 130lbs) but my focus is on HEALTH and ENERGY. Quest #1 Goal: Eat Whole30 for the 6 weeks of the Challenge. Measurement: A = 100% success, B = 1 mistake, C = 2+ mistakes Rewards: A = +2 CON, +3 WIS; B = +1 CON, +2 WIS; C = +0 CON, +1 WIS Quest #2 Goal: Sleep 8+ hours every night (11pm - 7am) Measurement: A = 5+ nights per week, B = 4 nights per week, C = 3 nights per week Rewards: A = +2 STA, +1 DEX; B = +1 STA, +1 DEX; C = +1 STA, +0 DEX Quest #3 Goal: Strength training 3x/week; starting with the NF Basic Bodyweight workout, until that gets too easy, then I'll figure out what to do next. Measurement: A = 18x during the Challenge; B = 14x during the Challenge; C = 10x during the Challenge. Rewards: A = +1 STR, +1 CHA; B = +0.5 STR, +0.5 CHA; C = +0.5 STR, +0 CHA Motivation I used to be fit: epic all-day XC mountain bike rides, 4+ days a week in the gym lifting heavy, CrossFit. I want to be that fit again. I want to look that good, and be that capable, again. I want to make serious progress in life. I want to be fierce and strong, with the energy to make the most of my time as this particular collection of particles!

Exercise Can Change How You See the World By Jillian Rose Lim, Staff Writer | July 29, 2014 03:30pm ET Exercise may leave people feeling less anxious because they perceive their environments as less threatening, a new study suggests. In the study, researchers asked students to watch an animation of a figure that could be perceived as moving toward or away from the viewer, and found that the students who exercised viewed the figure as less threatening. This finding suggests that exercise could reduceanxiety by fostering the perception of a more positive environment, the researchers said. "You're seeing this world as a little less threatening" after exercise, said study researcher Adam Heenan, a Ph.D. candidate in clinical psychology at Queen's University in Canada. Heenan said the findings could have implications for people who suffer from anxiety. Previous research has showed that people with anxiety tend to perceive dangers more acutely, and the world as more threatening, than their less-anxious peers. "Exercising and doing relaxation techniques are already known to be good for anxiety, but this shows there is another potential benefit, because if you're perceiving the world as less threatening, that's less stuff you have to deal with," Heenan said. [11 Tips to Lower Stress] In the study, the 66 students either stood still, walked or jogged on a treadmill, and then watched an animation of a humanlike stick figure. The figure's orientation was ambiguous, and could be perceived as walking away or toward the viewer. Heenan said most people would perceive the figure as walking toward them, because of a bias called "facing-the-viewer" bias: people may have evolved to view a silhouette in the distance as a potentially approaching threat that they should prepare to meet; if, instead, the figure was moving away, it wouldn't matter. This bias is amplified in socially anxious people, Heenan said. "If you're anxious, you're paying attention to more anxiety-inducing things, whether that's external or internal," he said. Carson Smith, a neuroscientist at the University of Maryland, said the effect is best described by the example of an anxious person viewing a garden hose as a snake, because their perception of threats is heightened. The students in the study who walked or jogged were more likely to say the figure was walking away from them than were the students who stood still on the treadmill. This finding suggests their "facing-the-viewer" bias was reduced, and they felt less threatened. Smith said the new findings are consistent with what his own research has found: that exercise reduces a person's bias toward threatening faces. Together, the studies suggest that exercise modifies people's perception of threats, he said. Heenan said the new study is preliminary but does support the use of relaxation techniques such as yoga or physical exercise. "Immediately afterwards, not only will people feel better because of the physiological effects of these tasks, as well as the improved self-esteem, but they potentially could also be getting a protective benefit of not directing as much attention to processing worrying or anxiety-inducing things," Heenan said. It's not clear how the effect lasts, and more research is needed to look at this, he said.

Prologue: "Only he who is well prepared has any opportunity to improvise."--Ingmar Bergman {Day One} I am new to this forum and to the Nerd Fitness approach, so please have some patience with me! Given that the current Challenge is underway, I elected to wait to join in until the next one begins. Unfortunately, I am all too aware of my tendency to delay making changes so that I can conveniently 'forget' to follow through on a commitment; thus, I am starting a pre-First-Challenge battle log. Call it a tutorial level! Traditionally, the RPG games I've played began with an irritating-yet-helpful level that gives you practice in such basic things as: how to move in the world, how to access your inventory, how to attack, how to talk to NPCs, etc. So, this Prologue section is basically me taking stock of where I am, fitness-wise, identifying my fitness resources and options, and getting used to keeping track of my eating habits. As for the 'anxiety' tag: I am in treatment for severe generalized and social anxiety problems, so it tends to find its way into everything I do. I might as well expect discussion of that topic to feature in my Battle Log. I have been encouraged by many people to consider exercise as a way to treat my anxiety, so it's a motivating factor as well. starting weight: 184.8lb starting waist measurement: 43in

Introduction: Hi, I'm maigrey and welcome to my first NF challenge! Over the last year I've really been working to get to a healthier me, done a couple of whole30s and really would like to get back to the Primal food plan. I love walking, hate the gym, and truth be told, would like exercise a whole lot more if it didn't involve sweating. I love gadgets and toys and probably have the next new thing already I've also never really gotten into the whole RPG stuff, so I'm just going to dive right in and get to it! (*splash*) Main Quest: Lose 30lbs by the end of the year 6 week challenge Quest: Walk a half-marathon on Aug 3rd! Quest 1: Follow weeks 7 - 12 (i've done 1-6 already) of the Hal Higdon half marathon walking program Measurement: A = 100% of the workouts B= 80% of the workouts + long walks C=60% of the workouts (including long walks) Quest 2: Follow food plan of "no candy, no ice cream, no baked goods and no white flour". Processed carbs poorly affect me, and I'm well aware I don't need them Measurement: A = 0 slips, B = 3 slips, C = 6 slips Quest 3: Drink at least 115 oz of water (weight / 2) per day Measurement: A = 115 oz of water, 42 days; B = 115 oz of water, 36 days, C = 115 oz of water, 30 days Life Quest: Go to a bar and a) not drink and have a conversation of substance with at least one person. If I'm going to tackle my stranger anxiety, let's get that act together Measurement: A = 6 times (1 time/week), B = 5 times , C = 4 times Motivation: I am tired of being tired, easily winded, and not confident in who I am. And, it all starts right here.

(This text has been heavily edited because it got to be very, vey long. For full rambling, check out my blog.) So on top of alcoholism - which god knows is hard enough to deal with - I found out I got ADD. (FYI I've been sober these past ten months.) (I just re-read that sentence and I sound like a catch indeed... *sigh*) I didn't go get myself evaluated by a professional yet, but it's clear enough. A friend of mine who is a teacher and deals with these stuff recognized a couple of symptoms and suggested it almost like a joke. I added that to the academic struggles I've been having, and when I started reading about the subject, it was instant recognition, down to the fact that I wear a water-proof wristwatch to the shower so I don't lose track of time. ... Since I've been forced to rethink my intellectual self-image... ... I've been more and more grateful I found physical activity in my life. When I get into the swimming pool and try to control the gesture of my arm so my crawl is more efficient, when I worry about the form of my squats and posture of my back for the planks and push ups, when I consider the stance of my deadlift... all this things, they don't know ADD. I block the whole world out and look at the bar and think "now how do it move this thing with optimal eficiency?" I focus on envisioning the exercise so I can do it well, I focus on my breathing pattern so the exercise is right, I focus on my core so my injured back will be safe. Fuck distractability! Nobody is distracted under a loaded bar! I started this a compensation strategy. It doesn’t have to be so. It can be a great achievement in my life. I never learned Latin though I solved Latin exercise lists for five years straight. But I can squat, yo.

Mission: Start my journey out of the 200 club once and for all - step out of that comfort zone! My last challenge focused on getting myself somewhat in the mindset of losing weight with minimal failure - discovering myself, my strengths and weaknesses, what I like and dislike, etc. Well, now it's the time to put on my cowgirl boots and get to work. I'm also going to up my grading scale so it'll be a bit more challenging. Quests: #1: Create a routine I'm not saying a daily routine from the time I wake up until I go to bed, but a routine. You know, the routine you have when you shower and brush your teeth and eat lunch and dinner and all of that daily stuff. It isn't scheduled, but it just happens. I'm sure there are some people out there that look at the clock and scream "Oh gosh! It's 10:01pm!! I'm a minute and twenty seconds late in brushing my teeth!!!" But I'll be okay with looking outside, noticing that it's dark, and thinking to myself "Hmm, I need to brush my teeth soon" and go ahead and do so after killing the dragon I'm fighting in Skyrim. So lets throw some of these bad boys into my "daily routine": - brushing teeth - going for a small walk - cleaning the pool/hot tub - going to the gym - fixing up my face - reading - dishes - keeping up with my bedroom, bathroom, and office room - relaxation time! - go back to logging my food, since I've been neglecting that majorly Grading: A - I successfully incorporated at least 7/10 of these into my daily routine! (+2 CON, +3 WIS) C - I incorporated a few of these into my daily routine, but could have done better work. (+1 CON, +1 WIS) F - I didn't do crap. (+0 CON, +0 WIS) Yeah, I don't take good care of myself when it comes to brushing teeth. THAT'LL CHANGE THOUGH!! I'm already a week or so into this "habit" and have been doing good! Onward... #2: STEP INTO THE GYM Sending myself to the gym is like pulling teeth, and that'll only happen if A ) I'm heavily drugged. or B ) I stop letting this damn social anxiety eat me alive and go. I just need to GO. Rianne, you have been building yourself up mentally to the EXTREME to get to this point, and this may be the opportunity for you to finally do this! June 13th (hahaah friday the 13th, a day of a full moon as well) I'll set my foot into the gym, scope around and see where everything is set up, and do some work. As long as I exercise for as long as it took me to get there and back home, I'll be happy. After I take that initial step, I'll begin to incorporate that into my ritual and make it into a habit. I will go for at least 21 days during this challenge. I will be greatly rewarded, much happiness. Grading - A - Yay! I went at least 21 days - actually, I went above and beyond 21 days and am kinda sorta okay with going now! (+2 STR, +2 STA, +1 CHA) B - Yay! I went at least 21 days! (+2 STR, +2 STA) C - Hey, baby steps, right? I went between 5-10 days and am damn proud of it! (+1 STR, +1 STA) D - I still have a lot of work to do. That's okay. I went, I tried to conquer, I somewhat failed, but I still get a shiny point! (+1 STA) F - I didn't go. sadface. (+0 STA) #3: Get sum smarts - more books, more brownie points! I have some of these on my list of books-to-read and books-to-finish: 21st century yoga - culture, politics, & practicewill grayson, will graysonit starts with fooda unified theory of happinessIf I can get through all of these, I'll be a super happy camper, since they're been on my back burner for a while and I keep saying I have no time to read, or do anything else for that matter... Grading: A - I read 4 books! (+5 WIS) B - I read 3 books! (+4 WIS) C - I read 2 books! (+3 WIS) D - I read 1 book! (+2 WIS) F - Yeah... not this time. (+0 WIS)

I'm sure this topic has been covered to death, so please feel free to link me to any other threads that this applies to. I currently live with my girlfriend in an apartment, we both try to eat healthy but end up more often than not eating meals that come out of a box. I want to change my diet, but I have lived a sedentary life, never owning a gym membership until last year and never doing any workout routines. I was lucky growing up as I had (stress had) a great metabolism that allowed me to eat anything I wanted. Now that I'm out of the house and have a high stress job I am gaining weight and getting very self-conscious of myself. I tried getting a gym membership but I am unable to go because I feel embarrassed that I don't know how to use any of the machines. I had a trainer there for a month and he was expensive, and taught me very little other than my diet was crap, didn't tell me how to change it or why. I guess my question is: how do you stay motivated? I find that I try to change my diet, or try to get into a workout routine and I end up giving up after a couple days. How do you guys stay motivated/ What advice can you give me as someone who's starting a new routine?

I am capable of calm. That's what this challenge is going to be all about. That and fixing my hip. And writing. And getting a bunch of other... Ok stop! 1. I can handle new job stress. Because my new job is going to be awesome. I'm starting on the Ides of March. Ok, that's a Saturday, but it's still my official start. In practical terms, that will be St. Patrick's Day. I haven't figured out what exactly this needs to entail, so I need to fill in some details before the challenge starts on Monday! Maybe I'll try some meditation? It'll almost certainly involve some sort of writing/reflection. 2. I can heal my long standing evil hip injury. Keep tellin' yourself that apike. Maybe you'll start to believe it. This has been a huge source of anxiety and frustration for me recently. Because it's been an issue for the last EIGHTEEN MONTHS. And it doesn't seem to want to go away, and I'm having trouble finding professional intervention. My plan is to focus on mobility work. Since I have only the vaguest clue what I actually mean by that: Each weekend (including the one prior to the challenge), I'll go find a useful looking hip mobility exercise. Each weekday I will do the chosen thing. Keep trying to gain strength, do stuff at gym. Finish using personal trainer pre-paid sessions, then start going by myself (worst case - do body weight at home). No specific goals there as long as I keep trying. In addition, I'm trying physical therapy again. I'm scared, because I haven't had good luck with it in the past. I'm going to have to be a bitch and refuse to do any of the BS I don't believe will help me. Because I've done enough to know some things which I find useless, and I'm not inclined to waste my time on them again. So the goal there, I guess: don't waste time on stuff that isn't going to work for me. If I'm not learning something new, they're not helping me. P.S. Also stop feeling so anxious and like my hip will never be a proper hip again. BecauseI refuse to accept that. 3. Keep on keeping on. Keep writing. Pretty simple there - do something daily. Work on old project at least once per week. Work on new project at least once per week. All other writing can be whatever I feel like - just aim for every day. I'm getting a one week break between challenges. Keep working on painting that study (the one that hasn't seen any progress during the last challenge). Once per week should get me back on track. Keep doing plant stuff (those hundreds of seeds won't plant themselves, unfortunately). Once per week, and it should get done without too much fuss. Keep working on that mental health thing. I have a new medication to try and for once I actually feel hopeful that it will make a difference! My new psychiatrist is actually listening to me, which is a nice novel feeling. I don't know... I think I just need to aggressively track how I'm reacting to meds, because I tend to lose track of what hasn't worked and why. I have a notebook set aside, so I just need to use it. It probably doesn't even matter what I write down, just that I write something about how my brain is functioning. 4. I really want to try snowshoeing. So do! I just want to sign up for a class. Or rent some gear and just try to figure it out, since it's probably not that hard. The snow in the mountains has been great from what I hear, so it's probably a nice time to work on it. I want to try this once before winter winds down. Seems so simple, but very hard for me. So I want to try and squeeze this in during this challenge (at least the official planning - the event itself doesn't have to be). I started a group for mobility support: http://rebellion.nerdfitness.com/index.php?/topic/44578-team-mobility-work/. I don't think I'm going to put any specific grading criteria up. It wasn't very useful during my first challenge. So basically everything is pass/fail, based on if I feel like I'm making progress towards my overall goals. Naturally, the exact details of my goals may have to shift around during the course of the six weeks, because Life. And while ideally I won't miss a single one of my daily activities, as long as I keep picking myself back up and forging ahead, I think I'll be doing ok.

Hello people of the rebellion! My name is Tom and I am from Australia. I have always struggled with my weight from an early age, from being extremely overweight from over eating and under exercising to being underweight and fuelled by a diet of alcohol and bananas and over exercising with running. (Strange I know.) I also suffer from anxiety and I find my appearance makes me feel incredibly anxious around other people. This year I decided to make a huge change in my life and got into university to study Science (I have a huge interest in Genetics and Immunology). I also took up Fencing and have found that I have a huge passion for it. Since I don't like how my body looks and I would like to feel strong and manage a back injury I suffered, I decided to join up at a gym and begin to better my health, my life, and my body whilst at the same time improving my brain with study. So here I am, joining the rebellion, nervous as all hell but excited to become apart of this community. Stats. Weight: 85kg - 187 lbs Height: 181 cm - 5'11 Strength . Push Up max - 10 (Goal - 50) Pull up max - 6 (Goal - 20) Agility/Endurance Maximum distance ran - 2km (Goal - 5km) Beep test Score - N/A (Goal - 6.5) Intelligence/Spirit/Discipline (Goals to achieve) - Form a good sleeping routine - Form good study habits - stop drinking alcohol altogether - stop drinking coffee ( Kind of addicted at the moment) - Move to be fully vegetarian (only partially at the moment) - drink ore water - work on stress management - grow my own vegetables - stop eating processed foods.

Hello! I thought about waiting for this challenge to finish in order to start the next one as my first challenge. I figured that I could just work stuff on my own and be fine. BUT! I just realized that I've already started slacking on my life quest! So, without further ado, on to my challenge! Main Quest: Do a freestanding handstand! Goal 1: Do 5 minutes of handstand progressions a day. I've already been doing this for a 1.5 weeks or so. Currently at 60, 42, 30 second wall handstands. I can't believe I went from thinking that I could never get close to even doing a wall handstand, to doing just that after reading just one article! Goal 2: No more desserts! I don't have much control over meals since I have to eat at a chow hall for the next couple months, so I'm limited to what the menu of the day is. What I'm not limited to, however, is dessert. They have SO. MANY. DESSERTS! I need to stop eating them! Goal 3: Work on front-split progression stretching every day. "But Raevn, how does being able to do a front-split help in doing handstands?", you may ask. I don't know! But what I do know is that doing one would make me feel pretty awesome, and feeling awesome makes working on other things much easier! I'll also be taking advantage of free gym access for the next few months by continuing my starting strength progression that I was working on a couple years ago. I started with some lighter weights last month, and have already made it back up to my old max's, with the exception of deadlifts. Looking forward to seeing where I'll be a few months from now! Life Quest: Try to make conversation with at least one person every day. This one is a biggy for me. I've always had some pretty crippling social anxiety, but I'm much better nowadays than I was before. BUT! I can tell I've been falling back into old, bad habits of becoming a loner yet again. So... no more of that! For now, I don't care about how long the conversation lasts, what we talk about, or if they ignore me. All I care about is that I got back out of my shell and at least tried to talk to someone. Scoring: Weekly scores by how often I did each goal. A : Every day of the week B : Six days of the week C : Five days of the week D : Four days of the week F : Anything less My Motivation? I want to live long enough for the chance of awesome sights like that becoming part of ho-hum everyday life.

It's hard to describe my problem concisely. 1) This is a huge anxiety trigger. I probably only can do 2-3 shopping sessions before I throw in the towel for the next 3 years. (I'm working on anxiety separately, but there's only so much I can realistically expect). Because of this and shipping costs, online is probably out. 2) My skin hates almost all bra things. So I need a suit that fits a DD bust without adding in bra things. Sport bra with no seams, exterior elastic, etc - fine. Shelf bra's have those elastic bands and my skin says NO. Underwire typically also has a (different type of) elastic band and my skin says NO. (Not that I've ever found an underwire bra that fits correctly anyway.) My regular bra is a seamless sport bra (the kind that come in S M L sizes only). I just can't regularly wear anything else. At home I 100% reliably just remove the bra and wear a cami. 3) Mostly modest. I don't feel comfortable with my boobs hanging out or my back exposed. Some level of this is tolerable, but in general the more modest the better. I need function over everything. I don't care what I look like (besides covering a reasonable portion of my skin due to shame issues). Suit does not need to be cute, just comfortable. Triathalon suits look fine, but I have no clue what bra-related things they try to insert, nor where to actually shop for them. I think I might have seen them at a bike store, and I'm sure REI has them, but I don't know if it's worth my while to seriously look at them. My biggest concern with something like this is my hips. I have a very curvy body, and my hip to waist ratio means that I can barely find jeans which fit at all, and I have NEVER found tights or leggings which fit correctly because I have big thighs. At least with a more standard suit shape, hip and thigh doesn't really get in the way. Do lifeguard suits always add bra insert things? Is there some magical term I don't know which might be exactly what it is I want? I definitely lack the energy to open every suit listed on a web site just to see if "shelf bra" is listed in the description. Very few suits in stores (when I've looked in the past) seem to lack shelf bras or worse. Honestly, if I could find a kid style 1 piece that also happened to accommodate the curves that come post puberty, that would be just fine. As long as accommodate curves doesn't mean adding weird pretend bra things. A fit like a snug cami is good. I can do that. Can you help me figure out: a) what type of suit I should be looking for? where I should shop for one? I can provide more specific body measurements if needed. I really need something I feel comfortable wearing and moving around in for this to work. I remember being a kid and a swim suit felt like it belonged on my skin. I haven't been able to recreate that since I hit puberty, because the clothing industry likes standardized sizes that just do not fit some body types. I don't need it to be THAT comfortable, that's just the ideal. I do need to feel like it's covering the right things without restricting my movement and without causing my skin to freak out. Sorry that's so long. That was my 3rd draft. I guess I can sum it up with: my body hates all things bra related, but I'm too busty to fit into the non-built-in-bra suits you might find at a Target. And I'm too anxious about it all to just shop until I find something workable.

Right: This is going to be horribly self indulgent, so be warned. I’m currently putting off/building up to writing an article I’m submitting to a magazine so here’s a warmup. I suck at keeping to stuff, I have no willpower and horrible organisational skills. Many of the latter springs from developmental dyspraxia which also affects fine motor control, balance and spatial awareness. So naturally I took up roller derby. Its possibly the worst thing I could’ve chosen, but hey, some mother******s are always trying to iceskate up hill. I love roller derby as a spectator and as a participant in the community. I’m currently studying towards my minimum skills and referee tests to be a referee for Severn Roller Torrent of Gloucestershire, England. It’s a big ask for someone like me but I never don’t like it. The problem with this is although it is great for my legs and core, it does nothing for my upper body (on which I have awful muscle tone!) so in between thrice-weekly practices, I’m going to try and work on my arms and shoulders a bit more, with the ultimate aim of being able to do a full proper push up (trust me, that’s bits) On top of all this, it’s a confidence thing. I am very anxious and often suffer from my anxiety. Exercise+Eat well= feel better. It also means I’ll do better at derby and that will improve my confidence too. Meditation couldn’t hurt either Day Minus 1: Per Dyspraxia Ad Astra Didn’t start well, dyspraxic organisation skills kicked in and I forgot to pack shorts and t-shirt for derby practice! So I had to go and buy some from the charity shop in the business park near where I work. This meant I couldn’t change my outdoor wheels for indoor as I ran out of lunch. So I decided I would skate from the bustop on my outdoor wheels. This was a mistake given the awful quality of the paths, In the end I walked half, got back on my skates and skated all the way to practice and straight in but was still late! I’m really pleased I even tried it and picked up some decent speed when the pavement was smooth. I didn’t want to go to practice, but put my hard hat on and go. (My helmet is a literal hard hat ) Practice was okay. Softer wheels were good for crossovers (stepping over in corners) but rubbish for stopping. I’ll stick to harder wheels for now! My positional blocking was okay but I kept getting pushed forward by the jammer. When doing a core warm up planking was harder than usual. However Squats were easier. I took hits quite well and even knocked someone down myself! I might have a few bruises today though Oh, I also ate quite well, carb heavy by most standards but I was short on time for lunch and dinner. This is all really meandering. I guess it wasn’t necessarily for you.

Hi folks! Newbie to this place. Been reading the blog for awhile and decided to finally join. My name is Nicole, I'm 33 and live in Richmond, VA. I was an active kid in playing softball and doing gymnastics, but quitting due my punk rock awesomeness in high school and needing to eschew all things jock. I gained weight and continued on that path until I reached close to 200lbs in my mid-20s. In 2009 I decided to take control and began running. I LOVED running. But I lost no weight until I changed my food intake. Once I found the right pairing (with the help of Weight Watchers), I dropped 55lbs. I've kept that off. Despite the horror of the 2011 Richmond Half Marathon. That is where I acquired IT Band Syndrome. If you are a runner (or possibly hiker or cyclist) you are familliar with the dreaded ITBS. Since late fall of 2011 I have had ITBS and simply cannot shake it. Currently I am in my third round of physical therapy and am deciding to throw in the towel. I need to find something else to do. I need activity. I have had fibromyalgia since 1997. Most of the time it stays pretty mild, but I can easily exacerbate it by not getting enough sleep or triggering my anxiety. Yeah, I have anxiety and depression too. Running was keeping most all symptoms away. Now running is no longer and option. I am slowly watching myself begin to self-medicate with food, which is why I was overweight in the first place. So here I am. For support. For help. To learn. Thanks for reading the short version! P.S. My overall goal is to be a combination of Buffy Summers/Katniss Everdeen/Charlie Matheson/Arya Stark/Tris Prior

I am writing this post secretly at work while simultaneously eating lunch, tracking down the mayor for an interview, researching rare diseases and writing the latest in a litany of stories for today's newspaper. So, little wonder I need this challenge. Thank you, Nerd Fitness. My Main Quest To cultivate balance in my life, and level up the amount of guilt-free time I spend on “me,†instead of on work -- hang on, my boss just gave me another assignment -- and on others. Basically, to be more awesome in all the parts of my life instead of just one, and to nurture a feeling of presence instead of a constant to-do list. No biggie, you know, just re-wire my brain. My Three Goals 1. Do 3 workouts and 1 group meditation each week Ideal structure: yoga 2x week, power workout 1x week, group meditation 1x week – if the group needs to be my teddy bears, then so be it. BONUS: 10-minute private meditation every day. 1 point per workout, 1 point per meditation, with a bonus point for every 7 private meditations Possible workout points: 18 Possible meditation points: 6 Possible bonus points: 6 Possible total: 24+ 2. Commit to a gluten-free, caffeine-free, protein-rich diet I know, I know, Paleo is where it's at, but baby steps. While I’ve aimed to be gluten-free for a year now, the cheats are harder when I’m held accountable. Also, coffee stokes my anxiety like none other. It’s time to love this body and treat her right. 1 point per each day that goes by without gluten, 1 point per each day that goes by without caffeine Possible gluten-free points: 42 Possible caffeine-free points: 42 Possible total: 84 3. Score back “me time†by waking up between 5:30am-6am every weekday No more bookending the work day with 30 minutes to roll out of bed and into the office (reverse and repeat). I can do anything I want with my mornings, whether that pulls me to have outside time, write poems, read, meditate, cook, create or play. 1 point per every week day that I wake up by 6am Possible points: 30 Possible total: 30 Side Quest Clean my mess! Nothing like a messy house to promote a messy mind – and to make you think you’ll never get through it. I challenge myself to one task each week day towards the mountains of boxes, clothes and things I have accumulated because I’ve been too busy working to deal with them. NOTE: this task not to exceed one hour per day, and this is not what “Free Me†mornings are designed for. If, by the end of six weeks I have achieved sorting just one spot of mess each week day, I will be looking for things to clean.

This, after being a fan of Nerd Fitness and reading all of the blog posts, is my FIRST CHALLENGE! And it couldn't have come at a better time. This is also my first post! I can't wait to get to know everyone in the boards! So, about 8 months ago, my family (no, just me and 1 out of 2 daughters) kicked sugar....poof, no longer a problem. Started counting carbs...I maybe lost a total of 8 lbs in 2 months of logging every bit of food that entered my mouth? I had even been seen pealing the toppings off of pizza and putting it on a lettuce wrap, no lie! The girls nutritionist told me that I had a parasite in my gut and things weren't going to happen until I cleaned things up. Enter 10 day juice fast followed by a Paleo diet, which I discovered researching low carb recipes. The weight couldn't stop coming off! As of the end of June I had lost a total of 40 lbs! Let's just say that has slowed down a bit. On Mother's Day our family experienced an incredibly horrific hit from within which has changed all of our lived from there on out. After 17 years and 2 wonderful daughters with a man I met when I was 20, I am single again and living on my own with only 1 of my 2 daughters. (Challenges 1, 2, 3.....) My job works within the corrections system, however not in a corrections setting. You couldn't tell it by me these days. My anxiety, which seemed to have been gone when I kicked caffein a couple years ago, is raging daily. I quit smoking (aaaaaggghhhhrrrrhhhhggghhh!!!!!) which has been great.....intermingle daughter who is not with me hating me periodically and siding with the antagonist in the scenario, older daughter (who "was" a lesbian) having a boyfriend who is really respectful because he doesn't bring his pot and smoke it around her since she doesn't like drugs, but he WILL snort a Xanex in the bathroom while they are at the mall.... My routine has been a bit off. My will has waned. My focus, a little to the left. Even though it still tastes like crap, I have seen McDonald's more in the past 2 months than I care to admit. And the scale tells the tale.... SO, my Main Goal: Lose weight, gain muscle, routinely walk/run 3-5 days a week at least 4 miles at a time. 3 tangible challenges: 1. Track weight lifting progress each week 2. Run at least 1 mile of the 4 mile circuit 3. Use my lunch hour to work out in building gym at least 3 days a week I am Fighting For: ME!! I own my life, my body, my sanity, and all that holds those things together, and they are more valuable than other's drama and mania. I fight for my resolve. My focus. My control. My life, health, future. Me. I have lost 40 lbs, and have a lot more fat to lose. I went down 2 pant sizes, I could definitely go down another one! Haven't been a 16 since I was 20....maybe 21? I just turned 37 and have HUGE plans for my 40's! I have lot's of Cougar-ing to git to! I'm in.