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Main Quest: Lose weight to fit into my size 7 jeans. Missions: 1. Drink only water. (NO MORE SODA AT ALL!!! It has become an addiction and needs to stop now!) 2. Take the baby and the dog for a walk at least 4 times a week. 3. Do a work out (either DVD or beginner bodyweight) 3 times a week. (More if I feel like it!) Life Quest: Get 3 credit card referrals at work. Motivation: 1. Showing my daughter a healthy lifestyle so she will continue on with one as she grows up. 2. Avoid the health problems that have affect my parents and grand parents, mainly heart problems and diabetes.

Hi everyone! I discovered Nerdfitness a few weeks ago, and was unfortunately too late to participate in the previous challenge, but I'm here now and excited to start! Though I'm not new to exercising, I haven't always stuck to anything for an extended amount of time...So this time I hope to keep it up for the full 6 weeks, as well as improve my diet! As a little background, I've had some success with losing weight before...I was at my heaviest in January of 2013 at 189 lbs and got down to 168 by June, pretty much just by walking and logging what I ate (while also doing a bit of strength training). I got a treadmill and started walking daily--though the walking became quite sporadic--and the weight slowly but steadily went down. Then after attending Anime Expo, I kind of fell out of it and stopped exercising altogether. The weight went up a bit, then plateaued, then went up again, bringing me all the way back up to 186. When I saw that number on the scale, my jaw dopped--I was almost back to where I started when I began all this! These past few weeks I've been doing some more strength training (sporadically, of course), keeping a workout journal, and reading a lot of articles here on Nerdfitness, biding my time until I could join a challenge. And now, that time has come! Main Quest: Get to 175 lbs. Goal #1: (edited) Track food. I'll probably be doing this on caloriecount.about.com. (I'll also continue to eat about 80% paleo, but the main goal for the time being is just to keep track of what I eat) Goal #2: Strength train 3x a week (Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays). I've got a routine I've been doing that I put together after discovering NF...But I'll also be doing the Beginner Body Weight Circuit once a week. Goal #3: Walk for at least 30 minutes on days in between (Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays) Sundays will be free days... Life Quest: Read 2 books. This past summer while visiting family I read 2 books in 2 days during my downtime. Currently, I have quite a bit of free time, so I know that there will be no excuse not to complete this. And now for my... Motivation: Basically, I'm tired of putting on clothes and looking in the mirror only to feel unhappy and frustrated. I miss the days when I didn't feel like this. I want to put something on and feel good in what I'm wearing. An equally strong motivation is to be as strong as I possibly can be. I also hope to be a source of inspiration to my family and friends to exercise and eat better. As for some short-term motivation, I want to be in the best shape I can get in the 13 weeks I have before going to Cape Cod this summer! (I'm super excited to go!) This is my first time doing anything like this where I'm posting online, but I do think that it'll be a big help on keeping me accountable and consistent. I gotta say, I'm so happy to have found this community and am very excited to start this--hopefully it'll end a success! I wish all of you success with your challenges as well!

I had no idea I would relate to Gnomes in such a way until I read NF's 15 common mistakes article. I do this all the time, with everything...step 1. collect all the info on subject! step 2. ??? Step 3. Magically Be a better Parent, person, more fit, smaller, whatever. I've never quite made it to step 3. So, it's time to gather the best underpants, and wear them! I will be a Gnome no more, but the Satyr I was meant to be! (Never knew I could be a Satyr either until another NF page said I could. Satyrs don't know what to do with underpants either, but I imagine some have quite a collection. So, it's makes a silly sort of sense.) With such a history of not really finishing, I thought I should keep my first challenge a small, gnome-like building block. It shall be... Make Strength Training a Habit. As opposed to making a strength training habit. I'm not a nun. I don't think I even know any. Do you think weight-lifting nuns would need a workout habit? I mean the outfit, not...what ?...oh, sorry. yeah, back to the point. There are three specific things I can do to make strength training a habit by the end of this challenge: 1. Make and FOLLOW a schedule for 3 Bodyweight Training routines a week. A particularly boxy pair of Boxers (embroidered with WW) puts a lot of weight in setting good routines. Sunday = Playground Routine at playground with family. Tues and Thurs = NF Beginners Bodyweight routine (done at gym after work). 2. Prepare "Equipment" the Night Before. (This tighty-whitey came from an NF article.) Change of clothes, shoes, H2O bottle all together in an "Adventure Pack" (I just made that up. Maybe I'll go with it. That's so much cooler than "Gym Bag".) And maybe some rope. I hate setting out from Rivendell thinking, "I should've packed a bit of rope." 3. Take Stretching Seriously. I feel the most self conscious when I stretch. I mean, really. Some of those poses- nobody wants to see that! So I kinda half-ass it, go real fast, or skip it altogether. If I'm interpreting these thongs correctly, a good, thorough stretch is critical to a solid workout routine, so I need to get past my embarrassment and just stretch. After all, if I'm interpreting thongs, what the hell do I have to be embarrassed about?! And as for a leveling-up life challenge? I going with spending a minimum of 20 minutes, every day, studying my Equinology materials. (I'm working on being a horse masseuse. AKA Equine Massage Therapist. Yes, it's thing. Sorry, it has nothing to do with underpants.) I've already done a Playground Routine yesterday, and it was fun! My pre-schooler followed me around some and kept saying "I want to exercise too!". I also discovered my husband has a competitive streak- he did the same routine while I played with our son! Even the dog was with us. A really great Sunday morning with the fam. I'm very much looking forward to next Sunday to do it again. I'll be checking in again soon. Thanks, d'har

I've been around for a few months, and kind of gone for the last one of them. Something nudged me to look at the forums yesterday and it seemed like God was trying to tell me something when the first thing I saw was the announcement about the new challenge. I've been stuck and close to moving backwards for a few weeks and need a jump start. So here I am going for it! MAIN QUEST: Hit my weight goal of 160lbs, which basically means a little more than 1lb/week. It doesn't sound like a lot, but it's those last 6-8lbs I know I'll be struggling to get rid of without an extra push. But, because the scale can lie, I'll also be measuring in inches and pictures. Maybe a biweekly update on that. Goal 1: Stick to my current healthier-than-I-was-eating diet, but kick it up a notch. Make sure to eat at least one vegetable-heavy meal a day and drink a lot more water. I eat veggies almost daily, but when I'm too lazy to go shopping for more, I make excuses to not have them for days. As for water, it's pretty much all I drink now, but I know I'm not drinking nearly enough even for being sedentary. So, at least one big serving of veggies a day and 2 liters of water a day. Goal 2: Beginner Body Weight Workout 2x/week. I was doing this back in February and enjoying the results, but when I started my new job with an hour and a half commute each way, it was hard to find the energy and make the time. I hope to be able to get through 3 circuits at the end of 6 weeks, but I'll be happy if I stick with doing what I can get through twice a week. Goal 3: Walk at least 7 miles/week. That's a mile a day and something I can accomplish during lunch or after work. I'm always being scolded for never leaving my desk at work anyway and the weather is finally getting nicer. I'd love to eventually add some running, but I know my knees are having none of that for now. LIFE SIDE QUEST: Clean my apartment and keep it clean. I'm a 25 y/o female who basically lives in a messy bachelor pad. I'm tired of it, my fiance can't stand it, and my poor cat's play space is more limited by the mess than the small size of the apartment. I also might be moving in the not-so-distant future and I don't want to just throw things in boxes and take my mess with me. I've never been good at cleaning and have a lot of bad habits that will be hard to break. I can't make excuses anymore though. It's a distraction and not healthy physically or mentally. I've heard many people say that mess causes stress and a clean home is helpful in so many ways to mental state. This might be harder for me than the main goal. MOTIVATION:To be an inspiration. I don't need it to be anything enormous, and I care most about inspiring the people I love, whether they are already working to improve themselves or not. My fiance and I are already inspiring each other, which is wonderful. I'd love for some of it to rub off on my family though. I had a full out argument the other week in the grocery store with my parents (both intelligent, one a doctor) about whether corn is a vegetable. My dad eats too much, my mom eats too little, and both of them eat more junk food than real food. I want to be able to keep up with any kids I might have in the future and I want them to be around to spend time with any of their future grandchildren. On a less serious note, I want to look better in a swimsuit than I did last summer. (Edit: I also want to look my best at a college friend's wedding at the end of May. Nothing like seeing a bunch of people from college at an event and looking better now than you did then!) STATS: Weight: Stuck at 166-168lbs Height: 5'10" Waist: 29" Hips: 39" Chest: Don't know/don't care Veggie intake: Close to my goal, but failing when I'm too lazy to buy food Water intake: Maybe 1 liter/day Exercise: Nearly non-existent for the past month. Not quite at zero, but feels like it. Any suggestions for either goal are greatly appreciated. I'd love to hear from anyone who's overcome similar challenges, especially if they involved no longer living in a pigsty.

You can read my story here. Challenge 1: Monday, April 14, 2014 - Sunday, May 25, 2014 Goal #01: Lose 35 pounds. I have chosen to work first on losing weight. I am starting with the goal of losing 35 pounds. That would bring me down to 150 pounds, which still isn't too healthy but it's much better than 185 pounds on my 5'3'' frame. I will do so by implementing exercise into my week and cutting unhealthy items out of my diet during the first challenge. I suspect that this goal will take at least three challenges to complete. #01a) Cut coffee and soda (combined) down to 24 ounces a day Grading: A: 38/42, B: 34/42, C: 29/42, D: 25/42, F: (24 and below)/42 #01b) Walk for 30-60 minutes three times a week Grading: A: 16/18, B: 14/18, C: 13/18, D: 11/18, F: (10 and below)/18 #01c) Do at least one BBWW two times a week Grading: A: 11/12, B: 10/12, C: 8/12, D: 7/12, F: (6 and below)/12 Possible Rewards: You can read more about my rewards strategy here. All A's: $45 to spend on something or to save for something more expensive. All B's (or any combination of A's and B's): $20 to spend on something or to save for something more expensive and the remaining $25 will be used for a future side-quest reward. No reward for C's or less! The $45 will be used for a future side-quest reward.

This is a novel of a post! First, a short story: I joined NerdFitness a week ago. I was pretty stoked. I made a few posts. I did some yoga. I tried the body weight work out. I started doubting myself. I ate tortillas, lots of tortillas. I thought “I wonder if I can delete my account.†I said “I've been meaning to cut down on internet anyway.†Oh, I've been down this road before. Then I thought: what do I want? Do I want to stay out of shape, huff and puff up hills, grow increasingly stiff, creaky and clenched, feel weak, feel self-conscious, increase my risk of myriad conditions, diseases? Naw, man. But by not acting-- by pushing action into some future, as-yet-unspecified date, I am implicitly saying “ok†to all of that. But the thing is; it's not ok. I want to be fit, active, healthy, vital, comfortable! I want it, and I can get it. But it takes commitment, perseverance, and a downright paradigm shift for this semi-couch potato. So I enter this challenge with a fresh perspective, a desire for change, and all the grit I can summon. /barbaric yawp Main Quest- Ongoing: Lose 65 pounds So much more than that, but that's the most overarching goal I can think of. I thought about putting a weight loss goal for the 6 weeks, but my weight can fluctuate so much day to day I don't think it's a good barometer for the short term. So, what I'm thinking is that I will report on weight lost at the end of the challenge, but it won't be a decisive grading factor. Goals Strength and flexibility: Beginner's body weight workout 3x week, yoga 2x week Endurance: 200 minutes of outdoor exercise per week... a variety. Cycling, hiking, walking, jogging. Diet: Write it down! Keeping a personal food record is the definitive grading point. Generally focus on eating more fruit and veggies, upping my protein (vegetarian sources) and reducing (but not eliminating) grains. Grading scale: Assigning each 'task' 1 point. 1 BBWW= 1 point. 1 yoga class= 1 point. 1 entry in food record= 1 point. Every 25 minutes of outdoor exercise=1 point. For a total of 20 points possible/week and 120 points possible throughout the challenge.Weekly Grades A= 17-20 B= 13-16 C= 9-12 D= 5-8 F= 0-4 Challenge Grade A= 97-120 B= 73-96 C= 49- 72 D= 25-48 F= 0-24 Life Quest: Meditation. Meditate 4x week, 10 minutes. Counts as extra-credit! .25 per meditation. (Not sure Dalai Lama would approve.) Wrapping up this novel with some... Stats! 25, female, 5'6" Weight: 215 Waist: 37.5 in Bust: 47.5 in Hips: 46 in Bicep: 15 in Thigh: 28 in Neck: 14.5 in

Hello all, I'm a total newbie (lurking for 2 weeks) and ready to get started. I am at a point in my life where it's time to stop making excuses for not following through on my goals. I have 2 small children, a full time job, the house, the spouse, and blah, blah, blah. Self sabotage be damned!!!! Lifelong Quest: to make myself and my health a priority not just a topic of conversation Main quest for 6 weeks: lose 10 pounds Goal 1: beginner bodyweight workout 3 times/week Goal 2: log food daily in loseit until I can get a handle on what it feels like to eat appropriate serving sizes (and to make sure I'm getting enough protein). Plus I really just like data! Goal 3: walking, swimming or biking 2 times each week for minimum 30 min Motivation: I want to be an inspiration to my daughter and to myself. I want my body to do what I ask of it without getting constantly injured. So happy to have found this site. Let's do it!!

Hello everyone! I'm Floop and I stumbled across this site in the wee hours of the morning on one of my notorious internet wanderings (I believe I started out by googling something to with cosplaying and through the magic of the internet, here I am!) I discovered the NF Rebellion. Main quest - For my main quest I would love to be able to lose some of this beer gut that I have recently looted from multiple six packs of XXXX gold. I know it's nothing to amazing like some of you guys here but I have a terrible habit of picking something up and then dropping it because I launched into it to quickly, so I'll be taking it slow for now. No benching elephants in this challenge for me. Side quests - 1. Start on the Paleo diet 2. Complete the Beginner Body Weight Workout at least three times a week, more if possible 3. Walk my Dire Wolves (Okay fine, they're Shar Pei..) for at least 2km a day Life-quest - For my life-quest I'd really like to spend more time with my mum. We've drifted apart and I'd like to change that and also spend more time with my siblings (technically half brothers and sisters, but that doesn't really matter). Motivations - Of course I'm doing this for my self to get healthy and back into shape but also for my family, namely my younger sisters who love me very much. I would very much like to still be around for their graduations and weddings and so on and so forth.

Main Quest: Lose 10 lbs (for now) Goals: No gluten (bread, pasta, wheat - I’m not going to lose my shit over soy sauce and stuff). Limit alcohol to two nights per week. Lordamercy. Beginner Bodyweight Workout two times per week. Side Quest: Finish my work-related certification that I have been completely ignoring since I signed up for the program. Motivation(s): Let’s be real: I want to look smoking hot. I am so sick of snatching cute clothes off the rack, only to try them on and find that I look like a blobfish trying to infiltrate the human race (p.s. thanks for the fluorescent lighting, asshole department stores). This sort of leads into my second motivator: I want to love myself and be happy. I’ve been so sad since I realized how much I’ve let myself go. I don’t find joy in anything anymore and it’s causing me to hate everything and everyone around me. My job and my relationship are suffering and it’s sending me into a deep depression. I really want to turn that around. If anyone has any recommendations on how to keep your motivations in the forefront of your mind without posting them somewhere your guests/significant other could see, I'm all ears. I'll post my starting stats Sunday evening. High fives all around.

I've always played thieves/rogues in RPGs, and parkour just flat-out fascinates me, so I'm joining up with the Assassins Guild. My goals haven't changed much from my first challenge. Still trying to build strength and flexibility to hopefully help with chronic back pain, and increase stamina to help me be a better father. Stats Age: 41 Gender: Male Weight: Approx. 200 lbs (doesn’t own a scale, but was around 170 maybe 3-ish years ago?) Height: 5’8†Assets: Owns a few dumbbells Liabilities: Back injury, 20 years of inactivity, easily distracted, fan of beer and convenience food Main Quest Increase strength, stamina, and flexibility Goals BBWW 3x weekly, gradually increasing difficulty. Yoga and/or other exercises to strengthen and stretch lower back. Get 7-8 hours of sleep/night. Finding that 5 or 6 hours per night aren't enough. Life Quest Failed this quest the first time around, but I need to get back in the habit of working on my comic book. By the end of the 6 weeks, my goal is to complete one page per week. Motivation Tired of being in pain, of not being able to keep up with my kids. I feel my health deteriorating, and want to reverse it.

Hello all, I've recently graduated college and that means 8 hours of desk sitting, little movement, staring at code fun! I'm digging it honestly, but I'm not digging the noticeable effects it's had on my health. I've never been big on exercise, but with this new salary man lifestyle, I think it's about time that changes. I know I'm coming into this goal a bit late, but I feel like it's better to get started now, rather than wait until June 9th . Background: I'm fairly light to average weight for my height, but my body fat to lean muscle percentage can't be good. While I don't make too many poor decisions when it comes to diet (not much junk food at all, eat a good amount of veggies compared to grains), I feel that if I continue to be sedentary, things can only get worse. I've recently found this website/community while looking for some simple body-weight routines, and wow! It's nice to see such a strong (and nerdy) community of people excited about getting fit. Level 1 Main Quest: I'm going to be realistic about this, no instantly running to the gym, no "I'll never have a beer again". Start at level 1 and eventually grind up to 99 right? Here are some basic goals I'd like to start off with: Strength training 3x weekly Start off with the Beginner Body Weight Workout Work in pull-ups and chin-ups Record workouts, aim for improvement Interval train 2 - 3x weekly Aim for three times weekly, two if weather isn't permitting, social obligations interfere Record sessions, aim for improvement Clean up diet Cut out all junk food from daily snacking (already almost there) Allow sweets only twice per week Aim for 2 - 3 purely Paleo dinners a week Keep a food log, find ways to improve Clean up sleep schedule Aim for 7 - 8 solid hours a night Ideal sleep schedule: 10:00pm - 6am Log sleep schedule Side Quests: Towards the end of this challenge, explore weight lifting and subscribe to a nearby gym As this awful weather subdues up here in Winterfell Wisconsin, I'd like to start biking to work Continuously educate myself on fitness Explore meditationThe more I educate myself about fitness and dive into this challenge, the more I'll attempt to flesh out this post more. I'm also interested in the RPing aspect of this, so I'll be sure to update this with stats and whatnot as I become more familiar with the system. Good luck to everyone else out there!

Hello to all my nerd fitness comrades. I started my journey on January 15th of this year, after looking at some pics from the holiday. What I saw was unbelievable. All I could think was, that's not me that can't be me. I had let myself get to 291lbs. This came after a career change going from a very active carpenter to a not so active CNC machinist and using a steady diet of Fast "FOOD". Since January, 15 I changed my diet to about a 90% paleo diet and started doing crossfit workouts from the crossfit site and other affiliate sites. Doing this I lost 31lbs. However in the past week I've fallen back into some ugly habits doing some damage to my progress. 7lbs of damage to be exact. Sorry for being so long winded. This will be my 1st challenge I am very excited to get back on track and continue my journey with you all, and to make some new buds along the way. MAIN QUEST: I want to lose 15 lbs or more if possible and also see a loss of inches don't know how much but hoping for 3 or 4 would be great. Weight at the end of 6 weeks 252 or better. 3 MISSIONS 1- workout 4x a week. 2- clean up the rest of my diet 3-cut beginner bodyweight workout time in half last time I did it 3x in 12 min I want to do it in 6. LIFE GOAL Go back college, I want to register for some online classes. Good luck to all!!!!!

Hello to all! I have been struggling with writing my goals for a bit, but after reading some of the great posts here I am inspired to get started with my first challenge Overall goal: to be the fittest I can be. This includes dropping fat and gaining muscle to drop one full dress size. Life goal: more organization in my home. I have a few baby steps I am working on to this end. Measured steps: by the end of the challenge I will have done or be doing the following-- 1. continue my paleo transition -- shift to only one cheat meal a week 2. increase body weight workout from one (current level) to three complete circuits twice weekly 3. sprint two times a week, (3- one minute sprints each session) 4. Do a set of three chin ups (can't do one now) My motivation is my family. I want to be my healthiest so I can enjoy every minute with them and set a good example for my children. Hopefully this makes sense to someone other than me. Best wishes and luck to all starting a new challenge!

I'm stepping out of the shadows of a fast paced career and somewhat sedentary lifestyle. Realizing the condition I've allowed myself to degrade to, I've decided to start my quest for a healthier and more active life starting with the April 14th 6-week Challenge. Current Main Quest: Develop a beginning workout routine and healthier diet plan. Sub-Quest 1: Spend 6 weeks doing the Beginners Body Weight Workout every other day, doing some form of cardio on alternating days, and resting on Sundays. Before committing to a gym or investing in any equipment I want to start out with a routine that I can focus on form, building the habit of working out, and determining what type of work outs I enjoy.Sub-Quest 2: Develop a healthier diet, working towards the Paleo Diet. This seems like a diet I could actually stick to without having to count my intake of everything, just being mindful of what I buy and cook. Farewell Ranch Dressing, Cheese, and my fast food friends, we've had a good(albeit unhealthy) run.Non fitness Side Quest: Use the Workouts and healthier life as a catalyst to quit smoking. Having smoked on and off for a few years, I think this is the point that I can quit for good and take a total healthy look at life. Long Term Quest: Maintain an active lifestyle, develop new routines, participate in new activities and hobbies. I look forward to working with community to reach my goals!

Hello, I was pleased with my progress from my first challenge, but I know I can do better so I'm going to try it again. I really need to work on some things some more. So... Goal 1: To exercise at 5-6 days per week (Walking Outside and Beginner Bodyweight Workout) Goal 2: To eat Paleo for at least two meals (Breakfast & Lunch) per day. Goal 3: Drink at least 72 ounces of water or more per day. Goal 4: To get at least 6 hours of sleep per night. Life Side Quest: To study for and pass Written Driver's Exam. Here I Go Again...

Hi everyone, I'm Blair. I've spent the last couple of months traveling for work and it's been pretty rough on my routine and my health. I wasn't exactly healthy beforehand but, for the last two and a half years, I've been gradually improving my physical health with better eating and studying karate (Shito-Ryu Itosu-Kai, for the other potential Monks out there). My progress in karate is actually what's finally spurred me on to try something new, like this challenge, which leads me neatly into my biggest goal - I want to compete in the next international tournament, in 2017, and my sensei has said that, provided I keep up my current rate of progress, I should be able to rank to shodan just before the tournament. That, however, is a pretty long-term goal, so for this challenge I've picked something a little more immediate. Main Goal - Successfully rank to 1st kyu (brown belt) at the next ranking. I don't know if it will be June or December - I'm thinking it's December, but if I'm told I'm ready in June then it will be June. Even if it's not in June, I'll still be expected to participate to assist the other students who may be ranking then. I already attend classes twice a week and that will be good enough to rank, eventually, but none of us are here to stay put at good enough, are we? Alas, before I turn "Good enough" into "Always better," I need to get back on track, in a way that builds some healthy habits into my life so the next bout of travel doesn't undo so much of my progress. Goal #1 - Walk to work every day I purposely live close to my office, so I can save money on gas and parking. Alas, a number of factors have conspired to make me so lazy in the mornings I often drive to be on time or because I just can't be bothered to walk. With many of those factors addressed and/or removed, it's time to get back on track. It's only a 15 minute walk in the morning but 30 minutes each weekday can add up to some great basic exercise. Goal #2 - Do a beginner's bodyweight workout twice a week Karate classes always start with a warm-up that includes several bodyweight exercises, so this goal is intended to build upon that and make use of some of those other 5 days in the week. I'm curious how this will work out with respect to rest days but that's another aspect of this goal - to see how my body will respond to the increased exercise frequency. Goal #3 - Only drink pop with meals I drink a lot of Coke right now. Before I make any other diet changes, I need to deal with this. In terms of "biggest gain for smallest change," this change wins hands-down. This goal doesn't mean I will drink pop with meals, only that, if I want to drink pop, it has to be during meal times. If I need caffeine during the day, I have tea (even sweetened, it's got a lot less sugar!). If I need calories, I will have snacks... I've already been bringing healthier snacks to work with me, now I'm just forcing myself to rely solely on them during the day. In the same vein as my health goals, my chosen life goal is about getting back on track. The last several years I've set myself a reading goal and, without fail... I fail. It's partly due to video games (just one more level!) and partly due to work (oh god not more text!), but those are pretty lame excuses. I enjoy reading for fun and learning, and it's always a rush to meet a goal, so... Life Goal - Read for at least 30 minutes every day. If I made the goal "Read every day" I know I would cheat some nights and read 2 pages before going to sleep... technically it counts but that goes against the spirit of building a habit. Likewise, if I set a goal of, say, an hour a day, I know some days I just won't be able to do it and the failures will just be discouraging. That was a lot of words... I would apologize, but it's who I am - a nerdy guy who gets very verbose on occasion. After plowing through all those words, you're probably ready to move to the next thread but there's one last lingering question, arguably the most important question - why am I doing this? Going to an international tournament is nice and all, but it's not my primary motivation. That is a much baser, much more primal drive: Motivation - I don't want to die at 50 My grandfathers were both dead by age 50. My father almost died after turning 50, as he suffered a major stroke brought on in large part by obesity and a sedentary lifestyle. I'm 36 right now and I need a hell of a lot more than 14 years to see everything I want to see and do everything I want to do. Other male blood relatives have lived into their 80s, so I'm potentially carrying genes which will protect me for a long while yet. My Dad survived his stroke and he's turning 66 this year. He walks at least an hour every day, has lost a lot of weight (100+ pounds!), and he even completed a walking marathon a few years ago! I'd like to improve my life before I have a serious health problem, so here I am. Over the course of the challenge I'll dig a bit more into the fun stuff - the real-life roleplaying, maybe setting up a battle log, looking at guilds (though I'm obviously a Monk-to-be), etc. I'm looking forward to seeing how this all turns out! Thanks for reading - good luck with your own challenges!

I found this website yesterday and I kind of love it, it's really making me want to get fitter. I have a terrible track record with this stuff, I just do stuff for a little while and then get bored/tired/forget about it but not this time! Main Quest: Get toned up Missions: Do the beginner bodyweight workout every other day.Run at least once a week (bonus points for going more than once)Reduce chocolate intake. I think I'm about a week late to this but I went running yesterday and spent the last week walking up hills everyday so I figure I'm still on track to make progress here.

Hello All Well, a few years back I managed to lose 20Kg (from 105Kg to 85Kg), and got very fit. I started backsliding a while back, and now I am close to where I started. My main quest is to get to 85 Kg again. Obviously not in 6 weeks, but by summer (I'm southern hemisphere, so heading into Winter now). My side quests are 1: Do Cardio 3 x Week (Exercycle + Running) 2: Take Lunch to work at least 3 x per week (healthy food!) 3: Do Bodyweight workouts 3 x Week My life quest is to complete the electronics project I have been ignoring for the past several months.

My Race: Elf (at least that's what every RPG quiz tells me I am) My Profession: Assassin/Ranger Main Quest: Lose the belly fat and get into butt kicking shape, for image, health and personal reasons. 1. Run a 5k in July - 14 weeks to go: each week increase jogging by 0.5 km. 2. Clean up my eating - Add more fruits and veggies to my diet - Gluten free (I can't do Paleo cold turkey so wheat is probably the best thing to eliminate first) - Develop a 3 month healthy eating rotation 3. Run/walk every other day and do the beginner body weight workout 2-3 x a week 4. Take a course on self defense to give me confidence and knowledge 5. Learn wilderness survival and skills- food to forage, archery, shooting, tracking, climbing, etc. Life Quest: Save $4500 for tuition and books for September - Reduce the mortgage - Get a part time job - Walk or bike to work - Learn thrifty living - Sell more artwork I also have another life quest, but I won't be sharing that here. What motivates me? I want to be generally fitter and leaner, for my confidence sake. Also for general overall health and ease of life I feel it is a good idea to be in shape. For survival sake, especially as a woman, I feel it is best to learn self defense and outdoor survival, as I do spend time in the bush. I want to be able to take care of myself and hold my own.

Motivation: Hawaii in December. Me, the husband unit and our boys. I want to be able to just toss on shorts and tshirt and head out for any adventure. Goal: Lose 30 pounds between now and then. Getting stronger with the BBWW exercises. Steps: 1. beginner body weight M W F 2. sprint interval training T Th Sa 3. continue paleo/primal eating then 21 day sugar detox level 3 (May 12th - just in case my boys make me some treats for mother's day) Notes: I'm not going to do anything else except focus on clean eating and exercise for the next 6 weeks. I can't get distracted by any other goals, I have enough distractions in my life. To measure my success with my weight loss goal I hope to have lost six pounds by the end of six weeks and increasing difficulty of the exercises in the BBWW. I'll record my starting stats tomorrow. Or later tonight. I have a distraction to attend to (making spaghetti squash for my 10 year old).

The words hit Modak's ear but did not register. He was still dealing with the fact that he was chosen. Historically the honour of Protector has gone to the strongest cub of the Alpha. In this case that would be Ootah, his eldest daughter. Modak's grey eyes shifted in her direction. She was obviously not impressed. His eyes then shifted to the rest of the pack. All their eyes were on him. Waiting. The air still but for the sound of crickets. His eyes shifted back to Blackmaw. "His training must begin immediately." Modak's eyes widened. "I've been called to defend the pack!" he thought. His gaze shift to the Seer. "Is he grinning?" He had known the Seer since he was a pup, as did almost the entire pack. Though, like all Moon Dreamers, his path was to read the omens, possibly becoming Seer himself. But he was not chosen as the disciple. Two moons ago that honour went to Sachael. The scrawny, greying Moon Dreamer realized the intention of the grin. "I accept this honour!" he yelled. "I will be protector of the Pack." ********************************************* Main Quest - Maintain weight of 85kg (currently 80kg) but build muscle. 12-14% body fat (need to measure current). 3 sets of bbww a week (Strength)(Dexterity) Run twice a week (10 minutes minimum)(Stamina)(Constitution) Complete my current painting commission. (Wisdom) Side Quest Increase protein intake to 180g Eat more paleo meals (I won't give up pizza or hamburgers with buns . Will put a specific number of meals.) Stretch properly after every workout. (attained.... mostly) Surprise side quest: 5k run registration. Feedback is very welcome!!

MAIN QUEST: Shrink to a 35' waist. Thats half an inch a week. Doable? We'll see! Goal 1: 3x (Monday/Wednesday/Friday)Strength workouts per week. I'll start with the beginners body weight workout and modify as necessary to keep me working. Goal 2: Cardio on off days, 3x a week (Tuesday/Thursday/Saturday). Any type of cardio is fine, biking or running is best. Goal 3: Reduce pop consumption to one can/glass per week. Drink milk only immediately following workouts (max one glass). Try to wean myself off of additives to coffee (the goal is to drink it black by the end of 6 weeks) Water any other time. LIFE SIDE QUEST: Im trying to write a book. My life side quest is to write for at least 15 minutes every day. MOTIVATION:I won't lie. I just want to look good and feel good about it. Alright, there it is. I am committed. I'll post a before pic somewhere shortly.

I've had enough of starting out too hard then failing, falling back into bad habits. I am looking forward to the next 6 weeks! :-) Long-term goal Get fit enough to run 10km with 25kg backpack 6-week goal: Get used to moving and be able to complete the beginner body workout Sub-goals for this challenge: - Walk 5 times a week (with or without the dog), 30 minutes + 5 minutes per week (adding up to 1h the last week) - Do the http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2009/12/09/beginner-body-weight-workout-burn-fat-build-muscle/ 2 times per week (After the 6 weeks, 3 circuits of all the exercises) Life goal - Cut the soda completely (Already started on this 1 week ago) Motivation - I want to look better for my girlfriend and get more self-esteem by not being ashamed of how I look.- - I hate hate hate not being able to keep running for more than 500m (Without any equipment) - I can currently only walk slowly for 2-3km with 25kg backpack, but I need to be able to do more! - I would really like to have my teeth in 10 years. (Life goal) plus drinking light soda makes me eat more junkfood. - I want more mental energy Updates I will make a reply every time i make progress with my sub-goals.

Hi, my name is Mark. I've only been here a day, but I like that this Challenge thing is something I'd like to do. I was told on the IRC channel not to collect underpants, so I'm starting now instead of my normal procrastination. You can see my intro here: http://rebellion.nerdfitness.com/index.php?/topic/47686-new-rebel-girmann-v10/ This is my latest attempt to try and get fit. The last time I was even close to fit was back in 2008 when I was running 10ks and half marathons. I injured myself a lot since then. Since I seem to be prone to overuse injuries, my goals are modest and they are an attempt to rectify all the issues I've had in the past. Main Quest: Afer doing a lot of thinking, I think that I want to keep it simple for my first challenge and just say "Get more fit without getting injured". There's plenty of time for the other things on my list (like PRing a 5k, for instance.) If I can start working out in earnest and not hurt myself over the next 6 weeks, I'll be in a good spot. Specific Missions: 1. Complete C25k in <10 weeks. This, of course, runs past the challenge window - but it gets me doing the exercise I love the most. 2. Do Beginner Dody Weight Workout 1x/wk. Reading it over - it's goingt o be a challenge, since I've never really done any kind of lifting. We'll see how it goes. Originally I wanted to do 2x/wk, but I don't think that gives me enough recovery time. 3. Do Wii Fit Yoga 1x/wk. I hate flexibility training. I've never been flexible - ever. Life Quest: Start sailing classes and purchase a sailboat. This is a family goal - as everyone wants to do this. Motivation: Being alive to see my kids full grown. The last few months I've gotten heavier and I've felt worse - healthwise. It's really got me worried. Starting Stats: Age: 40 Gender: Male Height: 5'10 Weight: 228 Body Fat %: ~31% (BMI calculation, anyway) Neck: 18 inches Waist (belly button): 44 inches I'd be interested to what you think about the challenge? Am I letting myself off the hook too easily? Apologies to TheStephil - I borowed your format. Hope you don't mind.

Hello all! I've been on NF for about a year on and off, but always just read and never really participated. So now I'm finally stepping up to change that and be a part of this awesome community. Since I'm not really sure where I want to start with leveling up my life, I'm keeping my Main Quest pretty vague: Main Quest: Overcome my own laziness and start giving myself the life I want, starting with my fitness. I finally realized the other night that the reason I'm so unhappy with my life right now is because I'm overweight, out of shape, and going through the motions with my job of wake up, work, eat, sleep, repeat. Why was that? Because I've been too lazy to do anything but whine about it. Side Quests: 1.) Do the Beginner Body Weight Workout 4-5 days a week, at 2+ rounds each time. Move to the Advanced Body Weight Workout at the start of Week 3. Use the remaining days for cardio, i.e. running or swimming. Remember to always stretch (I've actually never really stretched during a workout, so any advice on that is welcome) 2.) Get back into Krav Maga. I have a membership to a local place (studio? dojo? what are they called?) that teaches it, owned by two former military guys. One teaches Krav, and the other has his own version of CrossFit (he calls it KFX, Krav Fitness eXtreme) that comes with the membership. I really enjoyed it when I went, but for some reason I didn't go once or twice and I always ended up making some kind of excuse to continue not going. They have classes every day (except Sunday), at different times throughout the day; I want to go at least 3 days a week for at least one Krav class each day, and one KFX class per week. 3.) Eat better. Stop eating out as much and start making Paleo meals at home. I've recently been eating nothing but fast food and at restaurants, which has put a strain on both my wallet and my waistline. I definitely need more info on Paleo, but I really want to try it out. Even if Paleo doesn't work out for me, I'm at least getting into the habit of making my own meals. Life Quests: 1.) Commit to the decision to stop smoking. I know it's bad, and I just made the decision (again) to quit. I've only been a smoker for about a year and a half, but I've already got multiple failed attempts to quit under my belt, all of which resulted in me smoking more than I had before. I have an e-cig, but if anyone knows a better way I'm all ears 2.) Start/restart/keep doing things I love. I was super into music in high school, and I've fallen away from it since joining the Navy. I also want to get into art, mainly drawing (I haven't really figured out a style I want to try yet) and stencil art (spray paint). I also bought a compound bow about a month ago and want to get better with it and eventually go hunting with it. Basically, I want to engage and work my brain as much as I am my body.