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Sorry to disappoint, but here will be little Leather and makeup in this challenge, Just a reminder to myself to KEEP IT SIMPLE, STUPID! Theme is minimal, just an excuse to post songs and memes. Prince - Best Goal (the one I most want to do because I love it) - 3x sledgehammer workout per week (14 mintues each, per Shovelglove rules) Faith Hill - Distance Goal (because there could be hills? I know its a stretch . . .) 3 walks per week with my son. RHCP - Food Goal (Suck my . . . nutrients? I really need to rethink this theme) - Greens 1/day, leafy or cruciferous. No excuses - Chained goal. Cher - Cooking goal (Soup Soup) - One batch cooking per week. definition is something that can feed me and my husband for at least three days. Curry, chili, soup, chopped salad . . . Tarkan - Dance Goal - One time zil practice, one time shimmy practice, one time rolls practice per week.

Hello all, My name is Sarah and I'm a newbie here. I decided to join this group after an introduction from my friend, Aerinity. I know that I'm terrible at keeping fitness goals unless I have a partner to help keep me motivated, and since I don't have anyone IRL whose schedule or fitness goals match mine, I figured this would be a good place for partners to keep me motivated and on track. Basically, my overall goal is to get down to 170lbs. I have no idea how long it will take me to get to that goal, so I am holding off on setting a deadline at this time. For this particular challenge, my three goals are: Walk 30 minutes/day, 3/weekMeditate for 10 minutes/day, 5/weekFollow through with bellydancing how-to videos 2/weekUltimately, I'd like to take a bellydancing class, but right now, I can't commit to spending money, so I'm putting a suggestion into use until I have the funds to get there. There. I'm pretty sure I can do anything for just 6 weeks (well, 5, since I'm coming in late). Best of luck to everyone!

Belly Dance! All Guilds, All Styles and Experience Levels Let's shimmy, shake, and step up our fitness through this fun dance form! I don't have a particular format in mind, just want to find, support, and share with other nerds who are into the dance. Let's help each other learn and grow, and see how the group develops!

Original posting, includes links re: "sisu." I still have a very, very full work schedule and I am coming off a bit of a slump last challenge, but I'm diving right into the first challenge of 2015. I need to. This community has helped me keep my dream and goal of returning to fighting fires again alive, despite setbacks and injuries and doubts. My Main Quest for much of last year was to attend the Arizona Wildfire Academy and recertify as a wildland firefighter this coming spring. The fact is, I'm not physically or financially ready for that yet. Part of my slump was due to my disappointment over that. But I am not giving up, merely readjusting my time frames and expectations. I am pulling things from the past 4 or 5 challenges that have worked the best for me and mixing in a few new twists for this go around. And, I am committing to a year's focus on consistency, and a challenge specific focus of "sisu." Expect to hear quite a bit more about sisu in the coming weeks. (There are a number of links in the spoiler.) I believe it is my not-so-secret weapon on the way to success in my quest. All the ideas, plans, programs, workouts, and diets in the world mean nothing if I do not have the grit and the guts to persevere through the inevitable setbacks and difficulties along the way. Consistency is important; sisu is absolutely essential. More to come on Monday evening, MST

Ok, this is my 5th challenge. And, I honestly had a hard time deciding where I wanted to go with this one. Obviously recomping is my main goal as there is still work to be done there, but I have aimed my last 3 challenges at just recomping and I needed something different this time around. I found I was feeling a sense of boredom, no challenge. Funny thing, since I have been reading peoples new threads I see that a lot of people are sharing a similar idea of wanting something new to add to their challenges. Sooooo, as my friend swampling titled her new thread..........here's to something old and something new! MAIN QUEST Recomp. There is still some leaning out to do and some muscle to build. Now, the three missions I have chosen to focus on this round are going to aim at more than just the recomp basics (macros & weight training), but still move me forward to that end, improving me physically in all aspects. MISSION 1: Macros. In my first challenge I aimed at eating when I was hungry, focusing on sensible portions and eating clean. When I began the recomp I started aiming to hit a specific number of CALS/ PRO/ CHO/ and FATS. And I have done that the last 4 challenges. You know what I found. I don't like it and it stresses me out. Having to weigh everything, measure it out specifically down to adding or subtracting beans or spoonfuls does not fit in my life well. Now don't get me wrong, if it works for you it is awesome for fine tuning your nutrition goals. But, ultimately for me.........I just want to teach my kiddos that they can enjoy eating sensibly and cleanly. So, I am going to perform a little experiment with this challenge. I am going to only track my food daily not actual macro numbers. I believe there are 42 days to this challenge so my goal will be to have 42 days of 'Good Nutrition'. Each day that I eat clean, sensible portions with no snacking or junk gets counted toward that 42 days. This also includes the weekly refeeds (usually Saturday or Sunday). That will keep it simple and refeeds are planned. I have been doing macros long enough that I know what enough protein and such looks like in my day. And I use protein powders and such so no worries there. My aim over the course of this challenge will be to see if this approach will be as successful as it was my first challenge and lead to continued inches lost. Grading: 42 days A 35-41 days B 25-34 days C anything under 25 is a FAIL for the challenge This will make things simpler because I can focus more on FAMILY meals and not trying to separate my meals from theirs ALL of the time. And how I successfully handled my first challenge. MISSION 2: Yoga (balance, core & flexibility). I did yoga once in a past life (lol). But have not in a long time. Strength training makes me stronger but really does not do much for my flexibility or terrible balance. (And it is terrible, uh hum. ) I was introduced to Bellyfit last challenge and there is a half hour section of yoga/ core work that I usually skipped, as I was just doing the cardio. So, I will have three days of weight training and 2 days of the week I will do Bellyfit with the yoga work or I will add another yoga workout on Bellyfit days. I can also choose to do yoga and some other cardio like my freestyle dance or Zumba. MISSION 3: Bellydance! This is not just for the core work involved, it is also just for the sheer darn fun of it. I took bellydance a long time back, and I loved it. But, like some things in life I just didn't because I told myself there was no time for ME anymore. Well, this is. Good core work and destressing and fun. I am going to relearn the basics of bellydance with this program: And I am also incorporating learning one of the numerous varieties of bellydance known as tribal fusion. I will be using this one: So I will have 3 days of weight training interspersed with 2 days of cardio/ yoga and one day (probably Saturdays) of a bellydancing lesson. Grading: A for 6 days completed, B 4-5 days completed, C 3 days completed, and a FAIL for the challenge for less. LIFE GOAL: This will be a continuation of my life goal from the last challenge just more simplified and encompassing and shall be known as Project Organization as it will be an inside out approach. The idea being to simplify and organize ALL aspects of my life. Unlike last challenge I shall not make this a daily goal but more weekly. The aim to be at least 3 days a week devoted to simplifying or organizing some aspect. Because, quite frankly, there are days (more than I would like to admit lol) that I do well just to make all the basics in a day happen. But, I thrive on simplicity and organization so it was important to me to carry this over to this new challenge. Ok, there it is in a nut shell. I may tweak this more later. And now a shout out to my accountabilibuddy Vilkacis (who has been with me 5 challenges now)....... LET'S DO THIS!!!!! :triumphant: :triumphant:

Another challenge is upon us! Time flies... SO last challenge I had set a goal of running the Red, White and Boom 1/2 Marathon on the 4th of July. I've determined that I'm not going to be ready for that race. I finally started runnning off treadmill and holy crap am I not ready. Since my real and ultimate goal is the Twin Cities Marathon in Oct, I decided that I am just going to stick to my plan and not try to work harder to prepare for the 1/2 in the next month. The chance for injury and such is not worth missing the marathon this fall. If I can find a relay partner I'll happily run this as a relay - we shall see . I'm having trouble with this challenge and setting the right goals, But here goes... Update - I've made a plan that I'm comfortable will work - here it is! GOAL 1– 90% Compliance with my running plan. HOW: I'll be following a "just to finish" Full Marathon plan. This involves running on Tues/Wed/Fri and long runs on Sunday. The plan calls for 2 easy runs, 1 med run and 1 long run per week. Runs will be logged in the spreadsheet. This will simply be based on how many runs I complete from that schedule over the next 6 weeks. I've also joined a running group that starts in early July - so toward the end of this challenge - and those runs/schedule will be added to the plan as I get them. I've found an indoor running track to use for my training so I should not be running on the treadmill anymore! (+5 STA) GOAL 2 – 90% Compliance with my Stregth plan. I've modified a few of the RFG workouts into small combinations to complete over a 5 day week. This keeps me getting up and getting my day started right, adds some strength fitness to my plan, while keeping it light so as not to interfere with my running. The DB Row, Straight Leg Deadlift, OH DB Press will all be done with weights, the rest are simply BW excercises focused on core conditioning. They are small enough to make sure I do a full warm up and a FULL and complete stretch, which should help my evening runs! I *MAY* Slide this schedule to be from Tues - Sat if my need for recovery on monday's after long runs dictates. How: Daily Morning short workouts as follows: Mon - Chin up 4x10, Side Plank 4x 40, Reverse Crunch 4x 10 Tue - Overhead Squat 4x8, Bent over DB row 4x10, Plank 4x40 Wed - Step up with rotation 4x8, crunch 3x10, Side Plank 4x40 Thur - Straight Leg Dead Lift 4x8, Overhead Dumbbell Press 4x8, Plank 4x40 Fri - Walking lunge with Kick 4x8, Chin up 4x10, Side Plank 4x40 (+3 STR ) GOAL 3 – Lose 10lbs by following Nutritional Weight and Wellness plan. HOW: So normally I have a food goal that involves my tracking and macros and such... Not this time. I have decided to participate in a nutrition group that meets with a nutritionist once a week. The plan goes for 12 weeks so it will span the next couple challenges. This class starts next week so I don't have a ton of details - but my goal will be to lose some weight finally!!! I haven't set any weight loss goals yet this year because I've been putting myself through some major workout changes, but its time to make this a priority and I feel confident that I can do so without hurting myself since I'll have some professional help! Even better - because diet is a huge component of allergy problems my medical plan is paying for this! WOOT! Nutrition Plan! Here goes... NO CALORIE COUNTING... EEP! The plan is based on whole eating (I own this) with a balance of high quality protein, veggie carbs and healthy fats spread out for 3 meals and 3 snacks a day. This is far more than I normally eat and a plan I knew I should be following but didn't know how to start. So WIN on this being the launching point! Here's the basic breakdown. Meals Protein - 2-4oz at breakfast, 4oz at lunch and dinner. Carb - 1 cup of green veggies + 1/2 c carb veggies or 1 grain/bean serving, Fat - 1 servings (which would be like 1/2 an avacado or 2tbl butter or some olives or nuts,etc) Snacks 1-2oz protein, 1 carb serving, 1 fat serving Bedtime Snack 1/2c fruit with 1 serving fat (which I'm delighted to see includeds 2 tbl cream cheese!!!) So the schedule is Breakfast - Snack - Lunch - Snack - Dinner - Bedtime snack. (+5 CON) GOAL 4 – Read at least 2x per week for 1 hour anything that isn't school work. I have a huge stack of books that I want to get through and I've been bad about making time to relax and enjoy, so now is a good time to make that happen! HOW: Beginning each week I will look at the schedule and plan these two times. Success here will involve any 2 hours in the week devoted to reading for fun. I'm going to start with ______ (I need to pick one) LOL (+2 WIS)

Ahhh a new challenge! I've changed my thread name for the first time since joining NF! Time to put my main goal as the focus of these next few challenges! Last challenge was an epic win in conquoring the weight section. I learned a ton in the last challenge when it came to my running, including changing my running form, getting new vibram soled shoes and correcting my strike pattern. I'm ready to kick this part of my goal into high gear!!! This time around I must switch gears and focus on my long term plan of running the Twin Cities Marathon in Oct (26 weeks), by way of the Red White and Boom 1/2 Marathon in 12 weeks. I've switched plans to a Galloway running plan as recommended by guild members last challenge! My running goals will be based on his plan for a "just to finish" goal. So this round (and the next few really) I will be switching from weights 3 days per week to 2 days per week, with running 3 days and two rest days instead of 1 each week. Here's the plan for this challenge! GOAL 1– Run a 12 Min Mile Last challenge I had this goal and didn't reach it, so I'm keeping it! I did improve on my 15 min mile last challenge, but I'd like to really see progress here this time. Since I'm focusing on running, this is an excellent place to start. A 12 min mile is 5 MPH and I'm currently doing 3-4 MPH. By the end of the challenge I want this to be averaging 4-5 MPH. HOW: I'll be following the Galloway running program for a "just to finish" 1/2-Full Marathon plan. This involves running on Mon/Wed for 1/2 hour, Thurs is an "easy walk", and long runs on Sat. Fri and Sunday will be recovery days. On my Mon/Wed runs my plan will be to work on this goal by progressively improving my time. By the end of 6 weeks I'd like to be doing at least 1 mile in 12 min during these runs. I'll be continuing with intervals for these Mon/Wed Runs as a way to increase my speeds. I discovered last challenge that 5 Min up/down is a great pace for me, so I'm going to stick with that. I'll do these at the gym since that's more doable during the work week. Long runs will focus on simply distance - not worrying about time for the most part. Time should improve as my endurance improves, but I'll be tracking it in general not specifically. These will be done outside every week as soon as its humanly possible (if we ever thaw out) and only done inside if its raining. (+5 STA) GOAL 2 – Strength Training 2 days per Week. Last challenge was all about this goal and me overcoming my fears of weight training. I'm pleased to say it was a huge success! Now I need to continue that momentum, but secondary to the running. I'm going to continue with my RFG Plans since those are going so well! I leveled up from Rookie to Recruit during the last challenge and I think I'll stay there through this challenge. I'd like to perfect this workout and add some weight to my lifts before I level up. This will be on Tues and Thurs. This workout includes interval training, which I'm going to skip. Since my Mon/Wed runs will be intervals this will be a fine compromise. How: Follow the RFG Recruit workouts on Tues and Thurs, skipping the interval training portion. I'll be looking to add more weight every two weeks - so 3 times - during this challenge. (+3 STR and +2 CHA) GOAL 3 – Focus on Food - 5 meals per day This was also a goal from last challenge that went ok, but not great. I learned a lot and discovered some tools to help. THis challenge I want to nail my diet. Its time to get serious about what I'm eating and to make sure its empowering my workouts. I'm going to fine tune this to more specific goals based on what I learned last challenge. HOW: I must eat 1552-1652 calories per day. This needs to include 125g protein and 120g Carbs (vegetable, oatmeal and quiona/brown rice only) and no more than 30g of sugar each day. I'll be tracking fat but not really worrying about it as long as it comes from healthy fat sources like avacado an lean animal protein type sources. I already follow a mostly Paleo approach, I'm gluten free, mostly diary free and eat almost entirely organic. I need to eat on a better schedule so this challenge I need measure how often I eat with a goal of - Breakfast, Lunch, snack, Dinner, snack. Thats roughly 300 Cal per eating time - give or take. I'll be using Paleo for Athletes to dial this in. (+5 CON) In addition to these goals I'll be attending my normal bellydancing classes on Wed evenings. Optimally workouts will be done in the morning - but I've learned that flexibility in my schedule means I am more successful with my goals so as long as I workout each day I'm scheduled its a win. Friday mornings I'm still going to get up at gym time and I think I may do some bellydancing or yoga at home. I currently weigh 197. My measurements are: (In Inches and on both sides) Neck: 12.25 Chest: 34 (-2) Waist: 39 (-.5) ( Hips: 43 (-1) Bicep: 12 (-.5) Forearm: 9 (-.5) Wrist: 5 Thigh: 24 Calf: 16 SCHEDULE MONDAY-WEDNESDAY: 1/2 hour of running. Focus on intervals and 12 min Mile goal. TUESDAY - THURSDAY: RFG Recruit plan. SATURDAY: Long Runs per schedule - runs to be outside unless there's bad weather. FRIDAY - SUNDAY: Recovery Days.

Greetings, Rebels! I am so honored to be participating in my first challenge with you all. It just so happens that I sat down this last weekend while my husband was out of town to plan out my goals for the next six months and figure out what I needed to do each week to achieve them. At first, I figured I would just leave it at that, but as I read through the forums for this challenge, I realized I would be missing out on a great support and accountability community; so I decided to officially sign-up for the challenge and encourage other rebels like myself to reach their goals. Currently, I weigh about 250 lbs, and wear a dress-size 18/20 (somewhere in the middle); ideally, I would like to wear a size 12. I am also an aspiring writer and would love to earn some money for my work and/or see my name in print. Goal #1: Exercise 5 days a week for at least 20 minutes per day. --Alternate between strength training and cardio. (i.e. MWF is weight lifting or body weight workouts, TTh is bellydance, yoga, walking, etc.) Grading: A - Exercised for at least 20 minutes a day for 30 days. B - Exercised for at least 20 minutes a day for 24 days. C - Exercised for at least 20 minutes a day for 18 days. D - Exercised for at least 20 minutes a day for 12 days. F - Exercised for at least 20 minutes a day for <12 days. Goal #2: Stop drinking soda. --I drink about 1 Dr. Pepper a day, usually to keep me awake after my lunch break (I'm on my feet for my whole shift; that can get exhausting after a while). I will replace my daily soda with water, tea, or juice (if there isn't too much sugar in it). The "Naked" fruit smoothies have always been very good to me . Grading: A - no soda for 42 days. B - no soda for 36 days. C - no soda for 30 days. D - no soda for 24 days. F - no soda for <24 days. Goal #3: Query/Submit to at least 6 publications. --Send query letters to at least 3 publications that require them before sending a manuscript. A query is a letter to the publication editor asking if he or she is interested in running your piece (article/story/poem/etc.). Many publications require a query letter, and then will ask the author for the complete manuscript if they are interested. If you send them your piece without querying first, they may throw it away without reading it; they call them unsolicited manuscripts. --Submit manuscripts to at least 3 publications that do not require a query letter. Some publications are okay with receiving unsolicited manuscripts. --Mail at least 1 query/submission per week. Grading: A - Query 3+ publications. Submit to 3+ publications. B - Query 3 publications. Submit to 2 publications. C - Query 2 publications. Submit to 2 publications. D - Query 2 publications. Submit to 1 publication. F - Query 0 publications. Submit to 0 publications. Goal #4: Write 1000 words per day, 5 days a week. --Pretty self-explanatory. Grading: A - 1000 wds a day for 30 days. B - 1000 wds a day for 24 days. C - 1000 wds a day for 18 days. D - 1000 wds a day for 12 days. F - 1000 wds a day for <12 days. A word on my grading scale: The day count I have included in my grading scales are cut-off amounts to account for some variability in performance. For instance, if I exercised for 26 days during the challenge, I would still grade myself an A because I exercised more than the cut-off amount for the B grade, which is 24 days. I hope that makes sense. The only exception would be Goal #3 with the publication submissions. In order for me to achieve an A grade, I must query at least 3 publications and submit to at least 3 publications. Anything less results in a lower grade. I look forward to sharing with my progress with everybody. HV

I am so glad to have found this site. I've been spending my time between semesters trying to organize my eating and exercising, but A Dance with Dragons, the Hobbit movie, and my near-genetic predisposition to immediately hoard and feast upon potatoes when the temperature drops below 55 have been hindering my process. I used to belly dance quite a bit, and have been beginning to learn Uechi-Ryu karate. While I like to work out on my own at times, I really like the strength and flexibility that comes from doing real things, like practicing kata or dancing. I've signed up on the Adventurer board, Biut suppose I may be working toward levels in Monk/Bard. Speaking of which, there should be a Bard class. I completed Tough Mudder last September, and have signed up for the July Event in Lake Tahoe. I want to be able to pull myself up, so maybe I can do better getting over those walls, and to build up my stamina so I can jog a bigger percent of the course, rather than walking pretty much the whole way. Anyway, I am a vegetarian, and love to cook. I get weekly organic produce boxes delivered, which encourage me to try cooking new veggies (my favorites are bok choy, collard greens, and kale).