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Let's form an adventure party whose goal is to memorize Bible verses and encourage one another along the way! It's fun to pick the same verse. That way we can talk about what the verse means to us. So, I've chosen a couple of verses. However, as the treasure hunt leader, I'm pretty easy going, so if you have another verse you'd rather work on, that's fine too. The verse for the challenge is; Philipippians 3:12-14 The following is in ESV, but feel free to go with another translation Not that I have already obtained this, or am already perfect; but I press on to make it my own, because Christ has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do, forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead,I press onward toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. a couple of notes: remember that when the Bible says perfect, it is talking about being complete.What Paul is talking about is making us complete in Christ. In other words, making us more like Christ. I'd recommend reading the whole chapter in order to give yourself a good grounding in what this verse is talking about, or even better the whole book. Let's go! tagging @Starpuck and @NightWatcher13 @MrsVan

Warriors' Barracks: Run 2 5Ks before challenge is over Exercise 4x a week Monks' Temple: Professor Grant Horner's Bible reading lists: Monday - Thursday Memory verses every day Athenaeum: NASM course - take test on Module 3 & start Module 4 Piano - 175 hours per week or 35 minutes 5 x a week

Quarantine and isolation! Even an introvert like me can get stir crazy when the only people I get to see are my parents and occasionally the Amazon delivery guy. Here's how I plan to entertain myself, effective immediately PLP Challenge (but different). Starting point: 15 Bulgarian split squats per leg, 10 knee push-ups, 15 inverted rows, 10 dead bugs, 60 seconds side planks Thermo studying. 1 hour every day. No excuses. I need to do well in this class. Bible reading and prayer. I'm stuck at home, I've got the time for it. Working afternoons. I'm lucky my college is allowing me to work from home online. Making dinner (and make enough to have leftovers for lunch). We're still on paleo ish as much as we can be, as long as the local produce stand is still open and has vegetables and eggs. Meat is a bit harder to come by. We'll make it happen. Clean something. Tracking sheet I also have some incidentals that need taking care of. File the damn taxes. Read The Silmarillion. Funness.

After succeeding in a respawn challenge, Skywalker is determined to make this reboot last. It won't be easy, as one more intensive course week and several due dates for writing assignments are awaiting. So, the challenge will be realistic and simple. Keep successfully doing what works, and keep working on that which wasn't successfully done in the previous challenge. AND I'm adding a study-related one, just in case. Subquest 1: start the day with devotions (Scripture study, meditation and prayer) -> 1 WIS + 1 CHA Subquest 2: do at least >7000 steps/day -> 1 STA Subquest 3: completely cut all unintentional time on the internet (entertainment, news, social media, etc.) and spend it on research/writing instead -> 1 WIS Subquest 4: go to sleep before midnight -> 2 CON Subquest 5: run at least 2x/week (1x long run + 1x tempo run) -> 1 STA + 1 DEX Subquest 6: lift 2x/week -> 2 STR So... I'm ready to step into the larger world once again.

It's good to be back in the Rebellion! I got some pretty ok results in the first three challenges (#1, #2, #3), then unexpectedly moved to UK for postgraduate studies (take-it-or-leave-it scholarship thing) and coped with the adaptation, work, study and family balance during the autumn term, running and lifting only very occasionally, while ditching my daily walks altogether. In Nov, I failed a respawn challenge. In sum, I let Darth Paunch punch me too much (fueled by the Galactic Writing Assignments Empire). All in all, I threw that lightsaber behind way too many times. It comes to an end. In the latter part of January (original time of the year when I left the Mordor realm of inactivity in 2018), I resumed my running and lifting routine, though I'm still in the process of gearing up. I got myself a new fitness tracker (Huawei Band 3 Pro - for £58 on Amazon Warehouse) with GPS and swimming mode, which adds to motivation (I detest carrying my phone on runs - and this band tracks runs with GPS, showing the pace, distance ran and heart BPM on its own screen in real time, which I always wanted; also, I plan to subscribe to a swimming pool as soon as my academic year ends). Here's the new beauty: And here are some pictures from today's walk around Binfield (finally found some kinda hilly paths which resemble the hills of Maruševec in Croatia that I quite miss): So at this point, I'm pretty optimistic. However, I need to temper it with realism. First, the challenge reports will have to be Twitter-style - nowhere near like this introductory post (took me over an hour!). I made an Accountabilities Twitter-style thread during the failed respawn challenge, but there weren't any posters beside me, so I will not double it, but instead am branding this challenge as an "abridged-posting mode" one. Thus, both my goals and posts will be simple. Also, the following two weeks I have an intensive course, which means my goals during that time will be a smaller bite. So here it is: Subquest 1: walk >4000 daily steps during first two weeks and >8000 daily steps during second two weeks -> 2 STA Subquest 2: run 1x/week during first two weeks and 2x/week during second two weeks -> 1 STA + 1 DEX Subquest 3: lift 1x/week during first two weeks and 2x/week during second two weeks -> 2 STR Subquest 4: go to sleep before midnight -> 2 CON Subquest 5: start the day with devotions (Scripture study, meditation and prayer) -> 1 WIS + 1 CHA Give me that lightsaber alright! P.S. looking forward to the end of the academic year, when I'll be able to hang out with you much more! Wishing all of you a rocking 4WC!

Back to the Island of Basics... Where There be Dragons 1. Pray - Read - Talk Spend proper, peaceful time with Father. At least 15min. every morning before exercises. 2. Be good about food and water You cannot have one without the other: just keep an eye on what and how much I eat, BUT drink at least 1x bottle of water/day. 3. Sleep, wonderful sleep Even fierce dragons need their sleep: before 22h00 every night. 4. Train like Astrid and Fishlegs, with passion. Put some passion back into training: LEGS- Monday, Wednesday, Friday Squats 3x10 X-over lunges 3x10 Deadlifts (start 28.5kg) 3x10 Plank2Pushup core - start 3x5 ARMS- Tuesdays, Thursday, Saturdays Pushups 3x10 Shoulder presses (start with bar @ 6.5kg) 3x10 Inverted rows 3x10 Abs wheel 3x10 5. Do finances studiously! As required... Finalise slips. (Aug-Nov). If finance-work felt like activity sheets, I'd have no problem doing them. Change my attitude about doing finances, and GET IT DONE! -------------------------------------------------------- IN SUMMERY -------------------------------------------------------- 1. Pray - Read - Talk 2. Be good about food and water 3. Sleep, wonderful sleep 4. Train like Astrid and Fishlegs, with passion 5. Do finances studiously! No, we haven't seen the 3rd movie yet, we are waiting for the dvd to come out. I have no problems with spoilers.

. . . . . . . . Yeah, so, back in February, my depression and anxiety got...way out of hand, and i ran from...as many places as i could, really. Things got really bad, and i spent a lot of time wishful-thinking about suicide. Realized i have some resentment issues, some abandonment issues, some undefined issues. Thoughts and feelings about the world, about myself, that i don't know what to do with yet. There was a difficult situation in the family, and i'm wholly convinced it was God who carried us through it. I've read some books (The Screwtape Letters, some historical fiction, some historical nonfiction), done loads of research on a wide variety of topics, finished a quilt that was started by my late grandma, been freaked out about the chocolate industry, and, for the past month, have been fostering four kittens on a part-time basis. ( that first and that last have been so helpful ) Also, mom and i started going to church again. My situation hasn't really changed - i haven't contacted a doctor or gotten a job or any of the Big Things i thought i wouldn't come back until getting done. The dark thoughts still come and go, the feelings still flare up, but...it's time to try another Challenge, if the Rangers will have me back. ___________________________________________________________________________________________ My goals are routine-based, pass-or-fail, and built on some of the things i've discovered make me feel better: Daily Morning Stretch 10 Squats each time i leave my desk Daily Scripture Writing/Devotion Time Memrise/Duolingo/Khan Academy Assignments Workout- Final Girl from Darebee, generally. Finish one writing assignment daily. Minimum 3 water ( my cup is 32oz ) Bonus points for cutting sugar from tea Another thing i've realized makes me feel better is, weirdly enough, fasting? Having only water/tea all day and then one good meal in the evening. But it won't be a rule so much as a guideline.

Hello Rebels! @Starpuck, @Genevieve Fox, @IAmInfinite, and I are starting a project to read through the Bible book of Psalms, 7 chapters per week, and report to each other once a week on our favorite verses and what we learned. Anyone from any guild is welcome to join - in fact, we'd love to have you!! This week we're reading Psalm 1-7, and on a yet-to-be-chosen day next week (possibly Monday?), we will all check in here and write a little about what we have learned or been blessed by in our readings this week. Welcome to all who join us on our journey!!

Last challenge started really well! Then I got stuck. Like a deer in the headlights. Except I'm not a deer. I'm a DRAGON. I'm FIERCE and CAPABLE and - NOOOO STOP THAT !!!!!!!!!!! I got totally derailed by the end. I had some extra external stressors, and I let them get to me. It affected my sleep, which then affected my ability to Do The Things - too tired to go to the gym, too tired to resist buying coffee and sweets at school, etc. Sooo... I can't think of anything to change, so I'm gonna just try the same stuff again. But I'm gonna... somehow bring myself back to my original intent, with regularity. So I can keep with my goals, and not fall off the wagon as much. Hopefully????? And also get more sleep!! 1. Work out 3x per week 2. Eat healthy 5x per week 3. DO NOT BUY FOOD AT SCHOOL 4. Read the Bible 3x per week 5. 9:30 bedtime

"For a righteous man falls seven times, and rises again". Proverbs 24:16 I may not be very religious, but that passage speaks to me. Seven falls. Seven respawns. When I started the Nerd Fitness™ journey, I weighed around 275 lbs, and was already eating relatively well. The I went into a deep depressive episode that lasted for weeks. When I finally came out of it, I was 308 lbs., and my food choices were those of a man looking forward to his 1st heart attack. I have started walking up and down my staircase for 14 minutes a day, but I'm not consistent. I need help, fellow nerds. I need to be accountable to someone. Please. Help me up for the eighth time?

For my next challenge, I have decided to break it up into four parts: Heart, Body, Mind, and Spirit. These will probably extend past four weeks and hopefully form habits. Heart: Be the first to greet people when I encounter them (inspired by Gabby Reece: "I always say 'go first'....That means if I'm checking out at the store, I say hello first. If I'm coming across somebody and make eye contact, I'll smile first. I wish people would experiment with that in their lives a little bit: Be first because - not all times, but most times- it comes in your favor. The response is pretty amazing.") Start a Gratitude Journal (at least three things every day). Write a "Thank You" letter or send a "Thank You" message once/week to someone who deserves it. Call mother every day. Visit grandfather at least once/week. Body: Do at least 50 pushups/day. Do at least 50 dips/day. HIIT at least 3 days/week. Intermittent fasting to help with weight loss/muscle building Spend at least 30 minutes/day outside. Get to bed before 10:30 pm. Mind: Download Insight Timer (done). Find guided meditations that interest me. Use at least one guided meditation daily. Sit in still silence every day for at least five minutes. Start a daily reflection journal (for the end of the day). Read at least 5 pages of any book/day (I love to read, but my attention span is so short, this is seriously challenging for me). Schedule social media time (rather than randomly/obsessively checking it every few minutes): No more than 30 minutes in the morning and 1 hour in the evening. Spirit: Place a Bible Reading Plan in my Bible and/or download a Reading Plan via the YouVersion app. Read assigned chapters/verses in the morning before my day begins (or listen to audio version during commute to work). Integrate prayer throughout my day. Find and read a short daily devotional/meditations. Most of these are habits I have wanted to build for a while. It seems daunting, but some of these can be integrated, and I know strengthening these four pillars will help me become more balanced over time.

Yes, I'm doing another twenty one pilots themed challenge. I am still off in faraway lands doing cool things with lasers, and I'm still homesick and anxious and sad, and these awesome dudes are still helping me stay sane. And it just so happens that this beautiful song (one of the first songs of theirs that I fell in love with) has a few lines that relate directly to my goals for the challenge! PERF~ PRIMARY GOALS ~ i'm taking over my body ~ I am so done with dorm food, oh my lordy lord. There are so many delicious things and ALL OF THEM ARE BAD FOR ME. I am done letting food control me though! I'm taking aggressive control of what I put in my mouth. During zero week, I'm going to attempt Cold Turkey (mostly!)Paleo. Last challenge, I tried limiting myself to one dessert per day, but here's the thing - you can never have just one! I've found that going cold turkey has worked for me in the past, so I'm gonna give it another shot. Depending on how zero week goes, I may re-evaluate this goal. ~ it probably happens at night, right? ~ Everything here happens at night. Wanna go to a cafe? Wanna watch a movie? Let's go to a concert! Let's play a game! Let's go jam in the music room! I'm not used to having such a vast social life all of a sudden, and it's been really fun, but I haven't gotten to bed before 11:00pm in, like, 5 weeks. I'm tired all the time, and my mental health is suffering. The goal here is to be in bed, TECH OFF, by 10:00 (with the exception of maybe weekends). SECONDARY GOALS (not graded) ~ entertain my faith ~ Another reason, I suspect, that my mental health has been suffering is because I haven't been reading my Bible very much. Most weeks, church on Sunday and small group on Wednesday are all I get during the week, and that is NO BUENO! I'd like to read/meditate on a chapter of Proverbs every day, if possible, per a reading challenge that was issued by the church I've been attending. ~ time to move our feet ~ I have totally fallen of the exercise bandwagon, and it's really frustrating. I was doing so well during last semester! And then final exams rolled around, and ever since then I've hardly exercised at all. I'd like to have a physical activity 3 or so times per week at least, but ideally every weekday. I brought my yoga mat with me and bought new workout clothes before I came here and everything! Time to put them to use!!!

So, uh. I finally found the twenty one pilots bandwagon. And hooooo boy am I on it. I love this band, you guys. I. LOVE. THIS. BAND. *ahem* As you may know, I am off in a (not actually very far) faraway land doing physics research at another university for the summer. Which is super exciting, but I'm also having a bit of a hard time. When my parents dropped me off, I was really emotional at first - this is an entirely new thing for me. I have not spent any amount of time away from home by myself. It has now been one week. During the weekdays this first week, I was so insanely busy that I didn't really have time to think. But once the weekend arrived and everything slowed waaaay doooown, all of my sad feelings came back. I really miss my family and friends and familiar people. I feel lonely, cos even though I get along really well with all the other students in my research program, we still aren't at the close-friend level yet (obviously; it's only been a week) and I tend to cling to thrive on one or two close connections with people, and now I have none (they're all back at home), and it makes me feel lonely by default even when I'm surrounded by people whose company I enjoy. And I also kinda feel overwhelmed by the scope of my project (it's about lasers) and like my knowledge/skills are not nearly sufficient. tl;dr I miss my hoomans (and my doge) I feel lonely I feel like I'm not good enough I know that I really am not alone - I am surrounded by cool nerds who I get along well and have a lot in common with; and if I wasn't good enough, I wouldn't have been accepted to the program in the first place. But that doesn't make all those niggling thoughts and feelings go away. So now it's down to surviving the yucky feelings and getting on with the rest of my summer, and not letting my sadness control or consume me (like it kinda did this past weekend [oops]). Which brings me to the reason I chose this band as my theme. Their music is all about dealing with that darker side of your mind, and it makes me feel a little better when I'm having a rough time. Here are my goals this time around, inspired by part of the lyrics to twenty one pilots's song, Fairly Local. Only one is actually measurable; the others are just things I need to remind myself of, so I figured I'd write them down too, while I'm at it. The Few - few desserts :: At this university, the dining hall is basically an all-you-can-eat buffet with a sinful quantity of dessert foods (I'm lookin' at you, maple-glazed cake doughnuts...). Limit one dessert/carb-heavy food per day. Re-evaluate at the end of week 2, if it goes well. The Proud - pride in my progress :: I've come a long way, learned a lot, and fallen in love with physics. Remember that I am capable of a lot more than I think. - pride in my potential :: The directors of this program obviously thought I was good enough. Work hard, make it worth it, and do something I can be proud of by the time it's over. The Emotional - self-care :: Remember to rest. Remember to read my Bible. Make sure to get enough sleep. If needed, find a quiet place so I can get my feelings out; but try not to let it get to that point. - socialize :: Don't hide/isolate myself just because I'm sad. Get involved and stay involved. Friends aren't going to make themselves. There have been good days and bad days. I'm hoping that as the days go by, I'll get used to living away from home and my emotions will level out. But either way, there's only 9 weeks left. Let's do this.

Second attempt to Theme It Up Good, now presenting, :3 Just look at their little faces, my children, my loves, my collection of cinnamon rolls and angry kittens and- *AHEM* sorry. So sorry. Anyway. So here's what happened in the last Challenge: Things went pretty well as far as doing what I set out to do, keeping up with tasks and whatnot, but then hit a giant roadblock in the form of a close relative's death and the resulting emotional turmoil. The household has not been the same at all. Final half of last Challenge was spent focusing less on the tasks and more on keeping afloat during difficult times. Now, we're in the rebuilding stage. My goals for this Challenge are much the same as they always are, but with a few other things thrown in. Anyway, ~ The Set Up ~ ________________ For this Challenge I'll be drawing inspiration from one of my favorite stories, "The Three Musketeers". The book(s) are actually my favorite version, but the BBC's adaptation is an incredibly close second. It has almost all my favorite things; intense brotherhood, antics, snark, humor, fencing, fighting, torture, revenge, giants, monsters, chases, escapes, true love, miracles...uh....<.< The four beautiful heroes each have their own unique plot arcs and development over the course of the series while also dealing with the main plot of each episode and the main plot of the series itself. They also have some very specific traits, some of which follow them through every version of their story, some of which are particular to this one. In the Title's spirit, I've selected three traits from each of them to base my Challenge on, plus a mini-quest. These traits are, Athos: (The Leader with a troubled soul. Also looks exactly like Grumpy Cat in the BBC version) Stamina- Athos is not one to quit. Each day, walking/running or Plank Challenges will award me a point here. Intelligence- As a gentleman, Athos is highly educated, That, and his sass-game is always on point. Here, I'll receive points for studying my French and Spanish, and also Mathematics on Khan Academy Serenity- Yes, Athos is known as something of a tortured soul and does occasionally deal with it by drinking himself into a stupor, but for the most part he stays cool and collected under pressure and is the first one to pass on the advice, "head over heart". For this one, I'll be keeping a journal. Last Challenge, issues of anxiety, among other things, came up and so attempts will be made to investigate via journaling. Aramis: (The Monk with a taste for adrenaline and romance, ninety percent of season two is his fault) Agility- In almost all his fight scenes, the man is duel-wielding. Which is awesome. He's also fond of jumping out windows, but that's beside the point. In attempt to level up my own Agility, I'll be working on yoga, with one point per session. Friendliness: Aramis is always ready with a kind word and often finds his advice to "not get involved" difficult to follow. I'll be working on my own people-skills and attitude throughout the Challenge. Faith: For all his wandering ways, Aramis is devout in his faith. Bible Reading and Prayer are the goals. Porthos: (The Warrior with a heart of gold and ambition to match, he's highly skilled in combat using forks, chairs, and sometimes headgear) Strength: Porthos' main recurring trait! He is physically the strongest of the group. I'll be working out to gain some strength for a point! Resourcefulness: Armed with only a three-pronged fork, he successfully dueled a man. He's also great at good-cop-bad-cop. For my feat of resourcefulness, however, I'll be aiming for four bottles of water a day and also making an effort where food is concerned. Joy: Honestly, though, Porthos has the best smile. I'll be focusing on positivity. D'Artagnan: (The Puppy- I mean...uh...The Ace of the Group. Full of potential and raw nerve. He is also a cinnamon roll.) Speed: On the one hand, d'Artagnan is known for recklessness, impatience, passion-without-pause, but on the other, he's also a quick and eager learner and polishes well. My feat of speed, ironically, will be to slow down and do my own polishing in the form of stretching and developing flexibility. Perseverance: For d'Artagnan, it's rarely a question of 'if' but rather 'when'. He rarely doubts whether something will happen that he's striving for, just keeps on fighting for it until it does. Likewise, I'll be plowing ahead in my writing. Courage: Another d'Artagnan signature. I'll be trying for a tiny adventure or a brave deed each day. Points will be awarded for each successful completion, and there will be a mini-quest each week worth two points per successful completion. The rest of Zero-Week, however, will be spent in Captain-Treville mode, setting everything up.

Hi there <3 Whoever you are, I am VERY glad that you are here! I've decided to make the switch from challenging back to a battle log for the time being. I think that having short term goals with the pressure of a challenge isn't the best formula for me right now. I think that I need the accountability of something far more long-term and flexible. I need to be able to focus on whatever goals I think are necessary at the time, and I need to be able to change my goals in a time frame that I decide, but most importantly, I need a longer commitment than just 6 weeks. This battle log will hopefully stand as a constant reminder to me that being healthy and fit and successful and peaceful and happy is a lifelong journey. To give you a little background on what's going in my life right now, I am 22, currently living in a suburb of Sacramento, and working in another suburb of Sacramento. I am in management on a Congressional campaign here in the area, and I work 75 hours a week currently. Election Day is 8 days away, and life is crazy! I live in a house with a 32 year old woman who has become my newest best friend and sister, and I'm loving Cali. I'm moving home on November 5th and feeling very bittersweet about that. I'm interviewing for a couple new positions, and I will update you when things are more concrete. I'm not sure where I'll move next, but it looks like D.C. is the main possibility. As far as health and goals and such, I have been TERRIBLE. I've been eating lots of non-paleo things, and too much of them. I've been drinking a lot, and I haven't run in 3 weeks. I've stopped doing yoga, and reading the Bible, and generally anything that isn't working or partying with my colleagues, roommate and friends. Although I absolutely love my job and it's a complete dream to work on a winning Congressional campaign (we're absolutely smashing the opposition and it was never truly a contest), they're super draining and consuming and life-sucking I'm having a hard time finding time to do everything I need to do, or the willpower to stay on track. Politics is the #2 least healthy field in the professional world, and I understand why! Here are my goals for rght now: 1. I must eat/track my calories on MFP and eat between my BMR and TDEE of mostly paleo food. As far as priorities go, I am going to prioritize eating exactly my calorie goal rather than making everything absolutely paleo. If I'm eating 85% paleo and not eating under or over my calories, that's fine with me. The only thing completely not allowed is sugar..... except for alcoholic beverages I don't have a scale with me, so I'm going to guesstimate my weight to calculate my BMR and TDEE. If you would like to friend me on MFP, I'm politicosnow Consequence: I have realized that I am a sneaky, self-justifying, tricky bastard, so I am going to have consequences for not staying on track for each goal. My consequence for not eating within a range of calories (which I will re-determine every 2 weeks) is that I MUST eat entirely paleo the next day; no cheats allowed. 2. I must drink 100 oz of water each day. This one's pretty obvious. Consequence: I can't have any other type of beverage (besides coffee and tea) until I have done so. 3. I must exercise 3x a week. With my crazy schedule right now, I'm not going to specify what type of exercise or when or anything. I will plan it out week by week and try to get it in whenever I can. It could be a run before work, walking during my lunch break (if I get one that day), or body weight exercises after work, or riding my bike once I get home. I just need to do something active 3x a week! Consequence: No Grey's Anatomy for the week. It's my guilty pleasure binge show right now that is my stress reliever when nothing else works. If I fail to work out 3x by next Monday, I can't watch Grey's until the following Monday. 4. I must read my Bible every day and read from a career-related book every 2 days. I had a schedule ALL worked out for this and I was doing great, until I wasn't.... haha....so here's the new plan. I will read 2 chapters from the Bible every single night after work. There is NO EXCUSE for being able to take half an hour or less every night to read the Word before bed. And every two days, I need to get an hour of reading done. That's just an hour. And I can find time every two days to do that. So I need to have an hour of reading done in Political Confrontations by Wednesday morning. Consequence: I must perform a random act of kindness! 5. Every morning, I must post on this battle log: 1. One positive thing about my body 2. One positive thing about food 3. Three things that I am thankful for 4. Someone in my life that I am going to reach out to (and then actually reach out and either text, Facebook, call, message, etc them) 5. Things I want to accomplish that day Consequence: I cannot use any social media each day until I complete all of this. Thanks for reading! I'm grateful you're here on NF! -Snow <3

So much has changed for Snow in the past season..... she lives in an entirely different region of the Enchanted Forest, she has found new work to afford her enough gold to trade for the few necessities she can't make, hunt or find herself, she has a few new friends, and she has a new game plan for defeating the Evil Queen. But with all the change that remains, Snow can't seem to shake what has always plagued her.... worry that consumes her, regrets that follow her around like her shadow and an unquenchable thirst for victory over her lifelong foe, Regina, the Evil Queen. With all the success she's had recently at outwitting the Evil Queen, forging alliances, finding work, sustaining her life and making friends, she is very restless, anxious, troubled, and constantly on overdrive, never taking a break from the work and worry of finding vengeance, redemption, a future, love, a family, everything she is desperately craving. Snow has come to a point in her own life where she realizes that she needs to find ways to channel all of these nerves and all this pent-up aggression, and she needs to make sure she takes care of herself, or else she will not be able to carry out her plans and achieve her destiny. Snow has decided that it's time to make some changes; she knows that she cannot live with this level of stress, fear and worry every day. She knows that, if she does not defeat her fears now, that fear will become a greater foe than even the Evil Queen. She has finally made a plan to take care of herself, do things that will calm her mind and her heart, and build up discipline, creating habits that will make her a stronger, wiser, kinder, more disciplined warrior and, someday, Queen. (To break through the crypticness, I moved to El Dorado Hills, a suburb of Sacramento, CA, on September 2nd, because I was hired as the Volunteer Director for Congressman Tom McClintock's re-election campaign! I'm living with a supporter and his wife, and trying to get used to a new place, new coworkers, new job, new everything. I will be moving home on November 5th, so this will be the longest I've ever been away from home. I am interviewing with a potential employer for November, and dealing with a lot of stress due to the campaign, being away from everyone and everything I love, unfinished business from the past year, finances, all kinds of things....) My goals are: 1. Daily Yoga - I will be spending 20 minutes every day doing an online yoga video or doing whatever yoga poses my body needs. For the first 30 days, I will be doing the 30 Day Yoga Challenge on doyouyoga.com with DarkRaven as my accountability partner, and then the rest of the time, I will find whatever videos I want to do each day. This will create peace, relieve my stress and tension, and calm my mind and heart. I am allotting 3 STA points for a successful challenge. I will rate my success by how many days I miss doing yoga: A = 0-2 days missed = 3 STA points B = 3-4 days = 2.5 C = 5-6 days = 2 D = 7-9 = 1 F = 10+ = 0 2. Couch to 5K Program - I will be running 3x a week for the allotted 25 minutes of the C2K program. I love running, but my endurance is TERRIBLE. I hope to just successfully complete the program, and in doing so, I hope to prepare for my first 5K, which is September 27th. It's really soon and I won't be ready to run all of it, but it's for an incredibly good cause and I couldn't pass up doing it. Running makes me feel powerful, accomplished and focused. It clears my mind and takes all of my worries and fears away. Since running is so hard for me and so important to me, I'm allotting 3 DEX and 3 STA points for a total of 6. I will rate my success by how many runs I miss: A = 0-2 runs missed = 3 DEX, 3 STA B = 3-4 days = 2.5 DEX, 2.5 STA C = 5-6 days = 2 DEX, 2 STA D = 7-9 days = 1 DEX, 1 STA F = 10+ days = 0 3. Daily Bible/intelligent reading - I recently read Genesis to Joshua, so I have broken Judges-Revelations up into readable chunks every day, with 1-3 chapters of each the Old and New Testament each day. I have also been working on reading something intelligent every day; right now, they're all political books that will aid me in my new position as the Volunteer Director on a Congressional campaign and in my new position (hopefully) in November on a pre-presidential campaign PAC. This will increase my wisdom and knowledge, and build discipline. It will also improve my confidence on and off the job. I am allotting 2 WIS points and 1 CHA point. I will rate my success by how many nights I don't read: A = 0-2 nights missed = 2 WIS, 1 CHA B = 3-4 days = 1.5 WIS, .75 CHA C = 5-6 days = 1 WIS, .5 CHA D = 7-9 days = .5 WIS, .25 CHA F= 10+ days = 0 Please bear with me on how long this next one is.... It's really important to me to share info about eating disorders. There is not enough awareness about them, so I think it's well worth my time typing it, and hopefully your time reading it. I am still struggling with my OSFED (Otherwise Specified Feeding or Eating Disorder, formerly known as EDNOS). It can manifest itself in many forms; it is a blanket category to capture everyone whose eating disorder doesn't fit neatly into the box of anorexia or bulimia. Mine is severe atypical anorexia. I have all of the symptoms and habits of anorexia, but I am not underweight and have not lost my period yet. My body is still starving itself and my organs are under constant stress and damage due to my under-eating. Some of the signs of anorexia or atypical anorexia: Obsessive calorie counting and knowledge of calories in almost all foods. Purging, or attempting to get rid of eaten food by inducing vomiting or taking laxatives or diuretics. Hiding eating habits due to shame or embarrassment. Hiding the food reserved for binges. Showing excessive interest in weight, body image and fasting. Hiding items such as laxatives or diuretics. Skipping meals, often eating only small snacks instead. Ingesting an excessive amount of food, even when not hungry. Lying about having eaten in an attempt to avoid a meal or snack. Eating until uncomfortable or sick. Eating only a limited number or type of food. Binging, or eating a great amount of food in one sitting. Exercising excessively, particularly after or “to make up for†eating. “Grazing†for as long as food is available. “Playing†with or pushing food around a plate rather than eating it. Hiding food (in a napkin, under a plate, etc.) to avoid eating it. Some of the symptoms and results of (atypical) anorexia: Organ damage Abnormally slow heart rate Unusually low blood pressure Abnormal heart rhythms Heart failure Abdominal painConstipation Absence of menstrual periods Trouble getting pregnantIncreased risk of miscarriage or C-section Decreased urination Potassium deficiencyBone density loss Bone fractures OsteoporosisKidney stones, kidney failure Electrolyte imbalances AnemiaHigh cholesterol levels Dry, flaky, yellowish skin Fine downy hair on the face, back, arms and legsLoss of hair on the head Brittle nails Trouble maintaining core body temperatureBruising easily Depression Social IsolationIrritability Difficulty with social interactions FatigueFainting Chronic Dizziness or Lightheadedness Poor memory, change in brain chemistryDecreased attention span Decreased concentration Compulsive eating ritualsObsessive about food Mood disorders Anxiety disordersPersonality disorders Perfectionism Suicidal tendenciesAddictions to gambling, alcohol, or drugs Compulsions relating to sex, housework, exercising, and/or shopping Death I'm dealing with some of the listed habits and quite a few of the symptoms, and I want, not to mention need, to get this under control. I'm tired of feeling scared and sick. I'm tired of it affecting every piece of my life; my relationship with God, my family, friends and guys, my work, running, my social life, everything. I want to reach a healthy place with my body and food. Eating disorders are the most fatal mental health disorder; 10-20% of us die from our condition. I refuse to be in that statistic. It's up to me to fight this with everything I have. 4. Eating my BMR every day and tracking it on MFP - I need to eat my BMR of calories every day and consistently track it on MFP. Currently, that's 1426 calories and I'm really struggling to eat them. I am allotting 2 CON points and 1 CHA point. I will rate my success by how many days I don't meet this goal: A = 0-2 days missed = 2 CON, 1 CHA B = 3-4 days = 1.5 CON, .75 CHA C = 5-6 days = 1 CON, .5 CHA D = 7-9 days = .5 CON, .25 CHA F= 10+ days = 0 Thank you so much for reading my challenge and supporting me in this endeavor! I am grateful for your companionship and I wish you the best of luck in your own quest! -Snow <3 "And though she be but little, she is fierce." -William Shakespeare

So - I am just setting up a thread here - while I'm traveling with my daughter and two grandsons(1 and 3.5) from Clermont Florida back to Youngstown Ohio. It is coming up time for me to figure out if I need to have surgery on my eye to release the liquified jelly that is pulling away from my retina and causing a 'sheen' on my eyesight - or more specifically - the right half of my right eye is like looking through sheer curtains - with occasional lightning curves, though, those have pretty much stopped(meaing the 6 month process is probably coming to an end). It is coming up time for me to figure out which surgery, if any, I will have on my neck. It is coming up time for me to be walking 5k's so that I can do my color run in July in Birmingham AL. And, it's past time for me to lose weight. it's past time for me to build strength. it's past time for me to face fears, and doubts, and frustrations. How this will look as a challenge, I don't know. But what I do know is that I will do these things: Physical ( 3STR) Cool showers - I like the effect - maybe I'll be up to a cold shower - 3x week. wk1:xxxx 1.Arms/Shoulders: Pushups(counter or wall) - wk1 mx, tx, w10 2.Leg(and hip) exerises(squats, steps ups, awesome legs, diva dierierre) - wk1:mx tx w1010; Rx; F10+30 3.CORE: Planks every day -wk1:mx, txn, wx;Rx; 4.arm strength(variations of curls, rows, kettlebells) - 3x week. wk 1:mx, tx, wx Rx; 5. walk every day - base rate is 5000 steps - work to 10000 day if no surgeries. wk1:m 4k; t 4k; w 4k; R1k 6. swim 1x week: wk 1: Diet (3CON) paleo - meaning - NOgrains, NOdairy, NOaddedsugar(1 fruit per day) wk 1:mx; tx; w yes; Ry I am participating in BiggestLoser3.0 on Facebook, hosted by AlienJenn. Wisdom/Spiritual (3WIS) I have messed up on my Bible Reading, and Prayer - this needs to be daily - if only 5-10 minutes each wk1: mx;tx; wy;Ry; I have forgotten the joy program - posting a joy thing each day 100happydaysmx, tx, wy;Ry; I have forgotten the art project - art each day. mx,tx, wx; Rx Posting! I want to add these three back - because these three make me who I am - whereas the physical is to help me be who I am! Accountability I am part of the Adventurers Quild - I have 3 stats left for mini challenges at adventurers - I will need to post something here each day - to be accountable. Or I'll start a battle log. I will participate with my accountabilibuddies in the RPG fanatics thread. and in the blackdog thread RPG AND Adventurer's guild - first mini - +1 WIS for finding and connecting with folks I want to tackle depression, anxiety, PTSD, and some other stuff...but I am finding that the above behaviors are the minimum necessary for my well being, mentally and emotionally! Diet - especially sugar and graines - cause depression to lurk closer. Lack of meditation in my Faith in Jesus Christ tends to weaken my joy. Lack of consistent exercises tends to weaken me, period, and lead to more stiffness. I want to work on what I found out in the last challenge, as I attempted to peel back the layers(of the onion - or cake - whichever) to reveal myself. It was a great lesson, a great time of revelation...and I want to solidify some of those things. DIGS: week one - neck surgery, find cardio reports; find what HAS worked in the past

Name: Hammlin "Hammi" Race: Wood Elf | Class: Footpath Ranger Leader Level: 16 (STR):38.25 (DEX):34.25 (STA):25 (CON):28.25 (WIS):28.5 (CHA):24.25 Motivation: Searching for peace, honing lost skills. Calm, Cool, Collected. Hammi’s Main Quest: Purpose of Peace (June 9 to July 20) Missions: 1. Maps. I am working towards some items on my epic quest, and one of them involves Search and Rescue. Having submitted my application, I want to spend this summer and fall outdoors getting myself reacquainted with nature and the things in it. My intention is to spend time with some topographical maps. Yay! Step 1: Purchase or download at least 2 topo maps Step 2: Study through library books or online materials how to intentionally use them Step 3: Decide on 2 destinations Step 4: Use and draw a route on my maps and grade myself on my proficiency Step 5: Grade on the challenge is a direct correlation to proficiency grade ***Note: If I notice in my research that the hours needed to do 2 full map studies extends beyond what is reasonable for the challenge, doing 1 at full Pass or Fail proficiency is ok. Reward: (+2 STA +2 STR) 2. Hikes. Part of the application process indicated 3 hikes that are good for physical fitness testing for a SAR team. I want to find the peace of nature in the calm of not being on a mission, so I will complete 2 of these hikes. A detailed write up on my blog will seal the full credit for each hike, 2 Hikes with 2 blogs= A 2 Hikes with 1 blog= B 1 Hike with 1 blog = C 1 Hike with 0 blogs= D No Hikes with No Blogs= F Reward: (+2 STA +2 WIS) 3. Peace. In all of my craziness of goal seeking, I want to keep at the forefront of my mind why I want to do this in the first place. To help, to not be a hindrance etc. In order to serve out of the overflow of your own heart and peace, you need to actually have overflow. I am going to take 6 peace walks- one a week that specifically focuses on breathing, praying, thinking, etcs 6 Walks = A 5 Walks = B 4 Walks = C 3 Walks = D 0-2 Walks = F Reward: (+2 DEX, +1 CON) Life Quest: 4. Actions. I have a lofty goal of joining a SAR team. It’s a lot of work and tons of pre-reqs. So, I am doing a ton of research. I am going to have my life goal be to identify 6 next steps and write actionable, doable things 6 Action steps = A 5 Action steps = B 4 Action steps = C 3 Action steps = D 0-2 Action steps = F Reward: (+1 CON, +3 STR) TRACKING My Story (challenge history): 1. Wandering across the mountain ranges of the west, I came upon another wood elf, who was running through the tree lined forest. I tried to keep up, because I knew he was waiting for me, but nothing I did would keep me at pace with him. Eventually I slowed, to catch my breath and I lost him. Dejected and worn out, I decided to dedicate my life to keeping up with this other elf... 2. Sneaking through the woods I can feel my senses getting sharper and I begin to wonder if the elf that I'm following, is actually following me... 3. Catching my breath I slow my run as I approach a clearing. Did I get lost? I don't know where I am and the elf I had been following has picked up the pace. My mind... it's jumbled up... my thoughts are foggy... I need to focus. I'll stay here for a while, find my center, and then continue on... 4. After pausing in the clearing to refocus, I see what looks like a beaten down path off to my right. Have I been here before? Walking up to the path, it looks familiar, but overgrown. I take out my sword and slowly start hacking away the brush that seems to have grown in over the years. Yes. THIS is my path. 5. Following the path for what seems like a lifetime I suddenly find myself at the tree lined edge of a beautiful meadow. The sun in the sky that is glaring down on me makes me realize something glorious- I have made it through the woods! Over the hill I see the elf that I have been tracking this whole time. He is napping… This is my chance!!! 6. Running up to the elf that I have been following for what seems like forever, I find myself out of breath. As I slow down and approach him, I see him slow down and turn to me. I don't know if he knows that I have been following him, but I can tell by the look in his eye that he's ok with this. As we start to wander the forest together we notice that things aren't quite as bright and cheery as they were months ago... something is wrong... 7. As we continue to approach the edge of the forest we can feel something bearing down on us. Picking up the pace we stay laser focused on getting out of here. The night has grown darker and the forest is eerily quiet. The wood elf and I look at each other and begin to run. I can tell that the time where we have to battle is near and we really need to stay focused... 8. Standing on the front line, victorious, I wonder "Now what?" I ponder with wise words of a foreigner who taught my people to stay motivated when they feel like they have arrived. The skills I have learned in the past keep me pushing forward. I move confidently north, to find new lands. And that other pesky elf can come with me… 9. On the north side of the valley I see something far away that I can’t take my eyes off of. It almost looks like the mountain side is glistening and the sun is dancing with the peaks. I fall into a trance, staring off into the distance, as if I'm under a spell. A few minutes later I am able to snap out of it, but the lingering desire to see who, or what, had a hold on me begins to push me forward. Is some powerful mage up in the hills, drawing people to him? Or is someone sending out a distress signal, begging for help. All I know is the allure of finding out what is in those hills is forcing me onward. We have mountains like these back home, but I am far from that place, and out of practice. It will take some time to traverse these mighty giants, but I have no choice but to start… 10. From the top of the mountain I can see everything. I have a level of clarity that I've not experienced before and it makes me take notice to my surroundings. I have an epiphany and realize that I need to race home to my family. They have no idea what’s in store! As quickly as I can I need to make my way back down the hill and back to my village… Part of the way down the hill I trip. When I catch myself I see that the sign in front of me has directions. I’m tired of being a follower in my own life. I need to go my own way. I turn on my heels and walk south. 11. Down in the city to the south I find myself in the camp and company of strangers. Although I’m not entirely sure that I can trust them, they seem safe enough. Maybe, I’ll hang back and just observe them and mind their ways. Something inside of me says that these people have information that may be valuable to me and my quest, and I am determined to get my hands on it. Knowledge is oddly alluring and very appealing to my senses… 12. As I spend weeks on end with these people, I start to sense a power coming over me. I am being changed from the inside out- is it sorcery? Magic? Am I evolving? All I know is that I need to stay the course. Over time, my memories start to fade. The days of running through the wilderness with the other elves feel miles away- as if they occurred a lifetime ago. Only the here and now makes sense. I have my plan. 13. The strangers have become less strange and more like family. It feels like I have finally returned to a place where I feel at home and at peace. When I look down I start to notice that my slender Elven legs have begun to take a form of something more resembling tree trunks. When I stand, I can't move quite as nimbly but I feel stronger than I ever was before. In the back of my mind I still remember that I am following something- the dragon... 14. As I wake with a start I feel strange. My heart is pounding out of my chest, and I can’t seem to calm myself down. I am in no condition to face the dragon. I need peace. 15. Relaxed and recharged I pull out my map. I haven’t looked at it in quite some time and it’s almost foreign to me. Over my shoulder I see that elf that I had chased so long. He’s back and there is a stranger comfort in knowing that. I turn back to the map and start down the trail. There is a point in the road where it splits off into three. I see on the map that all three get where I need to go, but one seems most logical. I start down that path… I must find the thing that haunts me. I run until I can't feel my legs and I burn all over. 16. The fire that consumed me begins to subside, but I am still feeling the after burn. I pull a map out of my pack and examine it for water. I tilt my head trying to make sense of the nearest body of water, but the letters suddenly look foreign to my elven eyes. I take some time to sit and focus- after a while it will come to me and I can find the cool liquid that will cool my legs and quench my thirst. I pick up my pack again and though it’s very heavy, I make towards my intended destination, swiftly and confidently.

THE SETUP I know the next challenge doesn't start until November 11 but... I can't resist College. Senior year. A director friend, M. Doyle, asked me to play a part in a student film she was working on called Project Delta. Despite my shyness and lack of acting experience I said yes. Best decision ever. Because of the excitement around the project and the fact that I had to look good on camera while doing fight choreography over multiple takes, I consistently exercised and was in pretty good shape. It turns out that nothing in the world gets me motivated like being in a film does. From this base I have two slightly divergent reasons that I'm really motivated this time around. DIVERGENCE ONE: HATTER Doyle and I are turning the story idea behind the film into a webcomic called DELTA that she's writing and I'm illustrating, and because I've been looking at the characters so much recently I've decided that my character, Hatter, is kind of tired of being trapped in my body. I want to become more like her. Physically. Because I definitely do not want the violent homicidal tendencies and insanity DIVERGENCE TWO: TAKE OVER THE WORLD I saw Doyle recently and she mentioned another film idea she's been thinking about in which I would play the villain... again (Type cast much? Haha! I promise I'm not actually evil...). The outfit I would wear would be of the tightly-fitting variety so if/when this film happens I'd like to actually look good in the costume. It would also make a rocking awesome GLaDOS costume so I will be using it as such, meaning that I have until February to shape up as much as possible. SO THE POINT OF ALL THAT IS... I'm slim and at peace with my pear-shaped body, but I'm the consistency of a well-worn throw pillow. I'd like to be stronger, gain some muscle mass (and definition, but it's more important to me to be strong and healthy than "toned") so I will not only look good but will be able to do physical activities as needed without feeling like I'm going to keel over and die. GOALS 1) HATTER HANDSTANDS. No real reason for this except I would feel super cool if I was able to do a handstand. And Hatter would love it. She's such a goob. (Yes, I talk about my characters as if they're real people. It's normal.) I started working on this back during my Project Delta days and worked up to being able to do a wall handstand for about 10 seconds but I haven't done any for a while so it's back to square one. Success means I can hold a wall handstand (or close to one) for at least 30 seconds by the end of the challenge. STR1 DEX4 2) SHAPE UP FOR WORLD DOMINATION. I started doing some light weight training this week so I'm going to keep that up every other day and increase the intensity as I feel comfortable. I'm focusing on my arms and abs mostly. I've made walking a habit so I'm not as worried about my legs. I will keep track of how many reps I do and how heavy the weights are so I can track improvement. I will consider myself successful if I feel good about my improvements by the end of this challenge. STR4 3) FUEL UP ON PREMIUM. I have a gluten intolerance and a couple of other food-related problems. My family is supportive, but it's too expensive for us all to go gluten free and they sometimes forget that I need to eat differently, leaving me to scrounge the fridge while they're eating fancy lasagna or breaded chicken with broccoli (which I love but my esophagus does not). I've wanted to take charge of my own meal plan but our house is tiny and there's not enough room for me to have a totally different food area for my stuff. I've decided the best way to handle this is to take over all the meal planning for the whole family. That way I can control what is eaten, reduce and provide myself alternatives for gluten-containing meals, and help out my very busy mom at the same time. I will be successful if I can make a healthy and relatively inexpensive meal plan, and cook at least three of the major meals for the whole family each week. CON3 WIS1 SIDE GOAL. I've never been consistent with reading my Bible except when I was in college and brought it with me to study between classes. I'd like to make it a habit again, so I aim to read and study at least 15 minutes a day every day. I know 15 minutes isn't much, but I need to start somewhere and it's better than what I'm doing now! WIS2 A PRESENT FOR YOU! I also wanted to share a Level Up Tracking Sheet that I designed and have been using for the last three challenges. It's really helpful to me so I figured someone else out there might like to print it out and use it. It was too big to download into this post so you can find it here.

THE SETUP College. Senior year. A director friend, M. Doyle, asked me to play a part in a student film she was working on called . Despite my shyness and lack of acting experience I said yes. Best decision ever. Because of the excitement around the project and the fact that I had to look good on camera while doing fight choreography over multiple takes, I consistently exercised and was in pretty good shape. It turns out that nothing in the world gets me motivated like being in a film does. From this base I have two slightly divergent reasons that I'm really motivated this time around. DIVERGENCE ONE: HATTER Doyle and I are turning the story idea behind the film into a webcomic called DELTA that she's writing and I'm illustrating, and because I've been looking at the characters so much recently I've decided that my character, Hatter, is kind of tired of being trapped in my body. I want to become more like her. Physically. Because I definitely do not want the violent homicidal tendencies and insanity DIVERGENCE TWO: TAKE OVER THE WORLD I saw Doyle recently and she mentioned another film idea she's been thinking about in which I would play the villain... again (Type cast much? Haha! I promise I'm not actually evil...). The outfit I would wear would be of the tightly-fitting variety so if/when this film happens I'd like to actually look good in the costume. It would also make a rocking awesome GLaDOS costume so I will be using it as such, meaning that I have until February to shape up as much as possible. SO THE POINT OF ALL THAT IS... I'm slim and at peace with my pear-shaped body, but I'm the consistency of a well-worn throw pillow. I'd like to be stronger, gain some muscle mass (and definition, but it's more important to me to be strong and healthy than "toned") so I will not only look good but will be able to do physical activities as needed without feeling like I'm going to keel over and die. GOALS 1) HATTER HANDSTANDS. No real reason for this except I would feel super cool if I was able to do a handstand. And Hatter would love it. She's such a goob. (Yes, I talk about my characters as if they're real people. It's normal.) I started working on this back during my Project Delta days and worked up to being able to do a wall handstand for about 10 seconds but I haven't done any for a while so it's back to square one. Success means I can hold a wall handstand (or close to one) for at least 30 seconds by the end of the challenge. STR1 DEX4 2) SHAPE UP FOR WORLD DOMINATION. I started doing some light weight training this week so I'm going to keep that up every other day and increase the intensity as I feel comfortable. I'm focusing on my arms and abs mostly. I've made walking a habit so I'm not as worried about my legs. I will keep track of how many reps I do and how heavy the weights are so I can track improvement. I will consider myself successful if I feel good about my improvements by the end of this challenge. STR4 3) FUEL UP ON PREMIUM. I have a gluten intolerance and a couple of other food-related problems. My family is supportive, but it's too expensive for us all to go gluten free and they sometimes forget that I need to eat differently, leaving me to scrounge the fridge while they're eating fancy lasagna or breaded chicken with broccoli (which I love but my esophagus does not). I've wanted to take charge of my own meal plan but our house is tiny and there's not enough room for me to have a totally different food area for my stuff. I've decided the best way to handle this is to take over all the meal planning for the whole family. That way I can control what is eaten, reduce and provide myself alternatives for gluten-containing meals, and help out my very busy mom at the same time. I will be successful if I can make a healthy and relatively inexpensive meal plan, and cook at least three of the major meals for the whole family each week. CON3 WIS1 SIDE GOAL. I've never been consistent with reading my Bible except when I was in college and brought it with me to study between classes. I'd like to make it a habit again, so I aim to read and study at least 15 minutes a day every day. I know 15 minutes isn't much, but I need to start somewhere and it's better than what I'm doing now! WIS2 A PRESENT FOR YOU! I also wanted to share a Level Up Tracking Sheet that I designed and have been using for the last three challenges. It's really helpful to me so I figured someone else out there might like to print it out and use it. It was too big to download into this post so you can find it here.

As summer begins I like to think that this will be the last summer where I don’t go swimming because I can’t stand for people to see me in a bathing suit. I am excited about this challenge, my second, because despite starting late and injured and ending with oral surgery I think I did pretty well on my first challenge. Beginning weight: 239 GOAL 1 DIET: Thanks to the last challenge I am now eating a completely primal diet. I don’t feel like it is a habit yet and I also worry that some days I am not eating enough. So, my first goal for this challenge is to continue eating primal and track it all on my fitness pal. Eat 1450 net calories/day; 50-99 grams of carbohydrates/day. At least 125 grams of protein/day. GRADING GOAL 1: For grading, every day that I track on my fitness pal I get 1 point. Every day I eat 50-99 grams carbohydrates I get 1 point. Every day I also meet my Protein minimum, that's 1 point. Each day I can get up to 3 points. Six weeks x 7 days a week is 42 possible days x 3 points/day = 126 possible points; > 111=A; > 96=B; > 81 =C; > 66=D; Below that = F. Worth: 2 WIS, 3 CON (learning about healthy eating and making it a habit.) GOAL 2 EXERCISE: Last challenge I was dealing with a knee injury that kept me from doing lower-body bodyweight exercises except for what the physical therapist told me to do. This challenge I intend to work my way into lower-body bodyweight exercises while also doing upper-body bodyweight exercises. I plan to do a minimum of three 30-minute strength-training workouts per week. If I do more, great, if I do less I lose points. GRADING GOAL 2: I will record my workouts on the spreadsheet available on the angry birds workout. Each 30-minute workout receives 1 point. Six weeks x 3 workouts a week = 18 points. 15 > A, 12 > B, 9 > C, 6 > D, 3> F. Worth: 2 STR, 2 CHA (increasing strength will increase weight loss and how I look on the outside.) GOAL 3 BE ABLE TO COMPLETE 15 REGULAR PUSH-UPS. This is self-explanatory. I know this doesn’t sound like much but I haven’t exercised regularly for many years. So, right now I cannot do any regular push-ups on the floor. I can do 10 incline push-ups. I plan on working my way from incline, to knee push-ups, the regular push-ups. GRADING GOAL 3: 15 (or more) = A; 12-14 = B; 9-11 = C; 6-8 = D; <6 = F. Worth: 2 STR for A and 1 STR for B. GOAL 4 LIFE: I read The Bible sporadically and have decided that this needs to become more regular. This challenge I will read a devotional and The Bible every day. 6 days a week. I will add a mark in my calendar each day that I read the devotional and Bible. GRADING GOAL 4: 6 weeks x 6 days/week = 36 days in the challenge. 1 point per day completed. >34=A; 31-33=B; 28-30=C; 25-27=D; <24=F WORTH: 3 WIS, 1 CHA (Spending time in The Word of God is the main way to increase Wisdom, and inner peace which helps the inner beauty shine through.) I am excited to start this challenge and love all the support from fellow Nerd Fitnessers!

Not the most applicable of challenge titles, as it only covers 2 of my goals, but it'll have to do Current (relatively) short term fitness goals(i don't necessarily expect to achieve these this challenge) Pistol squats. i can sort of do 1 sloppy one on my right leg..on a good day. let's say 10/leg(4x10 sound better, but 10 is closer) Kipping bar muscle up.(probably with false grip) I'm not certain where I'm at right now. Better grip strength. to quantify this, I suppose I'll say 10s 1-arm ledge and/or rope hang. This is a while off Consistently be able to touch my palms to the floor cold. I'm just about here now 20 pushups almost any time. I may have this one, I probably won't know for a bit, as I don't really care about it that much. all my pushups are knuckle/dumbell ones right now anyway, as my left wrist is kinda messed up 60s floor L-sit. can hold for a couple seconds Run 5k in an arbitrary length of time chosen to indicate that I can travel said distance with relative ease(25 minutes?) This one may be on hold for a bit, as I've got some kind of overuse strain/injury/other going on with my feet(sore in the mornings, achilles and sometimes a bone feeling fairly mild stress) There are others of course, but those (the first 2 anyway) are the big ones Where I'm at: Might take a progress photo; probably won't share I plan on testing maxes in the following exercises on Monday, will either add a post or fill in here Deadlift, Back Squat, Bench Press(mostly just curious about the latter) Pullups, PB Dips OHP possibly knuckle pushups Current Workout Schedule(recently revised): GTG pullups, ledge hanging leg raises Monday and Friday: box pistols, ring dips, back lever/elbow lever/superman Wednesday: Deadlifts, weighted pushups, inverted rows/front lever progression, pistols optional As I said above, I recently changed this(to replace barbell squats with pistol progressions), so it's not too solid atm Part of the trouble I've had with increasing pullups in the past is a lack of a plan, so I'm (tentatively) going to be using http://www.romanfitnesssystems.com/blog/how-to-double-your-pullups-in-6-weeks/'>this, but mon/tue/thur/fri instead, with mon/thur being high kipping pulls Challenge Goals: 1: Read the Bible for at least 5+week#+x minutes/day x may be increased by no more than 1/week as I see fit, starts at 0 This will be scored by the percent of days completed Reward: 3 wis 1 chr 2: Move other things up(then down..and mostly forward, but still..) I must spend at least an hour slinging every week(most of this will be walking to pick up bullets/rocks..) Scored as percent of weeks completed Reward: +3 dex +.5 wis 3: Move myself up: 1 point for each week I complete 2+ workouts containing pullups and pistol variants Reward: +3 str +1 sta 4: Move...my..protein intake up...?...no, that doesn't work well. Anyway, my goal here is to consume >110g of protein/day, excluding June 1-8. Scored as with goal 1 +3 con +.5 str A=86-100% B=75-85% C=56-75% D=36-55% E=16-35% F=0-15% Comments/questions/critiques are, of course, welcome...hopefully I didn't miss anything That's All, Folks! Edit: forgot goal rewards