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Hi Friends! This challenge is Books and Breakfast! I have my usual handy-dandy chart of all of my daily goals, but my primary areas of focus are reading and eating before work. My secondary focus is not gaining more than 5 lbs over the holidays (hopefully much less than that, but baking is a thing here). I just finished reading "The Anthropocene Reviewed" by John Green which I really enjoyed. It's a collection of short essays where he rates different aspects of modern life out of five stars. Often grappling with mental health and reactions to Covid (the book was written and published during the height of the pandemic), it's got a lot of the thoughtful, soul-deep reflection in it that I know Green for from his VlogBrothers YouTube channel. Strong recommend. I have started two new books: I'm halfway through "All About Love" by bell hooks, and a ways in to "Into the West" by Mercedes Lackey. I've had hooks recommended to me a number of times. This non-fiction book explores the potential foundations for a working definition of "love" that is grounded in justice and mutuality. hooks proposes this as a step in solving what she sees as the epidemic of lovelessness and isolation in modern life. I don't disagree with her on anything yet, but something about her writing style isn't my favourite. And I think I want more citations. "Into the West" is what I think of as a 'candy read' and so far I'm enjoying it very much. I've been a fan of Lackey for a long time but found her books got routine for a while. This is a pleasant shift away from that sameness. It's a little preachy about not repeating generational trauma, but I'm so okay with seeing that messaging at all that I don't mind. Breakfast this morning was coffee, a tea biscuit, cheese, and snap peas. Off to a good start, I think. Thanks for being here! 💜

Work. Workout. WTF. I am finally, thankfully, working again. But with that comes a lot of, well…. Everything. I don’t have a 9 to 5 sit at a desk job. It’s a standing, moving things, making food, and dealing with lots of people face to face job. With a seemingly constantly changing schedule. The unofficial goals of this challenge: don’t let anything burn down, don’t make anyone disappear, and don’t mouth off to the wrong people. The real goals: wash my face, have breakfast prepared, and update my dry erase wall calendar when something changes. Also to keep following September’s exercise plan. More details to come.

Does anyone have ideas on what to do for breakfast other than milk+cereal that is healthy, filling, and almost as convenient? I'm not ready to consistently skip breakfast, but I am ready to start making changes to my diet. I don't drink very much soda/juice (2-3/month), and we cook at home quite a bit (Lots of pasta, but I'm saving that one for later), so I feel like I'm doing okay, but I know I can do better, and I've decided to start with breakfast. I've tried oatmeal, but I just can't stomach it, even with every possible combination of apples, peanut butter, sugar, etc. mixed into the oatmeal. I also don't have a ton of time in the morning to sit around cooking stuff. Any ideas/experiences are greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Dear Bent-over Rows It's not you. It's me. I know I struggle to get your form quite right. I know that when time is running short on the gym, you're the one I skip. You deserve to be treated better than this. I'm sorry. But I can change. I'm going to treat you better. I'm going to give you the love and attention you deserve. Ahem. Yes. I don't like the bent over row and I do neglect it sometimes and that's not good. But I'm going to start taking it more seriously. Working on the things I don't like as well as those I do, being considerate of all aspects, that's the order of this challenge. With that in mind; 1. Love the row. When it's time to do it (every second workout), then I do it, regardless if I'm running late or feeling tired. And take my time getting it right. 2. Squat my bodyweight. Not, to be clear, bodyweight squats. But the equivalent of my bodyweight on the bar. This one is ambitious; doable but with a decent risk I may not get it done in the allocated time. But I should be able to work my way up to that by the end of the challenge. 3. Fix breakfast. Ok, I love breakfast but I love sleep more. So weekends tend to be pretty good. But weekdays breakfast tends to be just a slice of toast at home and then a porridge or pot of Arla at work. Not bad for a regular day, but now that I'm strong lifts it's not enough. Make this better. 4. Love tea breaks. I've been at my 'new' work over half a year now. I still use the machines for coffees and teas. Expensive and not great tasting. So my final challenge is to bring in my own mug and coffee and tea bags. Should be an easy win.

So in the new update year I will suddenly have an extra hour in my morning before work. I’m stoked because that might actually help me keep my New Years resolution of working out... at all. now the question is, what do I eat post work out that will get me throughout the day after I used so much energy. I can’t have pop tarts on the way out the door anymore. i didn’t have a very good blender so smoothies are kind of dead.

Hey Nerds, So I'm starting to get my act together food wise. Generally I feel like I'm making smarter choices and at least recognising where things go wrong when they do. Got thinking about breakfast this morning. Every day for the past 2 years I've eaten porridge. This week I've moved onto full fat milk, but I'm guessing there's a healthier way to make it than with oats? I've had a nose online but I'm not so sure about buying loads of expensive ingredients that I might not like. Does anyone have any recipes they can recommend? Or suggestions of what else I can eat that is quick to prep? I'm not really at a point of wanting to do the whole intermittent fasting thing - I get hangry at best and feel sick at worst if I don't get breakfast... Thanks!

Hi guys! So this is going to look almost exactly like my last challenge! But with Lord of the Rings Gifs! We are still building the habits. Aka, they vanished during zero week, so there is more work to be done. Though to be fair to myself, last week was INSANE. Quest 1: Eat Breakfast (aka channel my inner hobbit) Every morning I'm at home, must finish breakfast before I leave the apartment (or between the apartment in my car - can't get into my car until the food is gone) - I'm adding the car part because I have to wait for two separate elevators between my apartment and my car so eating while waiting for the elevator is acceptable to me. I would very much prefer to eat at home though - I'm going to get bonus points for eating before leaving apartment. Quest 2: Jounal (this is basically a journal, right?) Either do it (accomplishments, things I'm grateful for, freestyle or list of feelings I felt that day) or consciously decide not to do it. Either is fine, but I need to think about it! It really seems to help me process my day. I'm actually attending a yoga/journaling workshop this Sunday, so hopefully I'll get some tips and tricks! Quest 3: Self-Care (unrelated but fantastic gif) To be documented in journal usually, when I journal. I really liked something Taddea posted about boring self-care and I liked that a lot. I really liked making self-care in general consciously part of my day in the last challenge, it really helped keep me grounded. Other things: I'll be lifting, eating, sleeping, kicking ass at work, going to therapy, etc as usual. Going visit a nerd this upcoming weekend, we may lift together! Would be super fun. I ordered both a sunrise alarm clock and a happy light with some gift money so that was nice. Oh and I've been doing the dating thing. Let me know if you want to hear the horribly punny tinder messages I have received. Oh, and my meet is July 15th so that'll be fun Meet prep FTW!

Edit: New goals I'm putting weight loss above everything else. It was the reason I started this journey, and I'm just done being overweight. This is gonna suck. I'm going to be tired. I'm hoping to have to give up some things I enjoy. But it's time to fix it. Goal 1: No caffeine This used to be getting up early... I've changed it to no caffeine because caffeine is what causes my late, ass dragging mornings. +1 point each day Goal 2: Zazen Zazen routine: Yoga/stretch Zazen >= 10 min. every morning Goal 3: Eat paleo, plan and budget +1 each day of paleo. +1 stick to grocery shopping plan. +1 good prep/plan Goal 4: 100,000 steps per week. Most work days I get between 12 and 20k. I just want to make it so I get more in in the weekend. What I will do is start going for morning walks around the neighborhood on weekends to get top 84k... maybe even a jog. +1 point / 10k steps LUYL1: No alcohol until I hit 199.9 pounds. Draining my wallet and bloating my gut. I have to give it up. LUYL2: Get a tech cert. 1) Save for it. 2) Study for it. Sidequests: Go to the damn gym +1

I'm currently a student and I travel between my parents' home and my boyfriend's home multiple times per week. Their eating-habits aren't exactly bad, but they're not that great either. At my bf's it's usually me who cooks. I'm also reliant on homemade lunch because we don't have a cafeteria or restaurant near the school and even the supermarket is ridiculously small for the number of people frequenting it. We're lucky we have one microwave for a student-body of probably more than 500. Problem #1: Breakfast It takes me a long time to get going in the mornings, so I don't have time to prepare anything fancy for breakfast. I used to eat cereals or muesli with milk or sometimes yoghurt, but that didn't feel too satisfying and it also gets quite expensive. If I only eat toast with jam or honey I'll be hungry again soon. I currently habe oats with nuts, raisins and yoghurt for breakfast, but I keep forgetting to buy more yoghurt, so now I'm looking for alternatives. I don't really eat eggs or bacon or anything savoury/salty for breakfast except maybe for weekends, and I'm running out of ideas... Problem #2: I'm a sucker for sweets and desserts. I love chocolate and cookies and cakes. I love to bake. But I have no idea how to get a good balance. I'm usually not eating as much as I used to, but I miss baking cakes. But I also hate feeling somewhat guilty for eating biscuits or chocolate to try and get me through a stressful day. Is there such a thing as healthy alternatives that won't recquire lots of fancy ingredients I'd have to get for lots of money at a specialised store? Because I still feel like my soul would appreciate these sweet moments in life. Problem #3: I'm a sucker for comfort-food. If I don't manage to prepare lunch or grab some leftovers I usually just quickly cook some noodles and throw some store-bought sauces or pestos and parmesan in. If I do manage to cook or have some leftovers, it's not unlikely for it to be something that may not be so very ideal as my go-to-recipes when faced with the question of what to cook. Jambalays probably isn't so bad, but Lasagna and Mac'n Cheese and pasta-bakes all have noodles in them again, which is usually recommended to stay away from in this forum as far as I've seen. I know that meal-prep is important, but I'm having trouble making it a habit because I feel like I have a rather limited repertoire of go-to-dishes while wanting more diversity, and also I keep forgetting about it and only remember that I should have cooked when I'm already supposed to be in bed because otherwise I won't get enough sleep and be completely useless the next day... Sorry for the long post, but I didn't want to spam the forum with multiple ones ^^" Any kind of help would be really appreciated

Hey folks, I'm on a nutrition plan set by my trainer. It's working (some fat loss, loads more energy, aches and pains gone!) but I'm really struggling with breakfast. On training days I have porridge, that's great. I love porridge. But on non-training days I'm supposed to have scrambled egg whites or an omelette with one or two slices of rye bread. Turns out, I hate rye bread. I've got the Biona stuff but it just tastes so strong! If I toast it within an inch of its life, I can eat it without gagging but I can't keep this up. Any tips or recommendations for different brands I can try? Bear in mind that I'm in the UK. There's lots of different varieties of the Biona stuff, so maybe I'd be better off with a different flavour.

Hi. I'm back. I haven't really gone anywhere, just took a break. But now I'm having issues remembering and keeping track of the things I want to be changing, so here I am again. For the time being, my mission is to become a morning person. A good deal of my issues stem from my tendency to stay in bed until the very last minute every morning. Well, no longer! It's time I get hard-boiled about my commitment to myself and my health. This challenge will focus on making the most of my mornings. Goal 1: Get up! Alarm is set to 6AM on weekdays and 7AM on weekends (to try to keep my sleep schedule consistent). I will be using the Distant Alarm tactic to make sure I stay up when the alarm goes off. I'd do a gradual time increase for my alarm, but since the Husband's alarm needs to be set for the same time, I think I can Ranger myself through. Goal 2: Eat breakfast! Breakfast is important; therefore, it is the meal that I will focus on this challenge. Breakfast should be composed of animal protein and starchy carbs (for optimal thyroid function). I will aim for about 40-50g of protein, 35-55g of carbs, and 20-30g of fat. I may end up having a protein shake to help get those numbers up, but the bulk of the meal should be food that requires chewing. These are the key ingredients that I'd like to include in a morning routine. Morning people (mostly) have morning routines. I want one. I'm making it a priority. Goal 3: Move! My hips are still suffering from lack of mobility and uneven strength. I will be spending time every day doing a PT routine for my hips, legs, and core that involves some resistance training and stretching. Goal 4: Eliminate! I'm going to continue tossing out 1/4 of refined sugar cravings, to rewire the brain. In the words of the two men that are one detective...

I'm not sure how much I'll be able to keep up with NF this round, but I'm sure going to try! Nothing flashy here, I'll just be doing my best to meet these goals and post updates. Feel free to post funny things and keep us all entertained! Background: I was just hired (three weeks into the school year) to teach a 5th/6th combined class in a very small rural school. This was unplanned (I started a few days after I received a text asking if I had a teaching license) and my husband and I are trying to adjust from me being a housewife to me working full-time. The first week of this challenge I will be shadowing the current teacher, the second week I will be teaching while she observes, and by the third week I'll be on my own. Goals: Eat Breakfast Since having to be up at 5:30am this past week , I stopped eating breakfast. I grab a banana and eat it in the car. I’m just not hungry that early and my usual breakfast of eggs makes me feel queasy. So, I need to cook ahead and have some healthy things ready that I can take and eat in the car or at school in the mornings. Love my Dog My poor baby gets left home all day now so I need to make more of an effort to care for him when I get home - a walk as soon as I get home and at least a few minutes of playtime. Run Complete the Platform 9 3/4 walk/run (virtual) by then end of September. Sign up for another Hogwarts run for October. Plus, run at least 1 mile twice a week. (This can be “running” up and down the bottom stair inside if needed, in which case 1/2 mile counts.) Prep Ahead Before I leave my classroom at the end of the day, everything for the next day will be prepped, copied, and set out ready for the morning. Bonus Goal: Preserve the Weekend! Grades for the week will be done and entered into the electronic grade book by Friday at 3pm. (writing projects or other special projects excepted)

In the past, NF challenges have been great for me. But the last 2 years, since I had my second child, I have been neglecting myself, and the challenges didn’t work for me. Than lately, I was desperatly trying to regain my previous routines, from when I had only one kid, with no succes and much frustration. Until I realised that my general situation changed, and that probably what worked in the past wouldn’t work anymore. That maybe I had to switch things up completely and figure it out again. Since then, I have been way more relaxed about this, and let the flow of the days guide my goals, with only an “intention of doing x” to guide me. And it’s much better. As usual, for me a new year means a new intention, theme or mantra. 2015 was “be present” and I don’t feel I achieved that at all. I think the word was not the right one. Reflecting back, I actually “drifted” most of the time. For 2016, after a week of self reflextion, thinking, and brainstorming, life gave me the answer : BALANCE. Now is the time to put more focus and intention in my days, to achieve more balance. Time for me, time for my kids, my boyfriend, a little of everything I love, less of things I don’t. With the new guilds, I feel like I should go in the druids the way my goals are, but at the same time, Adventurer is more “me”. I’ll stay in adventurers for now. I guess I consider myslef a curious druid, thisty for adventure and trying new things ! Main goal : Achieve balance by fulling my well first with exercise, clean foods and sleep. To enjoy family life, be more patient, calm, loving and compasionnate. Slow down to enjoy the moment and be mindful. Mind : incorporate the SAVERS mirable morning routine, before everyone else is awake. I aim to do this in about 15-30 minutes each morning. - Silence : 2 min meditation (eventually up to 10 min) - Affirmation “every day, in every way, I am getting better and better” - Visualisation : see myself being calm, patient, in a place of love, mindfull, in control of my emotions during all events of the day, especially in parenting - Exercise : do some spine stretches and twists & tree pose. - Reading : “the life changing magic of tidying up” by Marie Kondo; then apply my learnings. - Script: bullet journal for the day + 3 things to be grateful for Shape up: Move 30 minutes daily - Run 2-3 times a week, after work with my kids while my BF is prepping dinner. - Blogilates’ august month every day for 15 min or more in the evening (aiming at 30) - Yoga : get back into my yoga classe on Thursdays for 1.5hours Fuel: breakfast everyday + calories - Take the time to eat some proteinated breakfast every day, like eggs and bacon, frittata, egg muffins, quiche, etc - Bring a second breakfast/snack for the am - Put a scandishake in my morning coffee to add calories Sleep: 7hours a day - Wake between 5h and 5h30 - Go to bed at 10pm Tidy: get back into a daily habit for 15 min a day. Tidy home, tidy brain. This makes me calmer, and brings more clarity in general. It eases tension as well. In my mind, a little goes a long way. - Wash dishes - Check laundry - Pick up around the house - Continue the Konmari method throughout the house - hoping to tackle these this mont: o Clothes o Books o Papers o Komono general o Komono office o https://www.pinterest.com/pin/319122323576061842/ Fun : Om shawl KAL - Start and maybe finish my om shawl with the knit along group

Four weeks ago I joined NF Academy (loving it!). I've been looking at the Level Up guide for food and got a little stuck. I want to level up but my current approach to food doesn't fit with how the Levels assume I behave. My diet is Level 5, ready to push to Level 6... with the exception of breakfast. I feel like the levels are in reverse - cutting out grains at lunch and dinner is way easier than breakfast. Breakfast for me needs to be prepared and eaten within 10 minutes. My ideal breakfast is overnight oats with chia and berries that I heat in the microwave. Minimal brain power = win. I'm keen on sweet potato hash and omelettes and bacon and other fun things, they just aren't practical for work days. The other great thing about oats is the flavour is mild and I never get sick of them. I am trying to decide the best course of action. Cleaning up the rest of my diet feels manageable. Changing my breakfast is an Epic challenge. Is there a method behind these levels, a specific reason for this approach? Or are they just in the order that most people would find easiest? Do I go with the challenge I feel will be achievable or do I need to attempt breakfast altering?

Started my weight loss journey very recently and found this recipe super useful and filling aka I can eat it at 8 and not be hungry till like 1. It's basically scrambled eggs with a whole bunch of yummiest thrown in. 2 eggs Handful or so of spinach 3 small slice of hot chorizo finely diced (adding this is great because it's super flavourful you only need a little but adds so much to the meal) 1 slice of ham Garlic powder (again packs a punch of flavour with little calories) Salt and Pepper Add to hot pan and cook like you would normal scrambled eggs. I love this meal and it keeps me so full for ages. Sometimes I add an orange with it if I only have one egg. But its all up to you add more veggies if you want I'm thinking of trying out zucchini and broccoli. Live long and prosper friends Kiah Also I'm looking for a partner in crime for my weight loss journey, so if you're looking for one to send me a message

http://www.seriouseats.com/2012/05/oatmeal-toppings-sweet-savory-slideshow.html Okay so normally I don't share links, but you guys should see this. I got a big sack of oatmeal from the food bank, so tried making some oatmeal with soy sauce, bacon bits, scallions and a fried egg. It was very excellent. Like congee, only with oats. I'm also eyeballing the "bananas Foster and nuts" angle...

So hello again; I'm respawning after an NF hiatus. This is my first challenge in the new 2016 format so please bear with me if I don't get it quite right in the beginning. My challenge for this month goes something like this: 1. Moderation! When it comes to chocolate, I practice moderation. I eat no more than 50g of chocolate per day. 2. Breakfast! I eat a healthy breakfast after I work out. 3. Treadlift! I follow the Treadlift workouts. 4. Alarm! I make use of my smartphone alarm app to organise my life and maintain discipline / boost mindfulness.

I proudly present to you: The doodlies Battle of the guilds Sign up sheet Don't forget to put the link to your challenge in the sign up sheet, so we can find you. We don't hire new doodlies at the moment, I'm sorry. Keep your eyes open for our nuthouse division, they are just as awesome as we are Welcome back doodlies. After being all sweet and cuddly last challenge we are going to declare battle! This document will show you the rules by which you'll be able to CONQUER ALL GUILDS You have the chance to sign up until Sunday May 8th We are going to start this battle on Monday May 9th If necessary we'll join Team Waffle and Team Flip Bitch to form Team Waffle Bitch

APPARENTLY, LIFE CAN ONLY BE LIVED GOING FORWARDS, BUT CAN ONLY BE UNDERSTOOD BY LOOKING BACK. I HAVE NOT TURNED MY HEAD, AND YET I AM CAPABLE OF PROCESSING HUGE AMOUNTS OF STATISTICAL AND EMOTIONAL DATA TO HELP INFORM MY PRIORITIES AND RELEVANT PROCESSES WHICH WILL CONTRIBUTE TO SUCCESS IN THIS CHALLENGE. STRANGE. MY WORDS ARE MY POWER. THEY WILL SLOWLY FORM AND BECOME MY GOALS FOR THIS CHALLENGE.

Hello, one and all, and welcome to my fourth challenge! I'm a little bit late posting this because my silly internet-shire portal wasn't working, and wouldn't allow me to post! For those of you who have followed me in the past, you know that my previous challenge started out strong, but then ended with a whimper and a *poof!* But NO MORE!!! I will make a lasting change in my life and it will start here! So without further ado, welcome to my little hobbit-hole and please enjoy my challenge ​Elven Vitality: ​For my first quest of this challenge, I will be seeking to gain the vitality and energy of the elves, so that I can be like this guy: As I am sure that this requires plenty of focus and dexterity, I will be focusing on yoga for this quest, which helps to develop both. In the past I have overextended myself on my quests by requiring that I do certain activities 5x per week. In order to prevent another - issue - like last time, I will be limiting myself to doing yoga 3x per week, preferably on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, though there is flexibility in this (haha get it? flexibility​). Successfully completing this quest will earn +3 DEX and +10xp Walk to Mordor:​ Well, too bad Boromir, because that is exactly what I'm doing. For the past 9 months or so, I have been embarking on a journey to Mordor, and last week I made it to Rivendell! It has been extremely slow going so far since I can be a bit lazy at times, so as part of this challenge I decided to step up the pace a bit. By the end of this challenge I will have walked 82 miles, which is approximately - hehe - DAY 5 of the Fellowship's journey from Rivendell to Lothlorien (sometimes they make me feel like such a slacker). This will require me to walk a little over 3 miles over the course of each day, which will definitely be challenging me to be up and moving around more! Successfully reaching my goal of 82 miles in 26 days will earn +3 STA and +10xp ​Second Breakfast: ​Throughout my time spent in the NF Academy, my biggest vice has always been the nutrition section. I have put it off for several years at this point, always trying (and failing) to "complete my food log" before moving on to the next step in a healthier me. Well I say NO MORE! For this challenge, I will attempt to reach level 4 of NF Nutrition by the end of the challenge. In order to do that, I will need to eliminate grains from my breakfast for two full weeks. However, first I need to actually eat breakfast in the morning. So for the first 1.5-2 weeks of this challenge I will simply eat any breakfast every weekday (I tend to sleep in on weekends). Then, for the last two weeks of the challenge I will eliminate grains from my breakfast. I just bought a bunch of eggs and plan to just start out eating those for breakfast when I can in order to make the transition easier. Successful completion of this quest will earn +3 CON and +10xp ​A Hen without its Beak: For the past several years I have been attempting to write a fantasy novel. I tend to make excuses for why I don't have the time to work on it, and therefore it has been put to the wayside. I attempted NaNoWriMo this past November and failed pretty hard because I didn't put the time into it. I LOVE to read and write, but I always feel like I have so many other things I should be doing. So for this challenge, I am going to start making writing a priority. My fourth and final quest of this challenge will contain two parts. For the first two weeks of the challenge, I must put 1 hour of work into my book per week, or just under 15 minutes per day, 5x per week. The last two weeks of the challenge I will need to put in 2 hours total per week. This time can consist of anything from researching, to outlining, to actual writing. Successful completion of this quest will earn +3 WIS and +10xp So, there you have it. If you have any questions or suggestions for my challenge, feel free to comment! I'll be making my rounds and looking at other posts soon May your roads go ever on and on, ~Cal

I tried last challenge and I'll try again. This year is mostly about making habits and sticking to them, keeping up with the habits that I have made and basically trying not to fall completely off the wagon. Goal 1: Everyday movement Walking - a k a day - one kilometre (or more) per day. Bonus if it's not to get somewhere but just for fun. Cycling - to (and hopefully from) work - twice a week Goal 2: Strength One strength workout per week. This can be a strength focused class at my gym, a bodyweight workout or my own hodgepodge. Goal 3: Nutrition Paleo breakfast 5 x a week Paleo meal prep 1 x a week (and eat that food without letting it go to waste!) Goal 4: Declutter Still working on my floor.

Hi, everybody: My general goal: Lose 15 pounds before my sister's wedding on April 8. (8 weeks). I've never really tried a diet quest because I really fucking hate diet changes. But I'm at my highest weight ever, despite bodyweight workouts and trying to be more active. So, it's time to try something new. Q1: Document all my food. I use YouFood, my username is traaki. I'd love to have some accountabilibuddies over there! Strengths: I've done this before and was fairly successful unless I was drunk or hungover (surprise). Weaknesses: I'm shy about it and feel rude for whipping my phone out every time I eat. Q2: Eat a high protein, low/slow carb breakfast every day. Eggs, beans, salsa, veggies, lunch meat, lentils, spices, hot sauce, cottage cheese. No more waffles and sweetened yogurt. If I must eat those, I will eat them later in the day. I will need to prep for this pretty intensively--mornings are not my best time, but it's also the time of day when I eat on my own the most so I don't have to worry about getting my partner involved. Strengths: I love eating lunch for breakfast. Weaknesses: If this morning is any indication, I'm going to need to plan out these meals. I'm reaaaaal slow in the mornings. Q3: Do 100 pushups/100 squats program 3 x week. I tried this a while back and had good success with it. I basically just got bored when it got really hard, I think, and stopped doing it. But I'd like to get through the whole program. Now that I can do squats at least some of the time (!!!!!) I'm really looking forward to this. LQ: Take daily action! I'm doing a different challenge for marketing my business this month. My LQ is to read the program materials every day and take the actions I've planned for myself each day. I took new measurements on Saturday--those are in my battle log. I really want to see how these diet changes affect things since I struggle so much with the diet changes at all, so it's kind of a respawn point for me.

Ballad's Challenge [#2] “And you? When will you begin that long journey into yourself?†― Rumi 2016 Epic Quest: Develop mental fortitude, discipline, and kindness. I'm very excited to officially join the Druids for my second challenge. For this challenge, I'll continue to focus on mental health and wellness - this time, with more of a focus on gratitude and being present. All of my challenges will be ongoing throughout February. I hope to continue to cement habits that I've been working on and build up new ones. For those of you who followed along on my first challenge, this format may look familiar (why mess with a good thing?). Quest #1: Go to sleep by 11pm on weekdays (Sun-Thurs) and 2:30am on weekends/holidays (Fri-Sat). I'm still working on the sleep thing. My last challenge took me out of the sleep deprivation cycle. This challenge, I intend to continue building better sleep habits by getting to bed before midnight on a regular basis. A+: 26 days A: 22-25 days B: 18-21 days C: 14-17 days D: 13 days F: Less than 13 days Quest #2: Make breakfast at home 3 times/week. [exceptions made for travel] Because breakfast at home means more energy right when I wake up and less money spent. Win/win. Week 1: Pass/Fail Week 2: Pass Fail Week 3: Pass/Fail Week 4: Pass/Fail Bonus: Remove caffeinated coffee from my diet for the month of February. Quest #3: Do at least 5 minutes of meditation per day. I want to build the habit of meditation into my life. The goal is less stress, more mindfulness, and increased mental resilience. A+: 26 days A: 22-25 days B: 18-21 days C: 14-17 days D: 13 days F: Less than 13 days I've also included one life quest. I plan to link this to my meditation quest by writing the list after I meditate. Life Quest: Write a daily gratitude list containing at least 3 items. Sometimes, I get so caught up in the negatives that I forget to stop and be thankful for all of the goodness in my life. I'm looking forward to this daily practice of gratitude. A+: 26 days A: 22-25 days B: 18-21 days C: 14-17 days D: 13 days F: Less than 13 days So, what happens when I succeed? I get access to the treasure pile, where treasures stack. Complete all 4 quests: Book a massage + bragging rights. Complete 3 quests: Purchase The Design of Everyday Things by Donald A. Norman. Complete 2 quests: Buy a new lipstick from MAC. Complete 1 quest: Watch a movie/documentary from my Netflix list. Please feel free to follow along, cheer me on, and ask about my progress! Cheers, Meaghan

So...confession time: I didn't do so well on my last challenge (see link in signature). Or at the very least, as well as I hoped: Positives: This was the first challenge that I completed after many tries! I worked out consistently in martial arts throughout the challenge, moving on to another belt. I decided to "reward" myself with the challenge of performing in a tournament at the end of this month. I also got over my fears and I have started sparring again regularly. I also built some awareness about my eating habits (which were a little common sense, honestly) and I've started carrying a water bottle everywhere. Negatives: Was definitely not consistent with my water intake or my food journaling, and because of that my diet suffered. I realized I have very little willpower. To improve on this, I plan on having fixed times to trigger when I drink water: one bottle right when I wake up, one when I go to bed, one at karate class, and one during lunch and/or when I'm commuting in the car (I don't drive every day). Reflection time over: Today is a new day! Main Quest: Lose 20 pounds by July 4, 2015. My little sister is getting married in July, so I'd like to look my best for her special day and start forming good habits for the rest of my life. I joined the rebellion because I would really like to change my lifestyle and be (what I think) would be an ideal weight for me, which at 5'1" is 120 pounds. I will make accurate measurements tomorrow. Quest 1: Track all of my meals using a food journal. This is a redo of a goal from my old challenge, combining both food journaling and my water intake goal (2 liters). This time I will focus on tracking my water intake, writing everything down (good and bad - no judgement), and pre-planning out my breakfasts with a goal of eating 20-30 grams of protein at breakfast. Any recipes and suggestions would be appreciated! However, my challenge is to come up with a new recipe every week (at the end of my usual week summary) and share it with you guys! Food journaling will be done using the 2nd half of my Fitbook. Measurement: A = 42-38 entries B = 37-33 entries C = 32-28 entries Quest 2: Body weight workouts 3 times a week. While the karate classes are great for my cardio fitness, I want to improve my strength outside of classes. In the group fitness classes it's a little difficult to do and I usually end up injuring myself because they encourage speed over good form. Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays will be my BW workout days, because they are my easiest days at the dojo (as well as the days that I don't have to get up super early). The workout I will be doing is the Academy bodyweight workout. Measurement: A = 16-18 workouts B = 12-15 workouts C = 9-11 workouts Quest 3: Get my dental hygiene routine straightened out. (Maybe TMI) After a really rough scolding from my dental hygienist for not going to the dentist for several years and having poor brushing/flossing habits, I've decided to make a commitment to change the habit. I have a calendar that I posted in my bathroom, and I will be doing the "hard hat" method to make it stick! For me this means: brushing, flossing, using mouthwash, and tongue-scrapping twice a day. Measurement: A = 42-38 days completed B = 37-33 days completed C = 32-28 days completed Life Quest: Weekly Spanish journal entry on lang-8. As a future grad student in Spanish linguistics, I think I need to improve my Spanish abilities. For me, the best way to increase my vocabulary and get feedback is to write entries for native speakers to review on lang-8. Measurement: A = 6 entries, B = 5 entries, C = 4 entries Motivation: I not only want to look good at my sister's wedding (sibling rivalry makes me want to say "look better than her," but I'd be happy if we both looked awesome). I also want to live a long, healthy life where my body isn't limited and is full of energy. More importantly, I want to finally prove to myself that I can finish something I've started. Reward: $35 worth of things from my wishlist on Amazon.

I'm thinking about starting a small business to provide paleo families with a quick and easy way to enjoy pancakes (one of my pre-paleo favorites). The mix I make would require less than 3 ingrediants from your kitchen and less than 10 minutes to make. It's like Bisquick, but better tasting and without any of that processed junk. The recipe I use includes coconut flour, almond flour, arrowroot powder, tapioca flour, and baking soda. All of these are healthy and paleo. I know not every paleo nerd loves to bake as much as I do, so this would be a way for other people to enjoy some of their favorite foods that they've had to give up. I always felt excluded when my non-paleo family ate pancakes, does anyone else have a similar situation? Now with this mix, I can quickly whip up some paleo pancakes and boom! I'm part of the family. So yay or nay to a paleo pancake mix?