Search the Community

This is my first challenge, so bear with me kids! Goal 1: Run a C25K workout AT LEAST twice a week. I started this, almost finished, and then totally petered out. Now I'm back at the beginning, which is the perfect place to re-commit! Goal 2: Two group fitness classes a week at my pole studio, in addition to the Intro to Pole class I'm already taking. So I'm aiming for one cardio (Zumba, Booty Beat, Boot Camp, whatever) + Pole Recovery (stretching, etc.) every week. These two together put me at four workouts per week, plus my daily Angry Birds strength rotation, which is 100% doable for me! Goal 3: To not weigh myself AT ALL for the entire six weeks. This is a very large monster to slay for me... Life Goal: I'd like to call it something awesome, like meditation. Really it's just an effort to stop thinking and be quiet, five minutes per day. Every day. Sigh. Where I'm coming from: I started eating low carb a year ago. I started running last August and stopped, and then again in January and stopped. I've lost 40 lbs (and just typing that makes my jaw drop!) and gone more toward a paleo diet, with lots of walking and a slightly modified version of the Angry Birds strength workout. I'm currently taking an Intro to Pole class at a studio near me, and I want to break up the walking with some fun cardio and get back into the running, starting with a C25K program. My 9-year old son wants to do races with me, and the only way to get there is to get back into it, right?

Back in November, I started running regularly. Being a complete beginner, I took up the Couch to 5K (C25K) running programme, aided by the wonderful podcasts that Robert Ullrey put together. It took me a couple of weeks until I could complete the first week of the course - that's how bad I was. Tonight I have completed my third successful week 9 run. I have finished C25K! My joy is tempered by two things. First, that it's taken me seven months to do this (I'm not including the month or so in which I could not run due to snow) when it's supposed to be a nine week course. I suspect nine weeks is unrealistic, however. Second, I am unsure what to do next. How will I cope without Robert telling me how I'm doing? Should I go for more distance and aim for 10K? Should I work on speed? Should I ditch the shoes and go barefoot? Or should I just maintain my current pace and focus on strength training, cycling and so on? I have time to think about this. For now - I AM VICTORIOUS! YIPPEE!

I am super bummed out because my local krav maga school closed up shop unexpectedly and I am tail spinning for motivation. This 6 week challenge came along at the right time! This is my first challenge, so I m not sure how much detail to provide but I definitely have goals in mind. Fitness Goals 1) Maintain a paleo diet 6 days a week 2) Successfully complete 6 weeks of the Recruit workout from the Rebel Fitness Guide a) Complete Couch to 5K workout on days reserved for 30 minutes of exercise. 3) Have 100% participation in my company's fitness challenge for the month of June Life Goal 1) Complete one Python lesson per week from Code Academy. Looking forward to staying on task and motivating others to achieve their goals!

[awesome image to appear soon] The Challenge: Game loading... Hiya! So, this is my first challenge. Photos to come.(*Update!* Photos attached under Character Select!) I'm a fairly healthy person, at least I think I am. I practice Goju Ryu karate twice a week (though recently with some family issues and grandmother recently committed to continuing care I haven't gone to class often) and may increase that to three times a week, and am very interested in Krav Maga (probably out of the picture until I rehab my shoulder a bit more). My focus is on trying to lose fat while building muscle, agility and flexibility to improve my sparring. I'm a new brown belt and I want to learn to fight efficiently for my small stature and build explosive speed. A bikini bod by August isn't that bad, either - my long-term goal is to lower my BF% substantially (10%) by Aug 17, when my cousin gets married. Please feel free to pop in, chat, offer me some advice, yell at me to get my ass in gear, offer to show me the business end of your fist if I'm whining like a little baby, etc. I'm not too sensitive, though loving is always appreciated - as well as corgis. I love me some corgis. A little note on diet: I plan to follow the keto diet. I originally was intending to do Paleo, but I did more research on diet and nutrition and found that keto made the most sense to me for what I want to do. I plan to eat keto to change my body composition and use that as a tool to obtain my Aug 17 goal, then switch to Primal for maintenance. Character Select: The Mouse! Photos to come - here are the stats! Female22 Years Old5' 1/4"145lbs (already down 5 since mid-March!)BF: 38%Bust: 40"Waist: 37"Hips: 38"Thigh: 22.5"Bicep: 11.5"Yikes! I had calculated my BF% wrong! I'm at 38%! Wow... That's a bit scary. I don't look it, I don't think, but hey! It gives me something to measure, something to beat. Update! Progress Photos, up! (Also, not sure if it's working - had to do some creative online photo editing + loading to various services.) ***PLEASE NOTE! The waist measurement on the bottom is incorrect! It should be 38"!*** April 15 - Front, Side, Back photos! Diet Select: Keto! According to keto-calculator found through /r/keto. 1660 calories25g carbohydrates90g protein133g fatRound One: versus Carbs! (+3 CON) I have lost 5lbs since March 14th just loosely following Paleo/Keto guidelines - and by loose, I mean loose. So I have yet to see what a full keto diet would do to me. I am really excited and I'm hoping that having cut down sharply on carbs this past month will help to lessen the effects of keto flu. 'Cause, y'know, finals and keto flu don't sound like they'll mix too well. I plan to buy groceries every Saturday after karate (hopefully buy some from the city market or my local farmer's market [before they, sadly] close down in July), and spend Sunday cooking lunches for the week and maybe dinners as well. I will also boil some extra hard boiled eggs to put in the fridge at work in case I need a snack. My Goal for this round is: Eat keto every breakfast, lunch and dinner for 6 weeks, with 3 possible cheat meals during the challenge duration.Snacks must all be keto/paleo!A: 3 or less cheatsB: 4 cheatsC: 5 cheatsD: 6 cheatsF: more than 6 cheatsRound Two: versus Barbell! (+4 STR, +2 STA) Staci is a major inspiration to me - so is Athena. I'm a short gal, and I'm tired of being rotund and weak. I tried those calorie cutting dieting things, but that really didn't work. I could barely lift 10lbs for a pathetic, shaky curl the last time I tried it. And you know what - I don't want that. I want to be strong at sparring, I want to be strong at form, I want to do knuckle pushups, goddamit. Hell, I want to be able to feel like a rock when someone lands a punch on me and I don't want to be in pain if I get kicked (at least, not the kinds of kicks my club uses in sparring - we're pretty control frenzied). I want to be swimming in my gi and be able to do several MFEs without any kind of break. Will I get through all that this challenge? Probably not. I hope not. But what I do want to do is conquer my fear of barbells and earn myself a pretty ass that can power a kick through a wall if need be. My plan for this goal is to hit the gym on campus with my boyfriend every Monday and Wednesday and potentially Friday to do lifts. I may switch to bodyweight on Friday or omit the workout if I end up taking up the third karate day with our sister club (which is apparently much more intense). My Goal for this round is: Begin Starting Strength (with a bit of alternations, as I'm not sure that I should be doing presses with a shoulder impingement)M, W, F lift schedule - one day may be replaced with bodyweight training, see next point.If I go to karate on F, then W would be a second lift day. If I don't do karate on F, then F would be second lift day and W would be BW.EDIT (May 13): As I won't be doing F karate nights at least until summer semester, the third point is null. However, see Round Three.A: 6/6 weeks completed (18 workouts)B: 5/6 weeks completed (15 workouts)C: 4/6 weeks completed (12 workouts)D: 3/6 weeks completed (9 workouts)F: 2/6 weeks completed (6 workouts)Round Three: versus Jennifer! (+2 STA, +1 AGI*) Jen's my cousin - mother of three (one just new and sooo cute~!) - and she has recently challenged me to run a 5k with her in July. I walked into W3 of the C25k program without too much issue. I want to be able to run 5k without stopping. I want to run it in 30min. I may run it with zombies chasing me, but I'm really really scared to buy the Zombies, Run! app because even the most benign little horror thing will give me nightmares for months. I plan to run Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday - T, S being two of my karate workouts. As a brown belt, I don't always get a good workout because I sometimes have to help teach classes, so it will be good to get some activity in regardless. I also plan to text Jennifer every time I run and report after the run on how it went. She does this to me as well, so it gives us both a big boost. My Goal for this round is: Run C25K training program every T, R, S (in the morning if possible, or anytime during the day - lunch hour is not sacred)Run 5k without stopping at the end of 6 weeks*EDIT (May 13): After some really terrible leg pains and a bit of a hard realization that karate + running = can't walk, I'm revising this goal so that I can replace my T/S runs with karate if the karate session is appropriately hard or taxing. Also, legit, shiko for 20-30mins a class is about equal to running and equal amount of time in my books... Or should I say quads?A: 6/6 weeks completed (18 runs)B: 5/6 weeks completed (15 runs)C: 3-4/6 weeks completed (9-12 runs)D: 1-2/6 weeks completed (3-6 runs)F: 0/6 weeks completed (0 runs)*running 5k without stopping will unlock +1AGI and the title "Mouse the Speedy" Round Four: versus Clutter! (+2 WIS, + 1 CON) My room is a terrible mess. My desk is horrid. I have no system for laundry, I'm worse than a frat boy (okay, I'm not that bad, I still do laundry on my own) when it comes to picking out clean clothes from a pile and I just don't like cleaning. But I'm done with that. It scares me to think of all the work I'll have to put into cleaning and keeping it clean, but my room and my desk are reflections of myself. I am not a slob, I am not disorganized, I am not careless. I am prim, I am proper, I am clean and I am classy. I want to be able to get my business cards (student cards) printed and sit them on a little organizer on the corner of my desk and know that a kick-ass awesome future-HR executive is sitting in the cleanest, most organized, most conducive to Tera Online dungeon runs and business case analyses desk ever. I want my room to be so clean I don't have to apologize to my boyfriend when he comes over. And I could use a fucking lot of help with this. Any tips, favourite strategies, etc? My Goal for this round is: Come up with a plan to do laundry.How do I store/sort the laundry?When do I do the wash? When do I dry it?When do I fold and put away?Clean my desk and put away all the shit I don't use.Get two large boxes and fill them with shit I don't need or use from closets and bookshelves - empty them after 3 weeks (2x in the challenge)A: 3/3 Done, room is clean 5/6 weeksB: 3/3 Done, room is clean 4/6 weeksC: 2/3 Done, room is clean 3/6 weeksD: 2/3 Done, room is clean 2/6 weeksF: 1/3 Done, room is clean 1/6 weeksMy major concern with this challenge is that I will have 6 days of activity a week - 3 heavy lifting, 3 short-term endurance running - and 2 days of "doubles" if I get lucky (tuesdays and saturdays with karate). However, I can easily skip the run on Saturdays if karate is hard core. I don't doubt that activity is good for you, but it's a bit much to jump right into. But I'm game. The concern about over-activity ties into what I want to do with keto. It's my first time doing something like that, so I'm a bit scared that I might be severely undercutting my calories. However, I'll go by feel and if I feel hungry, I'll eat protein and moderate fat. If anyone's got tips, I'm more than open for 'em. And without further ado... Game Start... FIGHT!

I'm late to start but wanted to jump in anyway. I started a battle log, but think I'll keep up here for the challenge. I'm Jenni, in Phoenix, mom of nine, wife of my hero, fantasy reader, dreamer, etc. I'm 41 with about 50 pounds to lose (give or take, we'll see as I get stronger!) That's me in a nutshell. Goals: Fitness: -Complete C25K, running 3 times weekly. When it is done work on speed a bit before going for longer distance. -Strength train (beginner body workout) 2x weekly Diet: -Track calories daily, reduce grains and dairy, Sunday is free day but still have to count the calories (keeps me a little bit in line!) Life: -Focus on my 3 high priority chores each day. Every morning I pick 3 high priority chores to get done, the rest go on a separate list (because I always have more than 3 things to do!) But I often get distracted and don't finish those 3 High Priority things before I move on to more palatable jobs. So I'm grading myself on those 3 high priority things. It may take me a while to really get the feel for these forums, please forgive any faux pas while I do - it's a whole new world out there! Great to meet all of you! Anyway. Here's my battle log for last week: (April 14-20) 2 weeks, 4.5 pounds! I’m working the plan, and the plan is working. This past week, we went for a hike – which involved a good bit of climbing, I ran three times, and a did a strength/cardio workout twice: Last Sunday: Hike, Calories eaten – 1923 (Free day) Monday: 30 Day Shred, Calories eaten – 1607 Tuesday: I finally conquered week 4 of Couch to 5K! Calories eaten – 1570 Wednesday: Rest – I wanted to work out. Imagine! Me? Wanting to work out?? But I thought it best to give my muscles a rest. Calories eaten – 1615 Thursday: C25K W 4, D2. Calories eaten – 1615 Friday: 30 Day Shred, Calories eaten – 1577 Saturday: C25K W 4, D3. Calories eaten – 1601 I was able to keep those calories mostly healthy foods, so I was rarely hungry, and only once got shaky and fuzzy headed. Saturday’s run was by far the hardest, I think my body was feeling the fatigue of both the run and the 30 Day Shred from the day before, so I didn’t quite run all the running parts. But I only walked about 20 steps, and it was very near the end when that happened. It was kind of funny – the walking was involuntary, my legs were just so tired, I just kind of found myself walking. But that whole run my legs felt like bricks. My calves were so tired. No soreness today, though. With that in mind though, I am going to switch it up a little bit. I have been reading NerdFitness.com quite a bit. I am going to switch out the 30 Day Shred for their Beginner Body Weight Workout. I don’t intend to do a full Paleo diet, it would be very difficult with the age range and size of our family, but I am moving my diet that direction – avoiding grains and dairy, keeping my food as unprocessed as possible, higher in protein, lots of vegetables, etc. Oh and one more thing about this past week: I have made it through week 3 on the C25K three times so far and just couldn't get to week 4. But I really did it this week. about halfway through that first run on week four, I realized that I can't be running and thinking, "It's almost done, it's almost done!" if I plan to run longer distances. So I slowed down a little bit and found a pace where I could stay and... just keep running and be okay at! I FOUND MY GROOVE! I can run and not feel like death the whole time! This is so huge for me, even my husband told me this week - I never pictured you as a runner! So I'm still just a baby runner, but I can do several minutes at a time now, and I love it. I never would have guessed how much I could love this either. Every day I look forward to the next time I can run. This week on my to do list is to make a list of specific goals – and rewards for meeting them. At Target last night I was about to buy some new workout clothes, but I thought, why not make this something I work for and look forward to? So that is my plan! Some things I want to work towards: New running shoes Cute exercise clothes (this could be several goals! Yay, Shopping!) FitBit A second running bra I can think of lots more!

So, it has been awhile since I have been on here, and since I have worked out. But I have reached that point, where I can take it no more. I am going to start this thing whether it is fun or not. The thing is, I know that it could be fun, if I make myself passionate about it, the problem is that I have not yet done that. I really want to get back into the paleo thing. I also just did part of my boyfriend's six week challenge with him and it actually felt really good. So for now, I am going to eat healthier until I get the junk out of my house, then starting next week it is full on paleo. The workouts start today. Let's do this!

Still pumped from my first challenge... and want to make sure that momentum doesn't go to waste! I may be mixing Avengers and X-men here... but hey, it's all out of the Marvel Universe, so it's allowed, right?? Name: Aimless Level: 2 Race: Centaur Class: Scout Starting Stats: STR 5 . DEX 3.8 . STA 6.2 . CON 4 . WIS 6.8 . CHA 3 Weight: 123# Neck: 12.75" R bicep: 10" Chest: 36.25" Waist: 32" Hips: 36" R thigh: 20.75" R calf: 12.5" Fitness Goals: FLASH-style Build up to a love of RUNNING... (do 18 total runs) (+1STA)Continue c25k program to completion- On w5d1 now. (+1STA, +1DEX)Be able to run 5K without stopping by the end of this challenge. (+1STA)Transition to c210K program. (+1STA)Find and sign up for my first organized run. (+1CHA)HULK-style Expand strength training Do an average 2 workouts per week (12 total) (+2STR)Bodyweight workout- squats, pushups, lunges, rows, plank, jumping jacksTry free weight training- deadlifts, squats, rows... Diet Goals: AQUAMAN-style Drink more water- track it, and goal is >1 liter per day (+1CON)Continue gluten-free, refined sugar-free, corn-free, soy-free nutritional plan. (No points, cause it's a cheat-goal... I already do this)Meal-planning- Just DO it- It makes life flow so much better if I have a weekly plan BEFORE I go to the grocery store. It ensures we have nutritious, yummy dinners and leftovers to take to work so I'm not having to compromise quality. It also saves last-minute store trips and the stress of getting out of work and not knowing what I'm making for dinner that night... makes me less grumpy too! (+1CON, +1WIS, +1CHA)Level-up my life goal: STORM-style Declare WAR on the paper clutter tornado already! ...We've lived in this house 13 years... and have NEVER had a workable system for all the papers... there's important papers mixed in with all the crap papers and junk-mail. It's taking over the house and my sanity, so it's time to tame the tornado already! (+3WIS) Bonus items: Do a 3-minute plankDo 20 push-ups without stoppingGo 1 week without coffeeGo 1 week without alcoholFind and get to a yoga classMake and deliver a meal to a family who may need itDo a recumbent bike workout

Greetings, fellow Scouts! 2nd challenge, did well the last challenge, already lost 40 lbs, so I know I can do this. This challenge will be pretty much like the last one. GOALS! C25K I'll continue to do the C25K app 3x a week and get to running 1/2 a 5K by the end of the challenge. Bonus: Sign up for a 5K. +5 STA Body Weight Training I have my own body weight training routine I made to do 3x a week on my non-run days. (Link to my routine here.) Bonus: Be able to do 10 regular push-ups. (I can't even do two.) +2 STR +2 STA Paleo I've been doing Paleo and sugar free for 5 months. I vow to continue this and additionally not eat out or eat complex carbs for the next 6 weeks. +3 CON Spanish/French I homeschool my son (7 years old) and have been teaching him Spanish. I'd also like to learn French, so this will be the mental training. +3 WIS I log my daily food intake as well as exercise on the LoseIt Website and app. BONUS! A progress picture for you. Before/During - 30lbs lighter. And here's an awesome picture of leg progress during the last challenge 10 more lbs lighter (before is on the right, during on the left, sorry for the mix up): I would like to lose 10 more lbs during these 6 weeks. I know I can do it!

Um... ok. First timer here... please be patient! I'm a pediatric nurse, and mommy to 4 kiddos (3 of my own and 1 foster daughter)... so my schedule's a major problem when it comes to finding time for ME. That being said, I realize that if I don't find some consistency and some follow-through, I'm going to go insane. I eat traditional, whole foods in a way that's similar to paleo (I eat following the GAPS diet) because of other health reasons... and have seen amazing health progress on dietary changes alone, but have hit a plateau that I think may have to do with my lack of consistent exercise. I have a fabulously supportive husband, which is beyond-helpful, and I just need to make fitness a priority. So, for the next 6 weeks, here are my plans.... Three diet fitness goals for the next 3 months: Run/jog/walk 2-mile circuit with the dog at least 18 times (average of 3 per week)... bring music and try to learn to love jogging, because I really want to... I hear that if you get past 6 weeks you stop feeling like you're going to die after half a mile... (+2 DEX, +2 STA)Get to the point towards the end of this challenge that I can run at least half of the circuit (one mile) without stopping to walk. (+3 STA)Do the beginning-level body-weight exercise workout posted here on Nerdfitness on non-jogging days at least 12 times in the 6-week period... even if I have to get the toddler to "play" along with me... (+3 STR, +1 CON)Level up my life goal: Use the budget I have created and record all inflow and outflow of cash monthly. We do so much better with our money when I actually TRACK it, instead of it just flowing out into the nothingness of space... (+3 WIS)And another extra goal: Learn how to navigate this site and use it to it's fullest potential to help me to stay motivated and on track while developing healthier fitness habits! (+1 WIS)

Hey, Happy new year everyone, Here I am after a bad second challenge, and some "time off" from some of my healthy eating and workout habits, and ready to keep up where I left, because, as someone wrote "It's not what you eat between Christmas and New year, It's what you eat between New Year and Christmas!", so here goes my first draft for this challenge, feel free to comment or suggest. Health Goals 1. C210k, I started running with C25K, and it was great, I have realized lately that I have not added any more miles after that, and it's probably a lack of a good plan and specific short term goals, so I'll keep on with what worked before, so today I started with week 7 day 3 of C210K, and keep on going frome there, I'll look for a 10K race near or after the end of the challenge. (+4 STA) 2. Strength training. I have not done any EVER (Literally), but I begin to feel like I need some to balance the leg work of running/bike and the wife has "suggested" some upper body workout so I'll start with the Begginer Body weight Workout http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2009/12/09/beginner-body-weight-workout-burn-fat-build-muscle/ At least two times a week, and adjust as necessary, since I have never done anything like that. (+3 STR +1 CHA) 3. Paleo. After Whole30, and loosing 10kg, I feel like this is the best way for me, I am not good at percentages, of cheat meals, and some paleo stuff is just not available around here (such as grass-fed or wild-caught), but whatever I cook (or decide for myself what to eat out), will be 100% Paleo, I'll allow some room for sugar, or vegetable oil and small amounts of starch in condiments. (+4 CON) 4. Bike. I know, I have put this every single time, and fell short both times, but I really like It and I really like the idea of a triathlon, it's just so cool. The goal is at least one ride a week, at least 15k long (could be split into two). Life Goal 5. New House. Find a new house, that's both good for the family and good for the budget, it must be done as soon as possible, and move ASAP too. (+2 WIS +1CHA) Starting Stats STR 8.25 DEX 3 STA 10.5 CON 7 WIS 9 CHA 0 Weight: 97k

Greetings, fellow Scouts! First challenge, but I've been working out/eating clean for three months prior, already lost 30 lbs, so I know I can do this. Link to my (very nerdy) Fitblr. GOALS! C25K I'll continue to do the C25K app 3x a week and get to running 1/2 a 5K by the end of the challenge. +5 STA +5 STA ( A+ ) I rocked C25K each week and ran 20 minutes straight for the first time in my life the other night. Body Weight Training I have my own body weight training routine I made to do 3x a week on my non-run days. (Link to my routine here.) +2 STR +2 STA +1 STR, +1 STA ( C ) I didn't do weight training as much as I should have. Paleo I've been doing Paleo (with Keto mixed in) and sugar free for 3 months. I vow to continue this and additionally not eat out or eat complex carbs for the next 6 weeks. +3 CON +2 CON ( B ) I ate out a few times, but I did NOT eat complex carbs and stuck to paleo. 3D Game Programming I've been meaning to get better at game art so I can help my boyfriend make games. (Bachelor's of Science, Video and Game Art Programming) So during the next 6 weeks, every day I'm going to practice and get better. +3 WIS +2 WIS ( B ) I barely did any game programming, most of it was reading the dummy guide. But I DID start up Spanish again. So... Bonus point? I log my daily food intake as well as exercise on the LoseIt Website and app. Did this daily, lost around 10 more lbs during the challenge. Final Count 11/15 points Final Grade: B New Stats: Level 1 | 6 STA | 1 STR | 1 CON | 2 WIS BONUS! A progress picture for you. Before/During - 30lbs lighter. I would like to lose 12 more lbs during these 6 weeks. That's only 2lbs per week, I know I can do it! Edit: Updated end stats.

Hi, I'm new to this. I don't know much about experience points because I never got into the RPG games because I was afraid I would become addicted at engineering school. I am familiar with the concept and plan to learn about it. I am an ogre - I'm a 6' 1" and 331 pound female. Ultimately I would like to be a scout/druid mix. Shorter distance than marathon running intermixed with yoga. But that will take some time. Not sure what a name for this would be, anyone nerdier than I have an idea? Until then I am scout training. My goals for this challenge are: 1. Jog/walk intervals 3-4 times per week (I'm doing a Runner's World C25K, not sure what everyone else has). I'm starting on week 1 tomorrow. 2. Stick to the paleo diet 90% (I'm starting tomorrow and am prepared with a week of "legal" food) 3. Lose 10 pounds. This ogre needs to go wedding dress shopping in March. ~Angella