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I was struggling to come up with a theme, or goals. So, I think I will just do an unchallege, and share my favorite Christmas carol I will be following NF's bodyweight Heroes Journey app at level 17 Working on rowing, Getting some movement in with GMB's Literal Immortality and walking I will be celebrating Christmas and the Advent season decorating cookies baking decorating the tree buying gifts Christmas movies parties singing

I find myself in a bit of a weird place as the year winds down, and if anyone understands longing for the past and mourning what is gone, it's the elves. So I'm going to spend Christmas with them. And of course, Rivendell is renowned for stories and songs, so that's what I'm going to focus on this challenge. Stories: Reading: My sister and I have come up with a Christmas reading list. Not sure we're going to get to all 8, but we're extending it to 12th Night and some of them are children's books: The Afterlife of Holly Chase by Cynthia Hand The Holiday Switch/The Holiday Swap by Tif Marcelo and Maggie Knox (these are rom-coms, and the waiting list at the library is ridiculous. So probably going to replace these with whatever rom-com we can get our hands on.) The Christmas Murder Game by Alexandra Benedict Hogfather by Terry Pratchett Christmas Dinner of Souls by Ross Montgomery A Boy Called Christmas by Matt Haig The Christmas Pig by J K Rowling Writing: Just write. I know vague goals aren't SMART, but I've discovered the more parameters I put on this, the less I actually do it. Songs: Listening: Organize my playlists on Spotify. I've already got a bit of a jump on this, but there's lots more songs to sift through and place. Making: Play Christmas carols on my trombone. I've barely touched my trombone this year, and that needs to change. My Christmas book is pretty beginner level, which should be a good thing to use to get my lips back in shape. I'm going to let my garden lie a bit dormant for this challenge, but there are a few things I want to work on Athelas: I have an advent Bible reading plan, so I'm going to add this to my morning routine. Old Man Willow: My evening routine has gone out the window, so I want to work on having the teeth brushed and be in bed between 10 and 11. Party Tree: Get into the Christmas spirit with my mom. Play some Christmas duets, watch holiday movies, decorate, all that good stuff. My poor mom is a night owl in a houseful of early birds. Going to make more of an effort to hang with her in the evenings instead of passing out on the couch, which should help with the bedtime routine as well.

Hi. I'm SheriffWolfpool. I've been a member of NF since 2012. No, for real, I've been here a long time. Been Rangering since 2015. Goes under the alias Wolfie most of the time? *Siggghhhhhhhhhhhh* I'm well known for portraying Deadpool and writing kick ass stories???? NOOOOOOOOOO! You know what...never mind. Let's just just start back from the beginning... With a little nudge to "just go for it", I've decided to end the year with a NF challenge that I stick with. I mean...it's only 3 weeks. I can do this, right?? So let's get to it!! Goal 1: Eat like a Boss (and not like an A-Hole) My eating habits have tanked a lot the last couple months. I don't blame Costco, but at the same time, I blame Costco, lol. They have so many sweets there and I have a bad sweet tooth. Heather and I both do, so, that's changing RIGHT now. No more needless sugary snacks or treats just because. I don't wanna wait till the New Year to start better habits. Those good habits start now! Points: +3 CON, + 2 CHA Goal 2: Train like a Soldier 5 months strong is what I had going for me...then I tweaked my right elbow lifting a case of mini-Cokes at Costco. Since then, I've been so spotty with my workouts. Then I got my new tattoo and took almost two weeks off. Basically, I've hit a little slump and I'm not gonna allow that to get me down anymore. Nope, no siree! Bootcamp starts NOW! Points: +2 STR, +2 DEX, +1 END Goal 3: Conquer the Holidays How does one conquer the busy Holiday season?? I doubt there's a perfect recipe for this, but for me, it's getting plenty of rest and taking it one day at a time. I'm not gonna lie, we're going to spoil our kids this Christmas. Like, really spoil them. Last year we could barely get them a $10 gift...and I know what you're thinking; that the amount of a gift doesn't matter. I would agree with you, too. But, as the leader of my family, it's my job to provide for them. I'm not working 2 jobs because it's fun. I have goals for all of us. A house is on the horizon but right now, it's making sure my kids and my wife have one of the best Christmas's ever. My last day for work at my day job is 12/20 and I'm off until 01/02/2020. Basically two weeks off! I still have to work at Costco, but that's not a hard job to work at. During these next three weeks I need to make sure I'm getting plenty of rest to compliment goals 1 & 2. Points: +2 CON, +2 END, +1 WIS So now do you remember me?? You have to know by now...? ..... F*ck it. I know who I am Wolf

Come one, come all! Hello everyone! These last few months have been tough, but I feel like now it is tougher and I am in need of some additional support, so here I am :D! We all know Christmas can be magical and wonderful and the best moment of the year. As long as it does not generate anxiety, fights with our loved ones and general fear of overeating AND desire to eat just one more slice of that pie that only comes once a year. So I feel I will need to setup goals, accountability and more generally to infuse my life with some FUN, because I want Christmas to be awesome but it is not starting well. *sigh* But I have hope! So let's start! My goals to prepare Christmas are: 1- to get back to having good food habits, so that when I am offered this second (or fourth) slice of pie, I say no serenely, not feeling like I am depriving myself. 2- to find out workout routines I can do anywhere, in a short time, so that I have no excuse for not moving at least a little, no matter what equipment I have (or do not have) 3- to make some more space in my life (and in my apartment) for the future. My apartment is a mess (hidden inside closets, but still a MESS) and I want to stop hiding piles of junk and just have what I need. I am revisiting Marie Kondo and all of the tidying experts and just getting rid of a bunch of stuff. The common thread for these 3 goals is that I LOVE the feeling post doing them, but dislike the process of doing them. So I shall set smaller goals, which should create good habits! I want to be proud of me and my life and for that, I have to invest a little time and effort in making them better, rather than complain about them. So no more Mrs. Sad-pants, welcome Mrs. I-am-able-to-do-things-at-least-in-small-increments! I will focus this challenge until the 22nd and hope to pursue it the week after, but I want to be realistic. 1- food habits - Good food habits start with knowing what it is that you are doing right and wrong. Sooooo logging has to come back. There is no good way to do this - I just have to get back into the habit. I will start a fresh google spreadsheet and do my best - One simple way to reduce the amount of food is to work on eating incrementally later in the morning - and then leading to intermittent fasting. I have done it in the pas, so I know I can do it again. This will be a progressive goal - with the target to be okay eating after 11am once I am on holidays at home and the bakery is downstairs from my home. (#tempationisaliveandwell). - Finally, I want to eat more mindfully, taking time to appreciate the food and then paying attention as to how it makes me feel (like I discovered that eating fried chicken gives me a stomachache, so why would I eat that again? I don't eat spicy food for this reason) 2- workouts - Move everyday, no matter what. 5 minutes of barbell. A 15-min walk. The difficulty will be to put clothes on (#comfypajamas) and to overcome the holiday blues which makes me want to stay in bed and do nothing (#yesterday) That's. It. No hour-long workouts, no PR competition, no 100-squats a day (although I could do 10 and add 1 every day!). 3- tidying up Every weekend day, I will choose a small place and tidy it up. Last week I worked on my shoe and umbrella storage place and ended up donating 3 bags full of shoes and umbrellas (I had 8 umbrellas at home and 4 at the office - I don't know how it is possible). If I am working on a larger place (saaaay the stationary closet - OMG there is soooo much stuff in there), I can cut it up in 15min increments. But I have to put in at least 15min per weekend day. That's it! I will setup weekly goals and try to update this thread as I go. I will also participate in mini-challenges, because 90% of these are so so so fun ^^. I will setup a point system and a nice reward at the end. All the compulsory things will yield positive and negative points and then I will add a bunch of other stuff which just give bonus point (e.g., meal prepping!) just to add positive things :). Hope to do well and wish you all success in your challenges and happiness in this end of year!

It's been a full year since I uprooted my cozy little life in Iowa and moved to Oklahoma. While it's been full of new and exciting things as well as some unexpected difficulties the one thing I really regret about the move is how much I've struggled to stay fit--especially in the last few months of battling pain I've lost a great deal of strength and gained a good bit of scale weight. Today I'm getting back in the game (again) and turning the momentum around. The last challenge started strong but fizzled early, so I'm determined to start "next year" a month early. To that end, I'm going to finish off 2016 with a full December challenge: 31 days of mindful fitness working toward my usual cadre of specific goals. There are plenty of obstacles--in addition to the Christmas holiday there are two family birthdays within a week of each other--and I'm still not certain of my current capabilities, but I'm going to do whatever I can to keep from having to buy larger clothes. Goals: 1. Workout - 3 times per week for 60 minutes per session; focus on core strength, flexibility, and mobility; incorporate the at-home portion of my previous OT/PT that has been completed. Generally work up a sweat and stoke the metabolism. 2. Eat - 1800 calories per day. Macros don't matter, but as always the plan will be to stick to Primal-ish foodstuffs. 3. Drink - Water. No liquid calories. No excessive caffeine. One can of Diet Dr Pepper is permitted before noon each day. 4. Sleep - Get back to a regular bedtime schedule. Time to make the donuts...

I think I need to do a challenge. So I am! I fell out of a lot of healthy habits I had been building earlier this year (see: daily mobility; movement 7 days/week; etc.). I still eat pretty paleo during the work week but I also let a lot of junk through for Halloween and Thanksgiving. I has excuses but those are silly and what I really need to do is try to slowly build back up again and focus on the future. I’ve got a lot going on this month as I’m sure many people do… December activities: Wed. 12/7/16 – Xmas supper club with friends Sat. 12/10/16 – Ugly Sweater 5K Sun. 12/11/16 – SO’s extended family Xmas party Fri. 12/16/16 – Friends Xmas (and a birthday) party Sat. 12/17/16 – Friend’s family Xmas party Sat. 12/24/16 – Dad’s family Xmas party Sun. 12/25/16 – SO’s family Xmas gathering and Mom’s family Xmas gathering Sat. 12/31/16 – NYE partayyy Goal 1. Weights 10 weight-lifting sessions. I will be aiming for 3/week but don’t want to dive back in too strongly and get burnt. Goal 2. Cardio 10 cardio sessions. GASP. Welp, I’ve gained about 17 lbs over the past year or so and feel like I need some endurance in my life. Plus I like to do 5Ks and OCRs. Goal 3. Yoga 4 yoga sessions. Goal 4. Eat At home. All of the parties I’m going to this month will be homemade food except one. I really should not need to be eating at a restaurant (or take out) at all this challenge. I will allow myself two visits to a restaurant and two coffees that aren’t plain nut milk lattes. Extra pride points if I don’t use those visits!

So last year I let work stress and changes bum out my end of the year cheer. This year I won't let that happen so I've been listening to Christmas music since before Thanksgiving. It’s the end of the year and things can get pretty hectic and busy so I'm scaling back my challenge. I want to avoid regaining bad habits but I don’t want to stress myself out. It’s the most wonderful time of the year for a reason and my Christmas is going to be awesome! Exercise Quest : Weekly plan : 4 exercise days (Christmas Rush 5k on 12/10) Points : 1 point per day Overall Points : 16 Food Quest : Bring Lunch to work (except for Peach deliveries), No Soda (8/30), No Fast Food, avoid added sugars & eat Paleo ish Points : 1 point for each of the following (Bring lunch M-F on workdays, No Soda, No Fast Food aka Drive thru except Starbucks) 2 points for full Paleo meals Overall Points : 76 Christmas Quest : Holiday Spirit - Christmas Decorations, Holiday Movies and Holiday Lights with Fam Gift of Giving - Send our cards, Refugee Resettlement Program Kit/Adopt a family for the holidays or Hopelink Giving Tree, Family & Friends gifts (purchased, wrapped & sent/given), Co-worker thank you gifts, Kent Station Giving Tree Gift, NF Elfster Secret Santa, Book Buddies Secret Santa & Book Club White Elephant. Points : 1 point per day Overall Points : 28 Dailies Quest : Yoga Mobility, Read, 4+ cups H2O, & clean Points : 1 point per each Overall Points : 112 Passing = 170 (around 75%)

'Tis the season for a new challenge! Yay.... I think. I'm saving my Swords of Power challenge for January/February when I will have maybe come up with a way to assign attributes that aren't all purely mental and habit control (ex: "avoid the influence of Mindsword/Skulltwister by not even looking at memes or Netflix or Crunchyroll or <insert long list of distractors>", "do not sit at home doing nothing for all of break like you're possessed by Soulcutter", etc etc). Anyway, what better way to theme at this time of the year than through Christmas celebration! (awkward fragment is awkward lol) Note: still a draft. "The best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear." Practice clarinet and accumulate at least 10 points per week -2 points for no or insignificant practice 0 points for significant practice less than an hour in duration +2 points for the first hour in a day +1 point per each additional half hour +1 for singing practice "The four food groups are candy, candy canes, candy corn, and syrup." make good choices in food so I can make all the bad choices when Christmas cookies and candy roll out. Goal: average 2 points per day He's making a list, checking it twice Basically making sure I stay on top of academics into the Finals season and through winter break. I'm taking Bio 2 next semester but it's been 6-and-a-half years since I had AP Bio so woot. Going to keep working on Japanese as well. All the tacky Christmas clothing! Tacky Christmas socks Flexibility exercises for splits. EVERYDAY. Following advice from 30 Days & Stretches to Splits with supplementary material from GMB Fitness (both links I found here on NFR) Tacky Christmas sweater 100 Push-ups challenge starting on week 1 column 1 Tacky Christmas hat At the moment, this just encompasses all the other physical activity I might do. He knows when you are sleeping, he knows when you're awake Sleep! I've been doing better with the sleeping part. Now I just need to do better on the awake-time time management without sacrificing sleep (oops). Happy Birthday Jesus Daily reading the Bible in preparation for Christmas. Even if it's just 5 minutes. Church.... kind of counts? So 8 possible pts /wk I'm running out of list related metaphors. I need to post a log (or at least a point distribution) here every week. I'm going to make it so that if I don't post my weekly log, all of my positive logging points negate. I also need to update my spreadsheet daily (so I don't forget details). I'm not 100% sure yet but I think this week is going to overlap both the end of my SU challenge (because the infrastructure is already there in that spreadsheet) and the beginning of this challenge. I'm still going over some ideas with regard to point distribution, category weights, and adjustments so that negative points just zero out instead of bleeding into other categories. I might use a combination. Reward system (likely related to presents under the Christmas tree) forthcoming.

Merry Christmas, all you gay people! (Gay as in happy and/or modern definition) Too early? Too bad! Part of my challenge will be to try and capture that Christmas magic feeling I had as a child as Christmas slow-poked (that is the way it felt then) its way closer. Some information: I run my challenges Mon through Sun. So it official starts on the Dec 5 for me and ends on Jan 1 2017. I basically have three objectives plus an event "interruption": Fitness, fitness, fitness! (I'll explain what I plan to do for all of these below.) Becoming nomadic! (My new way of saying: prepping to go long-term traveling. New way is shorter.) Writing! This thing everyone I know thinks I try to do a lot of... Event Interruptus: I have a good friend coming over to visit my house for the first time (and last time? ) She will come late Friday during Week 2 and stay until sometime Sunday (probably between noon and late afternoon). This means a couple of things: I need to finish my writing things for that week early (story and workshop); I need to move around my workouts if any fall during the weekend; I will need to clean a lot before she comes (at least vacuum everywhere, and clean bathrooms and kitchen); I will take a break from nomadic-prepping; and it will be an excellent time to try and capture some Christmas magic (good companionship, perhaps baking, etc.). ~*~*~*~*~*~ Fitness: I've ordered these and I kinda plan to see it as priority. Except I'd rather do workouts on the right days, instead of moving to get steps. Continue to recreate the walking/steps habit I had earlier this year. Still aim for 6'500 steps until habit is firmly back in place. Week 0–4. Strong Inside Out Bootcamp. This is one of the camp headmasters' programs. It is 30 days and started just before this challenge. This is strength workouts and cardio workouts. Basically a whole program, plus some mindset stuff for approximately four weeks. Week 0–3. For Week 4, I don't know yet what I will do. Either I will dig into the NF Academy or get back to the workouts I kinda get because I contributed to a Kickstarter (trying to help prepare me for my reward). Becoming Nomadic: These are kind of ordered for priority, but kinda also not. I can guarantee 4 and 5 will happen. I want to do some real progress on 1–3 though. Work on this should happen every day. But I'm not specifying when any specific tasks will fall. Except that 2 should probably happen early in the challenge because CHRISTMAS. Manage to cross of some appointments I need to do. Finish off some paper work (name change, new passports/cards in new name, finances (not necessarily all of that)). Start prepping to sell some of my stuff (aka take photos of them and start figuring out the sell websites (we have good Swedish ones)). Continue making lists and distilling the information I learn from reading/research. Continue reading/researching. Writing: This will be a mostly weekly focus, as in I will have weekly deadlines I need to hit. Preferably I won't just try to do everything on the day of the deadline... Write three flash/short stories for the first three weeks. Deadlines for friend project and up-coming workshop. Deadline will fall on Sundays, or technically 9:00 on Monday mornings. Week 0–2. Online craft/genre workshop (Writing Mystery). It will have weekly video content (around 1 hour) and a weekly assignment (can take anything from 10 minutes to 6 hours). Assignment turn in will fall on Sunday, or technically 9:00 on Monday mornings (probably, will have to double check when it starts). Week 1–4. Christmas Magic: This is Week 0–3, obviously. After that it is after Christmas. Listen to Christmas music every day. Sing Christmas songs/carols at least once weekly. Bake some Christmas things. Cook Christmas things? Install the Christmas lights. Set up Christmas tree and its lights. Decorate the tree. Light a fire in fire place at least once. Post-Christmas Magic: Totally made up this category as I got to it, because apparently New Years happen during this challenge! Week 4. Visit parents (and tell them my nomadic plans...) Celebrate New Years ~*~*~*~*~*~ So we'll see how well I can keep up on three priorities. My last challenge (Dagger ooching...) showed that I could at least keep one priority firmly in my head (becoming nomadic), and start actually focusing on a second one (exercise). And I would focus on just two things, if life didn't force me not too. And here I'm obviously not counting the Christmas priority, which I'm not going to run like a goal in that way. It is more an intention to see if I can enjoy the holidays more like I did as a child (although I dearly hope I don't get as many material presents as I did back then because then I need to sell them...).

My wife and daughters got me $45 worth of gift cards, so I placed a few orders: What Doesn't Kill Us by Wim Hof -- If you're not familiar with Wim, check out this awesome video: Tools of Titans by Tim Ferriss -- If you're not familiar with Tim, you're probably either new to the fitness/lifestyle improvement world or you've been in some sort of Internet limbo. This book is possible his magnum opus, a collection of the best advice from his most memorable guests in the worlds of health, wealth, and wisdom. And last but not least... Level Up Your Life by Steve Kamb -- If you're not familiar with Steve...well...I have no words for you. I'm stoked. The books should arrive early next month. I'll keep you posted on my progress.

Hey y'all It's that time of year again and since last year went so well, there is another NF Secret Santa on Elfster. All gifts are welcome, including handmade items, so please don't let money be your reason for not participating. Purchased gifts have an upper limit of $50. Spread the word and come join the fun!! Nerdmas Secret Santa 2014

So, I figured at first that I'd do the Spartan and die valiantly and not have to worry about the rest of the challenge, until I started reading about places doing up their Christmas decorations and their Praline Spice Pumpkin Mocha Frappucinos (that's what Starbucks does, right? I'm bad at coffee) and radio stations starting to hit the Christmas music already, all in the name of that all important Q4. And I thought about how fortunate I was to work for a sane, decent company that doesn't indulge in those shenanigans, that takes its mission seriously and lets the product speak for itself- Until today. When I went looking for coffee cups to restock with. And found them. Colored red. With PEPPERMINT. SWIRL. PATTERN. I think we all know what this means. RIGHTEOUS SANTA JUSTICE Clearly the opening track of the anime that they will make of this war. Yes. I can't die at the Spartan knowing that this bloated, commercialized claptrap of a holiday will survive me. I can't stand it. I won't stand it. Bunch of bloody, soulless companies trying to latch on to our feelings of good will and cheer to trade those things for petty material possessions! FFS! We haven't even had Thanksgiving yet, you bastards! INTO THE TRENCHES * All right. The work is before us. NaNoWriMo is trying to knock me off my dietary track at every turn, and if it's not that, it's the delicious things we're making at Panera. They're rolling out a new cinnamon roll that makes the old one look... well, really bad. Which isn't even getting into the part where they're bustin' out with the Holiday Bread, which is like a cinnamon roll if cinnamon rolls came in loaves. Stop that! We got work to do! Goal 1: Ab Training 5 Days/Week Yeah, I know what you're thinking. This is fairly unnecessary. Why would I ever want to do that? Don't I know that teh abz can only show with teh P4L30? Hah! Let me explain. The core is an incredibly difficult set of muscles to overwork. It's the stabilizer. Everything you do, every challenge that requires you to hold steady has to be won here, and it can do the work.With the absence of weights, the core is able to quickly regenerate itself and be ready to work again in no time at all.The horror story of making your stomach bigger is... exaggerated. Rectus abdominis and the surrounding pieces just don't have enough tissue to expand that way, to that kind of size.Meanwhile, there is a long and celebrated history of boxers working their abs to death. When was the last time you saw a genuinely fat boxer?Goal 2: Finish NaNoWriMo Strong I'm actually having some trouble with the novel this time. I'm going slower, having to struggle for my words. I think that's because I mean to publish this damn thing. So I can't just bumrush it like I used to... I mean, I could, but so much of it would just have to go. So, I'm making it official: finish the month out. Come hell or hot chocolate. Yeah, look at this bullcrap. This warm, chocolatey... maybe some marshmallows... NOOOOOO Goal 3: Keep the Cheats Under Control So, I seem to have found my magic number that gets me both satisfaction and results. That number is 2: two cheat meals per week. Not days. Meals. 'cuz one just isn't enough, but two somehow manages to get to me to that place where I'm satisfied and wanting to stop. The thing is, though, lately I've been struggling to keep to that. With all the delicious things coming out and with all these occasions to get together with friends, it just seems like it's awful heavy all of a sudden. And if I can make them fit my macros for the day, then... well, surely it's not a cheat... right? ... right? I don't know, man. I just don't know. Goal 4: Put the money together for a car payment So, long story short, my dad heard that I had the race coming up, and he was not happy. He thought I was trying to welch on the car payment and that if I could put money away for a silly race that I could do important things like take care of the car and such like that. I get to figure that one out now too on top of everything else. We'll get it, though. We'll get it. Logs and such to follow. Let's end it strong, monks.

Hi fellow rebels! I've been going up and down with these diet/fitness challenges for a year or 2 now and I've decided to FI-NAL-LY get it over with and do it properly! I'm quite new to Nerdfitness, so I hope this'll help me get through, just as I would love to motivate others!! Here is my list of quest for my first 6-week challenge. MAIN QUEST: Lose 3 kgs (I've had serious difficulties with weight loss due to hypotension (need food for more energy) and a ridiulously slow metabolism, so that's about all I can do I think) SIDE QUESTS: - Leave that PB&J sandwich I crave every day for a friday night snack, when I need it the most after an exhausting week! - Be consistent in my workouts. 2 days of cardio, 3 days of strength, one day of yoga practice every week. - Up that protein intake to 90 grams every day. Additional side quest: Make a healthy diet-friendly Christmas dinner for the entire family and don't drink on New Year's Eve! LIFE QUEST: - Study for maths every day and ace those exams so I can get into a good college abroad next year!! I'd love to get tips from all of you!! My starting day is tomorrow (Lifestye changes ALWAYS start on Monday, just because it's easier ) I can't wait to complete this challenge successfully (and I SHOULD!!) Happy 6-week challenge!

Hi everyone, I know this is a pretty solid group of people here, so I'm looking for some advice. I couldn't find a better spot to post this. I'm upgrading to the Xbox One, and I will still have my Xbox 360. Instead of selling it like I was going to, I'm going to give it to a family in need for Christmas. When I was around 12, my parents (who were very poor) managed to buy me a Crystal Edition Xbox for Christmas with Fable. It was the best Christmas I ever had, and the joy I felt from it will never be forgotten. I'm sure my parents felt incredibly happy too, being able to give me that. So now it's time to spread the joy a little bit. I want to help another parent give their children an incredible Christmas, but I am unsure of how to go about it. So my question is this: how do I decide who is actually in need and not just trying to rip me off? Any ideas? I don't know anybody in the city I live in, and I can't just be like "Hey, show me your welfare pay stubs", you know what I mean? I'm keeping it local. Help is much appreciated. Thanks in advance, Matt TL;DR: Giving away Xbox 360 to a family in need this Christmas. How do I do this without getting ripped off?

Oi Scouts ! I really need to lose weight. When I stopped smoking, I gained around 12 Kilos / 26 lbs and I haven't been able to lose them again, yet. I really enjoy exercise, especially running, but the weight is slowing me down. Plus, I get asthma from gluten and yeast (and I get nasty irrational tantrums) so I should stop eating it anyway. It was my New Year's resolution to lose weight, but it didn't really happen (sad evil laugh). So I'm a bit pressed for time. I managed to lose lots of inches by exercising a lot and eating clean, which is nice, but I never got around actually reducing my caloric intake all that much. So this challenge I'm really focusing on losing weight. I've been eating lo-carb paleo for a couple of weeks now and it's working really well. I would like to lose around 5 Kilos until Christmas - preferably more - which would put me under 70 again, and to fit into a US size 2 jeans (now: US size 6). My long term weight goal is something around 62kg / 135 lbs - the same I was all my adult life basically. So I'm doing low-carb (ideally under 50g/day) paleo. If I can't do the carbs threshold, I will try and at least keep the calories under 1850kcals/day. To help me avoid bingeing I'll set a kitchen curfew at 7pm. My stats today are: 74.5kg / 163 lbs waistline: 74cm tummy: 76.5cm I'm doing a daily battle log which is here. I realize this is a bit boring - only one goal and it's not even directly related to running! - but I promise I'll do my share of funny wild English countryside trail races, and I will finally, finally sign up for gig rowing next week when I get my pocket money. I might even do the Bath Hilly Half although this one's really tough! If I succeed with my weight loss goal I'll fulfil myself my secret dream and sign up for a gymnastics course at the local gym.

Hiya rebels, I figured I should start one of these to help me with my weight loss. I am starting at a whopping 75kg (164lbs) and ideally would want to get down to my old 62kgs/135lbs in the long run. However my main goal is to lose fat, not muscle so If you're asking, I would be most content with a few kilos less and 2-3 dress sizes lost. Moderate paleo works well for me although I have to stay under 50-60 grams of carbs a day to actually lose numbers on the scale. "Moderate" for me means strict no-grains, no legumes, but allow for a little bit of dairy (my daily latte!!!). Also I'm not going wild on the oil and condiment side, so if I feel something I am cooking needs a bit of soy sauce, I'll use it. Also I get to have a glass of wine a day or two. I do eat some fruit but have to limit it due to the sugar/carbs. I am allowing for one cheat day a week where cheat means bread and a bit of cake or chocolate - just enough to keep me sane and on track. We buy our fresh (artisan) bread on Thursdays, so that would be an obvious choice. I don't want to binge on cheat days because I know the consequences (brain fog, rages and depression for me - very nice!). Still, I don't want to go completely off gluten (yet?) because I have heard that your reactions to exposure worsen if you avoid it completely. So the weekly dose should have a homeopathic value. We never buy processed foods or anything anyway, so it's not too much of a change ... (well we do for the kids but I honestly, never eat them. My nemesis is bread. And pasta. And rice. And beer ... hmmm.... you get the picture ) This is basically the set-up - very boring, I know, I'm sorry! This daily log should get me to Christmas - 50 days - and then I'll wrap up and see how I've done. I'm a bit anxious because I have never gone through with anything like that for longer than 3 weeks! Fifty days seems an eternity ... at the same time, all the time, my life just seems to be rushing by - blink of an eye and another month is over. So it should be possible to cheat oneself into it, right? Like they say, it's only an effort until it's routine .... I'm not putting down any workout goals here because I quite enjoy them and I don't have to force myself too much to do them, really... I have been in denial about this over the last half year - I've improved my fitness, telling myself how well I was doing, and have allowed myself to totally relax on the food thing. If I'd been stricter I would be at my goal weight now, hah! Instead I have gained back what I had already lost (about 3kgs) when taking a break after an injury. So the part I really need a kick in the pants is the food bit, and I need to remind myself that weight loss really is 80 percent diet and exercise, no matter how much I enjoy it, is just the cherry on top. I'll put down my measurements and weight every week and report everyday. This will help me keep the mindset - you know how you think, Oh, I'll post sth tomorrow ... and then it slips and everything falls apart. My makros goal is something like 100g fat, 50g carbs, and 110g protein - plus the wine, which has no makros, only calories, in my tracker - that should get me to under 1800 kcals a day. There will be a 7 pm kitchen curfew - or, making it sound more professional: my eating window will be from 7am to 7pm with a 12 hour wine-drinking and sleeping fasting period in between. Should be easy enough! A couple of extra things: One, I found it's easiest for me to have a giant monster salad once a day as suggested by Mark (MDA). That's one meal sorted and it's really easy to throw together. Two, I want to try and have at least one handful of green leafy veg with each meal. TLDR; This log covers fifty days paleo under 50g carbs for weight loss (duh!).