Search the Community

Browsing the NF articles fills you with determination... Hello! I've been flitting through NF articles for quite sometime, but now that I'm finally 18 and in college I figured its time to actively join the community! About Me: I'm a hobbit sized lady (ok maybe a little taller, I'm 5'0 ft) with hobbit sized eating habits. Thats probably my biggest problem, over eating! Anyway, I am well established as a cat obsessed young lady in my California hometown and have been known to partake in a varied form of nerdy activities most of which is anime and gaming. If LilLionLamb is too much of a hardship to type, I can go by Lil'Lion or just Lion. Whatever floats your boat Goals and Other Stuff With my incessant snacking I'm really trying to cut down on the unhealthy things I put in my body. Thanks to some previous NF inspired habit making I've been off soda for 6 months! I still indulge in sugary beverages (Passion Milk Tea Boba) but far less often than I used to. While diet is super important its been really hard to do my first year of college. The dining hall foods aren't so helpful towards a paleo transition and I can only eat so many salads within a week.... What I really want to focus on most of all is making some headway in weight loss and strength training. I weigh156 lbs and my goal is 130lbs. I used to be very active, but in the last couple years I've really become quite the couch potato. I want to learn to use the gym the right way and get passed my intimidation of other gym goers (seriously why is everyone here so fit?!?!) I want to be someone who is tiny but mighty! I'm really excited to do some lifting and be as buff as, like, Korra. No more asking anyone to open a jar for me or lift a heavy box! (unless it has to go in a tall place, because thats what tall people are for) I also want to be someone who can run longer distance. I've always been pretty slow, but endurance really matters to me. I've participated in a few obstacle course races, and I want my fitness goals to include participation and completion of the Spartan Sprint and the Spartan Beast where I can jog the whole thing.

Introduction: Heyo! I'm Kati and this is my first challenge. I really like active stuff outdoors - I live in the PNW, it's pretty hard not to. Hiking, mountain biking, snowboarding, swimming, kayaking...anything outside I am extremely happy about. Unfortunately, I am a lazy college student, so it's pretty hard for me to motivate myself to do things that aren't either sleeping or watching TV. I also am way out of shape (thanks summertime) and struggle to complete any sort of physical activity. I'm high anxiety which makes it worse - if I feel like I'm dying, I go into full blown panic. So that's fun. I joined the rebellion to try to a) have some accountability and actually have fun being active! Everything is more fun if you pretend you're in a video game. Main Quest: Become more athletic and get to a healthier BMI Quest 1: Drink at least 2 litres of water a day. I always feel remarkably better when I'm hydrated, but I'm pretty horrible at drinking water. Measurement: A = at least 14 litres per week for 6 weeks; B = at least 7 L/wk for 6 wk; C = less than 7 L/wk for 6 wk Rewards: A = +3 CON; B = +2 CON; C = +1 CON Quest 2: Do some form of moderate/vigorous exercise for an hour, three times a week. I suck at moving. Horribly. Measurement: A = at least 3 hrs/wk for 6 wk; B = at least 2 hrs/wk for 6 wk; C = an hour or less per week for 6 wk Rewards: A = +3 STA; B = +2 STA; C= +1 STA Quest 3: Some form of fresh veggies and fruits for two meals per day. It's college. Meal plans suck and I gotta make the best of it. Measurement: A = Fresh veg/fruit at 2 meals, 42 days; B = Fresh veg/fruit at 2 meals, 36 days; C = Fresh veg/fruit at 2 meals, 30 days Rewards: A = +3 CON, +2 STA; B = +2 CON, +1 STA; C = +1 CON Life Quest: Save $15 per week. Again, college. I am broke. Like, real broke. $15 per week isn't gonna be a huge difference, but it's a start. Every bit counts. Measurement: A = $90 by end of 6 wks; B = $60 by end of 6 wks; C = $30 by end of 6 wks Rewards: A = +2 WIS; B = +1 WIS; C = +0.5 WIS Motivation: I want to feel good again. I'm so high anxiety and spend so much time doing nothing that I feel sick on some level pretty much all the time, and don't have a lot of confidence. Getting that back would be rad, and health is such a big thing towards how I feel. Also I am considering majoring in Exercise Science and it'd be very ironic if I were to graduate with that degree in the shape I'm in. PS I Have no idea if I did the attribute points right I am very confused and not very good at mental math so

Hey there! I thought I'd come over from the Assassins and play here for a while. I may not post too much this challenge, as I'm in the throes of a new college semester on top of the rest of life (work, kids, et cetera), but I wanted to play anyway. My challenge this time is pretty plain and to the point. I've found something that's working for weight loss, so my challenge is to stick with it in the middle of life. This challenge I want to walk 2 miles at least 5 times a week and to eat fairly low carb (avoiding most of the whites). Just for fun I'll throw in a Life Quest of doing something creative each week, which should be fairly easy, given that one of my classes is a drawing class. So: Walk 2 miles: 3.3%3.3% 1/30 and low carb eating: 0%0% 0/30 something creative: 0%0% 0/6

I'm just not enjoying college so far. Almost the entire time I've been in college, I've hated it. I've only enjoyed certain times in college, and the only semester that I ever really loved was the first Freshman semester, and that's because everything was so new, and shiny, and I was thrilled to meet new people. Now it just feels like a chore or grind, and like everyone moves too fast for me to ever have a meaningful connection with them. Especially since I go to a commuter school, in one of the most dangerous cities in the country, which is another reason why I hate it here. Right now, I'm trying to decide whether if I want to stay with Earth Science and join the military afterwards, stay with Engineering Technology and possibly join the military afterwards, or quit after this current school year and enlist, or try going to college while in the military. It seems like all the things I want to do in life, like seeing the world, helping others directly or in-directly (like doing rescue work), learning how to take care of myself, how to defend myself and others, how to save others, how to build, repair, and drive/pilot vehicles and drones, and so on, are either not easily done in civilian life, or are expensive, or the pay-off isn't good. To do rescue work outside of the Coast Guard, I would probably be an EMT or firefighter, which from what I hear, isn't a very good-paying career path, and not worth leaving college for. To travel, I would have to pay to do so. Besides that, I just want to pursue my other goals and hobbies. Like parkour and martial arts, learning how to play the harmonica, piloting drones and taking photographs (or at least until they're outlawed). But those are just hobbies, and I'm still not entirely sure what I would be doing as an Engineer Technologist. I would assume more work with things like wiring and robotics, if I went down the Electrical Engineer path. If I stick with Earth Science, I may get to do more surveying work that involves more interaction with people, and surveying and examining certain wild locations, as well as potentially make good money from working with GIS systems, which is what I'm more interested in, and it would let me graduate sooner. The only problem with it, is that I have to learn how to speak another language. Now, I think it is important and very useful for any being to learn another language. It's just, I really, really don't enjoy learning how to speak Spanish. To me, it's too similar to English. Some words are just like the English version, some are swapped all around and are spelled completely different. Also, I still can't roll my R's. But everyone said "Spanish is the best language for business", they said. "It's the easiest language to learn", they said. It's fairly uninteresting to me, and very difficult for me to learn, and it doesn't help that I took a year off from Spanish because I was major-hopping, and learning a secondary language is a requirement for Earth Science, but not for Engineering Technology. Everyone tells me it's best to stick with the language I started learning, but I'd rather learn French or something. At least with French, there are other pronunciations I can handle (correct me if I'm wrong), and I can practice by watching an anime I really wanted to watch called Wakfu. I'd even rather learn Japanese or Arabic. From what I've heard, Japanese and Chinese, although quite different, are more systematic than English or Spanish. Also, they look like an alien language to me. Yes, that makes them a fuck-ton harder to learn, but at least it's interesting. Like learning some language from an ancient alien civilization. Plus, there's plenty of animes and mangas I can read that use Japanese. Virtually all of them. Hell, I'd LOVE to practice learning how to speak and read another language by watching and reading something I already love. I can't easily think of anything I would want to, or can, watch in Spanish, unless I try to watch some Spanish dubbing of some show, which is kind of hard without a TV. Hell, I'd say I recognize more Japanese phrases when I hear them than Spanish phrases. I can even learn another language and graduate on time, if I can take a course over the summer, although that's a fair-sized IF. Besides that, everything is OK, it's just I have no interest in most of my courses this semester, and I almost feel like putting no effort into Spanish. The only courses I'm really interested in, are one of my Earth Science classes that have to do with natural events and how they affect people, and a First Aid and CPR class that I chose to take because I felt it was something I needed to know for my own sake and others. I think if I just find some way to keep myself occupied, and once I've gotten a handle on or drop Spanish, I'll be alright for this semester, at least. But I don't want to just be "alright" and make it through each semester. I want to be great. I've been working on some personal issues and trying to figure out why I don't feel motivated to do anything (other than work on my fitness, play games, do CPR, and learn how to fly drones, and learn how to fight) since my second Freshman semester, but I haven't had much success. Some suggested that it might be depression, so I took anti-depressants, but then my dad tried talking me out of using them, and then someone told me that it wasn't depression. Then someone told me it might be ADHD, but I haven't been able to get tested for it because I didn't think I could afford it, until recently. So I'm gonna get tested for it ASAP. I've grown and matured in many ways, and have gotten more control over my social anxiety (mainly by not caring about others and what they think nearly as much), and I actually do have an idea of what I want to do in life, but I still don't feel like doing this school business. That's why I think I went to college too soon. My family's poor, I was eager to get out of my parents' house, I didn't think it was possible to travel or join the Peace Corps or something for a few years before going. The college I'm attending doesn't teach me all the things I'm interested in, and I'd rather go to trade school, but I'm here now, and if I continue down the Earth Science path, I'll graduate in two academic years, if I get no Fs or Ds, and my language classes go OK. It's tempting to drop out and join the military, but that won't impress the Coast Guard, I need time to get in shape, and if I decide I don't want to join, I need something to fall back on. OK, rants over. I just needed some time and space to write my thoughts out and organize them. I think I know what I have to do now.

Ready For Another Round... FYI: I just changed my name from Sokkasm to Korranation in case anyone is looking for the avatar A lil bit about me for those who haven't read my previous challenges: I'm a college student living at home with the folks. I thought about being an engineer, but that didn't work out. I got into a car accident a few years ago and that set me back a few semesters. I tried being an accountant but wasn't good enough for the college of business. My grandmother passed away last year. I was so busy taking care of my grandpa and the rest of the family that I neglected my classes and it hurt my gpa. So I'm floating on a mulitdisciplinary degree that doesn't do much (unless I can sell it) for any career. I live with an evil stepmother (Maleficent) and stepsister (Lilith) whose goal in life is to make my life hard. Most of my friends call me cinderella bc of this. All the stress of changing majors dealing with accidents and losses, and toxic people has lead me to put on 30 lbs. I've been here on NF for most of this grief. I've had to learn the hard way how to build a successful challenge, but I'm getting better. I hope to lose this weight that the stress that has caused it. Main Quest Remaster Being the Avatar I feel pretty beat up and defeated from my last challenge. I thought I had made S.M.A.R.T. goals, but they weren't attainable, realistic, or that timely. That left me with S.M. goals. So I'll make them SMALLer this time around so they're more attainable and realistic. I'll even through in a 5k marathon on the last day of the challenge to make things timely. Goal 1 Exercise (+3 STR, +3 DEX) I've pretty weak for an avatar. I've got to get my strength up so I can face off any baddy that stands in my way. CHALLENGE: run x3 per week CHALLENGE: yoga x2 per week STR : 3 (A=3, B=2, C=1) DEX : 3 (A=3, B=2, C=1) Goal 2 Eat (+3 CON) An avatars got to keep their appetite up to match their strenth right? CHALLENGE: stay within 200 calories of MFP goal CON: 3 (A=3, B=2, C=1) Goal 3 Sleep (+3 CHA) CHALLENGE: sleep 7-8 hrs CHA: 3 (A=3, B=2, C=1) Side Quest Read (+3 WIS) CHALLENGE: read 2-3 books WIS: 3 (A=3, B=2, C=1)

This is my second attempt at my fourth challenge that I kinda abandoned back in January. There were some positives but in general it was a failure. So I'm using this time to start anew and pick up the pieces. I have two challenges before a busy September including Alumni Band and Camp Nerd Fitness 2015 to make up ground. This is my third challenge as an Assassin, so I hope to finally be able to do Assassin-like activities like BodyWeight and so forth... To recap my last challenge, I did do the Pax South and restarted Graduate School at Georgia Tech in Computer Science. I have averaged between 70K to 75K steps a week for both my own wellbeing and for participation in my workplace wellness program (Humana Vitality). I have done a few hikes, but definitely not enough. But I have slacked considerably on both my body-weight and weight-lifting regimen. This needs to be changed. My Motivation? I am considerably overweight (well, morbidly obese by definition) and was diagnosed as a Type II diabetic who is currently taking a long-acting does of insulin daily. I also suffer from a condition that will require major surgery to fix (upwards from 6 to 8 hours) that will end my sepsis issues that generally hospitalizes me yearly. In order to decrease the risk of this surgery, I need to lose between 100 to 150 pounds. Plus I am tired of being this way and need to change to make sure I have more time to spend helping others and to live to my potential. I also need to be ready for both Alumni Band and CNF 2015... My Current Regimen? I don't have one. But I will start again. I will occasionally do a bit of weightlifting, but it hasn't been consistent. I have been keeping up with my 70K average step count a week.. My main Quest? For this challenge, lose 20 pounds in 6 weeks. At my weight, this should be doable. I will consider myself as passing this overall challenge if I meet this goal. Continuing Quest? Increase my step count to 77K steps a week -OR- increase my average speed to 3 miles per hour with a lower step count. Since I have a new park open within a quarter mile that is vertically challenged, I need to leverage it to help myself build new muscles and increase my stamina. Challenge 1? Do the Bodyweight Brigade Level 1 challenge (from the Academy) and add burpees as needed. Perhaps progress to Level 2 (though I'm not sure when that should happen) Challenge 2? Learn to swim. I know how to swim, but I don't remember it from my time as a kid. I try to do alternating weight lifting and water aerobics during the week, but it would be better to actually do laps. I struggle with water in my nose and breathing. So my goal in this is to conquer it. Challenge 3? Like I mentioned in Challenge 2 above, I need to alternate between water workouts and some strength training, primarily centered around squats, deadlifts, bench press, and overhead lifts. From my previous challenges - I never took my reward trip. It is coming...

[JBReclaim] IV: Living for The American Dream Thanks for stopping by, my name is Josh, AKA JBReclaim. This will be my fourth challenge on NF. I've been away quite awhile, but I'm prepared this time. I'm going to battle with the scale! I know the right guy to call when it's time to eat healthy. !IM READY! Current Weight: 463.6 Main Quest: Get to 427.6 {+1 WIS, +1 DEX, +2 CON, +1 CHA} Goal 1: Avg ~3+ miles/wk [20 Miles Completed Over Total Challenge] {+3 STA, +2 DEX} Goal 2: Become Aquaman [Complete Lvl 1 Workout 2x Weekly] {+1 STA, +1 STR, +1 CHA} Goal 3: Complete Summer 1 Writing Class [Course runs from 6/1-7/2] {+2 WIS, +1 CHA}

Hello! I started the challenge: I did the Beginner BodyWeight workout yesterday (Once in the morning and again in the evening). I stuck to the numbers on the page but tomorrow I plan to do 1 more in each exercise. And I will do the workout 3x a week (M, W, F). For my diet: I've gone paleo. But since I'm a college student, my meals consist of turkey hot dogs, eggs, sunflower seeds, spinach, banana, tomato, zucchini, and a lot of carrots. I was scared to consider the intermittent fasting as my life quest. But after reading the article, I realize I did that anyways but like this: whenever I felt hungry I ate which had me skipping breakfast and/or lunch and eating a heavy dinner. For this challenge, I plan to have a purpose with my intermittent fasting- doing my workout then eating. My goals for this challenge feels vague but I will gladly hear any advice anyone has on maintaining a healthy caloric deficit in my paleo diet, my exercises (because I still feel sore even though I did the workout yesterday), and my intermittent fasting (because I was scared that I couldn't tell if I was hungry or not). Thank you in advance

157 Verbal and 158 Quantitative on the exam, but I may have those values switched; I was super exited to see those two values on the screen as the requirements of the school I am looking at is 153V/148Q for the GRE, so in either case I definitely smashed it! One step closer to getting my Masters! ((If I do get a Masters...can I be called 'The Master'? I will have to find a way to make or steal a TARDIS though, maybe that will be my thesis...)) /WOOT!

Introduction: Hey, I'm Josh, and this is my second challenge! I like road bikes, but I live in the city and I own a mountain bike, so it's really more of a mountain bike on a road. I also love bodyweight exercises, but I have a really hard time getting out of bed and consistently doing it. The only time I have available to workout is the morning because I'm still in college (MY LAST SEMESTER!!!) I live an active lifestyle and my job requires a lot of energy, as my career demands physical fitness (I work in the theatre, so actually, my name is currently Jack Raymon. Detective Jack Raymon). I joined the rebellion because I really want a community that pushes me to stay fit and to improve my body. I want to be able to dance and spend an entire day working (for example, at a Renaissance Festival) without being utterly exhausted by the end. I want to feel good about my body and to feel confident in my skin. Main Quest: Be able to do a 15-second freestanding handstand by Graduation (May 24). Quest 1: Handstands Practice for 5 Minutes, 6 days a week. Measurement: 36 workouts by May 24, 30 workouts, 24 workouts Reward: +3 DEX +2 STR, +2 DEX +1 STR, +1 DEX Quest 2: TMNT Workout 30 minutes a day, 3 days a week. Measurement: 18 total workouts by May 24, 12 workouts, 6 workouts Reward: +3 STR +2 STA, +2 STA + 1 STR, +1 STR Quest 3: Cardio Bike for 5 miles or Run for 3 miles, 2 days a week. Measurement: 12 total workouts by May 24, 6 workouts, 3 workouts Reward: +3 STA, +2 STA, +1 STA Life Quest: Wake-up RIGHT after alarm, encourage others and talk about fitness with people! Measurement: 7 days a week, 5 days a week, 3 days a week. Reward: +2 CHA, +2 WIS; +1 CHA, +1 WIS; +0.5 CHA, +0.5 WIS Motivation: I want to be fit and healthy for my job so I'm not always exhausted. I want to have more energy for the day and to do all sorts of fun things without being too tired. I want to look good for my girlfriend and be able to carry her easily. I want to feel good about my body and how I'm taking care of it. I want to feel confident.

Main Quest- Master Firebending Being the avatar is tough and I've still got a long way to go before I'm ready to take on anyone. This time I'm here to learn how to master firebending! To do this, I’m going to need to learn the firebending techniques and see how far/fast I can go with my fire power. And what better way to train than with the masters themselves; dragons. But training is hard work. It wouldn't hurt to stop by the Jasmine Dragon and have a cup of tea with Iroh. Goal 1 Firebending Training (+3 STR, +2 STA) CHALLENGE 1: tae bo 3 times a week CHALLENGE 1: use stationary rowing machine and personal gym/free weights 3 times a week STR : 3 (A=3, B=2, C=1) STA : 2 (A=2, B=1.5, C=1) Goal 2 Test out the rocket power (+2 STA, +1 DEX) CHALLENGE : running/ cycling 2 times per week STA : 3 (A=3, B=2, C=1) DEX : 3 (A=2, B=1.5, C=1) Goal 3 Have tea with Uncle (+3 CON) CHALLENGE: Count calories on MFP CHALLENGE: drink +100 ounces of water per day STR : 3 (A=3, B=2, C=1) Life Quest Dancing with dragons (+3 CHA, +1WIS) CHALLENGE : spend +15 minutes BONUS CHALLENGE : finish a book STR : 3 (A=2, B=1.5, C=1) WIS: 1 (ALL OR NOTHING) Measurements: Neck: 16 Chest: 41 Waist: 35 Hips: 46 Thigh: R: 22.5 L: 22.5 Calf: R: 15.75 L: 15.75 Bicep: R: 14 L: 14 Weight: 194.4 Dress/pants size: 16

Hey there, Rebels! I'm heading into my third challenge, and I'm hoping to push myself even harder. I only have 3 weeks left in this semester, but I'll probably stay on campus for an extra 6 weeks to take a "Maymester" and work. Anyways, life will for sure get a bit easier, so I want to start my summer break off strong by finishing this challenge! I'm breaking this challenge into "Fitness" and "Life" goals, although there's a bit of crossover. Thanks for following me on this journey! Current Weight/Measurements: Weight - 120lbs Bust - 34" Waist - 30 1/2" Hips - 37" Thighs - 21 1/2“ Fitness Goals GOAL 1: Run like Wonder Woman. (Run, or Use Elliptical or Treadmill 3 days a week) (Fun fact - my English professor is Lynda Carter's first cousin. Unfortunately, I still don't have an autograph.) Details: I am not a big runner. It's just not something I've ever done, and I've been okay because I've found other ways to stay fit. However, I need to up my endurance. I am only choosing to do 3 days a week because I get a lot of cardio from dance (especially tap) and I don’t want to set too high a goal. Possible Points: +3 Stamina Current Progress: 2/20 Days GOAL 2: Do a Handstand (Take 2!) Details: This was my goal in my last quest, but it didn’t happen. I have managed to stay in a wall handstand for 60 seconds, but I can’t do it consistently. I also can’t get up on my own away from the wall. So, I’m going to try it again! Possible Points: +2 Dexterity Current Progress: Can hold a wall handstand for 60 seconds. Can get into a handstand away from the wall. GOAL 3: Hulk up! (Regular Weight-lifting Details:I am trying to get more into regular weight-lifting, beyond what I do in my tiny apartment. I’ve been trying to use the free-weights at the gym, but I need the added motivation of making it part of my challenge. I'm also partial to bodyweight stuff, so I will probably rotate between that and free-weights. I’m shooting for a bare minimum of 4 days a week - but hopefully I'll make more than that. Possible Points: +2 Strength Current Progress: 2/24 Days Life Goals GOAL 1: Get more sleep. Details: I used to have a very steady sleep schedule, and unlike most college students, I'm not into partying and I rarely stay up late of my own accord. (#nerd) But recently, especially this past semester, I've been getting an average of 4-6 hours of sleep. I didn't notice it until I got a FitBit and started tracking my sleep, but MAN is that unhealthy. So I'm going to work on getting more sleep. Possible points: +2 Constitution Current Progress: 4/42 Nights of at least 7 1/2 hours of sleep. GOAL 2: Pass the Psychology CLEP Test (And not Britta it) Details: I need to knock some of these GenEds out of the way so I won't have so much going on. First up: Psychology! I'm basically gonna be a therapist, guys. Possible points: +3 Wisdom Current Progress: Studied first 4 chapters of Textbook GOAL 3: "I...am not left-handed." (Regular Fencing!) Details: So I've done a little fencing in the way of workshops (and a lot of stage combat, since I'm an actor), but I never had the opportunity to do it regularly. Thankfully, I now have access to a fencing school that has adult classes DURING times I can take them! So I start on the 18th with a weekend intensive, and I'll be doing it regularly after that. I am really excited about it, since it's something I always wanted to do but never had the time. Also, this school teaches historical fencing, which I'm totally into. I'm actually making this a "Charisma" challenge, because it just makes me incredibly happy, and what's more charismatic than a 5'4" chick with a sword? Absolutely nothing! Possible points: +3 Charisma Current Progress:

A little bit about me. I started NF a year ago. A friend/math tutor's recommendation brought me here. (He was in the assassins guild.) I failed my first challenge a few times and the stress of changing majors, college, and general irl problems caused me to put on a little weight. But I'm not giving up! I've learned new habits and found out that I like working out. There's just something about getting the blood pumping, working up a good sweat, and feeling the rush afterwards. It's like a whole new kind of me time. Plus a cold shower right after a good workout is like the cherry on top. I don't have a one passion. Just a lot of strong interests. I don't like gyms. I'm unhappy with my body. And know what I need to do. I graduated high school at 185lb. I still wanted to change so I ate right in college and walked a lot more. I got down to 160lb. Then I got in a bad car accident and was stuck in a wheel chair for a few months. Now having to deal with the stress of trying to catch up in a major I didn't like in the first place, changing majors, dealing with family and the loss of a loved one really took it's toll. I got up to 195lbs. I'm a college student majoring in accounting. I was doing engineering last year but that was a difficult and bumpy road the entire time. Right now I'm living with my parents since they live ridiculously close to campus, it's cheaper (free rent/meals/laundry), and they still need an extra hand helping out since they have weird work schedules. I've got two sisters. One is a high school senior soon to be college student, the other is an eighth grader soon to be highschooler (I call her Lilith. Maybe I should call her Azula...) My last two challenges have been tough, but rewarding. My family seeing me trying to be healthy, working out at home, eating healthy has inspired them. My dad's is overweight as well but working together we've been helping each other towards weight loss. We've gotten quite a bit of workout equipment from the random spurts of exercise enthusiasm, but now I get to brush the dust off the equipment and have the pleasure of working out at home instead of at the gym. I'm back and badder than every for my third challenge! I couldn't decide if I wanted to stay with the adventurers or join the druids, but in a change of heart I'm staying here. Mainly cause I want to focus more on building better habits versus focusing solely on yoga and meditating. Plus the running I want to do makes me kind of a druidy-scout hybrid class thingy-bopper. I don't know where I was going with that. Nevertheless I'm stoked to get this going again. All new challenge, all new goals, all new conquest. Main Quest- Master Airbending Learn to master airbending! To do this, I’m going to need to learn the airbending techniques, open up my chakras for max avatar state, and learn everything else there is to learn about being the avatar while I'm at it. Goal 1 Airbending Training (+3 STA, +3 DEX) CHALLENGE 1: practice yoga x3 per week CHALLENGE 2: run x3 times a week Goal 2 Open the chakras (+3 CHA) CHALLENGE : meditate everyday for 30 minutes Goal 3 Strong as an Airbender (+3 CON) CHALLENGE 1: Staying within calories limit, reaching +25% protein level CHALLENGE 2: sleep 8 hours a day Life Quest -Study the ways of being the avatar (+3 WIS) CHALLENGE : study 18 hours per week Point breakdown LEVEL 4: (ALL ABOUT THAT BALANCE) DEX : 3 (A=3, B=2, C=1) STA : 3 (A=3, B=2, C=1) CON : 3 (A=3, B=2, C=1) WIS : 3 (A=3, B=2, C=1) CHA : 3 (A=3, B=2, C=1) Measurements: Neck: 16 Chest: 40 Waist: 35 Hips: 45 Thigh: R: 23.5 L: 23.5 Calf: R: 16 L: 16 Bicep: R: 13.7 L: 13.7 Weight: 195.0 Dress/pants size: 16

Well, I haven't made a post since June. Long time! I've had a great summer, started my first semester at my new college, have a 4.0, and finally have my last week next week! I've been thinking for such a long time about how I really need to get back into the swing of things - I have 5 weeks off so there's no excuse I could possibly throw myself. My goals are simple, and they're just to get back on the bandwagon, be active for at least 30 minutes a day, and be mindful of what I'm shoving in my mouth. I bought myself some stuff on black Friday to help me out and it should be coming in tomorrow - new exercise clothes, a new mat, shoes - I'm hyped and ready!

I've had a bad 6 week challenge. I went in with determination, I started with a good plan, and I made smart goals. But I know there is not such thing as a perfect plan and I knew that I might not do so hot. But I'm owning up to my slip up and already said this on my daily battle log and 6 week challenge before Steve's respawn post. (I'm secretly psychic like that) There's a lot of reasons I failed so far. The Thanksgiving holiday is the main reason. I guessing thats why most people are here. Because of the holidays I'm having to take care of the family and my grandparents. Plus they have less time at work which means less personal time to workout on the xbox. And with all the taking care of everyone I forget to track what I eat. Don't get me wrong. I don't binge eat and I don't have the stomach for most unhealthy food and drinks. But I'm still going over my calorie limit. You can't outrun your fork. Another reason is college. College is tough. Period. And now with the wonders of the internet, professors can now post online homework and quizzes with due dates at ungodly hour of the night. Say good bye to a regular sleep schedule! Overall the main problem is time management. I've got a regroup battle plan. Rescheduling workouts. Since workout out on the xbox is out the window right now I'm switching to zumba and tae bo videos on my laptop or 2-3 rounds of 7 minutes in hell. Replanning study time. Finals are almost upon us and professors are giving out the last of the homework and quizzes. So more time on campus to finish up. So with a proper on campus study schedule it will be difficult to not make the weekly study quota. Finding a regular sleep schedule. Once study time is better managed more time can go to sleeping. On nights that I don't have homework do I spend at least an hour getting ready for bed. That entails taking my dog to (his) bed since he sleeps on my bed while I study at night, put away all of my books and papers, get ready for the next day, and brush teeth. I'm going to have a alarm that goes off an hour before I need to go to bed so I can get everything out of the way beforehand. Retracking what I eat. Its easy to forget to track what I eat everyday. This usually leads to going over my healthy calorie limit. Plus being in college leaves little money for poor eating choices. The solution to this is bringing a lunch to school. Most of my friends being a lunch on campus with them and the campus provides microwaves in the eateries to accommodate this. Also tracking what I eat the night before would also be helpful, time efficient, and help me in being more accountable and aware of what I eat for breakfast and lunch. As for dinner, I normally have whatever the family makes to I can put that in at the end of the day along with the next days meals. Restocking my inventory for buffs and potions. lunch hp potion. bringing a lunch to campus lets me better control what I eat and a small treat wouldn't hurt. I don't like foods too high in sugar and I consider a small helping of dark chocolate or a yogurt cup a treat. upgrade weapons and armor. One phrase comes to mind when thinking about a better sleeping and studying schedule. "There's an app for that." Having set alarms and apps to make to do list, track sleep, make notecards for studying would all be beneficial to this. And the iPhone's healthkit app managed most of this anyway. Simply getting and using compatible apps helps. strategy guide. I'm battling weight loss right now and this forum is one of the best places I can think of right now that has the best strategy guide. There are tons of helpful post about weigh loss and being healthy in general thanks to Steve. And the community is always so supportive. If there is any problems I have I won't hesitate to ask yall or google.

I need help finding a way to study, I keep getting distracted and doing other things.

Hey everyone! So I'm brand new to Nerd Fitness, and I'm on a quest to "level-up" my life, starting with my diet. I eat pretty clean, lots of fruit, meat, and a good amount of veggies with the occasional cheat meal or indulgent dessert. I want to go as Paleo as possible, but as a college student it's going to a bit of a challenge. The dining hall limits my choices. So, I'm planning on starting with small changes, the first one being to cut out grains. I love bread and pasta--basically anything that's packed with carbs. What are some good ideas for meals/snacks that have no wheat or grains? I also want to add more protein to keep me full throughout my hectic class schedule. High protein snacks that I can eat on the go?

I am back and I'm determined to get my life back on track. I need to get my life in order before I get used to all the bad habits I've fallen into throughout the years. So, without further ado- WHAT'S THE BIG IDEA: Lifelong goal: to be confident in the body I'm in so I can be the made-of-awesome person I am 5 or so years out: To have some serious muscles A year or so from today: Have the physical capability to do a set of five pull-ups and finally own and confidently wear a bikini A LITTLE ABOUT ME: I'm a college student with only a few years left in school. I really fell off the wagon this past year out on my own. I'm working through the summer, but I want to start building habits so when classes start up I don't get worse. Nerd-wise, I love Harry Potter, Doctor Who, Lord of the Rings, Sherlock, Supernatural, Nerdfighteria, among a few other things. LET'S GET DOWN TO BUSINESS: Since everything I've read on Nerdfitness emphasises simplicity, I'm going to stick to three overarching goals for the challenge, increasing the willpower needed to stick with it as things go on. They shall be as follows- Exercise +5 mins/ day every week! This one is pretty simple, I currently do not exercise, so I need to change that and get the momentum moving. So for week one, I'll aim to workout for 5 mins every day and then add 5 mins every week. I may add a bit of strength training later in the challenge, but no promises One paleo change/ week! I may not ever go full paleo (I'm from the dairy state, it's kinda hard to completely eliminate cheese. But limit, sure) but I know I need to adapt more of the concepts into my life. These will be cumulitave throughout the challenge. For week one, my challenge is to have one meal a day that has no grains. Spend +5 mins/ day every week in God-time! This is for my spiritual health, because I know I need to work on this. If I'm going to level up my life, I'm not going to be able to keep it together without my God and my faith. (Disclaimer: I am a religious person that will force my beliefs or otherwise condemn a person because they don't believe the same thing as me.)THE BIGGEST OBSTACLES: The big issue I face is not having any person to hold me accountable and cheer me on. So if there's someone out there who also needs an accountabilibuddy, let me know. Smaller challenges are getting this whole thing started while I'm at home and adjusting to a new job in the next few weeks. A side note- I can be really horrible about checking in on these forms, so I'm also starting a tumblr to record my overall journey. So if you have a tumblr and want to follow me, let me know!

Hey guys, So I'm thinking about incorporating the paleo diet into my lifestyle, but I really don't want to become gluten or lactose intolerant so I can still enjoy some of my favorite foods when I cheat. Has anyone had any luck with a semi paleo diet? Any tips?

Hey y'all, So I am a super-stressed out, incredibly busy college student and I want to break the cycle of my current unhealthy habits before I graduate (roughly a year-ish from now). I need serious help. With everything. Workouts, nutrition, motivation, all of it. Any and all help would be supremely awesome. Here's a bit of a breakdown- Workouts I like Lifting thingsDoing things that have a practical applicationI don't like RunningGoing to the gym (because the super-skinny girls do horrible things to my psychological state and the buff guys in the weight room intimidate me) Nutrition If I can make a lot of it and eat it through the week, that's awesomeI hate the idea that "I should never feel full"I have to be budget conscious I fall off the wagon when my life gets crazy and can't eat right for a several daysMotivation I get the most discouraged when I do something for over a month and don't see/ feel any differentNone of my friends are starting from square one like me. They're either already super-fit or aren't doing anything on the fitness frontI hate going it alone, but that often feels like my only option. So what do y'all think? Can someone help me out? Should I get my butt over to the academy? How can I set this up so I don't fail again? Seriously, I'm sick of starting and then failing. I'm willing to do something different. I want to do something different. I just need someone to help me set it up so I don't fail.

Hey! So I'm really new on here, but I was curious if anyone else is dealing with graduate school woes? Has anyone else been through it? I'm writing my Masters thesis at a university in Taiwan and I never realized how awfully isolating it would be. Not only is it hard to make friends in school because everyone else has a job/family/bf/gf/life, but the social life is non-existent. No one seems to care about anything other than their research papers. Not that I can blame them. It's the axe hanging over all of our heads and our advisers are holding it. This loneliness is all-consuming though. It also sucks because I'm at home almost everyday writing and researching my paper. It makes me feel lazy and useless. It's not like I enjoy looking at the same paper everyday, but I have deadlines to meet. I suppose the worst part of graduate school is the lack of purpose everyone feels. No one knows why they are there, no one is that passionate about their topic, no one knows what they are doing and no one knows what they will do with their Masters degree afterwards. Of course I'm speaking as a student who is in Taiwan, but I'm fairly sure the US is quite similar. Life gets better after grad school right? It gets more rewarding? Have to ask because It's just been one of those days for me, ya know?

Hey nerds, I've hit a wall of denial, depression, and despair. I haven't followed the paleo diet for over a month now and I've gained weight. I would just like some help on the following points: While at home I can eat some fruit throughout the entire day and be sated even though I usually do long arduous workouts. However, while at college it seems that I'm always hungry and I can't control myself very well. I can't figure out why this is happening. I'm at 270 lbs and I started my nerd fitness journey on January 12 at 250 lbs I believe. (I dropped one belt hole in a week but plateaued after that.)I find myself eating to cope with my depression which I know is caused by my weight. So, its a terrible self-fulfilling prophecy.Anyone have any advice or ideas on the matter? I really need some help. :/

becoming a heroine: challenge one: the spring semester grind Yo, nerds! So, midpoint update: At the start of this challenge, this thread was very long and over-complicated and maybe a little over-ambitious. Meaning I forgot that I would actually have a lot of work to do and a lot of friends to catch up with once the semester started. However, I'm pretty stoked with the way my semester has gone so far -- it's currently the start of week three of the semester, and week four of the challenge -- and I'm doing great. I'm not playing quidditch because I realized it would be too big of a time sap, but I am playing three different intramural sports, with one game per sport each week. I'm eating better (still not great, but better) and drinking at least a half-gallon of water a day just out of habit, now. I'm awake by 7:30 every weekday, and usually by 9:30 on the weekends. I'll come back to this later to update more fully, but overall, I'd say I'm kicking ass.

Hey guys, So I have been reading nerd fitness for awhile and just decided to start using the stuff I'm reading about. My friend is well overweight and since coming back to college since summer, I have gained more than I'd like to admit. So this is my resolve to change. However I am not really sure where to start or how. Honestly I am broke, like think of broke college kid on steroids. So whatever I do has to be cheap. Any ideas?? I could use all the help I can get and everyone on here seems so nice. Thanks in advance.

“The idea is simple: to publish all of our course materials online and make them widely available to everyone.†Dick K.P. Yue, Professor, MIT School of Engineering Unlocking KnowledgeMIT OpenCourseWare (OCW) is a web-based publication of virtually all MIT course content. OCW is open and available to the world and is a permanent MIT activity. View a list of our most visited courses Empowering MindsThrough OCW, educators improve courses and curricula, making their schools more effective; students find additional resources to help them succeed; and independent learners enrich their lives and use the content to tackle some of our world’s most difficult challenges, including sustainable development, climate change, and cancer eradication. Read more about how our materials are making a differenceThis is a completely free site, with all materials offered free-of-charge to anyone who wants to use them to further their own education. I am EXCEEDINGLY stoked to find something like this, as I've always been a fan of continued education even outside the confines of college. And to answer those who immediately scoff and think, "Why waste your time when you're not even earning credits toward getting a degree for it?", I'd like to introduce what seems to be a foreign concept to far too many people: the CLEP test. And even if your college of choice doesn't offer that option for a particular class you might be willing to invest your free time in prior to paying out the ass for it, think about how much easier that class will be if you've already learned the vast majority of the material - and how much time that will free up for you to really concentrate on other classes you're not already familiar with. Anyway, I am excited to have this kind of opportunity literally at my fingertips and free of cost! So I thought I'd share the opportunity with the rest of NF, and maybe some of you will benefit from it too.