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Into Day 2 of Leaving the Shire! I stumbled across "Level Up Your Life" after hearing about Nerd Fitness in "Atomic Habits" and love the idea of gamifying the process of personal improvement and turning life into an adventure. More importantly, for me anyway, is I love the idea of having a community. I'm a fantasy and science fiction author, finally braving the world by putting my own name on my works, and making sweeping personal changes in my life. I accidentally (yeah, that's a long story) started the Keto diet AND intermittent fasting a few months ago, dropped a staggering amount of weight, and have been throwing myself into exercise and personal improvement since. This includes my writing! More on that later. Maybe. But my biggest problem? Writing is an isolating calling. Most of my social interaction comes from my part time day job, which doesn't really count as socializing. Frankly, days I come home from it I'm exhausted. Supposedly we're a composite of the 5 people we spend the most time with...I don't actually HAVE five people. I've taken off on this adventure, found this group along the way, and have no real plans for landing. I don't think I even have a landing gear, so really, here goes nothing. I'm horribly introverted. I live most of my life in my own head. Feel free to visit sometime, it's pretty awesome! I love people, I don't always understand them, and they definitely exhaust me. That said, I want people in my life. Specifically, the kind of awesome, adventurous, downright nerdy individuals who make up this community. I'm looking forward to getting to know everyone, finding people I can perhaps meet up with in person, and have some adventures with! Any advice anyone can offer me as a new player to this game, especially about setting goals and leveling up with the character sheet, would be greatly appreciated.

One boring Friday morning at Nerd Fitness Academy you decided to unleash your inner Rebel and play a prank on your fellow NFers... You orchestrated a group of Rebels to help you steal all the cauliflower on campus. The great cauliflower heist of 2019. What will they do without their glorious cauliflower?! You were sloppy, though, and in your haste you left a trail that led right to your hiding spot. Steve, the principal, found your jolly group of Rebels and sentenced you all to weekend detention. Groaaaaan. Saturday morning you drag yourself back to the NFA campus and are directed to go down to the basement to join your Rebels in sorting through old files on fad diets and outline why each one does not work. As you start to open the first box labeled "Apple Diet" you notice a screen in the corner turn on, brightening the basement. You move closer and notice there is a game console set up; on the screen the word "Jumanji" blinks mischievously. "Cool... hey guys look here!" You pick up the controller and everything goes black. Moments later you wake up surrounded by your group of Rebels in an unfamiliar land. "Where are we?" ... No one answers, though a few Rebels shrug, and some are visibly upset. In front of you is a short man wearing safari gear; he is approaching a hippo. 'That seems like a bad idea,' you think to yourself 'But maybe he can help us... he clearly knows what he is doing.' You wave your arms trying to signal to the man who turns around to look at you. Oh good, he can probably tell us what is going on. "Excuse-" ; But you get interrupted by the hippo... who eats the man. "Where the heck are we?!" you yell as you scramble back. Seconds later the same man that just got eaten falls from the sky and lands right at your feet. "Umm hi... Who are you? Where are we? Do you know you were just eaten by a hippo?" you say awkwardly. As you ask all this a name pops up above his head "Professor Sheldon 'Shelly' Oberon". The strange man straightens his glasses and clears his throat. "Ahem~ I am Professor Sheldon and yes I did get eaten by a hippo but I am over that now. Where are you...? Why, you are in Jumanji!" You blink slowly at the Professor as he stares at you matter-of-factly. You start again. "Jumanji... okay. Sure. Of course. Jumanji. How do we get home?" The professor nervously smiles "Home... Well that is easy. Well... not easy, but simple. You see, there are tasks. Yes, tasks that need completing...together. Once complete, we can go home. I have been waiting to go home, too. We all have. Come meet the others!" And with that the professor took off at an uncharacteristically quick pace. He takes you through a dense jungle where you come across a camp. In the camp are 3 other figures. As you look at each person a name pops up above their heads. A tough-ass butt-kicking chick (Ruby Roundhouse), a man with muscles on his muscles who holds himself with an air of a leader (Dr. Smolder Bravestone) and another short man with a ridiculously large backpack (Franklin "Mouse" Finbar). The leader steps forward, "Who are these people, Shelly?" he asks the professor. The professor waves his hands as if he is presenting us "These are the Rebels... and they would like to go home." Okay Rebels we are in unfamiliar territory with lots of dangers and perils. If we work together to complete the tasks then we can all go home. At the beginning of each week you will be given dares to do over the course of that week. You get points for completing and recording your tasks and those points indicate progress towards overcoming challenges in the jungle! If all teams work together and complete enough tasks, everyone gets to go home at the end! Should we fail, we will all be lost forever. Good luck and watch out for hippos

Welcome to the Juice Bar, the Rebels home away from home! Pull up a chair and make yourself comfortable. If this is your first challenge here at NF, please post your challenge in the Level 1 / First Time Challengers subforum. Take a minute to introduce yourself, let us know why you're here, tell us something nerdy about yourself, and share a gif! This month, we're all talking about our favorite experience traveling (whether to the nearest big city or the other side of the planet). Have questions? Want some feedback? Ask away! Just want to hang out and chat? Awesome! Want to hide in the corner for a bit? Have a drink on us.

Welcome, Rebels! And welcome too, all others in the Rebellion! This is a mini designed to encourage creativity. Art is a kind of alchemy, creating something of nothing, and the feeling of purpose and accomplishment that accompanies a completed work can give you a great boost when you're otherwise feeling low. Everyone is busy and working hard on the daily grind, but taking a few minutes to be creative can help oil the gears and keep spirits high. So let's have some fun this challenge and make a portfolio together! This mini, we will each create a piece of art. It may be any medium (sketch, painting, sculpture, mosaic, digital art, whatever you like), any color scheme, any size, everything up to you. The suggested theme is "ocean life," but if that doesn't spark interest for you, do something else! During the first week of the challenge, your goal is this: Think about art. What kind of art do you like to look at? What do you like to make? Have you ever made art before, and how did it go? What might you like to create for this challenge? Do not begin working on your piece yet. Just think about it. If you would like, post some of your thoughts below, but if you feel they're private don't feel pressured. If you have any questions, post those too!

(It's been forever since I did a themed challenge, but I always had fun writing them, and the story aspect gave me an extra motivation to get things to go in the right direction. So, here goes nothin') NightWatcher woke up and looked around. The area seemed quiet, which was strange - the last thing she remembered was a loud clatter, a screaming hollow, and a sudden dull pain in her chest. She glanced over at the fire, then down at the mark branded into her skin, and groaned as the memories flooded her mind - the undead asylum, the flight, and the warning that if she didn't restore her humanity, she would eventually lose her mind. Looking at her shriveling hands, she pulled a soul from her inventory and inhaled as life flooded her limbs again. Slowly, NightWatcher pulled her feet back under herself and forced her body back to standing. Weary, but not done, she started from the fire to find the last place she had died, and reclaim what she had lost there. This challenge is basically the same as the last one, structurally speaking - in large part because I wound up getting bronchitis early on in the last one and not getting as much done as I'd wanted last time. I still have a bit of a cough, but hopefully when I go in for my follow up appointment on Wednesday the doc will be able to get a better idea as to why I'm still coughing and I can kick this stupid thing to the curb. For now, while trying to get some extra rest in, I'm also going to try to get my next steps on this goal done. And for anyone who hasn't played Dark Souls, the entire premise of the game is try, try again. And again. And again... Main Quest: Grasping the sword (getting up and fighting back against my mental and physical issues - when I set this for the year, I didn't expect it to be **quite** this on the nose) Sidequest 1 - Rekindling the Flames (exercise) : Daily yoga practice; I have my practices scheduled at 11am, but due to my bizarre schedule and the fact that I've been sleeping extra due to illness I've wound up doing them after work at 12:30/1am a lot of the time. The tracking aspect of this is just getting the yoga in for now, with a possible bonus point if I get a run in - for now, runs are 100% a bonus though, the yoga is the main goal. Tracking - 1 point/session of yoga, aiming for 7 points/week. 1 bonus/grace point for a run Sidequest 2 - Fighting off the Hollows (food tracking) : Working on slowly getting some of the extra weight I've gained back off - which at least for now, means tracking calories so I can get enough of a deficit to be losing weight, while making sure I'm eating enough and also gives me a record to look back on and see both good and bad habits. Tracking - 1 point/day of food tracking 2 points for getting food prepared ahead for the week for work -1 point for each weekday trip through a drive through Aiming for 7 points/week Sidequest 3 - Linking the Fires(community) : No one succeeds completely alone, and we all need to spend time around bonfires swapping stories with the other folks around. Both for my own accountability and to help others in this community, I want to make sure I'm getting out in there and encouraging others <3 so I want to make sure I comment on at least 10 threads per week besides my own. I think I'm actually going to try to schedule specific time for this, since otherwise I tend to slip into "I'll-do-it-later"-itis. Tracking - 1 point/thread, aiming for 10/week Lifequest - Know your Armory (organization) : going through the game and getting all the shiny new armors (or 50 broken swords and about 20 copies of Baldor knight shields... tomato, tomahto)is all well and good, but it's not super useful unless you know which weapon will deal enough damage to that annoying knight in the way, or which suit of armor will protect you from the fire that witch casts & let you roll out of the way before you die. Again. All that random flavor text to say I need to organize my house & schedule a bit better. Since this is week 0, I'm going for schedule this week, then more physical organization starting on week 1. Tracking - This isn't a scaled thing; either the thing I pick at the beginning of the week gets done, or it doesn't. This one is tracked out of 5 points. Point scale - 29+ points: A+ - estus flask boost 25-28 points: A- - not terrible, but could be better. At least you're still human though. 20-24 points: B - ok, we need to work on this a bit, you're starting to go hollow. 15-20 points: C - are you alright? You're starting to look a bit... Vacant. Here, have a soul, you kinda need it. >15 points: OK, I need to step back and look and see if there are some factors I need to reign in in my environment or schedule. This is not how progress is made I'm also going to try to update this at least every other day, if not daily, so feel free to poke me with a stick if I go too quiet without giving some form of reason beforehand

This challenge is mostly a continuation of the last challenge for me, since I came in late and the things I was working on are still in progress ^^; There are some modifications though. Main Quest - Grasping the sword (getting up and fighting back against my mental and physical issues) Sidequest 1 - Daily yoga - I have my yoga set for 11am right now, which means I need to be up a bit before that to eat something (before you ask - I work 3:30-midnight, hence the weirdness of my schedule. I'm trying to roll back my timing so I'm up earlier and in bed before 4am) and I want to roll this back slowly over this challenge to between 9:30 and 10am. Oh boy. Ultimately I'm hoping to get enough of my muscle tone and movement back to be able to confidently get back into martial arts, and starting parkour again this spring. Bonus points if I get 2 runs in in a week now that the second gym at work is up and running again. SQ1 Tracking - 1 point/session of yoga, aiming for 7 points/week 1 bonus/grace point for 2 runs Sidequest 2 - Food tracking - I'm on Whole30 until the 15th, after which I'm going to try to keep a close eye on my intake of convenience and junk food and make sure I'm cooking for several days at a time so I have cooked food available that doesn't involve a drive thru. SQ2 Tracking - 1 Point/1 day food tracked (LifeSum), aiming for 7 points/week. 1 point lost for each weekday trip through a drive through / fast food spot Sidequest 3 - Community building - both for my own accountability and to help others in this community, I want to make sure I'm getting out in there and encouraging others <3 so I want to make sure I get at least 10 comments per week on threads that are not my own. SQ3 Tracking - 1 point/comment on a separate thread - can't be 10 on the same couple of threads ^^; Aiming for 10/week Lifequest - Organization - since the Bujo, schedule, and my house organization have become entwined, this is just all getting lobbed together on my challenge. LQ Tracking - 5 points for getting one room done over the week - aiming for 5 points/week Point scale - 29 points - A+ yaaaaay! 25-28 points - A- - not terrible, but could be better 20-24 points - B - ok, we're going to work on this a bit >20 points - I need to take a look at what other factors are causing avoidance and stress, and get back on track. I'll be editing this sometime later to give everything a more measurable way to track progress, I have to go to work right now (Edited to add trackability)

This is the beginning of my journey, and I need your help. My name is Lindley. I am an ICU nurse with a really shitty night schedule. I am 5'1" and the heaviest I have ever been at 163 pounds. I was in a very unhealthy five year relationship, had two sons with the individual, and am now a single mom. I struggle with Borderline Personality Disorder, depression, anxiety, binge/purge, and PTSD. Now for the thing that sent me over the edge... June 12, 2016, I woke up and discovered my 5 week old son (Ronin August) had died from SIDS during a nap. Needless to say, it was the single most traumatic experience of my life and it's left me with an overwhelming feeling of hopelessness and apathy. Any kind of will to live just went out the window, let alone any king of will to get healthy and back in to shape. Now, just waking up and doing day-to-day things is a struggle. I live in Oklahoma and have a very limited support system (one friend within physical proximity, and my mom and aunt available via telephone). I'm maxed out on my antidepressants and I go to hypnotherapy 4 times a month (which is not cheap!). Also, I'm now hypertensive and I just FEEL the toll this is taking on my body. I don't feel good. I used to be very in shape. I loved being active and eating clean. But now, the smallest things are a challenge. I don't want to live like this, but the sadness overwhelms me. I am reaching out to this community because there is still a sliver of something inside of me that wants me to "get better". I'm searching for support. I've tried to be mentally healthy, thinking my body would follow suit, but that obviously didn't work. And now I need a different approach. I want to be healthy for my remaining son (Olin Anthony). We all have struggles. We all have our crosses to bear. I would love to hear what others have overcome and how they did it. Tell me your story.

Not sure if this is the place for this thread -- maybe hiking and exploration? But just curious what distance trekkers do for water on lengthy trips. I know you can carry water with you, but I hate the feeling of it sloshing around. (I might just have to get over that; that's fine.) The reason I ask is because recently one of my tried-and-true water fountains disappeared. I used to water at my local library, but someone finally tore out the rotten wood fountain, so now I have to rely on the library being open when I go by so I can use the inside fountain (it usually isn't open in general, let alone when I like to run). Is there an app for water fountain finding? It's kind of fun to run from fountain to fountain, after all, and plan them into your routine, and it's always good to discover a new one.

Hello, introductions are always so tough. Well, let's start with the basic. My name is Alexander, 22 years old and I'm from Sweden! I like daydreaming and coming up with all sorts of fantasies in my head, it's amazingly fun. So, here's the thing. I have always been struggling with my weight, I eat when I'm bored, stressed, sad and the whole spectrum of emotions. After so many years, it has turned into an extremely hard habit too break and I need your help! A place that I can turn to in my darkest hours, when the craving for "sugar" is strong. It feels nice joining Nerdfitness and it's community and I hope you all will welcome me with open arms. Thank you for reading and it's so fun meeting you all! Thank you!

Avengers Assemble!!! Last challenge there was some misguided intentions.... but then a glimmer of hope and a new direction. So, what I need to do is take hold of this glimmer and run with it. And so I shall!!! With a little help and some charting and graphing, things shall be better. And it so greatly helps that I now have more freedom than I have had in almost a half decade!!! So now, time to call on my support system (goals)!!! War Machine War Machine is donned by Lt. Colonel James Rhoads, friend of Tony Stark. War Machine was originally one of the early Iron Man designs but was beefed up with enough armaments to level a small country. Last time I started with one very vague plan but then someone gave me the inspiration to try one of the Darebee workouts and it was going very well. So, what I NEED to do is beef up this workout program. What I will do is reset that workout and add onto it. Yes, it might sound like I'm going to possibly overdue it but I am confident that I will be able to grab onto it and run with it So, I'm going to reset the Foundation workout (hopefully to push myself into Level 2 on some of those workouts) and I'm going to add the Total Abs 30 Days of HIIT Darebee workout (after trying one day of it last week I feel that the Total Abs workout isn't going to go well because I didn't feel like I had good form... and that's just day one!!). So, here's the preview of the new workout: The plan: Do both workouts Daily, DOMS be damned!! (1 pt/each per day) Falcon Falcon, friend to Captain America (and no, I didn't purposely put both War Machine and Falcon back to back for the sake of Civil War..... or did I?!? ), was a paratrooper, using the Falcon Exo-skeleton for combat missions, until his partner had been killed in action. Sometimes, when tragedy strikes, you refocus your energy onto other activities (he decided to support others with PTSD). What I need to do is also refocus my energies again when it comes to my food choices. My new direction on food needs to be this: Firstly, I'll get back to tracking my food to visually see what I'm eating. Secondly, I'm going to give myself extra credit for not eating garbage (garbage being defined as fast food, including take out, and excessive amounts of snacks). The plan: Track food consuption (1 pt/day) and good food choices (1 pt/day) Ant Man Scott Lang was a 'thief' that was given an opportunity to help himself, his family, and Hank & Hope Pym. Donning the Ant Man suit, he is able to shrink down in size, still retain his strength, and be able in interact with ants, having them help him. I like this picture of Ant Man for two reasons: it's the first time he uses the suit and it looks like he's giving the thumbs up The other portion of this scene is him dealing with the power for the first time, which involves him running like hell from water. A great place to restart my need to drink more water in my life. While it's not the amount suggested for daily consumption, my goal is to get in 48 ounces of water daily. I clearly do not drink enough water daily and it needs to change. The plan: 48 ounces of water daily (1 pt/daily) The Vision The Vision is J.A.R.V.I.S (the computer system of Tony Stark's) uploaded into a body originally intended to be the final form for the automaton Ultron. With the Mind Stone embedded into him, he has a sense of humanity's chaos but also a compassion for humans. The Vision, to me, seems to be the wise despite everything the world has in it. So what I need to do is get back to really committing to the community and staying there with my comrades in arms. I remember back in the day that I will support the newest Rebels and keep up fully with my Assassins and other Rebels. I need to wade back into the water of that commitment to my fellow men and women! So what I will do for this is interact with no less than 4 of my fellow Rebels DAILY!!! And Likes don't count, I have to put something down in words. The plan: 4 interactions daily with my fellow people (one-quarter pt/daily) Time to get classy and in shape!!!

Now.... Let's try this AGAIN!! Plus, last time that I checked, I'm a badass!! Maybe not like Spezzy or Steve, but I'm a badass none the less. Time to remind myself of that. So now, let's get back to what I know. I know what I like and what I like consists of being a hero and technology. So who better to model this next challenge than the most technical, most badass.... OK, more like most chaotic, most unstable yet more compassionate heroes out there: Iron Man!! How does one become more like Iron Man?? Let's take a look at the pieces that are Anthony Stark: Yeah, I Can Fly Alright, maybe not fly but the next best thing. I need to get these feet moving. So, we're going to try one, maybe two, approaches to accomplish this. Ramp up my walking goals. Normally I've had my step goal set for 8,500 daily and I really didn't care what I got on my days off. Now we're going to try this: 9k on working days, 6k on off days. Simple Pass/Fail. I've been wanting to do a 5K for the longest time, especially since joining up here. We'll see how the first week goes with the challenge and see if this gets added. Flight Stabilizers OK, I really couldn't come up with a better name for this one (I'll take suggestions though) but what I need to do is get my arms stronger, my upper body more primed for greatness. So, primary focus for this goal: Strength Training. Now, I'm more than likely not going to end up at the gym deadlifting massive amounts of weights but we'll do what we can here. I've got bodyweight stuff I can do (considering I have a considerable amount of bodyweight to work with ) along with working with my kettlebell, medicine ball, and might even consider getting some weighted gloves and some shadowboxing. Anything to get my arms working at least 3 times a week. Proof That Tony Stark Has a Heart Now, we know that I do indeed have a heart but it's more about fixing my core. Both literally and figuratively. Primarily, I'm going to take care of the core by making the core harder, stronger and more resilient to what life is throwing out there. So that's going to consist of two things: Most obvious one is to actually do core workouts. Crunches, flexibility moves, anything that can my abs, chest, and midsection engaged and better functioning (with hopefully the added benefit of less mass in the same areas). Again, 3 times a week is the focus for this. Besides working out, that core of mine needs to have better fuel in it. I've been experimenting a little bit with taking lunches to work, making my own food. What I need to do is keep working on the food. Better choices in while keeping the bad choices very far at bay. This is more of a subjective bonus goal, something I need to do for me. Jarvis, You There? This is one of my usual, standby goals but there is a damn good reason for it: I need my Rebels!!! And I need you guys BAD So, how am I going to get support... give it in return I'm here, every day. It might be only a like or two on some days but I need to give meaningful support and assistance on at least 5 days each week. I love this community and I have been absent for too long, worrying about just myself. I need you and you all probably could do with a little more me in your lives Now... Time to Get Moving!!! Because I Am Iron Man!!!

In keeping with all things "love" for this month, I'm including a lean on others piece. This month I will actively look for ways to accept the strength and wisdom of others. We are all stronger together. I am not alone. ~Daily Gratitude Journal continues, and will include when I'm grateful for the assistance of others. ~Daily gym will continue, with my partner. It's not as though I am incapable or disallowed to go alone, or anything. But it's a powerfully connected time when we go together. ~Onerous Tasks will continue, as ever, and I will make a note of how and when I am able to have help slaying these pesky kobolds. ~Papers: I have full rough drafts for the thesis and the conference papers due this month.

Okay. A bit of backstory: For this past six week challenge (currently in week 5) I have been participating in a program run in a gym not quite near me, but close enough to get to on public transport (I don't have a car.) The program is designed for people to be able to lose 9 kilograms (almost 20 pounds) in 6 weeks, and it coincidentally lined up with the six week challenge here on Nerd Fitness. I've been doing really well on the challenge. I've been following the prescribed nutrition plan and going to the required five fitness classes per week. I've even been going more than required because I want to get as much as I can out of the program and I know I may not be financially able to stay on at the gym after the program finishes. I'm really enjoying the classes and working out, but more than that is the community aspect. There is a facebook page for the gym that's limited to people who still go there and it's really active. It's really easy to strike up conversations with people because so many of them are on the same journey, and the nutrition plan is pretty easy to follow because there is so much support, meal prepping advice and ideas for what to eat up on the website and the facebook page. So with all of this support, why wouldn't I continue with this awesome gym and these awesome people? The number one reason is finances. I'm a student and I'm struggling a little at the moment. I'm trying to save to go overseas next year, because I feel stuck in my hometown and I want adventure and to see a whole new world. (Part of that plan also includes going to Camp Nerd Fitness!) Rent is going up in December and although I have a job, and I'm contracted to certain hours which means I do have enough to pay rent and bills and eat and go to the gym, I would have to rearrange some things to continue on with this gym. I would probably only continue on for six months, as there's a program in place for post 9in6 program goers and this includes a kind of discount, and I think I could afford it for that amount of time. The only other thing is with my boyfriend. With this intense course, uni and my job, it's been really hard to find time for us to hang out. I really want for us to have a healthy relationship, but this is eating into it and I don't know how much more it will bite into my time. I want to take care of my health and fitness, but I also love my boyfriend. He's been super supportive of me so far, but he's definitely interested in having more time for us to hang out and spend time together. I know that once uni's over I'll have a bit more time on my hands, but Christmas is coming up too and I'm just not quite sure what to do. Any advice people can give would be super helpful. Even writing it all out like this really helped. Cheers.

I have made the excellent decision to start taking kettlebell classes again - I took them before, for about 8 months, but it's been about a year and half since I've gone. I've tried to keep up with it at home, but it's just not the same. I'm excited to get my fitness level back up there again (can you say guns?!), and since I HAVE to eat well in order to not die at class, I'm hopeful that it will help with sticking to my nutritional goals as well. Goal One: Work out like an awesome person. Kettlebell classes are 1 hr, Mondays and Wednesdays (although I can go on Tues/Thurs if I need to due to scheduling conflicts). My goal is also to do at least one yoga session per week, to keep me at least somewhat flexible and to help with mobility. I'll be using the NF yoga videos for this. Kettlebells 2x per week NF yoga 1x per week for: 3 pts per week A : 18pts+ B : 15pts+ C : 12pts+ D : 9pts+ F : <9pts Goal Two: Eat like a reasonable person. Although I have troubles sticking to this for long periods of time, I know perfectly well that I feel good and perform well when I more or less follow this pattern. And crappy food choices make themselves known pretty quickly, as I can't get enough good energy food in if I'm eating junk. While it's not technically one of my goals, this will be supported by bringing breakfast and lunch to work with me as often as possible, and batch cooking. Calories: 1400 - 1800 per day Carbs: <100g per day Protein: >80g per day All of the above, 6/7 days per week. 1 pt per item per day. A : 105pts B : 95pts+ C : 85pts+ D :75pts+ F : <75pts Goal Three: Stretch like a limber person. I have hips so tight they could crack a nut, and poor posture from slouching at work. I have a solution to this. I just need to follow through with it. 3x per week: Hip Opening Sequence + NF Yoga posture mini session A : 36pts+ B : 32pts+ C : 28pts+ D :24pts+ F : <24pts Goal Four: Communicate like a Rebel (person)! As Darkfoxx pointed out, when I actively participate in this community, I do better. Not only that, but I need to give back for all the support I receive from my fellow rebels. Lately, my behaviour has not been in line with this, so I am making it a goal to not only update my own thread, but check in with others often also. 5x per week: Update my own thread 3x per week: Post on at least 3 other Rebel's threads A : 84pts+ B : 75pts+ C : 65pts+ D :55pts+ F : <55pts

Next challenge, let's go! Why sharks? Why not! Sharks are cool. Sharks are social creatures. I want to be more involved with people. No reason to be shy, right? This challenge, I am going to read YOUR topics more than I read my own. I am going to follow and comment and support. Sharks keep moving. It's a myth that a shark will die if it stops swimming, but it is true that they need to keep water flowing over their gills in order to breathe. I am going to be a shark and keep moving. This will be a balancing act. I have so many hobbies! I have so many interests! Sometimes I get lazy or drag my feet about things, and I can't do all the things I want to or need to do, and that bums me out, big time. This is especially true about working out - no more spending half an hour trying to figure out the "best workout" or the "best route" when I only have 45 minutes to work out! Just do it! I'm going to stop dragging my feet. I will get things done and then move on to other things. Sharks cover great distances. I'm still adding to my Mordor mileage, and I'll be adding long runs (over 2 miles) with my sister once a week to my schedule. During the week I'll keep it under two miles. I'm aiming for 8 miles a week. Apparently, the average shark speed is 5 mph, so I'm going to throw in some treadmill runs to see if I can't push myself to run that fast, even for 30 seconds. Mainly, I want to just go after the things I want instead of just sitting around waiting for them to come to me.

Welcome friends to Challenge Three!! Although we have two weeks til the challenge starts, I'm excited to get on track with this one because I have a theme that will (hopefully) keep my mind centered, focused, and structured for two challenges. Now, introducing the source of my motivations: That right friends, I am using the novel Ready Player One by Ernest Cline as the focus for the next two challenges. For the uninitiated, Ready Player One is the story about a contest to find a Easter Egg within a virtual "internet" game with the prize of control of the company and the vast riches of the owner in a future where energy is shaky, the economy is crumbling, and this virtual game is real life for most. The book is FULL of 80s references, which gets me at my core. Plus, the audiobook reading by Wil Wheaton is phenomenal. To begin this challenge, I will be focusing on the first part of the first line of the contest's declaration which reads: Three hidden keys open three secret gates Wherein the errant will be tested for worthy traits And those with the skill to survive these straits Will reach The End where the prize awaits In the novel, three keys, one of copper, jade, and crystal, are hidden within the virtual world of the OASIS that will open three gates to get to the end of the contest. In the book after finding a key, you look for the same colored gate but for the sake of the goals and the activities in the book at the time, I'm splitting my challenge into finding the keys first, then the gates. I've thought long and hard about this and it should work perfectly. Goal One: Running for the Copper Key My journey towards the Copper Key is very much like the protagonist's, Wade Watts. The first key is found in a location that is accessible to everyone in the OASIS unlike other places that require lots of skill or money to reach. I think of this like my discovery of Nerd Fitness, something accessible to everyone, no matter where you're from or what you have. Since Wade had to run to the location of the Copper Key, then so shall I. 1A. Cardio, specifically walking and/or running, 3x per week, 30 20 min minimum (or, at my current speed, about 3K 2K) (18 total) 1B. Prepare for and/or sign up to do a 5K race (C25K program) Goal Two: Working towards the Jade Key With Challenge Two, I feel like I stalled out a little bit, kind of like what happens in the book during the quest for the Jade Key. Wade goes at least 6 months (like the last 6 weeks) without much progress to show for his efforts. During that time though he does realize that there are things that he needs to work on unless he wants to end up not finding the egg. Two of those things happen to be exercising and eating better. Doesn't sound like a bad idea! 2A. Bodyweight Workouts 3x per week (18 total) 2B. 7 Healthier Meals per week (42 total) Sidebar: My definition of Healthier Meals will include anything homemade. Looking to limit/avoid fast food plus try to train my brain to actually eat breakfast every morning. EDIT: No more than 4 meals can come from the same course. So I can't cheat and make 7 healthier breakfasts. I need to get ALL the meals healthier! Goal Three: Discovering the Crystal Key Near the end of the novel, the protagonist has a low moment. Things seem bleak and doesn't see much of a solution (similar to my feelings near the end of my second challenge). It takes the spirit and resolve of one of his comrades to remind him that there is something to fight for, something to keep going after. My feelings towards these next two challenges is remembering that I would probably not be as committed to my goals without the support and help of those around me. 3. Become more vocal in the NF community Sidebar: This goal is still kind of a work in progress. Mostly working with Mental Health or Mind, Body, Spirit So, without further ado, let the hunt for the Three Hidden Keys BEGIN!!

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:

Hello, I am Spockgrrl and this is my second attempt at my first challenge. I took a break from my fitness journey and really discovered how much I need to commit to this. Main Quest: To reach my "goal weight" of 155 pounds by this time next year. (I currently weigh 195 pounds, so that's 40 pounds to lose) To have a healthy relationship with food. Quest 1: Exercise at least 5 days a week, and do an active recovery day (yoga, a light walk, etc) at least one day a week. Quest 2: Meditate at least 5 days a week, and keep a journal. Quest 3: Record all of my food and exercise. This includes checking in with my accountability partners and Nerd Fitness community members on a daily basis. Last time around, once I stopped doing this, I did an acrobatic fucking pirouette off the wagon. Life Quest: Meet some new people, and generally be more social. Motivation: I've wasted too much of my youth twisting in the wind. It's time to find some peace and be happy.

Hello all, I am starting a community project called Exchange for Change. It is a opportunity to utilize your talents for the exchange of other services. Times are difficult and I know my community is struggling to make ends meet. Do you need a room painted? Your lawn mowed? A yoga class? Food? Childcare? Your pants hemmed? Have something you want to give away or trade for? What ever you may need, make an offer and discuss your exchange. If you are interested in joining you can find us here. Hope to find some nearby rebels to help out. Good luck.

MILLER GOLD PARTNERS I am most fascinated with the idea that fitness clubs can become the corner pub or the youth center of the 21st Century, not just place to exercise but a community of people gathering together to unlock human potential and help each other achieve extraordinary mental, physical and emotional heights. When you look at new technologies such as exergaming, social fitness and fitness wearables it becomes clear that fitness is becoming an integrated part of people's lives. Jonathan

Hey everybody I am boosting about my recent activity, I joined a 60 mile walk in Michigan to help support finding the cure and raise the awareness of breast cancer. I am proud of my progress I have made on nerd fitness. Before I wouldn't even have considered walking a mile. Now I walk 3 miles a day on a treadmill, I have lost 45 pounds since I started and Im confident I will be more then ready for this event. My training will be my six week challenges =D. Thx for the great 3 months so far guys been helping me gain my goals. (I didnt want to post anything to link towards my donation page because I m not about promoting, but if you are interested in supporting me just message me or write down below)

Today I feel like a sad panda. I just turned in my contract termination to my Crossfit Gym. I know that Crossfit doesn't own high intensity interval training, sweat angels, or Olympic lifts. I believe that I can train smart on my own and obtain the results that I want without paying $140 monthly. Yet, I am going to miss the community. Is anyone else doing Crossfit/Cross training at home? Is there a Nerd Fitness Crossfit Cooperative?