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Decided to wait on starting my first challenge post until after my camping trip was done. Anywho, the last one basically petered out. I lost steam with the "project" approach, probably because it got to be way too much to keep up with. It ended up being way too granular which, though it got me off to a good start, turned keeping up with this stuff into a chore. More importantly (and in keeping with what Mrs. Keys learned from her nutritionist), it resulted in having things occupy my waking mind that didn't need to be there. (She told my wife that she wasn't in support of tracking food-She said it causes you to think about food all the time. You should do your best to eat good food, but then when you're done, don't think about it). And it's way too easy to get wrapped around the axle with my own shame issues of having to follow "the rules" (even my own ones) way too precisely. So, I'm going to think of things at a much higher level. My only real activity for the challenge will be to post here each night. That post is going to entail an evaluation of my progress towards my goals-Eat better and do creative things. Yes, they're not goals--not the SMART kind--fine, call them "mission statements" or whatever. I intentionally want them NOT timebound, NOT specific, NOT measurable... Think of them more like stars or the rise in terrain away from a river when you're trying to make it back to the road. They represent the general direction that I want to head, and by virtue of checking in each night and evaluating how I handled the day, I can at least know whether I moved closer to where I want to get or farther away. And I know this works for me because I've already seen it. At the beginning of this year, I decided that I wanted to step up my cooking game, and over a few challenges, I tracked some things, yes, but then I stopped paying attention to it and stressing about it. Yet I still made progress toward that goal because I enjoy cooking, and separate from my challenges, I started practicing more and learning more and thinking more strategically about my cooking. Yes, committing to X meals over the course of 5 weeks lit a fire under my butt, but it was all the other stuff that's much harder to measure that kept it lit. I experimented, got curious, my wife went to see a nutritionist and learned stuff, not to mention I've been doing my own therapy work, learning to accept my mistakes, not to mention reading up on the principles of cooking, etc. So, here's the plan: I'll evaluate my meals-Breakfast, Dinner, and everything else. I'll also evaluate my progress towards piano and my other various flights of fancy. No structured scale. Just this: Am I moving closer to my goals (eat better and do creative things) or am I moving further away, and how do I feel about that? Only one rule: Post each night (unless something more important causes me to miss a night, in which case, that's okay, too)

Hi Everyone! I'm paring down the goals this time around to two: 1) Eat real food, not peanut butter sandwiches; and 2) Play Supernatural for a minimum of a half hour three or more times a week. I'm really struggling to stay organized and invested in self-care with Dave being gone. I'm eating out more and sitting a lot, so need to shift my focus. Dave is home October 6th, which coincides well with the timing of this challenge. To help me stay focused/accountable, I want to take more pictures this challenge. Photos of the food that I cook, and selfies after I play Supernatural (their app has a cool thing that puts your scores on the bottom of the selfie and I like it). I don't know if I will post them all here, but I might post some as I enjoyed that part of Everstorm's challenge a lot. Things to do today: -bank deposit for work ✅ -mail parcel for work ✅ -cook ground beef and kale (chili?) -buy more protein bars -buy produce for shakshuka -clean out the fridge -take the garbage out -Supernatural -get clean Thanks for being here! Looking forward to cheering you on as well. Sax for tax!

Hello all! Yup, I pulled my disappearing act at the end of the last challenge again. Whoops? I know, I know. It's becoming a bad habit. Long story short, our attempt at an egg retrieval to start IVF failed miserably and I was both very angry about that and super hormonal from all the meds I'd been injecting into my belly 3 times a day and ended up just kinda shutting down in some ways while I processed all of that. I've been back on my feet for a few days now but was busy cleaning up a few other messes I needed to deal with and getting ready for the school year instead of posting here. Which, on that note, school is coming up fast! My son and husband go back on August 8th but I don't go back until August 15th which is kinda nice. I've been getting more focused on putting curriculum stuff together and we're stopping by my classroom later this week to get some prep done in there as well. This is mostly of importance here for scheduling purposes - it's always a tiny bit jarring to have to shift my schedule back to "normal" at the start of the new year! But I still have a few ideas to help me get my body ready for the next attempt at an egg retrieval (though we still don't know when that might be) as well as to make progress on my general life goals: Quest 1: Move! It remains to be seen if I will be able to start running again this challenge or not - it depends on the results of my ultrasound on August 12th. But seeing as I only made it to barely over 20 miles last challenge, and I'm going to be way shorter on time this challenge, I'm going to aim for 15 miles to start and will bump it up if I manage to hit it early. Quest 2: Eat! I'm still going to cook at least 1x a week but my Diet Coke addiction is starting to reappear - I did a good job of knocking it down last challenge, but I didn't do a good job of keeping up with that while I was in my grumpy hormonal funk. So I'm starting with what I hope is a fairly simple challenge - no more than 3 Diet Cokes every 2 days. Hopefully I will feel good about cutting that down as the challenge progresses but I think one reason I couldn't get it to stick at the end of last challenge was that I was making myself reduce every week, which left me feeling rather reluctant about it a few times. So hopefully slowing that down will help it stick better. Quest 3: Live! My primary life goals for this challenge are going to focus on languages and sewing: For Spanish: 1. finish reading Me llamo María Isabel, read all of Judy Moody es doctora, and start Lety alza su voz 2. write at least 1,000 words (on any topic, for any purpose) 3. watch at least 10 intermediate or advanced Dreaming Spanish videos For Japanese: 4. complete at least 2 kana exercises a day to help shake off the rust For sewing: 5. complete the remaining 10 log cabin blocks needed for the block swap 6. make myself a new wrap skirt for the new school year 7. finish the backing for my son's quilt and get it to a longarm service

Whew! That last challenge was a real doozy, but I made it! I am now officially graduated from my MA program 🥳 and just got back into town late last night (the ceremony was several states away from home since it was an online program). It's the last two-ish weeks of the classes I teach and my doctor cleared me to do gentle workouts (with a few "extra" restrictions since we're getting ready to do IVF). I'm finally over that mountain I've been slowly climbing for a long time now - in the case of the MA, 3 years! - and have found myself wondering...what now? What do I do with all this time I've suddenly "found"? What goes in those sections of my daily journal entry anymore? What happens next after the big goal has been achieved? This is something I've often found myself struggling with after big events like this, so I'm not wildly surprised. Still, there is a little bit to finish off here but I've found the best way for me to move forward when I feel like this is to relax a little bit but think up some new goals to set or I end up becoming one of those people who putter around doing nothing and then wonder how in the world they wasted an entire day/week/month/summer, so it's time to start dreaming up the next steps! Quest One: Fitness Okay so here are the rules according to my doctors: 1) start very slow and add time/frequency only if my body is responding well 2) walking or light jogging is okay except during egg retrieval week - no sprints or hard pacing (I believe walking is okay during egg retrieval week but not jogging, I will double check that) 3) No quick changes of body position, especially twisting - slow changes are okay as long as I don't feel any pain 4) Yoga is okay, but no inversion stuff (which could be a challenge, but I hate downward dog anyway so at least there's that?) 5) Be careful of my heart rate - try to keep it under 160, but it's running fast right now anyway, so I have to be extra cautious here 6) Try my best not to work out for more than 30 minutes at a time So with all of that said, my goal is to start with workouts 1x a week that are less than 30 minutes. I'm going to focus on walking and careful yoga with some light jogging - think like C25K but an extra slow, short version. Quest Two: Nutrition I'm still trying to gain weight, as well as improve my nutrient stores in preparation for pregnancy. I got this app called Sidekick that has a bunch of recipe "packs" that are supposed to allow for variety in healthy meals while minimizing food waste. My goal is going to be to cook recipes, probably from this app, 1x or 2x a week that still focus on protein while also including foods (mainly produce) I don't usually eat. This might be a single ingredient or a whole bunch, but the idea is that I get a wider variety of nutrients if I eat a wider variety of foods. Also I love to cook but haven't had time or energy during the last year or so of grad school crunch, so this is a way to get me back into a hobby I enjoy while also meeting a health goal! My weigh-in this morning was at 131.8 but I'm pretty sure that's only because I spent the last 5 days eating mostly takeout and sitting on my butt driving for hours on end. Quest Three: School Well, just because I graduated doesn't mean I'm done! I have the school that I teach in, but I also already have my eye on the next graduate program I want to do - my MA in Romance Languages (which will end up being dual degrees in Spanish and French). I promised my husband I'd take at least a year off before applying to the new program, but some prep in the meanwhile will help me a LOT once I get in! Goals for work: 1) send in dual-credit form to get that process started (I'm trying to get a local university to offer dual credit to my advanced students) 2) finish French 1, Unit 7 curriculum so that's prepped and ready to go in August 3) make the list of realia for my co-worker's son to try to gather for my French classes during his short trip to Paris this summer Goals for the second grad program: 1) find and read a French or Spanish chapter book - I own several of these, I just have to find them and pick one Quest Four: Personal Because if I don't make it a quest, I will get too obsessed with work or random social media nonsense to take up all my time. Either way, goals for my home and family tend to get pushed off, so this is the perfect time to bring them closer to the forefront! Goals: 1) work on my son's quilt - finish through row 15 (I'm currently barely beginning row 12) 2) reach out to a realtor so we can start looking at houses in the neighborhoods we want to move to sometime in the next two years 3) declutter the master bedroom/closet partly for home showing purposes but also because it's a mess. This includes my closet, the floor in front of the closet, the overflowing hamper (which will require a good amount of laundry!), the top of the chest at the foot of our bed (though I can start putting things into said chest, as it's currently empty), and weirdly enough the lamp next to my closet, which has some shelves built into it which tend to collect random hats, scarves, etc. This is not nearly enough to make the house ready to show, but it's a good start especially because I would love to paint our bedroom in June!

Okay, okay, so "bang" is probably overstating it, but I wanted to be positive! I've been so complain-y lately, this sounded better hahaha. My 2 week winter break was desperately needed and I'm so thankful for it - honestly, I think the entire first week or so was legitimately just recovering from fall semester. I slept, ate, and existed as a lump for multiple days on end because that was all I had the mental and physical capacity for. But by the end, I was starting to exist as an actual human being again...just in time to go back to work! Yay! I still have about a week until my new grad school semester starts though, and this one should, theoretically, be better than the last one (though I still have at least 4 and a half sections of my thesis to write by the end of April...ugh) so I'm hoping to pick things up a bit more and really get some balls rolling for 2022. But I have a few too many things to do (ah, ranger brain...) so I'm going to try a 4-pronged challenge this time: Quest One: Get Moving So one of my major goals is going to be getting ready to start an archery team (or at least club) in August. One thing I very much want to do before that can happen is increase my draw weight at least slightly. I also need to just get my body going a bit in general! So my goal is going to be 5 workouts, theoretically one a week - admittedly a big jump from my last challenge but I think I can do it. Also I'm going with "can be short and small but needs to be an actual designated workout" as my definition this time, so no more "well I ran around with my kid a lot, that can count". Examples of things I might count include but of course are not limited to: -a yoga video -at least one set of dumbbell things I've been doing to help my draw weight (I think they're called tricep rows? I probably should learn that) -a walk or run -an actual shooting practice (though let's be honest, I'm a complete wuss about the cold, so this probably won't happen until at least the spring unless we get an unseasonable warm snap) Quest Two: Eat Better I'm still struggling to gain weight, though I have my GI appointment at the end of this month and hopefully that'll give us some more possibilities! But I also need to improve my nutrition anyway, because it's been pretty bad. I signed up for a weekly cooking challenge - basically, they give you a theme or inspiration every Saturday, and your job is to try to cook something that week to match that theme or inspiration. One meal a week shouldn't be too bad, and I really do miss cooking. Plus I'm making it even more complicated and saying that my challenge meal every week must include at least one "high priority" ingredient: -chicken, cheese, or potatoes (to slow down my guts and help me gain weight) -any red meat or spinach (for the high iron content because I'm becoming anemic again) -any "unusual" vegetable (not necessarily actually unusual, but at least unusual in our kitchen) Quest Three: Get the House Together I'm meaning this to be both literal (as in, our actual house) and a bit metaphorical (like, the semi-external structure around the family). It's not a perfect category, but I'm trying to differentiate this from my personal life goals below. We're hoping to move sometime between this summer and summer 2024 (preferably before fall 2023 but we'll see if that happens!) but our current house needs a lot of help before it can be shown. Also I'm sticking family-type goals in here. But I'm going to do this checklist style: I made a list of stuff I want to get done this year, and all the things below are the next "milestones" in getting those things done, so I think that will make more sense than focusing on frequency like my first two quests. 1. decluttering: clear out one bag of clothes I don't want anymore as well as clearing/putting away EVERYTHING on or under the sidetable in the playroom, including the sidetable itself since we probably don't want it anymore 2. start a 529 for my kid 3. institute Spanish time at dinner - likely starting at just 5 or 10 minutes, but holy bajesus my kid needs the input and practice. I will count this as "complete" if we do it for at least 14 days, since we've been trying to get this started for like two years now and haven't kicked ourselves enough in the butt to make it happen despite the fact my husband and I are both proficient speakers 4. complete at least through row 12 on my son's quilt - currently about halfway through row #9 Quest Four: Personal Life Goals This is my category for non-health related personal goals! It's also going to be checklist style, but it's much shorter: 1. read a book. Any book that is not related to grad school counts. Preferably two books, which should be do-able since I'm a super fast reader, but let's start small and go from there. Starting in English because the local library does a winter reading challenge where you can win a coffee mug if you read 5 books before March 15th and I collect coffee mugs, so I really want to win one, but I read much faster in English than any of my other languages. 2. use at least 3 "new" nail polishes. I have a stash of polishes that I have bought and never used, and I'm trying to make sure I use each one of them at least once. These can be manicures or pedicures and might even include using more than one color at a time - as long as I can move 3 bottles to my "I've used this at least once" cabinet, it counts. 3. I'm also trying to use up my makeup items since that pile was starting to grow bigger than I needed. Starting with eyeshadow, because I have a ton of it and lipstick still really isn't a thing with my mask. I'm going to wear eyeshadow at least 16 out of 24 work days (so 2/3 of days, counting from my return to work yesterday) 4. of course work on my thesis! Am I cheating by putting this here? I kinda think so, yeah. But oh well, if it helps get me motivated, it's a challenge goal now too! Let's see, by February 5th I need to have finished section 4 for sure(the one I'm on now) and let's go with...be halfway through section 5. Is this challenge arguably way too big and I've gone right back to biting off more than I can chew? Maybe! I really did try to make each one not too big so it'd stay as reasonable as possible, and a few of them I've already started since I had these goals in mind before I got around to typing this up (to be laid out in the next post)...so...never say never, right?

Happy New Year! I welcomed the first day of the new year with a 4pm breakfast, because why not enjoy one of the last lazy days before real life starts up again. Besides, breakfast is wonderful, no matter what time of day. See? This cat agrees. But since it will be back to business very soon, here are my goals for this month: 💜 Complete all 30 days of Yoga with Adriene's MOVE series. I want to add some longer videos into my routine, since the ones I do right now tend to be around 20 minutes. 💙 Only get take out/eat out with friends and family. If I'm all by my lonesome, I'm going to focus on saving money and improving my cooking skills by actually making what I am in the mood for. The only exception is if it's a date night, family comes to visit, or I'm with friends. I still want to be reasonable and enjoy myself, and I know completely banning restaurants isn't practical. 💚 Track my calories/meals in My Fitness Pal. I always feel better and eat more mindfully when I'm keeping track of things which I haven't exactly been doing these last couple of weeks.

So for the next 2 weeks(9/11 - 9/25) I will be leaving sunny wonderful Florida to spend time at my cabins in Wisconsin. Highs in the 60s and lows in the 40s. It is going to be quite the change. Goals for the challenge Workout of some sort daily 10k steps daily Eat whole foods(mostly paleo with limited dairy and maybe one whole grain serving daily). Two travel days are cheatish days(morning food and some beer). Also some freeze dried camping food reviews for content. I may choose to have whiskey once while up at the cabins but other than that strict. Daily hobby 50XP of Duolingo daily Read 10ish pages Post a picture of dinner Examples of WODs Ruck Run Circuit training Weight lifting Hobbies Minis Content creation(youtube videos and launch channel) Fishing Model rockets Building things(fish tank stand) Board games Currently also running a PvP warm up for Rucktober. I need to market Rucktober and get some sign ups. The PvP for the warm up is here if anyone is interested.

New challenge to be found on a later post.... For Bouncer's Golden-Eye Dragon Curse Challenge. More info on old challenge below: Bouncer has a Spreadsheet challenge put aside.

EDIT: By popular demand I am changing my challenge to be about the 3 things most important to me (and my readers) right now: 1. Tats - I am getting my first tattoo and it is impacting my life in a big way as it heals and I continue to get it worked on. 2. Gaming - I am loving the heck out of Assassin's Creed Odyssey right now and it is my new obsession. 3. Ice Cream - I have a couple hundred dollars worth of ice cream that is prepaid and I need to eat it soon or I will lose it. I can't not eat it because apparently I don't even know what 'sunk cost' means Optional Side Quest - avoid misspelling anything that might make people think this challenge is about something other than the above 3 things Original challenge write up is below: ----------------------------------------------- Now's my chance, RUN! Those of you who followed my last challenge know that the biggest thing in my life right now is getting my first ever tattoo. It is a massive thing on my left shoulder that has already had 8 hours of work into it and I still need at least double that before it will be finished. This is going to be pretty much dominating my life for the next few weeks so I might as well plan this challenge around it. (Current tattoo progress in the spoiler for anyone interested) On the advice of my artist, I need to refrain from serious upper body workouts for the duration and at least a week following the completion, which means probably about a month or so. Given that most of my workouts consist primarily of heavy upper body stuff this means I am going to have completely revamp how I get my exercise in. I asked my artist about his suggestion for exercise for the next little while and his response was a shrug and suggestion that "maybe every day can be leg day". And while he isn't necessarily wrong, I am going to modify this to mean things that involve legs, which I am going to break into two main categories: Running: I have been working recently on getting my cardio endurance back up by running on the treadmill off and on over the last year or so. Now that spring is finally here, I can get out and run in the park again. My goal last challenge was 50km and I very nearly hit it without even trying very hard. This challenge I am going to raise the bar and aim for 100km. I probably won't get there, but that's why they call it a challenge Stretching: My last challenge had a stretching goal and I completely ignored it. This time I have much less of an excuse so let's see if I can actually stretch consistently for an entire challenge. Goal is 5 stretch session/week which comes out to 30 session. I probably won't hit this either but let's just call it a "stretch goal" Food: In addition to exercise, I also want to make sure I am getting my nutrition right so I am going to have to put together a menu for each week. I am tired of eating the same things over and over so I will probably do something similar to the 5x5 challenge I did a while back. I will aim to have a meal plan ready in the next few days [Meal Plan goes here] Personal Development: We all know that I spend pretty much all of my time not working out or cooking in front of the xbox. This is a brag, not a complaint Its a great life and I plan to keep doing it, but I also want to do other things that help me to develop other skills as well. For this one it could be anything from practicing the ukulele to reading books or even drawing. Goal is to spend at least 15 minutes a day on something other than gaming, 5 days per week. Will I actually do this or will it end up being my dump goal? Stay tuned to find out. The rest of my time is going to be split between Assassin's Creed, Tomb Raider, Elder Scrolls, Forza and my various D&D campaigns so expect to hear a bunch of stuff about that for most of my updates.

Hi all! I've been kind of absent from the forums lately, but I had to return to ask this all-important question: what is the best way to cook a brisket? I've got one in the freezer and I'm eager to cook it, but I've never cooked one before and I know there are some Opinions™ about brisket here on the forums. Do you have any favorite recipes? I'm hoping for something in the tender and delicious category.

Hi Nerds! I'm Merrin. I haven't done a proper challenge for over a year at least. It may look like I have a lot of goals, but all of these fall in line with my daily schedule. I was going to Culinary school but had to withdraw last April. I need structure to thrive, so putting my goals down along with writing a daily schedule with my partner is really going to be good for me. We just bought a house! We drove 1100 miles across the country to move into a house built in 1900 (yes it's 120 years old) and used to be a funeral parlor! It's old and spooky and sometimes bats get in. It needs a lot of love and attention. (We spent most of October re-plumbing the entire basement.) I love sewing! I taught a Cosplay 101 class at Nerd Camp 2016. I don't have any LARP plans until January of 22, but that doesn't mean I can't sew a pile of things until then. Mercury: There's always something to be studied, and right now, that's language. 1 chapter Duolingo each day. Learning Japanese in the hopes that Duncan and I can go back in 2023. Venus: all hobbies in moderation! 1 hour social media, 1 hour video games per day. No old games. No Animal Crossing. Moon: Usagi's favorite thing is spending time with Mamoru. Ifrit and I were enjoying a more regular date night. 1x a week for games [Firefly, Lovecraft, Villains] Mars: keeping the home clean is an act of duty and an act of love. 2x weekly, including house painting, hanging art, repairing windows/treatments, laundry, floors. Jupiter: Mako-chan loves being in the kitchen. She shows her love for others by feeding them often. Cooking 3+ times a week, opposite chore days. Baking counts. Saturn: Silence is a necessity. 2 hours downtime daily, reading, stitchwork. Finish pumpkin set, gem poster. Castle poster? Uranus: No time for slacking. Ringfit, 1 section daily. Neptune: Deep Submerge! Daily skincare, hydration goals. [Oops it's like they go together on purpose.] Pluto: Cosplay work, 3x week. If I feel like there are other areas to improve, I'll branch out the challenge to the Starlights.

It's been I don't even know how long since I participated in a challenge - maybe a year? I hesitated to post this, then spent a moment reflecting on the darkness of 2020, and found myself crying. So here I am. I've missed this wonderful virtual place, but this year has really knocked me on my rear - as it has for most people. Hiroro's 2020 in a (large) nutshell Parenting: my baby girl was born 12/26/19 - so she is approaching 1 year old! She started reliably sleeping through the night about a month or two ago (HALLELUJAH), which means this year has entailed several months of sleep deprivation. I am finally, sort of, feeling functional-ish again. Fitness: I started working out again a few months after the birth, and within weeks strained my hip/groin. Over the next few months the pain increased and my physical capability decreased until I couldn't walk more than a few blocks without pain. Months of physical therapy later, I've finally "graduated" from PT a few weeks ago. I can now run a few miles without pain - sometimes. I'm still doing my PT exercises and stretches on my own, though I'm not perfect about getting them in every day anymore. Nutrition: I definitely let this get haywire, I've been eating lactation supplementing treats all year as I struggled to keep my milk supply up while pumping at work (went back to work at the end of April). After putting a lot of pressure in the early months to try to get back to pre-baby weight, I decided to put it on hold while trying to get my hip fixed and my head on straight. So right now I'm probably sitting at about my highest pre-pregnancy weight, and it doesn't feel great. But I feel like I finally have the energy again to focus more on cooking and eating healthy - it helps that I'm planning to wean soon. A side factor is that my husband started a very extreme diet early in the year and after hitting his goal weight (and improving his BP and cholesterol) has fallen off the wagon. I'd love for us to be able to find a moderate middle ground. I've been working on buying and cooking more veggies, and preparing an actual dinner so we sit down and eat instead of the grazing we were doing before. Mindset: Speaking of my head, I fell pretty hard into a deep, dark, hole of postpartum depression. After trying to manage on my own for way too long, I found a new therapist who was a much better fit than the woman I'd seen before. Unfortunately she left the practice about a month ago, so I'm flailing a bit as I try to find someone new. Etc: My parents have been amazing support during this year, and I have no idea what we would have done without them. My husband was laid off halfway through the year, and I'm thankful that our financial position is solid enough that he was able to be selective about finding a new job - he has a tentative offer and expects to start in January. Since he's been stay at home parenting, this is going to be a big adjustment - wonderfully, my parents will provide childcare likely until some point next year when we feel safe sending the baby to daycare. Though he has enjoyed getting to spend extra time with the baby, being the SAHD has left him worn out all the time, and made it hard for me to take time for myself (and even when I do, with COVID going anywhere is anxiety-inducing). At work we've gone through two rounds of layoffs and are expecting a third early next year. While I think my job is fairly secure, we are understaffed and overloaded, and people I work with and like could be laid off - cue stress and anxiety. This challenge is well timed (even though I'm late to the party, as usual) as I feel like I'm finally seeing a small light at the end of the tunnel - to being able to be physically active, and take better care of myself, and find a new routine with both myself and my husband working. Thanks to a lot of physical and psychological therapy, I'm finally in a place where I am excited about the idea of setting new goals. At the same time, my pattern is to get overambitious and then peter out. So the plan is to start small, adding kindling to the tiny bit of fire I've found still burning within myself. Challenge Goals Sit down for dinner every day with my family Usually daily goals are not the best for me - but this seems very achievable. Even if it's a frozen pizza and a salad. Move my body 6 times Basically anything. I just bought a set of dumbells off a coworker friend who was moving away so those are a handy option when I can't get myself out the door to run. Go to bed by 10pm Since the baby has started sleeping better, I find myself staying up too late because I'm so desperate to extend the few hours of free time at the end of the day. But it makes me feel pants the next day, and I know better. Side Goals - just for fun Finish reading In Defense of Food Complete scrap yarn crochet basket I'm excited to be crafting again. I think a 2021 goal is going to be whittling down my yarn stash (it's taking up way too much of our limited storage space) so this is a head start. Do something fun on my own at least 1x/week (socially-distanced friend meetups count) When I'm not intentional about this, I find I stay home all the time trying to give my husband some relief, but really it just means we both end up worn out. When we each take time for ourselves it's better. Even though it's more difficult now, I can visit the library (people are pretty good about masking and it is sparse enough that I feel safe/comfortable) or meet a friend over a firepit. Looking forward to connecting and reconnecting with fellow Rebels!

Hello Nerds, annyshay here! Back again for another challenge. I'm not going to make too many tweaks to things at the moment because they're honestly going really well. I want to maintain my momentum. For those that don't know me, I'm a thirty-something single lady that who lives with an orange tabby named Dragon in the Northeastern US. I've been a member of the Nerd Fitness forums for many years. Along the way, I met my health coach, Amy Clover, who has been helping me move past dieting and performance health based on external metrics to focus more on the way that I want to feel and building habits that support that. I'm going to go back to the elements for my challenge this time, with a heavy emphasis on those in Avatar: The Last Airbender (lovingly referred to in the future as ATLA). Earth - walk at least once a day Air - intentionally seek out support Fire - PT exercises Water - cook 1-2 times per week

Hi, fellow Druids, I am fearless, a long time German member (f.52)who has missed a lot at NF during the last years. I used to be a Scout (running and hiking) and have been heavily into CrossFit for some years. After knee surgery I have been sedentary for 2 years. Result: a slipped disc in my lower back, muscular dysbalance and a lot of pain since the beginning of lockdown in march. I choose the Druids for this challenge because I want to do a mix of yoga, physical therapy exercises and meditation as well. Today at my PT I presented her my "routine" which is about 30 minutes long. Its mostly core stuff to heal faster. 2018 and 2019 I did Keto successfully and cooked all meals for myself. Then I needed a break and had all the bread and fruit Now its time to get back to my way of eating. It helps me to lose weight ( still need to crush about 30 pounds.) and also helps me a lot with mental health issues ( I am clearer and more alert on keto ). my life goal is to be able to write again. I have published a book in 2018 about my way out of mental health hell into the mostly happy person I am now. Its part autobiographic, part self help. After a lot of feedback I was asked to write another book describing the technics that helped me get out of the hellhole. Like what do you do when you are in bed, have not showered in days, find yourself depressed and motionless... how do you get back into a well lived life. I have started research ( science and my diaries) but have my doubts if its a good project.. nevertheless I want to get back into creating regularly. clarification: I am a writer and Cello teacher, so I always work from home and I have a lot of free time because I retired early and only work for 20 hours/week. Only responsibility is my dog ( who plays in my garden mostly since I've been injured.) FEARLESS IS BEATING THE PAIN DRAGON ...THE QUEST... Everyday: 5 Minutes of breathing/meditation as part of my morning routine a short walk with my puppy as warm up 30 Minutes of PT/Stretching/Yoga Food Prep so I have 2-3 keto meals every day. ( I can have greek or Turkish food from takeout 2 times during the challenge. ( only meat and veggies) sit at desk for 30 Minutes a day and see if you can get your groove back. I don't have to write but am not allowed any other activity during this half hour... Thanks for reading, guys! Ive read all of your first posts and look forward to getting sh*t done during this challenge! ❤️

I fell off the wagon in the middle of last challenge. Honestly I'm not sure I was on the wagon to begin with, but I digress. TENTATIVE WEEKLY SCHEDULE: Monday - work 8h Tuesday - classes maybe, evening church group Wednesday - work 8h split Thursday - moar classes maybe, evening church group Friday - work 4h, maybe class Saturday - ???, church in evening (online ofc) Sunday - ??? probably housecleaning tbh TO-DO: Cooking Lunch duty M Dinner duty TWRF probably (dinner by 5 or 5:30 because that's when Mom gets off) Weekends are always up in the air Regain my gainzzz 100 Knee Pushups Challenge Split lunges and goblet squats (10 lb unless I can come up with something heavier. No, my cat doesn't count.) I guess inverted rows? 5-minute ab workout (crunches 1 min, plank 1 min, side plank 1 min/side, some kind of boat pose 1 min) Walk/bike with Mom when schedule allows (it mostly doesn't). Schooling Send in those forms so I can sign up for the stupid classes on May 7 Read Dune. Finish before Mom finishes Anne of Green Gables Pick up the alto clarinet at least 1x/wk for 40+ minutes (assembly and maintenance times not included) Bonus points for breathing exercises Bonus points for playing anything in boat pose. Don't waste all my free time on Animal Crossing. (Wild World - don't ask for my friend code.) 1 hour of gameplay per day, max. Spend some time outside in the sun! If I think of anything else I'll add it. Have a spreadsheet.

Quarantine and isolation! Even an introvert like me can get stir crazy when the only people I get to see are my parents and occasionally the Amazon delivery guy. Here's how I plan to entertain myself, effective immediately PLP Challenge (but different). Starting point: 15 Bulgarian split squats per leg, 10 knee push-ups, 15 inverted rows, 10 dead bugs, 60 seconds side planks Thermo studying. 1 hour every day. No excuses. I need to do well in this class. Bible reading and prayer. I'm stuck at home, I've got the time for it. Working afternoons. I'm lucky my college is allowing me to work from home online. Making dinner (and make enough to have leftovers for lunch). We're still on paleo ish as much as we can be, as long as the local produce stand is still open and has vegetables and eggs. Meat is a bit harder to come by. We'll make it happen. Clean something. Tracking sheet I also have some incidentals that need taking care of. File the damn taxes. Read The Silmarillion. Funness.

Hello Rebels! I'm annyshay. I'm a single, thirty-something physician that just moved across the country to start a new job and life in Albany NY. My cat's name is Dragon. I've been at this Nerd Fitness thing for quite some time and recently became an ambassador for the Adventurers. I've had an injury in my right foot that I'm slowly nursing back to health. I eat intuitively and have sworn off diet mentality. I've learned a ton about stress management and work to prioritize sleep. I love meeting new rebels, so say hello if you wander in. To all my friends and old followers, welcome back! As I resettle into my new life, I'm going to refocus on some of my core habits to make sure that I strengthen my foundation. I will aim to do these things regularly and report on them often! Cook Walk Reach Out Grateful Wins

Late to the party, whoops, but I did just return from vacation on Monday. I trailed off on the last challenge but don't feel terrible about it because it was insanely hectic - not the most stressed I've ever been, but definitely the most major events in a month. Plus at the beginning of the challenge I wasn't planning on the Italy work trip, and then that happened in the middle of everything. My healthy routines were thoroughly disrupted, but I still squeezed in a little exercise and some vegetables. I'm thrilled to be home, and in my own kitchen and bed again (not at the same time, obviously). After eating out most meals for three weeks, I am excited to cook balanced, delicious meals at home. Overall Goals My general life goals have changed a bit because, uh, I'm pregnant and all - so weight loss is no longer the primary aim. I weighed myself this morning and was unpleasantly surprised by the number on the scale, but the internet tells me it's normal to have gained 4-6lb at this point even though the baby is only the size of a raspberry, so I feel better about it now. I'm going to stop weighing myself at home because it makes more sense to focus on make healthy choices each day. I've cancelled my NF Coaching because I already feel a bit overwhelmed, and through work I'm going to be assigned an RN who will advise on healthy eating and exercise throughout my pregnancy. But I have even stronger reasons to eat healthy, and I won't be drinking ha, so I'm going to focus on paying attention to how I feel - more frequent, small meals seems to sit better with me these days. I am currently working to use up a lot of my pantry/freezer food which has been accumulating for...a while. I also want to declutter since we mayyy buy a house and move before the baby comes. Goal #1: Cook all the things Make (nearly) all our food at home, avoid relying on processed food. I'd like to get in a good pattern of meal prep and eating at home pre-baby. Document food here. Goal #2: Feel the burn Work out doing whatever feels good. Right now that's barre but I'd like to try to get running again if I can do it without chest pain. Aiming for working out 3x/week minimum, and walking on other days to aid digestion and circulation. Goal #3: Feed the fire Take extra kind care of myself. Give myself an 8-hour sleep window. Nap if needed. Meditate daily. I have FIVE WEEKS before our family vacation when we tell the family, and I have already told random coworkers in Italy (because finding out I was pregnant the week before the trip was anxiety-inducing), a couple coworkers I am closer to (because we were on vacation for a week and they wouldn't have figured it out from the not drinking anyways, and this way I was able to talk to a friend who had twins last year about it), and another friend (who I stayed with on the way to and from the Florida vacation, because we're close and it was nice to do it in person). Between now and the official family announcement at which point it will be public, I will probably tell a couple more friends because as an external processor keeping secrets is not my strong suit. It still feels completely surreal, but in the best way.

If you haven't followed my threads before, I am Brogo. I'm usually back and forth between the Warrior and Adventurer guilds. I typically try to lift like a warrior, but mostly I just eat like a warrior. That should stand out as indication that I'm overweight, and the bulk (pun intended) of my fitness journey has been failed attempts at weight loss. Lately, tho, I don't care about gainz. I'm really prioritizing my weight loss over everything else fitness wise. So I wandered back in here. I'm currently 257 lbs. I want to get to one-der-land. Just get me to 199 lbs. How am I going to lose this weight? I'm also seriously considering (another) career change to data science. I'll be (re-) teaching myself to code and learn data science methodologies through a courser certificate, and self-study using python 3 and anaconda 3 (hence the challenge title). Spoilered longwinded details... Goal 1, Keto: -> Maintain keto via a standard ketogenic diet (minimal carbs, no TKD or CKD) -> If ketogenesis gets interrupted, fast for 24-30 hours. Goal 2, Cooking: -> Keep current dietary restrictions (no meat, poultry, or dairy) until the end of the challenge. -> Buy at least one new ingredient each week, or try one new recipe. Goal 3, Running?: -> Go on a run once every weekend. -> Hit 6000 steps/day on my fitness tracker or lift weights. -> If I work <9 hours in a day, go for a run. Goal 4, Data: -> Continue work on Data Science Certificate on Courser:a by the end of challenge complete 4 courses. -> Practice and learn Python 3 (programming language) and Anaconda 3 (scientific, data analysis packages for python)

Self-indulgent whining.... Goals are going to be super simple: 1. Go to parkour and silks classes according to schedule, even when I don't want to go. I'm currently doing 2 classes on each of Saturday and Monday, and I can't let the blahs stop me from going. Yesterday was a perfect example: I didn't want to go, but went anyway, and after the fact, was glad that I did. Part of the grade will simply be showing up. The other part will be attitude when I'm there. This means that when I'm doing parkour open gym, I need to focus on rebuilding my skill base rather than getting frustrated about things I can no longer do. 2. Do a big workout on either Wednesday or Thursday each week. This means pull ups, push ups, core, and grip. I'm going to set a goal and then if I can't complete it, drop down to an easier version of the exercise rather than abandon ship altogether. 3. Splits stretching at least 2 times per week (not including silks classes). It should only take 5 or so minutes, so there's no reason for me to skip this stuff. 4. At least one meal per day needs to be salad or something healthy and home-cooked, even when I don't feel like it. 5. Soda at most once/week. I drank soda for many years. I gave it up shortly after starting nerd fitness. But, in the last 6 months, I've resumed the habit.

Last challenge, I stopped counting calories and started eating meals, regular-fucking-human-stylez. Yay! This challenge, I am finalllllyyy moving out of my cray-cray house and looking forward to doing lots of cooking now that I can venture into the kitchen without being subjected to cray conversations with cray people. Over the course of this challenge I am also going to be doing some rad things like GOING ON TOUR WITH BUFFY SAINTE-MARIE OMG. HERE"S SOME GOALZ: Make friends! Ever since I finished school, I have been moving at least once a year, sometimes more. Much of that time has been spent long-distance relationship, and after a few years of shipping out as soon as I started to get settled... putting effort into social relationships started to seem futile. Like, why invest in your friendships if you're just going to leave? Now, I have a full-time job in an orchestra, I love my colleagues, and Mr. Tei has decided to quit his job and come join me here. This is a place I could... stay? Maybe for just a little bit, or maybe for the rest of my life? In any case, I am definitely going to be here two years in a row, which hasn't happened recently! So, it's time to start putting some effort into building a social scene. I am... open to suggestions on how to acheive this, lol. My current plan is to aim for at least 2x/week suggesting an activity to someone to inviting someone to something? So this could be texting my climbing friend that I'm going to the gym, or suggesting to colleagues that we grab lunch or drinks after a service, or... something else. IDK! Friends?? Anybody??? Get organized with work. I am doing an audition on May 3rd. I am not at all sure that I actually want the job (see: previous explanation of finally being in a place I could stay long-term!) but doing auditions is part of keeping your skills sharp as an orchestral musician, and I want to make sure that I feel proud of my performance both at the audition and for the rest of the season. Goal for this is to practice 2 hours + at least a 1/2 hour of reedmaking every day that is free or only has one service, and 1/5 hours + reedmaking on a two-service day. Foooooooood! As I said, I have been avoiding the kitchen in the place where I live, due to abnormally high levels of cray. This has actually been decent for my eat-three-meals-a-day goal, because I just go to the store, buy a meal, and eat it. Not great for the bank account, though, or the sense of being a grownup who can feed herself. The goals for this are so many! Once I get into my new place I want to re-start my sourdough starter (or maybe buy some to start feeding because my attempts at starting one from scratch here have been frustrating...) start making yogurt again, and get a gross vat of kombucha going. Also want to get in the habit of buying whole chickens and using all the various bits for various stuff. Woooooo home cooking! Workin' out! I have been getting in the habit of morning workouts, which is working out well for me! (heh.) The plan is to keep that up-- lifting 3x/week, and gymnastics/other stuff 2 or 3x. I alsooooooo stopped in in a super weird gym in my neighborhood to be like "so yo what's your deal" and apparently their deal is that they're moving out of my neighborhood and into the warehouse district, which boooo, BUT for the excellent cause of expanding their acrobatic and parkour offerings and THEY'RE GETTING A SPRUNG FLOOR AND A FOAM PIT!!!!!!!! Sooooo that place is hella expensive buuuuut could be worth it if I could quit my normal gym (and also probably the climbing gym, honestly, because I haven't been going there all that often and when I do I mainly just want to do flips on their mats) and tumble like every dayyyyyyy zomg!!!!! (This is the place, if you want to evaluate its suitability...) Let's do this!

Mind Body and Soul I’ve gotten a bit slack with the daily writing and the yoga routines and all the rest. I was feeling disconnected, spent from a very bleak midwinter indeed, and I need to reconnect, especially at the soul level. I’m looking forward to setting down anxiety and fretfulness and worry. I’m looking forward to living in harmony and love, letting the universe be in charge. I’m thinking of this round sort of like a sustained balance pose, like the Eagle or the tree. Or, my favorite, Lord of the Dance, even though this past challenge I considered it a huge success just to do Corpse pose. Let’s see what the Universe has in mind for me, shall we? This spring I’m doing something kind of weird. I’m putting a whole bunch of stuff out into the universe and seeing what comes back. I’ve put out a mountain of energy and intention and effort and invitation in the past three months. Mostly, I’ve heard nothing, except for the occasional faint and distant no. Okay, universe; message received. Apparently the directions I have been looking are not the ones the Universe has in mind for me. But I still don’t know exactly what I am supposed to be doing. This round I’m working with the uncertainty of it all, leaning on the knowledge that I am a powerfully effective person and very capable indeed. If it should all come back that I end up with two master’s degree programs and a full time job and a part time one on top of that, I could probably do it all, frankly, though not for very long. But maybe just long enough to see what I want to keep. I’m crafting this challenge around what I want to be doing regardless of the external validation structures that might come my way. I’m going to highlight the things in my life that are actively positive elements, and I’m going to update on how my focus on them is going. Mind - daily activities Read Spiritual Book Group Book A Testament of Devotion I'll add in other books as they happen. This place is being left as available depending on what happens with the two graduate programs I'm working with. Knit Publish the patterns that I have finished. Finish the Mrs. Who capelet and publish the pattern. Consider the possibilities of a wholesale yarn order Begin Vivian's Daphne Dress Write Pages are due before the colonoscopy on April 25. More pages will be required at the Queens Workshop May 20-26 Then pages will be needed for June and July, too. Body Gym: I have missed the gym, and it has missed me. It's no real surprise that there is a positive feedback loop of negativity when I don't go to the gym because I'm getting depressed. So the answer is: More Gym Time. Weights and walking and swimming are wonderful and have been missing from my world for too long. The Steam room and sauna are definitely needed. Any day with these is a good day. Yoga: I've added in a bit of structure since the yoga has fallen by the wayside. Tuesday Morning Yoga at the Library Wednesday Evening Yoga at the Mansion Friday Morning Yoga at the Library Soul - This is the area of greatest need, and fortunately is the one that has the most activity scheduled. These are the ways of the universe, in which there are no coincidences. Monday Evening meeting Sunday Friends Monthly Spiritual Formation Meeting - date tbd for May Monthly Women’s Wisdom Meeting April 18 & May 16 Semi-annual Spiritual Retreat May 4-6 Annual Friends Blue Ridge Gathering April 29

"Merry, Merry," Annyshay shook him gently. She was on the edge of throwing the remnants of his own ale in his face, but he shook his head and seemed to snap out of it. "I'm not ready to talk about them yet," Merry breathed. Annyshay had never seen Merry scared. Ever. She was quite inclined to trust his judgment here as ever, "whatever you say, cousin. Drink your ale." "Yes, quite." After a few more swigs on both sides, Merry's face lit up a bit. "You may have noticed some... changes, since our return," he began by way of introduction. Annyshay was noncommittal in her response, "mmmhmmm." "Well, I imagine the four of us riding in on ponies in armor covered in insignia and other marks not before seen in the Shire was quite the spectacle," Merry continued to fish for a reaction, but Annyshay just held his gaze. "In any case, I'm sure it was obvious pretty quickly that Pippin and I were the only two hobbits of our party that had grown taller in addition to thinner." "My first thought was certainly that you all needed at least a week of home cooking before you would be fit for pleasant company. Your bones were sticking out all over the place!" "Surely you noticed that I grew," Merry threatened a pout, "me and Pippin that is?" "It may have crossed a few people's lips, aye" Annyshay conceded. "Well that is as good a story as any to show how different things can be outside of the Shire," Merry prattled onwards. "Indeed if I manage to tell it right it should come back around to the ash and my concerns that something is amiss in the Old Forest." Annyshay took a noisy slurp from the end of her pint. Merry, ever the good host returned to the barman to get a half pint for each of them. Annyshay raised her smaller glass and Merry reciprocated the gesture before taking a large swig and settling himself in to spin a good yarn. "You see, Annyshay," Merry continued to preamble, "this story is all to do with Ents." "Ents?" Annyshay assumed that Merry's thinner frame made it more difficult for him to hold his ale however tall he may have grown. "What in Middle Earth is Ents?" "First off," Merry put down his glass and became his old self for a moment. He was clearly confident in whatever story he was about to unfold and thought that it was something Annyshay best pay attention to. His whole appearance reminded her of many previous lectures. "An Ent is a who, not a what." "A who?" Annyshay nearly choked on her beer. "Now you're really pulling my leg." "By the Master's wine cellars," Merry responded solemnly, "there are many creatures you've not heard of here even from Bree." Annyshay just stared at him, unsure what to ask next to get to the meat of the tale. "Yes, Ents," Merry pressed on fortified with more ale. "Ents are the Shepherds of the Trees. Probably the oldest creatures in Middle Earth, except maybe Tom." "Is Tom a what then?" Annyshay scoffed. "Your ale's gone to your head Merry. Talking nonsense, you are." "No no no," Merry waved her protests away. "Just listen to me. All will become clear in due course." "Well, you're stringing me along something awful," Annyshay protested. "Get on to the tale, ya scamp!" "A skeptical audience, I see. Well, all the better," Merry took a bit more liquid sustenance before he finally got down to business. "To really understand this story, you must be patient, cousin. There's a lot you have to learn Annyshay - concerning Ents."

I was a bit late for the last one so I just skipped it while I dealt with some other stuff. Slowly I've been pulling myself out of a sort of funk (#depression) and I'm ready to start going after this again. My work schedule changed so that took some getting used to and i'm ready to start chasing my goals again. Challenges: Go to the GYM at least 2x a week!! So I got signed up but I have to get a habit/schedule going. I'm going to be following this plan from bodybuilding.com so I have an idea of what to do at the gym lol. Stay under 1462 calories 6x a week I followed a formula to get this number for how many calories I need to eat while on like a 20% deficit or something. I'll be monitoring this on myfitnesspal ( y'all can follow me there, I'm RoachRex ). And the 7th day is cheat day! (saturday is my cheat day). I am starting to learn about macros but tracking is a pain so I think I'll stick with this version for the time being. Level up in cooking! I want to learn how to use spices not just in frying but in the other ways that I cook as well. Additionally, at least ONCE this challenge I want to bake a loaf of bread!! Get outside! I've got some gear together so I really want to go camping!! But if I can't go camping, then at least I want to go on a day hike!! Weather may not permit me to go camping (I live in socal and our wild places are kind of a little bit on fire) but in that case then I'll try to at minimum go for a hike in a local park or botanical garden or something. Ideally more than once but, we'll see.

Considering that my user name is a Doctor Who reference, and that it is one of my most intense nerdoms (I’ve seen almost every episode of the old doctors 1-8 from 1963 and on, even sat through some horrible animated and audio recovered versions of the “lost” episodes) I was shocked to realize that I’ve somehow never done a full up Doctor Who challenge since I joined in 2013?! I think I subconsciously wasn’t ready to do something so close to my heart and have the chance to screw it up, so a few times I’ve considered it and said to myself “next challenge” or “oh I’ll have to put more thought into that before going forward with it”. Well you know what? It’s time. After a couple of taking-it-easy challenges ramping back up from taking a while off last year for my wedding planning, wedding itself, and honey moon, I’m ready. Last challenge was the most successful I’ve had in a really long time, and I have recently discovered a new love (ballroom dance) and started really diving into it, and am ready to ramp it up to full gear. I’ve got my sonic and I’m ready to travel time and space and get. shit. done. So as still not to dive in too quickly, because I've learned my lesson there, I’ll be ramping up my goals all through the challenge, each week I will face off against a new Doctor Who enemy alongside a different regeneration of the Doctor. By the end of the five weeks (I’m starting this week in zero week!) I’ll be all up to speed in All The Things. Well, not all the things because I’ll still be focusing on dance and lifting (continuing to suppress the Ranger Brain and not add other things in like a nut job) but I’ll be diving in HARD. I’m also going to go back to lifting 3x/week and give up doing barre once a week. I wanted to do it to get posture work in, but I’ll just add in more core-type accessories to my lifting days instead. I miss it too much. So without further ado, I present Raxie’s Wibbly Wobbly Timey Wimey Challenge!