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Hi all - My name is David... "HELLOOO DAVID!!" ...and I am a nerd. I work from home and most dinners are late night take out with streamed reruns of Star Trek: TNG. (I just started watching Voyager, and if anyone can convince me to like it, because I really want to, I'm all ears.) I'm really here because I want to start a discussion regarding the benefits of exercise and diet when it comes to dealing with depression, mood disorders, anxiety disorders and the like. Is that the main reason you started exercising, to battle these problems with or without the help of medication? What's your regiment? What kind of success have you had? I'd love to hear from other Rebels interested in this topic. We can swap tips, cheats, and hacks, and maybe get to the bottom of my deep distaste for everyone on Voyager except the Doctor (and Kes is ok too)--though he's no Beverly Crusher. Let the forumizing begin!

fight pkmn item > read My name is Katie, and I'm a nerdaholic. My Inspiration After moving away from home three years ago so I could pursue my dream and go to art school (Woo! Arts!) I find myself dreading coming home. Everyone talks about "turning into your parents", and as much as I love them, it makes me terrified. My father has ruined his body through years of hard labour and poor eating. at 50, he pushes himself too hard and suffers badly for it. My mother is obese and pre-diabetic at 52. She spent the better part of my childhood yo-yo dieting, but after an injury a few years ago, she gave up on herself. Their typical grocery list consists of several litres of pop and bags of chips. Their relationship with their deep fryer scares the hell out of me. My older brother who still lives at home has turned a blind eye to this and because of his high metabolism has adapted the "not my problem attitude". I refuse to turn into my parents, at least physically. They really are amazing people, they just don't treat their health as a priority. I am still up in the air about ever having my own spawn, but I know my brothers want to eventually. I want them to be around for the next generation. I am taking inspiration from this to better myself. I want to be the Captain America of my family, I want to inspire and help them to get better and take care of themselves so they can be around for a long, long time. My stats height: 5'7 weight: 180 lbs bmi: 29 measurements: 43-35-43 diet: 80% paleo health: lame I have a bunch of fun health issues, including: > clinical depression > asthma & environmental allergies > manic-depression > dermatographic urticaria (cool, but super annoying) > epileptic seizures (cause still unknown) > degeneration in my lower vertebrae (pain and suckiness) My goals > I am currently teetering on the edge of overweight/obese, and I refuse to get any heavier. The only way to go is downhill from here. ("She chose down?" "She chose down!") > I turn 22 in April, so as a spectacular birthday present to me, I plan to weigh at least 22 lbs less. > continue to enjoy the Paleo lifestyle, nothing gets me out of bed faster than knowing that I get to make myself something delicious and healthy > be able to do 10 proper push ups (for the first time ever) > walk up the eight flights of stairs to my apartment without wanting to curl up and die > wean off of unnecessary medications (I'm sick of carrying around so many pills) In conclusion I am tired of seeing myself and the ones I love put health on the back burner. I will become stronger, both physically and mentally. tl;dr Another recruit for the rebellion, deal with it Also, CANADA FTW

BUTTERFLY is my theme song for this challenge. (Can't wait for Savant's next album!!!) Slightly nervous about even posting this. No idea how far I'll get in keeping up with this challenge (not feeling very motivated or 'up to it' this time...) But here goes. Because I know you're all epic and it's going to be ok, 'even if' I post all this stuff. Main goal: KILL my depression, butterflies don't get depressed. I'm under no illusions regarding this rather fearsome, colossal, titanic, gigantic, overly optimistic, herculean goal of getting of this thing that's been plaguing me for ... oh, just about close to 2 decades now. (For anyone counting/aware of my age... yes, that means starting at about age 5-6.) Still, I can't ignore it and at this rate it's ruining a lot of things which are important to me: My relationships, my self worth, my health (physically as well as mentally). I need to keep fighting (think of a Dragonball Z episode... no, make it about 20, creating a Spirit Bomb or whatever... it DOES take time, that's ok.) to finally beat this, because if I don't... well, I just have to. Goal 1: Still carrying over from the last 4 challenges: I need to exercise 3 times a week. Butterflies exercise all the time, but I only need to do three proper session (BW circuits, walk of over 45 minutes, 25+ minutes of Stepmania) in addition to all the cycling I do around town (/to work, doing groceries) and the walking I do at work. Enough to keep my body strong (and growing stronger), even if I don’t feel like it. Goal 2: Emphasise the positive things in life. (Do something from the following list daily). - Make an effort by wearing make-up/perfume/jewellery. - Write down three things I’m thankful for. - Make music on the harp or ocarina or by singing (not just singing along, focussing on the singing). - Reading a blog/book/article about someone who beat depression. - Phone someone (parents, sister, mother-in-law) for a short chat. - ..? Any suggestions? Lifegoal: Take this shit seriously. (I don’t like bad language, but this? It’s shit(ty). Seriously.) One big thing: Go see my GP about the situation, consider her suggestions. Preferably take husband along to the appointment. --------- One, two... Butterfly! GO!

Okay so I wasn't sure I was going to do one again, but I miss the community and the accountability. I don't know if I'll be great at posting on other people's stuff because I kind of feel like my life is a clusterfuck right now. Some of that is due to me being really good at beating myself up, but some of it is shit I need to get in order. Because I'm an adult, dammit. I gotta vag up at some point. However, this challenge is not going to be my typical balls-to-the-wall, do everything challenge. Before I get my shit together, I need to get my mental health in order. So, I'm working on healing myself this challenge. Main mission: Get to a place where I am happy and (mentally) healthy (or at least well-adjusted). Make decisions I can be proud of every day (thanks for that, Mom). Become the kind of person I want to be - the kind of person I know I am inside. I am intelligent, funny, fun to be with, driven, ambitious, and intuitive. I am social, empathetic, and I like to help people. I'm sure there are a lot of other awesome things I could say about myself, but those are what come to mind at the moment. Goal #1: Do at least one thing every week to combat depression. This could be doing an activity even though I don't feel like it (going for a walk, a run, something to get me out of my head - reading, sleeping, playing video games, watching tv/movies, and being on the computer don't count), going to a therapy session (although I have yet to actually get anything set up - not my fault, I'm waiting for callbacks), pretty much anything that might help. Suggestions welcome! Goal #2: Take my meds. Every day. I have gotten better at this but I am not perfect. I need to set up a system where I can take them every day and it does not rely being at work. Goal #3: Do something every week to destress. Again, no video games here. This is more of an organization/to-do/planning kind of thing. Can also be replaced by once-a-week journaling. And that's it.

Main quest: the simplest, healthiest, most holistic daily routine for my vagabond life Missions which will propel me toward my quest: Work out 3 times/week in the morning before breakfast for at least 30 minutes. 2 STR Do one stretch every night before bed. Just one, for now. It can be something different each night, it can be the same thing every night. Just stretch SOMEthing! Research stretch routines. Find specific ones for bad backs? Whatever. Just STRETCH. 3 DEX 2 STA Use the oil cleansing method on my face 3 times a week before stretching. 3 CON 2 CHA Fitness side mission: Increase resistance band weights on squats and one-arm rows. Must buy extra bands to add weight. 3 STR Written-out motivation pic to eventually follow.

*trumpets* It's time for Challenge 2 and I am ALL OVER IT baby! New to the Ranger's Guild, I am a dwarfish-sized person at 5'3'' and 166.6 pounds. I've lost about 26 pounds since December 2012 thanks to daily exercise and, in the last few months, clean eating. I don't do this to look good, I do this to manage chronic depression and anxiety and to increase my chances of living past the age of 50. The fit me is a MUCH happier me. This is me at the end of Challenge 1, sporting my custom-made loot: Challenge 2 is going to be all about nutrition! I realized I was going way overboard on the dairy products so I have decided to give the plant-based lifestyle a try. This was partly influenced by reading ''The China Study,'' though I don't think that book is the last word on nutrition, it certainly made me think. I have located some good guidelines, ''The New Four Food Groups'' from the Physician's Committee for Responsible Medicine so for the duration of my challenge I will be adhering to those. Now, just an FYI, this diet is to be inclusive, meaning animal products are fine as long as my daily plant-based nutrition goals are met. My main objective here isn't to become religiously vegan, but rather to crowd out some of the less nutritious stuff with more of the nutritious stuff. It seems to make a big difference in my mood. On to the goals... Main Quest: GIVE PEAS A CHANCE (try a plant-based diet) Goal 1: Eat an inclusive diet consisting of mostly plants +5 CONAt least 1 cruciferous vegetable each day, a minimum of 3 fruit and 4 total vegetable servings a day.Goal 2: Walk 3,000 steps before 10 am +3 STAGoal 3: Try a new item of produce each week +2 CONSide Quest: 1 hour of job hunting/professional development each weekday +5 CHA Walking 3,000 steps before 10am has the very specific purpose of trying to get me to spread my exercise throughout the day rather than just cramming it in at the end of the day. This will also help me get up and around every morning so I can work on job stuff. The Side Quest is probably the most important goal. As of September 1, 2013 I am jobless and the sooner I find work, the happier I will be. The last time I was unemployed turned into a depression disaster that dragged out almost a year, and I am NOT letting it happen again! LOOT: Battle Gear. This wonderfully silly t-shirt. I guess I'm collecting t-shirts as my challenge rewards. Which is good, because my current ones are too big now! So there you have it. Daily conditioning workouts will of course continue as well as my 10,000 steps a day minimum. I have my spreadsheet made and rarin' to go! WOOO!

Hi folks! Newbie to this place. Been reading the blog for awhile and decided to finally join. My name is Nicole, I'm 33 and live in Richmond, VA. I was an active kid in playing softball and doing gymnastics, but quitting due my punk rock awesomeness in high school and needing to eschew all things jock. I gained weight and continued on that path until I reached close to 200lbs in my mid-20s. In 2009 I decided to take control and began running. I LOVED running. But I lost no weight until I changed my food intake. Once I found the right pairing (with the help of Weight Watchers), I dropped 55lbs. I've kept that off. Despite the horror of the 2011 Richmond Half Marathon. That is where I acquired IT Band Syndrome. If you are a runner (or possibly hiker or cyclist) you are familliar with the dreaded ITBS. Since late fall of 2011 I have had ITBS and simply cannot shake it. Currently I am in my third round of physical therapy and am deciding to throw in the towel. I need to find something else to do. I need activity. I have had fibromyalgia since 1997. Most of the time it stays pretty mild, but I can easily exacerbate it by not getting enough sleep or triggering my anxiety. Yeah, I have anxiety and depression too. Running was keeping most all symptoms away. Now running is no longer and option. I am slowly watching myself begin to self-medicate with food, which is why I was overweight in the first place. So here I am. For support. For help. To learn. Thanks for reading the short version! P.S. My overall goal is to be a combination of Buffy Summers/Katniss Everdeen/Charlie Matheson/Arya Stark/Tris Prior

Here goes... I have attached my starting picture, taken last weekend 7/27/13 at the Bronx Zoo. I'm the lady, the cutie is my husband. I don't have many pictures of just myself lately because it's embarrassing. Race and Class: I am 30 years old, 5'3'' tall and weigh 175 pounds. I've decided to be a Dwarf Ranger. I've been doing cross-fit style activities daily (and I do mean every single day) for nearly 8 months now, and eating clean (with varying degrees of success) for five months. I'm down 15 pounds since December and am currently fitter than I have ever been in my life, so I'm already on my way. Main Quest: Fit into a size 12 pant. I'm 14-16 right now, depending on the pant. Three Goals: 1. Walk 10,000 steps a day minimum. (+1 Stamina) 2. Have at least 1 vegetable snack a day (I already eat veggies with lunch and dinner, so I'm trying to sneak more in.) (+1 Constitution) 3. Remember. To. Stretch. I skip this step a lot after my workouts, and I'm going to pay for it if I don't change the habit.(+1 Dexterity) Motivation: I'll tell you right now, it's not vanity or insecurity with how I look. That ship has sailed. My main motivation is not feeling like a 70 year old woman whenever I move around. I have back and knee problems and general aches and pains that make me feel ancient. This is ridiculous. Since starting work with a virtual coach/buddy of mine my pain has lessened considerably, but there is so much further to go. Then there's the high cholesterol thing and not wanting to die when I'm 50. Side Quest: Find a new job. I believe I am about to succeed at this in a major way, which would be awesome. I write grants for a living and raise money for non-profits. It's the best work ever. The only problem with my current job is that due to restructuring my position is being eliminated. Yay development! (+1 Charisma) Loot: Battle Gear. I had to add this idea once I saw it. Who doesn't like rewards? My Loot will be this custom made t-shirt. I need more t-shirts now that the old ones are getting too big! Nerd Cred: Science fiction (Star Trek, Battlestar Galactica, Doctor Who, If you don't know about Buggalo you should go watch Futurama.) RPGs (loving Diablo 3 right now) Comic books (old school X-men + current titles ''X-Factor'', ''Wolverine and the X-Men'', ''X-Men Volume 4.'' Board Games - Munchkin, Marvel Legendary, Settlers, etc. General love of knowledge So that's it, I guess. That's where I begin.

Let's do this thing: Main Goal: See how good things can get. Last month, I found out that I have PCOS, and it's been messing me up by making my metabolism wonky and my brain ridiculously depressed. It kind of explains why I have been failing at the past challenges in an extraordinary manner. Now, I get Fancy Pills that should, in time, turn me into a robot make my body work better. This is awesome and really motivating, because it sounds like I'll have more of a 'fair fighting chance' than I've had the past... two years or so. So here is my chance at doing stuff and actually seeing results, and finally becoming a ninja. Because fun is important in this ninja-plan of mine, all my goals will go towards being physically able of having more of it. This challenge, I will be taking it extremely easy, and focus on some daily habits, because I'm still pretty weak, and I'm inspired by the "do less" line in this post. I think I can gather the willpower points for the following: 1. I have a mini-rountine of exercises that stop my back from hurting. I will do that every morning. Because not having pain = good. 2. Every evening before bed, I will either do 3 sets of push-ups, or 3 sets of squats. Because it's a start. That's what I need right now. 3. I will drink at least one and a half litre of water every day. Because being thirsty is for suckers. By means of an AWESOME side-quest, I thought it would be rather assassin-like to know how to tango, so I enrolled myself into some tango classes. ALSO THIS: Yay!

Main quest: Don't Sink - Combating Depression I've been fighting major depression. This engenders sadness, lethargy, apathy, and loneliness, among many other emotions. Any of these is enough to derail a life for days, weeks, months, or even years. It limits my capacity to achieve anything. My long term goal is to not get worse. I have to float before I can swim. To fulfill this mission I will: #1: Move. Do something physical every day. Qualifying activities (not comprehensive): Movement Multivitamin from Gold Medal Bodies.Random exercise on the way to work, if documented.Hiking.Rock climbing#2: Eat. Eat a minimum of 2 meals a day. It sounds simple, but it is anything but. #3: Decide. I'm supposed to do the GoRuck Challenge on September 6th/7th. I must either do my best to be ready or postpone my entry to another event. Failure is just not showing up the day of the event, or going and dropping out. If I show up, it had better be with an expectation of completing. If I don't show up, no one had better be expecting me to. Your team depends on you. Life side quest: Keep my job. Simple enough. If I have a job at the end of the challenge, I've completed this goal. This probably means managing to get to work every day, and managing to be productive enough to be successful. Neither of those has been trivial lately.

Hello Rebellion! My name is Heather, 24, and I am finally feeling motivated to get me life on track. After falling into a depression at the start of the year, I decided to take a leave of absence from my PhD to let it pass. However I became fairly sedentary lacking the motivation to do anything AND the medication I was taking also caused me to gain weight. Furthermore, I had a serious eating disorder for a long time that peaked last year, when I completely stopped taking my insulin and ended up in hospital. This started again recently but since changing the drugs I am on, my anxiety has decreased 95% and this is no longer a big issue. However getting my metabolism back up to it's former speed is going to be a nightmare! In fact, not taking my old meds has done wonders for me. I am suddenly ready to get fit and healthy, although I feel like I can't do it alone. I have also taken a step towards starting again by quitting my PhD after realising that being a world expert in such an obscure field with little interpersonal interaction was not for me. I am currently unemployed, but I am actively looking for work, and I've never been so excited to start something new! I am very lucky to have some very fit friends that are encouraging me all the time and helping me get my food and exercise going. However, going through the journey with others who are also starting a fresh would really help me. I am currently 10kg heavier than my previous heaviest and on the cuff of overweight. I feel my healthiest about 15-20kg lighter than what I am now. I've a attached a couple of photos of myself at the moment. Which hopefully will only ever be "before" photos from this day forward. Until recently I was definitely elvish and very strong. My fight with destiny has certainly decreased both of these traits and I'm ready to get them back! I've joined my gym, which is about a 2 minute walk from my house. I wanted to join because I get follow up sessions with a trainer and the real life accountability is very encouraging. They also have some AMAZING yoga classes and an awesome 25m pool. Having danced for twenty years previously having a class that helps my flexibility is incredibly important - yay yoga! I did my first gym workout two days ago and it was soooo much fun! I haven't been back since because I was home for my dad's 70th birthday, but I am heading back straight after finishing this post. I'm already dressed and ready to go! I am unsure what to do diet wise. Having Type 1 diabetes complicates things. My main goals are to intensively exercise daily, to work out a healthy eating plan, and to become disciplined and constant with my diabetes management. Looking forward to getting to know you all! And thanks for existing!

This is my first time doing this challenge, and I'm trying not to get super confused by all the rules and directions. A little about me: I'm a 25 year old female. At 4'11" I weigh about 145 lbs. I have PCOS and have never been very fit, but I was able to get down to about 110 lbs when I was about 19 after I started up birth control and metformin to treat my PCOS. About a year and a half ago, I joined a Crossfit-like gym. I was 125 lbs when I joined, and now I'm 145 lbs. (Whoops.) I know I just need to clean up my diet and eating habits, and that's going to be my main focus during challenges. I've finally realized that trying to change my habits overnight just isn't going to work, and I need to take it one step at a time to be able to make lifelong changes. I'm hoping that cleaning up my diet and getting in more exercise will also help me with my depression, which I've struggled with since I was about 15 years old. MY MAIN QUEST: Lean out, test into Level 1 classes at my gym, and get off all my meds. Honestly, this quest may take a couple years (at least), but it's what I really, really want. I'm sick and tired of being sick and tired. My diabetic, obese mother has more energy than I do! Three goals: 1) Add one day of body weight strength training and four days of early morning walking to my exercise regime. I currently do Crossfit 2x per week. I think just one extra day of strength training will help immensely. As for the four days of walking, I want this to evolve into four days of running, but I want to first master the habit of waking up early and forcing myself out the door. A C25K is in my future, but since I've failed so many times in the past, I'm easing into it this time around. 2) Be 100% grain-free by the end of the six week challenge. I still have a loaf of gluten-free bread and some corn tortillas in my fridge that I want to finish off because, heck, I paid for them. BUT I do not plan on replacing them. With the health issues I have, I don't need the carbs that these grains provide. 3) Eat balanced meals at regular times. This will require some planning. I eat terribly and randomly. Oftentimes I'm not even hungry when I eat, and when I am hungry, I'll just snack on random things until I feel sick because I'm too lazy to make a complete meal. It's terrible for me, and I don't want to eat this way anymore. I want to eat three balanced meals a day (with snacks if I really need them). Ideally there'd be at least five hours in between meals to give my body a chance to digest and actually experience hunger. I honestly can't remember the last time I was truly hungry. My life quest: Finish my book in six weeks. I devoured books as a kid, but now my focus is so bad I can hardly remember when I last finished a book. I'm currently reading The Princess Bride, and my copy has 398 pages. I'm on page 8. With 390 pages left, I need to read about 65 pages per week or 9-10 pages a day. I can do this.

The blues have had me by the short n curlies for a bit; I've been sitting on the couch crying into my shortbread pondering life, the universe & everything (all to no avail, of course). Today I get up and wrestle my life back from the couch & the pantry! 9 months from today I am forty; my goal: to be sporting a healthy, bikini-clad bod on Waikiki Beach. The tickets are booked. Now to join the revolution! The next 6 weeks will kick off my 9-month goal (hey, just like a pregnancy; nine months to birth a new body!):ditch the first 5 kg by ditching processed foodsbuild strength, flexibility (& serenity) with pilates/yoga min 2/week every week (uber goal = 3/week) the results will be in my flexibility & waist measurement!run, skip, jump, something (!) at least 1/week every week (challenge = 2/week) the results will be in my bolt for the bus ;p

Newbie here! This is my first challenge and I'm setting real simple goals Goal One : Tai-chi :5 times a week , for 30 mins . Goal Two : Wake up 5 min earlier everyday..I get up at 8 am ..and want to be able to take a morning walk at 5 instead of 8:30 , so 5 mins earlier everyday . Goal Three: Get my best friend out of depression . Spend 20 min everyday , just talking to him . No advice. No 'I told you so' . Just plain friendship.

Age: 29 Height: 172 cm. Weight: 69.5 kg. GOALS FITNESS AND FOOD: Go to the gym at least 4 days per week, ideally 5. This is the routine I want to return to: Push Day, Pull Day, Swim/Active Rest, Push Day, Pull Day, Rest. Stretch every night before bed. Take a packed salad + protein + complex carbohydrate lunchbox, plus fruit, a big water bottle and/or flask of herbal tea, every day I have classes (4 days/week).LEVEL UP MY LIFE Be out of bed by 7:30 am every weekday. Work 9 - 5 every weekday, and set SelfControl to block social media sites until the end of my work day. FITNESS ROUTINE PUSH DAY: Weight training with emphasis on "push" activities.PULL DAY: Likewise, but opposite.SWIM DAY: Half an hour gentle swimming at the 30 m pool at my gym.ACTIVE REST/REST: In addition I tend to a 2 hour dance class on Tuesday nights and at least one or two nights of social dancing at other points in the week. I'm hoping to go for many long walks with the new boyo as well.(Weights and reps info to come after my first session back) NOTES Photos to come!I've decided to start a challenge again because I've fallen into some bad habits over the last month - I was doing very well, then had a great holiday/field trip (11 days hiking in Wales + a long weekend of dancing) which made me very happy, but knocked out my routine. I'm an MA student and am feeling the pressure from my studies. I also recently had some relationship issues, which are now resolved. My response to these things was to sleep as long as possible every day! I'm seeing a counsellor now, as a 'real life' accountibilibuddy - I thought checking in with the lovely folks on the forums here might help with the day-to-day.

OK, I've been lurking here for months, since I first started reading NF blog last year. I've wanted to try the 6-week challenge for a long time, and the weight of my health choices has become too much to bear. Time for change! *Deep breath* My most crucial and urgent health issues primarily stem from a personal struggle I've lived with my whole adult life - alcoholism. I'm sure any of you who've dealt with addiction before understand it's a difficult thing to speak openly about, and I must confess I felt a great deal of reluctance to share this. I'm quite a private person by nature, and I always try to deal with my problems on my own. But change and growth cannot be achieved without pain, so here I am, airing my dirty laundry in the interests of self-improvement. Public accountability can be a powerful tool for motivation I'm not a drunkard (I don't drink drive, or before work), but I always drink more than I should, after work pretty much daily. My excess consumption has led me to neglect many important aspects of my life - socializing, dental health, mental health, diet and exercise. So, for my first 6-week challenge, I fight my demon in a head-to-head deathmatch. And I will defeat the foul beast! My goals are as follows. - Reduce my alcohol consumption. Specifically, my aim is for at least 5 alcohol-free days per week, though my past experiences fighting this monster suggest complete abstinance will be a more viable long-term strategy. Attributes: CHA +1, WIS +2, CON +2 - Improve my dental health. Specifically, floss daily, and brush at least once per day (before bed). Also, during this 6-week challenge, I will get to my dentist for a check-up. Attributes: CHA +3, WIS +2 - Return to regular exercise. Specifically, I will return to my Wing Chun Kung Fu school, attending at least 3 training sessions per week. Attributes: DEX +2, STR +1, STA +2 I'll work out my A-F gradings later, but for now I just wanted to state my intentions.

Jumping in late, so this will really only be half a challenge. I tried doing my first challenge back in November and fell off the wagon after a couple of weeks, so, this is my second attempt... Start of NF (and Current) Height: 5'9" Weight: 258-260 lbs Body Fat: 47.5% Hips: 48.25" Waist: 42" Arms: 15.75" Thighs: 32" Pants: 18-20 Shirt: XL-XXL Since I'm only doing half the challenge, and since I failed so miserably last time, I just have 2 goals: Track Everything [+1 WIS, +1 CON]​Track all food/activity on WeightWatchersWear and sync FitBit every dayCouch to 5K [+2 STA, +1 DEX]​Follow the C25K plan and do workouts 3x per week And since I'm only doing 3 weeks, I'm only going to take 5 attribute points if I'm successful. My motivation for starting this up again is that I'm moving with my bestie to NYC this summer. I would like to be able to actually be helpful during the move instead of having to sit down every 5min. I'm also moving across the country, in part, to get away from this ex that I can't seem to escape, and to just in general get a new jump-start on life. So, being fit and healthy and looking good, would be awesome. I want to enjoy NYC and not just sit inside and eat junk food. I also just turned 24 and for some reason am already freaked out about turning 25. I want to feel good about myself when I'm 25 and stop wasting away my youth. Or something.

Hey guys, I just want to start off by saying I love Nerd Fitness and the support that comes from the site! Lately I have had a string of bad luck that has led me to kind of get into a funk. Besides going into the gym and hitting the weights hard, and training for a career in the fire department, nothing else seems to really be working out for me. My friends have all but disappeared out of my life, which leads to a lot of lonely weekends, my girlfriend dumped me a few months ago, I just turned 30 and I am still not making a good enough living to move out of home, I never finished college but I am currently enrolled in the new semester, and my sister is suffering from major depression issues and tried to take her own life. All of this topped off by no support from family, and my dad being no where to be found in my life. Any tips/ideas on what I can do to make life better? Being thirty now has really hit home, and caused a major depression issue with me. I feel like just quitting my current job and following my passions but I have no support or help from anyone. There are days where my phone doesn't ring or go off for days from friends. Am I too old to be feeling this way NF community? Should I continue my quest of doing better at the gym. HELP!

I'm in a rut. I have a history of ups and downs, and I'm in a down right now. I think what has kept me from staying mostly up is my lack of self-discipline and structure. I have done a lot of drifting from place to place, hoping to find where I belong. I have finally figured out that I must make goals, plans, and definite decisions in order to "level up" instead of subsisting and moving laterally. To help myself begin to feel better physically, mentally, and spiritually in order to become a whole and functioning individual, I have made these goals: 1. Eat a serving of vegetables daily with the option of fruit. I'm one of those bread, meat, and cheese eaters (please don't judge!). The vegetables I normally get are on my burgers. I don't dislike vegetables and fruits, I just have the ingrained habit to immediately go for my comfort foods (depression?). Maybe one day I will go paleo, who knows? 2. Get at least 15 minutes of aerobic exercise daily. This can be bike riding (weather permitting), jogging, or dancing around the house. I need to be more active and work up a sweat to get my energy levels up. 3. Limit myself to 1 sugary item per day. This will most likely translate to one 12 oz. soda for me since I've become a soda enthusiast. This means if I want a dessert item, no soda. 4. Read a book at least 30 minutes daily. I have allowed my attention span to wither away via the internet. By setting aside time to focus on reading one thing, I believe I can strengthen my concentration and improve my brain function overall. 5. Devote 10 minutes a day to meditation/prayer. I feel this is important for me to feel centered and at peace with the universe, as corny as that sounds. I really believe it will help me see myself and the world more clearly and truly. Okay, I know I should only have 4 goals as a newbie adventurer, but 1 and 3 kind of tie in to each other, and the time-specific ones add up to less than an hour, so I believe I can stick with these. They probably seem really basic, but that's just where I am right now. I can feel the potential inside myself waiting to burst out and bloom like a beautiful flower, I just have to activate it and then channel it into real-life activity. No more living inside my own head! Wish me luck, and thank you in advance! -Zelmo Swift

Challenge the 2nd: Reconnaissance, support, & escalation Recon: gather info (not underpants!) Support: maintain what's already established Escalation: take it up a notch! This challenge is about not getting hurt as I move up to Level 2 in Steve's Rebel Fitness Guide, finding out if there's any patterns to what I eat, adding supplements which have been helpful in the past, and conquering that one goal I bombed last challenge. Support (Nutrition): CON 2 Take Ultimate Greenzone supplements Take an omega-3 (evening primrose oil?) Reconnoitre (Nutrition): WIS 3 Track calories Track one macronutrient (carbs?) Support & Escalate (Fitness): STR 2 STA 2 Build on 1st challenge workout habits: A: Move up a level in Rebel Fitness Guide B: Hold myself back in the intervals dept. don't run more than once a week (this has been a problem area for me - I take on too much too fast and get hurt.) C: Have an injury-free challenge pay attention to my body do back exercises daily (@ night?) never skip a stretching session post-exercise explore a nighttime stretching routine ice and massage shins post running workouts Reconnoitre & Escalate (Lifestyle): CON 3 WIS 3 Sleep hygiene A: Decide upon morning & bedtime routines in less than 2 weeks B: Practice routines at least once a week in weeks 3-6 C: Track sleep (and other factors) daily using Optimism app This is a rough draft of my challenge; I'll polish it up nice and shiny and post a grading scale. My attributes are locked in, and the general challenge statements are set; I want to tweak the minutia a little more. Here we go! EULALIAAAAA!

The dark clouds of depression still hung low around the rough, battle-weary adventurer as she fought her way towards the light. Despite passing through small fields lit from within, she still managed to lose her way in the deep forest. However, after having stumbled across some assassins while they were searching for a meeting place, she was ready to stand with the guild in their training. She had begun her own fight seven weeks prior, after having been cast out of the castle that held the ever-sought scrolls. Only combating her depression and anxiety, and preparing for the life of a scholar, would allow her to return. I'll summarize my goals here, for ease of reference, and expound on them in another post. Fitness Goal #1: Exercise 20 minutes daily in the morning -Monday, Wednesday, Friday: Bodyweight strength training, to include 2-3 circuits of push-ups, squats or lunges, dumbbell rows and planks, as well as shin exercises and standing on my toes. [sTR: +2] -Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, Sunday: Cardio, probably biking or dancing. [sTA: +3] -If I miss a day, exercising for an extra 20 minutes within 48 hours will allow me to not lose points; however, I can take advantage of this a maximum of twice per week. Fitness Goal #2: Stretch daily in the evening [CON: +2, DEX: +1] -Warm up well beforehand. -Sit and breathe/meditate for 5 minutes afterward. Diet Goal: Make two new recipes per week [CON: +1] Eat at least one serving of fruits or vegetables a day [CON: +1] Life Goal: Learn or study for one hour a day [WIS: +5] -Three of those days per week will be on mathematical thinking, so I'm building consistency; the rest can be on anything I choose. -Evaluate my progress and overall mindset each week, and potentially add 15 minutes to my daily amount each week if I believe I can handle it. Other tasks: Do anything other than sit on the internet. Go outside, play with legos, make art out of wire, draw, read, play on the playground, do ridiculous and silly things, spend time with people.

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