Search the Community

It is not every one," said Elinor, "who has your passion for dead leaves.†― Jane Austen, Sense and Sensibility Initially this challenge was going to be easy. I thought I'm gonna take it easy. But I decided that I really needed to grow up and face some realities. Mostly in the way I handle stress and eating. So this challenge will focus on those goals. I love my current exercise routine, so I'm sticking to it and adding a couple yoga sessions a week at least to help manage stress levels. I'll track everything on MFP and my calendar, and share with you here. There is no grading system, no points or rewards. I'm not getting sidetracked by additional challenges this time. I had a major wake up call this past week with my dad and realizing how at risk I am for so many things like cancer, stroke, heart disease, diabetes, and the list goes on...I want to be healthy, and I'm not putting it off any longer. We're gonna have fun, but I'm very serious about success this time. Nutrition: The first three will be tracked on MFP · Eat 25-30 grams of Fiber 6 days a week. · Eat less than 100 grams of Sugar 6 days a week · Drink 6 glasses of water a day · 20 Healthy Meals: New recipes, tried, tested, and shared with you here!! Exercise: Track using stickers and stamps in my calendar again · 40 minutes of cardio 5 days a week -My Little Pony Stickers · Strong Workouts 3 days a week-Star Stamp · Yoga 2 times a week- Smiley Sticker Stress Management: · Meditate 5 minutes each morning and 5 minutes each night · Each Sunday, plan the next week-meals, shopping, work, workouts, appointments. · Make one night a week an Introvert Pampering Night. Paint my toenails, drink some hot tea, read a book. Whatever I need to recharge my batteries.

About six months ago to the day I posted a very lovely post talking about how I was going to do everything right! How I was taking control of my life and starting to take care of myself! I had a plan and knew what to do and I was going to conquer the world! I was super motivated and on point ... for a while. Then, I basically forgot about it. The only progress I've made in that time is to make the scale bounce up and down by about a 15 pound margin and ended up back in the same place. I don't think I've even really logged into the website in the last five and a half months. Life came out swinging and instead of fighting back, I hid. I hid under processed foods, candies, sweets, etc. All of it became my blanket. I'm currently approaching my 35th birthday and I don't want to keep doing to myself what I have been doing for the last dozen or so years. In that time, I've had some massive weight fluctuations with the most recent one starting when I quit smoking six years ago. I'm still a non-smoker but that's about the only good thing I've done for myself. I've tried various activities: weight lifting, martial arts, even running a 10km race (and all the training that came along with it) but none of these things have 'stuck.' I'm having a hard time finding my reason to put my running shoes on or go practice kicking things. The extra 80 pounds I've been carrying around for the last several years just feels heavier each day even if the scale isn't moving. I've worked with trainers. I've worked without trainers. At the end of the day, I know deep down that the thing I really need to change is what and how I eat. Everything else can happen well enough but eating is my kryptonite. The dumb thing is it doesn't even really matter what the food is; I just eat too much of it. I don't want to spend the next five years the way I've spent the last five years. I'd like to hit 40 rocking it. Feeling strong and confident and being healthy. I'd like to be able to shop wherever I want rather than having to make sure it's a store with my sizes in it. Currently, I'm working on taking control over what I eat. I've started canning my own foods so that the serving size is reasonable for grab-and-go lunches and also so I know what's in them! I'm trying to make food a priority rather than an after thought so that I know what it is I'm going to be eating rather than grabbing whatever is easy and close. I'm not sure how far this will take me but it feels like a step in the right direction. If people have suggestions or words of wisdom, I'd love to hear from you on things I can do! I'm frustrated and having a hard time finding the motivation or discipline to do this even though I know it's time for it.

Six week challenge for Feb. 23rd - Apr. 5th Main Quest: Eat healthy 90% of the time and drop to >10% body fat. Fitness Plan: Monday - "Push" workout + cardio Tuesday - Cardio Wednesday - "Pull" worjout + cardio Thursday - Cardio Friday - "Legs & Abs" workout + cardio Saturday - Cardio Sunday - Rest Nutrition Plan: 90% healthy eating Two cheat meals a week max Challenge #1 - Lift weights three times a week. - Reward = +1 STR Challenge #2 - Do cardio six times a week. - Reward = +1 STA Challenge #3 - Eat healthy 90% of the time, two cheat meals a week. - Reward = +1 CON Life Challenge - Show up to work five minutes early everyday. - Reward = Job Security... and +1 WIS I've read some back and forth that since this is my first challenge that maybe I shouldn't jump straight into a class thread, but I've spent the last three weeks trying to make these things a habit so it seemed appropriate to just go for it. Three weeks in I'll hit level one and gain 10 attribute points, after the end of the challenge I'll hit level two and collect any rewards earned above. My goals are straight forward but I think if I can stick with them they will be effective.

My goals for this challenge are really basic: keep going to the gym, continue with the StrongLifts 5x5 program so that by the end of this challenge, I'll have been doing StrongLifts for 14 weeks;improve flexibility in legs, hip and back for future bodyweight challenges;eat less carbs (easier done now that the Christmas/New Years break is done),intermittent fasting 2x/wk, anduse determination to do those things I should be doing around the house (referring to a private New Years resolution).That's all.

Introduction: Hi, I'm SirCharlesWatson and this is technically my second challenge, but I completely failed the first one. My first challenge was in January I think. I started it and then got lost in the shuffle. This challenge however, I'm kind of doing a running start. I joined a weight loss competition that started a week after the NF challenge started so I'm going to count the rest of this challenge as a whole challenge. My wife and I are both in the weight loss competition so it's a good motivator to do it with her. We've been tracking all of our calorie intake and exercising a lot more. I have worked as a software developer for the past year and that has taken an extreme toll on my health. In January, I weighed in at 220, and by June, I was 260. My mental and physical health was very quickly going down the drain. However, I just lost my job a couple weeks ago, which, oddly enough, I felt was a blessing. I've had a lot of time to focus on getting my health better and I feel fantastic compared to how I felt at that job. So, that leads me to my goals... Main Quest: My main quest is to get down to 200lbs. When I started the weight loss competition, I was 264.4lbs. Last week I was at 254.4. I changed my diet this past week so that I am eating my TDEE - 25% and consequently, I gained a little bit of weight and as of this morning, I am at 256.2 after peaking at about 258. So, ultimately I want to get down to around 200. I anticipate that number will change as I exercise more because, as we all know, muscle weighs more than fat. I'm using 3 BF calculators to determine that my BF is around 27%. I am 6'2", so I'm reasonably tall. Quest 1: Using the basic routine at startbodyweight.com I will exercise 3x/week (M,W,F) Measurement: With 7 workout days left, each day will equal about 14%. I'll take 14% off of 100 for every day missed and round down to get my grade. A=100%, B=75%, C=50%, D=25%,F=0% Reward: A = +3 STR, +1 CHA B = +2 STR, +0.5 CHA C = +1 STR D = +0.5 STR F = +0 STR Quest 2: Using the static stretching routine at startbodyweight.com I will stretch at LEAST 5x/week (M-F) Measurement: With 11 week days left (including today), each day will equal 9%. I'll take 9% off of 100 for every day missed and round down to get my grade. A=100%, B=75%, C=50%, D=25%,F=0% Reward: A = +3 DEX, +1 STA B = +2 DEX, +0.5 STA C = +1 DEX D = +0.5 DEX F = +0 DEX Quest 3: Using MyFitnessPal I will keep track of my daily calorie intake. (Every Day) Measurement: With 17 days left, each day will equal about 6%. I'll take 6% off of 100 for every day missed and round down to get my grade. A=100%, B=75%, C=50%, D=25%,F=0% Reward: A = +3 WIS, +1 STA B = +2 WIS, +0.5 STA C = +1 WIS D = +0.5 WIS F = +0 WIS Life Quest: Complete 3 sections on AccountingCoach.com each week. After my terrible experience with software development, I have decided to move on to something like Accounting that will be a little less taxing (No pun intended) on my brain. My focus is going to be on Bookkeeping. I'm using AccountingCoach.com to study and am currently on part 4 of the bookkeeping training which I will be starting on monday. I'm trying to keep weekends free from studying so i have time to focus on my wife. Measurement: With 2 work weeks left, I'll need to complete 6 sections. A = 6, B = 5, C = 4, D = 3, F = 2 Reward: A = +3 WIS B = +2 WIS C = +1 WIS D = +0.5 WIS F = +0 WIS Motivation: I feel disgusting. Well, not as much anymore since I started the weight loss comp and have been eating much better. I was out of breath just going up the stairs. Part of my motivation is My wife, and my future children. I want to be healthy and be able to play with them and have the strength and stamina to go all day with them. I don't want to be one of those dads who just sits on the couch and watches them from the window. I want to be out playing with them. And for my wife, I want to be there to provide for her; I need to be healthy and I also need to have a good career that isn't detrimental to my health. So that's a bit about me! Thanks for taking the time to read this and I hope to see you guys around!

I started my weightlifting journey about 9 months ago now because of a new friend of mine who is studying exercise science at my college (we met in a music class of all places). I am no stranger to the gym and have been pushing myself hard. If i had to say anything about myself, id tell you that i am the most passionate person you will ever meet. I don't back down, i don't give up, and i don't accept weakness in myself. when i feel like giving up, or like im not strong enough to reach my goal, i look myself in the mirror and ask myself what my beloved fiance would think of me if i made excuses like that when it came to my relationship with her. She is my strength and my inspiration. The reason i am here is to try and get as many more ideas as possible to make my training even more intense, but even more so than that, my best friend and a guy with a heart as pure as the clearest water has always been way overweight and wanted to not be. He always lacks the motivation to go and do the workouts to be healthier. As his friend, i owe it to him to never stop trying to help him get healthy. Thats just who i am, i want the best for everyone and would give them whatever they need to do so. I myself chose the name abbadon for one simple reason: It has always been my symbol for what i want to be seen as. I was born weak, unmotivated, and meek. Abbadon is the angel of destruction. Always intense and always ready do simply destroy everything evil in his wake. He is the half of the winds of change where things fall apart, he can tear down anything, stand in anyone's way but God's. but he is still and angel, capable of being gentle and loving. As far as class and race goes, id say i am probably closer to no other but the minitaur. I am fairly tall, naturally have a decent amount of muscle, and i can RUN when i have to. i doubt it is accurate, but the self-powered tredmils have clocked me at a max of 16.4 mph (for about 10 seconds, haha). Class wise, id say im both a warrior and ranger. I have the tenacity and ferocity of the warrior's heart but the adaptability and versitility of the ranger. "warriors are not always the fastest or strongest men. Strength and speed can be developed through training. Warriors are those who chose to stand between their eemy and all that he loves or holds sacared."

Hi everyone, I came across NerdFitness about a month ago when for some odd reason, after a huge session of Assassin's Creed on the Xbox, I googled 'how to train like an assassin'...and what d'you know? There was an article exactly about that on this site! Since then, I have bought the Rebel Fitness Guide and have been on the Rookie Workout for the past 4 weeks. I also tried going Paleo but did the wrong thing going in head first, crashing out and feeling disheartened just 3 days later! BUT, I'm ready to try again. Frankly, for those 3 days I WAS Paleo, I noticed a big difference in my energy levels, I noticed that I didn't feel 3 sizes bigger after eating, and I felt happy. But I took on too much too soon. I'm very impatient by nature, and I'm pretty sure that had a huge part to play in my inability to stick to it. I also don't eat a lot of vegetables. I am trying new ones all the time and I have favourites that I stick to and eat a fair amount of but it's a slow process and honestly, I really don't like salad. I associate it with being bland and find it quite difficult to eat. So, as you can imagine, transitioning to a diet that focuses on an increased intake of vegetables and has salad with meals was bound to be difficult. But I do know that this could be the way forward for me. I'm 5'8' and 229lbs. I'm heading to Rome in September for the first time and it's honestly the trip of a lifetime for me. So naturally, I don't want to look huge in my photos. I know that doesn't give me plenty of time and I'm not saying I want to be a size 12 by the time I go but I would like to be FIT. I'm tall(ish) and have always known that being super skinny was not only not an option (Honestly, super skinny not only doesn't appeal to me, but wouldn't suit my body frame) and I love women that simply look healthy, and are lean and strong. I want to be like that. 2 years ago I lost 2 stone whilst at University, but it was all cardio and low fat microwave meals. I may have lost 2 stone but my body fat ratio went nowhere, and after a back injury I lay off the gym and piled it all back on in about 4 months. I'm now a PhD student and my lack of energy is taking its toll on my ability to concentrate and get the work I need to do done to a high standard. How many times have I heard 'You have everything it takes to get a good grade here, but you don't seem to have put as much work in as you should have', knowing full well it's because I'm too lazy to go the extra mile? Does anybody have any tips for how they transitioned to Paleo? Or anyone who found eating that much veg to be a struggle, and how they overcame it? Or even just how people got on the right path and started losing weight, whether Paleo or not?! I'm an Ogre right now, but was a really slim child, and would love to be an Assassin or Druid in the future. I know they're very different, but I do love weights, I love sprinting (and would love to get back to a fitness level that would let me do that) but I'm also desperate to get into yoga. The few times I've tried it, I felt better for it and it really does help my back. I have friends who tell me how good it is for the mind, too, and I could really do with a bit of peace and quiet up there! Plus, I study Scottish medieval history for a living, and anything to do with druids is just plain awesome. I'm really excited about this and I feel like 2013 is the year for it. I'm ready to level up my life! Catch you all later Any help is much appreciated! PD X