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HALLO! My name is Bre and I'm a 24 year old librarian lady (sans bun) living in Georgia who likes to read and pet basset hounds. Fitness has always been a part of my life in one form or another. I was a dancer for 15 years, a tumbler for 6 years, played volleyball for 2 years, and beach volley for 1 year. The toll that dancing took on my ankles and knees and the bad lung capacity I was given as a baby-child has contributed to the fact that I really can't bike, hike, run, jog, jump, or anything that involves me breathing quickly or heavily for long periods of time. Now that I've been out of college for a year and a half, it's time to start concentrating on my health. The stress of college took a toll on my mental and physical state and I had to concentrate on getting my mindset in a healthy and positive place before I could take on anything else. Since I've managed to get a hold of that part of my life, I feel like I am ready to move on to creating a more positive body image for myself and to be proud to look in the mirror. I will be doing the 6 Week Challenge starting in January and I think my main goal will be to lose 15 lbs. by adjusting my diet and following a workout regime that may increasingly help my heart and lungs get stronger. My three smaller goals within that larger one are to 1.) Follow a strict Paleo diet with 1 Cheat Day, 2.) Create a week-to-week workout plan alternating strength training and reparations days with 1 rest day different from the cheat day, 3.) To begin practicing Yoga to help anxiety and clear the mind. I have been using ASMR videos to calm myself down every night and my Leaf to practice deep meditative breathing exercises but I believe that Yoga may work wonders for my mind and spirit. I am trying to build habits because habits are what work for me. It's very difficult for me to self motivate and gyms are a car wreck for my nerves so I will be trying my workouts at home with my Basset baby while updating on here regularly. A side quest I think I may take on is to get my sleeping patterns on a regular schedule. I can go from one extreme to the other when it comes to sleep. Waaaaay too little or waaaay too much. Figuring out my sleep schedule and then seeing what time working out works best for me will help tremendously. I'm so excited to join this community. I will probably be joining the Academy in a couple of weeks once I get my bearings on my workout life. First things first...tomorrow...BEFORE PICTURES dun dun dunnnnnnnn!!!!

Brutal Bears Needs Some Druid Healing Introduction Quest log: Feral Form -Average 20 miles walked a week-let's get one step closer to Mordor! Week 1: 32.2 miles Week 2: 41.3 miles Week 3: 28.9 miles Week 4: 21.9 miles Week 5: 24.2 miles Week 6: 25.5 miles Restoration -Do at least two 30 minute yoga sessions a week Total Done: 3 -Meditate at least 3 times a week Total done: 10 Moonkin -Get all my school work done each week Weeks Complete: 6 -Finish at least one book Breaking the Worgen Curse -It's time to quit smoking. I am using my e-cig to try and drop down systematically drop in nicotine (30/30 days) -Attend at least one AA meeting a week Meeting attended: 3 Tank Bear The Bear Returns! 4 Strength workouts a week. I had been struggling a lot with my schedule, and weeks being consistent with working out, so I'm going to try working out 4 days in a row-since they are the only 4 I can commit to, my plan will go as follows Upper Body Workouts done: 11 Lower Body Workouts done: 9 The Cenarion Circle Keep up with the NF community, and post to at least two other peoples challenges a day Druid Lore -I've always wanted to write a book, and I have started and failed several times. So, -Participate in NanoWrimo and let's write a book this MONTH! (50,000 words!) (23,503/50,000) 47%47%

Hello All. On one hand, this feels like a normal introductory post on the other hand, definitely is respawn in mentality. I am new to the Rebellion. Right now I need to head check, continued motivation to refocus all whole lot of things in life. I joined the rebellion last year, and then my personal life became a bit of a mess, unfortunately this also included the life of my partner who also joined up and we went on a unplanned preemptive hiatus... That would be the best way to put it. If you read my profile I have a lot of fitness interests.... However, I have been finding myself in dismal physical condition, unable to have the stamina, dexterity, fortitude, to even enjoy for any length of time what exercise I have dabbled in over the years. I desperately need to lose weight,(total goal is a whopping 72lbs!!) and I want to change this. I need to stop fooling myself. I also need to do more than walking around the neighborhood every few days. I have some fitness DVDs, but honestly, the living room needs work, I don't have the space to use them yet, and besides, as I said before, I need to regroup mentally . Also, and/or before. I need accountability. I need to permanently read erase some negative tapes regarding working out, especially at the gym, should I choose to try that again. I am posting this fresh from a trip to ring one of the local gyms in town, look pleasant enough and had options besides treadmills which I have no current interest in whatsoever. While I'm not in too much of a rush to identify with other guilds, I do feel lost as to *how* to go about getting to where I want to be, and need to find a place where I can challenge myself physically, and yet mindfully. I'm not sure what else am asking for here, but if anyone is inclined to read my profile and give me some feedback as to where to start as an adventurer/generalist looking to build some fitness discipline again, and further what other guilds besides Druid and maybe Scout might have some challenges that would be in line with some of my other interests. I would really be appreciative. In short, I love hiking, martial arts, dance (various styles) , archery, rapier combat. I also wish to build disciplines in meditation, various types of visualization and walking meditation, am interested in picking up tai chi and Qi gong. Some of these do relate to my actual spiritual and religious commitments,and priorities. I want to be able to swim. I want to be able to hike for as long as I desire to. I want to be able to dance for as long as I desire to. I want the stamina to be able to get back into martial arts. I Need to get healthy. Part of needing to get healthy is refining my diet further than I have already. This includes paying more attention to nutrition that does not conflict with my myriad of health issues. This can be challenging. Considering I have co-morbitity and dietary recommendations that can conflict with each other. I do plan on joining the Academy as soon as finances allow. Grateful to be here/be back. thank you.

(breath in) OK, let's start! (breath out) I've recently discovered the whole NerdFitness and this forum, while experimenting with a new fitness challenge (yup, my b-friend gave me a sufficient kick in the butt to get started). While never being into sports or fitness (remember the kid with glasses, dental braces, reading books and hunting for lizards and bugs - that's me!), I needed to face the fact that I'm skinny fat, with a sedentary (art) job (and habits), and without a desired self-discipline. So... although I'm a bit late to sign in for this first 6 weeks challenge, I've already started implementing my plan somewhere around 20th September, which still somehow fits into the scheme (also means I'll finish it about a week later to be fair to the set duration). What is it all about? Main quest: In brief, getting my stomach smaller and having more strength. How: - getting up in the morning between 6 and 7AM (working days) - exercising every morning, 7 days a week for at least 1 hour (jogging + gym) - having a workout log for tracking progress (with weight and exercises tracking) - 2-3l of water every day I'm emphasizing push-ups (barely managing now...), squats and sit-ups. I'm about 63 kilos now, so being overweight is not my issue, but developing more muscles, making the cushion smaller and feeling to have more energy - yes. For now. Sounds reasonable? Mini quest #1: For now, spending at least 2h outside every day (walking or swimming in the local outside pool). Mini quest #2: Regarding my diet, although I'm not really into sodas and junk food, I want to learn more about carbs, fats, and all that, so I can plan my meals with this new awareness. (it's really hard not to eat street food - comida corrida - in Mexico, it's super tasty and there's even the dish called "gorditas"!!!) Life side quest: - Writing an essay (in Spanish) for the course I'm part of. - Finishing (finally!) reading that Karl Marx. - Having a daily plan of activities. I'm in a new city, making new friends, professional contacts and trying to work freelance (from self- to un- employed, depending on the period)... It's easy to get down on certain days, so having a daily plan who to meet / walking / exercising / networking / writing / Skypeing / looking for a job / etc - could really help me keep up the rhythm and good mood. The ideal is to have the fitness discipline pushing the same energy and determination towards the other spheres of my life. Regarding races, for beginning, I belong to Druids, with a desire to become a Monk (that's a future big quest - karate!) Thanks for support and any creative & constructive suggestions

I was wondering if we have somewhere that has detailed types of workouts for each class? What I find on the main page is a little unhelpful, IMO. For example, for Monk, it says: Go to martial arts class. Or for Assassin: do a handstand. Are there not other things you can do on a daily basis that pertain to each role? Is each role just made up for achievements or is there actually something we can work with? I have no problem going to a martial arts class. I think it would be fun! But I also think it would be helpful if we had a section that has a few things you can do in lieu of going to a class: shadow boxing (with a little explanation on form, etc), different stretches, etc. I'm not trying to sound ungrateful or say that the team at NerdFitness isn't working hard enough. Not at all that! They are AMAZING! I think I was just expecting a little more direction regarding role pertaining workouts.

This challenge is about recuperating. I reached my “big†goal that led me to this forum. I ran my 5k, and in a decent time. And I’m very happy I’ve managed to get movement back into my life, because dance is one place a get a lot of joy from. But I’ve been feeling stressed and stretched lately, and I need to reel myself back in. So I’m going with a druid class challenge this time around Quest 1: Movement 3 times a week. Dance should be one of them, or running or yoga. Strength training is good too. Anything to release the happy chemicals!Reward: 3 x week 3 DEX + 2 STA, 2 x week 2 DEX + 1 STA, 1 x week 1 STA Quest 2: Get enough sleep. I know from previous challenges that this is a tough one for me, but I really need to enough sleep consistently. This is the best way to recharge.Reward: 3 x week 3 CON + 2 STA, 2 x week 2 CON + 1 STA, 1 x week 1 CON Quest 3: Experiment with more purposeful mornings. Get out of bed earlier and try doing something besides staring at a screen. This could be going outside, running, reading (with a timer), or just staring at the wall. Just not lying in bed while staring at a wall.Reward: 6-7 x week 3 WIS, 5-4 x week 2 WIS, 3 or less x week 1 WIS Quest 4: Be creative. Write or do a craft once a week. Reward: 2 CHA (Charisma because creativity is a major part of my personality. Also because my CHA stats are sadly lacking)

Hello everyone! My name is Meg. Until recently, I went by the username CoderGatherer. Last challenge I did a bit of soul searching and realized that I didn't really like coding....not even a little. Instead I rekindled my love of knitting and yoga. So I decided a change was in order. Life is too short to spend wishing I was good at coding or hoping that I would one day become a programmer. Instead, I've decided to focus on things that give me joy. From that feeling, this challenge's goals emerged. I hope you will follow me on my journey to happiness. Goal 1: Post on my knitting blog 3 times a week These posts don't have to be long or exquisitely written. I'm not aiming to be perfect. Instead I'm going to write for the sake of writing on what I love. It's more of a way to share my passion and dig deeper in to my craft. Goal 2: Practice yoga every day Whether its 5 minutes or 5 hours, I will set aside time for my practice. Ideally I will be able to do this in the morning, however I am happy also relaxing last thing at night. As long as I am taking time to breath and remaining aware of my body, the time does not matter. Goal 3: Publish one new pattern every week This will definitely be challenging, but possible. I have tons of ideas for beautiful creations in my head. I just need to set aside time to draw them out and knit them up. Every pattern that I create during this challenge will be available free of charge on my blog. After all, the purpose of this challenge is to spread my love for knitting. If I inspire only one person I will be incredibly happy. LIfe Goal: Make new friends on and offline

Tenth Challenge is a go! Due to my work schedule being extremely unpredictable the later in June it gets, I don't know how much gym-time I will actually be able to have, so I am joining the Druid Guild again and focusing on meditation, wisdom and balance. Inspired by Polgara19's SG1-themed challenge, and because Murphy of the Dresden Files doesn't particularly fit as a Druid, my challenge theme this time is Farscape! While Aeryn Sun will always be my favorite character, I've always liked Pa'u Zotoh Zhaan as well for her calm demeanor, intelligence, kindness and quiet stillness. And since I'm in the Druid Guild this challenge, a Delvian Pa'u is the perfect choice for me to try to mimic. Main Quest To live a healthy and balanced life by exercising and trying to eat healthy. My motivation I've successfully dropped weight by counting calories so my diet will mostly be staying the same with 1200 calories per day M-F and then blow meals on the weekends. I've managed to put on some muscle in an effort to become stronger by weightlifting and so when I am able, that will continue this challenge along with my smaller quests. But due to my work schedule, I will be focusing on the more peaceful side of health this time. Smaller Quests 1. Through the Looking Glass Continue practicing Spanish Monday-Friday for at least 20-30 minutes. I really enjoyed this in my last challenge so I want to continue with it for my 10th challenge. As the diplomat for the group on Moya, Zhaan likely studied and understood many other cultures. Although due to the translator microbes, she probably didn't actually speak any other languages, she still appreciates other races and enjoys learning about them. Scoring: /30 days Reward: +4 to WIS 2. Rhapsody in Blue I really enjoyed in past challenges when I focused on mediation, yoga poses and doing Animal Flow movements so I want this to be part of my challenge too. Zhaan is the most spiritual member of Moya's crew, in-tune with her Goddess as a 9th, and then 10th level, Pa'u Priest. Finding inner peace was a major point of her character's journey and I think we could all benefit from being more spiritual too. a. Practice yoga poses or Animal Flow movements twice a week. Scoring: x/12 Reward: +2 to STA b. Practice meditation once a week. Scoring: x/6 weeks Reward: +4 to DEX 3. Crackers Don't Matter I have a sweet tooth and I find that when I eat less processed junk food, I feel better overall. However, curbing the craving for sugar is hard so I will continue to work towards it this challenge. I know less processed sugar is good for me health-wise, even if I still crave chocolate junk food. As a sentient plant, Zhaan's dietary habits are never explored in depth. However, in one episode she does eat meat so it appears that she has a mostly balanced diet. I need a more balanced diet too, but more importantly, I need less sugary sweets. Cut down on processed junk food by only having sugary snacks on the weekends with my blow means. Scoring: /30 days Reward: +2 to CHA & +2 to CON 4. Unrealized Reality Continue working towards that elusive first pull-up. I will be striving to use the assisted pull-up machine, along with doing other pull-up exercises like rows, 2-3 times per week, during my normal weight lifting exercises. Zhaan always exudes a sense of gentleness many characters mistake for weakness. However, she does possess a wild, beastial and physically strong side as well. While finding inner peace is very important, not forgetting to work on my physical body to stay strong is important too. Scoring: /12 days Reward: +1 to STR

: Hello everyone! This is my first challenge on nerdfitness, but I have been reading the blog entries for a few months now. I am very excited to be participating in the April 13th - May 25th (I actually just learnt about it today - a sign from the universe, if anything!). My motivation for this challenge is such: I want to be fit before going to college, which will be in just a couple months. My main quest for this challenge is to be at 150lbs by the end of these six weeks - I will be updating my forum each day, and my weight/cm measurements is updated each Saturday. CURRENT CLASS: DRUID My side quest is to write more jokes and to establish a clear idea for the two books I want to write, and to become more socially active. By completing this challenge I will be gaining: +2 CON, +3 CHA, +4 WIS, +1 STA. BUT KASEY! HOW WILL YOU ACCOMPLISH THIS!? in order to accomplish this I will: ||| do yoga/stretch for 30 minutes per day ||| do part of the thirty day shred each day ||| drink 100oz of water per day ||| lots of jumping jacks Hope to see you all around the forum!

There will be at least three of us posting on this thread as we do our first challenge at the same time. Wildwanderer checking in for his first challenge. If you would like a bit of background please proceed to my Introduction here. Here is an updated work out schedule Sunday: Rest day Monday: Yoga (30 minutes); Long run (2 miles currently) Tuesday: Yoga (30 minutes); Lift Heavy things Wednesday: Fast day; Yoga (30 Minutes); Short run (Also currently 2 miles) Thursday: Yoga (30 minutes); Lift Heavy things Friday: Fast Day; Yoga (30 minutes); Short run (2 miles) Saturday: Lift Heavy things Current Lifting: Bench: 5x5 reps 155, max 195 Overhead Press: 5x5 reps 100, max 110 Barbell Row: 5x5 reps 145, max unknown Squat: 5x5 reps 195, max unknown Deadlift: 5x5 reps 225, max 255 Lifting Goals: Bench: reps at 175 Overhead Press: reps at 115 Barbell Row: reps at 165 Squat: reps at 215 Deadlift: reps at 245 Yoga goals for this challenge: Maintain flexibility and functionality Practice yoga at least five days a week I am keeping my yoga more focused on stretching right now and am not hold difficult posses for any length of time as I work on my strength through lifting. My long term goal is to hold a handstand, and eventually lift myself effortlessly into a handstand. Running goals for this challenge: Increase my long run distance from 2 miles to 3-5 miles without stopping I ran today for 2 miles without stopping. Felt great, only a few days into my running program. I have a tendency to over do it, so I am limiting myself to one long run day. I know I can do the running and the yoga pretty easy. I've never really set goals for lifting before. I will call the challenge a success if I keep my lifting schedule and make progress. I am not so worried about the numbers as I am with maintaining the program. Like I mentioned in my introduction, I have a pretty busy schedule outside working, so if I maintain I will be very very happy.

Heheh fruits baskets is this weeks theme for me Today is the start of a new week and im excited to keep working on losing weight and getting healthier!!! This weeks goals are going to be a little more focused, and not just on my weight but on home life as well. --calories and water Im going to continue with my 8 glasses of water, 2 caffinated beverages and 1800 calories, but this time im going to try and eat a little bit healthier. Im going to try and eat 2 pieces of fruit and 2 vegetabled in my day, as well as have more protien. --exercise along with work still, which allows me to walk, im going to try and get up early and do some yoga in the morning, and some meditation. I suffer from anxiouty so im hoping this will quiet my mind as well as allow me to think clearer. --personal this one is important this week. Im going to try really hard on this One. Im in school full time and in my last 2 terms, meaning im very busy working as a graphic designer. I also work and have to maintain a relationship. Because ive been so busy with school, my relationship has taken a Hit. So my goal for this one is to be more mindful. I want to be able to sort out my mind and be able to pay attention to things around me. As well as take some time to rememBer my fiance. Its not that i forget him, i just get buSy... and he has some past problems that i need to take special care of. So here goes to this next week!! Good luck! and remember to always be yourself, and youll be fine

So, I was super gung-ho about my first challenge, and had great success due to general excitement and also because I was lucky enough to be able to spend 4 weeks with my very health-conscious mom. Challenge #2 was wayyy more of a challenge, thanks to an injury and some back pain, which in turn was probably thanks to general stress. It did end on a good note, though! Now, as with a lot of my get-healthy adventures, I'm in the phase where I got impatient for results, tried too hard, got injured, did some backsliding and am now slightly "should I even do another challenge?" (Thus the late posting...oops.) Of course the answer is yes, yes? YES! This is exactly the kind of crap I need to work past. And I think the answer is slowww and steadddyyy. An effort to keep it simple and focus on well-being will be my weapons during this stage of my anti-fragile quest. Here's the scoop: Main Quest: Become anti-fragile by building strength in a sustainable way. Keep Calm and get strong. Quest #1: Keep up with the Beginner Bodyweight Workout 3x per week, gradually adding difficulty. Make sure to keep up the good stretching work! Reward: +4 STR +1 DEX Quest #2: Work towards a chin-up by doing negative chin ups and pull ups every day for 30 days. I will start with 2 of each, and see how I feel, adding ONE at a time. Sloowwww. Reward: +2 STR Quest #3: Continue my good work fighting the grains beast: Eat no grains OR sugar (fruit is ok) 5x per week. Reward: +4 CON Quest #4: Do something for my mental health 5x per week. This could include going for a walk, meditating (been meaning to try it! Suggestions?) or making some artwork. Also important will be a conscious effort to slow down and appreciate these things. Reward: +4 WIS P.s. What class am I, even?? Strength building + meditation and art = A very peaceful warrior? .... Art warrior? Grading: A= 85 -100% completed = Full points B= 70 - 85% completed = 0.75 points C= 55 - 70% completed = 0.5 points D= 40 - 55% completed = 0.25 points F= Aint gonna happen!!

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

Hi, all. I'm Illuviel. I need to level up in order to beat the biggest boss fight I've faced: the one that starts when I tell myself -- too often! --, "You're not the boss of me!" Um, me? I actually *am* the boss of me, and that contrariness is a brand of extra-special counterproductive. It has become a thing up which I shall no longer put. (You've got the wrong sort of Rebellion there, Mr Elf, if you think that'll do you any good.) I found Nerd Fitness a few days ago, while looking for another game-theory-based goal tracker. Search terms put into the enGooglenator returned this site fairly high in the rankings, so I gave it a look. Steve had me at the first blog post I read (the LEGO did not hurt). Several other posts later, I peeked in on the Rebellion. My best friend, Yul, called while I was doing so -- and here we are. I'm dealing with a few chronic conditions (CFS/ME, fibromyalgia, migraine, hypermobility, along with intolerances & sensitivities galore). I'm also healing from a work-related, soft-tissue injury of my wrist, a TFCC tear which hasn't resolved with conservative treatment and probably requires surgery. This has put a major dent in the way that I'd been dealing with said chronic conditions: lots of stretching and bodyweight exercise, plus meditation& energywork, art/craft (knitting, crochet, spinning, and collage), gardening, and writing (this post has taken me much longer than I'd like to admit to type). It's also been a major blow to morale. I'm feeling decidedly un-anti-fragile and in need of a good dose of equanimity. As I continue to recover from injury I will most likely play as a Druid. Eventually, though, I have an appointment with the Assassins, some silks to climb, and a me to be a better boss of. Off to chargen; see you in the starting zone!

After 2years with the Rebellion I've succeed in completing a lot of goals in my challenges. Learned a ton. Gained muscle, lost muscle. Established healthy habits, lost healthy habits. So it was brewing & brewing in my head for some time now that when I look at myself in the mirror & compare with the pictures I took along the way : Nothing has changed. So I set out a main-quest to get rid of 'the belly of the beast'. With all I've learned so far & hoping some old habits will kick in along the way: I take I can do this in 6months. Hence the reason of this thread : I need a container to keep track over multiple Challenges. So this wont be a daily log, but more like a weekly log.I need a place to hide my progress pics (ehm.. fail ? )extra motivation So without further delay : A summary of my first Challenge in the main-quest : Main Quest : Get rid of the belly. Motivational : Stigmata of Ministry ok: I'm seriously tired of my fat belly & all the problems it brings with it. time to tackle it head on. I anticipate it'll take me 6months or 3 Challenges. I'm skinny fat: This evenings measurement : belly 108cm; chest 100cm. The pics of me with my one day old smartphone stressing not to drop it. (I put them on a free-online thing, no idea how long they'll last there) there's 2things to it : Eat more. Build mass. (proper mass that is ^^ ) Goals: Diet : Fix breakfast The fail safe basis of my breakfast the coming challenge, and 6months, will be : Oatmeal. There is no excuse but lack of will for not eating it. Bring half a cup in Tupperware to work, add hot water : eat bomb of fibers. It will protect me half a day from white grains & the fiber will hopefully heal my intestines which are giving me a hard time sleeping. measurement : every single day fitness : Rope Skipping. I think it'll be a good a idea to build some grit at the start of this main-quest , by going outside in the winter & do some rope-skipping: which will be cold and way out of my comfort zone. and it will reap me, if I ever get it done, some much needed points on +STA .. measurement : 2weekdays / 1weekend day fitness : steady yoga It's the only thing in the last 3years that could win the mind battle vs the booze devil: I cant do yoga if I pop a beer after work. and half the time I'd rather do yoga. Which would be a big win vs a beer-belly .. measurement : 3weekdays / 2weekend day

Hello, I'm Gersimi. My name means 'precious' and is the name of one of the two daughters of the Norse goddess Freyja. I am a practising Norse pagan, and Freyja is my matron goddess. Though originally from the city of Stockholm, I live in a small village in a very rural part of Sweden, and I never want to leave! I am happily married and the mother of two, 2,5 and 6 years old. I am fairly new to NF, but neither to fitness nor to nerdiness. Ten years ago I did quite a lot of strength training (mainly free weights) and cardio (aerobic work outs and running). Then life, including love, two kids and a dream job took over almost completely. Nerdiness continued, though; I still love Star Trek, Stargate and Dr Who, still read comic books like Promethea and Sandman, and fraternise with geeks most of the time, like artists, academics, craftspeople, pagans and such. I just started my first 6WC: http://rebellion.nerdfitness.com/index.php?/topic/58908-gersimi-becomes-precious-to-herself/ I'm using it as a part of my recovering from burn-out, which I have been suffering from since late Spring 2014. My main symptoms of burn-out are extreme tension and pain in muscles and joints, mental and physical fatigue and occasional signs of depression. For those reasons I am still on 100% sick leave from my work as a psychologist in the Swedish national health care. By the Winter Solstice of 2015 I want to be able to work 75% without burning myself out again. For that I need a strong and healthy body, a resilient and peaceful mind and fun and clever routines to manage my daily life with a house and a family. I now weigh around 80kgs/177lbs to my 172 cms/5ft7in, which is fine by me - I am not here to lose weight. I want to become a mighty druidess - calm, strong, cunning, relaxed even in the face of danger, knowing my strengths and weaknesses and steadily working to develop my full potential. At heart I really am a centaur - I need to eat lots of good sustenance, run, smell the fresh air and gaze at the stars in the silence of the night. My main roles outside this forum all means I am responsible for others - mother, psychologist, gydja (priestess of my faith). This place is for taking responsibility for me.

My primary quest for this challenge is simple: Exercise daily for 6 weeks without injuring myself. I have a tendency to get carried away with goal-setting, refusing to back down once I've declared a target, so this time I'm not going to set any quantitative objective other than "do something towards the quest every day." The exercise could be yoga, t'ai chi, Pilates, aerobics, or low-intensity weight training, as long as it can be done without causing undue distress to joints and muscles. (+WIS, +STA, +CON, perhaps +STR depending on what exercises I opt for) Sub-quest #1: Sign up for beginners' Pilates class and learn the basics. (+STR, +DEX, +STA) Sub-quest #2: Establish a daily meditation practice. (+WIS) Side quest: Read! I have a number of partially-read books occupying prime real estate on my desk, including A Guide to the Good Life by William B. Irvine, a book about Stoicism. The contents would do a lot more good in my brain, so I'm going to strive to read every day. I was about to quantify the amount of reading, but caught myself just in time. (+WIS)

Hello Challenge #2 As it turns out, I won't focus on Monk training quite yet. I am struggling to get out of my lethargy and the days becoming shorter, colder and damper aren't helping (wow, Scotland is not going to be fun in Winter!) Luckily, I know exactly what I have to do to combat this, here's the plan... Six week quest - Control the downs, invite the ups! #1 Goal : Center my mind (and lower cortisol levels) (+5 WIS) -> Meditate every day from 20 minutes to 1 hour with Peace Revolution videos -> Take 1 minute to center with deep breaths whenever emotions or stress get overwhelming #2 Goal: Give each day a chance (+2 CHA +1 WIS) -> Sleep at least 8 hours -> Wake up with the dawn (approx 7:30 for now) -> 5 Tibetans yoga right after waking up #3 Goal: Healthy body for a healthy mind (+3 STR +1 CON) -> No sugar at home -> Eat 1 leafy green and 1 root veg every day -> Drink 2L per day -> 3 BWW per week #Life goal: Do more of what I love <3 (+3 CHA) -> Sing every day -> Learn Momoiro Sparkling choreography -> Take a whole pampering afternoon every week -> Do at least one of these things every day: watch an old film, read a Poirot, have a soy latte, skype with a friend or family, make fresh mint tea, pretend to be Ella Fitzgerald, write a letter to someone, make dinner with friends, cuddle a stray cat, make Christmas decorations, check in on NF. Motivation: Depression is hard to overcome because it leaves automated pathways to the land of I feel miserable and Meh, apathy day today Kingdom. Well, I don't want to let these automated reactions get the better of me anymore! In fact, I've been successfully exterminating them for over 2 years now and it can be tiring sometimes. I love that the brain is plastic, synaptic connections are remodeled all the the time so that's exactly what I'll be doing for the next six weeks, active and conscious brain rewiring. Very actively and very consciously so. I know how to be happy, I just need to control the frequency and intensity of my down moments. Daily Victories: There will be daily victories this challenge, it's an awesome idea I took from Starsapart and it will help with staying positive oh so much. Today's victory = I created this thread Can't wait to hang with you awesome people again and meet more inspiring superheroes! Edit: Evaluation method. I will give myself percentages of success each week for every item. 7 days out of 7 = 100%, 6/7 = 85%, etc. Then I'll round it up to evaluate each goal and the final average at the end of the 6 weeks will tell how many points I'll get. Yes, this challenge is all about Wisdom and Charisma

Hello there! So I've been noseying about the forums for a few months and have finally decided to overcome my shyness. I'm really hoping to learn to engage in the community! I think that having a place both to give and receive support and to share information will help me step up as far as my quest for fitness goes and to really commit to some sort of regime. At the moment I mainly walk and jog, as well as intermittent running. I walk every day, and jog / run three times a week, more-or-less. I meditate regularly and enjoy yoga. Hm... losing weight isn't really my goal since I'm already very skinny but I'd like to lose a few pounds in the process - can't hurt, right? What I aim to do is increase my flexibility even more, treat my body like the 'temple' that it is by feeding it the right fuel, and, ideally, increase my stamina too. So far I've gotten a yoga DVD so that I can learn new moves and increase my technique, and I've tried to be more aware of what I'm putting in this tummy of mine. I'm trying not to grab for the chocolate quite as much, and am taking carbs in moderation. I'd actually love to give free-running a go but I'm quite shy and reserved which has always put me against it, and with my main interests like yoga at hand, I don't really have the balance/build for it. Anyway, 'druid' seems to be calling to me and I can resonate strongly with that type of fitness path so I'm hoping to join in on that somehow, but I'm feeling quite lost! I've never been on a forum site like this before and I don't know what threads to see or what I should do now. Any tips would be highly appreciated! Thank you for reading, everyone. - Lucy

Ok ok, I'm late, but I can't wait - I have reached the breaking point and now is the time. I'm Jess, I'm 26, I live in New Zealand (YES I LIVE IN MIDDLE EARTH) and work in marketing. I'd like to be doing something else but I am yet to work out what that is! I was always a chubby kid, I used to hate sports and do ANYTHING I could to get out of them at school. Then about 3 years ago something switched in me and I managed to get really fit, I could squat more than the boys and ran regular half marathons. It was awesome, but it also wasn't sustainable. I wasn't eating enough and was obsessive about exercise and counting calories. Then I went traveling, let myself slip (partly out of necessity) and now I've swung too far in the opposite direction. I struggle to run 2k and can't fit even my new clothes. I MISS the incredibly powerful feeling that being healthy gives you. To be confident, to be able to play and enjoy your life and really embrace the world. So I am back, to get fit and healthy in a way that is good for my body AND my mind. No extremes or obsessing, just incremental improvements, celebrated successes, clear goals and great progress! So Main Quest for my first challenge is: Sustained Momentum. The phrase "If you want to stop starting over, stop giving up" was invented for me. I think b/c I am incredibly demotivated by how unfit I now am I struggle to keep going. So this six weeks if on the last day of the last week I login and can look back at real effort for the last 42 (well 35) days, then I will say yes, quest achieved. My Missions (that will indicate and contribute to Sustained Momentum): 1. Complete C25k (currently on Week 3) 2. Follow the 3/2 rule (3 yoga, 2 weights sessions per week) 3. Eat "home" breakfast and lunch 4 times a week (this is about meal planning, I know when I eat badly it's because I haven't prepped and grab the food nearest to me!) Life Goal: Spend at least 1 hour per week seriously looking at "what I want to do when I grow up" aka planning my career

The sun streamed through the window lighting up flecks of dust hovering in the beams. Ceto sighed as she turned her face into the sun shine, eyes closing and muscles relaxing. Her thoughts began to drift away into the clouds and without realising she started to slump down deep into her chair. *Thwack!* "Ceto! Pay attention!" With a violent jolt Ceto was catapulted back into the room. Her eyes franticly flitted around the space as she tried to get her bearings and remember where she was, who she was and what on earth was going on. Eventually they settled on a big black tome laying on the desk in front of her. She could still see little eddies of dust circling the edges of the book, it must have landed in front of her with a significant amount of force. Looking up she was immediately trapped in the stare of Fenyck. the rake of a man leant forward as he spoke. He was quiet but she could hear every word as clear as crystal. "I shouldn't have to impress upon you the importance of your lessons. There is too much relying on you for you to spend your time daydreaming and drifting. Everything I am teaching you could save or destroy your own life and the lives of others." Fenyck straightened up as he paused and sighed in gentle exasperation. "You are a good student Ceto. You have learnt the basics quickly and that is good. It is time to teach you some or the more advanced Charter Marks but I cannot do that in good conscience if I don't think you have the mental fortitude to handle it. The next step deals with dangerous magics and if you are not concentrating, if you do not give it all of your focus then much can go wrong. I am confident you could learn the letter and the law of Charter Magic, the Marks and their uses but to be competent in its craft, to know when to use this or that, when to act or wait, to truly become the Abhorsen when the time calls upon you..." Ceto's heart began to shrivel as his silence stretched out. "You're mind is not ready. But you are fortunate. You have me to teach you," Fenyck smirked to reassure her. The rebuke was over, she was forgiven. "What should I do?" "I think you know already. Falling asleep in my lessons will not do. Sleep is the foundation of our daily lives. A poor nights sleep will result in a poor day's work. What do you do when you go to your dorm in at the end of the day?" "The usual I suppose. I change, brush my teeth but I don't go to bed until I feel tired." "And when is that usually?" Ceto shrugged, "Sometimes it is quite early but sometimes the moon can be quite high in night sky before I realise I am tired. I read, about the Charter Marks or the history of the Old Kingdom, at my window or do something else to entertain me while I wait for sleep. I have fallen asleep by my window more than once." "I would wager it is has been many more times than once." Ceto hung her head in agreement. "I admire your dedication to learning but I would suggest that perhaps you would learn more by getting a fulfilling rest each night and waking with alert mind. I want you to try setting yourself a time to be in bed by whether you are ready for sleep or not. I think you'll find that once you lie back you will realise you were more tired than you thought. Early to bed, early to rise. Capture the day and make it yours." Ceto nodded and tried to ignore the tiny part of herself that was acting like a brat about the idea of a 'bedtime'. Fenyck was her tutor and she respected his guidance. Fenyck picked up the large black book from the front of Ceto's table and made to continue his lesson when he stopped short with a thought weighing on his brow. "It occurs to me with such a disrupted night that your mornings do not fair much better. Is this true?" Ceto thought for a moment then said, "When I first came here I was good at getting up for my lessons but as more of my time get taken up with reading and my sleep gets pushed further back I have been finding it harder to wake up. I am a bit rushed to get ready for the day, sometimes." "And what about breakfast?" Ceto shook her head, "Didn't have time." Fenyck shook his head and rolled his eyes. "Young people don't know how to look after themselves. A good meal after waking will set you on a strong and energetic path for the day. How can you expect to travel through the precincts of death, fight Free Magic manifestations while you are functioning on nothing. The mind needs fuel as well as the body. If you go to bed earlier you'll wake up with enough time to have something to eat." "But you also said I need to be able to make quick decisions. I don't...I'm not sure I'm quick enough." Fenyck almost laughed when Ceto said this. "My child, you are young! You have been studying Charter Magic for only a few years and begun your training with me only a few months ago. I think you expect too much of yourself." "All the same, sir, I'd like start preparing for that. I might have fallen asleep today but I do, honestly, take my role as Abhorsen-in-Waiting seriously. I want to be the best I can, I don't want to let anyone down." Fenyck's gentle smile almost spoke of a small pride he had in his student. "Very well. There are methods we can use to train you're mind in this way. We shall start them later on today if you are sure you want to take this on? Ceto nodded with conviction. "This is good. This new training will be tough and there will be no room for any outside nonsense so I suggest you take some personal time to reflect and identify any areas of your life that you worry about and take steps to fix them. There can be no distraction during these lessons and I will tolerate no distraction, especially those that can be addresses and fixed. Now, I suggest you take some time to do just this before we begin. I will meet you in my office after the school day has finished." With that Fenyck turned to clean the chalkboard of the day's Charter Marks. Ceto blinked, she hadn't expected these changes to come so quickly. But she had been the one to ask for them and she realised the uncertainty bubbling in her gut was more from curious anticipation than fear. She hastily gathered her paper and ink pens into her bag and left the classroom without another word, carefully pulling the large oak door closed behind her. TL;DR I wanted to give role playing a go for this challenge as I kinda miss playing WOW but really don't want to get sucked into the blackhole of time-stealing MMORPGs again. Plus if you haven't read Garth Nix's Old Kingdom trilogy (Abhorsen trilogy in the USA) then I really recommend them if you're into fantasy. Magic, monsters, destiny, necromancy, a massive wall splitting the country across the middle, all you could want in a ripping good yarn. But my goals. Main Goal To become a mental fortress. All those times I could have gone a little faster on my runs, a little lower on my press ups, just done better at Roller Derby training all because I was tired or distracted or didn't have my game head on. Making quick decisions, pushing through the 'wall', doing my workout and giving my all even if I don't feel like it; that's what I'm after. Goal 1: Get enough sleep. 8 hours a night and no falling asleep on the sofa. If I'm tired get to bed. If its 11.30 and I'm not tired get to bed anyway and read a little. Once I've laid down its surprising how quickly sleep comes! [A=37+, B=36-31, C=30-25, D=24-19, F<=18] +3 CON Goal 2: Time for myself. Find at least 30 mins a day where I can focus on something I want to do for myself. More often than not I'll want to meditate or read or just spend some quiet time along focusing on a task. The key idea here is focusing (so no sifting through facebook or tumblr) so actively reading a book and taking care to make sure it all goes in or meditating or doing some sort of craft or activity I can concentrate on, or a mix! [A=37+, B=36-31, C=30-25, D=24-19, F<=18] +3 CHA Goal 3: Do Luminosity or Brain Training on my DS at least 5 times a week. It doesn't take that long and there are such a range of games on there I'm sure I'll be able to pinpoint my weaker areas and improve. [A=37+, B=36-31, C=30-25, D=24-19, F<=18] +3 WIS Diet Goal: Eat breakfast. Every morning, no exceptions. a cup of tea doesn't count. Food counts! even if I 'don't feel hungry' have a piece of fruit and see if that wakes up the stomach. If not then take some more fruit with me to work because you can guarantee by 10.30 I'll be getting rumbles. If this means getting up earlier in the morning to have time before work then get up earlier! [A=37+, B=36-31, C=30-25, D=24-19, F<=18] +2 STR, +2 STA Life Goal: Sort out my monthly budgets and stick to them. Now I don't do so much freelance work my income is more regular and I can accurately record and estimate my in and out-goings for the foreseeable future. I'm going to sort out a spread sheet with my monthly finances on so I can see how much I get each month as contingency money/spending money/going out money/saving money after all the bills etc have been paid. The aim is to get out of my overdraft but that won't happen in six weeks so this goal is to build the infrastructure to help me get there. One less thing to worry about! [Pass/Fail] +1 WIS, +1 CHA

Introduction: Hello, I'm Michael. I used to play rugby, I used to do martial arts, and I used to be fit. I know weigh as much as I ever have at 285. A lot of my problem revolves around food & food choices, addiction to sugar. Last time I ran a test i was 33% body fat. Main Quest: I want to get to 15% body fat and 200lbs Quest 1: Eat Paleo 5/7 days a week Measurement: A = 5 days B= 4 Days C=3 days D=2 Days F=1 day Quest 2: Walk for 30 Minutes a day 7 days a week A=7 B=6-5 C=4 D = 3 F =2,1,0 Quest 3: Practice Taichi form 30 minutes a day A = 150 minutes B = 120 minutes C = 90 minutes D = 60 minutes F= 30 minutes or less Motivation: Kids who have obese dads are 1000% more likely to be obese or overweight by age 9. I don't have kids yet, but I will one day

I everyone, thanks for stopping by and checking on me. This challenge finds our dragon adrift in time. Time seems to be something out of sync with her these days. So much to do so little time to do it. Jumping from one task to the next (often before the first task is complete leaving it undone.), while never seeming to get to all the things that need doing. Shes frustrated and being pulled by the forces of nature in too many directions. Paper is still attacking her. She clings to the small successes, to keep her spirits up. Weight 199.0 Final Goal Weight 145.0 Goal for this challenge 195.00 The first 30 lbs came off relatively easy, it was new fat. I had only a few years above 200. The rest has been here so long... (last time I weighed 145 was in 1990). I was 145 when I got pregnant with first baby. I gained 76 lbs with him, and never saw the lighter side of 165 after that. I finally got down to 165 and got pregnant with second baby. Never saw the lighter side of 175 after him. Got to 190 in 2006. After that every time I got close to losing something the then spouse sabotaged my workouts and my diet. I have been in this gain lose loop ever since. With the change of marital status came a fight to lose the weight. Another health battle has it jumping up the scale and then a 6 month doing it wrong period, jumped it to my highest ever. 226. Something had to give. I charged myself with undoing all the bad I have done to my body in the last 25 years. OK this is a ramble ... my apologies. ************************************* SMART Quest One: My over all mission and reason I’m here is to lose weight, get strong, so I can be healthy. Be a comfortable size 12. There is no way to lose 53 lbs. in one challenge. So I am focusing on losing 5 lbs. Weight 199.0 Final Goal Weight 145.0 Goal for this challenge 195.00 How will I do this? Moving I will continue to run with the NWFTC on Tuesdays 4 runs out of the 6 weeks Bonus points for talking to 2 new people I will attend Tai Chi classes 2 days a week 12 classes out of the 6 weeks Go through short form opening sequence at least twice each day. I will upkeep the yard I will spend time in the garden 3 days a week at least 10 mins I will continue to make yard improvements that are cost zero or inexpensive where free is impossible. 18 garden work days out of the 6 weeks SMART Quest Two Reduce the number of objects in my world. Purge the habit of buying new things that are fun to have but just end up taking up space. Just as it is not reasonable to lose all the weight I need and want to in one quest, the monumental task of clearing out my world will take longer than one challenge. Purge I will clear my desk of paper File what must be kept Shred what has collected in the shred bin Go through one 1/2 drawer of file cabinet I will clear my closet of what no longer fits Try on and remove any item that no longer fits properly Even if it fits if I look Frumpy in it ... it goes. Crafting Mending I will move sewing table into the new craft area created last quest. I will tackle the sewing jobs that have accumulated since I lost my sewing space. Sprucing up I will chose 4 of the house decor projects to complete. By necessity they will be small in scope projects that can be completed in less than a single day. Cost zero/ under $40 projects ********************************************* Check back to see the Dragon's Saga Intro... (still being written)

Hello fellow nerds! I'm new here, obviosly.... *sigh* Okay, let's try again ^^ I'm Katzchen from Germany, 26 years of age, college student and I like to sew and love play WoW. Before college and meeting my boyfriend, I've been about 15 kg lighter then now and I want to look as fabulous as I looked back then. But as weight isn't most important I want to messure my progress in centimeters lost all around my body. Main quest: Lose 10 cm in all messurements/ 2 cloth sizesStart yoga for fitness and mind There are other things I want to accomplish too. I eat pretty clean, most of the time cook myself, for I'm vegetarian I eat a fairly good amount of veggies, drink lots of water but I fail at sodas (especially at the weekends with whiskey or other alkohol) and Ben and jerrys icecream. Sometimes I'm too lazy to cook and we order things. Things, not food! Side quest: Skip soda and store brought icecreamPlan and precook my meals so I don't order when I'm lazyMake half of my plate being veggiesLearn to do correct push ups and plankStop procastinating!I'm kind of easy to tease and often I get angry very fast. Then I'm not a nice person to be with. I want to change that! Also I want to stop procastinating!

Okay... been reading nerd fitness for a good two weeks now. I FINALLY signed up for forums. I am a busy busy yoga teacher who also loves long distance bike rides. After reading more about body fat and the ideal amounts for endurance atheles I decided to try cross training into weight training. I am currently at 26% body fat... two weeks ago I was at 26.6% so its working! My goal is to get to 20%. That way I can keep up with my husband on our long bike rides. Also, its important to me to 'practice what I preach'. I have private students all with their own needs. Some of them would greatly benefit from weight training. I want to make sure that I can do what I suggest to others in a safe and healthy manner. I have much more to my story but today this is where I am at. Namaste and live long and prosper! Krislyn