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Welcome to the Orchard, where the Druids are gathering this Spring. Pull up a blanket or a cushion and enjoy the warming breeze as it plays through the fruit blossoms. What attracted your to the Druids? What do you hope to accomplish this turn of the challenge?

Hey everyone! So, I am doing a level 1 challenge for 2/20-3/11, since I started up a little late. My goals are: Food: log food (still deciding between writing it down, logging in the battle logs, or using MFP - think I will go with logging it here in the thread actually); cut out all soda and juice, and cut down on milk consumption to 2-3x/week MAX. Fitness: incorporate bodyweight workout 1x/week to start (and keep walking, I've been doing that daily or almost daily). Life: 5 minutes of meditation per day. This is one of the keystone habits I've been struggling the most with. I'm really excited to be in the guild and enjoying reading about everyone's challenges. Thanks so much for your support.

Hi! Happy New Challenge Time! Recently, I've been reading this website healthybrains.org and it's pretty straightforward. And with a new challenge coming up...well... Pillar 1. Physical Exercise- This is going to be straightforward. 40 minutes of aerobic activity 5 days a week, strength training 3 days, yoga 6 days. Just check off the boxes and get it done, Snarky. Pillar 2. Food and Nutrition- 3 meals a day with a fruit and or vegetable at each meal. I already limit red meat and cured meats, but I can cut out snacking (goodbye, you luscious cookies) Pillar 3. Medical Health- UGH. This one. During this challenge, I am going to find an OB/GYN and a dermatologist and make appointments. I also have a dental appointment and I'm NOT canceling it. No more putting this off (like I have for a year) After I make my appointments, I need to write to my general practitioner with an update. Pillar 4. Sleep and Relaxation- I AM NOT GOOD AT THIS SLEEPING/RELAXING STUFF. But I CAN be. I'm going to stick to a sleep schedule and retrain my body to stay asleep. I'm also going to have more unplugged time away from screens since they stress me out. MY EYE KEEPS TWITCHING Y'ALL!!!. Pillar 5. Mental Fitness- Keep working on learning Spanish and playing the ukulele to make new brain wrinkles and have some fun. Pillar 6. Social Interaction- Reach out to friends/family at least once a week. No being weird and reclusive for more than a week anymore. Also, photo theme this time is SLEEPING ANIMALS!!! Goodnight!

Oh my gosh, that's a giant puppy. Screw it, Giant Sleepy Puppy stays. It's so cuuuuuuute. awwwwww. Let's find some other puppies.... Awwwww this one has wet paws and doesn't look like he's happy with that. WAIT WAIT WAIT....ONE MORE ONE MORE HE'S SO HAPPY TO SEE YOU!!! When I feel blue, sometimes I do an image search of puppies. I also look at puppies in waiting rooms when I'm really nervous. Looking at puppies makes me feel good. I like puppies. Is this challenge just about puppies? You know what? This challenge is ALL about puppies... Every day there is a list of things that accumulate in my head. Things that I'd like to do. Not things I have to do, just things I'd like to do. Play the piano, practice the ukulele, clean the kitchen, do some laundry, wash my hair. And each thing feels really overwhelming so I spend a lot of time sitting and looking out the window, wishing I could be doing something else, absently refreshing social media sites that do nothing to help my mood. I'm not completely lost, I mean, I count calories and cook meals. Yesterday was 50 degrees and sunny and I got a lot done. But then it got grey, and I could feel it settle over me. The greyness gets to me. The constant feeling of dusk that is only relieved by night. So I figured for this challenge, I need to just get things done and regain a feeling of efficacy. And look at puppies. Puppies are like sunshine. So back to goals and puppies: 1. Limit social media to Thursday evenings and news on Sundays. 2. When I feel overwhelmed, look at pictures of puppies. 3. When I think "I'd like to, or "I wish I could", DO it. Don't overthink it, don't let the greyness get in, just do it! 4. Celebrate with NF pals with listed accomplishments and pictures of puppies. PUPPY

Welcome to the druids' cave, where ice patches create intricate designs on the walls, and a fire crackles merrily in the center. Grab a fur or two and join us near the warmth. Pour a cup of tea and tell us of your journey: Where you have been What you have seen Where you hope to go What you seek.

Happy New Year Everyone! I created a battle log to keep track of overall goals for 2017. My goals for January are already set, so I just copied and pasted here. 1st month goals: to lose 8 pounds run up the stairs without feeling winded Walk 2 miles a day (or 40 minutes of cardio) stop hiding food Learn ukulele chords Get Spanish fluency to 20% on Duolingo Draw every day I wanted to focus on getting something done each day. Winter is a hard time of year for me, and instead of focusing on feelings and thoughts, I'm just going to do something everyday. Exercise for my health, drawing for my work, Spanish for my skills, and ukulele for my joy. I'm going to track my daily to-do list using the Habitica app. I really like the dailies feature and how it resets itself so I don't have to continuously write in "Spanish" everyday. I just check the box when it's done. What I'm NOT going to do with the app is get involved in parties and try to collect everything. I did that last time, and that led to a special kind of madness. I'm off to a good start. I worked out this morning, and practiced my Spanish lessons (I'm at 19%, so this is an easy goal this month). Now I'm going to clean, draw, and reward myself with some uke practice. I think.....No. Not going to think too much, so I'll end this here. Happy New Year, everyone! We can do this

As the year gathers itself inward to the longest night, join us by the fire in the cave. Pull up a stone to sit upon, and tell us your tale. What are your goals? Where are you going? How do you plan to get there?

For this last 2016 challenge, I've got two goals. 1. Keep a journal. I really like the set up I had during Whole 30. I would write about my sleep, what I ate, track my exercise and water, and then reflect on the day. I felt like I was on top of things, and it was a great way to build habits I still do today. It was just a nice way to see what was going on, make decisions and just stay calm and focused on goals. 2. Make goals and an action plan for 2017. I have a wishlist of things I'd like to accomplish in 2017, but I think where I went wrong in 2016 was that I lacked a plan of action. For next year, I'm going to really get SMART about it, and set myself up for success, instead of making more work for myself with vague and lofty wishlists. This next month will be challenging for me. There's going to be some personal stuff going on, and this month will be great practice in keeping a good mindset when chaos is swirling around. Because I don't think things will ever calm down or settle. So I'm learning to not wait for the opportune moment, but just take ANY moment to get something accomplished. Right now, I'm taking this moment to take a nap. THE POWER OF NAPS!!! Okay guys, have a great challenge!!

I found this design on Threadless. I think I need this Tyrannosaurus Shirt. T-Shirt. Hehehehehehe Oh man, Rexy and I have so much in common, except I don't have tiny arms, and I am no quitter. We do share a lack of flexibility and balance that is pretty hilarious. I love yoga. I can't do triangle pose without a chair, I can't do downward facing dog without bending my knees, and forget one one-legged poses. So for this challenge, I'll work in my balance, strength and flexibility and really enjoy practicing yoga and never give up. I'm also buying that tshirt. No spreadsheets or grades. I either do it or I storm off like Rexy. November is a hectic month for me. Lots of good things happening, but also some stressful things, and So... simple is good. Have a great challenge everyone!

Hi there! I realize how basic this question is and don't worry, I know that nobody here is a doctor so I'm not going to look for medical opinions or take anything as fact! I know when to and when not to push myself; after all, I've had this a long while now. The low down; I have a health issue that means I've lost a lot of weight, find myself stuck in bed up to 18 hours a day and dizzy and fatigued. I do have a few hours or, if I'm lucky, a day, in which I feel energized again. It can vary. There is treatment and surgery on the table so I'm waiting for that; once that happens I ought to be back to my old surfing, adventuring self in a matter of weeks! I can't wait to be out surfing again, to begin archery again; and to try a few new things, namely; rock-climbing, free-running, bodyweight exercises (and working on my upper body strength in general), etc. I want to be able to do a pull up. I want to be able to scale a wall, I want to kick a punchbag and look like a bad*ss doing it. That's a month, possibly two - possibly three away. Right now, I can manage a six hour hike on a really good day... or a five minute walk and some really basic stretching on a bad one before I crawl back into bed again. Running, on a good or bad one, can easily leave me, well, zombified. Its a case of hit-and-miss, I guess. So... Caaaan anybody help me think of some really simple, light exercises I can do in the meantime? I realize that I can hardly do any specific training in my state but if anybody knows? I tagged the assassins because I feel that my eventual goals fall in line with them (and boy, I can't wait to join the ranks ), and the druids because yoga is something I can manage without feeling too dizzy, especially the moves that are close to the ground - I'm naturally very flexible (the kind to put my legs over my shoulders and walk on my hands) but I don't know many actual yoga moves or anything; I've never taken a class. Essentially; I've lost a lot of weight having been ill, and despite always being skinny, I've lost any-and-all muscle that I did have. I want to work on that and if there is anything at all that I can do now, in the last stretches of my sickness, I'd like to! Can anybody give me any pointers? Even just certain stretches, some yoga moves, whether they're super basic - or not, because on a good day, I can manage a bit more. Before anyone panics about suggesting something that could set me off and is sat there in doubt of mentioning an exercise; I pinky, pinky promise to consult my doctor/cardiologist first. So don't think - just write it down. Can't hurt, amiright? Thank you, Stella ♥ TL;DR: Super simple stretches, moves or exercises, preferably ones that are, er, close to the ground.

We Meet Again... The Goats are BACK! I mean, did they leave? No. But they're back like, officially back. Edited: after a week and a half of the reality of my life hitting me in the face, I've edited this challenge down to my top priorities: Work and Health. Baby steps to the end goat. Maybe later I can incorporate those other goals, but my plate is full. Goat 1: Draw 2 hours, 5 days a week -I’ve had major artist block this summer. This is #1 for a reason. If I don't draw, I don't work. I need work! Van Goat Goat 2: Cardio 4x a week – I stopped exercising during Whole 30, because I was so damn tired. And I feel so much better when I do! I’m not setting a time limit for a cardio session because I can walk for a really long time, but I can only keep up with a dance video for so long. The goal is to move and make it a habit. I'll get better the more I do it! Goat 3: Strong Workouts 2x a week- I’ve gotten a head start on this, but it often gets left to the side when life gets stressful. Not this challenge! 3x a week for a full body strong workout . This goat works out. Goat 4: Yoga 3x a week- yoga is a restorative practice. I feel stronger in body and mind after a good session of yoga. Yogoat Goat 5: Continue using a food log/ journal to track meals, snacks, water, and thoughts for the day. I think this will keep me from stress-eating cookies. Okay. This is good enough. Let's go!

How's that for a catchy thread title?? I'm Shenani, mom of three, and in need of a health overhaul. Any other parents of wee ones here? My husband is a HUGE nerd, but this is my first foray into nerdery! I'm excited! Question: the Druids is where my heart is, but I've done yoga and meditated for many years. Should I join something more out of my comfort zone? Or stick with what I know?

Rebooting Again...Really? The shit really hit the fans this time. Holy cow has my life changed and required a lot of evaluation. If you check my character page or my blog you'll get all the gritty details. TL;DR Leg pain = doctor's visit = diagnosed as diabetic = still no answer on leg pain. But like always, I pick up the pieces and move on. I have decided to make my quest more epic and bigger. I now have larger goals that are truly big picture that will be broken down into easier to achieve chunks. I now identify as a druid, I've been told that I am quite laid back and at one with nature. I talk to plants, insects, animals, and rocks with equal enthusiasm and curiosity. "Oooh, what are you?" Diet: 2000 Calories a day. 240 g of carbs a day. Drink A gallon of water a day. Fitness: 10 minutes on the treadmill each day. Tai Chi four times a week. Effectively manage my pain. Level Up My Life: 15 minutes of quiet meditation each day. Read material for grad school (chemistry etc.) My epic quest is to get down to 225 lbs from 391. I am sitting at 300 as of 7/12/2016, so I am half way there. I have a couple of other things I'd like to achieve, and those are still in the development phase. Getting to the goal weight is not the end of the journey, but more the end of the tutorial level where I learn how to LIVE and take hold of my dreams.

Hello, one and all, and welcome to my fourth challenge! I'm a little bit late posting this because my silly internet-shire portal wasn't working, and wouldn't allow me to post! For those of you who have followed me in the past, you know that my previous challenge started out strong, but then ended with a whimper and a *poof!* But NO MORE!!! I will make a lasting change in my life and it will start here! So without further ado, welcome to my little hobbit-hole and please enjoy my challenge ​Elven Vitality: ​For my first quest of this challenge, I will be seeking to gain the vitality and energy of the elves, so that I can be like this guy: As I am sure that this requires plenty of focus and dexterity, I will be focusing on yoga for this quest, which helps to develop both. In the past I have overextended myself on my quests by requiring that I do certain activities 5x per week. In order to prevent another - issue - like last time, I will be limiting myself to doing yoga 3x per week, preferably on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, though there is flexibility in this (haha get it? flexibility​). Successfully completing this quest will earn +3 DEX and +10xp Walk to Mordor:​ Well, too bad Boromir, because that is exactly what I'm doing. For the past 9 months or so, I have been embarking on a journey to Mordor, and last week I made it to Rivendell! It has been extremely slow going so far since I can be a bit lazy at times, so as part of this challenge I decided to step up the pace a bit. By the end of this challenge I will have walked 82 miles, which is approximately - hehe - DAY 5 of the Fellowship's journey from Rivendell to Lothlorien (sometimes they make me feel like such a slacker). This will require me to walk a little over 3 miles over the course of each day, which will definitely be challenging me to be up and moving around more! Successfully reaching my goal of 82 miles in 26 days will earn +3 STA and +10xp ​Second Breakfast: ​Throughout my time spent in the NF Academy, my biggest vice has always been the nutrition section. I have put it off for several years at this point, always trying (and failing) to "complete my food log" before moving on to the next step in a healthier me. Well I say NO MORE! For this challenge, I will attempt to reach level 4 of NF Nutrition by the end of the challenge. In order to do that, I will need to eliminate grains from my breakfast for two full weeks. However, first I need to actually eat breakfast in the morning. So for the first 1.5-2 weeks of this challenge I will simply eat any breakfast every weekday (I tend to sleep in on weekends). Then, for the last two weeks of the challenge I will eliminate grains from my breakfast. I just bought a bunch of eggs and plan to just start out eating those for breakfast when I can in order to make the transition easier. Successful completion of this quest will earn +3 CON and +10xp ​A Hen without its Beak: For the past several years I have been attempting to write a fantasy novel. I tend to make excuses for why I don't have the time to work on it, and therefore it has been put to the wayside. I attempted NaNoWriMo this past November and failed pretty hard because I didn't put the time into it. I LOVE to read and write, but I always feel like I have so many other things I should be doing. So for this challenge, I am going to start making writing a priority. My fourth and final quest of this challenge will contain two parts. For the first two weeks of the challenge, I must put 1 hour of work into my book per week, or just under 15 minutes per day, 5x per week. The last two weeks of the challenge I will need to put in 2 hours total per week. This time can consist of anything from researching, to outlining, to actual writing. Successful completion of this quest will earn +3 WIS and +10xp So, there you have it. If you have any questions or suggestions for my challenge, feel free to comment! I'll be making my rounds and looking at other posts soon May your roads go ever on and on, ~Cal

NEW CHALLENGE!!! Last month, I stretched, I cleaned out my closet, stretched daily, took care of my feet, drank more water and defeated a really hard art deadline. During February, I also started doing body weight exercises consistently, and the results from that and the challenge were great. It feels really good to celebrate non-scale victories. It became clear to me that in 2015, I focused too much on restrictions, and becoming smaller. But my world became small, and I found that I felt smaller on the inside while my waistline became bigger. So I put away the scale, and I put away the measuring tape, and I took away all the restrictions and all the judgments. Well, most of the judgments. That's a daily battle. So for this challenge, I'm adding MORE in addition to maintaining the good habits I started last month.. 1. MORE vegetables On a mindful day, I eat 3 servings of veggies and 2 servings of fruit. But I'm not always so mindful, and there are days when I eat okay, but I didn't eat any vegetables! So my goal is to eat more vegetables. It doesn't matter how many. Just more. 1 serving, 2 servings, 6 servings. The goal is to make vegetables a habit. 2. MORE cardio ! I have a really nice schedule of bodyweight and dumb bell exercises going on. However, I have really been awesome at making excuses not to do more cardio. It's cold, I'm tired, I'm hungry, I'm sore, I'm bored. Whatever. I'm going to say 20 minutes of sweaty cardio a day. MORE is awesome! But at least 20 minutes to start. 3. MORE mindfulness and balance. There's a lot I want to accomplish, and I tend to be a completist. So if I start a knitting project, everything else stops until the knitting is done. If I read a book, I stay up until 3am finishing it (actually, sometimes that's just fun) if I have an art project, I just draw 10 hours a day. If I'm cleaning the house, I will spend the whole day until I'm too tired to pick up a bucket. So instead, I'm going to take some time in the morning, plan my day, and then stick to that plan. So maybe in the morning it's clean, workout, emails, and the afternoon is work, cook dinner, and the evenings are read or knit. No more all or nothing. No more obsessive binging on an activity. Balance, mindfulness, and MORE fun too! This is a pretty BIG challenge that may keep popping up, but it's okay. I'm working towards a healthy lifestyle. Side Quest: Art exploration. In the last challenge, I expressed frustration with my art, and felt like my work wasn't authentic. Not that I'm copying other people's work, but in the sense that it's not true to me. It doesn't reflect me as an artist. I've lost my way, and I've lost my voice. This month, I'm going on a non-judgmental art exploration to rediscover what I love and reconnect with my art.

We come back to another round with the Druids. The days are starting to stretch their light out, moving toward balance. Come, pull up a cushion, pour some tea and tell me about your quest. As the earth spins toward the Equinox, what are you working on?

Hello rebels! I did things a little backwards and posted in the challenge section because I was so excited to participate. Then I realized I never even introduced myself, D'oh! But better late than never. I stared at the empty box to type for a while till I could calm the tidal wave of anxiety and now here I am posting again! I'm Syd, 22 years old, female. I get self conscious very easily, (even when posting on the internet!) so one of my major goals is to work on my self confidence.Seriously I took voice lessons for 8+ years and still have never sung for my parents (lol but also ) I'm not happy with the way I'm living my life. I want to be a proactive rather than a reactive person. This site and community seems like a great way to get there! I'm a college student interuptus, I've been on medical leave for two years sorting out my emotional biz and I only have my senior year left. Currently working on the paper work to return in the fall (ugh paper work). Living at home made it easy to pack on pounds. I went from my lowest weight (105lbs) to my highest (138 lbs) in like....4-6 months. Too much Talenti gelato. I'm the opposite of most college students, I actually lose weight when I go to school because I walk everywhere. I really need to focus on cleaning up my diet. I can barely go a day without chocolate...haha. But true. I've been doing a little yoga + meditation and I'd really like to get into that more. I've found mindfulness extremely helpful for dealing with depression+ anxiety + ADD and want to continue to learn. I isolate myself from others because I feel worthless so I hope the friendly vibe here will help. I have a sizable collection of vintage dresses/clothing that I want to fit into again. I love reading. My room has books piled on every surface. One of my long term goals for this site is to start running. ALL THE GOALS. But really I know (from experience) that one small change at a time works best, even if it's had to convince my inner enthusiasm that's the case. I started my fitness journey last year when my mom got certified in weight training and pilates. I'm lucky that she trains me for free (2x pilates, 1x weights per week). I went from completely sedentary (and proud of it) to exercising 3x per week. But I want to work on self-guided working out so I can keep it up at school/the rest of my life. Wow that got long. So final notes: any Adventure Time/Steven Universe/Gravity Falls fans hit me up (those are my current 3 favorite shows) and also here is a picture of my adorable kitty because kitties are the best ice-breaker. My username comes from the funny little sideways hops she (Nico aka"Bean") makes when she wants to play. I call them her spooky feet. -Syd

Hello ladies and gents! I am Calanthia Cobbin of Overhill, a hobbit of the Shire with a desire for adventure and travel! I am truly an Assassin at Heart, however right now my goals align more closely with the Druids, so I hope you all don't mind if I visit for a short time I've been naming my challenges off of chapters in Lord of the Rings, and this is my third challenge, which happens to also coincide with the third chapter of The Fellowship of the Ring, titled "Three is Company," hence the Topic title. *For those of you who don't like blocks of text, the tl;dr version of this post consists of the highlighted sections! * My (very generalized) main quest is to lose weight and become stronger over the next year or so, however I've realized through my previous two challenges that I'm not really in-touch with my body and my mind, resulting in a tendency to be very stressed and lazy. My husband's favorite phrase is "you're acting so depressed lately," but I think that is an insult to those who actually suffer from depression. However, he does have a point. I need to learn what my body needs and take care of it. So without further ado, I present: Calanthia Cobbin's Quest for Mindfulness! Prepare for Battle: the first quest of this challenge is to prepare for daily battles! Or in its simplest form, stretching. Specifically, I will be following the NerdFitness cooldown/stretching routine at least 5x per week. Extra credit may be earned for stretching more than 5 times per week. This is a repeat quest from my most recent challenge because frankly, I failed at it. So, I'm giving myself a second chance! This quest is designed to help me to be more mindful of my body and how it feels/ how it can or cannot move, etc. as well as with my flexibility (and let me limber up to face the day), so successful completion will earn +3 DEX and 10 xp on my epic quest. Mind the Lembas: my second quest requires me to be mindful of the fuel that I am using to power my body. This is something that I struggle with as I tend to "inhale" my food and I also like to stare at the TV or my phone while I eat rather than focusing on what I'm eating. This causes me to be less full, end up eating more later... you get the idea. This quest involves three parts, all of which must be met for each meal 5x per week (weekends are free in case my husband wants to have a movie night ) 1. I must track everything I eat, even snacks and times where "I just had one." This will help me to maintain awareness of how much I REALLY eat during the day. 2. I must not be looking at a screen while I am eating. I am allowed to read a book while eating, however it is recommended that I simply focus on what I am eating and how I am chewing. 3. Between bites I must put down my utensils and/or empty my hands. This will allow me to slow down and listen to my body when I get full, which is one of the biggest issues I have right now when it comes to food. Successful completion of this quest may give up to +3 CON and 10 xp towards my epic quest. Strength of a Different Kind: For this third quest I am of course referring to strength of mind. I often find myself lacking the will power to do much of anything these days, and I think that has something to do with the mental beating I took throughout college, which I finished last May and never truly recovered from. Therefore, throughout this challenge I will meditate for at least 5 minutes each day, 5 days per week. When I was in college I would sometimes sit on the floor and just listen to my own heartbeat and breathing as a sort of mental break. At the time I had no idea that I was basically meditating. It helped me tremendously when my brain felt fried and I hope that bringing back that habit will grant me the mental strength to go about my day in a productive manner. Because I feel that honing my mental strength leads to wisdom, successful completion of this quest will grant +3 WIS and 10 xp. Resting in the Heart of Lothlorien: Another potential cause of my constant moodiness and lack of will power is that my emotional strength has waned as well. I'm currently in the process of taking care of my husband while he is going through medical school, which means that I essentially run the house. This often leaves me stressed, frustrated, and emotionally running on empty because I'm not what you would call your typical "housewife." I am also a huge homebody, and can go for literal DAYS without stepping foot outside except to stick my dog on his leash to do his business. Therefore, my challenge to myself is to spend at least 75 minutes per week outside in nature (15 minutes per day, 5x per week). The time it takes me to walk between my car and various buildings or going out to check the mail doesn't count. These 15 minutes must be spent in a relatively restful state. This can include going for a walk, reading on my porch, going to the park, or even just sitting and thinking. I just need to be outside, get some sunlight, and take some time to renew my mind and my emotions each day. Completion of this quest will give me up to 10 xp and +3 STA, as it will hopefully give me the ability to carry on with my daily tasks. I plan to post on here almost every day since I need to post my food journal here for accountability, though since life gets busy I'm expecting a few "info dump" days. Good luck to those of you that are also doing challenges, I'll be around checking out what everyone else is doing shortly May your roads go ever on and on! ~Cal

I'm Snarkyfishguts, and I'm new to the Druids. Hi everyone! I like the Druids because after reading about the general aims of the group, I thought "that aligns with my goals!" I took some time off from nerdfitness (and a lot of my life) to take care of myself. My PCOS was out of control, I was severely depressed, and I didn't know how to fix it, I just knew I had to stop rushing forward, look around me and address what was happening in my life at that moment. Sparing you the details, I eventually got my PCOS under control, my depression is a very low level, and I'm dealing with my everyday life with a healthier mindset. In some ways I feel stronger than ever, and in others, I feel fragile. I think it's a promising place to be. My goal for 2016 is to live in a healthy way. I'd like to lose weight, sure, but just eating well, sleeping well, living well is the priority for me right now. And this month, I'm going to start slow for my goals 1. Stretch everyday. I want to be someone who is flexible! 2. Take care of my feet. My feet are very sad looking. I want them to look pretty and feel soft even though it's mid-winter. 3. Clean out my closet. I feel a tightness in my chest when I open my closet. I want to feel like I can breathe when I open it up That's it. It's a small beginning but I'm excited to get started again

Druids, how was your January? Pull up a cushion, grab a mug of tea, and tell us how the challenge went. What were your successes? What caused stumbles? What surprises did you find along the way? And of course, please share your insights. What did you learn? Will you be carrying pieces from January into February's challenge? Will you be with the Druids next round or will you visit a different guild, and why? Feel free to link to your February challenge in your reply.

Greeting, friends. This challenge sees me returning to an older ethic of diet and exercise while continuing to cultivate musical skills. In many ways, it represents a return to the things that surrounded me in childhood -- music, imagination, natural exercise and my grandmother's garden. Like one or two others, I've chosen to also renew an interest in the elements to frame the work: Earth: Body. Focus on Nutrition Following the best advice I've ever seen via 'In Defense of Food' - eat (real) food, not too much, mostly plants - my goals are: 1. Plant-based food in every meal, eaten first. 2. Smaller portions, eaten slowly. Slowly. Not like a starving warthog. 3. More water, less caffeine and alcohol. One large Nalgene per day of water; smaller cups for caffeine and alcohol. Air: Mind. Focus on Imagination For MANY years, a friend and I have threatened to unleash a fantasy novel upon the hordes of nerdy readers we love so dearly. This year, we agreed to a structure: 1. One page or 15 minutes per day. Make-ups are allowed, since not every day is conducive to writing, but the norm should be one 15-minute writing block (using pomodoro method). Fire: Action. Focus on Fitness This April, 11 of my friends and I will tackle Ragnar SoCal. I'm leg 4 (5k, 10k, 10k), which is well within my comfort zone. Still, we need to prepare and I need to do some two-a-days eventually. Also, I've discovered a love of the ergometer (aka rowing machine). Also also, I accepted a 1000 mile challenge for the year and a 'streaking' paradigm of 20-mile weeks. So... 1. Run 20 miles per week in any configuration, at least 4 runs per week. No make-ups. 2. Row at least twice a week for 30 minutes. Water: Heart. Focus on Music I've been learning bass guitar for several challenges now, and will just continue: 1. Two lessons per week on Scott's Bass Academy, 2. 15 minutes of practice every day. Again, make-ups are permitted. So there's my outline. I have accountability for every goal except music, but that one is the easiest to want to do. With the new format, I'm hoping to step up/tweak/continue on the next couple of challenges as well. Points: no. Pass/fail per week. Reward: um....not sure. I'll think on this one.

"This battle isn't going very well, Doc. Any suggesti..." "Mega Man!? Rock! Come in my boy" A final shot took out the Blue Bomber. Time to try it again. I have been largely absent from the boards recently and I could give excuses until I was blue in the face (see what I did there?), but I wont. I'm ready to continue. I have a few goals for this challenge and as an added bonus, I have inspired my family to start one as well, albeit offline. Joining me offline is my mother, my step father, Pizzazz, Jitters Junior and Jitter Bug. It's going to be a great year! I'm going to workout 3 days/week 0/3 Weekly 0/12 4WC I will only have one serving of dinner each night 0/7 Weekly 0/28 4WC I am going to practice guitar 3 days per week with a minimum of 15 minutes per practice. 0/3 Weekly 0/12 4WC BONUS LEVEL! RAK at least 1/week. I want to keep up the mojo from the Christmas season and keep giving back. 0/1 Weekly 0/4 4WC I'll add more fluff as work allows this week. I'm pretty busy and loving it. Let's do this!

For this challenge I'm going to take on something that I find very difficult: Being gentle but disciplined, rather than swinging madly between extremes of bravada and exhaustion. I have a nasty tendency to push too hard, particularly physically, then go *splat* for a few days and feel guilty for not doing anything. It's obviously not the best way to do things, so I'm going to try something different. Main quest: Get into the habit of doing simple, low-stress and knees-safe fitness with yoga, Pilates, isometric exercise and whatever else is appropriate, with particular emphasis on building strength in the thigh muscles. The goal is to stabilize the knees and reduce pain rather than increasing it, by using slow, conscious and careful movement. (++STR, +CON, +STA) Subquest #1: Weight reduction. I'm aiming for the lower half of the 170s this time, and I also want to add more fiber to my diet, reduce the amount of diet soda I drink, and cut back somewhat on meat. I also want to be more selective in terms of restaurant food, going for independents rather than national chains. (+CON, +CHR) Subquest #2: Offload as much stress as I can by doing one small thing every day to clear up old projects. To this end I'm going to make up a master to-do list of Things That Bug Me and cross things off one by one. I'm also going to get back into regular meditation, and wind back my bedtime bit by bit to improve my sleep habits. (+WIS, +CON) Life Quest: Memorize "Linus and Lucy" by Vince Guaraldi. I love, love, love this piano piece, and with the holidays (and A Charlie Brown Christmas) coming up fast, I want to finish learning the improv solo in the middle and polish the rest of it so that I can sit down at a piano anywhere, anytime and just play it from memory. (+WIS, ++DEX, +CHR) Now, about that to-do list... (wanders off to find a sheet of paper)

HI! I'm not really sure what to put here but I heard that it was good to have a battle log to keep you motivated. Hopefully you'll bear with me while I figure this out. I'm always open for suggestions and new ideas. Here goes nothing. I've tried and failed in the past to get healthy. Last year I really committed to it but then had to stop working out due to constantly hurting myself. I finally went to a doctor to get checked out (due to encouragement and a fair pit of coercion by my now-husband). It turned out that I had congenital hip dysplasia. Basically my hips never formed correctly. I was told that I would need to get both of my hips replaced or wait until it progressed until i was able to walk. Long story short, I had both of my hips replaced, one in June and the other August. Since then I've been trying to get back on my feet (ha!) and get healthy. Thanks to the support of my fellow rebels I completed my first 6 week challenge last week. You guys are so awesome! I am looking forward to my next 6 week challenge coming up in a couple of weeks. In the mean time, I'm going to keep the momentum going by tracking my progress here. Thanks for reading and good luck! 10/27/14 Body Weight Squat5 reps5 reps5 reps8 repsOne-Arm Dumbbell Row15 lb x 6 reps15 lb x 6 reps15 lb x 6 reps15 lb x 10 repsDumbbell Bench Press15 lb x 6 reps15 lb x 6 reps15 lb x 6 reps15 lb x 10 reps (PR)Reverse Crunch10 reps10 reps10 reps (PR)Lying Back Extension12 reps12 reps12 reps (PR)

Name: NikaNika Level: 3.5 Note: Almost didn't write this today... but feel like I should. I will be taking my last session's challenges and minimizing the goals to be more narrowed/specific, as well as focus on losing weight because I am entirely frustrated with my body. Recently got a scale to more accurately track my weight as well, since guessing and avoiding scales appears to have backfired for me. Main Quest ☽☥☾ Lose Weight (lose 6-12 lbs by challenge end) Explore Connection to Body. Embody Peace of Mind. Challenge Quest Breakdown Earth Eat with Healthy Patterns that boost metabolism; eat upon waking, eat smaller proportions more frequently and lessen any sessions of binging. Track meals with any journal/record wanted. Water Drink water! Drink around 96 ounces every day (that's 3 water bottles full). Also, take vitamin e supplements for skin health. Air Breathe. Practice mindfulness, acceptance, forgiveness. Seek to understand and explore why I feel the way I do about myself, rather than just feel miserable on a surface level about it. Who am I and what do I really want? Meditate and don't forget to breathe. Fire Sweat! Sweat every day, somehow, someway. Strive for around 15 minutes of pure sweat, and 30-45 minutes of fitness work. Every day, so minimum of 7 sessions, not including flexibility sessions. + Three Sessions of HIIT (15-30min each)+ One Session of Total Body Strength+ One Session of Upper Body Strength+ One Session of Lower Body Strength+ Two Sessions of Flexibility (most likely Yoga).Akasha Study the Self and Learn. Find Peace of Mind and Seek Tranquility within Following Desires/Goals. Love the Body how it is for what it is. Motivation Believe in Yourself You are Worthy Your Life is Meaningful Existence in the world is fleeting Embody such knowledge with gratitude STATS Age: 25, Height: 5’ 5†Starting Weight: 180 lbs Current Weight: 206 lbs. Prospective Weight: 140 lbs. Starting Race: Wood Elf Current Race: Hobbit Prospective Race: Valkyrie Attribute Points STR: 4 DEX: 2 STA: 5 CON: 6 WIS: 7 CHA: 8 Grading Rubric Earth Mission A – Eating smaller proportions, frequently over the course of a day. B – Choosing healthy food choices (plants, non-fast food/freezer food). C – Eating upon waking. F – None of these. Water Mission A – Drink 96 oz / day B – Drink 64 oz / day C – Drink 32 oz / day D – Drink less than 32 oz / day F – Less than 8 oz / day Air Mission A – Mindful, peaceful, breathing deep, well, and often. B – Mindful, breathing deep and often. C – Breathing deep. F – At war with self. Fire Mission A – Sweat during Fitness 30 min / day. B – Sweat during Fitness 15 min / day. C – Sweat during Fitness (sporadic timing) / day. D – Sweat without tracking or not daily. F – No sweating. Akasha Mission A – Study self through Journaling and Reflect upon what can be seen and learned. B – Observe the Self. C – Embody the Self. D – Focus on the External. F – No connection or exploration of Self.