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Main Quest To live a healthy and balanced life by exercising and trying to eat healthy. My motivation As it’s the new year, full of promise and potential, I thought I’d go big or go home, right out of the gate. I need to get back to my regular calorie counting diet with healthy doses of exercise as I’ve fallen out of practice with both. I’ve maintained the 1200 calories per day, M-F with blow meals on the weekends and have been going to the gym for about 45 minutes M-F, but I’ve found loopholes and caved in more than I should so I’m knuckling down again, mostly to be better, but also because I’ve got my first real physical at the end of January and want to drop some pounds before then. Even though I enjoy weight lifting, I feel like I need to drop some weight first before being able to properly tone up. Smaller Quests 1. Walking This seems to fit well into: 1. What I am willing to do for exercise (ie. NOT running!) and 2. What I can do for exercise over my lunch break without making me too exhausted or too sweaty. Scoring: x/40 miles in 4 weeks Reward: +4 to STA (+1 for every 10 miles completed) 2. Yoga I enjoy yoga and so to add some balance to my walking, I will be doing the 30 Days of Yoga from Darebee again. Scoring: x/30 days of yoga Reward: +3 to WIS (+1 for every 10 days completed successfully) 3. Eating Better This is the big one for this challenge as I’ve done both #1 and #2 before with other challenges. I’ve cut down on my processed sugar in challenges before too, but this time, I really need to buckle down so it sticks long-term. No sugary snacks M-F and more veggies instead and only 1 blow day on weekends! I will be cutting out the processed junk food and as many carbs as I can while eating healthy. I will also be trying to limit my blow meals to 1 weekend day, rather than Friday night through Sunday. This worked when I first lost the weight, so it should hopefully, kickstart this again for me! I’m also going to attempt to cut out my weekday soda as it’s wasted, processed sugar. If I need a caffeine boost in the afternoon, I will have more coffee or a Bai. 1. No soda (save for ginger ale, as it helps my digestion) 2. No processed, sugary junk foods M-F and limited on the weekends 3. More veggies 4. 1 blow day per weekend Scoring: x/5 weekends of only having 1 blow day x/25 of not having sugary snacks M-F Reward: +4 to CON for weekend success & +4 to CHA for sugary snacks weekdays

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 enjoy doing themed workouts and for this challenge it will be in honor of the Greek goddess Athena, for whom my main quest is geared towards with the Darebee Athena’s Playbook workout. Smaller Quests 1. Athena’s Playbook = Body Weight Exercises/General Fitness I was on a two week vacation in February but now it’s time to crack down and get back into shape. I’m back with the Warrior’s Guild for this challenge because Athena is the goddess of heroes, warriors, battle, intelligence and wisdom. I’ve never tried Darebee before so we’ll see how I like their programs. I’m starting with Athena’s Playbook because it’s geared towards general fitness which, I hope, will help me with toning and strength. Scoring: x/30 days Reward: +5 to STR 2. Anti-Sugar Goddess = Sweet Treats With vacation, my sweet tooth has gotten way out of control, so I need to rein it in. As a warrior and battle goddess, Athena needs to be in top physical and mental health to be able to fight to the best of her ability. Doing so requires good foods, not junk foods with sugar for energy. Because of my blow meals on weekends, I’m going to try to only have sweet treats on the weekends. I’m considering “sweet treats” to be things with high amounts of processed sugars like Oreos, ice cream, cookies, etc. Scoring: x/20 days Reward: +4 to CON & +4 to CHA 3. Owl-Eyed Lady = Meditation With a heavy focus this challenge on getting back into the fitness routine, I want to add in meditation simply because I think it helps focus my mind on internal stuff. As the goddess of wisdom, Athena would know her own mind very well. So I want to practice meditation at least once a week. Scoring: x/4 weeks Reward: +2 to WIS

They had been gathering for weeks now, making their homes at various corners and crevices of the cities. Individuals of all races dressed in bright reds and purples. Honestly, it was a bit garish at first sight. Large banners hung around their necks declaring the end of days, death to the world, and visions of green fire. It didn’t phase the adventurer. She had heard these declarations before, taken up arms, and defeated the looming threat. The victories weren’t always celebratory. Many had been solemn, but relieving. If there was something lurking, she had little doubt that it could be handled. * * * ”You are weak. The darkness will consume you. You are nothing.” She knew that smell; the smell of bitter sulfur. The corruption of fel. It was not the words that jostled her awake, but that smell. All was still in the alcove she called home in the Inn. A few snores, a goblin chattering about money, and the aroma of dying embers were all that surrounded her. Were they getting to her? Had she read too many of those ridiculous pamphlets? “Go back to sleep.” A timid command to herself, as though she was pushing herself to do so. Everything would be fine. Everything was fine. Until it wasn’t. * * * News of the tragedy and loss at the Broken Shores spread quickly. One would say faster than a warlock’s affliction. She felt for them. All of them. Had they witnessed what she had seen and done, she wasn’t sure if they would meet her own level of composure. On the outside, all was calm. On the inside, she was...a mess. A jumbled mess of mixed emotions; sadness, anger, rage, guilt, fear, confusion. The questions just kept coming from within, asking if she did enough, could she have done more, why didn’t they stay, and could they truly win this war that was now upon them? She was pulled from her muddled and darkening mind at the sound of a scream. The scream ripped through her filled with a level of terror she had never heard in her lifetime. Another followed, this time in a different direction. Then another, and another. The faint smell of sulfur filled her nose and the too familiar sticky warmth of green fire nearly burned her skin. There was no time to react and no time to get the innocent to safety. Not before she brandished her weapon and, without a second thought, rushed into the fray. * * * The healers and priests hadn’t slept for days. Parts of the city had been blocked by groups of worried soldiers. It was clear what had been causing the sudden outbreaks of insanity and demons. They were trying to turn everyone against each other. In the midst of the chaos, people killed their friends and allies without a second thought. It was only after the madness ended anyone realized what had happened. It had put the city on edge, which was a danger unto itself. “This is the fifth time this week, old man. I’m going to start charging extra,” she said in a joking tone as she dropped the still sparking lizard tails next to the fisherman. He, like many of the older orcs, gave a gruff laugh as she did. Handing her a bag that smelled all too ripe of fish guts and sea water, she bade him farewell with wave of her hand. ”Give in to the darkness. Drink in the power. Let the energy consume you…” She turned quickly, looking to either side of her as well, confused and alarmed. Someone had been talking - no, whispering - to her. They had been right there, hadn’t they? Had she been under the water too long earlier? Too many tiny shocks during her gathering? ”Consume you…” Her eyesight grew blurred, and the air around her was thick and stale. The people of the city, faces she knew, seemed...different. Dark, twisted, and paranoid. Her head felt heavy, as though her mind was filled with countless weights. The weight worsened with each step she took, and soon everything seemed to swallow itself. A dark void colored the sky with green fire streaking throughout. Later she would not be able to recall the details of how and why it happened, but perhaps it was for the best. She had no control over each swing of a strange weapon in her hands, no pull on the dangerous magics seeping from her. All she knew was that the relief that came over her when she fell to the ground unconscious was welcomed. She never wished to feel that way again. When the adventurer came to and heard of her actions, it stung. The pain was worse than any she had felt in the past. This could not continue. She could not allow them to tear her world - her very being - apart. This time her battle would not only be to bring salvation to all, but to redeem herself as well. The Legion forces threaten not only the world, but those who live within it. With both body and mind susceptible to their attacks, it is imperative to remain in good health. Perhaps you have relied too heavily on them in the past, but potions and spells are not always the answer. Balanced meals, movement and activity, along with being well-rested. Though they are simple and foundational steps, everyone seasoned adventurer needs a reminder. SANITY METER: 70/100 Quest 1: Eat a nutritional breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Rylaks Claws and Miner’s Coffee aren’t going to cut it! Be sure to add an element of protein to give you a needed boost of energy to your meals. Find ways to “hide” vegetables if the siblings are in house for dinner. Make the effort to add more salads to meals. Look for easy-to-prep options for all meals! Also, take the time to make yourself said meals. You have it, so use it wisely. Make the Bronze Dragonflight proud! TANK ALERT: Skipping meals is a big no-no! If you know you won’t be able to make it to an Inn in time, break a snack along for the ride or give yourself enough time to eat a bigger meal at another time. Too many meals skipped, costs you some of your sanity. (-5 sanity per skipped meal) Quest 2: Move around. You have a choice. You can choose to sit, or you can choose to move. Sitting doesn’t always accomplish anything. Moving accomplishes more. Do something to keep everything circulating, stretched, and ready for anything. Make it count. Heading from one room to another? Don’t just walk! Jog, dance, lunge, or skip. Check the mail! You never know when an auction will sell for a good bit of gold. DPS ALERT: Going from the computer to the couch is NOT moving around. You’re just going from sitting to sitting. Sorry, but your DPS is not going to help fight the good fight! If you haven’t done ANY activity that counts, your sanity is going to dwindle. (-10 sanity for a lack of meaningful movement on any day) Quest 3: Form a concrete sleep schedule & Be Good To Yourself! You know that, once it’s dark outside, no one wants to roam Azshara, Tanaan, or any of those wooded areas. Especially Tirisfal. You won’t miss anything, so when you’re tired, go to sleep. Stop making yourself stay up for whatever reason. Most likely that reason will still be there in the morning. Besides, the early bird catches the worm, and I hear that’s what a few of the undead citizens like in their morning meals. Be sure to keep personal hygiene in check! You feel good when you do! Why neglect yourself of that feeling. HEALER ALERT: Small, 20-minute power naps are okay! Maybe you’re just feeling groggy for whatever reason. These days and times happen. Falling into hour or more long naps? Not okay! You’re not paying attention to your body’s signals for when you’re tired and you need sleep! Keeping yourself clean also plays a huge part in this! Not only is sleep good for you, but also feeling fresh and clean wakes you up and helps you take on the world! (-5 sanity any time a nap lasts longer than 20 minutes if taken or personal hygiene lacks) Bonus Quest: Get others involved! Your life is not like group and raid finder. You have a solid party that you can gather together to help you through this. Announce when you’re going for a walk. Suggest better meal ideas. Ask for prep help. Work together and you will be victorious! (+5 sanity for any time you get a family member involved in your journey)

Once again, Red finds himself stumbling across the path. He looks around and notices that he's no longer where he was before facing the Blood Knight, "Wait... Again?!" He yells out loud. "OK I need to find a way to see the end of at least one of these things!" Despite his frustrations with himself, he presses on. He notices he's surrounded by ground that's eerily plain, the air feels strange and different from the poison mist from before, it feels... evil. Brushing that aside, he lectures himself on making sure he's present when moving on to the next part of the journey. "Go back..." "Huh? What was that?" Red looks around, and doesn't see anything, there's no one and nothing but empty hills for miles, it's surprizing he didn't notice them in the first place. "Go back..." "There it is again. That doesn't sound like the wind... That sounds like..." And before he could finish his thought, the ground trembles, and as if coming out of water, Skeletons arise from around him! "Of course, I'd fight skeletons on my way to fighting the Lich!" Red notices that some of the skeletons have armor, others have better weapons, and others still are glowing with an unholy glow. "Very well then, Bring it on!" Workout Broken up - I'm finding my workout time being more and more limited, so to compensate for this, I'll do half a workout on one day, and the other half the next day Workout A: Push-ups, Dips, Leg Raises, Plank - If the Assassin mini can replace one of these then I'll fit it in. Workout B: Pull-ups, Chin-ups, Leg Raises, Shadowboxing - Note: that all these will have my Ankle/Wrist Weights Clean eating - I'm going to make sure I eat healthier, implementing more salads or fruit, instead of pure meat/pasta. Prayer - I'm going to try to pray a rosary every day. I have planned that this'll be on my commute to/from work, but I need to make sure that it's done everyday. Red X Cosplay - In August will be my very first convention: Nerdcon 2016! And as such, my brothers, nieces, and I want to attempt cosplaying for this exciting event. We've all decided on DC characters and I've chosen to be Red X from Teen Titans, and I'm going to make sure that I finish at least buying all of the components of my costume before this challenge is over. Already Have: Mask, Cape, Belt Need: Gloves, Shoes/Boots/ Shirt, Pants Need to do: Put red X's on Mask, Gloves, Shirt

Me over the holidays: Me in my head, going forward: I'm so lazy that I am a week late to a 4 week challenge. But at least I'm here at last! Goal One: Eat Healthy and Lose Weight Create good habits.Make it easier to make healthy choices.Track all food. Goal Two: Be More Active Get back to twice weekly gym visitsGo hiking every weekendPersonal Goal: Read constantly. My goal for the year is 50 books. I intend to surpass my goal. Right now I am re-reading the Anita Blake series. While I was off work after Christmas, I read a book per day. Now that I am back to work, it takes me about 3-4 days per book. Should still get done the 26-book series pretty quickly. One of the reasons I chose this as my first series of the year is that Anita Blake is a strong, ass-kicking necromancer who's got a black belt in Judo and lifts heavy, runs, and takes absolutely no one's bull. She's also 5'3", just like me, but WAY less Hobbitish. Day One Food so far: Breakfast was a wrap with ground beef, mozza, hummus, lettuce, yellow peppers and spring onions. On the side I had the rest of the yellow pepper and some cucumber. Tea with a tiny bit of honey and milk. I will be refraining from honey in my tea going forward, unless I have a sore throat. I have an apple on my desk in case I need a snack before lunch. Lunch will be a sandwich with ham, sharp aged cheddar and hummus. Another apple on the side. Dinner I haven't decided on completely yet. Chicken drumsticks with a large veggie side. TBD. My goal today is to not have any snacks that aren't fruit/veggies.

Hey everyone! This is a rough draft for my first 6 week challenge of the year. Things will be more detailed later. My computer can't connect to the Internet, so I'm having to write this from memory on my phone. I normally remember things pretty well, but I'm currently pregnant and very forgetful. That being said, on with my goals! 1. Eat healthy/eat regularly. Eating isn't normally a problem for me, but ever since I got pregnant I have had a hard time eating. I either don't eat what I should or I forget to eat something I'm supposed to be eating. Each day I need to eat: 3 servings of dairy 3 servings of protein 1 cup of fruit 2-3 cups of vegetables 2. Get up and MOVE! I need to exercise 3x a week. I am planning on alternating between prenatal yoga and walking. 3. Relax. I need to take at least 5 minutes a day and just chill out. I can do this by meditating, reading my Bible, reading a book 2 or playing video games.

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 I’ve discovered that I love lifting heavy things! Since this challenge runs through November, I’m going to attempt the impossible and participate in NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) again. I participated in the 2007 (11,201 words), 2008 (10,640 words) and 2009 (5,108 words) NaNoWriMo challenges but never finished (or even come close); mostly due to lack of focus or story plot. (Although one year, my files got corrupted so I lost all of my work through no fault of my own.) Since NaNoWriMo is basically an endurance trial I will be back with the Scout Guild for this challenge. I know I can write 50,000 words in a story since my own original novel is 51, 273 words. But that took me years to write. So NaNoWriMo seems like an impossible task to me. However, I lost over 50lbs when I put my mind to it. I restrict myself to 1200 calories per day, Monday through Friday with willpower. I gained muscles and strength through sheer diligence at weight lifting. I started learning Spanish through practice and determination. I ran 30 minutes straight just because I wanted to see if I could… So, screw logic and forget my lack of a plot, I’m going for it! Smaller Quests NaNoWriMo I’ve participated several times in the past in NaNoWriMo although I’ve never managed to complete it. I figure since this challenge basically falls throughout the month of November, and since I don’t really have any other goals in mind, I may as well give it another shot. Scoring: /5 Reward: +5 WIS (one for each 10,000 words I achieve) Additionally since NaNoWriMo is based on endurance, I’m going to award myself stamina points if I write every week during the 6 week challenge. Scoring: /6 (1 point for every 2 weeks spent writing) Reward: +3 STA 2 . Sweet Treats I’ve mostly got this one down, but since it works and is something I should be doing anyway, I’m listing it here. No sweet treats Monday through Friday because processed sugar is evil. Scoring: /30 Reward: +2 to CON & +2 to CHA 3. Weight Lifting Despite focusing on writing, I will also still be diligently going to the gym. And since I like lifting heavy things, I’ve got some more weight goals. Scoring: 1 for each weight achieved Chest Press: 85lbs → 100lbs Squat Machine: 290lbs → 325lbs Barbell Curls: 25lbs → 30lbs Reward: +3 STR “Because if you don’t believe in even the possibility of magic you will never find it.†– Richard Castle

Hello there I'm YellowRose and i'm back on NF after a rather long break. so lets get to it.... SMART GOALS!!!! 1.Specific Two part goal, get down to my happy weight Run more (and run this Ugly Sweater dec 12) 2. Measurable 133lbs (+/-5lbs) Continue to build on speed (3m time currently 33min, get faster, say 27min) then build on distance (3m w/out stopping, once obtained speed above, increase distance this is a soft metric) 3. Attainable currently 142lb (loose 9lbs) so not far off here but i really dont want to loose muscle, additionally i dont like restricting calories while im building any kind of athletic ability. I'll be looking to loose less than a pound a week, say 0.5lbs or less. as long as I'm slightly decreasing my weight i'll consider this goal met. bi-weekly measurments. track my 3ml times, share and post my times, run at least 3 times aweek. note will use MAPMyRUN or my watch to measure my speed. (new watch is a future budget item, current one is broken) 4. Relavant I like the way my close fit when i'm about that weight, i bought all my post maternity clothing when i was about that weight. so lets get back to it. all so i like to be strong and have well working muscles. runners high is good for my soul. 5. Time Bound For the next 6weeks or so i'd like to have a negative weight differential over each bi-weekly measurment, so say loose 3lbs by the end of 6 weeks. run 3m in 27min in 6weeks.

So this pretty much is my first post here and not as a lurker. I need some help with some issues I've noticed that keep cropping up which is sabotaging my weight loss goals. Some background on myself: I'm 5'2'', weigh anywhere from 140-150lbs (stopped weighing myself long ago as I became too obsessed), my bodyfat was 19% but has gone up to about 21% because of having a Fleur De Lis with ab repair done 7 months ago and have just been laying around but within the last few months have I been able to slowly get back into working out. I wear a size 4-6 jeans depending on the maker. My biggest size was a 24. At my maximum weight I weighed closed to 300 and have lost 150lbs. Of course with that you get loose skin which is why I had the surgery on my tummy. It has been 4 years since starting my journey in case anyone would be interested. I still have a lot of loose skin on my inner thighs but I'm not here for that. I will say this, after being on this life changing journey I'm on, no one tells you that you may get some "mental" battles. I still see myself as that huge girl. But I have my good days and bad ones. Everyday is a work in progress. Couple issues I've been noticing is that ever since getting into a relationship 2 1/2 years ago my "perfect" diet i was able to maintain being alone in the beginning for almost 2 years has sort of clashed with my boyfriend's way of eating. He's naturally very thin, 5'11'' 155lbs, and has AMAZING food control but can eat pretty much anything and never gains weight. He can have a piece of cake sitting on his lap and somehow forget it's there. :/ It's hard to tell him no don't bring home nutella, pasta, chips, etc without feeling like I'm an ass for "controlling" what he brings into the house. I don't want to be that person. My self control with food sucks. Period. I never grew up knowing how to eat and before my lifestyle change I would eat out 2/3X a day every day or boxed meals. Never ate veggies. So you can say I don't have a healthy relationship with food. I on occasions have binged and my mindset has unhealthly gone back and forth on I should remain in "lose weight" mode and not maintain mode. I don't eat anything near what I use to and never eat at fast food places but my bf has taught me to enjoy eating out at all natural restaurants. Thank you PDX for having so many options on healthy restaurants! But where I'm getting at is that with my horrible self control I catch myself eating things I shouldn't be eating every week. It wont be everyday but overtime stuff does add up. I haven't been able to lose the stubborn fat I have because of my self control that doesn't work. I know we shouldn't be obsessed with the number of our weight but I'd love to be around 130lb. When I'm on tract I eat my protein, carbs, and healthy fats. Another habit I've recently started as in within 2 months and I'm kicking myself over this, is alcohol. I'm what someone would call a social drinker. I pretty much never drink at home and when my bf and I go out to eat, which is once a week, I have one maybe two beers. But when we go clubbing with friends or to bars with friends or boating with friends it turns into binge drinking where I drink like 4-6 shots or have a whole bunch of beer where it went from enjoying to I want to get drunk like everyone else. I need to kick this but with my self control and even low self esteem I for some reason can't. Funny thing is I hate the taste of hard liquor but love the drunk side effect.. I'm thinking of telling myself two alcohol beverages a week to start with until I can just go without having to feel like I need to "fit in" and get drunk. I'm a little socially awkward but I'm friendly. When I'm drunk I turn into super outgoing and everybody is my friend. Not sure what some peoples' thoughts on this subject would be but any advice would be helpful. Learning to love myself is a major hard one for me but I have an amazing man who tells me I'm beautiful. I am planning on seeing a therapist but any input from you group of lovely men and women will be gladly helpful. I'll add a photo of myself

Every assassination is about three phases: Planning, Execution, and Extraction. This challenge is all about refining what I've already got: a good Assassin fitness program, and strong archery skills. I want to improve each of my phases: For the Planning phase, I want to focus on my home, family, and sanity. For the Execution phase, I would like to get more accurate with my bow, preferably out to 30 yards. I'm a pretty good shot at 20 right now, but it's harder and harder to be accurate at greater distances. Lastly, for Extraction, I'm pretty well rehabbed from my chronic ankle injuries, and now I want to increase my distance running. In order to keep it up, I want to maintain my flexibility to prevent injuries, and this means stretching. 1. Planning: I will cook a healthy meal at home three nights a week for my family, record my food and exercise in MFP, and plan one family activity per week. I will also meditate for 5-10 min six days a week. Cooking: 3 Sessions, 6 weeks, 18 sessions total. 17-18 = A, 14-16 = B, 11-13 = C, 8-10 = D, <8 = F. +2 CHA MFP: 6 days, 6 weeks, 36 completed entries total. >33 = A, 28-33 = B, 23-27 = C, 18-22 = D, <18 = F +2 CHA Meditation: 6 sessions, 6 weeks, 36 sessions total. >33 = A, 28-33 = B, 23-27 = C, 18-22 = D, <18 = F +2 WIS 2. Execution: I will practice archery at least once a week, with three volleys (3-5 arrows) at 30 yards in the sighting in range before hitting the 3D target range. The first shot is the only shot that counts, though, so I'll record that first shot with a photo every time I go to practice. Archery: 6 sessions total, 6 = A, 5 = B, 4 = C, 3 = D <3 = F. +3 DEX 3. Extraction: Right now, I'm running about 15 miles a week over three sessions, give or take a mile or two. I want to keep that up, and make sure that I stay healthy. This means running ten or fifteen minutes, and then stopping to stretch for a few, and then stretching afterwards, within three hours. I'd also like to increase my once-per-week long run. There won't be a schedule but I'd like to make an eight mile run before the six weeks is out. Running: 3 sessions, 6 weeks, 18 sessions total. It doesn't count if there isn't any stretching. 17-18 = A, 14-16 = B, 11-13 = C, 8-10 = D, <8 = F. +2 STA, +2 CON Bonus: 8 mile run completed: +1 STA, +1 CON This schedule doesn't take into consideration any cross training, lifting, cycling, hiking, hunting, scouting, backpacking, etc that I might be doing in the mean time. All that will still go on, I'm just not counting it.

I don't think this is your traditional respawn post. I am respawning, though. Hopefully into someone better. Not that I wasn't happy with myself before, but I was not being honest with myself. I did my first six week challenge back in the beginning of 2015. It was great! I did great. I felt amazing and I didn't want to let go of those feelings. Unfortunately, I did. At the time, I was fighting with numerous real life trash mobs. It was pretty much a gauntlet and while it's not as strenuous as it was, I can feel myself being dragged down by the exhaustion. I really hate when I run out of mana and health, and there is not a potion in sight. I've considered a lot of what I had been doing since the beginning of the year, and the time I started challenges. I even talked with my support crew (friends & family) about the challenges, what I was doing, and where I was going to go from there. I had big dreams and ideas for my challenges, but the execution? Ehh...it wasn't as great as the idea. That was my downfall. Jumping around too much and changing things...I think the whole idea of success is finding something and sticking with it. Stick with it until you have a routine under your belt so well that everything is second nature. I'm not a huge routine sort of person, but I have noticed that when I try and maintain one, I succeed. It's like having a bedtime for school when you're a kid. I have a bedtime (or I should) now as an adult, and when I don't follow it, I can feel it. The same thing happened traveling the fitness road. I stopped doing yoga every day. I stopped taking a walk every day. I stopped really paying attention to what and how much I was eating. Stress was a factor. Fatigue was up there, too. General laziness and procrastination? Huge. I am new to the fitness world. I am new to the health world. Rather than bog myself down with all these different "eat x amount of this" and "eat x amount of this daily value" and trying to fit in 23742934 new exercises when I can't maintain one --- I need to K.I.S.S. Keep It Simple Silly (or Stupid as my high school Spanish teacher would say) Start with Daily Logs. Make a routine and keep to it until I have it down. That's when I can challenge myself to push further. To do more. So what if I eat the same thing every day for breakfast and lunch? If it's good and makes you happy, it can't be that bad! The support on NerdFitness is truly amazing and I was doing myself a disservice by not utilizing the forums more. A good friend of mine bonked me upside the head and reminded me of that. Everyone is here for the same reason. We all share a common goal. There are so few places in today's world that offer the support that is on here. Why am I not using it more? Why am I not reaching out and talking with people who are going through similar things? That all ends now. I am respawning with a full health bar. My mana bar is filled and I am ready to face this boss head-on.

I am new to the forums, but I've read a few of the articles. I'm mostly interested in the Rebellion challenge! Speficially the women's. Is it worth the money? I want to gain the ability and knowledge to eat properly. I would also like to learn will power while others are pigging out on pizza, cookies, and doughnuts! Thank you in advance for the advice/assistance you provide!

For my eighth challenge, I’m going with a 10th Kingdom theme. This theme would have been better as my 9th or 10th challenge, but it can’t be helped as I want to honor the 10th Kingdom’s 15th Anniversary on February 27th. The 10th Kingdom is my favorite movie (technically it's a mini series) and book of all time. It’s about a young woman named Virginia who is seeking to find herself and escape from her boring life. She ends up being transported, along with her screw-up father Tony, to a magical land where fairy tales are real. And they’re not the golden fluff from Disney either! Along the way she is rescued, repeatedly, by Wolf, a reformed convict whose sole mission in life is to woo her. He is half-wolf and must fight his own animal instincts along their journey. The adventure takes them on a whirlwind tour throughout the nine kingdoms where they encounter Trolls and dwarves, a magic gold river fish, the Kissing Town, an Evil Queen, elves and fairies, poisonous mushrooms and Prince Wendell who has been turned into dog. They must help Prince regain his throne and thwart the most evil woman alive; all while simply trying to go home. My goals are properly kingdom themed too. 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 a blow meal on the weekends. I've managed to put on some muscle in an effort to become stronger by weight lifting and that will continue this challenge along with my smaller quests. 3 smaller Quests 1. Don’t Eat the Magic Mushrooms (or in my case, the magic chocolate!) “Baste it, roast it, toast it, nibble it, chew it, bite right through it, wobble it, gobble it, wrap it round a couple of chickens and am I ravenous!†-Wolf, referring to how wonderful bacon is While I won’t be adding meat to my diet (sadly!), I do still need to watch my sugary snacks. So as with previous challenges, I aim to cut down on processed junk food by only having sugary snacks on the weekends with my blow meal. However, I am not counting this week since my birthday falls on Thursday and I’ve got Grandma’s chocolate cake with peanut butter icing. Since Grandma is 94, and made the cake especially for me, I will be enjoying it, within my caloric limit, all week long. I just won’t be counting these 5 days towards my overall sweet treat-free days. Scoring: x/25 days for sweet treats Reward: +3 to CON Additionally, I should also go back to only 1 blow meal per weekend in an effort to lose some weight. In previous challenges, I slacked off and was eating junk food Friday night, Saturday and Sunday whereas in the past, when I first started this caloric diet, I was only having 1 blow meal. Not day, or days, but meal. Since then, I’ve decided that I don’t want to be a size 0 because I just love cake too much. However, cutting down on just going crazy all weekend long is necessary so I can fit into my wetsuit better for a two week vacation to Cozumel (for nothing but scuba diving!) I’m going on in May. So I will be trying to only have 1 blow meal per weekend. If this includes dinner one night and dessert the following day, this will still count as 1 meal. The goal is to avoid eating things like muffins, fluffernutter sandwiches and then having dinner with dessert in a single day, or days. Scoring: x/6 weekend Reward: +3 to CHA 2. Climb Rapunzel’s Hair “Love of my life, let down your lustrous locks!†-Wolf, right before he gets smacked in the face by pounds of hair Continue working towards that elusive, first chin up. To do this, I will be working assisted pull-ups into my weight lifting routine again. The last time I did them was for one set back in December of 6 reps at 40lbs of assist. By the end of the 6 week challenge, I’d like to get the assist weight down to 35lbs with little effort. I struggle with these as it is, and they really frustrate me, but working them into my normal weight lifting routine is a good thing and should, eventually, show progress. I will try not to become disheartened at the difficulty though. Scoring: /45lbs /40lbs /35lbs Reward: +3 to STR (one for each level achieved) 3. “Wanna go walkies?†-Tony to Prince Wendell I’ve successfully added walking into my workout but I need to do better at challenging my cardio. In the past few challenges, I’ve walked 30 miles in 6 weeks. Now I want to focus more on my cardio so I will be paying less attention to how far I’ve walked and more on how I maintain a high heart rate while walking. I intend to do it like this: 3 times per week 5 minutes warmup; low incline: 1-2 20-25 minutes of quick walk at an incline that gets higher the longer I’m walking and keeps my heart rate at 120 or above. 5 minutes cool down Upping my cardio will also help when I’m diving! Walking through the 9 Kingdoms was the easiest way to get around and to remain undetected from the Queen. And while I don’t plan on walking the entire length of the Disenchanted Forest (1,000 miles!), walking quickly with my heart rate up should keep me safe enough from the Huntsman to survive! Scoring: x/20 Reward: +3 to STA & +3 to DEX Stats Age: 32...might as well make it 33 since my birthday is February 26th! Gender: female Height: 5’3†Weight: 141.6lbs

For my seventh challenge, I got started early as I began thinking of things I wanted to achieve while still in the midst of my 6th challenge. I also decided to go with a Leverage theme this time since they’re thieves which are usually very assassin-like. Plus, I love Parker’s attitude. Also, all of the quest titles are episodes! Main Quest To live a healthy and balanced life by continuing to exercise and eat healthy. 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 through weight lifting and that’s felt great. But I’m starting to think that ‘strong and beefy’ are just not words people are going to associate with a petite, 5’3†female. So perhaps I should try focusing more on agility, speed and endurance for a change. Smaller Jobs 1. The Three Strikes Job Be more mobile and conscious of how my body moves. a. Practice animal flow I enjoyed this when I tried it for my 4th challenge. Ultimately, I’d like to invent my own animal flow movement: wolf. I'm going to try for at least once a week. Scoring: x/6 weeks Reward: +3 to DEX b. Walking Last challenge, I started walking over many of my lunch breaks. It was both nice to get out of office and also felt good to be back at the gym again. Scoring: /30 miles Reward: +1 to STA c. Running Ideally, I’d wanted to join a Zumba class, but I just don't think it's going to work with my schedule. So instead, I'm editing this on 1/8/15 to be 10 minutes of running per week. Assassin's have got to be fast! Scoring: /6 weeks Reward: +1 to STA & +2 to DEX Total: +5 to Dex & +2 to STA 2. The Scheherazade Job Read I really enjoyed the challenge of reading more books, so I’ll be doing that again this time. Reading 3 books in 6 weeks was an adequate goal for me so I’ll be striving for that again. Scoring: x/3 books Reward: +2 to WIS 3. The Homecoming Job Cut down on processed junk food by only having sugary snacks on the weekends with my blow means. Processed sweet treats are the enemy. I tend to do alright on weekdays, but I can still improve. While 2-3 times per week makes me saner, striving for x/30 days is by far better. Scoring: x/30 days Reward: +2 to CHA & +2 to CON 4. The Tap-Out Job In an effort to keep lifting weights, since I enjoy it, I won’t have any weight-specific goals this challenge. Instead, I want to aim to do weightlifting 2-3 times per week. Scoring: /6 weeks (1 point for going 2-3 times per 3 weeks) Reward: +2 STR Stats Age: 32 Gender: female Height: 5'3" Weight: 144lbs

Main Quest: 128 to 120 pound, drop 8 pound eat healthy ​​proper amount (1 serving per time no matter what, stop before full) empty calories less than 100 cal per day go to supermarket when necessary go to the gym at least 4 times per week follow routine no weight scale before exercise at least 1 hour exercise write diary at least 3 times a week Every time we challenge, we improve Scale it, measure it, and motivate!.

My Fellow NF Members/Rangers, This will be my first challenge as a NF Member and the first step for me in a long time to improve my fitness and over all health. MAIN GOAL: Start Healthy Habits- Kick Start Weight Loss. I'm using these first 6 week challenge to start healthy habits that in the past I have failed to solidify. This will give me the foundation to finally solidify the steps I need to take to loose weight and become a fit person. These habits include but are not limited to Regular Exercise, Better Eating Habits, Being Accountable by reporting to NF on my Battle Log. QUEST 1: Start P90X3 Classic Cycle on January 6th. This is a 6 Exercise Schedule that includes strength and cardo. In the past I tried P90X 1 which had long workouts, average 58 minutes. I had some success in loosing weight but would fall off the bandwagon due to my odd work schedule as a Cinematographer for Indie Film. This new version is 30 minutes only leaving me no excuse. I typically faltered 3 weeks in, this 6 week Challenge will force me to get 1/2 way through the 90 day schedule which will set up the habit and drive to continue all the way through the full 90 days. QUEST 2: Reduce Unhealthy Snacking/Soda Drinking. I will cut my Soda Intake to 1 A Day, replacing my cravings for it with Tea with a small amount of honey. I will vow to reach for healthy snacks- Fruit, Vegetables, etc instead of Cookies and Snack Cakes. My ultimate goal is to follow a Paleo like diet but I'm realistic to the fact that an instant change will lead to failure. I might slowly walk towards this goal. QUEST 3: Accountability: I will Report my Exercise and Eating Habits- Both Failures and Successes to NF via this and my battle log at least every other day. In the past I would hide my attempts to loose weight and get fit and that allowed me to make excuses to not do it. LIFE GOAL: Make Time Daily to do Zazen. I sit Zazen regularly from time to time and I feel more focused and relaxed when I do so. I need to make an effort to do it daily and keep myself in balance.