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My first 3 challenges this year were all about prepping for kayak season: lose some wt (dropped from 178 to 168), develop core, general strength conditioning and flexibility through daily exercise (everyday except 1 since Dec 28, 2015). I also wanted to quit smoking (quit Mar 11) and improve my career work performance (developed and used a daily planning spreadsheet every workday since Jan 22). My first major kayak trip this year will be around the 3rd week of April, and I feel I am physically well prepared for it. So far, my battle log has dealt with how I am changing my life through habit formation (Duhiggs process). I've already created and kept the major habit changes I wanted to develop at this point. I've now added a new section which focuses on achieving a "bucket list" of desires/goals I want to achieve. The quests below align w/ the 4 desires I am currently focusing on. Stronger - Get Lean and Mean Quest 1 - The Lean Part: cut the crap. I have a target date of May 30 to reduce my wt from its current 168lb to less than 165.0 (must hit in the 163's 3 days in a row). I've already created the habits of eating a salad 6 days/wk and protein shake 7 days/wk. For this quest, I have 3 objectives: (Vacation days are exempt for all of these) 1. No crap (cookies, candies, cakes, ice cream, etc) after 8pm 6 days/wk (w/ the exception of 2 jelly beans) 2. Eat crap a maximum of 2 times at work during the entire time period of this challenge. 3. Max of 1 small bite size candy per day from the candy bowls at home. Things to track - daily crap intake Quest 2 - The Mean Part: lots of pushing and pulling. I have 2 strength targets by June 30: 10 perfect form bench presses w/ 135lbs and 4 perfect form pullups. I'm currently at 5 perfect form + 3 sloppy 135lb bench presses and 2 sloppy pullups. For this quest, I have 2 objectives: 1. Brutal chest/tricep focus w/o's w/ a goal of completing 7 perfect form bench presses w/ 135lbs 2. Brutal back/bicep focus w/o's w a goal of completing 2 perfect form pullups in a row. Things to track - w/o intensities Faster - Breath Easy Quest 3 - Continue NOS. To reach my full potential at the fasted pace, I have to be able to be able to breath easily. NOS stands for "No Smoking" and my quit date was Mar 11, 2016 (using Wellbutrin to assist). Continuing NOS is my overriding priority right now. Even though its been 16 days since I quit, I need to continue daily focus on this or a trigger could easily derail all my efforts. Things to track - Days of NOS Smarter - Be an even more nerdy engineer Quest 4 - Build a Dynasty Dynasty is a modeling program used where I work to simulate hydraulic systems. I've wanted to learn this for many years to further my technical growth, but I've never done so. I have set a target date of Oct 30, 2016 to be able to create a basic Dynasty model and simulation. For this challenge, I have 2 objectives: 1. Sign up for Dynasty modeling classes at work. 2. Spend a minimum of 8 hours this challenge learning the basics. Things to track - Hours spent on program and my progress

Background: I created an account on NerdFitness a while ago-don't remember exactly when, and I don't remember my username. Anyway, I stopped after a few weeks because I got annoyed by a post I read. Stupid reason, I know. Anyway....I've been working out fairly regularly since last year. Got in decent shape-not anything to write home about, but at 212 lbs I was benching 3x5x265, so I was doing something right even if my diet wasn't awesome. Then came my fall semester of electrical engineering-my final semester. Between having to do a RF design course for teams by myself (long story) and being the project leader for my senior design group, I had no time to east healthy or workout-and even when I did have time I was too tired and made excuses not to go. I lost most of my gains, and gained a bunch of weight. Wah, wah, woe is me... So now that I'm done with school and have a job (thanks be to God...literally ) I am now taking my health seriously, and I'm going to give this another try. My stats: Male, 24, muscular build but tending to fat (runs in the family...thanks dad), 230 lbs and 5'9". I am beginning with Mark Rippetoe's starting strength program. I am using a combination of MyFitnessPal and a Garmin Vivofit 2 to track calories. Goals: Diet: Eat green vegetables at least once a day Record at least two meals per day in MyFitnessPal Fitness: Workout 3 times a week. If I follow starting strength this should not be a problem. I sometimes have to travel for work, so if that interferes I will replace the iron with a bodyweight work. Level up your life: Go to bed on time at least 3 times a week. Hopefully I can get more than this, but I like to read in the evenings and sometimes lose track of time. I'm not going to worry about character generation or picking a guild until the challenge is over (although I would like to be a warrior). I got caught up in that way too much when I tried this before. Keeping it simple for now. If anyone has any suggestions, comments, etc., please feel free to let me know. PS---The title of the post references the fact that I just finished college, hence "the end of the beginning"....I try to be clever

*For those who know me, this is really similar to my last challenge, but since I skipped a challenge I’m trying to go back to the basics a bit* Also, I just bought an Xbox One, primarily so I could play the new Witcher game. I love it, but NO SPOILERS PLEASE! So that may or may not be taking over my life. Just so you know. (Some of my challenge may or may not be witcher themed….). Introduction: Hi, I’m elvenengineer and this is my third challenge. I really want to get stronger so that I could theoretically swing a giant sword to fight monsters and save people. I started the StrongLifts 5x5 program in my first or second challenge, but had some issues with injuries throughout my fitness journey. It mostly bothers me that my injuries are never from working out, but they affect my workouts. My right wrist is just not happy. Ever. I really need to develop healing through meditation or eating. If I healed when I ate, I would never have any issues. Why can’t we use game mechanics in real life? Main Quest: Get stronger in my upper body! 3 sets of 5 pull-ups or chin-ups is the overall goal, along with 3x20 pushups (where I was several years ago – but I had horrible form) Quest 1: Workout 4 days a week Do SOMETHING everyday- StrongLifts for 3 workouts preferably, but if I get sick or injured, running/walking* for all is acceptable. I started Zombies, Run, and I’m loving it! I’d like to do one longish run a week. I also really like StrongLifts, but I’ve fallen off the wagon a bit due to a wrist injury. That’s why I took up running again. However, for a gym incentive, I’ll give myself one bonus point for strength if I can deadlift my body weight by the end of the challenge! I need to be able to pick up the enormous piles of money I make from playing gwent. Also, my favorite witcher fighting tactic is the ability to dodge and/or run away in between sword swings. So there’s that. Measurement: A = 4 days/week, B = 2 days/week, C = 1 day/week, D = None Reward: A = +1 STR, +1 STA B = +1 STR, C = +1 STA *Note: for a run/walk to count, it must be ≥ 20 minutes Quest 2: Eat better! Okay, I know that’s really vague, so this is how it’s going to go (quantifiably – I am an official engineer now!). Each day I can either: eat a fruit or veggie with every meal OR eat one meal completely paleoOkay, I know this is a little wimpy but I’m giving myself a lot of slack as points go. If I do get 7 days per week consistently for the challenge, I will add a point to each of my rewards. But I want to focus on achievable goals this time, and 5 days/week is achievable to me J [can’t figure out how to tie into the witcher… feel free to give suggestions anyone] Measurement: A = 5 days/week, B = 4 days/week, C = 3 days/week, D = ≤ 2 days/week Reward: A = +2 CON, B = +1 CON, C = +0.5 CON, D=0 Quest 3: Get 8+ hours of sleep per night. I keep leaving this in my challenges because I feel like it really makes a difference in my life, but for some reason if I don’t make it a goal it falls by the wayside. i.e “Oh, I can play the Witcher another hour….†Must be like Geralt and recover from the day. Well I guess he just meditates. Details. Measurement: A = 7 days/week, B = 5 days/week, C = 3 days/week, D = 1 day/week, F = None Reward: A = +1 CHA, B = +0.5 CHA Life Quest: Consistently put 20% of income in savings, and transition from paying a car note to putting money in my investment accounts. Finally paid off my car, but since I’m used to paying it, might as well continue and benefit from it! I wish you could earn interest in video games. Maybe per hour of playing time? That would be awesome, I would have so much gold because I just run around doing side quests and talking to people more than half the time when I play anything. Completed: +1 WIS Motivation: Working/studying in a male dominated field means that physical strength often equals respect. People are surprisingly impressed and automatically assume me more capable when I can help them lift and move things. Also, I just love the idea of being able to lift my bodyweight someday and being able to move things heavier than I am (like giant swords)!

Introduction: Hello ! I'm SchrodingersMinion and this is technically my second challenge , but I hadn't posted anything online last time on account of being a scaredycat so I'm going to treat this one as first I'm almost 22 years of age. 5'5" . Found NerdFitness a year ago , slapped myself figuratively and literally and got my fat arse in a humanoid shape by going from 243lbs to 145lbs ( it's 138lbs today..but 2lbs are whizzing in and out of my weight at all times ) I'm a weapons engineer by profession . I design weapons and dream of one day being dressed in a soldier's uniform instead of an engineer's jumpsuit. I've lost 100bs of all the extra I had accumulated and I figure now is the time to go from 'making sure you still have a body underneath all that fat and laziness' to 'sculpting a fine body' . I've to loose 5-7 lbs more to be the perfect weight for my body and though I am now a funsized human being ,and my legs are toned-ish because of all the running I did in order to loose the weight... but the arms , the arms are just...pudgy , for the lack of a better word . So , I'm looking to tone that shiz . Main Quest: Go from being a non-combatant weapons expert to a combatant weapons expert. Kick some ass ! Quest 1: Upper Body workout at the gym 25 minutes a day, 4 days a week in addition to current routine. I don't do anything major except 1 kg dumbells at the moment because I wasn't done being an ignorant twit. So , I'm going to research and figure out exactly what I will do in my workout before Jan 5 , so I hit the ground running on this one too Note to Self : Do not forget leg day though . Measurement: A = 25 min for 25 days, B = 15 min, 20 days, C = 15 min, anything lesser than 20 days. Reward: A = +3 STA, +2 STR, B = +2 STA, +1 STR, C = +1 STA Quest 2: I've been eating completely paleo for the past year except for a pro-biotic drink that I take thrice a week. I want to make the meals more balanced .. eg, currently I eat 1 bowl Broccoli/ Zucchini salad+ 1 roasted tomato / some cabbage + 1 tiny tiiinnnyy slice of meat because I am scared of carbs. But , I know there are good carbs ! And I know that digestion is slowly becoming an issue because of the stupid amount of fibre I eat , so I want to include more of carbs and white meat in my diet . Have goggled recipes , bought ingredients . Ready to rumble . And I'm going to get over this lame ass paranoia. Eat actual balanced meals for the whole challenge. Instagram each meal for added accountability . I normally eat 3 times a day , don't really snack unless I have skipped a meal . Measurement: A = 40 balanced meals, B = 30+ balanced meals , C = 20+ balanced meals Reward: A = +3 CON, B = +2CON, C = +1 CON Quest 3: I've planned a training schedule of 6 days a week: hills, on-pace run, easy day..when it's leg day at the gym, and long-slow run/hike. It starts simple and extends the long run and on-pace run time through out the six weeks in order to build more endurance. Gotta stick to the plan ! Measurement: A = 36 days; B = 30 days, C = 20 days Reward: A = +3 WIS, +2 CON, B = +2WIS, +1 CON, C = +1WIS Life Quest: This one is a tad bit emtional , if you have come here to support me ( Thank you btw !! ) but aren't fond of reading " I'mma a hot mess " kind of posts , I would skip reading this quest Right , this is a little bit of TMI territory , my boyfriend ( of 1 year and 7 months now ) asked me to mary him 5 months ago , but I was going through a particularly difficult phase in the weightloss , had serious self esteem issues , was being a borderline controlfreak with what I ate ( the whole NO CARBS EVERRRR , thing ) , had still not gotten over being rejected for my dream job , was secretly a jealous diva ( probably because of the self esteem thing ) ...basically was the same shitty person , just in a 70lbs slimmer body . And he did not deserve that kind of negativity in his life , and I needed to learn to be a goddamn human being , and long story short I said NO , and he said , " Okay then . We're going to wait till you are comfortable with marriage as well . And you will ask me this time around, and I'll be waiting ." That was bloody saintly of him , and the stupidly gorgeous ring he got me sits there on his dresser and he hasn't ever EVER bought that up again and been a absolute peach and well... I am ready and I am going to ask him ! So , I have saved up for the perfect proposal . I have bought the ring , booked the telescope time etc. January 10 , 2015 ( my birthday btw ) is the date . And I have no idea why this dork has stuck around through the horror , but it's about damn time he gets rewarded for the shit he went through . Measurement: A = Did it ! , F = Damn Woman. Reward: A = +3.5 CHA, F = Yo , somebody needs to slap some sense into ya thick head. Just a tiny bit of extra background , in my culture a maximum of one month is allowed between getting engaged and getting married . Yay! for orthodox ideals , innit ? Added pressure for everyone! Motivation: I'm moving to Finland in April and I want to take along my geek of a husband with me then. ( Don't worry , he had already searched for his own lifestlye options there 5 months ago . I'm guessing we will reanimate those and find similar things provided I am not a freaking twit this time around as well . ) P.S : I apologize if the English is tad bit puerile , I know there cannot be a valid excuse , but all of these goals incite a gamut of emotions in me. It'll get better as the challenge goes along , pinky promise. P.S.S : Aeroplanes in the title refers to a 600 hour Flight School Certification Course I'm doing right now , as part of training before I move to my new job. I re-read the post and realized I hadn't referred to it at all. Going to Flight School is basically what I do during the day.

Hello All ! I've been a looonnggg time lurker , first time post(poster?) now. I'm hoping I don't break any protocol rules here.. but I figured it might be better to post than not to ! And away we go.. I'm 22 years of age. 5'4" . Got *GROSSLY* obese over a period of around 4 years post 14~15 years of age after I qualified for a premier engineering institute ( have always been a little pudgy , gained all that extra weight due to a lot of sitting on my arse and studying and being an egotistical little chump and not going out to even hang out with people , forget getting in my weekly exercise .) I call this the POMPOUS PEAK point in my life Found NF exactly a year ago today. Not that just finding the website was enough motivation for my triflin' ass appetite and laziness. I graduated with a weapons engineer degree ( Bachelors degree is considered graduation in my country , India btw. ) in the top 5 of my class but got rejected in a ..shall we say humiliating .. yep , extremely humiliating manner at the physical test when I applied to my dream job. We were supposed to run 7 km , I was wheezing like the oxygen had been drained out of the air by 1 km itself. Cried my broken heart ( more like broken ego) out for a week a.k.a the CRYBABY REVOLUTION. Then slapped myself figuratively and literally and got to getting my fat arse in shape. I have been doing a lot of running around. Apart from designated ' exercise time' , have been leaving my car at home and walking to places within 2 km of my place. Cycling to places within 10 km. Taking the car to places further off from that. Threw away all the junk food the night of the CRYBABY REVOLUTION in my life . Haven't eaten any for the last year except 3 slices of cake .. one for my birthday , one for my parent's anniversary , one for my grandmother's birthday. I went completely paleo for 8 months , post which I have been incorporating cottage cheese and a drugstore-variety probiotic drink . I did a 'Nature Trail' 4 months ago. 5 km. Walked , didn't run . Came in last. Took 95 mintues extra after the runner before me. But I wasn't wheezing ! At all. Did a Lake Trail run last monday. 11 km. Walked ( Power walked.. or fast-walked would be a better term) the first 5 km . Ran the next 6. Came in 27th ( Total of 50 runners.) I've gifted myself a gym membership today. Worked out a plan that has lifting , cardio and yoga in it , haven't hired a personal trainer or anything like that yet , want to give it a shot on my own . Will still stick to running nature trails plus this. Just won't be running more than 4km everyday. For starters . I'm not sure if we are supposed to post about our emotional development as well...but I'm going to write it down . I'll edit it out immediately if it's not supposed to be posted . Just let me know . Anywho .. have apologised to my friends who I dumped so unceremoniously at the pompous peak . I must've done something really good in my previous lives because they were gracious enough to not only take me back but to be an active part of my daily workout routine ! Almost all of them are running alongside me ( though majority of them are waaayyyyy faster than I am. ) We all take turns organising hiking trips every weekend. Found my dapper , supportive and most importantly super-nerdy boyfriend amongst all the reconnection. My relationship with my parents has improved tremendously as well. Especially since I have taken the ardous task of cooking for all of us off my lovely mother's hands. Adopted Tarrant , who is the cutest , most supportive and hyperactive dog to have ever existed , hands down . Bonus point .. have somehow managed to develop a sense of humor . Went from being Snobby McSnob to Scobby Doo. I quite like being Scobby Doo Posting here was a sort of catharsis for me . And I would love to know your opinion on what else I could add to my routine/ or change in it. P.S. I will be moving to Finland in September 2015 . I have noticed there aren't that many Indian NFers , but if any are in Finland ( or anywhere a train ride away) .. I look forward to connecting with you ! TL;DR : Lost around 100 lbs by changing my diet and running , running and more running.Went from being a pompous crybaby to a decent human being.Getting closer to my dream job.Would love to hear whatever advice you want to give.Still trying to find the courage to post my timeline of weightloss , will do that soon ! P.S.S : Just re-read the post , and I realise I forgot to mention..I'm female

Hi! I'm a 25-year-old newlywed mechanical engineer in Central PA. I started weight training back in September, and quickly became obsessed. I found Paleo in December, fell in love, and completed a Whole30 in January (www.whole9life.com). I'm not ready to do another Whole30 just yet, but I found nerdfitness about a month ago and wanted to sign up for the forums so I could join the next challenge My life is like one long episode of Big Bang Theory, although I wish it was a little more like Firefly or Battlestar Galactica. I married my very own Sheldon Cooper last year, but I wish I looked a little more like Penny and a little less like Amy (even if there's no denying I'll always act like her). When I'm not at the gym, I'm usually in the kitchen cooking up some paleo meals, knitting, redesigning my house, or being obsessed with watching an entire TV series (last month it was Battlestar Galactica, this month it's Doctor Who). February 2013 stats: 5'4" 157lbs 30% body fat (actually from 1/17) Stomach: 33.25" Waist 31.25" Bicep: 12.5" Thigh: 24" Chest: 34" Hips: 39" (baby got back, lol) Pants Size: 8 Dead Lift: 135 lbs Squat: 155 lbs Pull Ups: 80 lbs assistance Dips: 60 lbs assistance.