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Barking up a different tree... I'm taking a leaf from how I'm feeding our dogs and cat (balanced raw), because macro-counting and I don't mesh. My main aim for this challenge is to check how much I eat. Too much, too little, just right? I think I'm getting the balance of macros mostly right, most of the time. I want to eat what I feel like, without guilt of following some or other 'diet' with no subconscious guilt talks about why I should swap my batter-covered fish for plain fish... I still like a bit higher protein and fat to carbs though. But back to the dogs... When you work out how much to feed dogs and cats, you go on a formula of 3-3.5% for working dogs (1-2hrs serious work+30min. play per day). [2.7kg food - way too much for me] 2.5% for some exercise (30min.-1hr per day) [2.25kg food - still too much], and 2% for a sedentary lifestyle (<30min. exercise per day) [1.8kg food - little bit too much for me still], 1.5% for this human's experiment [1.35kg food - just right?] Dogs/cats are NOT fed this low, ever! I added this for myself as I found 2% a tad too much still. Now I'm not a dog, I'm built differently, my body works differently, and the amount of exercise I do with my not so compact and sleek body, is very little compared to what they pull off with their bodies. Think of a sausage dog jumping onto a bed 3x his height! No way can I jump 3x my height/length. I just like the uncomplicated way of measuring balanced food eaten. So I'm starting off on LESS THAN SEDENTARY amounts. Thus aiming for: 90kg body weight at 1.5% I should be eating less than 1.35kg of food per day. This does not include water, black coffee or tea. I'm literally plopping my plate of food on the scale, weigh it, and let my little spreadsheet do the calculations for me. Thus far I had one day with 1.41kg of food (I felt it was a bit too much) and another day with 1.18kg of food (weight of plate not included ). In the meantime I'm trying to make peace with the fact that I'm a woman with some big muscles, and a good, strong and able body. This is not a scientifically formulated experiment. Do not try this at home! Now on to the other topics of the day... Those who checked in last time, may remember that we've started our boys on an exercise routine 3 mornings a week (Mon/Wed/Fri). Between hubby and myself we try to help them w.r.t. form and encouragement, while doing our own routines. Youngest (Rocco) has taken to it like a dog to a bone, while Oldest (Adam) wasn't as enthusiastic at first. But it seems both are now keen enough, and both are excited about our upcoming hike (10-12Nov It will be their first, and our first as a family - if the weather permits) and some future Waterra obs.course races (family fun, not big league). Anyway, on to this challenge's goals for myself: Bible study (5x/week); Exercise (BW - Mon and Thurs)(Walking Tue, Wed, Fri afternoons); Dry fire practice (Wed); Food (as explained above)(7x/week); Water (1-2bottles of 750ml every day, min.); Sleep (<21h30 every night). See, nothing new. I'm just struggling to get my exercise in on a Monday morning if I do bible study first, because I tend to leave my own routine to help the boys, and obviously don't get my exercise in then. And space is a problem if we all train at the same time. If I can fit in a big chunk of my routine before Rocco gets up (5h30), it should work. The boys need to exercise before they are allowed on the computers that day. Exercises: BW - Mondays and Thursdays Joint Circles (warm up) Jumping Jacks (Star Jumps) 20x Push ups (try for full - improving every week) 4x5 Abs Roll Out 3x10 (left, straight, right) Goblet Squats 2x10@10kg X Lunges 2x10 Inclined Pull Ups 2x10 Sit-Twist Stretch Shoulder and Chest Stretches Touch Toes Stretches (Yeah! I can touch my toes again!) Walking - Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays Tuesdays: walk during lunch time (12h00-14h00) with hubby in the plantations behind his office block. It's normally around 5km serious hill work. Wednesdays: walk during boys' Lego course (13h00-14h00) on flat farm road, mainly in the sun. Work on speed, maybe a slow jog *gasp*. Fridays: walk with boys and dogs (new) (14h00+) in the field close to our house. Not sure of distance as I've never walked here before. Hubby and the boys have and they tell me there are sometimes farm goats and some cattle grazing there, which we have to be careful of, but otherwise it should be safe enough. The rest of my days are still the same: home school - mornings, finances - afternoon or evening, household chores - during the day, boys' extra murals - afternoons... I've had my say... Your turn!

This battle log is for March, April, May. I'll review its effectiveness at the end of May. I'm tracking my exercise and calories on my own, but I realized I need a spot to say "I worked out today!" and "I ate all my veggies today!" as well as a place to record my weight loss and other health-related progress. So this going to be a pretty dry thread. Right now, my exercises of choice are walking, aerobics and dancing, stationary biking, and yoga. I track these using the S Health App. My favorite healthy foods right now are creamed vegetable soup, oatmeal with apples, and honey mustard chicken. The soup is a little bit of a pain to make, but then I have soup for days I still like the idea of challenges. Right now, stress reduction is a huge focus in my life. I think I'll use the 4 week challenges for personal growth, where this will be more for keeping accountable for daily habits. This battle log is forEVER, as long as I need it to be for the purposes of reaching my goals and maintaining them. Also, I love that the Strikethrough doesn't work on smiley faces. It would be sad to strike out smiles

I’ve been hit or miss with challenges lately. Mostly it’s getting online to update and just being too lazy to turn on my computer or feeling overwhelmed with updates. I need to get over that. This challenge I’m going a little more complicated but nowhere as complicated as I have in the past. I want to work on a lot of stuff and since I’ll be starting another new job halfway through the challenge I figured I’d really stress myself out. I need to find a good way to deal with stress anyways so I’m going to force myself to get it together. No Duh! routines (Points per each subcategory = 5 for all, 3 for some, 0 for none) MORNING : 5 mins stretching, brush teeth, hair, makeup, get dressed AFTERNOON: NF check-in, cleaning, workout, Bujo EVENING: clean face, brush teeth, get an outfit ready What’s your Damage? (Points per each subcategory = 5 for all, 3 for some, 0 for none) DAILY: Straighten Bed, Put away dishes, clean off counters/tables WEEKLY: Vacuum, Trash, Bathroom, Laundry, Sheets (bi-weekly) MONTHLY: Clean out Fridge, Microwave, Wipe baseboards, Scrub tub and toilets Grindage! WEEKDAYS: Paleo M-THUR except for special occasions, 2 coffees WEEKENDS: Try for Paleo except for special occasions Toooh-tally bitchin’ budget (5 points for the initial budget, 5 for sticking to the budget for the whole week, 3 for sticking to some, 0 for none) Create a budget and stick to it. Pay down debts. Bodacious bod exercise plan (5 points per exercise) 8 days of exercise for at least 20 mins

Hey there! I'm Gathrightknight and I'm starting this log to help me keep track of my exercise and keep me motivated! After going through a heartbreaking experience - I'm working to better myself and my life! My goals are to get more fit by doing some weight training and cardio; I currently come in at approximately 125 lb and would like to increase that to 140 with in six months. I would like to increase my muscle mass as well as work on removing some fat around my stomach area. My schedule per week: Sunday - Strength Training Monday - Off Day Tuesday - Strength Training Wednesday - Cardio Thursday - Strength Training Friday - Off Day Saturday - Cardio I have successfully completed one week of the Nerd Fitness Beginner Bodyweight Workout. I am currently on week 2 and have increased the reps per set. I also switched out the dumbbell rows for curls for the time being. For Cardio I am doing 15 minutes of HIIT. Week of July 29 - August 4 Nerd Fitness Beginner Bodyweight Workout (x3) - 25 Bodyweight Squats - 15 Pushups - 26 Walking Lunges - 15 Dumbbell Curls (10 lb weight) - 30 second plank - 40 jumping jacks I have been logging my workouts and meals via hardcopy but want to go more public for accountability. If anyone wants to give constructive criticism, advice, or motivation, please feel free! And Thanks!

Greetings traveler. Good to see you again. I'm setting down roots here for a while. I'm not ready to start up a challenge just yet. I need to get my health up. That means my physical and mental health. I've put on a few pounds at work from all the comfort foods. In fact I'm at the heaviest I've ever been. Going for a walk outside has been harder since the temperature is +95F/35C and the humidity makes it hotter. Plus my car is out of freon and the AC fan belt had an electrical short. I've taken to not wearing foundation so I don't sweat it off. Most of the women don't wear much makeup anyways so no one's noticed. Hopefully by the end of the week I'll have the freon filled and a plug in fan for my car. Once that's taken care of I'm getting a gym membership so I can take an indoor walk. The one I want to sign up for has a location three minutes from my house and another three blocks form from work. I've started journaling. Both with a mood journal app and a physical journal for long hand. The app better identifies mood trends, but the physical journal is more cathartic. This week I'm going to be focusing on sleeping, evening walks, and journaling. Missed you guys. It's good to be back.

Hey folks, I currently live in a dorm-like setup in a major city, with two roommates and limited space. I am definitely not able to pay for a gym membership in this economy. I've definitely seen people go for jogs at and around parks before, but would it be considered extraordinarily odd to do pushups and other bodyweight exercises at a park? If not, are there any issues that I'll run into that I'll need to be aware of? Thanks!

I seem to have an on again, off again relationship with this website. I've never used it very actively, but I am at a point that I am fed up with everything about myself physically. I am in poor shape, I am overweight, and this needs to change. I had a hysterectomy due to endometriosis in 2016 where they left one ovary in. I decided this past Jan I was going to start working out and had managed to lose 15# just by calorie counting. Well, the first day I worked out, with just light cardio, I was in excruciating abdominal pain. Turns out, that ovary is revolting against my body and it needs removed. I put the gym membership on hold, and since the providers wouldn't give me anything to manage pain, I've been eating my stress and pain. That 15# is back. I have the surgery scheduled for 4/25 to have the ovary removed, it will be laproscopic, and a 2 week recovery time. I plan on easing back into the gym at that point. I decided I am going to start meal planning again starting next week (already have plans for the weekend.) I need to get back on track. My husband and I like to hike, but the shape I am in right now is not very good for that. We also want to start backpacking and I need to get in better shape before then, too. I don't have great endurance, I have back pain from the weight (and endo.) I just don't even know what to do after I have all my hormones ripped from me. I won't be able to go on hormone replacement, so it'll be handle it as best as I can. I assume losing weight will be a lot harder, but can anyone shed light on what to expect post op when I start exercising? FYI: Stats weight: 215 lb height: 5'1"

My last challenge went almost well. This time around I am putting cleaning first, the one thing I have failed miserably at. 1. Cleaning I am not allowed to switch on my computer if I have not showered. I am not allowed to shower unless I have worked in the garden and cleaned inside the house. This will hopefully get my brainless computer browsing under control and get the house and garden clean. 2. Bedtime Computer off at 9:20, lights at 10, up at 5. I almost got this right last challenge, reading in the bed has made me switch off the light too late, showering early in the evening will also help. 3. Exercise I have got this little stretching and push-up routine in the morning. It is nothing special, but at least it is something. And I have six days to go with my 100 Push-ups a Day Challenge. When that is done I am going to do a 100 squats a day challenge. 4. Write stuff down. I keep a dairy with notes in at work. It makes my life so much easier. I have to start something similar for at home, I bought the dairy in September last year. The attempts have never worked, hopefully this will work better.

My goal is to definitely chatter in here on a daily basis. Even if it's to say "Hi! I took a nap today!" or that I managed to finish four loads of laundry when I'm not posting things about the gym/working out/general health hubbub! So, back in February, my Step-dad and I joined our local gym. Since then, we were going every other day. I did skip a few days because 1) I wasn't feeling all that great mentally or physically or 2) I was feeling lazy. Lately, I have been far more diligent at pushing myself to go. Even if I'm feeling mentally exhausted or gross, I go because it actually makes me feel better. Much of my first month was cardio on the treadmill. Walking for 20-35 minutes and I liked it! Then I decided to do some weight training on the various machines they have there. I LOVE that. So, I'm going to find a happy medium as we are talking about working on going every day. Which I believe means I would do weight/cardio/weight/cardio throughout the week, or weight/cardio/cardio/weight. I think. I do know that tonight I am going to do some cardio because my muscles are ACHING after probably overdoing it the other night at the gym. Here is some info that I have either written down or recorded: February 3, 2018 Treadmill Work 199 calories burned 35 minutes 0.8 miles February 9, 2018 Treadmill Work 133 calories burned 25 minutes 0.63 miles February 12, 2018 Treadmill Work 136 calories burned 25 minutes 0.7 miles February 17, 2018 Treadmill Work 227 calories burned 35 minutes 1.17 miles February 19, 2018 Treadmill Work 154 calories burned 25:04 minutes 0.74 miles February 22 Treadmill Work 242 calories burned 35 minutes 1.06 miles February 27, 2018 Treadmill Work 229 calories burned 35 minutes 1.23 miles March 6, 2018 I want to note that some of the weight amounts may not be correct as I did not realize the weights have an adjustable handle to set it to 0, 5, or 10 lbs on top of what you have the lock bar set to. Therefore, these could be greater, equal, or less than what I wrote down. I also did not realize how you should set the weights when doing these as this was my first time going through them. I'm better informed now, I hope! 10 10lb leg extensions x 2 10 75lb seated leg curls x 2 10 10lb seated leg press x 3 10 75lb back extension x 2 10 35 lb chest press x 2 10 35lb pull down x 2 10 140??lb seated leg curl x 2 10 75lb calf extension x 2 10 35lb shoulder press x 1+5 Treadmill Work 78 calories burned 13 minutes 0.38 miles March 7, 2018 10 leg extensions 130lb x 2 10 seated leg curl 130lbs x 2 10 back extensions 180lbs x 2 10 seated leg press 130lbs x 2 10 calf extensions 130lbs x 1 10 calf extensions 180lbs x 1 March 10, 2018 10 pull down 75lbs x 1 10 pull down 85lbs x 1 10 pull down 90lbs x 2 10 chest press 75lbs x 2 6 shoulder press 20lbs x2 10 triceps press 210lbs x 2 10 bicep curls 85lbs x 1 6 bicep curls 85lbs x 1 10 row 75lbs x 2 10 seated leg press 140lbs x 2 My Step-Dad and I have become a great gym team and I'm really enjoying it!

I am going to get my sleep routines back. I have done it before, and it was good for me, but for some reason I stopped. Rule 1: Computer off at 21:30, lights at 22:00, get up at 5 Rule 2: Push-ups and stretching. Rule 3: Clean every day.

I am more than ready to get back into the swing of things... I can only relax so long before I get bored of it. When I start looking around the place and trying to figure out how difficult it'd be to paint the walls in the dead of winter, and whether or not I'm really so terrible at sewing that I can't patch all the older pieces of bedding (for the record: Yes, I am. In home ec they banned me from using the sewing machines after the third time I accidentally sewed my fingers to my project - then a few years later when working at a living in history museum, they had a rule to give me any craft project except for quilting. My lack of talent for needlework is spectacular) it's time to get back. Two more days until I go back to work. Today is laundry and errands, tomorrow I will probably devote to some of the chores I don't do as often as I'd like because once I start cleaning I have a hard time stopping until everything is to my satisfaction... and I was raised a base brat so "my satisfaction" is perfection, and I'm a little too black and white in my thinking on the cleaning front. I have a bad habit of holding off until I can be perfect because I was raised to think if you're not going to do a job "right" (read: perfectly), don't do it at all. The principle is to strive for excellence in all things. In practice it looks a whole lot like me not cleaning at all and leaving too much on my partner's plate unless I have a whole day to sink into cleaning everything with doesn't come along often and tending to get ridiculously, irrationally irritated/anxious if I start cleaning and have to leave it stop. This is not fair, not healthy and not a rational fear - I'm in my own damn place now, it's not like anyone's going to breathe fire at me if I only clean the stove instead of the entire goddamn place top to bottom. So I am going to face it. I just hope my partner can deal with me being as prickly as a briar patch for the next few weeks until I manage to show the lizard brain the sky will not in fact fall if I only clean one thing instead of all the things. Also picking this keeps my unofficial pattern of 1 mental goal (facing my pefectionsim fears), 1 physical challenge (work out 30min every morning), 1 lifestyle habit goal (wake up on time, no snooze, no excuses). Anyway, I'm also more than ready to get back into exercise. Well, my body is. My lungs disagree. My folks have a farm. I am allergic to hay, horses, dogs and cats, among other things. So my lungs get progressively more wheezy and less exercise tolerant the longer I visit for. Each year my lungs seem to get more and more tetchy about it - sooner or later I'm going to need to start finding a hotel to stay at so I can sleep somewhere that doesn't make me cough. Which has, in turn, royally messed up my sleep schedule. So today I refill my asthma meds and start sick plan to get my asthma sorted and then my challenge this month is all about self discipline and getting myself moving even when I don't wanna. Like mornings. I hate mornings. However, in the past when I've been able to get my arse in gear to move early in the morning I genuinely do have a better energy level and mood all day. So my challenge is going to be one of consistency and self-discipline this month. Get up on time. 6AM during the week. No excuses. If I can do it when I need to for work trips, I can do it at home. Week 1: M ☒ T ☒ W ☒ Th ☐ F ☐ Week 2: M ☐ T ☐ W ☐ Th ☐ F ☐ Week 3: M ☐ T ☐ W ☐ Th ☐ F ☐ Week 4: M ☐ T ☐ W ☐ Th ☐ F ☐ 8 AM at the latest on weekends Week 1: Sat ☐ Sun ☐ Week 2: Sat ☐ Sun ☐ Week 3: Sat ☐ Sun ☐ Week 4: Sat ☐ Sun ☐ Move for at least 30 minutes each morning Strength W/F/Sat Stretch T/Th Cardio Sunday - run at the track Recovery Monday - walking or something Tracking: Week 1: M ☒ T ☒ W ☒ Th ☒ F ☐ Sat ☐ Sun ☐ Week 2: M ☐ T ☐ W ☐ Th ☐ F ☐ Sat ☐ Sun ☐ Week 3: M ☐ T ☐ W ☐ Th ☐ F ☐ Sat ☐ Sun ☐ Week 4: M ☐ T ☐ W ☐ Th ☐ F ☐ Sat ☐ Sun ☐ Perfect is the enemy of getting shit done. One extra "clean up" task per day. Doesn't matter what. Pick one thing and do it, and only it. Week 1: M ☒ T ☒ W ☐ Th ☒ F ☐ Sat ☐ Sun ☐ Week 2: M ☐ T ☐ W ☐ Th ☐ F ☐ Sat ☐ Sun ☐ Week 3: M ☐ T ☐ W ☐ Th ☐ F ☐ Sat ☐ Sun ☐ Week 4: M ☐ T ☐ W ☐ Th ☐ F ☐ Sat ☐ Sun ☐

I recently joined the rebellion, then the academy. I'm stoked to succeed! I've got a list of small but manageable goals including exercising 3 days+ a week with a rest day in between. I've decided to exercise at home since I have a habit of pushing myself at the gym 3 or 4 days a week for 3 weeks, then quitting for a month+. I successfully completed the academy's beginner bodyweight workout and got sick the same nite with a vicious head cold (I think). It's bad enough that im going to a walk in clinic later today (got sick Tuesday nite). So my question is, is it ok to skip the exercise till I'm better so long as I'm doing my other quests (stretching, mediation, eating healthy, drinking more water, etc) and I can response for working out later? Sometimes if I work out when sick I get better, other times it makes things worse. Thanks guys!

Hi, I'm looking for people (more the merrier) who'd be willing to form a Facebook group, or text, or email.... Help me stick to my routine and not fall into a funk. My focus is more on mental health than physical, but I am aiming to eventually start doing some hiking, jogging, martial arts, dance, and other stuff. I think my diet is pretty good as is and I'm happy to offer advice on cooking (I'm a pretty good cook). My nerdishness is in being a totally fantasy and SciFi bookworm (I prefer bookwyrm). After all, very little can't be improved with either lasers or dragons (or dragons with lasers?). Also a bit hooked on certain video games... Dragon Age, Mass Effect. I am a history nut, I have a ridiculous amount of knowledge about ancient history and not a whole lot to do with it. Anyways, I don't have much in the way of a real life support system beyond my therapist. I could use some friends to keep me inspired or nag me a little or just chat about nerd stuff.

Alright - I feel my last challenge was a success, now it's time to work on getting a little more done. Goal#1: Like my last challenge, I plan on keeping up with my meal plan. Six small meals a day. Hobbit-diet for the win! Goal#2: I'd like to add in some activity. I'd like to spend time each day do some sort of movement. Whether this is a walk or lifting or yoga doesn't matter. I just need to move. Goal#3: I'd like to focus on some spiritual growth as well. I'd like to read my bible or meditate every day. I know my goals are vague, and I know that's not generally a good thing. I'm making them that way, however, so I can again find success. The last challenge I did I felt was successful. I'd like to continue that.

Hello again, all! I'm back for another air-installment to try to build awesome habits. Last time around, my challenge was simple, but I still bit off more than I could chew. My new job, an online course (just finished up!) a surprise Whole30 with coworkers and some other challenges really threw wrenches into my system. Not great! I'd like to do this challenge again (even though I did alright last time!) to really solidify these habits and build on them. I'll also be emphasizing daily morning rituals. When you're taking care of an Air Temple, you've got to start the day off right! Equinoxe's Airbender Challenge: Part II Mindful Study: Morning Practice Start the day with 15-30 min of morning meditation at 5am. I have found that reading in the evening is better than starting with reading in the morning; I get into a groove, and don't want to stop! That's better to save for when I don't feel the time pressure to get out the door for work... Mindful Moving: Morning Exercise Pretty self-explanatory. I've been ramping up my exercise routines, but want to aim for more frequency rather than harder workouts. My biggest challenge will be making time for exercise every day, instead of getting a head start at the office. (My #1 excuse for skipping a workout) But now that I have the Movement Space set up, I want to use it! I'll be focusing on yoga and weights/rowing, alternating every other day. Mindful Eating: Eat (and drink!) Like an Airbender Alright, this goal will be separated into two parts: First part, finish my vegetarian Whole30 with my coworkers (done the last week of October). Second part: Continue eating primarily whole-foods plant-based through the rest of the challenge. I've ID'd some great foods that seem to do really well for me, and I want to favor them. (I'll probably get more specific about this goal when the second stage rolls around) As for my mindless snacking, I've been eating a LOT of nuts over my Whole30, which has actually been making me feel pretty ill. Instead of snacking, my plan is to reach for herbal tea! That seems good enough for now. Let's keep training! Boom!

Morning all! I've had a recurring thought over the past couple months. I eat relatively cleanly (a lot of homecooking) and rarely feel "hangry" (its for the safety of the children/staff I work with). There have been times in the past where I've eaten well during the day, tracked all my calories and completed my food diary and fitnesspal gets all "uh...uh (Z-snap) you ain't eaten enough." This has happened on days when I'd still be 700-900 calories in the green still at the end of the day and NOT hungry...so I'd eat half a pint of ice-cream to make fitnesspal happy. My goals for the past 4 years have been primarily straight up weight loss. I've gone from around 260-280 down to 203-204 (as of this morning). I've been doing a modified beginner's bodyweight circuit (modified in that I've added weight and reps) since late September last year (3x/week with walks/"active recovery" on my off days). I'm not at my "goal" weight yet, goal is 195 and then I'll re-assess if I need to drop more or focus more on building muscle. For the question, lets look at today for an example: Accounting for breakfast and lunch (pre-loaded into fitnesspal)-I'm eating about 1,191 calories. According to fitbit, I've burned 878 from my morning workout (which I do 3x/week). As of the writing of this post, fitnesspal says I've got 1,967 calories left for dinner/snack. Do I really need to eat a ~2kcal dinner to keep my progress? That's a lot of food (and my stomach has shrunk)...like go eat 10 tacos from taco bell? or Edit: I know all the calorie counters (fitnesspal and fitbit) give at best estimates of calories consumed/burned

I came across this study on how we're evolutionary programmed to dislike exercise. I've only just read the abstract but thought it might be of interest. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4996983/

Noddy has a mission. She needs the money to buy proper gear, so she definitely needs to solo the dungeon alone. She's always been a lone wolf. It has prevented her victory many times, but she really has no other option as LFG failed miserably. But this time... this time she'll reach victory! Here's for her main quests: Learn skill Firestorm Noddy needs to be fit so she can learn the two component spells and launch them into one powerful magic attack. Hit the gym at least 2x week; Eat BLE modified version + record it on MFP; Make notes of weight and body measurements. Gather relics from the trophy rooms The dungeon has several bosses and trophy rooms. Noddy has to collect relics from all of them and sell them later to make money. Plan at least 1 weekend in a different country; Plan visit to Portugal; Check nearby heritage. Form a guild of allies Although she's gonna solo the dungeon, Noddy needs allies on the outside, to help her with new adventures. She really needs to start being a better friend. Speak with friends; Plan days out. Reach current gold cap Noddy had a lot of gold saved up but spent it all on a new mount. So now she needs to do it again to buy new gear and possibly a house in the not so near future. Save for new gaming laptop; Start new extra savings account to buy a house. So... let's see how this goes since it'll be my first challenge ^^ I'll probably check in weekly since I already have my grinding log in which I put my foods and exercise for accountability purposes.

Good morning folks, As usual, I'm always looking for more things to do, things to tweak, things to add into my daily/weekly work out cycle. Since around September/October of last year I've been doing the "beginner's" body weight circuit 3-4 times a week. I've increased in stamina and strength significantly (adding in dumbells to many of the exercises). Circuit activity can be found at this link: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1-HLwfvnIQTByiQnw7WjKWxbQ0oOZlQeKoOVoW58-POE/edit?usp=sharing After the Circuit, I run for around 10 minutes. Currently, on off days I tend to walk the dog for about 2-3 miles (depending on weather), or I do other odd things around the house the tend to get heart rate up (e.g. cleaning for long periods, yard work) so that I'm not just chillin on the couch. What I'm asking is what sorts of things would y'all recommend for my "off/non gym" days. On a side note, wife is a little peeved/jealous about the amount of time I spend at the gym (which is only about 3-4 hrs/week when she's sleeping). My current gym attendance days are: Sunday, Tuesday, and Friday Looking for ideas

She blinked as she woke up. She reached for her glasses on the nightstand...good god, it's covered with stuff. What happened to the sleek modern nightstand with a couple magazines and a fancy ipad that controlled the lights? This place is a wreck. She finds her phone...it's 7 am. She never wakes up that early without an alarm. Slowly she begins to remember. She's not in London anymore. The view outside her window is no longer the impenetrable Tower of London, it's...a two-story 1960s LA apartment building. She can see the smog in the distance, and it's already pushing 85 degrees. The mission was a success. She ran through the tasks: the dry suit diving at the Churchill Barriers to get the keys to the Tower. The coded message from the shepherd in the highlands, delivered in morse via sheep shears. The unexpected rendezvous with an agent she'd known since childhood. The coordinates, hidden in plain sight at Westminster. And finally, the disaster thwarted when she returned the missing treasure to its spot in the Tower. It had been a great success, and no one would ever hear about it. And now she was back at home, awaiting the next gig. Maybe this time she'd try to settle down. Work a regular job, that kind of thing. It seemed impossible, but who knows? Stranger things have happened. ---- Well, I'm back from a 3 week vacation in Scotland & London and I barely know what real life is anymore. I'm crashing hard from the long time away from work, all the walking, the good food, the time outdoors, and of course, all the people and problems I ignored while I was gone! I'm trying a gentle re-entry challenge to get my head back in the regular day-to-day, with a little bit of travel inspiration thrown in. What I love about traveling: I don't worry about anything that isn't actually important. I see lots of cool new stuff and have a lot of time to think. I have far fewer possessions to deal with and all of my possessions get used regularly. I intentionally use things up rather than saving them for a just-in-case scenario. What I don't love about travelling: I don't take care of my body as well (eat bad food, don't work out, don't hydrate) I spend too much money My quest for this challenge: To retain the magical spirit of vacation but also To rebuild the habits that support me (It's also the one-year anniversary of my last re-spawn, as well as QUEST #1: Work out 2x per week. Although I'm behind on my yearly workout goal by 9 workouts, now is not the time to go crazy on adding workouts! Before the trip I was solidly at 2x/week and I am sure I can achieve that again. QUEST #2: Eat vegetables every day. I have a lot of support here from my partner who is also lamenting the large quantities of potatoes we ate in the UK. QUEST #3: Get to bed by 10 pm every work night. I will sleep minimum 8 hours per night, and get to bed before 10 pm each night. QUEST #4: Write and post a poem every day. I'd really like to do more here (like get my Patreon page set up) but for now I want to just keep up the momentum I had on this project while I was travelling. I'm also trying some new strategies for managing my day-to-day life that I'd like to record here without making them part of the official challenge: Don't fill up your to-do list just because you have things to do. In fact, if you fill it up, you're doing it wrong. To-do list should be reserved for things that are actually going to get done, not things you are idly considering. Clothing diet: this is something I've done after trips before, where I wear the same clothes I wore on my trip for about a month after I return. Often the things I packed for the trip are among my favorite clothing and it reminds me that I can get rid of clothes I'm not wearing AND I can get by with fewer clothes. One fun thing, one work thing: I gotta keep doing laundry and stuff but I don't have to only do laundry. I will prioritize one fun activity every day. Save money wherever possible. Stay in, eat in, prep lunches. Okay, it's about 3 am according to my body so off I go to bed. I'm excited for the challenge ahead and really trying not to overstuff it.

Last month I tried to measure ALL THE THINGS. It was hard. I was hoping to feel a sense of increased achievement, but I actually just felt the pressure, and then like a failure for missing bits. Lesson learned (in science, it’s all about learning what DOESN’T work too). Now... I haven't climbed since May, and I keep telling myself to go once more, before my membership ends in August, to say I gave it a solid go, but the very idea of having to take clothes, change, park, walk in (no on-site parking), then hope someone else is there so I can ‘legally’ climb, but not more than about 6 people as it’s too cramped, then I leave after 15-20 minutes ANYWAY…. It just doesn’t feel ‘worth it’ for me. However, if I can commit to going once, Ill have gone 6 times in 6 months, which will make me feel less like a quitter. POSSIBLE CLIMBING DATES: - 27-29Jun - 3-5Jul - 17Jul - 20-23Jul So for this challenge, I’m dialling it back. I want to take part in the Mini, because exercise is almost the last thing I’m actually progressing in. I found 'daily' check-ins just failed, so removing all the 'daily' ones, except writing, which has been a daily goal for about 2.5 years. So this month, I’m keeping it simple. It’s my last month of University, so that has to come first. Equally, I want to launch my business at the end of the Summer, so that needs to get moving. My Five Week Goals: * Finish COP 1-9 Entirely (9) * Finish Portfolio Entirely(1) Finish Course Plan (4 weeks, intro/ending) for Business (5) Three Workouts a Week. MINIS COUNT. Yoga counts. Dance counts. (15) Three 'Meditates' a week (15) Clean kitchen once a week (5) Write fiction daily (35) Log Extra Exercise (5) That’s a weekly target of 10 points + Uni assignments completed (10 points overall). The Uni stuff is all due by July 26th so... Pressures on! Let's do this.

I have been trying to opt for outside activities. Thinking of new fun things such as hiking in the woods fishing climbing and beachcombing. Feeling fatter than ever but choosing to ignore that voice. I've been trying to eat healthy. I had a great breakfast option of veggie omelet while on vacation. But need to focus on packing healthy snacks and eating at home more. But....I am meeting my goals of exercise, eating veggies everyday. Still need to work on the pray/meditate time. We get ourselves so busy in this world. Must slow down. We went jetty fishing and lots of hikes across the rocky beaches. Even walking on windy, sandy beaches is more exercise than you notice! Going to try to focus more on food intake. Do hard things!!

Real simple - I need to work and study my brains out for another 2-3 years, so my challenges will not be nearly as awesome as everyone else's (no prose, no RPG narrative or GIF/MEME-posting). However, the challenge goes up anyway because this community, has been fantastic - as I got out of debt, moved my family to a new city, acclimated to new job, on and on! IT'S TIME TO FINISH my "life-repair" efforts before I transition to maintain-growth-pace-of-life! Time to stop dabbling and actually take care of my health and long-term vocational stuff (thus the 2-3 years of studying/working). Simply, in 3 years (or less) get lean and jacked and financially liberated (and, of course, enjoying the journey in the process) I want to track a daily checklist of items to keep the fitness going, while life is full of working and studying and family-ing, I'm going to borrow @Laghail's checklist format All of this toward fat loss, plus some strength building: drop 10 pounds. This should be do-able with beginner gains (all bloaty and lazy these days) Daily strive for □ Morning meditation □ Keto-calorie restriction (adjusting fat for activity levels) □ Steps □ NF Academy Bodyweight level 3 (4 days each week) □ Career studies Here we go - in 3 years I will be lean and jacked and financially liberated - and then will have cooler challenges

My 4 week challenge goals are going to be pretty basic as I want to SUCCEED for my respawn and make life changes!! Diet eat a vegetable with at least one meal daily Fitness some form of exercise every day Level Up Your Life Meditate/pray daily

Heyo. Once again, life conspired to keep me from starting a challenge in timely fashion - first week was a travel time (I went to Philadelphia, and might be the only person to ever accidentally end up at the NFL Draft), and then promptly got sick. So I'm still trying to get my life back to normal whilst coughing my lungs out. But, y'know, can't let that keep me down. Thus, a half-challenge, loosely inspired by none other than one of the greatest gaming sagas of all time (you know it's true!): Half-Life! I've been pretty bad at doing complicated goals when my habits and life are off-kilter after my travel times, so this one will be a little less so in the hopes of actually doing the things I said I was planning to do. Goals for the half-challenge: - Exercise five days out of the week, even if it's just a short walk. I can work with a short walk, but being sick has made me more likely to just act like a slug. - Run at least two, preferably three days of those times. Again, still training (or trying to train) for my upcoming Virginia Tough Mudder, and this will be most key to my survival. Some bodyweight training wouldn't go amiss either. - Go to sleep before 11:00pm. I've been coughing myself awake multiple times the last few nights and it's wreaking havoc on my sleep schedule. Just setting a normal bedtime will hopefully help get things back to the usual as I recover. Otherwise, I'll just try not to let the headcrabs get me down. Bonus goal: Book reports! - I'm reading a lot of fun books these days (currently a mix of non-fiction and sci-fi). Just for the heck of it, I think I'll include some random thoughts on anything fun that I get into.