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So I'm 5'1", 109 pounds and have polyarthralgia. Though the doctor suspects it may be rheumatoid arthritis or fibro. Typically my weight fluctuates +/- 3 pounds but I'm not looking to lose any weight. My main concern is preserving and then improving on my joint health and mobility. Then, hopefully improve my muscle tone. I'm not a strong swimmer so water aerobics might be out as part of a potential workout plan. (Though I plan on correcting that.) So... any ideas? Equipment I have 1 pair of 5-lb weights A Roku 1 My own bodyweight

Hi Fellow Nerds, I'm a Level 6 Warrior, and I'm not like I used to be. But I'm also not like I want to be. I'm in the middle on this journey, and this is about my journey from Madness to Sanity. Looking back I see how crazy my views of myself and health really were, and I am slowly replacing that insane thinking with sane thinking. I'm going to be the kind of guy who logs what he eats and how he exercises for 90 days so that I have accountability and encouragement in what I am doing. The BROAD goals for me in these next 90 days (starting July 1st): Level up my Nutrition from NF Diet-style Level 3 to 7 - This is a reasonable goal for me, because I have been eating more and more healthfully over the last 10 months, with the last month here moving to a more NF diet-style. I'm also going to work on logging what I eat on a daily basis and make it available to accountability partners. If you'd like to see what I'm eating, go to http://www.myfitnesspal.com/food/diary/mawnstroe. Level up my Workouts from Level 3 to Level 4 - I'm currently doing NF Level 3 Bodyweight workouts and they are just the right amount of butt-kicking I need, so I think a good goal is to move up to Level 4 BW workouts. I have injured myself in the past too often by aiming too high, only to strain or tear something, so I am going to take the NF Mindset to heart and work on small, long term changes rather than try to change everything at once. As for where I am right now: Mindset: I have my Big Why (posted in my intro post on these forums). I've been hacking my sleep and it's really improved over the last month, I use the Sleep Cycle app for iPhone and Android. I get 6-7 hours of sleep a night and that is plenty. I can't sleep more than 7 (or 8 at the absolute max) no matter how hard I try. I'm just one of those guys who needs less sleep than others. I have accountability with a friend, and this thread is another version of that to widen my circle of friends and accountability partners I have set up some Loot! rewards for myself when I reach my goals, which I will post another time I am working on getting my Batcave customized, though I have the things I'd like to do, I haven't yet implemented them Nutrition: I'm on level 3 of the NF Diet-style, working on high protein breakfasts, eating vegetables with every lunch and dinner, and replacing normal carbohydrate or starch for 10 days out of a 2 week period. I've already conquered not eating pasta, and things like eating broccoli instead of French fries or asparagus instead of white bread, that sort of thing. I am working on limiting my bread consumption as well as carbohydrates in general. My goals right now are keeping carbs under 150 g a day. Workout: I'm currently on Level 3 Bodyweight workouts, and defeated the Widowmaker last week. w00t! I have had 3 weeks of regular workouts without missing one. I walk 10,000-12,000 steps a day and track it using my Misfit. I use "Zombies, Run!" app to make my walking more fun for me, and I like to also go hiking with my kids on weekends. If it's not fun, I'm not going to be doing it for long! I am paying close attention to my knees and shoulders because in the past I usually ended up injuring one or both of them and I am not going to do that this time around. I will pay attention to my body and I will not be afraid to modify my workouts so that I will not miss a workout. So I think that's about it for now. My goal for tomorrow is to report that I did my bodyweight workout today and also to go over my short-term goals and their subsequent Loot! as well as complete any other details I need to fill in. This is me living and leveling up one day at a time, enjoying one moment at a time, accepting hardship as a pathway to peace and health. Rawr! - Mawnstroe Level 6 Warrior

Not entirely relevant to the Challenge itself, but kind of important. There might be some SongSpam this time around just because I decided to make a Positive Song Playlist. For, uh, science. <.< Anyway. Recap: Week One was okay last time, Week Two was Better, and then I epically crashed and burned in Week Three under the weight of feelings I still don't fully understand. This whole 'life' thing just sometimes feels like more than I'm interested in dealing with. As typically happens, that particular thought is now receding and the motivation to Do All The Things is returning. I'm not going to count my last Challenge as a success, because that would be a lie, but I'm also not going to dwell on defeat and instead of spending more time feeling bad about it am going to Get Up and Try Again. Goals: This time, I'm between changes. Life has recently been irreversibly altered, and more change is coming up, though hopefully in a happier context. Big steps where school is concerned, life in general. So the focus will be quite basic, pretty much the same goals as always. Better emotional stability would be a nice payoff. And speaking of emotions, theme time! This movie punched me repeatedly before the credits rolled. Set Up: Five characters, five categories. The aim is to earn one point per category per day. No weekday-only restrictions this time, so there won't be that to think about. Much more flexibility than I usually give myself. Zero Week will be even more flexible because there's a lot to do this week aside from Challenge things, but I need to get going again as soon as possible. Zero Week will not be scored, but I will be starting my Tasks nonetheless. Potential Points: 140 I wanted to do the Islands thing, too, but couldn't think of how that would work or what to do with it, so, not doing that. Staying bare-bones, super basic. GIFs are welcome and encouraged even if totally unrelated to the theme. Let the silliness commence.

I now have a fairly stable workout routine I do 3 times every week on average, and I'd love some criticism on it. I usually work out after a 15+ hour fast, which seems to have increased my performance compared to before. Here's the workout routine: I always do 5 repetitions per set. 1: 5 sets overhead press, 3 minutes rest, some form of squat between sets (split squat at the moment for example), since my gym has no rack. 2: 5 sets pullups, 3 minutes rest, dips between sets 3: 5 sets thigh abductor machine (I'm convinced they'll help my triangle choke in jujitsu!),2 minutes rest, 10 second planks (very high tension) between sets. 4: hangs on the pullup bar for 10-20 long breaths, sets and duration depend on how long I can hold on. Once a week I do deadlifts and on off-days I use a gripper with only my left, weaker hand whenever I feel like it. I just started doing the left-hand only thing because my left hand's grip is significantly weaker than my right, and I hurt myself a bit doing deadlifts and almost dropped the weight. Be ruthless with the criticism! I'm trying to make this as optimal as possible since I have plenty of time for once on vacation.

"It is time to stop lurking" - Tippeh, 6/9/16 at 9:53pm Well okay I said that a few times before but this time, I mean it I'm tired of being tired. I'm tired of recording my "progress" on scraps of paper I end up losing anyways. I'm tired of starting over multiple times and being just as confused as before. I used to do full body HIIT workouts mainly doing calisthenics 2-3 times a week during the start of my college years and I remember just how AMAZING I felt and looked everyday. Then family issues, changing majors, not eating enough, and life happened. Therefore I fell of that luxurious wagon. So it is time! In fact what really helps is that my fiancee will be gone for most of the week for the next 2 months on business so that leaves less temptation for me to eat out/grab fast food with her. Therefore I'm hoping to establish a pretty solid habit of eating clean and working out regularly before I start my last semester of school this fall (will still miss you hunny!) Long-term Goals: To bulid a habit of working out 3 times a week (minimum) To eliminate processed foods out of my overall diet and instead fuel myself with wholesome foods To feel more energized and full of life for every waking moment To be stronger, especially in my upper body and hamstrings To someday be able to squat double my bodyweight To someday be able to do 10 pullups with relative ease Lastly when I succeed at the above, I know I will look much more lean, "toned", and strong. So my last goal is to look aesthetically awesome! Like Wonder Woman awesome! Short-term Goals (now until Sept. 1): Go to the gym 4-6 times a week Lower body twice a week Upper body twice a week HIIT 1-2 times a week Have 3 meals and 2-3 snacks everyday. No counting calories, just going to listen to my body when its hungry and when its satisfied Rotate between chicken, beef, pork, and fish for variety For example have chicken every other lunch and pork chops on the alternate days, etc. 1-2 servings of veggies per meal (whatever is in my fridge) 1 serving fruit per meal Fruits and nuts for snacks Be able to squat 100 pounds comfortably (hopefully more but we'll see!) Be able to 2 pull ups Be able to do 20 pushups in 1 minute Get a part time summer job (hopefully Rita's will call me in the next few days)! Wow it is cool seeing my goals written out so neatly. In a way, I hope it's not too much, too soon for me but I have a feeling it'll be okay. I'm definitely open to your guys' thoughts and tips though. Otherwise, creep away

As those who followed by last challenge know, my depression has been getting worse. I have decided to make simple, achievable goals this month. This will keep me on the right path, and won't set me up for failure! I couldn't think of a cool theme this time, so, just basics. Goal One Track all my food on MFP Con +2, Wis +2, Cha +1 Goal Two Exercise three times per week Str +1, Sta +2, Con +1, Cha +1 Goal Three Do not drink soda except at work, and if used in mixed drinks at my brother's bday party Con +2, Wis +2, Cha +1 Summary: Goal 1 = stay in MFP range, Goal 2 = exercise 3x/week, Goal 3 = no soda outside of work Week One (5/8-5/14): Goal 1: 86% (went over the limit 1 day) Goal 2: 100%+ (exercised four times!) Goal 3: 100% Week Two (5/15-5/21): Goal 1: 100% Goal 2: 100%+ (cardio/long walks four days of the week. Squats 5 days of the week for the Mini. Got some form of exercise every day of this week, Sun-Sat!) Goal 3: 100% Week Three (5/22-5/28): Goal 1: 100% Goal 2: 100% Goal 3: 100% Week Four (5/29-6/4): Goal 1: 86% (went over the limit 1 day) Goal 2: 100% Goal 3: 86% (had soda at home one day)

TL;DR - I travel for work around half of each month; keeping the workout schedule going is pretty decent to start things out, but it's the nutrition where I'm really seeking help. Frequent travelers, what do you do to keep on track both for exercise and for nutrition? Details: I am on the road a little less than half of the month, and during that time, I'm stuck in a hotel room. Thankfully, I am able to utilize the facility's exercise room as well as some TRX suspension straps that I have been bringing with me (as well as a water-filled portable kettlebell that I just acquired). My main area of struggle is when it comes to food. When I am home, I am able to prepare a week's worth of food on a Sunday and meet the ratios my trainer has suggested to me (40% protein, 40% fat, 20% carbs). When I travel, I am unable to do prep due to arrival time and long work days through the week. Thankfully, I am in a place that has a couple of stove top burners as well as a microwave and a full refrigerator so I at least have means of doing light cooking and storing it as well as storing almond/cashew/coconut milk and protein powders. At least I have access to proteins such as sardines and tuna as well as being able to cook some vegetables (raw produce gives me an allergic reaction, so salads are out of the question). I often use supplements to make up for the areas I miss due to some of these restrictions (e.g. nutritional shakes and some in pill form). Are there other frequent travelers out there who are part of this program who have been able to fit in good nutrition while away from home? Do you have any advice for someone with similar restrictions?

The first two weeks of the last challenge went great. Then work killed it. We had to expedite a project for a client. Ended up working crazy hours, which leads to me getting stressed out and being too tired to cook and too tired to workout. Excuses, excuses, I know... But now I am ready to get back in there. This challenge I want to reinforce some of the good habits that I have let slip over there last couple weeks. Basically get back in there, and not lose the progress I have made this year! Main Quest: Weigh less than 200lbs by the end of the year. Start: 242.2 lbs | Current = 225.6 lbs. | Progress: 16.6 of 42.2 lbs Challenge Starting Stats (More for my reference if anyone cares). Goal 1: Morning Exercise Get up in the morning and exercise. Mon, Weds, Fri: Bodyweight Brigade – Level 1 Tues, Thurs: Interval Training Goal 2: Food Tracking Using My Fitness Pal I will track my calories and macros to learn what it takes to meet my goals. Using this info to help me plan meals over the next few weeks. Goal 3: Morning Routine My morning routine has gotten all out of whack, and switching to working from home this year is not helping. So here is my plan to help get into a regular Rhythm. 6:00 - Awake 6:15 - Out of bed, coffee, reading. 7:00 - Work Out 8:00 - Shower, cook breakfast. 9:00 - Start workday. Goal 4: Spring Cleaning My bedroom, closet, and shed are in complete disarray right now. Mostly from transitioning from my winter activities to warmer weather ones. I will come up with a plan and tackle each section a little at a time until they are organized.

I've been absent for a while, and the things that happened while I was absent have led me to return with a lot of changes regarding how I approach fitness, so it's time to start a new Battle Log. While I was gone, I spent 6 months working with a holistic nutritionist. It was challenging and ultimately rewarding work. I learned a lot about the power of mindfulness and meditation. I learned that when I am under stress, I tend to get out of balance very quickly. Also, I learned that when I'm in a time of great creativity where I'm inspired to put forth a lot of energy on my art, I get out of balance. Those 6 months were great, having the personal support of a nutritionist daily. But then a great amount of stress was introduced to my life, and guess what? I got out of balance. Way out of balance. I felt so lost that I went to get a tarot card reading. And the reader told me I was out of balance (well, that wasn't surprising, was it?). He also advised me to let go of some of the burdens I am carrying and be a better judge of how much I can carry at once. He said my values and goals were in the right place, but the execution was off. It made me realize that that's pretty much the story of my life; tons of good intentions, but a poor plan (if any plan at all) on the execution. It's no wonder that I'm so easily pushed out of balance. So, right now I'm in the early stages of crafting a plan to get back into balance. I'd like to have the first phase planned out in time for the next six week challenge. I'm also going to join the Druids during that challenge, because it's pretty clear that my goals are much more Druid-oriented this time around. Here are the things I need that I will build my goals around: Sleep. Sleep is the first thing I sacrifice to overwork, or to creativity, or to stress. It makes each of those things worse, not better. I need to get enough sleep everyday, and the rest of my schedule must get out of the way of my sleep instead of the other way around. Mindfulness and meditation. Once sleep is restored, I need to set aside space for daily reflection. Currently I write Morning Pages in a journal every day, but I need to make that time sacred and truly do them first thing in the morning, which is the intention. I need time for meditation as well, perhaps after work each day, or before bed in order to wind down. Eating right. I need to give up processed food as entirely as is possible. I need to eat out only socially, during my weekly Artist's Dates if that's part of the date, and when travelling (I am currently in the habit of bringing food with me when I travel, but local cuisine is part of the joy of traveling, and being at Balance definitely means taking in joy. But of course, my dining out choices can also be good choices). I also need to be eating at least 5 fruits and veggie servings a day, with an emphasis on veg. I need to eat a variety of veg, rather than just relying on the same favorites over and over. I need to eat nuts daily. I need real whole grains (brown rice, millet, and oats; not processed foods labeled "whole grain"). Honey instead of sugar. I need easy meal prep as well, because the thing that makes me give up healthy eating habits is usually time. I need to exercise daily, at least five days a week. I need to get outdoors for exercise when I can. I need to start exploring good places in my area for hikes and long walks. I need to work on ways to exercise even during difficult times. I tend to sacrifice exercise right after I sacrifice sleep when I'm stressed and time is at a minimum. I need to work on my art regularly. I'm an amateur leather worker, and so I need training time to build my skill. I need to work on orders I currently have, and on building up stock for an online shop. I need to make things I've never made before in order to get the experience. I also need scheduled play time where I just experiment with dye and tools, with the freedom to fail, to see what may come out of it. I also need to find a way to balance exercise and art. Usually I feel like one of these crowds the other out, as if art and exercise are at war with each other. I need a peace agreement between art and exercise. They need to live in harmony. I need to examine the burdens I place on myself that throw me out of balance. Why do I do that? What can I do to stop? How do I do a better job of saying no, or asking for help, or simply acknowledging that I'm making things harder than they need to be? It's a lot, right? But I've declared myself a Jedi Apprentice, and I'm starting the work here and now (apologies for the color coding if it's unpleasant for you to look at; I'm doing it to make the categories easier for me to separate when I reference back to this post). First off, sleep. I need to get to bed at 11 on work nights. On weekends, I need to get 7 - 8 hours of sleep, even if I stayed up late. This is my most concrete goal right now. Secondly, I need to audit my use of time, because clearly time is my biggest issue. It is lack of time that makes me do a poor job of balancing my life. If I were using my time wisely, for example, I wouldn't feel like there's no way I can both have time for art and for exercise. (Fun fact: if I could have a super power, it would be the power of multiplicity. I would be able to multiply into multiple selves. I would also be able to come back to a single body at will, and then absorb the knowledge of what the multiple selves did that day into a single consciousness. This would enable me to get a lot more done without time being a limit. As you can see, I've put a lot of thought into this. This is how obsessed I am with wishing I had more time). After that, I will work on a schedule for mindfulness, exercise, and art. I'm also going to be spending a lot of time looking at time saving ways to get good food easily. I've started making green smoothies, and they are great! It's a really quick way to get a couple of servings of fruit and veg all at once. I'm also going to look into gathering more slow cooker recipes and things I can cook ahead that leave-over well or perhaps can be used for multiple leftover meals. Sorry for the lengthy essay; this first post is mostly to set myself a starting point to reference back to. The quest for Balance begins here!

Okay, These 4 week challenges are great and all but I think for now I am going to amalgamate everything in the one log. That way my disjointed rambling posts will have some sort of backstory and probably make more sense. xD If you don't know me already (sheesh!) I am 24, australian, working in hopsitality, learning roller derby, and trying to live my aussie dream of owning a house with my lovely partner and gardens and no people and shit. Yeah! Most concise intro so far. Last challenge I focussed on tracking my food (having just come back from a 2-week holiday including an all-you-can-eat buffet) and trying to do some exercise and keep my house clean. The house cleaning plan got de-railed a little bit because everything ended up getting packed up and dragged over to our new house, so I have a clean slate to start again with good housework habits. (also, Mr. Tea said he'd buy me a dishwasher so booyeah!) For the next 4 weeks (at least, probably longer!) I want to be focussing on unpacking the rest of the boxes and throwing out anything I don't need, cleaning the old house, ticking off things on my house-moving list, and getting some sort of garden happening, as well as keeping the new house looking somewhat presentable. Awesome! I also want to re-route my derby focus to be working on the last few things that I need to pass my minimum skills, as well as get good at skills that come in handy in games but aren't necessarily skills that are demanded of you. I've been feeling a bit 'meh' about training since coming back from holiday but we've also had a string of public holidays depriving us of all our training sessions, so I need to get back in there! DERBY SKILLS LIST; 27in5 (currently 24) 360 transitions (at faster speeds!) side-skating / T-skating backwards crossovers pushing through walls core bracing THE HOUSE MOVING LIST: Get a mailbox - done, just need to put up Organise internet - waiting for tech support - still. Call the electricity company Order Gas Bottle Build a dog-fence Put in doggy door - completed (thanks dad!) Clean old house - Put bins out at old house Grab lemon tree from old house Take a load of rubbish to the tip Change addresses at various places (requires mailbox!) - Vehicle license + new license photo. - Car Insurance - Debit card - Superannuation - Work - Dentist - Spotlight (:P) Unpack Rooms; - Formal lounge - all the spare furniture is in here - move extra furniture to the shed - Ensuite - need to move a chest of drawers in for storage space - Craft Room Just gotta put my desk back in there Misc. Things Put up a washing line Oil the hammock stand Change ensuite shower head Stockpile wood for winter Got a good few weeks worth at least; ~ 8-10 wheelbarrow loads for now.

I've been struggling to be okay lately. I've been under a lot of stress and struggling with anxiety and depression, but I've been trying to learn about myself and what makes me happy and makes me feel worthwhile. I'm going to try and keep it simple, and remind myself that the goal isn't weight loss, it's just trying to feel okay. I want this challenge to be very, very easy to stick with, so all the active pieces combined are going to take 1 hour or less per day. Excluding sleeping, because that would be crazy. Main Quest: Reduce anxiety and depression. Learn what causes these. Acknowledge that some things in my life are stressful and that's okay. Goal 1: Quality Alone Time. Reason: I'm an introvert. I like doing things by myself and rarely make time to just be by myself, especially with a partner who likes to spend almost all their free time with me. I'm much happier when I make time for productive alone time. Details: 30 minutes or more per day. Should be something that I want to do that I really find satisfying, and is in no way social. So reading, meditating, painting, or playing guitar would count. Browsing the forums would not, and generally netflix/youtube/reddit/imgur would not; I already do 30 minutes per day of this and it doesn't make me any happier. Strategy: Spend the first 30 minutes of the day by myself. Get a comfortable chair in my home office, shut the door, maybe get a "do not disturb" sign. This is my me time. Goal 2: Enough movement, enough rest. Reason: Exercise is a mood booster. And if I have exercised today, at least I have done something worthwhile. I get sad when I get sleepy. I also find it difficult to accomplish the simplest things when I'm tired. Details: Any exercise daily, 8 hours of sleep daily. I would like to keep working on my C25K training, but I'm not going to be hard on myself if it doesn't happen. I just need to do something, whether it's a brisk walk or a short dance session or a few minutes hula hooping. Strategy: Set gentle alarms for when it is time to exercise and when it's time to start going to bed. Goal 3: Put the right things in your body. Reason: Severe vitamin D deficiency. Alcohol exacerbates my depression. Caffeine exacerbates my anxiety. It was a huge eye-opener when I started tracking my mood and realized 75% of my panic attacks happened within 2 hours of heavy caffeine consumption. Details: Take daily vitamin D supplements; no alcohol; cut down to 1 cup of tea a day. I had been drinking one or more alcoholic drinks per day, along with a quad shot or more of espresso every morning. Strategy: Have vitamins every day first thing when I get up, since I'm always at home and have access in the morning. Tell your friends and family and partner you're abstaining from alcohol and caffeine for the month and ask them to help you stay on track. Other stuff that I have no choice but to do: -Taxes (come on Grizzy, you can do it, you only have to bring two forms to an office and then just wait while a guy does some stuff on a computer...) -Moving (I'm buying a house. Assuming nothing goes wrong, which I always assume things WILL go wrong which causes me to be anxious, we're closing on the 15th and ending our lease on the 30th. So I have to do all the packing and activating utilities and fixing a bunch of stuff and aaaahhhahahahhhhh *cries*.) -Put in consistent effort at work (I got moved off of a project I disliked for under-performing. My boss made it seem like not a big deal, but I feel like my ass is on the line and I have to prove myself on my next project.) Sample Daily Schedule: 7 AM: Wake up, spend 30 minutes reading, painting, or meditating. 7:30: Do 10 minutes of hula hooping, a walk around the block, or at least 1 set of some weight lifting. Maybe more if I'm feeling ambitious. 7:40: A simple breakfast of cheerios, yogurt, fruit or a green smoothie. One cup of tea if I'm feeling really out of it. 8:00: Shower, dress, gather lunch & work stuff. Maybe read some more if I'm still waiting for my partner to be ready. 8:45 (at latest): Leave for work. 9:00-5:00: Working 5:00: Leave from work 5:15: Make dinner or clean stuff or relax while partner makes dinner. 6:00: Eating time. 6:45-9:00: I don't really know what I usually do with all this free time but I can tell you that I'm great at wasting it. 9:00: Get ready for bed, drink some water, read some more, sleeeeeeeeeep. Here's to keeping my head above water this month! I would drink to that, but you know, goal 3...

Mega Quest: My 2016 theme is "Opportunity favors the prepared." I'm in a better position to pursue a career opportunity when I maintain my network and resume and take time to build my skills. I'm in a better position to go on an amazing last-minute hiking trip if I'm already active and working on being fit. Sure, it's nice to dream about moving to Germany, but it's a lot more likely if I speak the language (classes started in January). And in general, luck seems more likely to come my way when I'm keeping myself happy, healthy, and fulfilled via self care and pursuing my interests. I want the abilities behind me to say yes when I want. And if the last few years are anything to go on, fortune does not seem to favor the person that spends hours everyday staring at her phone or the TV. I am planning on short monthly goals with overarching fitness/career/self-improvement and self care themes throughout the year. March is going to be all about incorporating activity in my daily routine. This was part of January's 'Back to Basics' goals and then February's 'Shore up on January's Weaknesses' goals, and I'm still blowing it, so that's all March is going to focus on. 1. Daily anything active. A jog, a walk, lifting, body weight circuit, foam rolling, yoga, 5 minutes of burpees in a conference room, sex that isn't missionary, I don't care. The point is to be intentional with it and be aware of how active/inactive I am in my normal daily life. 2. Weekly slight effort. Make it to the gym at least twice a week. This should be easy- I was going about 4x a week in January, but February brought a lot of travel, events, work busyness, and house guests. I think I'll be back at it 4x a week once my dad heads back home this Thursday and my sewing class takes a break after this week, but I'm changing around my work schedule this week and we'll see how that works. 3. Practically trying. Go on at least 2 hikes/active adventures this month. My last chance before Phoenix turns into an inferno hellscape until November. Actually, it was 87 today so I may have already missed my window. Northward I may go, Flagstaff Ho. Life Quests: Work is going to be busy so I'm reserving most of my energy for that. Keep studying German. Read the book club book (The Circle by Dave Eggers). Design a pattern for and make a messenger bag for sewing class. Other considerations: Anniversary this week so possible planned diet chaos. Probably at least one weekend trip. Eating habits remain decent, but tracking calories has been a total bust so I'm thinking of getting really boring and putting together a 'perfect day' menu and then eating it 5x a week. That leaves 2 days to give myself a break from the monotony and they can be my zag days in a zig-zag eating pattern. My work schedule is tentatively 6:30-14:30 now, so we'll see how that goes. Theoretically, it means I'm not going to work during peak traffic times and should give me back 5 hours a week I'm not sitting in my car contemplating hari kari. But I meet people at the gym at 19:00 most days, which cuts close to bedtime if I want 8 hours, and in another month I'll be doing the dog park that late too because it'll be too hot to do it earlier. So I'm toying with the idea of coming home, getting a full REM nap 1-2 hours, doing my evening stuff, then skating by on 6 hours or so sleep at night. I wonder if that'll keep me from sleep debt, as long as I'm not messing with REMs. Let the experiment begin. If you read this whole thing, you're an impressive beast.

I've been struggling to be okay lately. I've been under a lot of stress and struggling with anxiety and depression, but I've been trying to learn about myself and what makes me happy and makes me feel worthwhile. I'm going to try and keep it simple, and remind myself that the goal isn't weight loss, it's just trying to feel okay. I want this challenge to be very, very easy to stick with, so all the active pieces combined are going to take 1 hour or less per day. Excluding sleeping, because that would be crazy. Main Quest: Reduce anxiety and depression. Learn what causes these. Acknowledge that some things in my life are stressful and that's okay. Goal 1: 30 minutes quality alone time daily. Should be something that I want to do that I really find satisfying, and is in no way social. So reading, meditating, painting, or playing guitar would count. Browsing the forums would not, and generally netflix/youtube/reddit/imgur would not; I already do 30 minutes per day of this and it doesn't make me any happier. Reason: I'm an introvert. I like doing things by myself and rarely make time to just be by myself, especially with a partner who likes to spend almost all their free time with me. I'm much happier when I make time for productive alone time. Goal 2: Any physical activity daily. I would like to keep working on my C25K training, but I'm not going to be hard on myself if it doesn't happen. I just need to do something, whether it's a brisk walk or a short dance session or a few minutes hula hooping. Reason: Exercise is a mood booster. And if I have exercised today, at least I have done something worthwhile. Goal 3: Take your darn vitamins. Have them every day with dinner. Keep a stash in your purse so you have them when you go out to eat. Set an alarm reminder in case you forget. Reason: Severe vitamin D deficiency. It can exacerbate depression and worsen my immune system. Goal 4: No alcohol, low caffeine. Tell your friends and family and partner you're abstaining for the month and ask them to help you stay on track. Reason: Alcohol exacerbates my depression. Caffeine exacerbates my anxiety. It was a huge eye-opener when I started tracking my mood and realized 75% of my panic attacks happened within 2 hours of heavy caffeine consumption. Goal 5: Sleep 8 hours a night. I should be in bed, lights out by 10 on weeknights. Since I'm often out late on Friday, I should avoid scheduling things for Saturday mornings. I need to try and force myself to go back to bed when I wake up after 6 hours on weekend days. Reason: I get sad when I get sleepy. I also find it difficult to accomplish the simplest things when I'm tired. Other stuff that I have no choice but to do: -Taxes (come on Grizzy, you can do it, you only have to bring two forms to an office and then just wait while a guy does some stuff on a computer...) -Moving (I'm buying a house. Assuming nothing goes wrong, which I always assume things WILL go wrong which causes me to be anxious, we're closing on the 15th and ending our lease on the 30th. So I have to do all the packing and activating utilities and fixing a bunch of stuff and aaaahhhahahahhhhh *cries*.) -Put in consistent effort at work (I got moved off of a project I disliked for under-performing. My boss made it seem like not a big deal, but I feel like my ass is on the line and I have to prove myself on my next project.) Here's to keeping my head above water this month! I would drink to that, but you know, goal 4...

I failed. Epicly. I had set goals for myself and let the flow of life (and mostly WORK) completely take over and destroy me. Or rather, I let myself destroy me with Cheesecakes and junk food. Ok. End of pity moment. Let's use the challenges well and respawn. Few objectives in this challenge: just to recreate good habits and kick the bad ones. One day at a time. I often feel like overeaters should also have chips for every day they don't overeat, AA-style. I know it's not as hard, but it is not easy. Ultimate target (expected achievement in the best conditions: end of July) Get under 70 kgs Reward Will go to the hair dresser and dye my hair blue! I have ALWAYS wanted to do it. This will be my ultimate reward. I won't care about the corporate naysayers (because of which I gained weight). Objectives 1- Eat more balanced meals, in the right amount 2- Limit snacking, or make it healthy 3- Exercise five times a week 4 - Start dance class again Means 1 and 2 will be monitored with Weight Watchers. This will help me get a grip on things, while still having the opportunity to enjoy some of the food I've been eating lately. It will help with the moderation. 3 I will monitor on an excel file. 4 may be difficult as I feel particularly FAT right now and already missed two classes... But I'll go for fun! I will come to NerdFitness to get inspiration from you and courage from your epic successes!!

http://rebellion.nerdfitness.com/index.php?/topic/79718-rantings-of-a-mad-man/ ^ Also posted this up here and realized this area is where introductions go. Attention Mods: feel free to remove the above post if you would like, I apologize for my confusion. ^ Hey all, my name is Matt and I am a computer nerd. Phew, glad I got through that. I am out of shape and recently made a solemn vow to my family that I would run a 5k with them this June. I am a procrastinating hobbit who eats way to many snacks and does absolutely nothing to burn it off. I'm not obese, but neither am I "in shape." Since starting Nerd Fitness, I am now doing the 10 minute walks every day (for 2 whole days now ) and the 4 recommended yoga poses, despite my feeling silly whilst doing them. After the 10 minute walks I find myself winded. Sad, I know, but true nonetheless. I am great at starting something new, but really need to develop the endurance to persevere and I am hoping NF will help with that. I know I have many hurdles to jump and look forward to questing with you all. Also: I am leaning towards becoming a Scout or an Adventurer, but am unsure which one is up my alley. Guidance is appreciated. I have always felt like I "could" get in shape, but honestly I've had no desire to do so. This is the start of day 4 and I enjoy getting involved in groups and I have been told I am a wonderful motivator, therefore, if I can be held accountable to keep going, I will gladly do the same for all of you! Ojara out.

Over the course of this challenge, I will power myself up from typical woman msblt82, to super-powered awesome Sailor Neptune! At then end of my challenge, assuming I succeed, I will change my forums name from msblt82 to something cool aND Sailor Neptune-y NEPTUNE PLANET POWER! 1. Eat a veggie with lunch & dinner every day: +1 Str +1 Wis *Week one: 100% *Week two: 100% *Week three: 100% *Week four: 100% DEEP SUBMERGE! 2. No soda after work: +2 Con +1 Wis *Week one: 100% *Week two: 100% *Week three: 100% *Week four: 100% NEPTUNE CRYSTAL POWER! 3. Exercise three times a week: +2 Sta +2 Con +2 Dex *Week one: 33% (got sick) *Week two: 100% *Week three: 100% *Week four: 100% SUBMARINE REFLECTION! 4. At least 60 mins non screen relaxation (book, board game, card game, social time, etc) a day: +2 Wis +2 Cha *Week one: 75% (got sick, unless sleep counts as non-screen time ) *Week two: 100% *Week three: 100% *Week four: 100%

Character Name: Half-Blood Princess Race (if not human): Muggle-born Werewolf Hogwarts House: Ravenclaw Wand description: Mahogany with Mermaid-Scale core Patronus: Grey She-Wolf Mini-Challenge Lessons: Herbology: Make at least one slow-cooker meal. Bonus points if I make three. (#3) History of Magic: Study Spanish and make a list of words/phrases that may be useful in Mexico. Transfiguration: Focus on increasing flexibility and work towards touching my toes (#2) Defense Against The Dark Arts: Complete at least 2 Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter novels (to further research wereanimals of various types) (#1) The problem with owl post is that it's quite noticeable. When my Hogwarts letter arrived, so did a Werewolf. It wasn't her fault that she bit me. It was a full moon the night the owl arrived with my letter, and the werewolf had been chasing it through the forest that borders my family's land. I went out into the back yard to investigate the racket they were both making, and the werewolf was startled and nipped me. She returned the next day to apologize and teach me a potion that would keep me docile during the full moons. Apparently she'd learned the potion from someone named Remus. I was excited about starting school at Hogwarts and learning everything I could about this whole world I had never known about before. When I arrived the first night, all the new students were sorted into Houses. The Sorting Hat told me that I was both clever and brave, and would fit in with either the Ravenclaws or the Gryffindors. I think the hat decided on Ravenclaw because the thought of being surrounded by a bunch of brave people made me nervous. The Boarding School was a new experience for me, and so I made some goals for myself for the first month to stay healthy and organized: Goal 1 Stop reading by 10:00pm and go to bed. Wake up at 6:15am (instead of 6:23am) Walk to work every day - wear running shoes, carry work shoes Goal 2 Use the Gym every Tuesday and Thursday Hike every weekend Do yoga/stretches/foundation movement at home on "off" days Goal 3 Pre-cut veggies for morning/lunch Try steaming kale - anyone have kale recipes??? Make and freeze stew and chili at the beginning of each month

So, a couple of words about my personal inspiration: I am a total fangirl for Kelly Sue DeConnick, comic book writer extraordinaire. She has a motivational text list you can subscribe to which she calls the bgsdlist, aka the Bitches Get Shit Done list. One of Kelly Sue's rallying cries is SMALL BITES. As if the wise words of Kelly Sue weren't enough, I also came across this article today. It's not actually all that different from a lot of the Nerd Fitness blog posts, but for some reason, reading this made it sink in. A problem I've had is goals being too big. I need to scale it down. SMALL BITES. So with that in mind, my goals for the current 4 week challenge are: 1. More sleep, with the following weekly goals: Week 1: Never go to bed after 1 a.m. on a weeknight. Week 2: Never go to bed after 12:50 a.m. on a weeknight. Week 3: Never go to bed after 12:40 a.m. on a weeknight. Week 4: Never go to bed after 12:30 a.m. on a weeknight. 2. Mindfulness about food. I must write down what I eat, taking notes on cravings I was having and how I felt after eating. Here are the weekly goals: Week 1: Record each meal for 4 days out of the week. Week 2: Record each meal for 5 days out of the week. Week 3: Record each meal for 6 days out of the week. Week 4: Record each meal for 7 days out of the week. Note: these are probably the biggest bites I'm taking, with the end goal of recording meals daily. But honestly, this habit is much easier to maintain once it's daily. It is a lot easier to do it every single day than it is to do it only some of the time. 3. Exercise. I must move some each day. Here are weekly goals: Week 1: 15 minutes of exercise daily. Week 2: 16.5 minutes of exercise daily. Week 3: 18 minutes of exercise daily. Week 4: 20 minutes of exercise daily. Note: The exercise can be basically anything - bodyweight, going for a walk, going to the gym, anything. I don't want to be able to give myself excuses not to do it. My life goal is to design and make a bag for my mom. I'm a leather worker, and I want to make a bag for her birthday. I'll be trying a new design on the construction of hers, so that will definitely be a learning experience. I'll work out what points go where at the end of the challenge. I tend to change my mind about what each goal is doing for me during the course of the challenge, so I figure it's better that way.

Hi! First, a short background. I'm Angela, I'm a 31 year old female that weighs 200lbs, 45% Body Fat. I have been exercising off and on for years but not regularly enough to do anything. For the last 5 weeks, I have been doing Strength & Conditioning training in a group personal training class at an MMA gym for a minimum of an hour per session 3 times per week. Example workout on my blog: http://thechickenscoop.net/bullpen-wod-2016-01-18/ I am less sore after every workout so I think it is time to increase activity. My goal is to increase strength and burn fat. I really enjoy lifting heavy but not sure how it could fit in with these workouts (which are sometimes high rep low weight or just body weight). I know that rest and recovery is important too. I also have a ton of workout DVDs including a bunch of Beachbody programs including T25, Insanity, 21 Day Fix, P90X, Les Mills Combat, Les Mills Pump, and Body Beast. I enjoy doing the DVDs and wouldn't mind adding them in between the other workouts. I could also try the Muay Thai classes at the gym on the rest days or the Boxing on the same day but at night. I'm also a member of the Nerd Fitness Academy so I have those workouts available also. So I guess my questions are this: Would adding lifting into an already intense schedule be beneficial or hurtful?How much exercise is too much (weekly, daily)?What types of workouts would be most beneficial to add in?Do you think any of my Beachbody DVDs sound like a good idea (even if its just one of the DVDs from a series)?Do you think I should just continue with these 3 intense workouts per week for now?Should I just add something super low intensity like walking?Oh, also, I am currently unemployed and bored as heck. I could technically do 2 workouts a day if I wanted to and take rest days in between. I am afraid of overtraining too though so I am afraid of doing too much. I haven't lost any weight so far since starting at the gym but I know that is 100% because of my nutrition, but that is a topic for another thread! So any input, personal experience, advice, or resources you have are welcome!

My main goal is to have a more healthy & productive lifestyle. I have failed challenges in the past, mostly because I am so "entrenched/addicted" to the internet....that I never get anything done. and of course my body is not going to feel like doing anything if I have spent so long being sedentary. 1. Limit time spent on the computer(during the week...weekends are free days) For a long time I have spent way too much time on the computer; computer/internet use has become the center of my life, for too long Keep track of time used online using chrome app. One thing the app changed that I like is you can now see when you last reset the timer. I will post the top 5 sites each night. Will also keep track of/limit tv time(& any online gaming like lotro). It will not mean anything if I simply switch out the internet time with tv/gaming. Daily grade for computer use A. 3 hours or less B. 4 hours C. 5 hours D. 6 hours F. 7 or more hours 2. Exercise. I need to be more active, so walking every day and/or workout A. 1 hour or more B. 30 minutes C. 20 minutes D. 15 minutes F. none 3. Food log; will post food each night 4. Cpap use; wear cpap each night

Challenge number the umphteenth. I am batting on a good wicket. Things are improving, even if it is slowly. My weight and eating habits are under control. I do some exercise every day. I meditate every day. But everything for me is a bit wishy-washy, I do not have any hard rules. James Clear talks about Bright-Line rules, so for this challenge: - I do the important things first. Challenge stuff that happens late at night is Wrong - Mondays and Wednesdays are input-deprivation days. I've done a week, and completely relapsed, so this is important. 1. Be kind and grateful My ongoing quest to have a happy mind. Kindness is almost natural now, but I have to start work on gratitude. 2. Be brave Don't sneak. I have become aware after watching this how often I hide things I do from people. Time to stop doing this. 3. Be strong Yoga is daily, even if it is only a mini session, but I have to get to the weights again. Since the power cage is 5 meters from my bedroom door I do not really have any excuses. My hip trouble seem to be past, and it is time. 4. NaNoWriMo That time of the year again. My fifth year of doing NaNo. Edit: And two I forgot about 5. Laptop of at 9, bed at 10 I've done this before, it was good. 6. Make one knife a week Just to stop me fiddling around.

So last time my challenge got almost completely derailed and I didn't lose any weight at all... (See trainwreck here: http://rebellion.nerdfitness.com/index.php?/topic/70676-lydiajaybird-gets-back-up/) I might have even gained some, I've been scared to weigh in, so I don't really know right now. I was doing alright, then I had a bad week, and then my state (SC) got wrecked by the storms and flooding, and my life was crazy and ugh. I tried to keep on keeping on, but I didn't do too well, and my lack of results shows it. But life is calming down now, so I just need to refocus and I'll be fine. So now for the important bit - my quests for this challenge! Main Quest - Lose 12 Pounds I need to weigh myself before I can put a number up there, but I want to get back into the 160's! Last challenge my goal was to get to 165 - what I weighed before I broke my foot - but I have to admit, that was really ambitious... I would've had to lose 12 pounds. So maybe calm down, recognize that slow progress is better than no progress (which is what I had last challenge) & just shoot for at least 169. Goals 1. Exercise - Run three times a week, and pole three times a week. I used to run MWF, but my pole classes are Wednesday, so I think I'm going to run TRSa instead. Then Monday can be upper body day for pole and Friday can be core/lower body day. 2. Rise and Shine - Wake up with my first alarm!! I've been getting worse and worse about this - It's to the point that I have incremental alarms set for a few hours before I finally get up. And of course, if I don't wake up on time, I don't have time to exercise before work! So one of my goals this challenge is to GET UP at 6:00am M-F and 9:00am on the weekends. 3. Keep Calm and Keto On! - My roommate has gone from being somewhat unreliable at cooking to COMPLETELY unreliable. I can count on one hand the number of times she's cooked in the past month. So I just need to plan and cook for myself... which will only be difficult because my roomie refuses to believe she's not doing this diet anymore... Everytime I mention that I'm going to the grocery store or try to cook for myself, she gets offended. So that'll be awkward to get around. Also, I'm changing my carb intake. With her, I did 25 net carbs or less a day, but you really only need less than 50 net carbs to stay in ketosis. So to make it easier to find yummy recipes (since I am simply not as good a cook as her), I'm going to aim for that. I've got ketone test strips, so I'll be able to tell if I can't stay in ketosis with that many carbs, and can adjust accordingly. [1645 calories or less, 50 carbs or less] Life Quest Become Desirable! No, not romantically/sexually desirable (I've already got a boyfriend, I'm fine in that department) - desirable for employers! I've been trying to get a job with my shiny new degree since I graduated in May, and I'm getting NOWHERE. And since the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results, I'm going to change my approach. I'm going to keep applying places and networking, of course, but I'm also going to try to add to my resume. For example - the temp agency that placed me has lots of online courses for their employees where you can learn new skills. And I can always go to the bookstore and get one of those [sKILL] for Dummies books. So everytime I can add something to my resume - I earn a Life Point, which will be extra credit added to my final score. This means that this extra credit won't be limited by the number of weeks, so I won't be tempted to not do anything just because I already did one thing earlier that week. (Which is what happened last challenge... Oh, I'll apply NEXT week - I already got my Life Point this week.) Measurements Height: 5'9" Weight: 182.8 Waist: ? Hips: ? I need to weigh & measure... I'll edit all these before the challenge starts. Grading Each goal will be graded weekly & be worth 1/3 of that week's total grade. Life Points are unlimited extra credit that can be added to my final score! My final grade will be the average of all six weeks plus my Life Goal extra credit. I need to make at least a B (80%) to pass the challenge. Up till now, I've always said I only needed a C to pass, because that's a passing grade in school. However, even in school, I never felt like a C was an acceptable grade; and last challenge I technically passed, but I made no progress and I didn't feel good about it. So I'm making it more difficult to pass. This might mean I'm just going to fail myself out and will need to ease up next time, but it might also mean that I'll work harder to get there. Exercise - percentage of completed workouts. Rise and Shine - percentage of successful wake-ups. KCKO - 1 point each day for meeting calories and another point for meeting carbs. Total points/Total possible for the weekly grade. Exceptions - If I'm sick or injured (please noooo not again!), then workouts are excused. Motivation As for rewards, I've got money now, so I'm gonna go pretty hard on these. I'm going to reward myself with something big (and undecided, I'll edit this later) if I pass the challenge AND have at least some progress. It's okay if I don't make it all the way to 169, so long as I've improved. And for each week that I make an A, I'll reward myself with something too! At the start of each week I'll post what the reward will be, and will use that to motivate myself to DO AWESOME. Not just good enough to pass and claim the big prize, but AWESOME. HONORS STUDENT LEVEL AWESOME. DEANS LIST OF NERDFITNESS.

As the header says, this challenge is about commitment. I've taken a look to what I've done this year, and I see an on and off pattern, specially with exercise. It's true that many times bad health was involved, but I also see that I kind of use it as an excuse to postpone a restart. So, from this moment, I commit, I'll put exercise first for the next 4 weeks (yes, 4 weeks, that's correct. Am I a rebel or what?). I will only be excused if I have to work extra-hours off my schedule or if I feel sick (but I won't!). This means that there are other goals, but they come in second place and some of them are there to help the exercise goal. So: Goal 1. Being active. I'll allow myself a rest day, full rest day, but the other 6 days some kind of exercise must be done. I think in such a way I'll see results and that will encourage me to follow through. I hope my morning routine will help too (goal 2). First week: Establish the routine of walking a mile every morning (it's part of the morning routine). DONE! Go for a run at least once. Better if twice. DONE! 1 strength workout. DONE! In fact I did TWO! Second week: A mile a day. DONE! Go for a run at least once. Better if twice. Two days of tap practice at home. DONE! 2 strength workouts. DONE! Weeks 3 and 4: A mile a day. Or more if I've got time. Week 3: DONE! Week 4: DONE! 2 running days. Tap practice at home. Week 3: DONE! Week 4: DONE! 2 strength workouts. GMB Integral Strength. Week 3: DONE! Week 4: DONE! Workouts, both strength and running, include Focused Flexibility. What about tap? I am not sure whether I'll be able to take lessons this year, my schedule is not clear yet. If I can't go, then I'll try to practice at home now and then. Neighbours are going to hate. Points: 2 STA points max. for completing all the running workouts. 2 STR points max. for completing all the strength workouts. 1 DEX point max. for tap practice or lessons. Goals to help with exercise: Goal 2. Establish a morning routine. If I don't give myself the opportunity to think and chose to be lazy, maybe, only maybe, I won't be. The routine will organize my morning from waking up til it is time to go and prepare lunch. I want to create the feeling that tasks are somewhat linked and one leads to the next, so there's no room for procrastination and/or laziness. The routine starts with no snoozing in the morning and moves through meditation, walking, breakfast, reading, tidying up, music practice and exercise and many other little tasks, like taking my vits or feeding grumpy cat. If I don't waste time and follow the schedule I will have around 1 hour free before lunch to do whatever I want (like checking NF threads?). First week: DONE! Second week: DONE! Third week: DONE! Fourth week: DONE! Points: 2 WIS max. Goal 3. Eating. Tasks to be done: meal planning. Breakfast DONE!, lunch DONE! and dinner DONE! find a place that would supply me of bones for making broths; I only prepare them when I buy a whole chicken, that's not enough. And I want to try beef stock; DONE! put on fire the candy-bread kiosk on the ground floor; or maybe not, not everybody would understand my decision... keep on reading “Nourishing traditions†and think what I want to apply of what I read there; SOAKED DOUGH BREAD (done!)/MUFFINS (done!)/SCONES AND FERMENTED VEGETABLES (done!) stay away from sugar and bread: 3 days on the first week DONE!, 4 the second DONE!, 5 the third DONE!, and finally 6 the last one DONE! . If I get there, then I could try the following challenge to stay at 6-7 clean days. The better I eat, the more impact my exercise routine will have in my body. Once more, commitment. Points: 2 CON points max. for completing the suggested tasks (0.5 points each). Goals unrelated to exercise: Goal 4. Music practice and stage fright. Either “The hibbiee-jibbiees†or the “Sonata Appassionataâ€, or both, will be uploaded to soundcloud before the trimester ends. This way I'll have to commit (that word again!) to everyday practice and won't let stage fright aside until concerts season. Points: 2 CHA and 1 WIS points max. To obtain when one or both pieces are uploaded to soundcloud. Goal 5. Personal projects. I'd like to work on “Metabolic regulation†and “Hobbitinn†regularly. I won't decide a fixed schedule for them because they are part of leisure time. I hope my morning routine will establish well and help me find some moments for this during the week. If not, I'll work on weekends. Also, they can go in my “rest breakfast while reading†space in the morning, though I don't usually feel awake enough for that (maybe the previous walk in the fresh morning will put a remedy to that). 1 Metabolism regulation chapter per challenge (unless it is a difficult or long one, then half) and 1 paragraph of Hobbitinn every week. Points: 1 CHA max. Goal 6. Autumn is cool too. I can't go out everyday or hike the whole weekend now (why not, indeed?) but I'll try to plan some activities to keep enjoying being outdoors. First week: 2 activities. Second week: 1 activity. No activities during weeks 3 and 4 Wrong! Went to the Cervantian fair at the end of week 4! Points: 1 STA and 1 WIS points max. GOAL IN THE BACKGROUND. ANXIETY There are a lot of goals here. I have to go to work, too. Anxiety can appear. Probably will do. So, as I did last year, if I feel anxiety starts to pile up -because it's too much, because I have some trouble at work, because whatever- challenge stops and only the anxiety related activities go on. That includes my daily habits of relaxing, breathing and resting, and meditation, walking in the sun (so not necessarily right after I wake up), and aerobic exercise. Anxiety peaks. First week: none. Second week: one. Third week: three. Fourth week: three. Anxiety attacks: First week: none. Second week: none. Third week: none. Fourth week :none. Each time I realise anxiety has piled up and I get to stop it before it goes too far, I get an extra 0,5 WIS point. That's it. I think that's what I need. Now let's get the job done! SECOND 4-WEEKS CHALLENGE: http://rebellion.nerdfitness.com/index.php?/topic/70900-commitment-zenlara/?p=1673956

So my backside is still killing me from how hard I've fallen off the band wagon starting in like, October. I had already lost a lot of consistency with my workouts before then but that's when my butt started being fused to the couch. I've been able to mostly avoid the "eat tons of crap" that comes with the holidays but between all this time off and the cold weather it seems I'm either staying with family(who DON'T workout..like ever) and lazing about with them, or snuggled up in my house trying to stay warm reading and/or binge watching Arrow and Flash..... unacceptable I haven't been walking or assassin training lately cause it's normally dark when I get home/get up and there's been some er...crimes against the female population in my neighborhood recently. (bastards ) I finally started working out a few times a week in my liv room as of a week and a half ago but still, I've lost a lot of my gains! ARGH! My push-up numbers are fairly pansy-ish and let's just not discuss pull-ups. So I'm trying to keep up the reboot and don't want to wait until the new challenge but I need motivation for un-fusing my bum from the bed/couch (which means taking my eyes off my kindle) and ideas on not being bored since normally my workouts were at the park - I have kind of contemplated working out to audio-books but didn't want to pay for a subscription for them if the stunk.... any ideas?

This Challenge: <32% Body Fat The Big Goal is to be under <25% body fat, and qualify as 'fitness' level. Short-term, under 30% by Christmas. I have some major motivators going on right now: Seeing family at holidays -- want to be as fit as everybody elsePost-Christmas vacation in Cancun! Annnnd bikini.Moving from California to Ohio early next year -- must make the most of good weather!Next year I'm doing a triathlon, and need to be able to keep up with my marathoner momAs additional motivation, I'm going to post progress pictures (eeeeeeeek) for the first time ever. Last challenge, I took it slow, trying to get the hang of my diet and then adding in some workouts again. This challenge I want to go all out, all six weeks. I've done well previous challenges for the first few weeks and then petered out. Inspired by the women of SHIELD. I'll admit I only watched the first season, but: Plus the actress voiced Mulan! Target #1: Destroy, then Rebuild -- Workout 5x/week Time to get intense about workouts again. I took a handful of spin classes last challenge, and felt amazing after each one. I just bought a deal for 30-day membership at boot camp, so I'll be using that the first month. Obviously working to avoid injury as well as improve endurance and strength. What counts: boot camp, Crossfit, hike/bike 1hr+, yoga STA-3, STR-2 Target #2: Take Down Opponents - Keep cravings in control Now that I've dialed in my diet somewhat, I need to keep it on track to avoid getting sick. FODMAPS are still in question, so I'll be experimenting in that area. Mostly Paleo plus low-FODMAP plus low-fiber when my stomach is iffy. I can eat any food I want as long as it truly satisfies the craving. This seems difficult to measure, but I KNOW when I've gone overboard (four bowls of buttery popcorn instead of one). CON-4 Target #3: Hone the Skills - Strength Goals Do a chinup Do a pullup Re-memorize my TKD formsSTR-2, DEX-1 Bonus Target: Ownage Complete job application/interview process Make Christmas gifts for family/friends Eat everything in freezer, 30 pantry items Purge kitchen equipment Post to NF at least every other day (mine +others)WIS-2 I refuse to believe this is too much to accomplish. Especially considering how much time has been spent watching TV lately. Work is light now, so it's a good time to ATTACK!