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Hey! My name's Leafa. I just finished my first challenge last week! I'm so proud! But already I'm falling behind. I stopped doing my exercises on Tuesday and despite having lost 5 pounds over this week, I haven't been paying attention to my eating habits as well as I should either. My initial plan was to join the assassins but I really don’t feel ready to do that yet. So for this challenge I'm going to saddle up with the adventurers and really solidify those healthy habits. So what's my overall goal? I'm graduating in May and I want to look like a superstar in my grad photos. I'm not too big, I lost 10 pounds with my first challenge and I'd like to lose 25 more by May, which should be an easy target, I hope. I also want to make fitness and exercise a more prominent part of my life. For a poor student living in a place where winter lasts 6 months, kinda hard. For now my exercise mainly takes place in the basement of our apartment. Quest 1: Rituals (no goats will be harmed) I really want to develop a morning ritual. I love being up before everyone else and getting to enjoy that moment of silence alone with a hot cup of tea before the day begins. I sort of have my own morning routine but I want to change it to fit my workouts in before I start in the morning Morning 6:30 am Wake up, going to give myself 10 minutes to wake up 6:40 am Work out (100 jumps w skipping rope on MTWRFS, 2 rounds of basic bodyweight training MWF) 7:00 am Shower 7:20 am Hair and Makeup 7:30 am Breakfast, feed fish, make sure I've packed my lunch 8:20 am Leave for work I’ve given myself lots of time in the morning, but I need to make sure I’m done with the bathroom by 7:45 so that my boyfriend can take his shower. That being said, my biggest problem is getting up at 6:30 to even start. So I developed an evening routine to follow as well. Evening 9:30 pm Make sure lunch for tomorrow is made 9:45 pm Write in Journal 10:00 pm Wash face, brush teeth, feed fish 10:15 pm Read 10:45 pm Go to sleep Moreover,10:00 will be by tech curfew, no more Facebook, Reddit, Twitter, whatever. 80% of this stuff I already do,My biggest problems are getting up at 6:30 so that I have the time to exercise, and not going to bed by 10:45 to give myself enough sleep to wake up in the morning. Quest 2: Eat the Way I Know I Should The past few weeks, I've really been cutting down on what I put in my mouth. I'm making healthier choices and cutting grains out when I can, but I want to go further. I'm already working on this in different ways. Ever since September I've managed to cut down on eating out for lunch, so for this challenge I'm going to work on cutting down to eating out overall to one day per week (right now it's about 3-4). So here's how I'm going to do it: Continue to bring lunches to work, usually leftovers or salad in a jar.Start using my slow cooker more often with soups and stewsMake one new recipe a week from the 5 ingredient cookbook my boyfriend brought home.Have frozen veggies and pork chop on hand for easy suppersPlan suppers and stick to the plan Life Goal: Friendship is Magic! I didn’t make enough friends last time! So this time I want to post in at least 3 other people’s threads a week, give them encouragement, and hopefully make some friends along the way. I'm really looking forward to this challenge, can't wait to see how it goes!

Right, so I did like three challenges successfully-ish, but then I moved and started college and it all sort of fell by the wayside, but midterms are over and Christmas is soon and I'm back! Unfortunately I've lost most of my progress and am starting from square one again, but at least I know I can do it now. Goals will be updated in the progress bar, and here. They are: Sleep: 7-8 hrs sleep every day Food: 1200 kcal, 16 hr IF 5 days a week, and one day of 24 hr IF. every meal has fruits/veggies (1st week), cut out pastries, chips, chocolate, cookies (2nd week), cut out all other junk food, oatmeal with whey protein for breakfast (3rd week), 24 hr IF twice a week (4th week). Exercise: 5 days a week, 30 min (week 1), 6 days a week, 30 min (week 2), 5 days a week, 45 min (week 3) 6 days a week, 45 min (week 4), 5 days a week, 1 hr (week 5), 6 days a week, 1 hr (week 6). Preferably do strength, cardio, and yoga at least once a week each. Overall Goal: 45 kilos by Christmas Mini-goals: (5 days a week) 30 min of music 30 min of language All homework done on the day it was gotten, and revise on Friday Lesson plan and to-do all on Sunday (prep for next week)

Hey! Just wondering what would be a good exercise to broaden my shoulders and also give my back a good workout at the same time. Some background info (I guess lol): Female, 150cm, 43-44kg. Thanks!

So, my question is what it sounds like: "How do I minimize my loss of muscle while losing weight?" I've got around 35-40 pounds to lose before I reach a point I'd like to maintain. This is obviously going to take some time and I want to try to keep my muscle mass from deteriorating too much. What's the best way to do this?

I got a scale yesterday, and had my first weigh-in this morning. 350 lbs, which is scary-sounding, but last December (which is the last time I stepped on a scale before now) I was 376 lbs. I also decided to try something this morning. There's a season 1 episode of CBS' Elementary where Joan shows Sherlock how she would stay awake to cram for exams in medical school, which basically consisted of squats while crossing and uncrossing one's arms. She would do 100, I managed twenty on my first try. It did indeed wake me up. Hooray for natural energy! I did some walking downtown with my mom as we ran errands today, so since I haven't been able to do both evening walks AND my ballet conditioning (I need to learn how to manage my time better), I'll be staying in and doing my ballet stuff tonight. Maybe by doing the squats first thing in the morning, I'll be able to start getting more done in a day, so that I can do both the walking and the ballet with no time constraint. Hopefully this link will work here, I took the clip from the show and put it on FaceBook. https://www.facebook.com/LarssonC87/videos/10156150462925457/

I am a Star Wars enthusiast who likes to dress up as a Jedi (figured I might as well get that out there). I am looking to find friends to help me resist the dark side (so to speak) and help keep me focused. A Jedi should show balance in his training. Healthy eating, studying, playing, exercise, yoga, and meditation. These are all things that I feel will benefit me becoming a Jedi. As Luke Skywalker once said (in the books): "A Jedi trusts the Force and at first seeks other ways to resolve problems: patience, logic, tolerance, attentive listening, negotiation, persuasion, calming techniques." I seek those friends that will utilize this lesson...I seek a Master who will keep me motivated, who will provide guidance in the ways of the Force. My ultimate goal is to drop about 80 pounds, gain muscle tone, strength, and endurance. I am enrolled in school, which will be finishing at the end of the year (which will provide me with my Bachelors in Information Systems Management). Once that is completed, I can dedicate the time that was used for school to martial arts, which hopefully, will in turn teach me how to fight with a sword (lightsaber). My line of thinking is that Jedi is not a profession, it should be a lifestyle. There is much to learn from the fictional Jedi characters and I think these lessons can be used to help achieve achieve my goals. If anything, I think it would be cool to have some friends to BS about Star Wars with. Cheers, Jedi Master (hopeful) Martin

Hi nerds! I am a long-time lurker who has been finding information and inspiration on this site for years. I have made some big changes in the past 2 years but find that while my commitment to exercise has been consistent, my commitment to nutrition is still more of a struggle. This is a crazy-long post so feel free to skip down to the TL:DR at the bottom My back story. I was always tall and lanky as a kid and pretty much stayed that way as a teenager thanks to sports and decent eating habits. I gained some weight in college but quickly lost it in my early 20s when I became probably the thinnest I have ever been in my life. I weighed about 140lbs (I'm 5'10) but sadly this was due to not taking care of myself at all – I drank way too much coffee, smoked cigarettes and barely ate from stress and then would binge-eat pizza on the weekend when I was out drinking with friends. My weight was low but I became depressed and horribly anxious and began having panic attacks, one that landed me in the emergency room when I was 26. Soon after this experience I was put on a bunch of anti-anxiety meds, some of which made me absolutely starving, and I began to rapidly gain weight. I can't say it was all due to medication because I was barely exercising and my eating habits basically consisted of the lobby vending machine. From ages 26 to 31, I put on about 50lbs which made me feel uncomfortable in my own skin, both physically and emotionally. I was always tired, irritable and achey. My anxiety had improved a little but I still felt depressed and now I was medicating that depression with sugar and processed snacks in addition to prescriptions. Cut to 31-years-old and I weighed 200lbs. I was still struggling with depression and anxiety and beginning to feel pretty hopeless that I would ever feel much better. After a difficult break up where my live-in boyfriend moved out, I bought a groupon for some boot-camp classes with the intention of doing more things outside of my now-empty apartment. The first time I went to boot camp I couldn't even make it through 10 minutes without having to sit down, the second time I made it through 20 minutes. But I decided I had to keep going back – I was so sick of feeling crummy and really just wanted to do something good for myself. I started going 2-3 times a week and after about a month I could not believe how much better I felt. I lost about 12lbs that first month but even better, my mood was brighter, my skin was clearer and I felt energized rather than depleted all the time. I was totally hooked. Feeling inspired by the improvements I was making exercising, I also started loosely following the paleo diet. I cut out grains and sugar and most of the dairy I was eating. I wasn't especially stringent, especially about dairy, but I totally cut out diet soda and probably 90% of the processed food I was eating. At that point the weight really started to fall off and suddenly my arms had some definition and I had cheekbones again! Now, two years later, I go to the gym on average 5 times a week. I go to barre, pilates, kick boxing, circuit training, weight training, yoga, tabata, spin classes – you name it. I have lost 50lbs in total and am now at 150lbs. I sleep well, feel good about myself and no longer need medication to treat depression or anxiety. Exercise is honestly the best medication I could have ever found for the host of physical and mental symptoms I was facing. So, why post here now? Well first of all, THANK YOU Nerd Fitness and the rebellion for all the help and inspiration over the past two years. I never posted but I always kept up with the blog. This is actually the website that convinced me that weight training would not make me some sort of hulking monster but actually help my lose weight and keep my metabolism humming along. Now I love weight training, I actually prefer it to most cardio, and I do it 2-3x a week. But the other reason I am posting here is that while I easily motivate to go to the gym, I have a hard time maintaining motivation when it comes to my diet, especially when it comes to sugar. A lot of badness has been totally eradicated: I don't drink alcohol or soda and I don't smoke cigarettes. I tend to eat pretty healthfully during the weekdays (less so on the weekends) and I certainly eat way more fresh produce and lean protein then I did a few years ago. But I still have these late-night sugar binges (a sleeve of oreos or a pint of ice cream in one sitting) that seem to come in waves. I'll be good for a few days then bad for a day or two. I think a big problem with my motivation is that so far – as long as I keep exercising – I have been able to sugar-binge without regaining weight. I won't lose weight when I do this, but I don't seem to gain it back either. So I may have a week or two of eating healthfully and I lose some weight then I eat badly and my weight plateaus. Now that I'm at a comfortable weight, weight-loss isn't an especially huge motivator and it's harder for me to resist sugar binges when I'm stressed or sad. I worry I'm falling into old patterns and annoyed at myself for diminishing all the hard work I'm doing at the gym by eating garbage. I know that weight loss isn't the only reason to avoid sugar and that I actually feel better when I'm not eating it regularly, but when I get these cravings I just don't care. Does anybody have any advice on this or is facing something similar? Thanks again nerds! TL:DR – I gained a lot of weight in my 20s due mostly to medications, I lost it thanks to exercise. I am now an exercise nut but I need help managing my diet. Or, more accurately, maintaining my motivation around diet/sugar intake.

Hi, I'm Amelia! My introduction post is over here. This is my battle log! This will record both food and work outs. For the food log, I'm going to log the food on my iPhone and upload the notes here. In the beginning it will be general food recordings to work on accountability and habit creation. My long term goals: Walk more (in the USA, car capital of my life) Do one real push up Do 10 real push ups Run a 5k Run a 10 k Learn parkour Figure out and take parkour courses/training. Take rock climbing classes Learn to like vegetables Stop drinking diet coke. 1. Food - 70 points per week Eliminate french fries and potato chips in my meals. I don't eat either of those foods any more. Stop snacking on candy in my day to day life because I don't eat candy! Eat at least one green, orange or red vegetable a day. And no future me onions and vegetables in tomato sauces doesn't count. 2. Exercise - 30 points per week NF's Beginners Strength Training- The plan is three times a week on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. (​So far I've completed last Friday and this Monday. Yay me!) The three Boss secret moves to watch out for... Unhealthy Eating Assault. Critical Attack. Airport and train station snack counters that are filled with miles of candy cakes, cookies, bagels. I will be able to defeat this secret move by equipping my tool belt with healthy snacks and enabling will power mode. To do this player must procure alternative snacks before arriving to the boss scene and equipping the pants check feature. Pants still too tight? Will power engaged. Failed to do either? Lose 10 pts. Final Temptation Binge Attack. Critical attack. This boss move is usually seen right before the player leaves a destination for the last time. Player will need to engage foresight mode. To do this player must use her inner-eye feature to see that there will be future opportunities to sample local cuisine. Fail to utilize foresight, lose another 10 pts. Procrastination Strike. Semi-critical attack. However, this boss move can be used repeatedly to deplete the player’s stamina. Player will be able to overcome this move with a dodge-and-go combination move. To do this player must evade the procrastination's attack by engaging in some type of physical activity. Failure to dodge-and-go will lose me 10 pts. Each week I'll tally up my score. If I reach 100 pts for the week then I won that week's boss battle! Yay me! Finally I'm including my "before" pictures even though they're not before they're actually right-now pictures. Because here in Wonderland that's what people seem to do.

Here's the link to my intro, in case you need more info on my situation. http://rebellion.nerdfitness.com/index.php?/topic/71792-harley-quinn-let-herself-go/ Something I didn't mention in my introduction post was the method I used during the two-week period that caused me to lose five pounds: I had once read in an article about how in Asian countries their traditional method of eating is to have large breakfast, a smaller lunch, and then the last meal of the day is the smallest. Basically, eat the most food you plan on having on any given day before you go anywhere. Then, as you're going to work or school or running errands, this is helping to burn off what you ate. If you then eat your smallest meal at the end of the day, when you're likely not to be doing much other then relaxing before going to bed, you gain less. When I first did this, it was without adding any exercise, and I was still on Prednisone. Yet, I was able to shed five pounds. This time around, I am no longer on Prednisone, and I am adding exercise. I had already started reducing some of my food intake over the past couple of weeks, and incorporating half an hour's worth of exercise a day (usually in the form of walks, but sometimes using a portion my ballet conditioning on top of that). Today, I had a nice, balanced brunch, and supper was a serving of plain popcorn (no butter, no salt). I am also using Metamucil to help flush my system better, which I have noticed in the past helps maintain my weight. In a few minutes, I'll be leaving for an hour-long walk. When I get back, I'll be trying a few minutes of my ballet conditioning. I don't have a scale at the moment, so I can't keep track of my weight, but I'll hopefully be able to get one this week. Any encouragement, tips, etc. as I take the steps to make a full commitment towards weight loss would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

Introduction: My name is Sandra. This is my first challenge, and I think I need it. A couple years ago I embarked on a weight loss journey and lost 70 lbs. It felt good, but over the last several months its been creeping back on as I've become sedentary again and forgot about tracking my food etc. I'm also sleeping like crap. Not only that, but as I've become more sedentary all the old aches and pains are back, and worse than ever. I've been telling myself all summer I need to 'get more active', but apart from a few brief spurts here and there, I've mostly been sitting/lying around telling myself I hurt too much to move. I need the focus of a challenge, and other people to help me stay on track. My goals are fairly modest, but I'm going from zero again. Once I've mastered this hill I can look to climbing a mountain again. Main Quest: Move regularly again and use exercise and movement to regain stamina, endurance, flexibility, and reduce stress and joint pain. Hopefully that will also lead to some weight loss so I can fit into my clothes again and not look like a stuffed sausage. Weight lost matters less than how I feel - less pain, less stiffness, less exhaustion. Will be creating a 'pain/stiffness/exhaustion' scale from 1 (=none) to 10 (=most), with a goal to go from about an 8 (now) to a 2. Quest 1: Get Good Rest Getting enough sleep is crucial to feeling rested the next day, and also helps avoid overeating (using food to replace energy that wasn't gained through rest). a. Go to bed during work nights between 10 and 11 pm (goal to fall asleep by 11 pm). This will ideally mean 7 hours of sleep a night. If insomnia hits, I will NOT turn on the computer or play on my phone, but read quietly in a dim room until sleepy again. b. Make the bed every morning so that it is welcoming and ready for sleep at night. This includes clearing off bags, clothes, books, etc. Quest 2: Move it, Move it Avoiding stiffness and joint pain requires movement. I know this works for me, because it has worked in the past. Ideally this movement is low impact and regular, and includes a variety of movement so I don't get bored. a. Five times a week, go for at least a ten minute walk. If this becomes routine after a couple of weeks, add a day, and/or increase the minimum walk to fifteen minutes. If its cold or rainy or miserably hot, walk in the back halls (at work), or go to the mall. b. Work out for 20 minutes three times a week. One yoga or pilates, one cardio, and one strength, to work on flexibility, stamina, and muscle strength. I have dumbbells and a resistance band and a yoga mat and various exercise DVDs and youtube videos saved - its time to use them again. Quest 3: Track that Food Eating mindlessly is my biggest enemy. I like healthy foods and eat them regularly; but I also get sucked into eating far too many snacks and sweets, and all without thinking about it. My best success in avoiding this, while still getting to enjoy treats, was to track my food intake. Hauling extra weight on my joints is not good. Being mindful is good. a. At least five times a week, track all food eaten that day (breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks). No matter what it is, no matter how much, and no matter when. Tracking food helps minimize mindless snacking and leads to better awareness of portion sizes. b. No snacks from the vending machine at work. If I feel like snacking at work, go for a walk in the back halls instead. Any other snacks get tracked (see point a.) Quest 4: Prep for the new Cats Now that Icarus is gone, its time to get the apartment ready for new arrivals. In the next few weeks of the challenge I will go through all the cat stuff, purge what is old and broken. Carriers, cat beds, etc. will be cleaned and aired out. The floors will be cleaned thoroughly, and as much of the old cat hair will be removed from all furniture and other surfaces. Make sure the apartment is clean and welcoming to new cats. Reward: new cats! Very tangible, and very wanted. The golden goose at the top of the beanstalk. I *will* need help - buddies - to keep me on track. Without someone to be accountable too, its all too easy to fall into the procrastination trap of 'I'll start tomorrow', or 'It can wait'. Anyone who wants to be my buddy, let me know! And I will be your buddy too.

This is a log of the things I am doing, to try to get myself to do anything. Depression: being pretty well treated at this point with therapy and meds, but always up for reevaluation. Exercise: other than what I do at work (standing, intense breath work) and walking to the subway (20 mins/day total), basically nil. This needs investigating. Yoga: abandoned after scary-seeming-though-ultimately-benign-thank-god health issues last year. Still problematic because of head and neck things. This needs to be restarted in some way that is healthy for my body. Other relevant items: meditation and mindfulness (not existent at this point, but could be investigated). Massage and physical therapy. Voice lessons (bardic training?). Others to be added. Food: I don't even want to go into it right now. I know this is the 80% thing, and I feel it, but I'm not ready to really go there. Okay, here's one change: no sweets at work for the rest of the week. And I get myself through work via sweets. So that's a solid life choice. *** So today, instead of sitting on my couch playing Baldur's Gate 2 and studying - even though I am in the Underdark, my favorite place in all the Forgotten Realms - I'm going to go for a walk while studying, even though it is kind of gray out and even though I don't feel like it. I'm going to walk for at least a half an hour. Baby steps, Eilistraee, baby steps. You'll be dancing in the moonlit woods with your fellow drow in no time.

I am looking to start getting into shape. I used to be in decent shape 10 years ago when I was very active in sporting competitions and over the last 10 years I have let myself get lazy... I want to change that. My primary concerns are that I eat too much (and usually not great food) and I don't work out enough. My long term goal is eventually to be able to do the 300 Workout laid out in this blog post: http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2009/03/13/the-300-workout/ What would be a good way to work up to this? I realize that this is not something that will happen overnight and several changes will need to happen before I can get there (diet, exercise regiment, etc). I have been looking at easing myself into the Paleo diet over the next few weeks for the diet part of the lifestyle change, however I am less sure about how I want to approach the strength part of it. Is there some kind of plan I can follow to put me on the correct path toward this kind of body build in the long run? I am looking for some program recomendations to follow. Thanks for any help/recommendations.

I've always been a very tiny girl (5 feet, 88 lbs) and for as long as I can remember very weak. I'm 21 now and I've just recently started going to the gym in hopes of getting stronger and bigger but mostly just stronger, thankfully I have noticed a difference in my body from when I first started but as I continue going to the gym i'm not sure if i'm seeing any more results. I think it may have something to do with my exercise routine, I do a split routine for all my major muscle groups but I don't really switch up the exercises. For example, whatever exercises I do for leg day, I would just repeat for every leg day using heavier weights and doing less reps and more sets. So my question is can you get bigger and stronger doing the same exercise routines but increasing the weights you use for those exercises ? My routine usually goes something like this LEGS AND ABS Plank Side bends bicycle crunches or in and outs some times i'll do weighted bridges sit ups leg press hamstring curl calf raises and i'll either do deadlifts or barbell squats ARMS AND CHEST bicep curls dips pull ups hammer curls overhead extension dumbbell flys dumbell bench press incline chest press sometimes i'll do deadlifts as well on this day SHOULDERS AND BACK deadlifts bent alternating dumbbell rows cable row dumbbell shoulder press dumbbell raises both side and front one handed dumbbell rows dumbbell shrugs If I continue doing these exercises but using heavier weights will I be able to get bigger and stronger ?

From James Clear This is my 13th Challenge here on Nerdfitness, and my first challenge among the Druids. Here in South Africa it is now winter, and the real cold is still coming, and in keeping with the seasons also a time to slow down and reflect for a while. Things I must do: 1. Meditation. I've been doing meditation since last year, and it is part of my battle log. I want to make it a daily event, so plan on doing meditation every day. 2. Exercise. I have some trouble with Sciatic pain, making some movements difficult. Stretching and rolling works, it also should be on my daily list. Everything else is a bonus. I've got a power cage, weights and paralettes and should play around with that to see what is possible. Things will be easier once the skin on my finger has grown back. (I had a moment of stupidity with a drill and a sharp knife last week.) 3. Pleasure. Something that I don't have much of. Think of something to do every day. 4. The website. Something that has been on challenges for too many times with very little progression. Time to get that finished. Things I must not do: 5. Stay out of shops. I really need to keep my spending under control. In July we have a Geekfest and I really want to go, but money is tight. I am in a position not to go shopping, so I must stay out of places where they sell stuff, both in real life and online. ========================================================== Input Deprivation Week. I did an input deprivation week from Wednesday last week until yesterday. No reading books. No reading blogs. No reading newspapers. No going on Facebook (even just to post). No watching TV (shows, sports, news, anything). No watching movies. No listening to talk radio. No going on Reddit. No going on Twitter. No information input, only output! At the end of the week: I had cleaned my bedroom from top to bottom. Both cupboards in my office has been cleaned out and sorted. My office is cleaned from top to bottom. And one thing I did not plan on doing but happened anyway, Skype never wanted to work on this laptop, so I finally managed to figure out what was the problem, and in the process also got the printers to work, got nice pictures for my lockscreen, and in general sorted out all the niggling bothersome things that is not important but has been bothering me for far too long. And I reset a lot of passwords and finally made a list I could refer to if needed. And I found out what places online meant a lot to me and what doesn't matter. Minimalism is great, none of this would have been possible if I didn't have so little stuff. I really recommend doing it. But I still only know 2 people I can skype.

Time for that new challenge thread. Going to do something "NEW" this time around. I am going to count my macros and drop the remainder of my weight by May 15th. Just a little over a month. Going to go ahead and calculate everything tonight. Probably going to drive my wife crazy with my obsessive measuring but hey I need to drop this to get out of here. Will continue with 5/3/1 Monday through Thursday, do an arm day on Friday, walk/run with the puppy on Saturday and Sunday go for a hike. Each day is going to have a different caloric limit I believe due to the nature of the days exercise. Obviously Monday through Friday will be higher due to lifting. ZERO cheat days! Can't afford any anymore. Also going to be doing body measurements (inches) every Saturday and progress pics, Just got myFat Gripz and looking to see what kind of impact they will have on my biceps/forearms. Initial measurements to come tonight Here are my stats: Height: 6'1" Weight: 230lbs Body fat Measurement (calipers): Waist Size: Bicep Size R/L: Forearm Size R/L: Thigh Size R/L: Calf Size R/L: Here are the steps that I went through to figure out my macros. Please yell at me if they are wrong/you know a better way Step1: Target Calories (Weight X Activity Level) = Target Calories Activity Level = 11~ Sedentary Job & Little Exercise 12~ Active Job OR Sedentary Job & training 2-3 times a week 13~ Active Job & training 2-3 times a week OR sedentary Job and train 4-6 times a week 14~ Active Job & train 4-6 times a week OR athletic training OR training multiple times a day So I put myself at a 12 (I have a sedentary job and do work out 4-6 times a week, HOWEVER I am attempting to cut so I knew that this would put me at a deficit. (Only about 250 less but still it's something)) My numbers (230*12)=2760 Calories Step 2: Protein! 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight My numbers 230lbs=230 grams of protein Step 3: Fat Choose between .3 and .6 .3= lower fat higher carbs .6 = higher fat lower carbs Multiply Fat number by body weight I chose .5 on my fat intake; want to keep the carbs lower My Numbers (.5 * 230)= 115g Step 4 Carbs Okay this one took me a little bit of calculating to get the right number s but I think I got them now Total Calories – ((Daily Protein * 4)+(Fat * 9))=Carbs My numbers (2760-((230 * 4) + (115 * 9)))/4= Carbs (2760-(920+1035))/4=Carbs (2760-1955)/4=Carbs 805/4=Carbs 200=Carbs This seems very high so if I go back and adjust my fat then it should lower the carbs. Will plan out food tonight to see if it really is or not So my end numbers are Total calories: 2760 Protein: 230 Fat: 115 Carbs: 200 Physical Goals: Monday: Military Press 5/3/1 Tuesday: Deadlift 5/3/1 Wednesday: Bench Press 5/3/1 Thursday: Squat 5/3/1 Friday: A mixture of Armageddon and FatGripz Arm workout Saturday: Walk/Run with Dog (depending on work schedule) Sunday: Hike with Dog Hit every day A+ Hit 38 days B Hit less than 38 days F UPDATE EVERY DAY! Even if it is a quick YEP I WORKED OUT update. Work on story/book atleast 15 minutes every day (anyone interested in seeing what the book is about PM me and I'll send you the prolouge) Tell me what you think

Hi, this is my first time on the boards and I'm excited to meet like minded, motivating and positive new peeps. I started my fitness quest after I realized that if I didn't change my ways, my parents were going to have to bury me. I was an uncontrolled diabetic [A1c = 9.2], on insulin and about 3 other meds, using a c-pap at night because my weight was crushing me and cutting off my breathing. I would be so winded after 1 salsa dance that my legs would give out. I was 5'6" and ~252 lbs [114.3 kg]. I am currently going to a supervised diet plan that encompasses not just weight loss but they have behaviorist, exercise physiologist, as well as medical doctors to help you adjust your plan. I've also changed my diet to paleo and am loving it. I never realized that I was allergic to SOY and legumes. As soon as I cut them out of my diet - my skin cleared up and I lost ~7 inches off my abdomen. I reached my weight goal of 165 lbs [74.8 kg]. my A1c = 5, which means I'm totally off all of my insulin and only on 1 tablet of medication [my vitamins now out number my medications] But now I feel the "hard part" begins -- meal planning, budgeting, and coming to terms with my new body. Sometimes I feel like a baby giraffe -- gawky and awkward. My goal is to be able to dance all night. I love to dance salsa and am learning West Coast Swing. There are many workshops were you take classes all day and then open dancing from 9 pm to 4 am. I'd like to be able to do that. So, I think endurance strength training (with bodyweight) and vinyansa yoga intrigues me. I'm also considering taking a kinesiology class(es) about movement in general and nutrition to bulk up my mental muscles too. I'd also like to participate in the next challenge but not sure what guild to choose, any suggestions? Thanks for listening/reading.

Gorgeous weather outside - a balmy 64 degrees. Perfect for a long walk and some outside Tai Chi or bodyweight exercises... On that note, fellow Druids, tell me about your favorite walking place... Mine is a nice large city park with varying terrain and lots of old trees. We still have the 'Beware of the Owl' signs up (images may still be online - Bush Park in Salem, Oregon)... One of my challenges is to beat that hill to smithereens and not be out of breath when I walk up it; I'm almost there... There's a great shady trail in and amongst some old trees; the trail is mostly bark dust and it goes right by the creek. We're all out there together - dog walkers, joggers, runners, other walkers, college kids doing cross training... What's your space like?

The rest of my body is quite athletic but I can't seem to lose the last 14lbs or so of fat around my belly and lovehandles. I'm genetically predisposed to carrying more fat around my mid-section. I've been weights training 4-5 days a week for a year and a half, and in the last 6 months I've been adjusting my diet to fuel my body appropriately (more chicken and clean protein, more vegetables, less carbs and only complex carbs when I do have them). Obviously I have 'cheat' meals and eat things I like, but 80% of the time I'm on top of my diet. Does anyone have any tips on losing this last bit of fat? I want to start the next 6 week challenge (april 13th 2015) with some solid plans that will work, but I feel like I've tried mostly everything. Thanks guys! My current meal plan: Breakfast: 4 fried eggs Lunch: 2 chicken breasts, broccoli, cauliflower and asparagus. (Some days I'll add brown rice) Dinner: 2 chicken breasts, broccoli, cauliflower and asparagus. (Some days I'll add brown rice and cheese) My current workout: Mon: Pull ups, bent-over rows and knees to elbows ab raise on pull up bar Tues: Bench press, dumbell chest flyes Weds: Rest Thurs: Biceps & Triceps Fri: Shoulders Sat: Legs Sun: Rest

I've been on the forums and on the facebook group for ages but I've never actually complete a 6 week challenge so I decided to post it in recruits. So my overall goal, which won't happen in 6 weeks is to get down to 70kg or 154 pounds. I have a couple of mini milestones that I want to break it into, the first is to get below 80kg (176lbs), the second is to get to 75kg (165lbs) and then the final 70kg. To help me get there, for the 6 weeks my goals are: 1. Follow my eating plan with deviations only for special occasions, ie. birthdays, special dinners with family etc. The eating plan is basically ~1600 cal, 100g carbs a day, focus on whole foods not processed crap. The eating plan I'm going to use has 'indulgence foods' built into it, so I'm hoping it will be easy to stick with. 2. For the first 3 weeks exercise 30mins (walking, yoga, exercise vid etc) 5x a week with a minimum of one strength/weights session a week. 3. For the last 3 weeks exercise 30mins 7x a week with a minimum of 2x strength/weights sessions a week. My motivation for doing this is to feel good about myself, like what I see when I look in the mirror and be able to wear all the awesome clothes I have that I can't fit into anymore. My non fitness/weight loss goals are to: 1. Save $800 a fortnight 2. Do a bit of study everyday for uni and finish my assignments early for once so I have time to review them properly! I have started and failed so many weight loss things that I need keep myself on track and accountable so I will post on here at least once a week with an honest update of progress. If anyone wants an accountability buddy I'm up for that! I'm currently in Japan but will be home tomorrow so I will post starting stats etc. on Thursday. Let's do this!

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I am the father of a 3 year old girl and 3 month old boy. I want to be around when they graduate high school so I need to make some lifestyle changes. I have already started my own weight loss program with a goal to lose 50 pounds by August. My rules are as follows: 1. I am limited to having only 2 Cokes a day. 2. I am required to drink 3 (24 oz) bottles of water a day. 3. Only 1 serving of food, no going back for seconds. 4. 1 dessert a day, either at lunch or dinner. I have had some success, despite slacking off on rules 3 and 4. In 15 days I have lost 9 pounds. Cutting back on Coke and M&Ms are not going to do the trick though. My 6 week challenge is to include at least 15 minutes of exercise 5 days a week. I'm an IT guy so I have a extremely sedentary lifestyle. 15 minutes of walking is a 100% improvement from doing nothing at all. Wish me luck!

Ok, so, even though we're between challenges, I want to keep up what I did for my first challenge, and I want to start working toward the changes I want to make for the next one. So, in keeping with my first challenge - walk 3/week, belly dance 2/week, meditate 5/week. New changes (to be updated as they develop): healthier eating - track intake 3/week, and other things to be specified; TV watching limited to 2 hrs/weekday (weekends are freebies)... 4/6 - Did my walk. Also made "healthy" eating choices - had to go for fast food for two meals, but skipped the fries both times.

Hello all, My name is Sarah and I'm a newbie here. I decided to join this group after an introduction from my friend, Aerinity. I know that I'm terrible at keeping fitness goals unless I have a partner to help keep me motivated, and since I don't have anyone IRL whose schedule or fitness goals match mine, I figured this would be a good place for partners to keep me motivated and on track. Basically, my overall goal is to get down to 170lbs. I have no idea how long it will take me to get to that goal, so I am holding off on setting a deadline at this time. For this particular challenge, my three goals are: Walk 30 minutes/day, 3/weekMeditate for 10 minutes/day, 5/weekFollow through with bellydancing how-to videos 2/weekUltimately, I'd like to take a bellydancing class, but right now, I can't commit to spending money, so I'm putting a suggestion into use until I have the funds to get there. There. I'm pretty sure I can do anything for just 6 weeks (well, 5, since I'm coming in late). Best of luck to everyone!

Mon, Wed and Fri: Lifting, yoga and martial art drills. Tues and Thurs: Martial arts class and long distance running. Sat and Sun: Rest I've been doing this for a while and notice I get quite tired after lifting. But I can't find anywhere else to fit in drills. I want to keep the weekend as fully rest days. So unless you people have any idea on where I could fit in drills instead? And is my exercise workout OK? Thanks.

I haven't been doing so hot at the challenges and the start of this year was not very auspicious but I haven't given up yet. Main Quest Lose 10 lbs of fat. The way I plan to do this is three things: 1. Try to cook at least 5 of my own meals at home per week to get into the habit of cooking more often. I'm going to try and focus on recipes that will create a lot of leftovers. 2. Get to the gym 4 times a week, 2 of those days for core training with kettlebell swings and myotatic crunches. 3. If funds permit, start swimming twice a week at the pool at the local library. I have a pair of calipers and while I'm kind of clumsy with the damn things, I can manage to get at least a half-way decent look at what my body-fat percentage is. From there I can calculate just how much fat I'm losing. Life Sidequest Produce at least one new piece of content for my site/channel every week, ideally two.