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BUTTERFLY is my theme song for this challenge. (Can't wait for Savant's next album!!!) Slightly nervous about even posting this. No idea how far I'll get in keeping up with this challenge (not feeling very motivated or 'up to it' this time...) But here goes. Because I know you're all epic and it's going to be ok, 'even if' I post all this stuff. Main goal: KILL my depression, butterflies don't get depressed. I'm under no illusions regarding this rather fearsome, colossal, titanic, gigantic, overly optimistic, herculean goal of getting of this thing that's been plaguing me for ... oh, just about close to 2 decades now. (For anyone counting/aware of my age... yes, that means starting at about age 5-6.) Still, I can't ignore it and at this rate it's ruining a lot of things which are important to me: My relationships, my self worth, my health (physically as well as mentally). I need to keep fighting (think of a Dragonball Z episode... no, make it about 20, creating a Spirit Bomb or whatever... it DOES take time, that's ok.) to finally beat this, because if I don't... well, I just have to. Goal 1: Still carrying over from the last 4 challenges: I need to exercise 3 times a week. Butterflies exercise all the time, but I only need to do three proper session (BW circuits, walk of over 45 minutes, 25+ minutes of Stepmania) in addition to all the cycling I do around town (/to work, doing groceries) and the walking I do at work. Enough to keep my body strong (and growing stronger), even if I don’t feel like it. Goal 2: Emphasise the positive things in life. (Do something from the following list daily). - Make an effort by wearing make-up/perfume/jewellery. - Write down three things I’m thankful for. - Make music on the harp or ocarina or by singing (not just singing along, focussing on the singing). - Reading a blog/book/article about someone who beat depression. - Phone someone (parents, sister, mother-in-law) for a short chat. - ..? Any suggestions? Lifegoal: Take this shit seriously. (I don’t like bad language, but this? It’s shit(ty). Seriously.) One big thing: Go see my GP about the situation, consider her suggestions. Preferably take husband along to the appointment. --------- One, two... Butterfly! GO!

I know sit-ups are dumb, but what are some better things I can do to strengthen basically from my shoulders to hips (back especially)? I have a messed up shoulder, so however much I would like to lift, I like not having surgery (yet :/ ) more.* *I asked this on another forum and got three recommendations for dead lifts. Ughn. What I'm basically trying to do is prep for NOT jacking myselp up more. I had it suggested to me to work around my injury by strengthening my core and back, which have gotten really weak without some sort of direction on HOW to build and maintain their strength without putting too much strain on my shoulder.

So last challenge was a bit of a flunk lets be honest and I could have done a LOT better but now I have proper motivation! I am currently somewhere between 6-8 weeks pregnant and I need to set a healthy and active foundation to my pregnancy, that doesn't allow for a 70 sodding pound gain this time! So that is my main goal! My the mini goals will be to continue to lose a little weight but in a sensible and controlled manner that helps my pregnancy progress at a healthy rate. To eat a healthy paleo diet, but be mindful of morning sickness and cravings and try to find alternatives to appease the cheese and chocolate Gods. To de-stress as much as possible with daily quiet time which allows for mediation/ quiet reading or just chillaxing X

Hello! This is my second challenge, but I only got to do four weeks of the last challenge because I started late. So, I'm here to try again from the beginning. Some of my goals and motivations are the same as those from the last challenge, but I also changed some. Main Quest My main quest is to continue to improve my overall health and fitness, and to reduce stress by exercising and meditating. Missions 1. Run 3x per week with the Zombies Run app. Grading: A - No missed days B - 1-2 missed days in a week C - 3-4 missed days in 2 weeks D - 5-6 missed days in 2 weeks F - 7-8 missed days in 3 weeks 2. Do bodyweight exercises 3x per week. Grading: A - No missed days B - 1-2 missed days in a week C - 3-4 missed days in 2 weeks D - 5-6 missed days in 2 weeks F - 7 or more missed days in 3 weeks 3. Meditate for at least 10 minutes per day. Grading: A - No missed days B - 1 missed day in a week C - 2 missed days in a week D - 3 missed days in a week F - 4 or more missed days in a week Life Quest I must study for my final exams. Grading: A - Studied at least 2 hours per day B - Studied at least 1.5 hours per day C - Studied at least 1 hour per day D - Studied at least half an hour per day F - Studied less than half an hour per day Motivation My motivation for exercising is to get stronger and healthier, so it takes less effort for me to do everyday activities such as carrying groceries from the supermarket. Also, with final exams right around the corner, I am motivated to exercise and meditate to reduce stress. Making sure I study for my final exams will also help to reduce stress and guarantee that I get good grades in all of my classes.

Today started so well, and although there was one major slip-up I'm still fairly proud of myself. For breakfast I had half a jar of kefir (fermented milk- it just tastes like fizzy greek yoghurt). For lunch I had half a grilled chicken breast wrapped in 10 slices of lettuce, with some coconut oil and sea salt. For dinner I went to a burger restaurant with my friends and had a hot-dog with loads of toppings, fries with loooooads of mayonnaise/ ketchup and a chocolate honeycomb milkshake. I haven't eaten gluten in so, so long so this meal was such a bad idea, but I think it was worth it. Everything was delicious and I enjoyed it so much Recently, I haven't been great at drinking water, but I have been guzzling it like there's no tomorrow all day which I am very proud of That then brings us to the major triumph of today- I haven't drank any alcohol. That doesn't seem like much, it's Sunday! However, today isn't just any Sunday- it's RAISIN SUNDAY which means it is the drunkest day of the entire year. Tonight I am going to be house-party hopping completely sober, not ''two beers sober'' but ''there is literally no alcohol in my bloodstream'' sober, which is kinda scary actually. I guess I'm about to find out what it's like to be the only sober person in a ten-mile radius... If I can stick to this I should be awarded a Nobel Prize for Health. I'll update tomorrow.

Hey there! I figured I wanted to get a bit more involved (and I realise that a battle log isn't the best way to do *that* but it might help me to remind me to check the forum, and participate ). For food I think it's important I don't obsess too much (hence the 'keep it simple'). I'll post my weekly meal plans and comment on food when I have something more to say on it. Exercise-wise I aim for at least 3 solid work outs a week, so I'll track those. Other than that I cycle to work every day (15 minutes each way) and if I don't have to work I cycle to the stores, city centre, church etc. Other interests which might pop up are scripture reading (reading 15 minutes/day was my goal during the last challenge, I try to keep it up), reading (in general, fiction and non-fiction. My goal for the year is 50 books, I'm currently at 47) and music (I play the harp and ocarina, focussing on the harp lately. I try to play a little bit every day (didn't play for about 2 years, need to get back into it). So... Let's start! Meal plan for this week (And because it's the first post: Last week ) My workouts are always over at Dailymile (see signature). This week I didn't do a lot just yet But it's in-between challenges, so I'm taking a rest-ish week. I'm going to do a BW workout today, and I plan on doing one more (or going for a run, depending on the weather) this weekend. Which will bring my 'official' workout count to 2 for the week. I also did some handstand practice (anyone else get achy eyes when upside down? ) and went for a walk on Tuesday.

I've gone from being a really fit body builder, 7 day a week gym attendee, half marathon runner with a fantastic bod' (if I say so myself), to this person who cant even do one press up. What happened? When I hit 40 I gave up exercise that's what. Real cool huh! Now suddenly I'm 50,,,,,AHHHHHHH. Are there any other oldies out there who can share their experience of the nerd fitness rebellion and can help me 'find' my old self giving me tips and hints along the way? Wait to hear.

3 sentence intro (Hiya druids!): I’m Pretzle, 25, Dutch, of the female sort. I teach English at college, like reading, cooking, good coffee & tea. A former (and future) assassin who has been mostly primal for the past month or so, loves BW stuff but can be a little mentally unstable at times. (This will be 4 but: I’m also looking for some friends (of the online and/or real life versions).) (Also, I write long posts. Just read the bold/underlined/italics and you'll get what I'm aiming for .) Main goal: Become/Stay sane & healthy - whatever happens. Ok, not really ‘whatever’, because sometimes you simply don’t have a say. But whenever I do have a say, I want to do all I can to achieve my main goal. Goal 1: Feed my mind and soul. * Read and study scripture for 15 minutes a day, before bed. I already have a solid habit of reading. I read about a book every week/10 days, so that’s absolutely fine (and fun) in a general sense. But I need sustenance, proper food. I’m a Christian, so I’d like to study the scriptures a bit more than I currently do. Why time based? I’ve read through the Bible in a year before, with a schedule telling me which chapters to read for the day. This means I would sometimes just read as quickly as I could to get through the planned reading. Good for general Bible knowledge and ‘just having read it all at least once’, but not for actual studying purposes. By setting a time goal it doesn’t matter how much I read. I can decide to study a few verses and really think about them. Which would be a good idea, I think. WIS 1 STA 2 Goal 2: Give them what they pay me for. * No work e-mail after 8 pm, only check once on Saturdays. I’m a teacher. It’s normal in my profession to work a few more hours than you’re actually paid for. I’m absolutely fine with that. The thing is, I’m addicted to checking my e-mail (both personal and work… I still checked my uni mail 2 months after graduating - until they closed my account!). I check my e-mail in the morning before work if I have time for it. I think that’s fine - it helps me anticipate some things which will happen (or suddenly won’t happen) during the day. But still mailing back and forth with a colleague after 9 pm? That’s just silly! So to allow me to get ready for bed, and really enjoy my weekends… I won’t check my work e-mail after 8 pm (all days) or check more than once on a Saturday. This will be difficult for me. … Ugh, habits CON 2 WIS 1 Goal 3: Keep up the good work. * Exercise 3 x a week I feel a bit silly for including this, but I’m afraid I’ll slip back into old (ancient by now) habits if I allow myself to do so… I’ve exercised for about 3 times a week ever since I started running in December 2011. I’m busier now with work, though, and the autumn has started and winter is on its way. That’s why I will still include it as a goal, just to keep myself accountable on days I simply don’t feel like it. Forms of exercise will likely consist of: Bodyweight circuits, balancing, Poi, jump rope, swimming, walking, sprinting… Basically bodyweight exercises (which I love) … and whatever else I feel like! STR 2 STA 2 DEX 1 Lifequest: Try something new! * During this challenge do two things I’ve never done before! Tentative ideas: - Go to KB girl’s KB workshop (I’m terrified, but really want to try ) - Go to a classical concert - Send my grandparents a letter explaining what I’ve learnt from them over the past 25 years, saying thank you - Go to a gym and get a PT to explain weights stuff to me - Organise for a native speaker to visit my classroom (the organising part, not sure I could make this happen during the challenge) - ... I’ve actually been doing REALLY well with this particular goal. I’ve graduated, started a new job, tried in-door climbing, got myself a museumcard and visited a few of those (even went to one all by myself)... Still, I’d like to keep it up and expand my horizon even more. CHA + 4

Sept. 19, 2013 Day 1 of P90X Have you ever pushed yourself so hard during a workout that you had to vomit and poop at the same time? I did. Although I'm not exactly proud that I had to cut my exercise routine short today, I am proud that I finally took the first step to getting my physical health in order. My workout for today was the "Chest & Back" routine. It's primarily composed of push-ups and pull-ups. Those are two of my favorite exercises, so I had a lot of fun until my insides wanted to be my outsides. My mistakes were Not properly pacing my exercises Half-assing my warm-up Eating crappy food right before I got startedAfter making odd cat noises and doing my best not to turn into a Barfmander, I decided to lie down. Not a beautiful start, but it's better than what I did yesterday (i.e. nothing). Here's to a better tomorrow.

My motivation? Im sick of saying "one day i will..." and making excuses. Im sick of putting everyone else first and letting my own health decline in the process. I will do this for myself. Time to be selfish. Main Quest: To be fitter, stronger and comfortable in a bikini. Specific Goals: I will work out at least 4 times per week I will not oversleep I will try out new classes at the gym at least once a week. Side Quest: Finish Paying off my debt.Track and record my fitness programme (be it on here or on paper)

Okay so im going to be as blunt as i can be, this is what i want to achieve; I want to feel comfortable in a bikini I want to tone my stomach up I want to become stronger (my arms are particularly weak and pathetic - like flower stems) I want to generally improve my fitness I have tried a few times, admittedly i have not put my all into it. Im not too familiar with weights and such so i tend to go on the treadmill a lot. I feel great for a couple of weeks while I'm going to the gym pretty regular and whatever - but something will always come up (night shifts, general laziness, sickness) and i just lay down and take it. Just shrug and go "oh well, i suppose ill start again some other time". Its pretty sad. My diet isn't too bad, theres room for improvement but i eat plenty of fruit and vegetables and not so much processed food. So any help with any particular exercises that will help me to achieve my goals would be greatly appreciated. Any information about weights and the different weight training exercises i could do would be greatly appreciated. And any good tips to help me to stick to my goals will be greatly appreciated!

Hello my name is Adam / Buffangel I am 29 years old, I live in North Wales and I suck at exercise. I have spent the past ten years living like i am still a teenager and i can get away with eating anything. This is no longer the case. I have a wife called Sian and a little boy called Jim (no his middle name is not Tiberius), who I have been putting before my physical shape for the past 18 months. I know I need to make changes, and I found this website after seeing pictures of Julia Vins on the web, which led me to the post about Staci and her amazing transformation. I am not overly concerned about my weight, I am about 11 stone and 5 foot 10 tall, but i do want my weight moved around to better places. Specifically my goal is to build bigger arms so i can carry Jim around freely and do all the jobs around the house. I spent a lot of time yesterday reading the 2 introduction pdf's and I have done my weekly shop this morning based on the Paleo diet. I am aware i need to take things slowly so that i don't get discouraged, but i could definitely do with some pointers. I am thinking of doing my exercises after work and before i head home each day, so at about 5pm, this means I won't get sucked into doing other things and putting the exercise off. Is there a good exercise for a complete noob who wants to build arm strength? Oh yes my topic title quote is based on my physical and mental antipathy towards physical exertion for a greater benefit. And Buffy of course

Hello! This is my third challenge here, and the one I intend to complete fully! Both of my earlier challenges have taught me a lot and helped build better habits, even though I've not gained my precious levels (as I failed to report the end result of the last one in time). But here I'm, on track again! If you clicked my topic because you recognized my Dota 2 reference, check out my life goal, and come and play together! Or if you don't share the love for Dota, but want to share the journey towards healthy eating, fitness and weight loss/fat loss, you're also very welcome on board! My main goal: Lose fat and get fit. The reasons behind is that I want to be good looking, and get the health, improved energy levels, better performance in both physical and mental activities and boosted self confidence that I believe lie behind the fitness goals. At the moment I weight 70 kg, and I believe that my ideal weight with the good looks I'm after would be at 56 kg's. My goal is to reach that in 28 weeks (0,5 kg's fat loss each week), so that would be 5th of February 2014; but I'm more fixated on the looks and the feeling than the weight; it's okey if I weight more because of muscle. My goal for bodyfat would be at about 18%, that I believe is a bit harder than the 56 kg, but possibly manageable to the same deadline. Objectives: 1. Exercise regularly I have not exercised regularly since years ago. In the last challenge, I committed to 3 of anything each week, and was able to manage it on five of six weeks, but the exercises were mainly swimming and other not very sweaty activities. Here, the goal is to get sweaty and to really give of myself. It has to be at least 1 hour at a time, it has to be sweaty and focused. For the moment, I'm mainly thinking about Bodypump, Bodycombat, Zumba and ITG2 Dance Game, and am possibly picking up paddling with a kayak. Free weight training is also calling me, but I will probably leave that for later. C = Maintaining an average of at least 2 exercises/week B = At least 2 exercises during the week, which of at least 1 is muscle training (Bodypump, paddling...) A = At least 3 exercises during the week, which of at least 1 is muscle training (Bodypump, paddling...) Bonus Goal: An average of 4 exercises/week at the end of the challenge. Reward: I may buy whatever fitness equipment I desire or sign up for whatever classes I want (within the borders of what I can afford). 2. Eating healthy I will aim to eat healthy and nurturing food. I will not eat any sugar (no sweets, soda, juice, flavoured yogurt.. anything) or any white grains. The main part of my food should consist of vegetables and meat/eggs/fish. I may eat rye-bread, potatoes, rice, milk products and fruits, but I may not go overboard. I might adjust the borderlines of healthy eating during the challenge, if I gain new information of my tracking, but the areas of which I do get points from will not change. The challenge is divided into areas; 1 point of each completed area/day: Did not eat any sugar: Did not eat any white grains: Drank at least 2 liters of water: Did eat at least 70 grams of protein (1,5g/ lean bodyweight): Did eat at least 5 servings of vegetables/fruits/berries/root vegetables: F = Less than 100/200 points E = 100+/200 points D = 130+/200 points C = 150+/200 points B = 170+/200 points A = 190+/200 points 3. Tracking is making it happen I will keep a daily log of my habits. I will track what I eat and when, my exercise, my sleep, my mood/feelings and spending my time to activities where I've set goals. I will also keep weekly measurements. I'm still pondering whether there would be a good web based or iPad app, that would make the tracking easier. For now I'll use photographing (meals), Google Calendar (where I've got my calendar) and a virtual notebook for the rest. Might be posting them to this topic. Recommendations of better software are greatly appreciated 7 points/week: Taking measurements (weight, body fat, photo, tape measure) 1 point/day for recording: - eating (either listing meal times & photos, or recording the nutritional things) - exercise and sleep - mood/feelings - goal set activities F = Less than 100/200 points E = 100+/200 points D = 130+/200 points C = 150+/200 points B = 170+/200 points A = 190+/200 points Life Goal: If you want it, do it! Mission: Dota 2 In my life, I've felt most alive, and most happy with my life, when I've worked together with a team towards a shared goal. Now I've got a more relaxed time in my school, and I feel that now there is my chance to make a go to become a professional in the game world. Whether I would become a professional player, or some behind-the-scenes-one, I need to put the effort in that if it will become something out of it. Six weeks is probably enough time to see, if playing hard core is something I really want to do. Dota 2 is not the only thing I could choose, but it is the one that right now feels "best" and most potential. F = Less than 40 Dota games played/pro games watched (combined) during the week C = 40+ Dota games played/pro games watched (combined) during the week (~30 hours of Dota/week) B = 60+ Dota games played/pro games watched (combined) during the week (~45 hours of Dota/week) A = 80+ Dota games played/pro games watched (combined) during the week (~60 hours of Dota/week) I realize that the amount of games as my goal is huge, especially as I intend not to compromise my healthy habits or my few but important school commitments during the time, but I really do want to find out, if playing professionally is something I really am ready to pursue. From the end of this challenge (8th September) I still have 4 months of easy time in school, which I can use to push in to the scene if I do want to do that. And if I decide that it is not something I want to do, I do still have 4 months of time to dedicate to other sorts of activities (like building a business, or getting experienced in the profession I'm studying in to). I can't say that I'm very good at Dota yet, but I'm going to improve But if you do play Dota, and want to join for one or several games together, send me a friend request (Steam name Essillore). I do mainly play as a support, and am training now with heroes like Leshrac and Lina.

Hi guys! My first post here... I'm looking for an elliptical machine for my two bedroom apartment. First off, does anybody have one they love? Specific brand/model recommendations would be great. Secondly, I'm trying to find a good one used, but Craigslist is letting me down (I'm in LA). Only sketchy sellers or too far away to warrant a trip just to try out their machine. Does anyone have any suggestions? Thanks! And rock on, nerds!

Just what are they, exactly – and how do I use them to reach my weight loss/body fat reduction goals?

BlamedCat Wars Episode 5 "The Return of Three Dead Nigh" This time around, I've identified a bad habit creeping up in my person. As I jump from challenge to challenge, I'm slacking on previously dominated goals. This challenge is going to be me revisiting three key goals from my past challenges and implementing them. I know we're suppose to have four, but I feel my life goal would be best served to establish these three "old" goals once again and fashion them into something stronger in my life than just a pat on the back and an A on a challenge goal. In church today, the pastor brought up a very good quote that I'd like to share as my motivator for this challenge. The quote he shared was thus... I found a similar quote online and it's equally as inspiring and true. For those of you who are curious... Either way you look at it, now is the time to stop sowing laziness and "instant gratification" into our lives. Otherwise we will continue to reap the poisoned fruits of our labors (bad health, bad habits, bad examples for the next generation, etc) I'll put up my goals tomorrow at work.

So I just started exercising again after a several month break. Just didn't feel like doing anything for awhile, in part because it's been a sort of bad couple months. Not to say that EVERYTHING has been bad, no siree, but enough to weigh me down. But lately I've been trying to get back on track a little. Once or twice a week now I'll go on a 2 mile jog (during times when it's NOT so hot I want to pass out). I walk 2 miles 2-5 times a week since I work at a bar at night, buses don't run at that time, and I don't own a car. And just the other day I started doing pushups again! I'm feeling pretty good about this! I had been lying around too much, being too lethargic, and I noticed it was starting to affect me. Lack of energy on a regular basis, lack of enthusiasm for stuff.. bleh! After my first 2 mile jog last week I remember being awake and in a great mood, ready to rock! That's the part of exercise that I'd really just forgotten about completely: how it makes you motivated to do other things. Now I love to cook but I noticed that lately I'd often be too lazy to make something GOOD.. or just not care enough. After picking up 2-3 instant meals from the grocery store in the last week and a half I realized that I wasn't saving time, I have PLENTY of time.. I was just wasting money and treating myself poorly. Yesterday I did 20 pushups, ran 2 miles, walked for 2.5 miles, than did 20 pushups when I got back. After showering I made a delicious meal with some cajun spiced blackened chicken with a homemade guacamole spread and a side of sauteed baby bellas, onions, and broccoli. HOLY CRAP I WIN AT DINNER! I was so impressed with myself. Not only did I get some exercise in, feel motivated enough to make an amazing dinner, but just the thought of how well I did makes me happy. I'm boosting my self-confidence through endurance, and my morale through productivity and THAT is the best feeling ever! If you read this, thanks! I haven't posted in quite a long time but just needed to put this down somewhere in writing.. and why not where a community of like-minded people would enjoy it most?

Hi everyone! Just really got started on my journey, and I've seen a lot of love/hate out there with kettle bells. I considered buying some for home, but wondered: Are they worth the investment? Are they dangerous?? Any recommendations for brand or "stay away from that brand"? Thanks, Katie PS - See? I'm a total N00b. I even spelled it wrong.

Hi guys and gals!!! I'm a Titan(Giant) Ranger from Columbus, OH. I'm copying my profile for the intro post as it pretty much sums it all up: I'm 37 years old. I work in the computer IT field. I am currently 6'6, 280 lbs (down 18 lbs from my highest a month ago). After 8 months of tests, I was diagnosed with secondary hypogonadism (extremely low testosterone with functional testicular production). After an MRI found no tumor on my pituitary or hypothalamus, my endocrinologist determined my problem was idiopathic. My body (my fat) was converting nearly all of the testosterone it was making into estrogen. I was also borderline diabetic because of it and my diet. Basically, what he was saying is that I am fat, out of shape, and my body was screaming at me to stop killing it and starting giving it good fuel and using it properly. I already was familiar with the paleo diet, but decided to go full force into it this time. My research during those 8 months of not knowing, turned up how many chemicals, foods, and products being sold are detrimental to male hormones: phyto-estrogens (soys, lavender), hormone-blocking chemicals (BPA, most plastic toxins, food growth hormones and antibiotics, Borax), alcohol, medications (some antibiotics, anti-depressants). Knowing this, I decided to go completely organic, inside and out. I even make my own laundry detergent, deodorant, shampoo, and body wash. I'm feeling great about it. I just needed to start an exercise program and get moving. That's when I came across nerdfitness.com. I read about the Rebellion. I read many of Steve's articles. They all made sense. There was science, mixed with proven opinion, mixed with wonderful success stories, and most of all, mixed with nerd-engaging fun. I love the idea of leveling-up in life, being an IRL RPG character. I love the fact that the exercises are doable, you don't need a gym membership, and they are varied and encourage you to branch out and try new things. I think what I love the most is that Steve and the nerdfitness Rebellion still relate to the n00bs and encourage them in everything they write and every idea they come up with, plus it isn't all about working out. It's diet, it's happiness, it's success, it's motivation and discipline, it's goal-setting, it's baby steps. This truly is a site for changing your life, not just your body, not just your mind, but the entire package. I'm very excited to be on this journey. Thanks so much!

Hey all, I'm looking for a person (or people) to keep accountable with, online only works as well. I do a lot of exercise classes and am now trying to get into weightlifting, body weight exercises, and so on. I find that with weights I'm very ignorant, though I am trying to rectify that, and am worried about hurting myself. I also get tired really easily or get caught up with other things (I'm a husband and a father, my time isn't as free as I'd like) and tend to make excuses for myself about why I can't exercise. So if you'd like to exercise and have someone help you keep accountable as well as vice-versa, let me know. We could even form a small group of accountability partners.

Day 1 of Tracking my food I am using SparkPeople to do it, though i do see other people using myfitnesspal; not quite sure which one is better. The attachment is of 6.18.13 since i stop eating by 6 pm at latest 7pm on a daily basis. I see that i am under my caloric intake for the day, i hope it wont hurt me. My total: CALORIES: 1,174 Goal: 1,200 - 1,550 CARBS: 89 Goal: 135 - 252 FAT: 48 Goal: 27 - 55 PROTEIN: 100 Goal: 60 - 100 Exercise for the day: squat x's : 2 reps of 20 each Standing jackknifes: 2 reps of 20 each pile squats: 2 reps of 20 each prison lunges: 2 reps of 20 each jumping jacks: 2 reps of 30 each bicycle crunches: 22 (not as many as i wanted kept getting charlie horses or pinched nerves) glute kick backs: 25 (per leg) plank: 90 seconds knee crunches: 2 reps of 20 each 6.18.13.pdf

Found this article at random on ScienceDaily: Exercise and Caffeine Change Your DNA in the Same Way, Study Suggests Mar. 6, 2012 — You might think that the DNA you inherited is one thing that you absolutely can't do anything about, but in one sense you'd be wrong. Researchers reporting in the March issue of Cell Metabolism, a Cell Press publication, have found that when healthy but inactive men and women exercise for a matter of minutes, it produces a rather immediate change to their DNA. Perhaps even more tantalizing, the study suggests that the caffeine in your morning coffee might also influence muscle in essentially the same way. The underlying genetic code in human muscle isn't changed with exercise, but the DNA molecules within those muscles are chemically and structurally altered in very important ways. Those modifications to the DNA at precise locations appear to be early events in the genetic reprogramming of muscle for strength and, ultimately, in the structural and metabolic benefits of exercise."Our muscles are really plastic," says Juleen Zierath of Karolinska Institutet in Sweden. "We often say "You are what you eat." Well, muscle adapts to what you do. If you don't use it, you lose it, and this is one of the mechanisms that allows that to happen." The DNA changes in question are known as epigenetic modifications and involve the gain or loss of chemical marks on DNA over and above the familiar sequence of As, Gs, Ts, and Cs. The new study shows that the DNA within skeletal muscle taken from people after a burst of exercise bears fewer chemical marks (specifically methyl groups) than it did before exercise. Those changes take place in stretches of DNA that are involved in turning "on" genes important for muscles' adaptation to exercise. When the researchers made muscles contract in lab dishes, they saw a similar loss of DNA methyl groups. Exposure of isolated muscle to caffeine had the same effect. Zierath explained that caffeine does mimic the muscle contraction that comes with exercise in other ways, too. She doesn't necessarily recommend anyone drink a cup of joe in place of exercise. It's nevertheless tempting to think that athletes who enjoy a coffee with their workout might just be on to something. Broadly speaking, the findings offer more evidence that our genomes are much more dynamic than they are often given credit for. Epigenetic modifications that turn genes on and back off again can be incredibly flexible events. They allow the DNA in our cells to adjust as the environment shifts. "Exercise is medicine," Zierath says, and it seems the means to alter our genomes for better health may be only a jog away. And for those who can't exercise, the new findings might point the way to medicines (caffeinated ones, perhaps?) with similar benefits.

The wonderful life of being healthy, it's a far fetched and almost unrealistic goal for many of this earths inhabitants. The inspiration felt as you lie in your bed at night, saying over and over that tomorrow will be the day when you wake up and make a change. You research weight loss on google, trying to no avail to discover a secret, an easy way out. But when you see the horror stories that come with the supplements and pills, you finally realize that the one way you will look good in that now to small bathing-suit is pure fitness. Maybe you make the one mistake we all do our first time, you just try to change the exercise. You make a detailed plan, one which has you exercising at the gym or at home for an hour every other day, but after a week as you expect to see a perfect person in the mirror, the inspiration rushes away and with it takes a piece of your expectation. You start looking at other people, comparing them to yourself, thinking maybe you don't look that bad, maybe you're body is fine. You delude yourself. Then in a month or two as you watch your slim friends splash at the pool while you stand there in a white t-shirt and boy shorts, that wave hits again. I want to be skinny. I want to be skinny. You repeat. I want to be skinny. But that's not the way to start out. Maybe you spend years of this routine, failing each time. You lose one pound and it's like heaven on earth until the next week you're up by two. Or maybe you do what I did. You wake up one morning and you say to yourself enough is enough. You're sick of the cycle. You're sick of hating the way you look. You set your alarm for the next day to 6:00. You wake up and jog through your neighborhood. You throw away all the cereal and candy and sweet things in your house and replace it with fruits and vegetables and meats. You watch what you eat, you mark the calories and fat and carbs and you stay true to your limit. You get rid of that scale in your house. The only time you ever look at your weight is when you go to the doctors. You drink 8-10 glasses of water and you exercise along with it. They say 80% of weight loss is diet. I say 100% of weight loss is willpower. You can change your life. I had never before eaten as well in a month as I did that first day I woke up and cut the crap. I lost 5 pounds in 8 days. And I honestly don't care. As long as I am doing my best to make my life a healthier and better one then I am happy as a clam. I hope this helped some people out there that were as conflicted as me. I am 5 foot 8 and I weigh 130 pounds. I am not their yet but everyday I am working towards a goal which I haven't even made yet. Before I was 142 pounds and unhappy. I felt like I was the heaviest person in the world. Now I feel light as air and happy and everyone has noticed a change. If you want to make a change here are some great methods and websites that can help. 1. http://www.livestrong.com/ Count your calories and water and exercise. Not only does it force you to look at what you eat but it also takes time. A great motivator is convenience. Is that cookie really worth taking all that time to figure out the calories and nutrition info? 2. The Eatery app. This is the same idea as the calorie counters. 3. http://www.bhg.com/recipes/ This website has some healthy and delicious recipes. 4. http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCM1Nde-9eorUhq-teaWlgUA Without access to a gym, these exercises are easy but really work you. 5. Smoothies. If you are a salad hater like myself, add spinach and kale to smoothies. My smoothies are simple and easy, half a banana, a handful of strawberries and blueberries and a little water. Then just add a handful of your two greens and you can't even taste them. A teaspoon of powdered sugar isn't too bad, if you are a sugar addict like I once was then I would do that until your taste buds adjust. The point is, make a healthy change. And do it now. Don't say next week or tomorrow just do it now. And when you get those cravings just go with them, a healthy oatmeal cookie or a square of dark chocolate never hurt anyone.

I'm feeling a lot less like a noob now, but I do have a very important question I wanted to ask of you more experienced and lovely people. On days when I don't go to the gym, I make do with what I have at home. I do body weight squats, push ups, planks, and things like that. I can't do incline pull ups because of my right hand (flexor tendinitis, had surgery twice), but I do make sure to do assisted pull ups at the gym where the machine has a much better grip on it. At home, my heaviest dumbbell is 10 lbs (in the past I never got much farther past needing it), and already I'm able to tell that it's getting to be too light and I only get a benefit with adding reps and/or sets. My question is this: I'm going to be adding another gym day and was wondering if instead of the usual 3x15 I feel anything from with the 10 lb weights, would it be advisable to switch to the 5x5 with 20 lb weights for my rows and curls? On a positive note, before I could only do 5 second planks, but now I'm up to 10 on a bad day and 15 on a good day and about ready to get rid of the ball for my push ups.

Hello everyone! I'm 25 years old and need to change the way I've been doing things. I've lost a lot of weight in the past, but have run up against a wall these past 2-3 years when it comes to eating right, exercising, and taking care of myself. But I am darn well going to get on track this time around. GOAL 1: Go to the gym five times a week Worth: STAMINA x 5 GOAL 2: Completely cut out caffeine Caffeine is no good for me. I'm addicted to soda and will get a bad headache if I don't have some form of caffeine in my day. But soda definitely isn't healthy, nor is constantly taking Excedrin when I can't get a hold of a soda (Excedrin has caffeine in it). It also means that mild meds such as Tylenol have no affect. And so I shall finally do away with caffeine! Worth: CONSTITUTION x 3 GOAL 3: Fit comfortably into my jeans Purely for vanity, and also purely for self-esteem. I would like to be able to get into my jeans without laying down, exhaling, and praying to Elune before I attempt to zip the darn things up. I'm a little tired of worrying about popping a button or having an embarassing split-seam moment. (Remember, these are fashionable lady jeans: they don't exactly count as rugged.) I don't need to go down a size, I just need to be able to breathe. Worth: CHARISMA x 2 GOAL 4: Polish my current novel to a publishable shine I want to polish up my teen high fantasy novel to the point where I am comfortable showing it to others. This will ultimately be judged by whether I have the courage to show my novel to others. It's not a physical fitness goal, but a mental fitness goal. Worth: WISDOM x 3, STAMINA x 2 BONUS GOAL: Lose weight. I know, I know, it's quite a vague goal. And really, it should be called "lose body fat" which I very definitely need to do. Because it's so vague, it gets no points alloted to it. I have no way to judge except by looking in a mirror, as I have no idea what I weigh and have no wish to step on a fickle scale. But it is a goal I have a hard time getting rid of, and so I post it here anyway. And Pictures!