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That strep in children can manifest as abdominal pain without the sore throat. If you find yourself with a child that isn't feeling well and complaining about an upset stomach without the other nastiness that can come with it, talk to their doctor about the possibility of strep. We just went through a pretty brutal weekend with my son. We thought constipation, stomach flu, appendicitis and all sorts of other horrible thoughts that might be ailing him. It was strep. He's on the mend and a trooper. Pizzazz and I had a couple sleepless nights, but for the health of our children, I would go through many more.

I'm thinking about starting a small business to provide paleo families with a quick and easy way to enjoy pancakes (one of my pre-paleo favorites). The mix I make would require less than 3 ingrediants from your kitchen and less than 10 minutes to make. It's like Bisquick, but better tasting and without any of that processed junk. The recipe I use includes coconut flour, almond flour, arrowroot powder, tapioca flour, and baking soda. All of these are healthy and paleo. I know not every paleo nerd loves to bake as much as I do, so this would be a way for other people to enjoy some of their favorite foods that they've had to give up. I always felt excluded when my non-paleo family ate pancakes, does anyone else have a similar situation? Now with this mix, I can quickly whip up some paleo pancakes and boom! I'm part of the family. So yay or nay to a paleo pancake mix?

You know when you get killed in a Battleground, but there are a bunch of Rogues and Healers respawning at the same Graveyard so you can zerg out all at once and get the flag? Well that is how this week is starting to feel. First - I bought a new squat rack, I had scored a basic frame at a thrift store, but it turned out to be the frame from a Nautilus Smith Machine and was impossible to get hooks for. So, I kept trolling Craig's list until I found a guy selling a squat rack, bench, olympic bar and 400 lbs of weights for $200. I offered him $150, and we settled on $175. It all fit in my truck and only fell on me once when I was taking it apart to put into my new weight room. Second - My work restarted their wellness program and asked for ideas. I suggested Walking to Mordor with an alternate Walking from California to New York for the less nerdy and had quite a few coworkers get excited about that idea. So that's going to happen. Finally - After months of watching me work out, my teenage daughter downloaded SL 5X5 and worked-in with me tonight. I finished first and was doing some light goblet squats off to the side as supplemental lifts while she was doing her bench press. I asked her if I had left her enough room, or if she was going to hit me when she unracked the bar. Her response, "Not on accident." Yeah, I raised a smart-ass, but I wouldn't have her any other way. I am ready for Monday's new challenge.

I did a huge amount of work last year, and just as we left the short, dark days behind us, I felt as though I had truly turned a major corner in my life, heading toward the light personally as well as with the seasons. The accomplishments and insights have been a game-changer personally, and I am ready to begin a new chapter in my life story, and I’m interested to see what this path brings. However much work was already done, work isn’t over and done with; far from it in fact. Instead of doing the same things I had been focused on all last year, and improving with, I will be taking on a new set of tasks and challenges and obstacles this year. While I’m excited, I’m also a little intimidated, since new tasks are easy to fail because of the lack of familiarity and fluency. So, like any good adventuring druid, I’m going to need to check in with the basics as I start out. Mind This challenge will see the last six weeks of my paralegal studies. I have a lot of work in these classes yet to do, and I need to wind it up so I can start something else. Classes every week, with homework and tests and projects and exams along the way. Graduate. WIS +2 I have a new job! This means I will be learning a whole bunch of new stuff on a daily basis. Heaven help me. I’m going to have to focus. I’ll probably end up taking notes. Job 5x/weekWIS +2 Therapy: the family will continue to be in therapy for this challenge (and through to summer). We are getting our legs under us and doing well, but it’s still work and we seem to learn stuff every week, which is good, but takes a lot of reflection and attention. Therapy 4x/week WIS +1 Body: Be good to your Sim every day! Rest: Get to bed on time. Every Day. CON +1 Food: Eat often. I almost always eat well, but the job and routine change will create havoc with my system, so I will need to remember to pack snacks and eat them. Every Day CON +1 Water: The stuff of life. Make sure you get at least 2L since there will be more coffee than ever with the workplace. Every Day CON +1 I like to move it move it! Specifically, I will need to be mindful of walking, since having an office job will definitely put a crimp on my freedom to go hit the greenway. Goal: No less than 6250 steps a day. 7500 would be better. Every Day STA +1 Strive: It wouldn’t be me if I didn’t add in something new. I have contacted some former colleagues to arrange a carpool for going to kung fu three times a week. 3x/week STR +1 Soul Clean up the clutter Every day. STA +2 Find Quiet Time Every day. STA +3 BONUS: Life is expensive, and it has lots of paperworkSet up auto savings Set up direct deposit Make a budget for 2015 File taxes for 2014

Introduction: I am Joshua. I hate it when people shorten it to Josh...just saying. I used to do all manner of construction and stayed very strong and fit that way. But I leveled up my brain and earned several degrees so that I could teach Mathematics for a living. However, pencils are not very heavy and my children are getting big. So I really want to set a good example and be fit like I was so I can keep up with my children, Main Quest: To be a great teammate at the Warrior Dash at the end of the month. A long time friend invited me to join his merry band to do a Warrior Dash. I want to be able to assist everyone through all the obstacles as a good team member/leader. That is how my family views me so this is good practice for my level 0 quest. Quest 1: run 6k twice a week. that makes 12 times during the challenge. this is slightly longer than the race length and will give me the stamina to dominate. Measurement: A = 11 days, B = 9 days, C = 7 days Reward: A = +4 STA , B = +3 STA, C = +1 STA Quest 2: do a bodyweight workout 3 times a week. These will come from NF or other sources and be planned out a week ahead. This will allow me to assist others over/through obstacles without getting tired. Measurement: A = 16 WODs, B = 13 WODs, C = 10 WODs Reward: A = +4 STR, B = +3 STR, C = +1 STR Quest 3: Row 1 day a week for 8-10k. I love rowing and I have a rowing machine at work. I just don't make the time. With this I develop power, cardio, full body control. All good things to help when the race gets tough. because it is one thing to run 5k, it is another to do an OR. Measurement: A = 5 days; B = 4 days, C = 3 days Reward: A = +3 CON, B = +2 CON, C = +1 CON Life Quest: Keep "A" average in classes. I am currently in a doctoral program. I earned two "A"s last semester and am taking two classes this semester. I really want to push myself to get two more "A"s as a good example for my children. Measurement: A = this is pretty self explanatory , B = B average, C = C average Reward: A = +4 WIS, B = +3 WIS, C = +1 WIS Motivation: My children and others look up to me. I am a leader and I need to level up to continue to meet the challenge. Setting a good example and setting myself up for success. I don't want to be on the sidelines, I want to lead from the front.

Oof ...between the holiday and a family member passing away after battling cancer and traveling for work, any and all progress has halted since Halloween-ish. Since May, the husband and I started lifting heavy 3x a week with karate (Shotokan) one night a week. We had ourselves eating home-cooked healthier stuff nearly each night of the week, then BOOM! Hardly home long enough to let our dog out, let alone cook, eat and lift. So, I'll take this respawn point! Thankfully, I have a goal that's close enough to help me stay focused (hopefully) through the next two weeks, since I've got a belt test for karate on Dec. 14.

There we goooooooo again. Cheat days really don't work for me. I just can't say 'just one' and I ended up stuffing myself with alll these carby foods... If I could actually see myself doing that I'd probably be grossed out. Any way, it might just be a psychological thing. Family problems and stress are both increasing, as is the exam pressure and the application deadline for uni is coming closer... I worked so so hard to find balance in my life, worked so long to slowly build it all up and BAM, for some reason every time something goes remotely wrong I end up failing terribly. Better tomorrow? Hope so. My last exam is in 2 days so I hope I'll feel better after that, for starters! My working out schedule is still on point though just the damn food....

But guyyyyy~yyyyys! I'm TIRED! Seriously. Like all the time. Between a two year old, an eight month old, an hour commute each way to and from work, and time to pretty much make a (usually healthy) supper before crashing from pure exhaustion, I have no idea how to make the time to focus on getting into better shape. And just like the Ice Climbers (wait...what do you mean they're not in the new one!?), doing this on my own isn't even an option. I've gotta bring the missus with me. And that's a good thing. So...how do we do this? Getting up earlier is barely an option, when we get such horrible sleep each night that mornings are positively Romero-esque with all the shambling and the moaning and the crying. And that's just me! But enough with the excuses, and enough with even the legit reasons. I WANT to do this. We both do. But how the hell do you fit an hour's worth of decent working out (warm ups, cool downs, all that safety stuff) into ten spare minutes? Are there options for...micro-workouts? "I've got ten minutes here, I can do some kind of exercise that'll be beneficial in small doses, since a real workout is out of the question"? Hell. I'll fight me some boars.

Hi all! So thanksgiving is coming up and mine will be a 3 day stay (2 half days and 2 full days) stay with family. They are not very healthy eaters (meals are ok but lots of snacks and not very supportive of my healthy eating endeavors or exercising). I do count calories, but I won't be able to measure so I will have to estimate. I won't be able to do my exercise but I will try to fit in 10 min of bodyweight training a day. I don't want to cause friction by refusing all the foods I used to eat growing up so I think I may just take them when I need to and try to make the healthiest and lowest calorie (while filling) choices when I have control. I am going to really try to stick to my calorie goal (2500) (not trying to lose just maintain/gain muscle). Any suggesting for surviving the holiday? What do you do? Is there anything I should try hard not to do? How will 4 days off my regular diet and schedule affect me? Will I lose muscle/strength progress? Will I gain weight?

Battle Log. Here it is! I started this in 2012, inspired by Nerd Fitness. This is what I do instead of challenges now, as it's more long-term. i was doing both, but it was too much paperwork. I'll explain as I earn points in each of the nine areas.

Hellooooooo.... Well, for those of you that perchance glanced at my last challenge they will notice that I went from Shanghai > London > Canada. So now I'm in Canada and by the end of this challenge I will go back to Shanghai (yay summer holidays!!!). My last challenge focused on being centered, happy and as non-stressed out and healthy as possible during those weeks. It went fairly well for the first part of it, but by the time I got back to Canada I had an epic, epic burnout and spent about a week being a piece of exhausted flesh. That part is mostly OK now, but what I would like to gear up for is going back to Shanghai. And the thought of that makes me want to grab the kid and hide in the woods. 1. I don't want to go back to Shanghai. 2. I don't want to go back to Shanghai. 3. Seriously? We were not supposed to be in Shanghai this long. I've been away from Canada for almost 12 years now, that part is fine. But I was NOT supposed to get stuck in one place this long. A few years ago we were supposed to go to Brazil, then it was India, then it was Vietnam. Now...meh. Shanghai for another few years. OK, the positive parts are I have a fairly good job (which was very, very frustrating last year but they've PROMISED me certain changes this year which should make it better), I have a fantastic place to live, great friends there, a good support network and a serious quantity of vacation time throughout the year. Things could absolutely be worse. Also, right now I'm going to an AMAZING gym that is kicking my ass in all sorts of awesome ways and I'm totally loving. Air is clean, kid is happy, food is good, I get to see my family and it's a good, long visit. The goal: Go back to Shanghai happy to go, knowing that I've set things up for myself so that it will be a good school year. I'll have enough support, the kid will be getting everything he needs to keep thriving, and we have plans for some awesome holidays. Mini-goals: 1 tiny goal per week Week 1: Work out 4 times (I'll be away from gym at my mom's place, so this is a little tricky), hand in papers (finishing up my masters credits) two days early Week 2: Shop for food, don't buy any unnecessary crap. Week 3: Have fun with b/f while he's in town! Poutine only twice. Go out on at least two dates sans kid. Week 4: Keep working out! Week 5: Remain sane while packing, travelling on a plane with a toddler on lap. Meditate at least 10 min per day. Week 6: Do not sink into depressed coma when returning to Shanghai, see friends, enjoy life, sign up for gym. Daily Goals: Keep refrigerator free from gross food Do not go to bed with dishes in sink Buy one of those swiffers (f you environment!) for the kitchen floor. I have the reusable pads in Shanghai, but not here Keep bathroom clean Meditate daily using Omvana app if nothing else Big Goals: Retail Therapy: Only purchase the following (these are MAXIMUM numbers, I don't shop in Shanghai, it's all over priced crap and I'm really trying to reduce my shopping foodprint). It's soo easy to overshop when I'm here, but I want to buy fewer clothes overall, but more that are better quality that will last more than a season without turning to dust/unwearable professionally. So I really save my yearly clothing budget for when I'm here, and overall I feel like I shop a lot less. Also, I am personally trying to boycott any shop that does not meet minimum safety requirements in their manufacturing, which sadly cuts out quite a few (say good bye to H&M, Gap, Old Navy). -good quality shirts for work X4 -good quality skirts for work X2 -sandals for work, flats for work -tshirts X4 (literally I have zero right now, I just threw out my last one) -a good school bag -a few new workout tops Talk to the man: Make a specific list of what needs doing week to week and work out a schedule with b/f on how to do it. This year I was 'housewife of the year' despite working a full time job. This is not cool. Date night. It's happening. I mean, with my b/f. This is more a him thing than me thing, but for our relationship it needs to be a 'we' thing or there isn't going to be much left. Kid: OMG we have so much fun together, and I really hate going back to work but I know it's sooo necessary for both of us. So, we're going to keep doing Music Together, and I would like to find him at least one more weekly thing we can do together. I think soon he can start to help out more with food choices and planning, but he's just a toddler! Me! All me!!! Keep working out! I have a lot of resources I can use (I bought some very cool DVD sets before I came away for the summer I haven't touched, really), I want to keep on working out like I'm doing here (more weights than I've ever used before), get in some yoga where I can, and maybe even back to Muay Thai a little. I have even suggested we go to Muay Thai on date night since that's where we met to begin with. Make a gratitude board for our apartment in Shanghai. I'm not at all crafty, but I'm pretty sure I can handle this. I think it involves glue and some cardboard. No grading, I just do it or I don't. I could make a rubric and see where my 'areas of opportunity' are, but I don't know if that would help. I'll think about it. Dang, I need to get this paper finished, all I can think of is rubric and learning challenges. Tomorrow is very soon, I think I'm ready. The picture is my dad, lifting my kid.

Introduction: Greetings! I've been lurking around Nerd Fitness for the past few months reading articles and learning as much as I can and enjoying the nerd references. I'm an oldschool nerd and I spent about the last 10 years living an unhealthy lifestyle that revolved around a career that required a lot of travel and poor health choices. Since switching paths a bit over a year ago my fitness quest has been on again off again so I thought its time to commit to a 6 week challenge. In the past year I have lost 35 pounds but I can't seem break past the current plateau so some consistency over the next 6 weeks should do the trick. Age: 40 (and feeling 50) Gender: Male Height: 180 cm (5'11'') Weight: 118 kg (260 lbs) Main Quest: I want to be fit again. I was fit a long time ago and I remember what it felt like. I'm aware this is a poor goal to have because its neither measurable or definitive. But that's it. I don't want to feel old and sluggish anymore. I know I am no longer 25 but I should feel better than this at 40. To feel my age, or better! Quest 1: Do a work workout a minimum 3 times a week for the duration of the challenge. Keep the workouts intense and measurable so I can track progress. I'll probably start with the beginner body weight workout and occasionally change it up with some running and cycling and weight lifting. Quest 2: Work on my flexibility and mobility so that my right side is not so much stiffer than my left (old car accident). I think with some better mobility I should feel much better, less stiff and sore. Quest 3: Defeat my nemesis Dairy Queen and limit ice cream and other treats to 2 times a week. Life Quest: Help turn my family into a fit and active family. I would like our family to be healthier, sick less often, and be able to attack life. To do that I have to lead by example and level up myself before I can help them. Motivation: I want to provide a good example to my 3 year old daughter. I want her to grow up fit, healthy, active and confident she can do whatever she wants to try.

I skipped out on the last challenge after loosing steam midway through the one before that. It's time to stop hiding. (HalfOgres make better seekers than hiders) Challenge 1: Eat better. I shall accomplish this by tracking my food. All my food every day. Good days and bad days... hopefully more good than bad. Wis Con Challenge 2 & 3: Nurture everything around me. My garden is in full swing and I am killing many fewer things this year than last. We are eating tons of kale and garlic fresh from the garden and had our first cucumber straight off the vine this weekend. Also, my kids need me so I am cheating and doing 2 challenges with one goal. I will do this by checking my garden and seedlings and whatever every day. I will also take time every day to do something with the kids. Its too easy to feel too tired and overwhelmed to take the time to do something fun with the kids... soon they won't want to any more. Wis Cha Challenge 4: Get fitter. I will do this by running twice a week and doing "something else" 3 times a week. The something else can be heavy work in the garden, playing soccer, or lifting at the gym. Even during weeks where I am overcommitted (hello soccer tournament for one kid Wed - Sun, I'm talking to you) I can do this if I make time for it. And I can fudge it by combining this with the Nurture... turning compost piles and shoveling out new garden beds for three hours counts as a huge workout (I know from doing it this weekend). Str Dex Bonus: Keep up with NerdFitness. Check every other day at the worst and make comments in other's threads at least once a week, on top of keeping up with my own thread. Cha So, please keep me honest. Don't let me hide away from you guys again. What am I good at? Making SMART goals (though havng one of them be "don't kill too much stuff" might not be the best, but cut me some slack) What do I need help with? Staying engaged with the community. When I do that, I have tons of success (hence the coming out of hiding)

Nourishing Mind, Body and Soul Mind WIS +5 (1 each) Read or knit daily 40-49 A; 35-39 B; 30-34 C; 25-29 D; 0-24 F I signed up for 100 books to read for the Goodreads 2014 challenge. It was kind of on a whim, but it will push me. I am not really going to be hurt if I don’t make this, but I have noticed that when I make more time for reading or knitting that I am more calm and centered overall, so this is a good way to relax and reward my mind. Pay on one debt item a week 6-7 A; 5 B; 4 C; 3 D; 0-2 F Financial worry is soul-crushing. I recently read a report on the effects of poverty sapping nearly an entire standard deviation from a person’s intelligence, and I can completely believe that. While my children and I aren’t living in poverty as yet, I do worry, and I would like the mental peace that comes from knowing I am taking care of us. Two classes a week 12-14 A; 10 B; 8 C; 6 D; 0-5 F I’m enrolled in the paralegal program at a nearby university. Attending class is the single most important factor in ensuring my success and retention of the information. Homework weekly 12-14 A; 10 B; 8 C; 6 D; 0-5 F I have to make the time and priority to complete my homework for the classes. Currently I have a 4.0, and I would like to maintain it. Weekly (probably Monday) cleaning 6-7 A; 5 B; 4 C; 3 D; 0-2 F This might seem odd as a Mind piece, but keeping my home clean is more about remembering to do it than anything else, and thinking about how it can best be supported so that when I find the time to do the chores they are as simple as possible. Body DEX +5 Water 2L/day 2L A; 1.5-1.99L B; 1.0-1.49L C; .50-.99L D; 0-.49L F Walk 5000 steps daily 4500-5000 A; 4000-4499 B; 3500-3999 C; 3000-3499 D; 0-2999 F I was tempted to increase this, but then I looked back at the last six weeks and realized that I worked like a dog to get to this point, and it would be a real success if I were able to maintain it. So five thousand it is, and we’ll see where that gets me. Abs of Doom Daily (with a rest day every fourth day) 40-49 A; 35-39 B; 30-34 C; 25-29 D; 0-24 F Last challenge I was doing the 30 Day Abs Challenge and once I got about halfway through it I was completely wiped out, and had hit my limit. It’s ok to have limits. That doesn’t mean I should quit or give up, it means I should stay at the limit level and keep at it until it’s not the limit any more. So here’s to that. I’ll keep a track of what I do, but I’m allowed to repeat the number that I do each day. It doesn’t have to be more than yesterday all the time. In fact, it doesn’t even have to be as many as the day before. It simply has to be. Nightly sleep 40-49 A; 35-39 B; 30-34 C; 25-29 D I need to take care of myself by making certain I'm getting enough rest. If I'm worn out and exhausted, I can't be a good student / parent / friend. I need to be in bed no later than midnight, with 11 p.m. preferred. I am hoping the meditation routine will dovetail with this. Nightly Floss Routine 40-49 A; 35-39 B; 30-34 C; 25-29 D; 0-24 F Soul CHA +5 Daily mindfulness from Living Your Yoga 40-49 A; 35-39 B; 30-34 C; 25-29 D; 0-24 F Dishes Daily (usually at night before we go to bed) 40-49 A; 35-39 B; 30-34 C; 25-29 D; 0-24 F Daily quiet time (probably after yoga) 40-49 A; 35-39 B; 30-34 C; 25-29 D; 0-24 F Weekly cooking (probably Wednesday) 6-7 A; 5 B; 4 C; 3 D; 0-2 F Nightly Meditation 40-49 A; 35-39 B; 30-34 C; 25-29 D; 0-24 F Bonus: Mind, Body & Soul -- Spa Day & hot oil treatment for my hair: +1 to everything. Weekly article on food and home 6 A; 5 B; 4 C; 3 D; 0-2 F +2 WIS Private goal: + to everything 1008-1000 +5; 750-999 +4; 500-749 +3; 250-499 +2; 100 - 249 +1

Hi. So I'm joining in with my sister (fadagaski) and commencing a paleo/primal blueprint diet over the next two weeks, just to get an idea f what it is like. I'm not starting out with any weight goals yet - I just want to get used to the diet first. I am hopeful that I'll soon see the benefits and will continue it so it becomes a way of life. Wish me luck! -Bluehorn

Hellow everyone, Here is my late entry for this challenge Last challenge I have determined that I would train for he Ironman Mont-tremblant for summer 2019. Here is my second challenge in that optic. However, this one will be a little different that I usualy do. This challenge is a familal one. I explain myself. I have started a blog a few weeks ago (my second blog) It is oriented on good habits for the family. It is in french, but I have aded a translate bar for people who wish to read it and aren't french speaker. Where I live (in Québec, canada), there is a global national challenge called 5/30 health and wellness challenge . I have sing up to this challenge as a family (2 kids a dog and a girlfriend). I integrated it to my Triathlon training also. Plus I have officialy registered to my first ever race with other human being. it will be a 15k race called '' la course des pichoux '' and it will be the march 8. I am feeling ready to run a 15k, but I want to have the best possible race time (I would like to do it under 1h30). But I have 2 weeks to manage this and my longest run so far was only 12k. So for this challenge, my tree goals will be the same as the 5/30 national challenge. objective 1: eating at least 5 servings of fruits and vegetable a day (it is already something we do as a family). (3 wis) objective 2: doing at least 30 minutes of physical activity a day 5 days a week. (I am the only one who meet this goal in the family. My goal is to find fun ways to makes my family moove, plus I want to focus on my 15k time. I will compare my race day time to my end of tchallenge time and hope to have improoved at least a little (3 cha, 2 sta, 2 con) objective 3: Wellness goal: sleeping better: This one is my personnal difficult one. Last november, part of my challenge was to cut my bed time from 12h to 10h30. and it was a success. Now I can have a full 7h30 of sleep during the week. Now I want to cut it to 9h45 so I will be able to start to run in the morning my the begining of april. (2 wis, 3 sta). You can see by my late entry (and probably by my chaothic post), that I have little time to post update on the community. The reasons are because I have very busy weeks lately in preparation of the spring break (which is a big week for me at work because I am organising winter camp for people with autisim) Interview, formation of my new team for the camps, plus school, family time, training, time and going to bed at 10h30... It should cool off by the second week of march. So I will probably update this challenge only once a week for the next 2 weeks and more regulary the weeks after that. Have a nice day (now I have to go back to work)

How do you handle things when your significant other, family member, coworker, or other person you interact with on a consistent basis is negative or discouraging toward your health and fitness goals? I recently began shifting toward a more primal/paleo eating style and the boyfriend is not on board at all. He hates the idea of "diets" and no matter how much I explain it as simply cutting out unhealthy foods he still sees it that way. We live together and have a one year old boy. My mom has issues with weight and is very skeptical of everything eating related. As you can imagine, I've struggled with feeling like myself since pregnancy because of all the physical changes I've gone through in such a short period of time. I feel this is the right sort of eating style for me. I want to feel like me again and set a healthy example for my son who is just beginning to become acutely aware of what is on his parent's plates. I've struggled in the past with dropping and gaining weight in a constant cycle. I've never been as heavy as I am now and feel miserable about it. I also tend to be more outwardly motivated so when the people I love and care about criticize me or my actions it weighs heavily on my decision making processes. Any words of wisdom are most welcome!

Fitness, Finance, Food, Friends, Family & Fun in 2014 This year's goals I consider this a work in progress and I will edit and change as necessary. Fitness Continue with NF challenges Waist down to 28" Get rid of tummy fat Maintain a size 6 Be bikini ready for June Take swim lessons Finance Read - I will teach you to be Rich and Rich Dad, Poor Dad Proceed from there Friends Through the years friends moved away or just lost touch Even when I can go out I have no one to go out with. I need to expand my circle of friends! Make 3 new friends and do something fun with them. Family - Improve the diet of my whole family less pizza and chicken nuggets! - Sit down for a family meal once a week in the dinning room- more difficult than you would think, autistic son hates to sit down, constant battle to keep him at the table - Cleaner home; declutter and fix broken things J (severe autism, non-verbal, age 10) - address toilet training (he's almost there) and sleep issues & keeping clothed (Loves being naked, running around the house) - TMJ issues; lots of biting things and bottom teeth are starting to become very crooked; research treatments - Fix dynavox program, with family pics - Sign up for horseback riding program in the spring - Sign up for Surfer's Healing program this summer in Toronto O (mild autism, very verbal, socialization issues, age 10) - Socializing skills & Counciling - Sign up for Canisius College socializing program - Get back into counciling and back on meds. Husband - Have more fun together - I want to say go out once a month but I think three times before my birthday in July is more realistic. Fun - Belly dancing classes - Travel to Chicago for summer architecture program - Go out with husband - Go to more live music events

..... Just like with the Second Right of Ascension, you have to have your spirit and your mind in the right place, or you will fail. My motivation hasn't been lacking even though I've been doing challenges (last two notably). Due to injury setbacks, I've lost my focus and my motivation, my head isn't in the game and I need to get my passion back. This has to stop before I dig myself a hole and undo all the hard work I've managed to accomplish. Okay, so maybe my challenge won't be THAT intense, but it DOES involve WHOLE30, which, to some people, might be more painful than the ritual of 20 painstiks Main Quest: To do a single pull-up. This has been derailed due to a shoulder injury, but I'm working through rehab and I WILL GET THAT PULL-UP DONE. This is my long-term goal, so it isn't going to change no matter what I'm going through currently. Mission 1: - WHOLE 30 After a much needed "Water Shed Moment"/"Come to Jesus Meeting" I have decided to join Darkfoxx & Fonzico in doing Whole30 to clean up my diet. Specifics: 1. Take a week to read, understand, and prep for Whole30. (Week 1) 2. Do Whole30 with no relapses or excuses starting Jan. 13th - Feb. 11th (Week 2 - Week 6) 3. Share all food/drink consumption with my accountability group, aka take a picture before consuming to be truthful and focused. Be open for criticism and encouragement, be willing to make changes. (Week 1) 3. Track with a spreadsheet Week 1 Mini-challenge revision Mission 2 - Rehab Gotta continue shoulder rehab Specifics: 1. Shoulder rehab 2x a day, NO EXCUSES, NO SLACKING. - Last time I slacked, rehab doesn't work if you don't stick to it exactly like the doc expects. (Start Week 1) 2. Track in spreadsheet Week 1 Mini-challenge revision Mission 3 - Strength & Cardio Fitness I'm in the middle of doing the Zombies 5k, so I should keep this up. I don't like "rapidly moving through space" but with the Z5K, it is fun and rewarding. Also I need to set-up a workout regimen, likely consisting of bodyweight exercises. I've recruited Surge_Supra to give me some direction with where I should go here. I believe (if my health returns tomorrow), that I'll be doing a benchmark workout tomorrow or Wednesday and then we'll proceed from there. Specifics: 1. Perform any combination of Zombies 5K and bodyweight exercises 3x a week. If more is done, great, but this is the bare minimum. 2. Track with a spreadsheet. Mission 4 - Family Fitness I am a good dad. I have been making time for my kiddos, but I need to get back to including my daughter in my fitness. That got derailed when I injured my shoulder, but need to get back on track. Specifics: 1. Make it a point to do something other than sitting around the house with the kids 2x a week. I realize this will be though during these winter months, but I should be able to figure something out. (Start Week 1) 2. (you guessed it) track with spreadsheet. BONUS: Mission 5 - Gratitude A big part of getting my head back in the game is to get my focus back on what matters. My passion will return and remain when I start showing gratitude instead of stink'n think'n. This doesn't just need to be acknowledging something I should be thankful for, but this should be "gratitude that changes a person". Specifics: 1. Carve out time each day to meditate and really thank God for something in my life. Shooting for 42 days here, no skipping, just like with Whole30, skipping resets the whole process. 2. Track with spreadsheet. I'll come back later to do grading scores perhaps, but for now, time for bed! G'night NF!

Is anyone keeping their wee ones on a paleo diet? I'm looking for meal and snack ideas. My 1-year-old will eat pretty much any pureed fruit and vegetable if I had the ones he doesn't like by mixing them with the ones he does. I can't get him to eat much meat. Besides, he only has 8 teeth. The jarred meats smell like cat food and I hate them but sometimes I sneak them in with a fruit/veggie puree so I know he's getting some protein. He'll eat a few bites of baked chicken and thats about it. He'll also take a hard boiled egg thats all mashed up. Also, what do you do for snacks? The docs all suggest crackers and cheese and the like but I don't really want to feed him that. I'm leary on giving him cow's milk too because of how dirty it is. He's had some, but a super organic pastured cow's milk. Any suggestions will be much appreciated.

fight pkmn item > read My name is Katie, and I'm a nerdaholic. My Inspiration After moving away from home three years ago so I could pursue my dream and go to art school (Woo! Arts!) I find myself dreading coming home. Everyone talks about "turning into your parents", and as much as I love them, it makes me terrified. My father has ruined his body through years of hard labour and poor eating. at 50, he pushes himself too hard and suffers badly for it. My mother is obese and pre-diabetic at 52. She spent the better part of my childhood yo-yo dieting, but after an injury a few years ago, she gave up on herself. Their typical grocery list consists of several litres of pop and bags of chips. Their relationship with their deep fryer scares the hell out of me. My older brother who still lives at home has turned a blind eye to this and because of his high metabolism has adapted the "not my problem attitude". I refuse to turn into my parents, at least physically. They really are amazing people, they just don't treat their health as a priority. I am still up in the air about ever having my own spawn, but I know my brothers want to eventually. I want them to be around for the next generation. I am taking inspiration from this to better myself. I want to be the Captain America of my family, I want to inspire and help them to get better and take care of themselves so they can be around for a long, long time. My stats height: 5'7 weight: 180 lbs bmi: 29 measurements: 43-35-43 diet: 80% paleo health: lame I have a bunch of fun health issues, including: > clinical depression > asthma & environmental allergies > manic-depression > dermatographic urticaria (cool, but super annoying) > epileptic seizures (cause still unknown) > degeneration in my lower vertebrae (pain and suckiness) My goals > I am currently teetering on the edge of overweight/obese, and I refuse to get any heavier. The only way to go is downhill from here. ("She chose down?" "She chose down!") > I turn 22 in April, so as a spectacular birthday present to me, I plan to weigh at least 22 lbs less. > continue to enjoy the Paleo lifestyle, nothing gets me out of bed faster than knowing that I get to make myself something delicious and healthy > be able to do 10 proper push ups (for the first time ever) > walk up the eight flights of stairs to my apartment without wanting to curl up and die > wean off of unnecessary medications (I'm sick of carrying around so many pills) In conclusion I am tired of seeing myself and the ones I love put health on the back burner. I will become stronger, both physically and mentally. tl;dr Another recruit for the rebellion, deal with it Also, CANADA FTW

I am starting late but I didn't want to put it off any longer. My main quest for this challenge is to be able to run a mile without stopping to walk. My smaller missions are: 1.To run from zombies three times a week 2. To always use the stairs to escape the zombies. 3. To not let a noisy car attract the zombies and weigh me down when I could walk. My Life quest is to get A's in my college classes this semester.

Current Main Quest Discover a Capable Me AKA Get to the point where I can do a pull-up This set of missions is basically a continuation of last challenge, but with being sick for two weeks last time, I need to keep pressing on. Don't fix what works. Also, at the encouragement of your illustrious guild leader, I've come to spend time with the monks. Mission Log Mission 1: Calorie Counting Track all fuel consumed using MyFitnessPalStay within allotted daily ranges 6 of 7 days per weekMission 2: Conditioning Use Kettlebells and body weight exercises to get in shape, but be flexible as life demandsExtending rest for the first week due to injury recovery (right arm/shoulder)Weeks 2-6: Workout 3x weekSave up for one-on-one session with a KB instructor to asses form and functionMission 3: Cardio Walking 3x WeekWith Missions 2 & 3, continue making it a point to invite family to join in on the fun. Encourage them along the way as I go through my own journey. Life Quest Career Change Continue looking for job opportunities and following-up with previously submitted applicationsI can't really be specific on measuring this goal, considering "apply for x jobs per week" isn't viable, but I am shooting for 5 a week as a mindset for the proper jobs.Continue to update NF rebels on progress to stay motivated.Motivation Howdy y'all, it's BC again. It’s difficult to sum up my motivation in a few words, but I’ll do my best. Why do I do what I do? To be a positive godly influence on my family and friends in all areas of life.Physically - To become healthy, so I can be around for my family.Mentally - To encourage and talk with my friends and family about why we should make healthy informed choices.Spiritually - To be the spiritual leader and house-band that God has called me to be. It is a blessing to serve and protect my family.

If you have someone in this world that you love, go right now and show that love! Smile, hug, give a fiery kiss, cook good food, help with a dream she has. Just something that makes her smile ... Think, let it sink in just how lucky you are; maybe you never had met that person, if things had gone differently? If you can get light, warmth, colour to someone's day and through that to this often so dark and cold world, have a go at it! Just e-mailed that to a teacher in my school to be posted to everyone in my university of applied science. What you think the result will be? And I'd love to hear what you have come up with!

Main Quest: My primary goal is to add 10 lbs in six weeks to my 5-rep max for squat and bent-over row. My motivation: I really just want to get bigger and stronger. I am a relatively small guy (5'8" 165 lbs currently) and I want to put on some more muscle. I have already put on about 25 lbs from what my natural weight would be and I would consider myself an intermediate lifter. I want to start back into a program that hits strength but really focuses most of the effort on hypertrophy. I have been as big as 185 lbs in the past and I would like to get back to that point within the next 18-24 months. Mission 1: Do not miss any workout days. I am usually good about this, but I have noticed a trend in the last year where the continuity of my program gets screwed up when things get really busy in my personal / work life. I have recently rearranged my daily schedule and that seems to be working well. Here is my workout schedule (I won't go into the finer points because no one wants to read that): Thursday: Legs, glutes, lower back Friday: Chest and back Saturday: Shoulders and arms Sunday: Legs, glutes, lower back Monday: Chest and back Tuesday: Shoulders and arms Wednesday: OFF Note: this may seem like too much frequency, but I have adjusted the number of sets per workout to reflect half of what most people would do for a single workout (once a week). There is a lot of evidence to suggest that splitting up that workout into two workouts and overloading the muscle twice (but with the same overall volume) will stimulate more hypertrophy than simply hitting the muscle once per week. You could do the same thing using three workouts, but as a famous lady once observed, "ain't nobody got time fo' 'dat." Mission 2: Don't hurt your shoulder, idiot! So I worked bench press a little bit too much in the last few months. I made some really great progress on the lift and added weight to my max, but the volume caught up to me. I can definitely feel some clicking in my shoulder that has worsened slightly, as well as a very little bit of pain when I bench. So I have completely cut out the bench press and all variations thereof, as well as all other exercises that cause my shoulder to grind like that. It is severely limiting what I can do for chest, but I have found one exercise that doesn't work the shoulder in the same way and is allowing me to work my chest pain free. I am resting and icing it, as well as using an anti-inflammatory. This way I can treat the irritation before it actually becomes an injury and let my shoulder heal fully. I don't plan on going back to the bench press for several months, when I am sure that the shoulder has healed. I know this will cause me to lose some of my gains, but that is preferable to knocking myself out of training forever. Mission 3: Work on my website for 30+ minutes per day So one of my side projects is putting together a website with one of my good friends. I am currently in the stage of writing the substantive material we are going to use on the site. It is the type of thing I can sneak in here and there, while still making good progress on it. I am going to spend 30+ minutes per day working on this project. I would like to spend an hour, but I want to make it harder for me to find an excuse not to fit it in, so I am setting my official goal at 30 minutes. Mission 4: Eat 3,000 calories and >165g of protein per day This is nothing revolutionary, but I have a bad habit of not preparing my meals ahead of time. This often results in haphazardly throwing together some meal or, more often, just missing out on calories I needed. I will consume 3,000 kcal per day and greater than 165g of protein per day. Life goal: More family time! I have been getting better at this, but I still need to improve. I would like to spend at least 30 minutes of quality time with my kids each day. I am defining "quality time" narrowly, however, as time where I am able to give my full, undivided attention to them. This could be wrestling time, going for a walk, going to the playground, etc.