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Hello Nerd Family! It has been awhile since I have been on the Forum but I do lurk from time to time. Today tho I need your help! I recently reached a target goal weight and I feel really proud of myself. I thought today I would have a cheat day and go to lunch with my co-workers. HUGE mistake. I ate a double quarter pounder, a half of a med fry, and a few sips of sprite. The problem now is I am sitting at my desk and I honestly want to cry. I feel terrible like I want to throw up I wont but I feel that bad. My stomach is in knots and mentally I feel like a steaming pile of kryptonite. I know that this one meal wont kill me, and I know I wont be doing it again or making it a habit but I feel like a giant Snorelax right now. What do you heroes do to make it okay or feel better after you slip a little? I can run all I want but you can't out run your fork right. I wish I had time travel powers cuz I would definitely make a different choice. Thanks yall - A hero in need

Hello All, I am VERY new here...and I've already run into some difficulty. I just joined the Academy and I am trying to think of ways to customize my Batcave...I have a gym bag ready to go in the car, and water bottles in the fridge instead of soda. I have a book on my nightstand (so I will read more and not watch tv late into the night...) I think one of my biggest issues is Fast Food...If I am hungry when I am out and about, I tend to stop at a drive thru. I buy healthy groceries! Even been sticking to Paleo at least half the time, for the last several months, but then I ruin everything by getting fast food! Any suggestions on how to make it more difficult for me to indulge in this oh-so-destructive behavior? Thanks in advance : )

So my new years resolution was to start being more active, eat better and get off the soda for good but I don't know where to start. I have the worst time committing to a workout routine and I can't resist the temptation of fast food and soda. What's the best way to kick my bad habits and lose the pounds.

Like many, I laughed at the idea of being "addicted to food" for a long time. But the more I've considered it, the more I've realized: being addicted to certain combinations and kinds of processed foods is quite real. One need only review several Google searches on the topic, as well as statements from physicians and neuroscientists that various combinations of food spike dopamine and serotonin levels pretty high, which, just like cocaine or meth, can lead to tolerance and require more and more of the same to get the same "high". Anyway, I'm here to ask the question: how do you actually BEAT this addiction? I recently finished the book "Fat Chance" by Dr. Robert H. Lustig, MD. In addition to citing a lot of evidence and discussing quite a bit of science behind this newly-emerging (albeit slowly) notion of addiction to various combinations of food, he claims that the way to beat it is, basically, "eat right and exercise." Well, gee doc, that's a lot of help. While I loved the science in the book (and highly recommend it; you can even get it on Audible if that's your thing), I found the advice for recovery pointless. "Do the thing that you least want to do to make you want to do the thing you least want to do" is not advice: it's circular (anti) logic. Does anyone have any experience with actually recovering from this kind of addiction? I'm interested in actionable information, like techniques, personal experiences, things that helped (and that didn't), and most definitely any supplements or even prescription drugs (legally acquired only, please) that can help reduce one's cravings for high fat/salt/sugar food(s), making healthy food seem more palatable. Willpower alone doesn't beat addictions this strong, especially when some of us have had that crap shoved into our bellies since before we could walk (see "McDonald's" for example). There's got to be a neuropharmacological system of some kind that we can leverage to "invert" the reward system of the brain against junk food and toward healthy food. Finding some mechanism to do that is THE answer to fixing the obesity crisis. Thoughts, anyone?

AgentC resurrected Back in 2013 I joined NF to help train for a Zombie themed 5k and did well achieving my goals (I even was able to do push-ups, cross monkey bars and nearly hit the 150's weight wise!), after the race my motivation wavered, and I kept getting hit with work related injury after another. This past January I went back to school to get my Wound, Ostomy, and Continence certification and start over. I have since finished school, started a new job at a well known health care facility, moved nearly 4 hours away from home, and gotten myself a new kitten! For the first time since January I feel like I can breath, however the stress has not done me any favors I’m the heaviest I’ve ever been and can really feel it. Time to jump back into the NF community! Starting Stats: 181.0 lbs Muscle: 33.8% Fat: 35.6% Main Quest: Body Fat of 30% Milestones: 35%, 33%, 31% Body Fat 175, 170, 165, 160 pounds Side Quest: Pass ostomy certification exam Strategy/Goals: 1)C25k program 3x/wk To get my feet wet I'll focus on cardio 3x per week. Next challenge I'll add strength training to the mix -5 STA 2) Weekly limit $10 to spend on “treats†(coffee shops, ice cream, etc). NO FAST FOOD RESTAURANTS!- 4 CHA 3) Utilize the farmer’s market (voted best in MN!) to buy the majority of food used to prepare meals (keeps me out of grocery stores and away from chips, candy, pop, pizza and pastries!) –there will be Saturdays when I will not be around to use the farmer’s market, in that case I will go to the smaller Tuesday market. (actual picture of my virgin voyage to the market!) CON-3 4) Study for certification exams at least 4 hours per week. WIS-3 and just because it's a kitten meet Weasley! He's playing with his Falcon here, and his favorite movies/ TV shows so far are Star Wars related (he particularily likes light saber scenes!)

Tiggs8786 like the Phoenix Hi everyone a little intro about myself. I had a rough year last year injuring my back (TWICE!), not being able to really do ANY exercise for 8months then had some personal loses this fall causing me to lose all the fitness progress and motivation I had gained the year prior. Now to rise from the ashes and regain what I lost (or lose what I gained?) Goal 1: Dirty Yoga 3x per week (STR 3 STA 3) EDIT YOGA TOTAL FOR CHALLENGE 18 times (3x6) try to do 3x per week I’ve discovered at work and in my own personal life that my back is definitely not like it had been before last year happened; I have disc and nerve pain when lifting moderately heavy objects. I REALLY wanted to try out barbell, but for now I’m afraid I’d hurt myself. Instead I’m going to give yoga a try. A few of the poses I’ve seen were what part of my Physical Therapy and felt AMAZING. I was doing a PREP classes through DirtyYoga.co last challenge and REALLY like it. I feel sexy even just getting my outfit on! Goal 2: Snowboard, Ice Skate, Snowshoe or go sledding at least twice a week (weather permitting) (DEX 3 CHA 2) EDIT THIS WILL BE A BONUS Charisma because snowboarding really does make me happy, I genuinely smiled for the first time in a while when I got my board out and was waxing/toning it (and again when I put my new headphones in my new helmet and danced around my apartment jamming to groovy beats!). I and a couple friends went on a special trip to a ski hill a few hours from home and snowboarded for 5 hours, until my “bad†knee was ready to give out. I literally was squeezing my quad finishing out the last hill so my knee wouldn’t buckle. I was having so much fun I didn’t want to stop, I don’t think I’ve been so frustrated with my body in a long time! I’m not hard core enough to go running during a Minnesota winter, but I DO enjoy winter activities. I have a snowboard and ice skates AND bought myself a pair of snowshoes! I have a Thursday pass to the ski hill 10-15min away and an ice rink less than a block away from my place; as well as a couple County and States Parks within 30 min away with hiking trails galore. Goal 3: Break my sugar and fast food addiction. (CON-4) I feel like I keep falling off the wagon with this one and repeat it over and over and over. The last two weeks of the last challenge I cut out fast food, but I’ve learned if I don’t specifically list it as a challenge the evil in my brain whispers “you can eat fast at Burger King/Arby’s/Taco John’s it’s not a challenge anymore!†So no fast food, no candy, no ice cream (it’s January and like -20F out there what do I need ice cream for!), no pop/soda. 2 homemade hot chocolate per week. I’m starting WOC (wound ostomy continence) nursing classes so will be sticking to just 3 goals until I know how intense the coursework can be. (eep!)

Hey everyone! After lurking around Nerd Fitness for the last few months and living vicariously through my friend Priscillia I've finally decided to partake in a 6 week challenge of my own! A little about me - I'm 23 years old and currently work full time in retail. My whole life I've been on and off fad diets, losing weight and gaining weight. As an occasional gamer (not so avid anymore), I love the concept of NF... if you can spend so many hours leveling up your character in game and making it the best it can be, why can't you do that with your own life? Love the idea! I really think (and hope!) it'll work for me I'd say my biggest problem would be motivation and prioritizing. The sad part is, I've taken anatomy classes in university and college and I know pretty much all the 'rules' when it comes to what the body actually needs nutrition-wise in order to flourish... I just never seem motivated enough to make it a priority in my life. I've always said that everyone's got their vices- I don't drink, I don't smoke and I don't do drugs... I eat! That's my drug. But I think it's finally time for me to have a healthier relationship with food and to experiment with different forms of exercise to find something that I like that I can stick with! Last year I moved away to Winnipeg, Canada where I lived on my own for 4 months. When I came back home I realized that all my pants were loose and no longer fitting me properly. After stepping on the scale, I realized I had lost 20 lbs while I was away without even trying! All I did was buy more fresh produce vs processed, prioritized making my own meals and limiting my fast food/take out intake to once per week as a treat. It was then that I realized that it is possible to lose weight without following a specific diet just by choosing healthier options... And it doesn't need to be soul-crushingly difficult! Haha. Anyway, enough about me! Here goes nothing... Main Quest Lose 10 lbs in this 6-week challenge. Form lasting positive habits in order to fulfill my long term goal of losing 50-60 lbs by this time next year (September 2015). Quest 1 +2 STR, +3 STA Work out for 1 hour 3 times per week (combination of jogging, swimming, weights or yoga class) Grading : A : 3 days/week B : 2 days/week C : 1 day/week F : none Quest 2 + 3 CON Log all food intake and try to eat between 1750-2000 calories/day, preferably the former. Grading : A: Logged 6-7 days/week B: Logged 5 days/week C: Logged 3-4 days/week D: Logged 2 days/week F: Logged once or none per week. Quest 3 + 1 CON Cut out fast food and eating out to a maximum of once per week. Grading : A: 0-1 time/week B: 2 times/week C: 3 times/week D: 4 times/week F: 5+ times/week Life Quest + 5 WIS Job hunt and research online part-time school programs. (I'm currently working full time in a low paying job... I love it, but it order to move along with my life and become more independent I need to make a better income. I'm also thinking about going back to school to broaden my work opportunities). Motivation Weight gain and physical activity has been a lifetime struggle for me... My main motivation is to be able to live a healthier lifestyle, to avoid disease in the future, and to feel more confident and body-positive. Mini Quests : Adventurer Mini Quest 1 = complete ✔ + 1 WIS

The War of the Body Snatchers - Staring Wirilome Plot: Wirilome lives in the fictional town of Fontucky, California. Her house has been invaded by microscopic imps that have drifted from chemical factory plants into the supermarkets. The imps conceal themselves as fruits, veggies, and meats with “easy cooking meals†while Wirilome and her family has slowly turned to dust. The imps live surprisingly a long shelf life and they cannot survive without an abundance of sodium or strange chemicals not found in nature, consequently, if unstopped, they will quickly turn all Earthlings into Jabba the Huts. One of the rebel scientists, Sardoni C. Symbiont, suggests that humans can do to destroy the imps is to eat healthier. Humans must destroy the imps in the name of survival!!! Goal #1 – Defeat the caffeine imps by remembering to regenerate my mana. How: Drink at least 6-8 cups of water. Why: I’m an addict. I don’t drink enough water to begin with. I might drink up to 3 cups in a day if I’m lucky. This time I have no excuse. Stats: +1 Sta, +2 Con, +2 Cha Goal #2 – Energy configuration. How: Stay under the 1800 calories during my work days and then under 2000 during my days off. I can't give a certain date because I work Tuesday through Saturday or sometimes even Sunday. Sometimes I work seven days a week! Why: Keeping a food diary helps me know what I’m eating. But I think that by limiting my calories I have to really think about what it is that I’m going to eat. Stats: +1 Sta, +2 Wis Goal #3 – Board up doors and windows to protect against incoming imps. How: Cook one paleo recipe a week to avoid going to fast food places. Why: I eat out at least once a day. That means at least 7 fast food restaurants a week. At least $42 dollars a day on burgers, fries, and a coke. I already cook my lunch now I'm adding my dinner as well and I would like to learn how to cook paleo before I say YES that is what I want to do. Stats: +1 Wis, +2 Con Goal #4 R.I.D. Researching Imp Destruction (Finish Eat, Drink, Be Mindful book). How: Spend at least 15 mins a day reading the book. Why: It’s only 200 pages and I started it in October and still haven’t finished. It helps me when I work on the exercises to think about my relation to food. Stats: +1 Con, +2 Cha, +2 Wis

For those of us who end up eating out from time to time, you probably have a mental list of restaurants where you can get Primal/Paleo food. Until now, Panera was not my list. But at the beginning of this year, they opened up a "Hidden" menu to all their US locations featuring surprisingly low-carb, protein-packed meals! http://mypanera.panerabread.com/articlestips/article/access-into-paneras-hidden-menu/ For nutritional information see: http://www.paneranutrition.com/NutritionCalculator.aspx (Note: The steak wrap and hummus bowl are tucked under "Soups & More", and the breakfast bowls are under "Breakfast Favorites") My only complaint is that they feel the need to keep this menu 'hidden' instead of adding these options to their normal menu. Hopefully if these meals gain popularity, they will gain a regular spot. For my part, I can't wait to try the new "Power Steak Lettuce Wraps"!