Search the Community

Main Goal: Compete in the Tough Mudder in Feb/Mar time frame. I have been working at this for sometime, but haven't really hit the running part as hard as I think I will need. So... Goal 1: Focus on the C25K training. I got through week two during the last challenge, so as I should be on track to get near the end of the program by the end of this challenge. However, the goal is to focus on getting three training sessions in a week, even if that means I am stuck on week three for the next six. 18+ sessions: A 15-17: B 12-14: C 9-11: D <9: Fail Goal 2: Attend more CrossFit classes. 12+: A 9-11: B 6-8: C 3-5: D <3: Fail Goal 3: Get back to 80% Paleo. I was doing good with this over the last four months outside of the later half of the last challenge. I again have another vacation planned midway through this challenge, so lets see if I have learned to plan ahead slightly better. Last time I gave this a pass/fail, though think I should change. So here's how I see rating myself this time... <2 cheat days (not meals): A 2-4: B 5-7: C 8: D >8: Fail I also need to stop the bad habit I have picked up again of snacking on candy bars, so I will count each candy bar as half a day of cheating. Yep, that should make me more accountable. Life Goal: Get back on a budget where I don't have to touch my savings. I am not counting things that I can't plan for. So to do this I think first I need to find all the nickel and dime payments I have and pay them off, minus the ones I have zero APR on as those don't really matter. However, that will only remove a couple things. So will have start planning on cutting back on things I really don't need, like eating out as it only hurts goal 3 anyways. Well I think that is a good set for this challenge...

Hi, I'm YJ and my main quest is to remove the pesky bodyfat that is covering the lean and mean physique that is hidden underneath. While I am fairly strong and weight train regularly, I don't even look like I exercise at all and the scale is almost breaking at 266lbs, the heaviest I have been in my life. I don't care about losing raw weight weight so much, so I am more interested in measuring inches instead. I want to reduce my waist down to 34 inches for a start but at a reasonable rate of fat loss, this process should realistically take until the end of March 2014 at the earliest. Short term Goals. 1) Maintain food intake at 2,500 Kcal per day + / - 200kcal using a modified Paleo diet. I will also consume over 180g of protein per day. Caloric consumption will be restricted in time but I am hungry enough right now. The rules: Carbs in the form of a cup of oats in the morning. Carbs also are allowed pre workout and milk / whey protein is allowed post workout. Aside from this, strictly meat, veggies, and one small serving of fruits and / or nuts is allowed per day. 2) Exercise (Weightlift) regularly. I'll say 3 times per week schedule permitting but usually I get 4 - 5 sessions a week. This is not a problem. 3) Track measurements weekly and take photos monthly. For the purpose of the contest I'll take a 'before' and 'after' photo although I do not expect a drastic result. More on this later. 4) Aim to lose approx 1lb of bodyfat per week. Since this is difficult to determine, my goal will be to lose 1 inch off of my waist each month. I will measure my waist at the beginning of the contest and expect that it will have shrunk a full 1 1/2 inches by the end. Since I have already shifted my diet, I should have dropped most of my water by the start date. The main villian in this quest is Mr Negative. Mr Negative likes to criticize me. He likes to tell me what I am doing is not working and is not good enough. There is really two possible outcomes from his nefarious schemes. i. I don't bother trying in the first place. ii. I put all my time and energy into one thing to prove him wrong and I end up burning out because what I am doing is not sustainable. All the while, he tells me that I'm accomplishing nothing and that all my efforts will be for nothing anyway. This time I have a sure strategy to defeat him. 1) Create small measurable goals. I am going to have easily achievable fat loss goals that I can keep on track with long term. This will ensure that I do not burn out prematurely. 2) Record progress so there is a record of it. 3) Take photographs that I can feed to Mr Negative to keep him quiet. 4) I am going to adopt the philosophy of target practice, not a javelin toss. Most people would think 1lb of fat loss is insignificant, 2 is ok, 3 is better, 4 is awesome, 5 is amazing. If I lose 30lbs in six weeks, that would make me a champion, right? Hold on, I am not trying to shock my body here. If I lose more than 1 - 2 lbs of fat per week, I will raise my calories to compensate. The purpose of this challenge is to maintain slow and steady progress long term which will help solidify healthy habits and put an end to the blerch forever. http://theoatmeal.com/comics/running In this case, the purpose of my program is to nail my targets. The closer I am to the measurements I want, the better my performance is. 5) I won't add in ample physical activity above and beyond what I am currently doing. I can hear people screaming already but come on, what good is something that you can't keep going long term? Adding walks, runs, bike rides, interval sprints, etc. It's all fine and dandy if I have some goal I want to hit but there are many things that need to be done. Besides, my knees want me a bit lighter before I begin pounding the pavement! I want to do what I can with what I have and let the fork do the talking. You can't outrun your fork and I am going to put this mantra into practice. Hopefully I can prove it! (I will add in cardio at some point soon but for now, the occasional walks will have to suffice) 6) Getting to bed instead of playing on the internet like I am right now. I'll try to be sleeping by 1am every night although with a young family, this is a monstrous feat to achieve. Reasons: 1) I want to look good again. I want to see the product of all my hard work in the gym and I can't see it if it is covered up. 2) There is a risk of heart disease on my dad's side of the family. I want to be healthy so that I can be a better husband and a dad, and hopefully have a chance at a longer life. When I beat the game: When I have completed the main quest, my next quest will be to add more lean body mass without the fat getting out of control. (But lets not get ahead of ourselves) Side Quest / Life Goals. I am currently working on a really cool project for school. Unfortunately, it is taking up a lot of time and getting in the way of me doing what I love, which is writing and practicing music. I want to have my research done when the challenge is finished. This means all my transcriptions are complete (I have 31 of them done now) and I am done reading all the sources I need to consult for the paper. Bonus: Have all relevant analysis done as well. I know a side quest is not relevant for newbies but this stuff is nagging me and it NEEDS to get done. When this project is finished, I have plenty on my plate for the following year.

As of this week, I have more muscle than fat. How awesome is that?! I started eating differently about 9 weeks ago, started training regularly 5 weeks ago and am now down to 32% fat / up to 33% muscle (initially around 35% fat and 32% muscle). Still a long way to go, but this was a kind of milestone for me. Yay me. Happy girl.

6WC Tracking Spreadsheet Air bending= Cardio/endurance Water bending= flexibility/agility Earth bending= weightlifting/strength Fire bending= nutrition/fat burning This is my second "Avatar" challenge overall. My name is Dr3wcifer My quest is to master the Avatar State (yip yip)! My favorite color is green. No, blue. No, AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa But seriously, my Main Quest is to compete in the Crossfit Open next year. This will require mastery of all the elements: Air, Water, Earth, and Fire. This gives me nine months to figure out all the exercises I currently don’t know: the muscleup, the handstand pushup, the clean and jerk, the snatch, the holyshitwhyamIintimidatingmyselfrightnowbylistingallthesethings. Supporting Quests Air Goal: 50 Double Unders in a row (3+ STA, +1 CON) Current Ability: It's about like this: single under, double under, single under, double under, single under, whip myself in the shin. Shit! Start again. Grading: A: >50 DUs B: 40-49 DUs C: 30-39 DUs D: 20-29 DUs F: <20 DUs Water Goal: Stretch at least 3 hours/week (+2 DEX, +1 CON) I need to maintain some flexibility and keep my muscles fresh to sustain progress. Last challenge, I kind of burnt out trying to do yoga for 4 hours a week, so I'm scaling back the goal this time to make it more manageable. Current Ability: I've been taking a break from yoga the last couple weeks Grading: Every 10 minutes of stretching is 1 point. No more than 20 points can be earned per week. A: >90 pts B: 80-89 pts C: 70-79 pts D: 60-69 pts F: <60 pts Earth Goal: Clean & Jerk 135lbs (+3 STR, +1 DEX) My knees are feeling a lot better these days. I need to work on my form on this lift, though, and then start upping the weight. Current Ability: TBD (Diagnostic on Friday) Grading: A: >135lbs B: 115-135lbs C: 95-115lbs D: 75-95lbs F: <75lbs Fire Goal: Body fat % <10% (+3 CON, +1 CHA) This was the one that kicked my ass last time. I was doing pretty well 2/3 of the way into the last challenge, then succumbed to the ice cream and pizza and funnel cake and more ice cream and why am I doing this to myself? I even lost my six-pack a little bit. Anyway, goal remains the same as last time, but increasing the attribute reward, because it will be worth it. Current BF%: Floating around 13%, as of last Friday Grading: A: BF<10% B: 10%<BF<11% C: 11%<BF<12% D: 12<BF<13% F: BF>13% This will reappear next challenge as a diet side-quest AVATAR STATE (Life Quest) Goal: Be productive for at least 8 hours a week (except DisneyWorld week) (+2 WIS, +2 CHA) Productive activities include, but are not limited to: Studying for the GMATStudying Japanese HouseworkYardworkCarworkGrading: Every 30 minutes of productive activity is 1 point. No more than 20 points can be earned per week. A: >80 pts B: 75-79 pts C: 70-75 pts D: 65-69 pts F: <65 pts

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.

Hey guys! sup? This is what... I'm on this new challenge... and here's what i've got. MAIN QUEST My main goal is to lose weight and have a nice body. To be precise, I aim at 10% BF (I'm currently with at 28.7%) MOTIVATION Why? My great fountain of inspiration is Bane (yeah, Batman's). I say this because he is both strong and smart. Nobody can deny it. I have been known by being intelligent only - and that's all. I guess most of us nerds have a similar story to tell. So, i don't wanna be a dumb stupid ripped guy, neither the fat-ass geek. Why can't I have both? I can! I'll show you. MINOR QUESTS: 1. DIET I'm following this metabolic diet. It's about eating 30 grams of carb during 12 days, and then have a overload or carb during 12 to 48 hours, and then cycle 5 days of low carbs and 12 to 48 hours of high carbs. Gonna eat clean during low carb days and try not to be that much "not-clean" on high carbs period. and here is my reward: 42 days = +3 Wis, +1 others (yes.. i'm using this reward for a perfect diet) 35 to 41 days = +2 Wis 28 to 34 = +1 de Wis less then 28 dias = 0 2. Hit the gym - strength training five times a week 30 days = +2 ST, +1 (two others) 20 a 29 days = +1 ST less then 20 days = 0 3. Cardio every dayYes. I want to do 20 min of "cardio" every day - no matter what, plus a 20 min sprinting once a week. I'm walking, running, cycling, or even dancing (no kidding - i'm dancing with my girlfriend on saturdays). rewards 6 complete weeks = +2 Dx, +2 Con, +1 (any other)5 complete weeks = +1 Dx, +1 Con4 complete weeks = +1 Conless then 4 weeks = 0 4. Life quest:I'm such a bad bad reader (shame). Gonna start small: Read at least 35 pages (of anything) per week. 6 weeks completed = +2 wis4 to 5 weeks completed = +1 wisless then 4 weeks: 0 I'm working on real-life rewards for my quests. Any suggestions? P.S.: Updated my body fat - measured: 07/30/2013.

This is my first challenge. My main quest is: Lose 2 inches from my waist. I am generally happy with my fitness and health but I would like to slim down a little. After having 3 kids, I joined weight watchers and lost the weight that I needed. I have more or less maintained that weight but it has crept up 5 pounds. The thing is, I am not sure if I have gained muscle or fat because I never measured that before. I have been working out consistently (~2-3 days a week) with homestyled Cross Fit workouts (I haven't joined a CrossFit class but do CrossFitish workouts in my gym). Goals: #1) Work out HARD 3 days a week NF Advanced Body Weight Workout out or some crossfit type thing. Working my way towards doing a pull up and chin up scoring a) Kicked my butt 3 days - couldn't lift my toothbrush afterwards got sweaty but could've pushed harder c) showed up in person but not in spirit d) worked out less than 3 days e) didn't work out at all #2) Eat refined sugar only 1 day a week Will eventually cut it out completely but this seems like a good way to start a) ate one small serving of a sweet thing this week ate one big serving of a sweet thing c) ate sugar more than 2-3 times d) ate sugar more than 4 days e) ate sugar like it's my job - have a headache now #3) Track my eating This is where I am not sure how to approach it - suggestions welcome! I have been tracking using the weight watchers system because it has worked for me before. But recently I have been tracking and have not managed to lose a single pound. Again, I might have been measuring the wrong thing by focusing on weight rather than body fat or size. For now I think I will continue with this method of tracking but not worry about weight as much. Suggestions are welcome! a) tracked every day and stayed within my points tracked every day but went over my points c) missed a day or two of tracking and over ate a little d) missed more than 2 days tracking and over ate a little e) didn't track and pigged out Side goals: - encourage healthy, active lifestyle for my kids by making healthy meals of real food and doing physical activities with them. Some activity 3 days a week (swimming/biking/walking in woods...) - maintain an even keel emotionally by meditating 10 minutes a day Don't want to post pictures but here are my measurements Height: 5ft 6 Weight: 142 Body Fat: Bought calipers yesterday. Measure 11mm -> 20.8 body fat Waist: 35 inches (want to get down to 33 inches) Looking forward to this community. It's a first for me.

"How is my excess fat like BSG?" you ask, brows furrowed. Because it's about to be obliterated like Caprica and the rest of the twelve colonies, that's how. Cylons and humans welcome. One God or many- we all have fat to destroy. This is a group for people who want to just generally lose weight, eat better, and exercise more. I'm a writer / business owner and a stay-at-home mom of one. I need to take more walks (even if it is 100 degrees in FL right now), and cook more food from scratch for my family. I have a modest goal of losing 10lbs. (I may be the only GB lover on the board, but that's okay - I'll just motivate myself GB-style.)

Hello Rangers! I come from the land of assassins, searching for a wider range of technique to accomplish my goals. Last challenge I ended up with a decent body-weight routine, a lot less sugar in my system, and a healthy new attitude about higher education. It's been a lazy two weeks between challenges, so today I'm gonna jump-start my healthy attitude and get the engine purring like a kitten. ______________________________________________________________________________________ Goal 1: Eat Better Last challenge, my weakest goal was to transition to Paleo. A lot of that weakness came from a combination of being busy and not buying my own food. Most of this challenge will be during my summer break, and if I get a certain callback from a certain Pizza Hut today, then I'll be able to start buying my own food again. Either way, here's my plan: -Eat within an hour of waking, and eat total daily calories within 9 hours (via LeanGains) -Eat protein with every meal -Eat veggies and/or fruits with every meal -No more than 1 serving of other carbs a day (preferably potatoes or rice, preferably no servings) Goal 2: Strength Training This was my strongest goal (heh) last challenge. Very few things can get in the way of my strength training. I mean really, it only takes 30 minutes of awesome sexy hard work every other day. I signed up for a barbell class at my college, and that starts on the 26th or so. -Maintain strength training schedule -Continue to beat bodyweight PRs -When school starts, Focus on form rather than PRs Goal 3: Regulate Sleep Regardless of whether I exercise or not, I have always had insomnia. It's been a lot better than it used to be, but I haven't been watching it lately and I ended up nocturnal, oh no. I might have a job very, very soon and school is a month away, so I want to make sure I'm on the right track when it all goes down. -Go to bed from 10pm - 3am -Wake up from 6:30am - 11:30am -The closer it is to school, the earlier I need to go to bed/wake up. Goal 4: Do nice things for the girl that I'm into I was trying to figure out what to do for the "life-bettering" goal, and since I might have a job and school is starting soon, I figured it would be best to keep it kind of low-key. The girl I've had a crush on for a pretty long time has shown a lot of interest in me lately, and I want to show her appreciation and encouragement. Man, she's been really adorable lately. -Finish the bracelet I started making for her a while ago -Plan and execute a second "good deed" during the challenge -Casually compliment her once a week (we see each other once about every 1-2 weeks) ______________________________________________________________________________ Generally, my main focus is eating better, because it requires the most daily attention. I like to keep my goals on the general side, because I find it easier to get back on track if I falter. Specific goals make me put too much pressure on myself and I end up flaking. On a side note, my one-year anniversary for a healthy lifestyle is during this challenge! I haven't gotten as far as a lot of popular success stories (lost about 45lb, learned a great deal about healthy eating, and gained a decent amount of physical skill), but I enjoy my slow and steady pace. I feel like it's more ingrained into me and very likely to last. I didn't make it a goal or anything, but when school starts I'll be cycling about 35 miles a week. I'll also try to do more geocaching during the break so I can be comfy on that unforgiving bicycle seat. If I do well in the cardio dept., I'll probably give myself a couple of extra credit points like last time (I won't go over the maximum, of course).

Well, I was going to wait until the next challenge...but then I noticed that this one starts today, so why the heck not? Starting point Last weigh-in was last Wednesday (which is when I normally do them), so this will be a little off until I update in a few days. Height: 6' Weight: 193 BMI: 26.17 Waist: 41" Body Fat: 31.04% (see post #7 for more accurate starting numbers) Goals #1: BMI down to 24.99 or lower (out of "overweight" range). To achieve this, I would need to lose about 10 pounds. I've been playing with these same 10 pounds since about February/March. Reward: CON +2, CHA +1 #2: Body fat down to around 24% (out of "obese" range--apparently, they step from "normal" right up to "obese" when you get to 25%. ). This one will be a very aggressive goal for me, considering #1 above. But I plan to clean up my diet and track what I eat more using Daily Burn. Reward: CHA +2, CON +1 #3: Be able to do 1 unassisted pull-up. I've been using an assisted pullup machine (don't kill me, Steve!). In my workout today, I went as high as 130 lbs displaced down to 90 lbs. When I hit 12 reps at a certain weight, I "graduate" from that level and move further down. Reward: STR +2, DEX +2, STA +1 #4: Pay off my remaining student debt. This one will be agressive, too. I have a few thousand left to go, but I'm so close, and I'm going to try to do it without dipping into savings! Reward: WIS +4 So that's me. We'll see how this one goes. Looking forward to it!

You could say that I'm a mage who wants to know how to climb up a wall for a quick getaway when my magic doesn't work So, I ultimately want to learn free running and crazy BW routines. Except I'm level one, and a half-orc, so I don't see myself doing wall flips just yet. (currently at 185lb; 40lb lost) I've never done any sort of strength training before June 7, but I freaking LOVE BW routines. I mean, I've only done the super basics but seeing myself get better every time is the coolest thing I've done with my body besides being in a marching band in high school. So let's get to it! 1. BW Training I will complete the 6 week challenge with 3 BW sessions a week, using the beginner's bodyweight workout routine since it's challenging, but not too much for me. I actually started strength training 2 weeks ago so I'm not THAT far behind on the challenge. I switched from p90 to NF's routine because A) p90, not p90x, is kinda boring and outdated I wasn't feeling nearly challenged enough C) I have to work out in weird places since I live in a tiny metal box in my friend's backyard (yeah I laugh about it, too), so being tied to a TV screen was annoying D) I like composite exercises. I read good things about them, and they make my body very sore A= 0-1 workouts missedB= 2 workouts missedC= 3 workouts missed 2. No more juice/ sugar drinks! I cut it all out a year ago, and one day somebody let me have their lemonade after not wanting it. I hate seeing things go to waste, but it was the first of too many. I'm kicking the habit again, not letting those nasty sugar particles infiltrate my bastion. A= Clean!B= A slip up. No biggie.C= More than one slip up? C'mon, man. 3. Transition back to Paleo When I first started Paleo, it worked really well and I lost 20lb (after losing my first 20lb by cutting out sugar). Unfortunately, I'm a student and I don't buy the food for the house, so it was pretty impossible to eat paleo for a while. My weight loss was completely halted (ugh ugh triple UGH) for 3 months. No more! I'm done with no progress! A= Sufficient protein & veggies, limited fruit, no grainsB= Sufficient protein & veggies, no more than 2 servings of grains (for the whole challenge)C= Sufficient protein & veggies, no more than 4 servings of grains (for the whole challenge) 4. I will make it to math class every time. My class completes the same time as the challenge. I've had problems with consistency my whole life, and it's time to put my own foot down. Weight loss taught me that great things take one step at a time and this is my way of internalizing it. A= All classes attendedB= 1 class missed OR left early once a weekC= >1 class missed, or left early >1 a weekD= Missed 2 or more classes in a rowF= Did not complete course

Hi Rebels, I fell by the wayside (again) for my last challenge, I'm finding it relatively easy to keep my diet under control, especially having started work and not being able to snack (if I want to snack I've taken to having a multivitamin). So I feel like I've got that down and I've set up a PVP for calorie counting just in case anyone wants to join me with that particular goal! But now I definitely want to expand my health and fitness regime to get myself stronger as well as a bit healthier. For this challenge I'm going to have four goals, three health and fitness goals and one life goal. 1. Become a Smaller Target +2 CON +2 DEX I'm going to try and lose some bodyfat, after all an assassin needs to be as small a target as possible! So over here I've got a spreadsheet for the amount of calories I need to be eating a day to lose as much as I can (hopefully without losing any muscle) and how much protein I need to be eating a day as well. 2. Swift Like Lightning +2 STR +2 DEX For this challenge it's all about making myself faster, so working on reflexes and my running speed. So for this one I want to run at least once a week and my target will be to get my 6km time (as that's the length of my route) down to under 30 minutes, at the moment it's about 37 minutes. And I will also try and start attending fencing/playing squash once a week, as both of these activities need me to be able to react quickly as I would in any assassination! 3. Strong Like Thunder +3 STR This aspect of the challenge is focused on making myself stronger (All the better to kill you with!) so I will be doing strength building circuits 3 times a week. I say strength building because whilst I will be focusing on bodyweight circuits (using progressions for the major exercises from this website) but I will be trying to get to the gym to use weight training as well at least once a week. 4. Learn the Ways of the Word +4 WIS This is a life goal to write 500 words a day. This is so I can do my literary blog and also work on some of my own personal fiction with short stories and maybe some larger stories too. If I do 500 words a day, that's not very many and I should also do enough writing to work on my blog once a week but also have enough to write some short stories. So I shall be posting up the links when I've made a new blog post so you guys can keep up with my progress! So now I'm ready to help out the assassins with their weekly challenges and make myself into a Warrior of the Night!

I need to lose fat, gain muscle and finish killing DEBT!!! SO MUCH PROGRESS on the debt in my last challenge! by the way, Wolf = debt (in case you missed my last cheesy challenge). There is a LOT for me to do over the next year, and I need a foundation of sleep, which is my primary focus 1) Sleep 9pm to 4am... main goal is to get more than 6 hours of sleep per night (I know, I need MORE than that, but 6 would be HUGE progress for me). Points to earn - CON: +4 and STA +1 because I will reduce cortisol and increase recovery 2) GET THOSE DOUBLEUNDERS - I tried that last challenge, but got derailed. Also, there is something in my brain that is CONVINCED that I can't do doubleunders until I lose fat... this is false (though weight-loss will help), and I should totally be able to get 10 consecutive doubleunders in the next 6 weeks. Points to earn - DEX +3 STR +1 3) Get fat back on the retreat - drop 2" off the belly diameter - eat clean and under 2k calories (with some extra on WOD days) - Eat To Perform methods plus Paleo with 80%+ compliance tracked in Myfitnesspal... and please don't give me grief on the 80% compliance - progress, not perfection. Points to earn - CHA +3 4) LIFE: Kill the last two wolves at the door (how appropriate - bacon = pig, and wolf... piggies, etc. - you get it, right?). So, I post the Radiohead video again until the debt is gone (and fat is on the run - fat-loss being another wolf)... and finish the book on grace (from last challenge). Points to earn - WIS +3 ... and I would add +100 to peace of mind. I'm a little excited this time... a little less pissed off, and a little more excited. Ready go...

So I`m thinking about doing some bodyweight circuit training for strength and fat loss over the next month just to see how it goes. Can anyone recommend any circuit patterns, or if this is a terrible idea, can you recommend anything else?

Hello, I'm Betty Krypton, currently teaching abroad in South Korea and trying to get back on track with my life. The last year has been super hectic, and that has come with a 30+ lb gain and an avalanche of other issues. I've been trying to do too many things at once, and I finally had that moment where I realized I need to take small steps to a better me. My Three Goals the next six weeks: 1. Exercise 5 days a week M-F I will workout as soon as I wake up. That will get me going for the rest of the day and allow me to unwind when I come home after screaming--erm-teaching English to Korean kids all day. 2. Plan out food for the day, then stick to it. I will write up a meal plan each week, then shop according to it, that way there are no unnecessary foods that may derail me. I will also learn to say 'no' to well meaning coworkers and students who try to feed me (it happens more often than I'd like) 3. Get 8 hours of sleep a night. Lastly, I will have a bedtime routine that will begin 30 minutes before I intend to be asleep. That will signal my body to get off the internet, disconnect from everything, and sleep, dammit. I have a stressful job and am also doing my Master's degree, which leads to moments where I zone out, take comfort in food, and pretty much run on zombie mode instead of taking care of myself. I'm also involved in roller derby. In South Korea I'm not as actively involved, but I want to get back into fighting trim for when I return stateside. To be a good player, i need to have strength, flexibility, and endurance. I love doing violent things (My favorite fighting game series is Guilty Gear), quite honestly, so Roller Derby, Kickboxing, and other forms of athletic violence make me happy. I hope that I can get positive support as I shift gears and start being Betty Krypton, menace of the track and all star on 8 wheels. P.S. This is my first time-erm-challenge. I'm a little nervous.

Hello there fellow Rebels! For this challenge I'm going to (or at least try to) track my calories to help with some fat loss. Now I know that's quite a common goal amongst, well people in general! So I thought that making it a PVP style challenge might help to keep us all motivated! Despite the name of the challenge I've still got a way to go to get to my abs! I've used this webpage to help me find out how many calories I should be having everyday to help me lose some fat, but hopefully not too much muscle. I've set myself up on there already with my amount and the protein on there is to help retain muscle rather than losing it with the calorie deficit. Otherwise I might just end up getting smaller but retaining my pudginess. For anyone else wondering you should eat at least 0.75 grams of protein per pound of lean body mass daily if you don't do regular weight training. Or 1-1.3 grams of protein per pound of lean body mass if you are doing weight training. So I'm going to do some strength training (Weights and bodyweight) so I'm going for the higher amount of protein. If you want to sign up just shout out in this thread and sign your name up over here! If there's enough interest we could even split into teams to see who can do the best! So let's lose some fat!

In order to talk about now I have to start at the beginning (well not the beginning as that could get a bit graphic, but last April 2012). Last April I was a sophomore in college and really 'enjoying the college life' (read: binge drinking, junk food, and all around neglecting myself). After doing this for over a year and a half I ballooned up to 220lbs (the heaviest I'd ever been) at the time I was having too much 'fun' that I didn't really care. Then towards the end of April I had a reality check; my grades sucked, my health was declining, I looked like crap, and was destroying myself. I decided to take it easy for a little while and just worked and didn't really do anything to improve my health just stopped partying all the time. Then in August I had a once in a lifetime opportunity to go to Beijing, China for six months and study Mandarin Chinese; I jumped on that ship the second the opportunity presented itself (the plane did leave two days after I was offered the opportunity, so didn't have much time to think about it). I said goodbye to my friends and family, got a ride to Dulles Airport, hopped on the plane, and threw myself into the unknown. When I got to Beijing the city was amazing, the food was spectacular, and the people were really nice (and understanding about my lack of communication ability). I started attending my classes and really struggled picking up Mandarin; I was also eating a lot of Chinese food (which is pretty healthy- NOTHING like the stuff we have here in the States but quantity+deliciousness+insanely cheap= recipe for disaster). After struggling a bit I decided I decided that my time in Beijing was going to be that one point in your life where you can definitively say "Yep thats when I changed." I came up with 3 goals (which happen to be very similar to the goals I'm setting this time too!) The main thing that was completely terrifying to me before was coming out of the closet (which I never even dreamt of doing in America- but hey I was 6,993 miles away from home, who could find out?). I also needed to study more and come back to the states and shock my friends and family with a new body and a new language. So Goal #1 was to come out of the closet and accept myself Goal #2 was to learn Mandarin Chinese Goal #3 was to lose weight I started studying constantly and eating really healthy. I also decided to tell people I was gay (which was very very difficult). I lost a good amount of weight and was flying high; but after two months I started reverting to old habits (not eating healthy and not studying as much as I needed to). Coming out also proved to be a double edged sword; I made tons and tons of new gay friends (which I had never had before EVER) but I also started going out to clubs and bars with my new found friends (something I wouldn't change even to this day, it just made it harder to stay on track). Fast forward to when I came back to the States, pretty much all the weight loss I initially had in China didn't last. I didn't want to come out of the closet here (I have no idea why, I was welcomed with open arms in China. I could speak Mandarin Chinese almost fluently. So Goal #1 Coming out of the closet- Passed/Failed Passed in China but didn't continue it here in the States Goal #2 Learn Mandarin Chinese- Passed Even better than I could've imagined Goal #3 Lose Weight- Failed- Managed to lose some but couldnt keep up with it So I essentially failed 2 of my 3 goals (I still have no regrets about this, it was my time to learn- away from family and friends about myself and about the world. Fast forward to the end of January when classes were starting at the College I go to (I bleed Maroon and Orange). I heard about this thing called a Paleo Diet and at first I was very skeptical and couldn't really get a grasp on this intriguing idea. That's when I discovered NerdFitness.com it was the first time where I had read an article (Nerd Fitness' Paleo Food Guide) and wasn't confused or felt like I was being babied- most nutrition articles are either for experts or aren't "juicy" enough for my liking but this had humor, sarcasm, hard facts, and was just perfect. Then on January 21st I decided it was time for me to make a change in my life. I was 230 lbs, Almost 6' tall, 43 inch waist, and just generally unhappy with my appearance. My 3 New Goals were Goal #1 Come out of the closet Goal #2 Work Hard in Class Goal #3 Reach a 34in waist and 190lbs (Nerd Fitness recommended quantifiable goals) I threw myself into a full on Paleo-Keto diet regime that I still follow to this day. I had amazing gains (well losses, but that sounds negative and who likes negative words?). I started researching supplements and such; which I actually take a lot of, not necessarily for any perceived benefit but I've found for myself that if I'm taking this pill before every meal I actually think about what I'm eating at every meal, it's a little reminder for myself to stay on track. I also started working really hard in all my classes and putting myself out there in situations that before would've made me uncomfortable (ie talking about gays or myself being gay). I read more and more on Nerd Fitness (still haven't been working out a lot- as NF says nutrition is 85% of any body composition change) and followed everything I read to "T" Status of My 3 "New" Goals Today Goal #1 Come out of the Closet Passed/Work in Progress Of course I can't magically have everyone I know, know that I'm gay (without coming out on Facebook which in my opinion is impersonal) but still working on it Goal #2 Work hard in classes- Passed I made Deans List and a 3.99 GPA for this prior semester (technically a 4.0 but some weird thing with credit hours makes this the official number), the highest in my entire College (not University) Goal #3 Reach a 34 in waist and weigh 190lbs Passed I currently have a 32in waist and weigh 180lbs Since I started reading Nerd Fitness and through my own hard work and dedication I Have lost 50lbs and 11inches off of my waist and this is just the beginning. I wish I knew about the challenges before when I was making my most amazing gains but I still have more goals that I want to accomplish. My goals for this challenge are: Life Level Up (Goal #1) Continue coming out of the closet and help others dealing with similar issues Life Level Up (Goal #2) Work Hard/Study in all my classes Health Goal (Goal #3) Reach a 29 or 30inch waist Health Goal (Goal #4) Do Weight Training at least 3x a week I definitely think the hardest goal on here is Goal #4 I've always had this fear or aversion of working out, but I have a good feeling this time. Wish my luck Nerd Fitness- Tomorrow is another Day Numero Uno for me.

Howdy nerds! Man, not having internet at home sucks. Thanks AT&T! Hopefully we will have things back up and running soon. Until then, I'm being a typical state employee. Hooray. I have some pretty basic goals this go-round, but it's really gonna be challenging for me. 1. Don't eat ALL the things! (+3 STA, +2 CHA) While I'm not unhappy with how I look most days, I would really like to get a bit leaner. According to some online calculators, I'm hovering between 25-27% bodyfat. I'd like to get that closer to 20. So, here's to the beginning of a cut! Make a plan: 1350 kcals M-F, 145 g PRO, 50 g fat, 85 g CHO* 2000 kcals S-Su, 145 g PRO, 80 g fat, 170 g CHO (yes, this only adds up to 1960. leaves me room to play)* 2. Don't drink ALL the alcohol! (+3 CON, +2 WIS) So, this could really be considered part of the first goal, because if there's anyone who can have a decent diet on 1350 cals and still drink alcohol is a hero in my book, but I wanted to underscore the importance of it. Make a plan: No alcohol during the week. Yes, that's right, no alcohol. None. Not one drop. And I'd like to limit my alcohol intake on the weekends...I haven't come up with a specific goal for that yet. This challenge is all about fat loss, and those liquid calories are really holding me back. 3. DO keep on keeping on! (+2 STR) So while I'm restricting calories, I want to keep up the same activity level. This should be fun. Make a plan: Keep doing what I'm doing. Weight training during the week when my schedule allows (hoping to get to a consistent 4 days a week here, but we'll see), running 1-2 times a week (including a conditioning/interval run), kickboxing once a week, and maybe some yoga when I feel up to it. 4. Get my shit together already. (+3 DEX) Okay, so maybe this isn't really dexterity, but it's juggling multiple things so it's mental dexterity! That's what I'm saying. I'm tired of rushing around in the morning trying to get everything ready for the day, especially since I'm really not very good with mornings. Make a plan: Get my food (+1), work clothes (+1), and workout clothes (+1) ready the night before work. I can't math right now (morning, remember?) but this will be based on a percentage of total possible points. So. Let's do this. *I may change this to be Su-Th, and then F-S. I don't know yet. P.S. I'm starting tomorrow with the calories. Because today we are celebrating 3 (!) birthdays at work, and there's going to be pizza. I can't resist pizza. But, I will still try to be mindful the rest of the day.

Disclaimer: I've never posted regularly on any forum, so I'm a textbook n00b. I don't know the etiquette of this thread, but I figured the first post would be a good place to set up my baseline. It has been two months, but I finally made the transition to full Paleo a week ago. So far so good, down about ten pounds. The transition wasn't too bad, except I hit a hiccup when I switched jobs. A lot of eating out for lunch when I left the old gig. A man only has so much will power and after watching people down pizza and burgers for lunch everyday I had to break the diet or go crazy. Anyway, I'm back to my routine of bringing my lunch to work and eating healthy. Typical day of eating for me right now: Breakfast: Two eggs (over-easy), two slices of bacon (mmm...pepper bacon) OR three turkey sausage links, tea, and lots of water. Lunch: One handful of nuts, spinach salad (with carrots, bell peppers, cucumber, sometimes tomato, and 1 T of Oil/vinegar dressing) Snack: Either a protein shake (mixed with water) or a small portion of last night's dinner leftovers. Dinner: Something from this list (Mark's Daily Apple recipe archive) with the dairy cut out. My goal for training right now is completeing the Tough Mudder in Kansas City in the fall. My biggest worry with that is the amount of hanging there is and the fact that I can't currently do a pullup. The race is 10ish miles with 25 obstacles, so if they're evenly spaced that's less than half a mile between each obstacle, many of which will be choke points in the race (meaning I can slow down, wait in line and recover a bit). I've ran that much in worse shape than I am now so that doesn't bother me. I've been barbell training for a few months now, trying to get as many muscle groups as possible in each work out. I choose four of the exercises from the following list each time I lift which is 2-3 times per week. Bench press (max set 2x275lbs) Back Squat (max set 5 x 285lbs) Overhead press (max set 5 x 155lbs) Deadlift (max set 5 x 225 [though I can do much more if I use straps, I have a grip strenght problem]) Romainian Deadlift (max set 5 x185) Power Cleans (max set 5 x 115 [just added these and I'm working on form]) Assisted Pullups (I do these every workout) (currently at 5 sets of 8 pullups with one foot on a box for the assist) Outside of the weight room I play volleyball for 4 hours a week, this spring I'll be playing softball one night a week, and I walk between 1 and 2 miles at lunch. Once the snow melts, I'll hit the hiking trails on the weekend with my wife as she gets ready for her Dirty Girl 5k.

Hi everyone! I have a question (well, a couple of questions), and they might sound very stupid, but I'm driving myself demented with all the information out there and I can't think straight anymore! I'll also admit that today has not been a good day for me diet & exercise-wise and I am feeling quite frustrated and confused, so please bear with me! Here goes: I've been tracking my calories on MyPlate, just to keep a general idea of things and be more aware of the nutritional content of various foods. I have a daily calorie goal (1400) that's calculated on the site based on my height (5'6"), weight (roughly 123 lbs), age (25) and gender (female). I enter the food I eat and it counts up the calories I've consumed, and I enter the exercise I do and it tells me how many I've burned off. Now, the stupid question: Is the calorie goal just what I'm eating, or the total after eating minus exercise? I find that after taking away the calories I've worked off, I tend to average around the 1000 calorie mark most days. This leads me to my next problem - 1000 calories per day really doesn't seem like enough! I'm worried that my body has gone into "survival mode" and is retaining fat for fuel because I don't feel like I'm losing fat really at all lately (I haven't got a calipers to measure but I'm basing my opinion on photos). I'm not trying to lose much weight overall, what I want is to be strong and athletic and to see muscles rather than fat when I look at my body. I've been trying to eat more protein but it's still nowhere near the "~1g per 1lb of ideal body weight" target. Or does that target only apply if you're lifting weights? Because I'm not lifting, I do bodyweight circuits & cardio. Am I not pushing myself hard enough to get the body I want? If I do a full-body workout one day, I usually take the next day off but should I be doing more? Do I have to completely cut out grains & fruit & dairy? I know many people here are going to think "eat clean & lift heavy - simple" but I don't have a gym membership and I really like fruit & dairy!! When I cook for myself I try to leave out the grains and just go for veg & meat/eggs or fruit & dairy, but if someone goes to the trouble of cooking for me then I eat what I'm given! Okay, I'm sorry for being so long-winded and frustrated. I really hope someone can help me out, and thank you for even reading this far!!

Or a "Derp!" moment, depending on how you look at it. I've been actively working on losing fat and building muscle while eating paleo and have been around the same composition for a couple weeks now. Since January, I've lost 14 lbs and have gone from approximately 27% body fat to 19-20%. As I was preparing a dinner of 3 eggs, 3 slices center cut bacon, spinach and mushrooms, I suddenly realized that maybe I should be cutting down on my portions now that my composition has changed. I've been eating the same things in roughly the same quantities for almost 3 whole months. I kinda felt like a dummy. >.< Then I put an egg and a slice of bacon back in the fridge. Am I on the right track here? Any input would be appreciated.