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So I'm out of the chrysalis and getting ready to fly! GOAL Lose 5lbs, since that's approximately 4% of my current weight. That should take me down to 122lbs by the end of the challenge. Keep myself sane while being mostly unemployed.QUESTS Eat 1200-1400 calories per day. I'm sad to report that I will not be following the mid-70s Bowie diet of milk, cocaine and peppers. Mainly because I'm intolerant to peppers.Substitute juice/soda with water. And drink more water generally.Complete Darebee's 30-Day HIIT Challenge Complete Men's Health 3 Week Home Dumbbell Workout, and don't eat estimated calories back!!!Read something that isn't on a screen for at least 30 minutes a day, because my life's turning into this:Finish Berklee's songwriting MOOC. Alright! No need to take the piss!Engage with art once a week - movie/literature if poor; art gallery or theatre if already in town or if I suddenly have enough money to travel into town especiallyAnd just for lols, complete Cassy Ho's Journey to Splits STATS Weight: 127lbs Waist: 28" Hips: 36.6" Abdomen: 31" Bust: 34" Overbust: 32" Underbust: 28.5" Thigh: 20.5" Calf: 13.5" Neck: 13.5" * I am neither thin, white, nor a member of the British aristocracy, but I am missing David Bowie something rotten.

Welcome, friend! My overall quest is still the general ‘to look good’, and to move towards this my main goals for 2016 are: Lose body fat (aiming for 12-14%) Build muscle Obviously these cannot be done at the same time, so I have to focus one one. In January I lost a bit of weight and I think I’m making progress on my body fat %, but I’m ready to try bulking. Then, hopefully, by May I’ll have seen some results and can have a three month cut before my holiday. This challenge is going to be focused around what goes in my mouth. My current problem is that I neglect diet so much. I recently reread some blog posts by Steve and he was like 'diet diet diet'. So, this challenge will help me get my head out of the sand. 1. Hit calories I've been very lax about this - and the good thing is eating more is easy (for me)! After looking at what I need on IIFYM (http://www.iifym.com/iifym-calculator/), my TDEE is 1966 cal and so to have a ‘cautious’ bulk I need about 2164kcal - or 2200 kcal/day for ease. My aim is to have 2200 every day, and then 2200+protein shake calories on gym days. The reason I’m being cautious is because I’m worried about putting on lots of extra fat. I’d rather bulk slow and clean than fast and dirty. Very good = <5% of calorie goal Good = within 8% of calorie goal Ok = within 10% of calorie goal 2. Hit macros I've never given a toss about macros... but now I will. After reading this helpful article (I’d never heard of endo/ecto/mesomorph before…) I’ve identified a good macro balance. Muscle gain = 30% carbs / 30% fat / 40% protein After reading the article I can tell I’m an endomorph, so I think having a low carb threshold will be good for me. Incidentally, I do tend to be able to tell when I’ve had a bit too much bread etc, with a general bloated feeling. This will be challenging, since for January I averaged about 50% carbs, 30% fat, and 20% protein. Side note: Although this isn’t a target, I am going to try to reduce my bread intake (I’m a sucker for french baguettes) and up my fruit and veg intake significantly. Very good = <5% away from each macro Good = within 8% away from each macro Ok = within 10% away from each macro 3. Hit strength I want to increase the weight I'm lifting by 10-20% over some of the key exercises I do. Leg press: Current PB = 130kg. Goal = 150kg Lat pulldown: Current PB = 56.5 kg. Goal = 65kg. Shoulder press: Current PB = 37 kg. Goal = 45kg. Pec fly: Current PB = 61kg. Goal = 69kg. This goal is a hit or miss one. No running targets this time (that all seems to be going well anyway), and no 'giving up' challenges - I've done a few and although they work, I sometimes use the ban to justify a worse choice e.g. not having fizzy drinks in the pub... so I'll have a cider! I’m also going to spend more time reading NF, Reddit etc for more advice, and at the end of Feb I’ll reassess my goals and see what needs changing. I'm also going to try and spend more time on the forums...!

MAN! I love all the beautiful, themed challenges on NF. Mine is "simple text" format, if you will. Gotta rush in here and type my challenge. I'm late... again... but I'm progressing! 8 pounds lost so far this year - love those early-gains! So, I will keep it up: What is working - Daily I stick to <100g carbs (unless high workout day), <1,900 cals, getting sleep, 120oz water, 12,500 steps This challenge Diet - Keep biggest meal at dinner: egg for breakfast and salad/chicken for lunches Diet - Prepare a new veggie creation of some sort each week - need to grow my selection of veggies I can make Fitness - Continuing daily 12,500 steps, incorporate conditioning 3x's per week - I will use the bodyweight A/B workouts NerdFitness academy Life - MORNINGS!!! I now have 4 successful mornings of getting up early and NOT snoozing my alarm. My mantra as I go to sleep is "I am getting enough sleep - at the alarm - UP, PANTS, GO!!!" Of course, it will help if I continue to go to bed early enough to get enough sleep... so, it's a 2 part goal (earlier to bed... to get up earlier) but the desired outcome is an early up habit. Is it weird for nerds to quote Churchill? No, he's not a fitness hero... but I love "If your going through hell, keep going." BACK TO IT! Go nerds

Hey! I've started my 6 week challenge as a recruit, and I'm meeting my exercise goals (body weight workout 3 x per week). However, my eating is shite. I'm a second-time mum, three months in, and I'm 10kg above my pre-pregnancy weight. It's been a rollercoaster (with pregnancies), but at 5'3" or 160cm, I've been: Ages 16-24: Around 60kg (overfat, borderline overweight) Age 25: Dropped to about 57kg with moderate barbell training for about 6 months Age 26: Pregnant. Post-pregnancy about 62kg. Age 26-27: Between pregnancies, dropped down to 54kg without really trying, not exercising but I guess just not eating as much junk. It took about 18 months. Age 28: Post-pregnancy back to around 64kg, have dropped to about 61kg over the last few months though. So, I don't care hugely what I weigh, but I use that as the best guide to where I've been. Having had a baby, my tummy is flabby, I have extra fat around my middle, thighs and arms, and I'd like to really get healthy. Exercise is important, with a focus on weights (body or external), but my diet is ... terrible. I had an eating disorder from 16-24. I ate terribly, oscillating between starving and bingeing. When I started weight-training, I began to have a healthy relationship with food and ate better naturally ... but then I got pregnant (not by accident, but I have a condition called hyperemesis during pregnancy which basically means I vomit everything up I eat my whole pregnancy unless I'm on medication, and even then I tend to have a limited range of foods - chips for the first 16 weeks, then just whatever I can stomach until 40 weeks - and I'm usually too tired to exercise). I won't be getting pregnant again, either. After baby #1 I started working full-time which I think helped me lose weight - even though it was an office job, I wasn't snacking all day. Now, post-baby #2, I probably won't be going back to work, but really want to improve my diet. Additionally, because of my ED history, I'm really bad at cooking meals (not that I can't cook, I'm just not in the habit of it), I'm not used to eating meals every day because I haven't really done it since I moved out at 16, I'm a natural grazer, and I do like my chocolate (although during that weight training I did crave it less!). So, despite the fact I actually know a fair bit about nutrition, I don't know how to get in the habit of eating well. For this challenge, I'm aiming to learn to cook three healthy meals, and I want to start meal planning. My husband eats badly, too, and if we can all get in the habit of eating together, that's good. He's not vegetarian but my girls are, but he's happy to eat what I cook. I'm not particularly worried about protein - I love lentils and chickpeas and stuff, and most clean vegetarian meals contain it in some form. I'm not super into paleo, I have my diets about the scientific veracity of the claims, and while I think it's a great clean diet, I do think it's a bit meat/protein heavy. I like clean eating, but I don't know how to fit it into my life. I love fruit and veg. I love broccoli, cauliflower, fresh carrot stick and capsicum and snow peas. I love drinking water more than any other drink. I do love chocolate, but otherwise I'm not a huge fan of junky foods. So, can you help? Any suggestions for getting into meal planning, recipe suggestions that work for a busy mother of two who doesn't have time to make fancy meals, who doesn't really understand how to eat meals. I also probably wouldn't eat meals during the day, only dinner. Like I said, I'm a grazer ... so how do I have healthy snacks on hand that are filling, but not junky? It's coming up summer here so a protein-filled salad would probably be good ... also the discipline to eat what I buy instead of letting it die in the fridge! I'm sorry this post is really rambling, I'm just trying to get all the ideas in one go. This isn't so much about nutritional advice (although that's cool!) but the practical struggle of trying to make healthy, clean eating part of my lifestyle instead of a life of good intentions.

Nerds - I'm late to the challenge - and will be super brief - pretty dry post, but it will help set some direction and a little accountability LIFE-LONG QUEST: working toward lifelong strength and fitness and career-repair - about 50% on the way to career repair - would love to be that 80+ year-old strong-man with a thriving family ... and would love to be a great coder (Go, Swift, Python) and top business/investment guru to (yeah - weird - but I like that stuff)... maybe writing or making film Here are my short-term goals 1) Mornings start at 4am (get to bed by 9pm) - would love to succeed at this 4x/week 2) Morning workout - just walk or row or something to get a :-D - and ideal would be to do my bodyweight workout from the NF academyBodyweight workout in the AM - occasional Stronglifts 5x5 - 4x/week would be a win 3) Stay < 1,900 cals - biasing Protein and Fat (and learn more food prep) - every day - no negotiating on food - this is my number one problem and hinderance - I'm stuck BECAUSE I negotiate my way into more food... not good Life: Study for the CAIA & coding daily - also needs to be every day for the next 2 weeks So, 4xs/week on 4ams and workouts; every day on calories and studying CAIA/coding NERDS - thanks so much for all the help you've given - over the past few years you've really been there for me (job change, move to new city, etc) - especially Haikoo, bigm141414, Catspaw, emcee, KiltedCowboy, AlienJenn, LorenWade... you all rock Time to get back into a good groove - keeping it simple and achievable

Challenge #9 For the first/second challenge in 2016 (and the first ones under the new rules) I decided to go with the general Rebels instead of spending time in the cozy assassins guild (aka I'm getting out of my comfort zone). This "trip" (and further ones in the future to other guilds) had actually been planned for some time, now seems like the perfect opportunity. The overall Challenge Goal will not change from last year (as implicated by the challenge theme) and will probably take some more challenges: getting rid of the belly (aka take the fat out of skinny-fat), measured by bodyfat percentage. Right now I'm at about 23%, the goal for this cycle of challenges is less than 15%. With the old format I'd planned to get down to under 20% after this challenge, but for 4 weeks, that is probably too much.... I'll go with a goal range of 20-21%. Background story (this time it takes place in the universe of Mark Anthonys Last Rune series) Everyone at the Grey Tower said I was crazy. But I'm not. I have a goal. The runespeakers are just hiding in their books ignoring the real world. They know the end of the world is coming, but do they do anything? No! Sure, they are looking for the solution. But nothing seems good enough, so they continue looking.... I've been on this quest since I became a Master of the Grey Tower myself. There is only one dragon left in Eldh. He has the power to stop the Pale King. Maybe he will not help us or not in the way I hoped, but still my quest is better than those of my brothers wasting time. I cannot give up. I have gathered the necessary knowledge and the runes are guiding me. The only thing I have to do is follow through. Through the wastelands of the east, the free cities of the south and now the desert of the south. I'm wandering, though I'm not lost.... I have a goal! QUEST 1 : NUTRITION I'm putting a little more weight on quality in this area. Still going to track my intake, like last challenge. But I also want to do some paleo batch cooking. Mission: Track Calorie/Protein/Fat/Carb intake and stay within range Eat at least 80% paleo Batch cook something paleo once per week QUEST 2 : SIMPLE & SINISTER [ I OF XII ] This will be the year of Kettlebell for me. Each challenge will have a Swings and TGU quest programmed after Simple & Sinister. The miniumum amount of work for the whole year is 30000 Swings and 1500 TGU (per side), but technically it could be up to 36600/1830. But that is all just a background workout and shouldn't interfere (negatively I mean, positive results are hoped for of course) with whatever I focus on in my challenges. Mission: 50 - 100 Swings per day (either two or one-handed) usually with a 24kg but on light days with 16kg 5 Turkish Get-Ups per side per day with a 12kg or a 16kg an occasional day off is fine like once a week QUEST 3 : INTERMITTENT FASTING I used to have good experiences with those. But stopped because it interfered with work (meals were a very important social thing at my old workplace). Now it is time to get them Fasting days back. Mission: Once a week don't eat for 24 hours QUEST 4 : STRENGTH (ENDURANCE) WORKOUT This quests purpose is two-fold. Like last challenge it is supposed to keep my strength at a good level (don't want loose them gainz). Also since a pure calorie burn workout quest didn't work out (haha) last time, I'm incorporating this into the strength goal. Mission: Minimum Strength Workout (one exercise out of two of Push/Pull/Hinge/Squat) 4x per week Strength Endurance Worktout (like EMOM or for time or AMRAP for example) 2x per week Maximum Strength Workout (3 exercises out of one of Push/Pull/Hinge/Squat) 2x per week LIFE QUEST : JOB + APPARTMENT HUNTING This interim solution is coming to an end (like it should), now I need a new job and place to live for about the next 15 months (aka a base of operations and a budget to tackle those big life quests) Mission: Send out applications Since I can't see how the Character Creation and Epic Questing integrates with the stat points I'll leave them out for now.

Hi! I am very new to "this" site and I saw in a post Steve saying there is a community of people willing to welcome me with hands. So starting off, I am kind of a beginner to fat loss methods and exercises and I was wondering if anyone here could tell me in a little detail (cut out all the basic info) on where to begin, what to do etc. I saw that Steve mostly recommends Paleo diet and strength training. But here's what, I don't have access to the gym and I live in India where getting food that is completely natural and void of artificial stuff/hormones is somewhat impossible. I am at 200 pounds but that's not fully fat. Don't have a fat caliper to measure it since its not very common here. I believe I have a pretty good set of biceps and am able to lift up to 50 kgs on my "forearm". Yes, you heard it right. I am a little fat at the chest, abdomen and thigh areas. So if anyone could tell me exactly what I should be doing under these conditions I would really be grateful. -mrforhelp

Entering the Arena is Strickland5! 5! 5! 5! "This half-orc scout is returning after a long absence, and the crowd seems to have high hopes for him!" "That's right, rumor is he's run two marathons and has his sights set on a sub-two hour half!" "We'll just have to wait and see what this kids got!" All ... or most ... silliness aside I'm going to start a new battle log as my goals and in general my life has changed since my previous one was being used I'm currently chasing a sub-two hour half and am hoping to do so in November. If/when I manage that feat, I'll be shifting my focus to fat burning and muscle building as according to my Withings scale I'm at ±30% body fat which is horrible! I'm currently hovering around 225lbs (102kg or 16 stone) and am 6' (1.83m). Now onto the battle log! 2014-09-08 Yesterday was boot camp. We did a 3 station work out and sprinted between the stations. The stations done with a 30-20-10 style after the 10 set was done we would do sprint the whole distance around all of the the stations before starting the next series of exercises. Exercises were crunches, reverse crunches, and bicycles then flutter kicks, in & outs, and Russian twists. Food wise I was pretty good (MFP link), though I think I should continue to cut more processed food out of my diet ... food for later thought. After work when I had an follow up interview which went well. Currently I'm on the fence about the position due to the change in commute and what the job responsibilities are. I'm 100% sure I can do 90% of the job but the 10% I'm unsure of bothers me ... the position does have real growth and company ownership potential which is good too ... definitely something to think about later.

Alright! We're back at it with another weightloss PvP. But the storm is coming. For many of us the Holiday season (Nov - Dec) is the worst time to try to start losing weight. It's too easy to give in to holiday feasts and we put it off for the New Year. But why put it off till the New Year? Get ahead of the game. Join this PvP! The rules are simple: 1) Sign up by putting your name and starting weight in the spreadsheet. Set your goal weight in the spreadsheet; originally we set a goal of 10 lbs. over 10 weeks. But you can set whatever you think is most reasonable for your body and your circumstances. 2) Introduce yourself to the team. Discuss your goals, strategy, and motivation. Also, please to post links to your current challenge and battle log. It's important for team members to support you. 3) Cheer other members on. We are unified as brothers and sisters with a common goal. Tell us your stories, post funny gifs... whatever you think will get people coming back to check in rather than eat a Christmas cookie. 4) Post weight regularly in the spreadsheet. Weigh-ins are scheduled for every Monday of this challenge. You are free to select a different weigh-in day if it works for you. But let's all shoot for a weekly weigh-in. 5) You can join in anytime. Just let us know and adjust your goals accordingly. Better to start now than wait, even if there's only two weeks left of the challenge. 6) Also, shoot for healthy weight loss of 1-2 lb. or 0.5-1 kg / week. And have good reasons and evidence for the goal you set. Good Luck!

I've seen some claims on the internet stating that a little cardio (first thing after waking up) on an empty stomach can help with fat loss. What are your guys' experience with this? Also, is it better to eat before or after your workout? I thought it was better to workout after eating because your food gives you more energy for a stronger workout. Finally, are there any nutrition/fitness channels that fit with the Nerdfitness and Paleo lifestyle? All help is appreciated. Thanks guys!

Hi everyone! I'm based in the UK (London/East Kent) and have joined the rebellion for inspiration and accountability. I've been going to the gym and running (and occasionally cycling) for about 10 years but I find it difficult not to pause for a fair while after 3/4 months of pretty consistent effort and lurch back to where I started - especially in strength. Although I'm focused mainly on endurance, I do need to build up my strength and put on a bit of muscle, especially on the upper body. I'm quite weedy! I've decided that I really don't like gyms (too much noise and distraction, and too artificial seeming) so am aiming to use bodyweight exercises (both inside and outside, but out as much as possible) for strength. I'd like to cut down on my belly fat too - I'd guess my bodyfat percentage is about 18% and would like to drop to about 12%. My big problem is mental. I find it very hard to go beyond a certain level of effort in strenght training without mentally giving up - basically I tell myself that it's too hard and I'm not strong enough. The pain and effort of a really tough session scares me and I find it really hard to go back to that sort of level, even though I know it's what should be done. This is what I have to work on most. I've registererd for a half-marathon in March 2016. It'll be tough - Cross country, 13.6 mi, 2,348 ft ascent! I've run a couple of 10Ks before, but this is not your ordinary HM! I need to put in some serious hill work over the next 4 months, as well as putting in some good strength work. Quests and goals? I've got 'em... Main Quest Complete Sussex coastal half-marathon (March 2016) Target time 2:10 (Course average) Secondary Quests Lose body fat, especially belly ~11-12%? Increase bodyweight strength - for general fitness (lifting is good!) and to support running. Increase flexibility Strength goals 1x20 perfect push ups 1x10 perfect pull ups 1x10 perfect dips 1x10 perfect hanging leg raises 1x25 perfect squats Then progress to 2/3 sets and harder exercises Can't wait for the 6-week challenge to start. I'm hoping it will keep me motivated and consistent. Looking forward to being part of this commmunity - pop by and say hi!

Okay, I thought I knew a fair bit about nutrition, and then I came to ask myself the title of this post: can you lose fat while gaining muscle? First, you have to have a calorie excess (protein) to build muscle, right? But to lose weight, you need to run at a deficit. So you can't do both at once? Does this mean that if you're doing strength training while trying to lose fat (running at a calorie deficit, eating good quality meals and protein), that you're just maintaining the strength and size of the muscles? If you want to get stronger, can you strengthen muscles without growing their size? Obviously, my goal is to lose fat, and gain strength - as a woman I'm not interested in aesthetically larger muscles, as long as they're stronger (i.e. if they need to get bigger, they do, but that's not my goal in itself). I'd love if someone can help fill me in and explain what I'm sure I'm missing!

Hi everyone, things have been crazy lately around here. So, an update. I'm fatter but I'm also pushing some better numbers again. I've been trying to stretch a lot and I have also been doing some more strength focused training to try and keep from overtraining. Bench press is back to 220lbs for sets in spite of my right shoulder. I pulled 300lbs for 5 reps on Deadlifts. The weight is going back up. I really wish I could try this in a gym where I was not forced to do negatives with deadlifts. Maybe sometime. Goals: 1) Work on Auxiliary muscle groups. Core and Rotator Cuffs in particular. 2) Don't get injured or make current problems worse. 3) 2,500 cal per day and 2,000 on off days. 200g protein per day with low carbs except for pre workout carbs on lifting days. 4) Drink lots of water. I should trim off bodyfat. Luckly, under the bodyfat, things aren't so bad. I didn't lose my base and if anything, I've been rebuilding it since that nasty right arm / brachioradialis / right front delt injury. Side Quest: Get String Arranging business website / support material done. I really hope I can show you guys this stuff once it goes live.

[JBReclaim] IV: Living for The American Dream Thanks for stopping by, my name is Josh, AKA JBReclaim. This will be my fourth challenge on NF. I've been away quite awhile, but I'm prepared this time. I'm going to battle with the scale! I know the right guy to call when it's time to eat healthy. !IM READY! Current Weight: 463.6 Main Quest: Get to 427.6 {+1 WIS, +1 DEX, +2 CON, +1 CHA} Goal 1: Avg ~3+ miles/wk [20 Miles Completed Over Total Challenge] {+3 STA, +2 DEX} Goal 2: Become Aquaman [Complete Lvl 1 Workout 2x Weekly] {+1 STA, +1 STR, +1 CHA} Goal 3: Complete Summer 1 Writing Class [Course runs from 6/1-7/2] {+2 WIS, +1 CHA}

Last challenge, I took a detour from completely focusing on diet and weight loss. I slayed some demons and fixed up some life issues and now I am absolutely brimming with confidence! But. This challenge is gonna be boring. (I will keep talking about food, though!) I have an amazing trip planned for June! We--myself, my Mr. and our cubs--are heading back to Oregon for a week! And, since I will be seeing friends and family who haven't seen me in years, I'm solidly motivated to keep losing weight. But, with this impending trip *and* gardening and spring cleaning seasons gearing up, I also have less time and head space free... So. Boring ol' stick-to-the-diet challenge. (The diet I am using is Tim Ferris's Slow Carb Diet. The basic idea is: for six days a week, I stick to meat/fish/eggs, legumes, and veggies. I have one off-diet day each week. It's proven to be a darned effective diet since I quit drinking so much wine.) Here's what I'm going to do: PLAN: Each grocery shopping day (usually Wednesday,) make sure I'm getting ingredients for 6 slow-carb-friendly dinners and lunches. (Breakfast is always just eggs.) EAT AND DRINK: Just keep doing the diet that I know works. Especially: NO ALCOHOL ON DIET DAYS!!! REPORT: Log my food here, so I'll be less likely to eat counterproductive things because I won't want to have to tell you guys about them. My weight tracking is pretty vague... I have an old bathroom scale that was here when we moved in. I weighed about 175 pounds before my cubs came along, 240 when I joined NF, and 235 at the beginning of 2015. Right now I'm a couple of pounds over 225. My main quest for 2015 is to get under 200. Motivated bear is motivated:

Hi, I'm Newcomb (intro here) Here's may battle plan: Stats: Permanent: Male, 5'8 (b. 1987) Start 5/13/14: 230lbs, 43" waist (belly button) Current 5/18/14: 224lbs, 42.1" Goal 12/31/14: 190lbs, 34" waist Strength: I had been doing Stronglifts for a while, but after the "hiatus" with the kids, and since finding Nerd Fitness, I've modified it similar to the example in an NF article. Mostly I try arranging the lifts to minimize adjustments on my rack in-between. For each lift, I do one warm-up with the bar, one warm up with 40% of the working weight, then five sets at the working weight. Alternated Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday: Workout 1: Squat Overhead Press Row Workout 2: Deadlift Bench Pull-Up (working my way through bands) Once I get to full 5x5 on a weight, I add 5 lbs. I'll hold a lift based on benchmarks from ExRx. For instance, I'm at the Novice level for bench, row, and almost press, so those weights will stay until deadlift and squat catch up. I also do a PLP variation in the evenings; I do three sets, working my way up to 3x12 on each of chin-up, push-up, and lunges in a circuit. I track my workouts with JeFit. Running: I basically go through the C25K routine but jog/run instead of walk/jog. When I get to the end, my 30min at the "higher" pace becomes my "slow" pace next time around (ish). I track it (ish, it's an iphone app) with Map My Run. Sometimes I'll also bike to work, but with night school and little ones, that's not always an option. Nutrition: I'm diabetic, so avoiding excess carbs and sugar is important, and I tend to do well. I went to sugar-free sodas and then dropped them completely. Though, if I'm over at my mom's house on the weekend with the kids, I might have a can or bottle of Coke. The other trap I have is that when we do get takeaway; I used to be in a habit of just getting the burger/chicken sandwich and not get fries and a drink; maybe even ditch the bun. Lately, however, I'll get the whole meal and fries/onion rings. I need to cut that crap out. Normal day of eating: work out at 6:00am, sipping on BCAAs, then whey, banana, and a mini-omelette I've pre-baked for the week (inspired by a NF Article). For lunch (at work), I've pre-grilled chicken breast and frozen veggies. Sometimes I'll cave to eating out with co-workers and maybe I'll make a good choice if I do, but lately it's been my previous mentioned fast food habits. Dinner is where I struggle. My wife usually makes pretty good dinners, but I'll over eat. Especially if there's a pasta or bread or something as a "side". Or we'll be very busy and it will be takeaway. Sometimes I'll get smart and box some leftovers before the meal; but I'll pack way too much to eat at once later. Weekends I'll do my normal breakfast, but I'll fast at lunch or we have meals with my mom (she lives next door and takes care of the kids when she can). Saturday nights my wife and I do Chinese as our weekly "treat", but, again, I get pretty crappy at the "moderation" and saving enough for later. Before bed I'll have some casein. Generally I'll track my nutrition on Livestrong's MyPlate; but I'm not always super diligent about it. External Tracking (I'm posting/linking as I go, too): Nutrition: MyPlate Lifting: JeFit Running: MapMyRun

ASSASSINS CHALLENGE #4 This time round, it's a boss fight. It's time for me to put to use the progress I've made so far, and show my strength! The time for practice is over! There are a million things I want to get done, and I could wander Cocoon forever picking off one Cie'th at a time, but I fought through a whole squad of them last challenge round to get to this point. I came this far for a reason, now it's time to get the job done. Here's what I learned over my last few challenges: If I split my goals, I do great on the first, good on the second, and fail the third. I need a single aim! There are other things in life I need to do, and I'll do them just the same without making them part of the challenge. My university boss fight is over a week before this begins, and I have 4-5 months to concentrate before that starts again, and I want my new habits in place when it does! I am in this for 100% completion. One thing only. Last time round, it was the calories and cooking thing. Before that, it was the not being weird around food thing. I have all these potions stocked up for: BATTLE!!! Time to get strong!!! All that work on the "diet is 80% of your success" was leading up to something. This challenge is 100% exercise. I've been considering the idea of upping my calories from 1,450 because I was feeling the side effects, but now I know how to track with no effort. When I started lifting last year and promptly quit because I couldn't cook or not binge, I quit (temporarily) because I wanted those things in place first. Last challenge I learned to cook. I'm confident about the food. All aspects of the food. I'm ready, I'll start my calories at 2,000 per day (necessitating a higher everyday activity level). If I start gaining fat, I'll drop it 50-100 per week. Call this charging the ATB gauge. Call it casting haste at the start of battle. Call it what you will, but I NEED TO FEED MYSELF. Now I'm starting to work out, I don't want to start in an aggressive deficit and bail out exhausted halfway through. This is a long term thing, and if the numbers go a bit screwy over the initial adjustment period, I'll just have to wait it out. This is only the first 6 weeks of a lifetime of being fit and awesome. Changes are to be expected. Grades are tighter because I care a lot less about doing these workouts than forming the habit of doing them. Consistency is everything! Speaking of which, I don't care how fast I progress here, just that I show up and do the things. 1. ATTACK This portion of the challenge is the strength part. For the break week I upped my calories to 2,200 and started on heavy dumbbell training (circuits - 5 x squat, 5 x deadlift, 5 x OHP, 5 x chest press, 5 x push up, 5 x bent over row basically with dumbbells where the barbell would be. 3 sets of one after the other with minimal rest). This is all the equipment I have at the moment, but there's a good chance I might head back to the gym part way through the challenge and start Stronglifts all over again. Bodyweight progressions also count, if it's equally challenging. I'm not being too prescriptive about HOW I strength train, or where, or whether I change the routine. I have zero excuses. Whatever I do, it has to challenge me, and I have to do it 3x per week (no schedule, probably M/W/F as that's what I'm doing now, but not on consecutive days). I want a pullup bar, because that needs to go into the routine as well. I will find a way of finding the cash to do this. Stats over 6 weeks: 16-18 strength workouts - A - +4 STR13 - 15 strength workouts - B - +3 STR10 - 12 strength workouts - C - +2 STR< 10 strength workouts - FAILObtain functioning pullup bar (even without working it into routine yet) - +1 STRATTACKS EXECUTED: 0%FF3300; background-image: -webkit-gradient(linear, 0 0, 100% 100%, color-stop(.25, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2)), color-stop(.25, transparent), color-stop(.5, transparent), color-stop(.5, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2)), color-stop(.75, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2)), color-stop(.75, transparent), to(transparent) ); background-image: -webkit-linear-gradient( -45deg, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2) 25%, transparent 25%, transparent 50%, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2) 50%, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2) 75%, transparent 75%, transparent ); background-image: -moz-linear-gradient( -45deg, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2) 25%, transparent 25%, transparent 50%, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2) 50%, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2) 75%, transparent 75%, transparent ); background-image: -ms-linear-gradient( -45deg, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2) 25%, transparent 25%, transparent 50%, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2) 50%, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2) 75%, transparent 75%, transparent ); background-image: -o-linear-gradient( -45deg, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2) 25%, transparent 25%, transparent 50%, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2) 50%, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2) 75%, transparent 75%, transparent ); -webkit-background-size: 23px 23px; -moz-background-size: 23px 23px; background-size: 23px 23px; border-radius: 4px;">0% 2. CURE This part is recovery mode. I don't care if it's yoga, basic stretching, whatever. In the gym, at home, at work, I don't care. Anywhere. On the day after each strength workout, I do some kind of beneficial stretchy workout to counterbalance Attack mode. I'll update again with plans once I've had a good look at what's available. 16-18 stretchy workouts - A - +5 DEX13-15 stretchy workouts - B - +4 DEX10-12 stretchy workouts - C - +3 DEX< 10 stretch workouts - FAILCURE SPELLS CAST: 0%0000FF; background-image: -webkit-gradient(linear, 0 0, 100% 100%, color-stop(.25, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2)), color-stop(.25, transparent), color-stop(.5, transparent), color-stop(.5, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2)), color-stop(.75, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2)), color-stop(.75, transparent), to(transparent) ); background-image: -webkit-linear-gradient( -45deg, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2) 25%, transparent 25%, transparent 50%, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2) 50%, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2) 75%, transparent 75%, transparent ); background-image: -moz-linear-gradient( -45deg, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2) 25%, transparent 25%, transparent 50%, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2) 50%, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2) 75%, transparent 75%, transparent ); background-image: -ms-linear-gradient( -45deg, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2) 25%, transparent 25%, transparent 50%, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2) 50%, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2) 75%, transparent 75%, transparent ); background-image: -o-linear-gradient( -45deg, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2) 25%, transparent 25%, transparent 50%, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2) 50%, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2) 75%, transparent 75%, transparent ); -webkit-background-size: 23px 23px; -moz-background-size: 23px 23px; background-size: 23px 23px; border-radius: 4px;">0% 3. VIGILANCE This is a buff to make it less likely that I will recoil upon taking damage and be unable to attack. I saw the concept of a morning mile walk on the NF blog, and thought I'd try it out this morning. I even left my phone in the house. I didn't even have a coffee, just got up and DID IT. It really helped me focus my mind on what I wanted to do during the day, sift through thoughts that were still falling out of my head on waking up (I often have intense waking anxiety, like being woken up by a panic attack, and it sucks). If I want each day to go right, I must meditate this tendency out of myself asap when I wake up. Walking around in nature is one of the best ideas I have heard of to achieve this, and today it worked really well. Plus, since this is exercise related, of course, walking is exercise. It's not hugely calorie burning, but who cares? It's hormonally beneficial, and this is what I want. I failed a walking task before, but it was too time intensive. This is half an hour a day, at most. Vigilance isn't a direct attack, it's a supporting presence that makes all your other attacks more effective. I can see this graduating to become a morning run, a morning swing on the monkey bars, a morning walk up a hill and back, but I don't NEED IT to become any of those things, I'm quite happy with it as it is, and it needs to become a part of my life! 36-42 morning walks - A - +2 STA / +2 WIS30-35 morning walks - B - +1 STA / +1 WIS24-29 morning walks - C - +0.5 STA / + 0.5 WIS< 24 morning walks - FAILVIGILANCE BUFFS CAST: 0%0% Starting measurements from 8 June 2015 Weight: Scale Bf%: DoD Bf%: Scale H2O%: Lean mass: Chest (upper): Chest (lower): Waist: Hips: Neck: Right upper arm: Left upper arm: Right lower arm: Left lower arm: Right thigh: Left thigh: Right calf: Left calf:

So I've been here 10 days and I think I rushed my eating habits. I put on about 5 pounds. I'm bordering 190lbs again and I don't like it. I went from eating about 1500 calories a day, if that, to almost 2300 for the past week. 2300 is what fitnesspal gave me to work with and I don't think it's right for me. Not yet. I'm active and work out but I don't think I'm at the point to eat that much. Another factor may have been that I've been eating a LOT of carbs to reach that calorie range. I think my body was just shocked that it ate more than usual >.< So I'm respawning....after a week. I'll go back down to my 1500 calories or so and work my way up to more calories as my exercises intensifies. I'll be greatly reducing carbs as well and focusing on eating more fruits and veggies. I'm pretty upset with myself because it's not how i want to start off! Start off with a bang not a slump blah

Welcome! After a long rest following my journey of stumbling blindly through the Hanging Edge, and restoring my HP during the last challenge, it's time for me to negotiate the Pulse Vestige. I know what's waiting at the end - A GREAT BIG BOSS BATTLE, Fal'cie Anima. So I'd better be ready. That's what this challenge is about - taking on one enemy at a time, refining my paradigms, and stocking up on supplies. Would you just look at the size of the place. That's a whole lot of cie'th to take down. Since I'm not long out of the tutorial level, I'll need to remember to keep healing paradigms to hand, and keep my HP in the green zone. Can't afford to be taking too many risks yet, not until I've built my skills up. I've strategised that for my battle with Anima, I'm going to need a vial of Fortisol. That's my reward for acing this challenge. I need grades of B or above in all challenges to achieve this. If I want to level up, I need that reward! I can fight without it, but there's a good chance I'll get KO'd... probably multiple times. So, here goes - one cie'th at a time. 1. SCORE 1450 HIT POINTS PER CIE'TH Every day is a cie'th battle, and there's 42 cie'th between where I am, and the giant door at the heart of the Vestige, where Anima is waiting to try and kill me. Every cie'th has 1450HP (for the purposes of this challenge, they do). Every calorie I eat in battle knocks 1HP from one of these shambling monsters. In other words, giving a little creative licence, I need to knock back around 1450 calories per day to defeat these 42 cie'th. There are a few I can sneak past, but they're few and far between. I'm doing this on a points scoring system, averaging over the week (updated 8 April 2015 from daily to weekly hit points): < 1500 / day = 70 points1500 - 1600 / day = 42 points1600 - 1700 / day = 28 points1700 - 1800 / day = 14 points1800 - 1900 / day = 7 points1900+ or no tracking = 0 pointsTDEE ~ 1950 (this has served me well so far, over the past month). No negative marking, no eating back exercise. Total points available = 420 Grading: 301 - 420 points = A201 - 300 points = B101 - 200 points = C51 - 100 points = D1 - 50 points = E0 points = F CIE'TH DESTROYED: 100%0000FF; background-image: -webkit-gradient(linear, 0 0, 100% 100%, color-stop(.25, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2)), color-stop(.25, transparent), color-stop(.5, transparent), color-stop(.5, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2)), color-stop(.75, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2)), color-stop(.75, transparent), to(transparent) ); background-image: -webkit-linear-gradient( -45deg, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2) 25%, transparent 25%, transparent 50%, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2) 50%, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2) 75%, transparent 75%, transparent ); background-image: -moz-linear-gradient( -45deg, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2) 25%, transparent 25%, transparent 50%, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2) 50%, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2) 75%, transparent 75%, transparent ); background-image: -ms-linear-gradient( -45deg, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2) 25%, transparent 25%, transparent 50%, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2) 50%, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2) 75%, transparent 75%, transparent ); background-image: -o-linear-gradient( -45deg, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2) 25%, transparent 25%, transparent 50%, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2) 50%, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2) 75%, transparent 75%, transparent ); -webkit-background-size: 23px 23px; -moz-background-size: 23px 23px; background-size: 23px 23px; border-radius: 4px;">100% 2. COOK ALL THE FOODS How do you turn a Blazefire Saber into an Ultima Weapon? By using gil and items found in the environment, of course! So, following on the back of my monumental success with the cooking of the things during the last challenge, I am going to apply my experience of using gil and items found in the environment to make new weapons. And by weapons, I mean meals. During this challenge, meals are my primary weapon, and I intend to make sure they're crafted well. Every week, I will be learning 3 new recipes (averaged over whole challenge) - it doesn't matter what they are, just that I am COOKING THE FOODS instead of buying a ready-to-fight weapon out of a box. Nothing beats being able to do your own craftsmanship. Over the 6 weeks, that's 18 new recipes. Here's the scoring: 16 - 18 recipes = A13 - 15 recipes = B10-12 recipes = C7 - 9 recipes = D4 - 6 recipes = E0 - 3 recipes = F Spicy grilled lamb skewers! [COMPLETED]Spice-crusted chicken with Asian slaw! [COMPLETED] Chicken skewers with satay dip! [COMPLETED] Mustard-stuffed chicken! [COMPLETED] Balsamic green bean salad! [COMPLETED] Easy paleo chicken pepper stir fry! [COMPLETED] Teriyaki glazed chicken kebabs! [COMPLETED] Paleo maple salmon fillets! [COMPLETED] Avocado stuffed burgers! [COMPLETED] Thai spiced turkey burgers! Asian salmon with honey glaze! Coconut ginger shrimp! [COMPLETED] Coconut chicken strips! [COMPLETED] Ginger chicken! [COMPLETED] Crisp honey mustard parsnips! [COMPLETED 19/4/15 - DAY 7] BBQ pulled pork! Easy Thai prawn curry! [COMPLETED] Clementine & vodka-baked salmon with beetroot creme fraiche sauce! WEAPONS CRAFTED: 77.8%FF3300; background-image: -webkit-gradient(linear, 0 0, 100% 100%, color-stop(.25, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2)), color-stop(.25, transparent), color-stop(.5, transparent), color-stop(.5, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2)), color-stop(.75, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2)), color-stop(.75, transparent), to(transparent) ); background-image: -webkit-linear-gradient( -45deg, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2) 25%, transparent 25%, transparent 50%, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2) 50%, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2) 75%, transparent 75%, transparent ); background-image: -moz-linear-gradient( -45deg, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2) 25%, transparent 25%, transparent 50%, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2) 50%, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2) 75%, transparent 75%, transparent ); background-image: -ms-linear-gradient( -45deg, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2) 25%, transparent 25%, transparent 50%, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2) 50%, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2) 75%, transparent 75%, transparent ); background-image: -o-linear-gradient( -45deg, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2) 25%, transparent 25%, transparent 50%, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2) 50%, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2) 75%, transparent 75%, transparent ); -webkit-background-size: 23px 23px; -moz-background-size: 23px 23px; background-size: 23px 23px; border-radius: 4px;">77.8% 3. READ THE DATALOG - BOSS BATTLE PREP! If there's anything I've learned about life on Cocoon, it's that it's full of history and myth. I refuse to blindly stagger about the place knowing nothing about what's going on inside my enemy's head, because I have THE BIG BOSS BATTLE approaching on the 2nd June - my end of year maths exam. This is my degree-related Fal'cie Anima. I'm more than on track for a distinction on the coursework, but I need over 85% in the exam to get an overall distinction. This would open up so many more areas of the map, and additional add ons for me to explore later, like further study and paid placements... and being able to use maths in my battle against not knowing enough about computer science (duh). So, I need to be reading the datalog! This means very, very regular maths study. I want a minimum of 2hrs/day, and this is averaged over the entire challenge. This does NOT include any time I spend working on my remaining assignments - it's exam prep only. Grading:71+ hours = A57 - 70 hours = B43 - 56 hours = C29 - 42 hours = D15 - 28 hours = E0 - 14 hours = FDATALOGS STUDIED: 6%6% POINTS! MEASUREMENTS! ALL THAT STUFF! New and improved points and measurements photo gallery, with pictures of food! Edit! Again! Added progress photos (15 April 2015) Excuse the terrible quality photos. Best camera phone on the market and I still can't take decent selfies in a mirror. Eh well. It's something to measure myself by all the same! 1. SCORE 1450 HIT POINTS PER CIE'TH A = +5 CONB = +4 CONC = +3 COND = +2 CONE = +1 CONF = +0 CON2. COOK ALL THE FOODS A = +5 CHAB = +4 CHAC = +3 CHAD = +2 CHAE = +1 CHAF = +0 CHA3. READ THE DATALOG - BOSS BATTLE PREP! A = +5 WISB = +4 WISC = +3 WISD = +2 WISE = +1 WISF = +0 WISMeasurements to be updated at the start of the challenge: Starting measurements etc from 13 April 2015 Weight: 189.0Scale Bf%: 45.2DoD Bf%: 38.3Scale H2O%: 39.7Lean mass: 102Chest (upper): 40Chest (lower): 34Waist: 35.5Hips: 41.5Neck: 14.5Right upper arm: 13.5Left upper arm: 13Right lower arm: 10.5Left lower arm: 10.5Right thigh: 28.5Left thigh: 28.5Right calf: 17.5Left calf: 18OFF I GO TO GET FORTISOL!

Challenge 17 There can be only one....goal. There's something I've been avoiding for a long time. Justifying to myself this way or that way, enough is enough, I need to give Paleo a proper go. Not a bit of a go with a lot of other stuff thrown in and sort of do it, a proper full Paleo go. Controlling food intake has been a long standing battle and I keep dancing around it so this challenge: Goal 1 Full Paleo for 6 weeks. Rules of engagement: - Full Paleo to me means no processed food, no processed sugar, no grains. That pretty much covers it. - Exceptions: I have no issues with Dairy, I'll allow milk in limited quantities for tea and limited amounts of cheese. - Prep in advance, Prep in advance and Prep in advance. - Stick to my meal plan as much as possible. I like this summary for my Paleo approach, I'll be adding sweet potato. Tools to support my success: - Meal plan - Prep ahead of time, every Sunday prep 5 days of food. - No Alcohol, that's when I eat crap. There is 1 exception when my oldest friend comes to visit me for 1 weekend. I only get to see him once or twice a year so I will allow an alcohol exception if he comes but still Paleo food. - Consider a pre & post DEXA, need to look into cost. - Support from my NF friends...please I need lots of accountability for this one, I really want to finally succeed in trying full Paleo, I usually crack around the 3 day mark so 42 days is going to be a massive PR. Bonus antique film trailer for the fogeys among us: Time for a transformation. Oh yeah, big goal means big reward. Reward: Achieve 36 days or more of full Paleo: Book a holiday to dive the Yongala I've wanted this for soooo long, it's appeared in a number of my challenges as a reward for big goals, usually related to weight/BF% that have thus far eluded me. I'm already planning to my Advanced diving cert locally in 6 weeks time so I will have the ticket to go down to 30 metres hopefully by the end of this challenge. I will also have the funds to be able to book this by the end of this challenge, just got to come through and deliver the goal....

And Im back folks! Ah the forums......good times, good times. SO, what brings me here today you ask. What problem do I need my fellow nerds to help me tackle? Well, the problem is mainly this- I is fat. Like, putting weight back on fat. But, at the same time, I am doing strength training 3x week (full body exercises-squats, deadlifts, bench and OHP). Im 5'7'', and as of yesterday (Fri 5/8/2015) I weighed 350 lbs. Now I will admit my eating the last couple of months has not been the strictest. Ive definitely allowed a few too many sugary desserts, HFCS laden items, and refined carbohydrates creep back into my diet. But at the same time, my workouts have been progressing nicely- well, as nicely as I would expect, all things considered. So where is the question in all of this? Well, my question is, basically, how can you tell if the weight youve put on is fat or muscle? And before you suggest tape measuring/ calipers, I own a body tape measure, and my measurements have stayed consistent the past........5 months (despite diet slips, some lack of exercise, and a general focus more on strength building vs weight/fat loss). I want to assume Ive just put on muscle, but I went from 330 in November to the 350 I mentioned earlier. And I will also mention I know the scale lies, and that hydration/water retention will definitely affect your weight at any given time, but it still seems rather unlikely that I put on 20lbs and didnt gain any fat. Eh, Ill wait for the responses before I start freaking out. Thanks in advance folks!!! P.S. I figured this was more weight loss-y than Weight/Powerlifting, but if it should go in that forum I apologize in advance

Here is the dropbox link to the excel file: https://www.dropbox.com/s/rrwdfj7b2e2v02d/EggsareSides%20%28for%20bacon%29%20-%20Blank.xlsx?dl=0 Hey all, So... I don't know about you, but I am always confused by how much I should eat... I know there are schools of thought that say if you eat the right types of foods, just eating till you are full will probably be fine. I like more concrete numbers than that. http://www.muscleforlife.com/healthy-meal-planning-tips/ Using this article as a guide I came up with an excel sheet so that a person can quickly and easily figure out your BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate), Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE), Daily Caloric Requirement/Grams of macronutrients based on whether you are bulking, cutting, or maintaining. To use this, you need to know your weight, body fat %, and how many hours a week you spend working out. It uses the Katch-Mcardle BMR calculator. It provides recommendations for %'s of your macros, but you can completely disregard them and put whatever you want in there if you have your own system for calorie distribution. A breakdown of the features: 1) I wanted it to be useful to as many people as possible, so it allows adjustment for %'s of each macro. 2) I also included a protein calculator for those who want to get in 1.3, 1.8, 2.2 (whatever) grams per pound of protein. You input how many grams/lb. you want, and it spits out what % of your total intake that is (then the math is simple to input whatever % of dietary fat and carbs you want to get to 100% of daily calories). 3) The recommended protein and carb %'s are not static for bulking and maintenance. They take into account recommendations of 1G protein/lb., 20% from dietary fat, and then automatically calculates and plugs in the appropriate percentage/grams of carbs. Again, this only affects the recommendation. 4) I protected the worksheet so that those unfamiliar with excel do not accidentally destroy all of the formulas. The worksheet is totally functional while protected. There was no password set, so removing the protection is as easy as going to the review tab and clicking on "unprotect worksheet". I did this so if someone was curious as to how I did the formulas (and if they wanted to edit them a bit themselves) it would be simple to do. 5) I fell off the wagon.. I am back on the wagon now... I did a little more tweaking to the sheet (30 Aug 2015). Some tips I have come across: Avoiding carbs before bedtime may increase secretion of growth hormone while sleeping.Taking a slow digesting protein such as egg or casein just prior to going to bed can increase muscle repair while sleeping.If you train fasted, taking 10G BCAA 10 minutes prior can help prevent muscles from being used as fuel. NOTE: This can also hurt performance, which would effect your ability to make improvements.If you aren’t going to train fasted, try eating 30 grams of high GI (glycemic index) carbs and 30 grams of fast digesting (like whey) protein 30 minutes before training. After training try getting 80G high GI carbs and 30-40 grams of fast digesting protein.Intermittent Fasting (basically skip a meal and cram all of your daily calories into a short feeding window) may help accelerate fat loss.You will see in the calculator that there is a 20% fat intake recommendation for when cutting. I’ve read lots of stuff that says going a bit higher with fat (at least 30%) can help keep your metabolism up. Personally, I like a bit of a higher fat content, because it makes my life easier when counting calories. I also am not a big eater, and you can eat more fat calories with less poundage of food. Keeping the metabolism up won’t be as big of a deal when bulking or maintaining since you will be giving your body all of the calories it wants.People always talk about bodyfat percentage. First off, it's important to remember that this is an *ESTIMATED* body fat percentage. Also, I would rather work with raw numbers. Your amount of body fat can not change one ounch, but your body fat % will change due to hydration levels, how much food/waste is in your GI system, muscle mass changes, etc etc etc . I like to take the bodyfat% and convert it to pounds of body fat (again, remember, estimated). I have this built into the excel sheet. The way to do this without the sheet is simple. Take your weight, and multiply it by your body fat % (remember when multiplying percentages the percentage becomes a decimal. 10% would be .10). If you weigh 100 pounds and your body fat % is 10, that means you have 10 lbs of body fat. If I am trying to get rid of fat, I would rather look at lbs of fat versus percentage of fat to see if I am making progress. Again... I can't stress this enough.... Estimated body fat. It can be very difficult to get accurate fat readings, so assume that there will always be a high margin of error. Maybe you actually gained fat even though the numbers show a little loss, or perhaps you lost fat even though the numbers show a bit of a gain. Use averages and looks for trends over time. I hope you guys like it and find it useful!

Hi there, I'm Dessai! It's my first NF challenge, though I've been following the blog for ages now. I'm excited and a little nervous! I'm a blogger, freelance writer and social media nerd by profession, indie actor, gamer, and potterhead for life. I'm currently working on cleaning up my diet, eating more lean protein, fruits and veggies, and less grain. I'm also working on my fitness regimen. These days I've lacked motivation to work out so I'm hoping this challenge will help with that! I'm currently working out about 3 times per week, but I would like to do 5 times optimally. My goals for this challenge are to lose some weight, gain some strength, feel better, get a handle on regularly meal prepping and planning my Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner. Eating clean. Cutting down on sweets! I also would like to try some new fitness styles like TRX, aerial yoga, different dance styles, parkour, and trampoline parks! My side life goal is to finish this script I've been writing so I can finally go to film it I hope we can all do this together and level up like BAMFs!

Yay this is my first challenge! I have no idea what I am doing but here it goes… Please let me know if I am doing this right… especially with the points! Goal 1: Create healthy habits While my overall goal is fat loss, I cannot at this point reasonably expect that I will lose a certain amount by the end of six weeks especially since I have not even settled on a diet plan that fits me yet. That is why my first goal is to discover and create healthy habits to base future fat loss on. I may (this would be ideal) lose fat during this challenge but it cannot be my focus if I do not have a solid foundation to base it on first. I will make this process more tangible by settling some ground rules that I know I can follow. No sodas or sugary drinks (this level is already very low anyways) No alcohol (same) with two cheat days for special occasions No bread items 6 days a week (this will be a bit of a challenge for me but I have noticed an increase in energy when I limit just bread so I think this will be good) No added sugar (this includes desserts) with 4 cheat days and allowances for dark chocolate In addition, I will keep track of what I eat and limit portions to only what I need. I will essentially be following the No S’s diet with no snacks or extra portions. Also SLEEP WELL: I want to get at least 7 hours of sleep a night If I go off track, I will take .5 points away for every day this happens. This will be 2 constitution points per week for a max total of 12 Goal 2: Work out at least 3 times a week in some capacity for 30 minutes. I will take things slow because I need to let my legs rest from the shin splints so it will mostly be bodyweight at the beginning and then maybe some light walking in a few weeks. I may try some yoga. If anyone has any advice for exercises and or cardio that I can do while giving my legs a rest that would be awesome! This will be 2 strength points per week of exercise for a max total of 12 Goal 3: Continue to educate myself on different types of diets and being healthy. I will be more successful when I know exactly what is happening to my body when I do different things. I will do research on exercise and make sure I am following the correct form for sure so I do not become injured. In addition, I will learn about nutrition and get better at measuring out correct portions for myself. I will learn at least one new thing each week for 2 points per knowledge gained. First, third and fifth week will be about diet, and the even weeks will be about exercise. For every extra piece of knowledge I pick up I will get 1 point. Minimum 12 knowledge points I will report once a week with a point update, information I learn and a grade for myself on the week. Height: 5’1†Female Starting weight: 159lbs Starting waist size 40†Body Fat %: 30-35%?? OVERALL GOAL: be happy, healthy, and informed

I'm back and ready for my second Challenge! Albeit a few days late. My second challenge is going to be core strength and fat loss. I have had a lot of success with my fitness journey (god I hate that phrase) and my legs especially are in much better shape, but I'm still carrying a good 30 extra pounds and it sometimes feels like it's strapped directly to my stomach, like a misplaced backpack or one of those fake pregnancy costumes. It's affecting my performance, my energy level, my health - everything. It's GOT. TO. GO. So all of my mini-goals this challenge are focused on that one goal, to be rid of the tummy turtle. My mini-goals are: Add some "core" moves to my 3x weekly yoga session (boat/bow pose, warrior 3, cat/cow), and some (lightly) weighted twists as well. I had really great success incorporating yoga into my routine last challenge, so this just shuffles the poses a bit and adds one or two poses a day. Add planks and ball pikes to my weight routine. I currently do one crossfit style workout and one heavy leg workout per week (depending on my schedule) and I want to add one more crossfit workout that I can do at home so I'm doing weights three times a week. NOTE: I know this sounds like I'm trying to spot-reduce, but I'm really just trying to strengthen my core/ab/back muscles in the hopes that I can at least carry this weight better (less tiring) and if the muscle improvement eats up some calories that's a bonus. My back tends to hurt a lot, partially from sitting at the desk and partially the "pull" of my tummy turtle. Biking: I'm a cyclist and I want to do a century this spring or summer at latest. Weather is improving so I want to get my mileage up into the 75-100 miles a week range (before the weather crapped out I was doing 60 mpweek, but the last two months have been rough). The third NF challenge of the year will fall right as I'm training for the century so that challenge will be all about the bike; this is just laying the groundwork and getting me my cardio. I did two half-centuries last year (50 miles) so this is doable. If I can't get outdoor bike work in I need to go do spin bike at the gym (which I hate. Like being a hamster in a cage). Eating: this is the thing. I can work out all day and if I'm eating doughnuts all night it doesn't do any good. So: recommitting to low-carb paleo (I've done this before successfully) with a goal of 100g carbs daily EXCEPT on days when I ride with my training partner, who beats my a$$ into the ground on the regular; those days can be my carbo-load days. I ride with him 2x a week. Also going to skip dinner as often as possible; I tried doing the IF thing and skipping breakfast, and that made me eat like a raging beast the rest of the day, but skipping dinner doesn't seem to do that, and it's an easy way to cut my calories. If I feel like it's making me eat more at my other meals I'll stop doing it. So breakfast, lunch and then a small low-carb snack around 3-4 pm. Question for the collective, while we're at it: My training partner is a fan of the five-small-meals-a-day method, which works well for him, but it drives me crazy. I feel like I waste half my day eating (and I say that as someone who loves to eat). It didn't seem to make any difference in my weight but I didn't give it a full run, either. Has anyone done the 5/day method and had success? Okay, that's it for now... onward and upward