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Time to Take on Two-Face!!! For those of you just tuning in I'm AverageJoe and I'm on a grand journey to go from Fatman to Batman. Last challenge I battled my way out of the pit (barely ). I ended the last challenge at 204lbs and 21% body fat, the lowest I've been in a LOOOONNNNGGG time! But that sub 200lbs/20% mark is still being elusive. I also used the FBI Fitness test to evaluate my progress, which gives you a grade based on performance in various exercises. I want to take a similar approach and take on some of Gotham's greatest Villains. First up TWO FACE!! TWO-FACE - GOAL #1 Break the 2 barrier! Get below (and stay below) 200lbs and 20% body fat!! I'm sooo close I can taste it. I'm sure I've gained back a little since the end of the last challenge (battling a cold = no exercise and poor food choices) but I CAN and WILL reach this goal. This is a straight Pass/Fail scenario: Pass = Cha +3 Wis + 2 TWO-FACE - GOAL #2: Gain 2 points each for my pushups, pull ups and situps (per FBI test) This means... 45 situps in 1 minute (currently 41, so should be doable) 44 consecutive pushups (currently at 35) 14 consecutive Pull ups (currently at 11) All three exercises achieved = Str +3, Dex +2 TWO-FACE - GOAL #3: Spend 2 date nights/week. One with my wife and one with my daughter. The end of last challenge I really pushed myself and didn't spend as much family time as I would have liked. 6 weeks = Wis +3, Con +2 First step for this challenge will be to get healthy and beat this cold. Then the training begins!!!

Guys! Guys. Guys and ladies. I barely ever visit this part of the forum because I forgot it exists. But now I remember, and I have to brag. Today I finished my first (intentional) weight loss program. Effing eff yeah. I went from 21% to 12% bodyfat in around 9 weeks. Progress photos below, stripey undies brought to you by my sense of humor. Relaxed Flexed Can I get a highfive??!!

Today marks my first full week of IF (16/8) and I'm down from 180lbs to 175.5 so far. I'm 5'9" and 40 years old, my calorie intake has been around 1700-1800 per day with 150-165g protien daily. I'm "skinny-fat", I can grab about a 3" fist full of fat from around my belly button but I can feel it getting firmer by the day. I bought some calipers this weekend and after taking several measurements I've concluded that I'm in the 30% range for both chest and stomach. Flubbery... My only workouts have been fasted intervals on a treadmill 3x week, 50 pushups every other day, and 25lb kettlebell squats. Starting this week I'm doing the basic bodyweight circuit. My goal is to get down to 165lbs and develop my back, chest and legs. My diet has been mostly home made soups (beans, veggies, turkey kielbasa, Beef and Barley.) eggs, chicken, fish, broccoli, green beans, lamb chops, whey protien shakes, and sometimes 1-2 glasses of dry red wine just before 6pm. Am I eating enough? What's a good protien target? Thanks for any help. Eric

Welcome back to everyone to the first challenge of the New Year I hope you all had suitably splendid holidays! My idea for this year is that I'll make it the Year of the Dragon! I know the zodiac has already passed it, but dragons are awesome! This specific challenge dragon-theme.... The dragons from Dark Souls! Vengefulpear's Year of the Dragon: Dark Souls Edition So last challenge started off with a bang! But I pushed too hard, rushed it and ended up fluffing most of the challenge. This time, I'm taking it a bit more slowly, and building those blocks up to make an awesome edifice of health and fitness! Seeing as this challenge is Dark Souls themed! I'm going to pick a dragon for each of the goals, so hopefully by the end of the challenge I'll have four dead dragons at my feet! Goal 1: Fat Loss (The Red Drake) 26 / 42 HP To avoid the deadly flames of the Red Drake you must be light and quick on your feet! Lose 6lbs by the end of the challenge +2 CON +2 DEX Adding In a starting weight, it's pointless if I don't have a starting weight Starting Weight; 159lbs To do this I'm going to eat 1800-1900 calories a day and keep myself as paleo as possible. As per usual there will be a googledoc to keep me on track! If anyone else wants to join in and make it a PVP then please feel free https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AmtRMwoMwJORdG9zYkU1TVAtSkduTXhMUHZkaFdZYXc&usp=sharing Goal 2: Strength Training (The Gaping Dragon) 16 / 21 HP To beat this humungous beast you must be strong! Do Strength Training 3-4 times per Week +4 STR I'm going with 3-4 and I won't say what will be in the training so that I can be flexible with what I'm doing. At the moment I want to work on my shoulder area a bit, and see how my pull ups/push ups are doing after the break. Basically everything But I'll slowly take on more as the challenge progresses, doing sets of 4 x 8 of the exercises and then move up to a more difficult exercise when I can do that. What exercises and the progressions shall be posted later This has been changed now because I have torn a muscle in my shoulder, so I'm just doing specific exercises but will try and maintain my 3 sessions a week minimum I'm progressing carefully to avoid being squashed! Goal 3: Running (Seath the Scaleless) 16 / 21 HP Swift feet will help to ensure you're not impaled by the vicious crystals of Seath Run at least 3 times per week+1 CON +2 DEX Last challenge I had the goal to break 25 minutes for this challenge and I'd still like to do that so I'm not specifying how I will be running in the week. To break the 25 minute mark I intend to run 5km runs a couple of times a week, and then also start sprinting regularly. I want to try and be doing regular sprinting sessions every week in a few months. One of my goals for the year is to do a 5km run barefoot (unfortunately it will be on the treadmill for the moment!) so I might do some at the weekend on the treadmill. Goal 3: Sleep (Black Dragon Kalameet) 23 / 29 HP To defeat Kalameet, you must be well rested and sharp of mind. Go to bed at 11.30pm at the latest on weekdays +2 WIS +2 CHA This is something I'm terrible at, I'm always staying up too late and having to get up early for work and then trying to catch up on the weekends. I spend too much time perusing the internet before going to bed (don't we all?) So I'm starting what should be relatively easy and saying I will go to bed by half past 11pm. This isn't enough for a proper 7 hour sleep (I get up at 6am for work) but it's a start and I don't want to get caught in a dragon tractor beam! So that's my first Dragon challenge! I hope you all like it and I look forward to helping support all of you and do whatever I can to help you guys fulfil your goals! Good luck and let's do this!

Hello all. This will be my first challenge but I have been posting a daily battle log here for a little while now. A little about me: Short Version: Over the past year I've lost almost 100lbs. Feel free to skip to my goals. Long Version. I'm a 26 year old supervisor in a call center. My nerdy interests lie in tabletop gaming, xbox, comics, and Star Wars. On Oct 5th 2012 I weighed in at 500.5lbs during a doctor appointment. Over the course of the fall I cut back on soda and fast food and dropped down to 483lbs. It was at this weight that I found NF, bought the fitness guide, and started doing the first workout in my living room with a 20lb box of kitty litter as a dumbbell. I didn't stick with the fitness part long but the guide really opened my eyes diet-wise. It was the first time I felt like I had a basic understanding about how to lose. I switched things up often in both my exercise and diet over the course of the year. Diet-wise I rotated between very low cal, very low carb, and paleo. It would seem like I would see good results for about a month or so and then would plateau so I'd switch it up. A couple weeks ago, a fellow NFer helped me figure out my macros. It was a big change at first as I was eating so much more food but I've still lost. It's been awesome. This past Friday I weighed in at 404.8 On the exercise front I started with the NF fitness guide for a while but fell off the wagon when my wife and I moved in March. After moving, I started running. In fact, I ran my first 5k the week after July 4th. I tried to see about doing further endurance runs but whenever I get up over the 3 mi mark, I experience ankle pain (Even after spending beaucoup bucks on fancy running shoes) I got a gym membership in May and started doing Starting Strength. I fell off the wagon hard around my birthday (Late Aug) on both diet and exercise. I started back up late septemberish. A few weeks ago I switched over to following my macros and I recently discovered Jim Wendler's 5/3/1 so I switched to that yesterday. So that's where I'm at right now, 404.8lbs, starting a new lifting program, and a few weeks into following my macros. Now for the good stuff. Goals: Main Goal: Gain strength while losing body fat. Fitness goals: Lift 4x per week. MTThF Go for a long walk once per week. I was doing this for awhile but have failed to do so for a few weeks. Will usually be doing so on Weds which is my day off during the week. Hit my macros within +/-10g every day. This usually isn't a problem unless the wife and I decide to go out to dinner or someone is hosting us.Life Goal: No tardys at work. This is my only struggle professionally and I've struggled with it for a long time. Needs to change.So there you have it. Wish me luck! If I get my nerve up enough I'll try to post some pictures and such. Grading scales: Lift 4x per week (STR): 4x - A 3x - B 2x - C 1x - D 0x - F Walk (STA): 5 miles - A 4 miles - B 3 miles - C 2 miles - D 1/0 miles - F Hit within +10/-10 of my macros (CON): At least 6 days in a week - A 5 days - B 4 days - C 3 days - D 2 days or less - F Days without a tardy in a week (WIS): 5 days - A 4 days - B 3 days - C 2 days - D 1 day - F I will only be awarding myself a stat point if I get an A or B on that goal. C or below is a failure in my eyes.

Hello! I'm not a gamer (lack good hand eye coordination) but I nerd out on Law & Order! A few things about me: I'm 28 years old I'm a mom, 8 months postpartum with 1st child, still nursing Used to be a dancer (ballet), but currently lack an exercise plan Struggle with poor self image Main Quest: Be STRONG, and look it, at 18-20% body fat Motivation: I want to teach my son to climb trees and run through fields. I want to avoid injuries. I want to look good and have pride in my body, and test its potential. How I'm going to get there: Angry Birds Workout - assess workout success + fit in 1 month Be conscious of diet, eat only until satisfied* Follow alternating monthly lifestyle guidelines: No eating after 8pm No more than 3 alcoholic drinks per week Check in here weekly, update monthly *Calorie counting is a slippery slope for me, so for now I will attempt to judge my consumption based on hunger. I will evaluate the success of this plan in 1 month and make changes accordingly. Current Status: Adventurer Body Fat % = 23-25% (Best guess based on picture and US Navy measurements) Thanks for having me!

Hello Everybody!!! I'm excited to be starting my second challenge here in the magical forums of NF. I loved the first challenge and got a real taste for what can be achieved if I just stick with a healthy and active life style. MAIN QUEST I plan to loose 5% of my overall body fat, thus fitting into my "motivational pants" of which I have two pairs. I plan to achieve this quest by building lean muscle and eating a healthy mainly Paleo diet. SUPPORTING QUESTS Strength training: 2 days on 1 day off (+5 strength to earn)Sprint at least 2 times per week (100 meters) (+2 stamina to earn)Meditate for around 20 minutes each night before bed (+2 wisdom to earn)Yoga everyday (morning or night) for at least 10 minutes (+2 dexterity +2 charisma to earn)6 alcohol free days a week (bonus earned for 7 AFDs in a row) (+2 constitution to earn)> For my point system, I'll be giving myself a grade at the end of each week for each goal (a, b, c, etc) and the number of points earned per goal at the end of the challenge will be based on the average grade. LIFE QUEST My life quest is to finally perfect my new website, it's a digital wedding artwork site with templates and fun things, specifically I want to hit 200 templates added by the end of the 6 weeks (currently at 35 templates) and earn at least $100 from the site's sales. MOTIVATION I'm getting married in August (yay!) and want to solidify healthy habits (particularly around exercise) so I don't slack off during busy times leading up to the wedding, the honey moon, or our move to the US in the months following. Looking forward to getting to know fellow adventurers! Any advice regarding "plans" around sprinting (is it better to do more shorter faster sprints or do a few longer sprints as fast as you can? does it matter?) as I have been a long distance runner in the past, but never a sprinter. Good luck everyone, I hope week 1 is going well!!!

Hello everyone, After my adventure out West and the return of my internet 🎉 I'm back for more. Going to keep things simple this time and use the lessons I've learned from my first challenge. Main Quest: Weight loss, I'd like to wear a size 34 pair of pants and live a healthier lifestyle. Side Quests: 1. Staying active has been a real problem since graduating university, and it's gotten even harder with a full-time job. This challenge is daily yoga sessions (morning or evening) five days a week with bonus points for two sessions a day (2 points per session). Crossfiting at least twice a week (5 points). Bonus points for a third or forth visit. 2. Taking my daily vitamins to help with building a day-to-day routine. (1 point) 3. Following through with this challenge, and doing a better job with posting weekly thread updates ( 10 points) Life Quest: My life quests this time around will be to finish the Toastmasters public speaking program, continue volunteering a minimum of three hours a week at the Ronald McDonald House, and read at least one novel. Motivation: I noticed my reflection in the freezer aisle at the grocery store. A wake up call to say the least. Measurements Age: 26
 Sex: Male
 Height: 5'9 
Weight: 213 lbs Waist: 39 in. I'm interested in finding an accountability if anyone knows more about how that works. Good luck & keep the motivation going!

Herro! So basically I've lost 40 pounds right? I've kept it off for a year and recently over four months ago started weight lifting. I've hit a plateau on my weight loss, and I know the scale isn't supposed to be a guide but I'm definitely not where I want to be physically. YES I'm talking aesthetics, jesus. My starting weight was 193, I'm currently hovering around 150-153. I've never hit the 140s, and I'm becoming EXTREMELY frustrated. I keep buggering off and eating like, 4000cals in one day over the weekend. I started getting into the habit of counting everything on MFP so wicked fun awesome good times. I've been steady at 150 baby! First time ever. I'll be keeping track of my workouts on here because I'm actually terrible at documenting my weight lifting sessions. Also I'll post my food too just for kicks but here's the link for my MFP account, add me as a friend Goodluck to everyone on this cold frosty day (I'm in Canada, eh.) I'll post later with my totals once I'm done at the gym. x

The Fight Against Thunder BOSS FIGHT Vengefulpear VS Thor! Welcome back to everyone for another (what I'm sure will be!) great challenge! So as it's the last challenge of the year (well the last whole challenge of the year) I thought that it would be a good idea to wrap up this little storyline thing I've got going to see out the year and start something new and fresh next year. Despite the fact I would have liked to keep the challenge going and see where the story went based on how well I did I might save that for next year, we shall see! I quite like the whole connecting stories and making my way somewhere so maybe some Malazan themed challenges next year! Anyway! I hear you asking: How does a boss fight work!? Well I'll tell you! Basically I've decided to have specific target goals to reach rather than ones like 'go to the gym 2 times a week' so this time it will be more like 'do 15 pull ups in one go' and each goal will contribute 1/4 of the health of the boss (In this case Thor!) That's my thinking! I'd best get on to the actual goals! Fat Loss: Lose 3% bodyfat +2 DEX +2 CON I feel like 3% was a good number before and I also feel like I've added a tad of weight back on whilst I was at the World Fantasy Convention (damn you hotel pizza and free beer!) So for this I will be eating at about a 1800 calorie deficit about 1800 - 1900 calories per day (as that seemed to get positive results last time I did that) and focusing on eating a minimal amount of carbs (aiming for <50g per day) and I will also be eating as much paleo as I can muster! I hope that TiberiusNightrise will join me once again in a calorie PVP and if anyone else wants to join in it would be awesome to have you along (basically we compare calorie control and the person closest their target wins bragging rights ) Starting Stats: 159lbs / 17% BF Strength: Do 15 Pull Ups / Do 100 Push Ups +4 STR I'm not 100% sure if they all have to be in the same set but we shall see, I'm going to investigate properly the http://twentypullups.com/ programme and also the 7 weeks to 100 push ups programme, later on to make sure I'll be fine with those numbers. The reason that I want to do this is because although last time I did do a fair amount of strength training, I don't feel like I was making progress where I wanted. I never felt like I was pumping out any more pull ups really, it always varied quite a lot. So with a programme like this to follow and a number to aim for it should be all good! And obviously I can do those at home so no excuses! Speed: Run 5km in under 20 25 minutes +1 DEX +2 STA This one I may also change up the times slightly when I have more context (read: I've been for a run again) but I'm fairly sure I did 5km in about 27 minutes before.... maybe 20 minutes is too much to ask... Okay, we'll go for 25 minutes for the moment. Hopefully I can just smash that early on and make my way to 20 minutes! But I also don't want to jump too far and get eaten by sharks! Writing: Post 12 blog posts +2 WIS +2 CHA For this one I'm counting both of my blogs my writing post: http://thetemperedpen.blogspot.co.uk/ and now my fitness one: http://dumbbells-and-dragons.blogspot.co.uk/ So 12 posts should lead to 1 post in each per week (although I might swing more towards fitness if I can't finish/review books quickly enough) and please give me feedback on both/either blogs if you like/don't like them and what you think I could do better That's it for now guys! I shall leave you with this picture of a battling Thor!

I'll fill this in later but here is the gist of it. 1) Main Quest: Fat loss. Trying to get the bodyfat percentage down to reasonable levels. I want this to be a long term goal so I'm limiting my rate of loss to approx 1lbs per week. I'm also continuing to manipulate my diet so that I can maintain my rate of fat loss until I become reasonably lean. I understand that to get ripped a specialized diet is required but I'm nowhere near there yet so I am going to use the minimum amount of restriction and depletion possible to still get results. Because I have been lifting for some time, scale weight loss is fairly useful for determining progress. i.e. if I am dropping more than 1lbs of scale weight per week, I need to eat more. As the long term depletion / fat loss sets in, I expect less and less gains to my LBM. So I'll be starting from around 250lbs and I expect that I'll be in the neighbourhood of 244lbs by the end of the challenge. Nutrition: Fruits, and nuts are somewhat restricted. Dairy is considerably restricted. All processed foods and refined sugars are entirely out. I eat healthy meats, eggs, fish, veggies, etc. 2) Side Quest: Flexibility and Squat / Deadlift from. This is long term so I'll keep at it just like in my last challenge. (I did 'light' weight rack pulls the entirety of the last challenge to target my lower back and reprogram the top of the deadlifts. I may start incorporating light weight deadlifts right off the floor now) My right shoulder also started acting up near the end of the last challenge. I may go back onto a more traditional bodybuilding programme. I've added size with TORQ but I think my body needs a break from this level of intensity. I'm on my second week of my partial layoff. **update** on my side quest plan here. I did 220lbs x 5 for rack pulls yesterday so I'm going to try and increase that 10lbs each back workout until the end of the challenge. So my starting weight will be 230lbs. I do realize this is well below my PR but I'm specifically interested in working on form and strengthening the lower back. I'll also be performing light weight deadlifts but the rack pulls will help me strengthen the back and continue perfecting the top portion of the lift. Obviously, the long term goal here is to deadlift 405lbs which is 20lbs away from my previous PR of 385. I just don't want injuries and I think I can lift more with proper form! 3) Life Goal. This one is easy but I need to keep taking action steps to start building my music career, even while in school. Bonus points. i. Make more progress on Thesis. ii. Do SOMETHING each day toward my research project.

And we're back with another challenge from our fine sponsors. During this challenge, looking at my workout records, I will level up a lot of the exercises I am currently doing. A few months ago, I set up a level hierarchy for the body weight exercises I've been doing. So far, for most of them, I'm still on level one, except for leg exercises, where I'm at level 2. But for most of my level 1 exercises, I'm very close to my "magic numbers" of reps and sets (12 reps per set). And that's just one part of my challenge. Here's what I hope to accomplish this go-round. Goal 1: Fitness: Level up many exercises +3 STR, +1 DEX, +2 STA Here I'll list my current exercises and the ones I'll graduate to. I plan on keeping this updated throughout the challenge so people will know where I'm at. If I'm able to level up 4 exercises, I will give myself full marks. If not, I will scale attribute points accordingly. There are some in this list that I know I won't advance in (both types of planks), but I'll list them here anyways as added motivation. Also, you'll notice that I still have assisted pull ups on the list, even though I got my pull up in last challenge. This is because I want to be consistent and graduate my way fully off of these, continuing to build strength. For this reason, I'll also continue to rock the negative pull ups. LEVEL UP PROGRESS: 50% Pushups (Level 1) --> Decline Pushups (Level 2)Diamond Pushups (Level 1) --> Pike/Jackknife Pushups (Level 2)Assisted Pull ups (Level 1) --> Chin ups/Pull ups (Level 2)Assisted Pistol Squats (Level 2) --> Pistol Squats (Level 3)Squat/Lunge Combo (Level 2) --> Bulgarian Split Squats (Level 3)Side Planks (Level 1) --> Knees to Elbows (Level 2)Planks (Level 1) --> One and one planks (Level 2) *My threshold for leveling up an exercise is 4 sets of 12 for rep exercises, and 120 seconds for timed exercises. *For assisted pull ups, I move on from a weight offset once I hit 12 at that weight, and add a lesser weight to the bottom.Goal 2: Body Fat % Down to 25% or less +1 CON, +2 WIS This has been an overarching goal of mine since the end of last year. I have had this goal in mind for every challenge I've participated in, but up until now, I've set myself mini-goals to make this one more achievable. Well, it's finally within reach. When I started tracking body fat the day after Christmas last year, I was just over 32%, so reaching this goal will be a huge victory. And, of course, if I can go further down during the challenge, I certainly will. Starting BF%: 26.06%Will reduce by at least 1.06% to get to 25% or less Goal 3: Lose 1" from around my waist +2 CHA Getting to 38" around the largest part of my belly has also been an overarching goal for awhile. And this one is also now within reach. Starting measurement: 39"Goal measurement: 38" Life Quest: Play guitar for at least 5 minutes, 5 times a week Research and purchase a car +2 DEX, +1 STA, +1 CHA Last challenge, I think I was a little overzealous trying to play for up to 2 hours a week, especially considering my workload. 5 minutes a day is a lot more easily doable and is much easier to scale up if i'm really enjoying what I'm doing. My car has been starting up very rough, sometimes taking a good few minutes to actually get it up and running. This has been exacerbated by the fact that the weather has become much colder (thanks, almost-winter!). It is also very old (21 years), so it's probably time. My goal is to get a car that is model year 2005 or newer, that gets good gas mileage, is very reliable and not expensive to fix/run, and is going to last me for a good long time (read: I will drive it into the ground). COMPLETED 9th December! So there you have it. Check back tomorrow for my initial weigh-in numbers.

"Meanwhile in Michigan" Someone who deep down knows how truly great people have the potential to be is yet to find himself. Yet to find the inner potential screaming inside of him. When suddenly he hears it. "Get your ass up!!! You are ruining everything!!!" He jumps as there is no one else in the room. Frantic he looks in the mirror and realizes he is not the person looking back. For the first time since he was a child he can see the real hero inside begging to be set free. "Just give me a real chance at life and I will amaze you. We will go places and do things that you thought were supposed to be for t.v. and late night pipe dreams. WE HAVE POTENTIAL" A half smile... Damn good place to start. The road ahead will be scary uncomfortable and hard. This soon to be hero has no idea how much things will change. No idea how much he will change. Yet a new feeling rising from within. Is this happiness? He can't explain it. Only describe how it makes his hair stand up and his eyes water while his body tenses pleading for action. Soon... Soon the outside will meet the inside and they will become the same. This new person new action and new life will break free and amaze the world. "The First Challenge" "Well we might as well get familiar as I will be haunting you until you become who you are supposed to be.Tell me about the body that holds me. I don't want to hear about jobs girls and other bullshit. Tell me about the real things that matter when you are alone in a room with a mirror and nothing but yourself and your own opinions. Give me the back of the trading card stats. You know what I mean." "I am 27 years old. Currently I weigh 260 lbs and am 6'4". *sigh* Measurements are as follows Neck -- 16.5 Chest -- 43.5 Right Arm -- 13 Left Arm -- 13 Waist -- 47 Hips -- 44.5 Right Thigh -- 28.8 Left Thigh -- 28.5 I don't have any abilities or cool things about me. Just a bit of a slouch and lots of body." "If only you could see what I do! See what you really have is inner strength bursting from the seams. Let me take over. Only for a small amount of time everyday and in 6 weeks we will look back in the mirror and see if the trading card can rise through the ranks from uncommon to rare." There it was again. That smile... As if some spell was removed he was lighter. Able to breath and move freely. "So here it is. Our quest for greatness." MAIN QUEST "This one will take the longest but you know that. It is time to become a real hero. We can break that down into smaller pieces. It will be quite some time before you can achieve greatness so lets stick to a few smaller goals to chip away at superhero status" "Like what?" GOAL ONE "We start by changing all the shit you have been shoving into your body. Without a strong body how do expect to be super? I know that things taste good and are easier the other way but its time to put a stop this travesty. It has taken you further away from who you are... Who we are. NO MORE. Great foods make a great body. I will be watching so don't slack off!!! You know what to eat so do it. Here is how we will monitor progress" 6 weeks of eating healthy foods = A 5 weeks of eating healthy foods = B 4 weeks of eating healthy foods =C 3 weeks of eating healthy foods = D 2 weeks of eating healthy foods = E 1 week of eating healthy foods =F "WHAT!!! No french fries?" "I am not trying to kill you so every Sunday of a successful week you get one meal with whatever you desire on the plate Choose wisely." GOAL TWO "Next up we have to work on cardio! If zombies were real they would all plan to meet at your house and eat you for days. It's not like you would be able to out run them for more than 25 seconds" "Ugh... true." "You have the knowledge passed on by C25K. Remember this isn't going to happen over night. Everything we are changing will be worked on till you die. So here is how we will monitor your cardio for the next 6 weeks. 6 weeks of running 18 times = A 5 weeks of running 15 times = B 4 weeks of running 12 times =C 3 weeks of running 9 times = D 2 weeks of running 6 times = E 1 week of running 3 times =F His legs were shaking and lungs were breathing deep. Not out of fear but shear excitement of the thought of being used. GOAL THREE "You can't be super without strength. We need muscles... Not for show but for use. Again I can't stress enough that this will take a long time. 6 weeks from now you will finally notice that you indeed have muscles under that fat eager to be used. You won't be able to pick up a train but you will be able to convince yourself that this is something worth fighting for when you look in the mirror. We will have to ask a lot of people for advice when it comes to a good workout schedule but for now I will help you as much as I can. If only there were a community of awesome and heroic people able to listen to our conversation and give some input Here is how we will monitor your workouts." 6 weeks of working out 18 times = A 5 weeks of working out 15 times = B 4 weeks of working out 12 times =C 3 weeks of working out 9 times = D 2 weeks of working out 6 times = E 1 week of working out 3 times =F "This will be tough but I am starting to get pumped!!!" "YES! I feel a fire inside that has almost burnt out. It held on for as long as it could by itself. If you don't try it may still die but if you push and believe it will grow into a wild fire" LIFE GOAL "I am going to set a goal for myself as well. Every week I will set a portion of my wages back. After the 6 week challenge I will spend it selfishly on myself! Every hero has sweet clothes and I want that too!" "That's perfect but don't go easy on yourself. For each week you don't achieve your 3 goals you will take that wage you set back and give it to a charity of my choice." "That's going to be hard... You don't get to be super easy! I am confident that I will not fail so deal. " The change has been made. Our soon to be hero has started a journey that will forever change his world as well as many others. The hero needs your help to succeed! On top of achieving your goals which will inspire him to reach higher your advice and encouragement will give him the strength and know how to become something great! Keep watching for updates as well as before pictures soon to be posted. Thank you so much for reading. I hope my first challenge goes well. Sorry for lack of punctuation errors and if the format is wrong. This is just the best representation of who I am Some pics of motivation

Okay, I had to abandon the last challenge after a few weeks due to an injury, but this time I am back and I am going to finish. I am going to succeed, and I will keep a diet and exercise log here. Sugar is the enemy that I need to defeat, and she hides insides drinks and waits for me.... Sugar came back today despite my best efforts. I had 2 eggs with coconut milk, kale and beef mince for breakfast, but I went out for dinner and had a baked potato with beef chilli and then chocolate fudge cake AND a pitcher of cocktail for dinner Luckily, I followed dinner with a session at the gym and I lunged and did chest flys with heavier weights than I have ever used before (12kg total). I followed that up by burning 500 calories on the lateral something machine- I thought I was going to die and had to let go as my heart rate was so high that the machine was freaking out. Sugar is now on the run, but I will find her and I will catch her and when I do I will go all Liam Neeson on her ass. Tomorrow is a new day and although it will take every tool in my arsenal to succeed, I am sure that this is a battle that I can win. I'll post measurements and progress pictures in the morning. Goals! Challenge One- Liquid- Drink 4 litres of water a day. This seems like a lot but it stops me binging. Do or do not, there is no try, and this is an attainable goal, so I'm going to make it pass/fail, a pass being an A and a fail getting me no points. Challenge Two- Liquid- Seriously restrict my alcohol consumption and stick to Paleo drinks. This will mean one glass of red wine for pre-drinks and two shots of tequila in the club TWICE A WEEK AND NO MORE. I know this will be difficult, and so if I break it a few times I'll get a B, if I usually stick to these limits but go out more than twice a week I'll get a C, if I drink non-paleo drinks moderately I get a D and if I cut down my current consumption I get a D. Challenge Three- Air- I will get back into doing the splits. In order to do this I will do this video- three times a week. Challenge Four- Fire- I'm going to be strong and I'm going to conquer my fear of the weights room. I will lift heavier than I ever have before and I want to be lifting 25kg total by the end of this challenge. (I'm currently at 12kg). I will lift at least twice a week in order to achieve this goal, and once a week I will increase my weight load. ***BONUS CHALLENGE- Earth- I will do university work for four hours a day, because being fit will be a lot harder if I am un or underemployed after university. I am here to get a degree and so I can't forget the earthly challenges that I will face in my quest for greatness. I'm going to be twenty in a few months, so I need to grow up and start taking responsibility for my life. Wish me luck!

I was curious for some input on this one. I apologize if it has already been address in this forum. I have begun kickboxing classes, as they seem to be a great mix of cardio, interval training, and body weight training. These are hour long sessions that are EXTREMELY demanding. My question is: How long before training should I stop eating? My thoughts are: Don't want to eat too soon before exercise because I might just get sick during the class! Plus, my body will be devoting resources to digestion, leaving me with less to get through the workout. Should I do this a "fasted state" to ensure my body pulls its energy from fat? Or is this too intense an exercise to rely on this as the sole source of energy? If I eat within a reasonable amount of time to have that food available for energy for the workout, how much will this degrade the ability for me to burn fat during the workout? Or is the key to not necessarily burn fat during the workout, but to have my normal meal, fill my stomach, then burn all of that with the workout leaving my my body to pull from fat reserves to make it through the normal resting caloric burn needed for the remainder of the day?I tend to over think things. Would love to hear everyone's thoughts! =)

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

Hi! My son is 13 months old and we're still nursing a little during the day. Just wondering if any of you mamas strength trained while nursing and if you have any tips to share. I've heard it can be hard to shed fat until you wean. Is that true?

When he reached the top of the mountain, the rainbow shimmered and made it seem like he was standing in an ocean of light. The road to Asgard stood before him, close enough to touch. But there was no way through. The mountain path had made him tougher and leaner but there was little skill in climbing a mountain, determination carried him this far but it could carry him no further. He fell to his knees in frustration and slowly made his way back down the mountain. But the assassin was not ready to admit defeat. There are not many things that can stop an assassin who's put his mind to something, and this assassin's mind was definitely set to stealing Mjolnir. He had heard tales of a demi-god in a distant forest who's grueling training regime sent many would-be heroes scuttling for safety. This was his destination. He would train under the demi-god and become skilled and powerful enough to penetrate the Rainbow Road and make his secretive way to Asgard. It took him several days by boat to reach the heavy forest the demi-god Adonis had taken as his home, feasting with generous merchants and sailors along the way. And then several more to find the marble temple at the its heart, where he would find the demi-god. The temple was beautiful, but barren, there was no one waiting for him. There was no mystic mythological figure awaiting him to turn dramatically. But this was what the assassin had been expecting. He left an offering on the temple altar and elected to come back the following day, to see if he and his offering had been accepted. He did not need to wait that long; as he was setting up camp a figure burst from the trees and began attacking the assassin. In a desperate fight the assassin parried, leapt and lunged against his assailant. After a few minutes of brutal intensity the figure jumped backwards an astonishing distance, nodded to the assassin and walked in the direction of the temple. It looked like Adonis had started his training. Hello fellow Rebels! I hope you don't mind my fairly long story intro! So this challenge I want to focus on high intensity exercise both with resistance training and sprints, and skill work. But I don't want to say just one kind of skill work, I think I would like to try out various poses and balancing work. My overall quest is to be able to do a one armed, hand-stand push up (modeled here by Vegeta) and a 90 degree push up. But I know both of these are extremely far away, so for now I'm going to focus on fat-loss (less to move) and some skill work. I've called this challenge the Belt of Adonis because I'd really like to be able to see mine (and of course abs!) and I hope that if I meet my fat-loss goal for this challenge I will be able to. Anyway! Enough of this levity, let's talk goals! Goal 1: To Be Carved From Marble (Fat Loss) +2 DEX +2 CON Lose 3% Bodyfat I want to be stricter with this goal than I was last time, I will be allowed to up my carb intake on workout days whilst trying my hardest to be paleo (but still under 100g). I might have a 3 or 4 cheat days spread across the whole challenge but I'm not sure about this yet. So we'll see! I will put some stats for myself down so I can gauge progress but (a bit cheekily!) I'm going to give myself till Wednesday to let my body calm down from my holiday last week and hopefully not be ballooned with beer! But the way I intend to lose the bodyfat is to do high intensity exercise, so lots of sprints and resistance circuits! And of course eat at a calorie deficit! The details of which I shall post up with my other stats when I do them. I'm looking into planning and preparing my meals over the weekends as well, if I can get a fair amount of meat from a butchers/supermarket for relatively cheap then that should be fine! Goal 2: To Fight the Black Bear (Strength) +4 STR Do 3 Strength Workouts per week With the upcoming release of the new Thor movie, I want to try and couple some strength training with the bodyfat goal to make myself look as Thor like as possible by the time the movie comes out! For the last couple of weeks of the last challenge I was doing weights at the gym splitting 2 days into essentially Chest & Back/Legs & Shoulders split and trying to throw in some bodyweight circuits too. So I'll keep doing this with Legs at the beginning of the week and Chest on Thursday (I can't NOT workout on Thorsday!) Taking inspiration from TiberiusNightrise I'll be tracking my workouts on here so I can see better where I'm improving/need to work on. And also carrying on from last time I'll be using the Bear/Cat infographics to playfully see how heavy I can lift! If I'm lucky I'll be able to Bench Press a Black Bear! What Cat Can You Lift?: http://i.imgur.com/rpo7B6Y.jpg What Bear Can You Lift? http://i.imgur.com/HYFCNQf.jpg To Black Bear and beyond! Goal 3: The Tricks of Immortals (Skill) +3 DEX +1 STR Do 2 Skill Workouts a week One of the reasons I love the Assassins guild is for all the crazy skills that we have going for us, so it's about time I started learning to do them too! Last time I planned to do skill workouts purely to focus on handstands/headstands, but this time I want to open it up a bit more, I'm looking into getting some gymnastics rings to put on my pull up bar so that should really open up the skills (and make it a lot easier to get the motivation!) But I'm not 100% sure what to do (I'm a total beginner skills wise) so any suggestions are welcome Goal 4: For the Assassin Records (Writing) +3 WIS Write at least 1 blog post a week Bonus points if I can schedule the posts rather than frantically write them during my lunch hour. I've also let slip for the past couple of weeks so I really want to get back into it as it will not only help me but should also help me for jobs. I have been toying with the idea of starting a fitness blog, with the theme for saturday morning/90s TV and other general geekery (I really like classics and mythology so I'd try and chuck that in too). So if I do start that then it has to be one blog post for BOTH each week, I can't use that as an excuse to do one or the other. I think that's more than enough for now! But I'll be on and about to post up any more coherent plans and my stats once I've done them. Best of luck to you fellow Rebels (and especially Assassins ) I look forward to doing another awesome challenge with you all

Hi Warriors, I'm a newbie here but very much not a newbie in the gym. A bit about me. I'm 6'3" with long arms and legs which makes strength training 'interesting' at times, but I do it anyway. Here are some PRs set from the last challenge. Deadlift: 385lbs for an easy single Squat: 315lbs for a single Bench Press. 240lbs for 4. Bentover barbell rows. 220lbs x 5 My 'inclination' is a Warrior Ranger hybrid with more of a warrior side. I train more in a traditional bodybuilding style with strength movements thrown in for fun. In my personal experience, I've always needed recovery time for joints and tendons so I can't lift heavy straight 3 days a week. I tend to rotate lifts and only lift heavy tops once a week per joint. So, one heavy lift that involves hips and one that involves shoulders. The times that my PRs have jumped most have been not when I keep grinding heavy weight day after day, but rather, when I focus on weak points in my physique. It's great to come back to a lift 5 months later and find that it has 'magically' increased 30lbs. I want to build the body, not destroy it! OK, preamble is done. What are my goals? My main goals have not changed from last challenge but this time, they will be more implicit. Rather than stating my process, I'll just state the goals. Main Quest: Fat Loss. 1lb per week, nothing more. If I lose too fast, I eat more. 200+g of protein per day and lots of veggies. Regular refeeds to stave off metabolic adaptation. Carbs in morning (Oats), preworkout, and post workout only. Log calories, take progress pics, etc. Side Quests: This is important stuff, and stuff that absolutely NEEDS to be addressed so it will be the focus of my weight training throughout the challenge. Bear in mind that the weight training has been going on for years so I'm not developing a new habit here. 1). Correct muscle imbalances. Strengthen i. front of neck to restore strength balance with neck muscles. ii. Strengthen Rotator Cuff, Core, and Lower back. iii. Strengthen Delts. (There are exercises and form alterations I can do to fix all this. If you want clarification I can discuss this) 2) Increase flexibility. I realized that problems I thought were due to height are actually due to flexibility. I can't touch my toes because my hips currently don't bend far enough. I am going to increase neck, shoulder, and hip flexibility via regular stretching. I know stretching 'derails strength' but I'm not going to worry about lifting heavy for a bit. This is so that I can lift more safely laterl on. 3) Reprogram form for Squats and Deadlifts. For Squats, I had a tendency for my strength to derail because I'd lose control near parallel. The problem was that my hips would lock up and I'd start folding in half trying to get the extra depth. This moves the body out of an advantageous lever position which makes it work much harder than necessary to move the weight. Following stretching, I will practice squats without resistance and then overhead squats with light weight. I'll alternate overhead squat sets with back squats as I try and perfect my form adjustments. For Deadlifts, I'm following Elliot Hulse's advice and working on learning how to engage my lower back. My hams and glutes are currently engaged well in the motion so I just need to get the lower back better involved. The hip flexibility is also inhibiting this motion and making it hard for me to keep my lower back as flat as I would like. It is not a problem but it can become one. Once the form is well practiced, then I can worry about moving real weight! 4) School. I have to start my Thesis (Orchestra Piece) and get some serious progress made on my Research Project. Serious progress = at least a page a day 5 days a week for Research Project and 10 measures a day, 5 days a week for the Thesis.

I'm a bit late but fuck it! Short: Lose weight, build muscle Long: Get down to 13-15% bf. I am currently 82kg and about 23-26% bf. When I started: Deadlift: 40kg by 8 reps (on last set) Squat: 20kg by 10 reps (2 sets) Bench: 20kg by 10 reps (3 sets, 2nd set is more like 8-9 reps and last is like 6-7) Goals for end of 6 week challenge : Deadlift: 80kg by 8 reps on last set. squat: 50kg by 10 reps all 3 sets Bench: 40kg by 10 reps 3 sets I had been doing well with weight loss, when I started training I got hungry and put on a little weight, went up to 84kg, now fixed diet up a little and back down to 82kg. Was down at 80.5kg before weight training started. Main quest Goal 1: Eat primal and keep with in 2,000 calories per day, whilst hitting protein goals. Goal 2: Hit the gym 4 days a week and do my program set by PT Goal 3: Push hard at gym and try increase weight where possible whilst having good form. Life side quest: Pass all my subjects this semester at University. I have had on my wall for the past 3 months a piece of paper saying I want to be 80kg by Novemeber 1st. Also a friend gave me a bottle of scotch that says I can't open till I hit 75kg. Grading system: Goal 1: A: Track calories, stick under 2000 calories and hit at least 150g of protein every day. (1-2 cheat days allowed). B: Track calories every day, stick under 2000 calories per day (1-2 cheat days). C: Track calories every day. D: Track most days. E: Track most days but eat too much when I do track. F Don't track at all, eat whatever. Goal 2: A: Hit the gym every day I have designated. (only can skip if injured) B: Skip a gym day and not make it up. C: Skip 2 days with out making it up. D: Skip 3 days. E: Skip 4 days. F: Skip more than 5 days. Goal 3: A: Increase weight or reps on at least 2 exercises per work out. B: Increase weight or reps on at least a exercise per work out. C: Increase weight or reps on an exercise on 3 out of 4 work outs a week. D: Increase reps or weight on 2 out of 4 exercises a week. E: increase weight or reps on at least 1 work out a week. F: No increase in weights or reps. Progress so far on goals: So my update, diet was doing well, then slackened off because of increased hunger from strength training. #1:I have cleaned it up even more to leaner foods and more green veg, started tracking calories and taking appetite suppressants. #2: good as have not missed a day in the gym #3: fairly well been adding weight on most stuff, could maybe push a little harder when I am on my own in the gym. Form has been good, but I did screw up a little and it lead to my neck being sore. Life quest: did well on a test, but I need to study more

I have had about 17 month lazy period of laying in bed and sitting with my computer in various damaging positions, with close to no exercise at all (some mountain hiking in the summer, occasional cycling and swimming) and rampant eating habits as I started eating animal products (milk, eggs) again. Thus my back muscles have withered away, I huff and puff and tire way too easily, there is a unappealing coat of fat on me that slows me down, and that combined with shrunken muscles has made me feel terribly clumsy and out of control. As I love exploring and hiking, I'd love to be able to walk up and down mountains with greater ease. I think of this as training for adventure. And this time maintain (!!! and increase to infinity) the fitness level I achieve. (GR20, Finnish wilderness and the big beautiful unknown of the world, here I come...) Alongside physical changes I'd like to be more in charge of my intellectual growth and get me back on track of learning new things and challenging myself intellectually and emotionally. It's been a week since I started to exercise again and monitor my eating. Main goals right now are losing fat and building endurance. The plan is to continue doing moderate to high intensity cardio workouts five to six times a week, eating clean, having one to three sessions of strength training a week (haven't quite figured this part out yet, but I plan to go to the kettle bell class again) and throw in some yoga and pilates when I feel like it. 178cm / 5"10 74kg / 163lbs ikkipyrola 1.11.2013.

Earlier this year, I felt direction from God in which He instructed me that this was to be a year of "running light," based on verse 1 of Hebrews 12. This would be a year of "throwing off everything that hinders and the sin which so easily entangles." This throwing off would enable me to better "run with perseverance the race marked out for [me]." This had multiple implications for my life, from losing weight, to getting free in my finances, to simplifying the number of my possessions, to seeking to conquer certain bad habits in my life (both seen and unseen). During my last challenge, I got completely freed up from debt! I'm continuing down the path of physically getting healthier during this challenge, while also adding a more creative life challenge. Here are my goals. Most goals will be achieved via regular bodyweight, free weight, and barbell exercises, done three times per week, and paying attention to what I'm eating and how many calories I'm consuming. Goal 1: Reduce my body fat by 3%. Last challenge, I tried to reduce this number by 3% and got really close to attaining this. I think I'll be able to do it this time. Goal percentage: 25.23%Attribute points awarded: 2 CON, 1 WIS, 2 CHA Goal 2: Be able to do ONE full, regular pull up. This has been on the goal list for the last 2 challenges. This challenge, I think this goal is FINALLY actually within reach. Watch out, Rebellion, the full pull up is on its way! Attribute points awarded: 3 STR, 1 DEX, 1 STA Goal 3: Lose 1.5" from around my waist. This one is on a total whim. This is a measurement I track regularly anyways, and last challenge, I decreased by 1.25", so this will be an aggressive goal, too, though achievable. Goal measurement: 38"Attribute points awarded: 1 CHA, 1 WIS Life Goal: Continue exploring and learning the guitar. I started an online guitar school a few months ago, but have been struggling finding times to practice. This will give me added incentive. My goal is to practice at least 4 times per week for at least 30 minutes per session. If I go longer, even better! Attribute points awarded: 2 DEX, 1 CHA Starting Stats Weight: 190.8 lbs Waist: 39.5" Body Fat: 28.23% BMI: 25.87

Hey guys happy to be apart of the NF community, I'll make this short and sweet since I'll be updating it everyday. I've always been overweight and want to change that...today. Here are my upcoming goals: Make it to my first Spartan Race 70lbs. lighter - April 24th 2014 Do at least 25 clean non-flailing pull-ups Run 2 miles without needing to call the emergency room Future goals: Complete a Spartan Trifecta - ultimate goal Successful pistol squat Any of the cool pull-up bar stuff on barstarrz Join my local basketball league Buy a shirt other than a 2XL 10% bodyfat or lower How I'm going to accomplish those goals: Focus on bodyweight training for at least 8-12 months so I learn how to move my own weight efficiently...then add Olympic lifting Intermittent fasting - with an 8 hour eating window 8+ hours of sleep Walk every morning 3-4 miles Paleo-framework for nutrition My stats: Dude 6'1 300lbs. 30-40% body fat So I plan on updating this everyday and need you guys to keep me on it! I'm also doing a Youtube channel to chart my journey with video, so I'll add them as weekly updates here where I'll talk about measurements, how the week went as a whole, etc. Nervous about putting this online haha but that nervousness just means that I'm being held accountable. So this is my first step to my road to Sparta, can't wait to see what happens.

What is your name, fatbody? Sir Raev sir! Raev? What the he** kind of name is that? ....does that really matter? Get up! Get on your feet! (main quest-get stronger) This is my body. There are many others like it, but this one is mine. My body is my best friend. It is my life. I must master it as I must master my life. Without me, my body is useless. Without my body, I am useless. I must strengthen my body true. I must work straighter than my enemy, who is trying to outdo me. I will. Before God I swear this creed: my bodyand myself are defenders of my family, we are the masters of our enemy, we are the saviors of my life. So be it, until there is no personal weakness, but strength. Amen. [How do I plan on pulling this off? I wanted to do SL5x5 but the joint I could do it at doesn't open until the same time I have to be at work. So instead I'll be at a 24 hour joint on M-W-F before work. Mon-Shoulders/back/Core, Wed-Chest/Arms/Core, Fri-Legs/ glutes/core. I really don't know what I'm able to pull off, so after a few days of getting used to the weights I'll determine a goal that's more than just 'get better'] Holy Jesus! What is that? What the **** is that? WHAT IS THAT, RAEV? (side quests-eat cleaner, improve mobility) Sir, a jelly doughnut, sir! A jelly doughnut? Sir, yes, sir! Are you allowed to eat jelly doughnuts, Raev? Sir, no, sir! And why not, Raev? Sir, because I'm too heavy, sir! Because you are a disgusting fat body, Raev! Sir, yes, sir! [Ok, so maybe I'm not a disgusting fat body. That's a bit harsh but I can stand to lose some mass from around the midsection. I'm sitting around 20% body fat wth a 38" waist. I'd like to eventually get back down to a 36" and to around 15% body fat. I know neither will happen overnight...but learning how to eat better while eating at a defict will be what gets me there][Tues/Thurs = stretching, to help with mobility] Show me your warface! (Motivation) [Aside from trying to improve my own life and secure a hopefully longer, more productive one I want to demonstrate the benifits of healthy living to my daughter. On top of that, I have a medium-length goal of competing in the 2015 Highland Games as an ameture in my home county...and I'm nowhere near ready for that...]

Hi Everyone, I think I finally hit that magic place when I finally realize that the past couple months has paid off. Hit the gym this morning just like normal, but I was able to add 5-15 lbs to all of my exercises except chin-ups and lat pulls. I started out at 225 (my scales were off and I thought I started at 222) according to the gym's balance scales and am now down to 201.9. I have been watching it closely and over the past 5 days, my weight loss has been in only increments of 1/10ths. Two days ago I was 202.1. I believe I am finally to the point where my muscle growth is overtaking my fat loss. I still notice all of my pants waists are getting too big and my stomach is shrinking, but the weight isn't just stripping off anymore. I AM HAPPY! I guess this means that I am going to be a 5' 7" 200 pounder at 39 years old. I still have another 8% I want to lose; but I started at roughly 25%...maybe higher...and just from looking at the charts I would guess I'm 20%. My reps are getting noticeably more powerful, I am getting much more limber (I couldn't bend but about halfway over in the morning and now I can roll out of bed and touch my toes). My circuits are getting much faster and I'm able to add a few more more routines into it now. I sleep well (for the first time in my entire life). Paleo and exercise has completely cured my HBP and my energy deficiency. My goal is no longer weight loss. I have changed my goal to wearing something less than a 34 waist and 10 chin-ups (I'm a snug 34 now...from 38). I have a ways to go because most of my body fat remaining is in my belly area. Maybe someone can tell me if I'm correct about the weight loss vs. muscle gain issue I mentioned above...I sure hope that is what is happening. Just some 411 on how I am working out.... I am circuit training with enough weight that I can do a max of 8-10 reps of any given work out at a time. Once I can do more than ten I bump up the weight a minimum of 5 lbs up to 15 lbs. I do a fat burn warm-up (oscillator @ 75% ability) for 5 minutes, stretch out/warmup, 3 circuits, fat-burn cool down (same as warm-up), stretch out again. Have a great day.