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Time for my first challenge! There are many things I want to do (and ultimately I want to become a Druid-Adventurer fusion), but here are four goals for the next four weeks: Nutrition: Track what I eat every day Limit alcohol consumption to the weekend Fitness: Go for a 10-minute walk every day Leveling Up Life: Meditate every day

This is my challenge. It's the same as the last challenge. Go! Okay, I should probably be more specific. Here are my goals. Food - 1800 calories and 200 grams of protein per day. I'm not weighing, but I am measuring around my belly. Starting point there is 41.5 inches. I'm also paying attention to how my pants/belt fit. During last challenge these measurements went up slightly. During this challenge, I'd like them to go down, maybe a little more than slightly. I struggle big time every weekend with staying on my calorie target, although I'm pretty good at making sure I get my protein in, I just eat too much junk food going out with friends and stuff. It's a problem and I don't know if I have a solution, other than to be more disciplined about tracking food and stopping when I get to the number. If I take more of a hard line on this, I think I can make better food choices. Lifting - I'm more or less following a program called the Bridge. It involves lifting 3 days a week. Squat, Benchpress, Overhead Press, Deadlift, Barbell Rows, and Barbell Curls which aren't in the program, but I gotta keep working on ma' guns. I'm on week 3 of the 8-week cycle, so I should finish at the end of this challenge. I'm expecting that my lifts will go up at least 20 lbs by then. When I do today's update, that will be my starting point. I think my squat and DL should probably go up more than that, because I'm still a new lifter and I really should be doing a linear progression on those two. So I'm kind of working a hybrid, where I'm going to add weight frequently, but I'm doing the higher volume of the intermediate program. Ukulele - I'd really like to be practicing every day, but it's so so hard to set aside the time. So I'm making this easy on myself. If I pick up my uke and play one song - even if it's "Let it Be", all the way through, I'll count that. That's 3 to 4 minutes a day. That's less time than it takes me to do literally anything else so I'm expecting to do a lot better at this than I did last challenge! Projects - Right now the big project is finishing the work that's ongoing in my basement. It's currently a Code 4 disaster area, and I'm slowly putting it back together. The next step is laying a bunch of VCT around the perimeter. After that's done I can wall up the electrical panel, run a little more conduit, and paint everything. Then I'll buy some shelving and get all of the belongings reorganized and put away. It would be great if I finish this before the end of the challenge, but I don't know. We'll see. The goal is to keep working on it. Walking - I want to start taking walks again. I have a lot to say about this, but I'll say it later. Any kind of intentional walking will count as a walk, no matter where or how long. I think that's about it. I use a very simple point system - I do a thing, I get a point. I reserve the right to award points for any other kind of Rangering I happen to do as I go along, but don't worry, I won't just start handing myself points for breathing and stuff. But I do want to honor my efforts that don't always fall into challenge categories. What are points good for? Levels, obviously! I'm really close to leveling up, so I should definitely do that this challenge. That's all, thanks for coming along for the ride!

Diet Swap out one soda per day with water Take one processed snack I have each day and replace it with a healthy protein, fruit, or vegetable Fitness Do at least 15 minutes of Parkour training everyday. Be able to do an in air spin flip and LAND it. Level up life Say one positive thing to myself each morning when I look in the mirror This is my plan for these weeks. I believe i got this in the bag.

Janus (Latin: Ianus. Pronounced: 'ja:.nus]) is the god of beginnings, gates, transitions, time, doorways, passages, and endings. There are respawns, and there are respawns. I do a lot of the first one - every month, every week, sometimes even every day. Things like 'I'll stop this now' or 'This time I'll do it this way.' These are normal. These are for those times when you fall off the wagon, but you only need jog a bit to climb back on, or maybe you lay on the ground for a little while and then grab ahold again when the wagon laps you. Sometimes, however, a respawn is equatable with a personality transplant. I picked my username, my character name (and my RH agent/code name) to remind myself that it is now time to change. My goals, my methods, my approach - everything. Who and what I used to be is no longer functional or, more importantly, acceptable. I have named this 4 week challenge - my first one - as the First Gate because right now, there are no doors. There is an infinite list of choices and destinations, and all that I have to do is choose a path and walk it. Later on I'm sure there will be challenges that involve more obvious barriers to overcome, but right now there are no barred entries, no fixed map. So having said all that, thank you for taking the time to read along on my not-so-little journey. Please feel free to leave comments - kudos, critiques, suggestions, and opinions are equally welcome. I'm planning to operate on a slightly different schedule - rather than a planning week, I'm going to have a reflection/planning week at the end of the challenge. This is due to how my work/holiday/life schedule is currently set up, and the fact that I've been planning already for two weeks. Which means my four week challenge starts.... Now. Somewhere, there stands a person. This person is not special. Like the many hundreds and thousands (and millions and billions) that have come before them, they stand not at a crossroads, but at a point of origin. They inhale, and acknowledge those that came before; Exhale, and know that there are those that will come after. Inhale. Eyes open, acknowledging the myriad of paths that lay before them. Exhale. Step forward.

Another challenge is here and once again I'm building it around my mindfulness practice. I decided that for 2017 I'm renewing my commitment to my practice of Soto Zen Buddhism, which has been on and off for about a decade now. The practice centers on daily zazen (sitting meditation) and mindfulness practice throughout the day. This practice has in recent months been helping me re-center and rebuild my life and has proven effective with controlling my mood and depression, hunger, and is currently helping me reduce caffeine and alcohol consumption. Plus it is really helping me better appreciate every moment and live more fully. I have two goals for the year related to this. The first is to explore the different Sanghas (buddhist communities/churches) in/near Indy. The second is to go to a seshin (meditation retreat) which is usually 3-5 days of just meditation, work, eating, and sleeping. So this challenge is about improving my zazen practice and endurance, and using mindfulness to improve my health, fitness, and life in general. Goal 1: Zazen Sit in "lotus" or seiza for meals at home. Spending more time in a criss legged sitting posture should help me increase my flexibility and endurance in zazen. I also need to: Maintain daily zazen practice (@least 10 min) Do stretches before zazen Do one long session (40+ min) once a week Side quests: Caffeine causes scatterbrainededness, and alcohol diminishes awareness. So... 1) No caffeine for 30 days 2) No alcohol for 30 days These will be ongoing, resetting after failure until I achieve all 30 days on both. Reward: I'll buy a French press for single servings of coffee afterward. Goal 2: Nutrition Here are some dietary observations I've accumulated. Meat: Makes emotions more intense, especially red meat. To little interferes with sleep. I need to experiment more with fish. Grains: wheat/gluten are fine, a are oats and rice. Barley and rye cause bloat/gas/discomfort. Dairy: Milk and lots of whey/milk protein causes gas/bloat/discomfort. Eating high quantities of dairy send to cause mild seeking and mucus formation in the throat and nasal passes and overall puffiness. Soy: Is fine with me. Legumes: canned and pressure cooked are fine, but otherwise cause gas/bloat/discomfort. Nuts/sees: limit to small handfuls. To much causes constipation and bloat. Peanuts are mildly irritating. Tubers: white potatoes cause more fullness but are mildly irritating. Sweet potatoes do not. Sugar: Every time i eat a sugary snack/soda/candy/dessert i feel fatter at the end of the day. Literally, my stomach seems fuller and more jiggly. In light odd these observations I'll focus on the challenges that are most difficult to surmount. Track meat consumption vs. sleep quality I'll just be jotting firm days i eat meat on my calendar and noting my sleep quality each morning. Limit dairy and sugar I'm going to make conscious decisions to not consume or substitute these in various recipes. Eat more root vegetables Eat a tuber everyday. Replace some carbs with more tuber veggies. Buy more fresh tubers at the store, and try new ones out ones I've not had in a while. Goal 3, Exercise: Break a Sweat 6 days per week. Barbell, treadmill, kettlebell, bodyweight... 30 min., 20 min., 5 min.? No matter. Just break a sweat. I also want to go to the actual gym at least once a week, i am paying for membership after all. LUYL_1: Manage finances Spend one hour a week with my mind on my money. Making spreadsheets, planning a budget, going through receipts, clip coupons, read about saving and paying off debt, retirement plans, investments. Whatever. One hour. I currently don't really think about money until there's a problem... and that's why I'm in debt and living paycheck to paycheck. Sidequest: have enough extra cash lying around at the end of cheyenne to buy a cable modem and wifi router. LUYL_2: Art Paint and complete at last one painting each week. Grading: Basically I've got my dry erase board calendar set up. Every time I do a thing for a goal, including side quests etc. I make a doodle or dot on the calendar. If the calendar is reasonably congested with squiggles and dots while i contemplate the progress I've made and the challenges i faced during the 1+4 weeks... Cool. If it's empty, not cool.

This being my first four week challenge I am setting only a single goal for myself to make it a bit easier but it is still a rough challenge. It is simple challenge I going to go on a jog five days a week following work. I am utilizing the zombies run app to keep track of my runs and keep me motivated. This group will also keep me motivated though out the challenge keep me running to meet this goal. Working my way up to a lovely five K in April. add a second goal, bring lunch with me to work so i don't go 12 hours without eating again, don't have energy to run and way overeat for dinner. Today was not a good day.

So, here we go! I'm going to commit to my first challenge. I'm posting here in the Rebels forum because I'm not entirely sure of what guild I fit in - although I have some hunches. My background and what I do most often would put me on the fence of Monk and Druid. I could probably lean toward one or the other depending on the goals I plan out but for now I'll stay neutral. I also found that awesome character/guild generator quiz and plan on using it to help sway me and it's just really fun. I was always an RPG fan. Q1: Daily Meditation: Trying to find 5 minutes a day to meditate; also would like to do 15 minutes of Ki breathing at least twice a week. Q2: Workout 3-4x/Week: Planning to start the Couch to 5k workout which helps gain traction on one of my EQs. Other bodyweight workouts, yoga or strength training at the gym. Q3: Meal Planning: I need to better plan the meals I take with me to work. Planning on Sunday nights for the week or packing leftovers from dinner the night before to take the next day to avoid grabbing whatever I find or buying lunch in the cafe at work. Q4: Reading: I would like to read more - this could be books, articles, websites, etc. One night a week set aside to reading for at least an hour, no tv, no phone, just reading. I'm sure I'll come back to either edit or expand this, but I needed to get something down to help me get started. Super noob, first challegne on NF even though I've been a member of the Academy for over a year. I have also joined Rising Heroes and will be incorporating that into my challenge goals as well. - 60W

Hey, guys! This will be my third time starting this journey! The first time I lost weight through self-teaching myself weight training through YouTube and from help on here. I stopped because of college and marching band. Luckily, marching band was so intense that year that the weight I lost stayed off me all through marching season (football season, for those that don't speak music nerd). I started at about 235-240 and ended up at 210-215. I didn't eat bread or pasta and incorporated more veggies/greens and grilled meat into my diet. I felt AMAZING! But I got into a relationship (which is awesome!) but my partner doesn't have the best eating habits, so I picked up the weight again. I was so sad. And now, I'm at 240 lbs and I feel horrible with myself. I wear the clothes that I had then and think "Wow, this is kinda tight. I remember getting these because they fit PERFECTLY just a year ago!" Then I get a bit depressed. I'm willing to start back because of 3 reasons: 1.) My back has been hurting and I know it's from the lack of exercise. I work at a daycare and since majority of my work requires me to bend down to tend to little ones, I need to be fit enough to deal with it and not have pain. 2.) During the time I lost weight, I didn't get as sick as I am now. My allergies basically CORRECTED themselves, even my doctor was amazed! But as soon as I gained the weight back, I started snoring again and I can only breathe out of my nose maybe twice a week. ANNOYING! 3.) It's about that time to really make that change in my life! I'm 22, almost 23. The time is now!! The only problem will be getting over my anxiety to go to the school gym and getting started with weight training officially!! Any words of advice/encouragement/whatevers will be welcomed!

Neeko's Adventure! Main Quest My main quest is to get my weight into a healthy range. I want to be overall healthy and strong. I also want to do well in and complete nursing school. Personal Quests Walk at least a mile once a day for 30 days STA 3.26 Workout 3 times a week STR 1.30 Do yoga at least 2 times a week CON 0.87 Go to the library at least 3 times a week WIS 1.30 Study for at least an hour once a day for 30 days WIS 3.26 Nerd Fitness Academy Quests Finish Your Food Log Complete the Recruit Workout Complete a Home Workout Plank Practice - Beginner Complete 10 Wall Push-Ups Complete 10 Consecutive Box Jumps Do 5 Diamond Push Ups Meditate for 10 Minutes Meditate 5 Days in One Week Locate a Geocache with GPS Find a Geocache and Sign the Log/Replace the Item Motivation Around the time my dad was diagnosed with cancer I started to exhibit signs of depression and anxiety. It reached its peak when he passed away. While he was in the hospital though, I re-realized my love nursing. And, after one failed attempt going to physical therapy school, I've started my journey to becoming a nurse. Right now, I'm in my first semester of nursing school and doing fairly well. I know that being a nurse requires you to be in decent shape and good health. So my main motivation is to be healthy so I can be a good nurse and be able to help people the way the amazing nurses my father had, helped him. For this month, my goals are to mainly get myself back into an active lifestyle and to do well in the final weeks of the this semester. Only the main quests that I have listed will be graded. The nerd fitness academy quests are just the quests that I picked out that I would like to complete this month and that I thought would help keep me on track during this challenge. I'm going to be tracking my progress using MFP, Habitica, and FitBit. Grade Scale Quest 1: 30 days = 100% Quest 2: 12 days = 100% Quest 3: 8 days = 100% Quest 4: 12 days = 100% Quest 5: 30 days = 100%

OK, first ever four week challenge. And a day late but better today than tomorrow, right? 1. No bread 2.At least one veggie with two meals per day 3. 10 min Pilates per day 4. Meditate using Headspace app daily Ultimate goal is to lose 60lb by my birthday at the end of November...

The Great Sisyphus Challenge of Valyria Watersinger as told by DrCompanion Chapter 43 Never Give Up, Never Surrender Valyria stared into the dirty mirror, forcing her eyes into objective focus. The hideousness of the sight glared back at her in defiance and pain; every curve, every lump screaming at her to look away. It had only been a few short years ago since its last race, its last lift, and it knew it all too well. The void of sadness left behind had long since burned away, leaving only jagged clumps of regret in its place. “Yes, the medical issues could be considered a reason, but...†Valyria thought as she continued to stare, disgust rising like bile in her throat, “there are no reasons that are truly acceptable.†She knew this stray line of thinking was nothing more than a leftover mechanism of the mind, developed from her difficult upbringing and subsequent abusive first marriage. But, as with all learned responses, she recognized it for what it was and swiftly shoved it aside. Valyria took a deep breath and raised her arm. Touch... open... touch... focus... touch... click. Turn. Touch... open... rinse... repeat... She turned off the bathroom light and walked upstairs, the newly created images forever captured via pixel. As she sat on the edge of her bed, she opened her Gallery and looked at the pictures. She willed herself to find that spark within herself that she knew lay there. Bravery is not being unafraid. It's being afraid and doing it anyway. Valyria looked up at her wall. The images of success, the race bibs and medals hanging there, reminding her of those moments of bravery garnered only a few short years ago. The smile on her face in each and every picture whispered to her. She knew what she needed to do. Memo app in hand, she began to scribble out ideas, both vague and specific. The scribbles became a list. The list became a plan. She let her thoughts flow freely and allowed her limits to dissolve. Her hand moved with deliberate speed, jotting down anything that came to mind, eliminating any negativity that tried to enter into this new world. “No more negativity. There's been too much of that already. I will find a way. I will work the problem.†After she could scribble no more, she chose four goals to continue her journey with; four seemingly simple goals that would challenge her to find her strength yet again and sacrifice her known comfort level. Unlike the four books in 'The Time Machine', these would not be kept secret. She would declare these goals in a public forum best suited to her needs, where support and care would be found to assist her on her new adventure. Valyria closed the app and placed the phone on the table beside her bed. Curling under her covers, she considered the journey she was about to undertake. Her eyes quietly closed and a soft smile curled along her lips as a final thought drifted through her sleepy mind... “The game is afoot, Watson. Let us begin...†The Goals of Valyria Watersinger 1) drink 1 gallon of water per day (preferably not all in the evening) 2) eat a vegetable with one meal every day 3) deliberate activity 2x/week (doesn't matter what it is as long as it's conscious and active) 4) play with the kids for 1 solid hour every day (no tv or electronics, get down on the floor or outside)

Introduction: Hi! I am Tina and I just found NF. I am really excited to do this first 6 week challenge and hope to share some great support here! I am married, a mom to an active 11 year old and we live in Oregon USA. I really enjoy walks, biking, hiking, and camping but these are very hard for me because I am overweight and out of shape. I also have high blood pressure that I would like to lower and be off medication. I was recently laid off from a job I had for many years (software company) so this has been an interesting life change. I lost some initial weight because I was not sitting at a desk all day. And I have had the chance to enjoy a wonderful summer with my kid and lot's of outdoor time. But it's time to look for work now and see what new adventures come my way. Main Quest: Lose 50 pounds of fat, gain strength and endurance ( I don't have a time goal for this) Quest 1: Workouts: Walk 20 minutes 5 days a week. Strength workout 2 days a week. Quest 2: Diet: Log food at MyFitnessPal and stay under my calorie limit 5 days a week. Quest 3: Mind/Body connection: Explore meditation, yoga, tai chi or qigong 2 times a week. Life Quest: Get a great new job! Motivation: To be more active with my kid! To enjoy outdoor activities like long hikes and family bicycle rides. To be healthy for a trip to Scotland in 3 years. To enjoy more clothing choices in regular sizes not plus size.

I woke up this morning thinking, "Ooo, what if I made a character sheet of the new persona I want to be" Now, here I am posting on the NF Rebel forums What a crazy day. I'm extremely pleased to not only see so many faces here, but to see this has been around quite some time. Seems like perfect timing with this new challenge just about to start and all. Game on! My main goal is to reform my personality, to shake off my fear of photographs and mirrors, or instagram and twitter. To be as bright and shining a face on the outside as I feel on the inside. To buy suits and look sharp. To be out in public and turn off my sensors and just enjoy myself and laugh. Each day, each challenge, each level and attribute point, each of you, will help me realize my dream. Thank you for being here. Main Quest Lose 40 lbs by Dec 31 (256lbs - 215 lbs) Specific Quests Over the next 42 days (fromt Sept 14 - Oct 25) I will: 1. Lose 16 lbs (BF 30.1% - appx. 28%) 2. Lift weights at least 3x a week, at least 30 minutes a session, planning in advance what each session will be 3. Eat a 2000 calories diet every day during the challenge Side Quest To forgive myself if I have a lapse during this time, and to immediately get back on schedule

Introduction: My name is Sandra. This is my first challenge, and I think I need it. A couple years ago I embarked on a weight loss journey and lost 70 lbs. It felt good, but over the last several months its been creeping back on as I've become sedentary again and forgot about tracking my food etc. I'm also sleeping like crap. Not only that, but as I've become more sedentary all the old aches and pains are back, and worse than ever. I've been telling myself all summer I need to 'get more active', but apart from a few brief spurts here and there, I've mostly been sitting/lying around telling myself I hurt too much to move. I need the focus of a challenge, and other people to help me stay on track. My goals are fairly modest, but I'm going from zero again. Once I've mastered this hill I can look to climbing a mountain again. Main Quest: Move regularly again and use exercise and movement to regain stamina, endurance, flexibility, and reduce stress and joint pain. Hopefully that will also lead to some weight loss so I can fit into my clothes again and not look like a stuffed sausage. Weight lost matters less than how I feel - less pain, less stiffness, less exhaustion. Will be creating a 'pain/stiffness/exhaustion' scale from 1 (=none) to 10 (=most), with a goal to go from about an 8 (now) to a 2. Quest 1: Get Good Rest Getting enough sleep is crucial to feeling rested the next day, and also helps avoid overeating (using food to replace energy that wasn't gained through rest). a. Go to bed during work nights between 10 and 11 pm (goal to fall asleep by 11 pm). This will ideally mean 7 hours of sleep a night. If insomnia hits, I will NOT turn on the computer or play on my phone, but read quietly in a dim room until sleepy again. b. Make the bed every morning so that it is welcoming and ready for sleep at night. This includes clearing off bags, clothes, books, etc. Quest 2: Move it, Move it Avoiding stiffness and joint pain requires movement. I know this works for me, because it has worked in the past. Ideally this movement is low impact and regular, and includes a variety of movement so I don't get bored. a. Five times a week, go for at least a ten minute walk. If this becomes routine after a couple of weeks, add a day, and/or increase the minimum walk to fifteen minutes. If its cold or rainy or miserably hot, walk in the back halls (at work), or go to the mall. b. Work out for 20 minutes three times a week. One yoga or pilates, one cardio, and one strength, to work on flexibility, stamina, and muscle strength. I have dumbbells and a resistance band and a yoga mat and various exercise DVDs and youtube videos saved - its time to use them again. Quest 3: Track that Food Eating mindlessly is my biggest enemy. I like healthy foods and eat them regularly; but I also get sucked into eating far too many snacks and sweets, and all without thinking about it. My best success in avoiding this, while still getting to enjoy treats, was to track my food intake. Hauling extra weight on my joints is not good. Being mindful is good. a. At least five times a week, track all food eaten that day (breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks). No matter what it is, no matter how much, and no matter when. Tracking food helps minimize mindless snacking and leads to better awareness of portion sizes. b. No snacks from the vending machine at work. If I feel like snacking at work, go for a walk in the back halls instead. Any other snacks get tracked (see point a.) Quest 4: Prep for the new Cats Now that Icarus is gone, its time to get the apartment ready for new arrivals. In the next few weeks of the challenge I will go through all the cat stuff, purge what is old and broken. Carriers, cat beds, etc. will be cleaned and aired out. The floors will be cleaned thoroughly, and as much of the old cat hair will be removed from all furniture and other surfaces. Make sure the apartment is clean and welcoming to new cats. Reward: new cats! Very tangible, and very wanted. The golden goose at the top of the beanstalk. I *will* need help - buddies - to keep me on track. Without someone to be accountable too, its all too easy to fall into the procrastination trap of 'I'll start tomorrow', or 'It can wait'. Anyone who wants to be my buddy, let me know! And I will be your buddy too.

[Edit for updates! 6/16] Hello! I've been lurking on Nerd Fitness work about a month and I even started a Battle Log. Unfortunetly I fell down the stairs and hurt my ankle, which I tried to work through, but it ended up being a little to much for me. So I figured I would wait until a new challenge started so I could heal. WRONG Long story short: my depression got worse and I fell down the stairs AGAIN. This time a little more jaring. But... I did manage to keep one of my goals going during this time! So dispite everything, I gotta believe that it was still a success. (Plus I would show you my epic bruise but it's not in the most appropriate place, hehe) So as this new challenge beings, I'm going whole hog... to a point. Here it is! FIRST CHALLENGE: Main Goal: To become healthier and happier. Once I achieve 10 proper push-ups, I will achieve my Goal. Quest: 1): Clean EatingFollow 80/20 meal plan by preparing home-cooked meal and eating fresh foods (But I will not fault myself for times where I cannont avoid unhealthy choices i.e. money issues )Measurement: A= 36+ day; B= 35-29 days; C= 28-21 days; D= 20-14 days; F=13 days and less 2): Cardio ExerciseElipitcal training with a Sunday rest day. BONUS: I can only watch Parks and Recs when I'm on the elipitcal.10 min sets with a increase by one mintue a day (i.e. 10 min sets with a 5 min break.). So by the last day of the challenge I will be at 50 minutes on the machine.Measurement: A= 30+ days; B= 29-23 days; C= 22-16 days; D= 15-9 days; F= 8 days and less 3): QUEST TBA ON WEEK 4! Side Life Quest: CONTINUE ON THE CLEANING SCHEDULE! (You badass )Keep up the good work and mantain your home (but you have to start after breakfast!) I just want to make the best out of my situation and keep my depression at bay. I have a job interveiw next Wednesday, so I'm hoping that this program will keep me focused and energized for, poteintionally, my new job. In the mean time starting tomorrow, I will work on my stamina on the eliptical starting at 5 min so I can be at 30 minutes at the start of the challenge. Here goes... See you on the 8th

Hello! Well this is good timing! I'm on the long, slow grind of losing those last few pounds. Have been using MFP for ages to track calories - it's taken me the best part of a year to realise my maintenance calories have a HUGE range. Had to ditch my $10 per month subscription to Daily Burn - partly out of poverty, partly because their server is an old sack of poop and I'm tired of their excuses saying the trouble's on my end when I have absolutely no trouble streaming Netflix, Hulu etc, without constant buffering... I wrote down the kettlebell routines and there are plenty of yoga vids to watch for free online. My main challenge will be self-motivation - I like working out alone, but with instruction - even if it's just a computer shouting in my ear. This time it's going to have to come from me. Main Quest: 1. Achieve 20% body fat - should equate to getting down from 129lbs to 115lbs, but will adjust as necessary. 2. Work towards running a 10K race (mid-July) in under an hour, using a training programme. Quests: Carry on counting calories on MFP and Runkeeper - eat at deficit, eat half of exercise calories back. Strength and cardio from running and kettlebells for fitness and to maintain lean muscle mass. Yoga on rest days - vinyasa, ashtanga, or something restorative if I need a break. I use Grokker and Do Yoga With Me. Adapt this routine while on a week-long walking holiday in the Lake District - use Runkeeper on walks, suspend KBs and running, carry on with Yoga. Life Quest: Learn basic computer programming skills. To cut a long story short, I'm a performer. I don't have a back-up job, and most work-from-home stuff is either marketing or telesales, which I loathe to do. I love playing games and before I was a performer had a decent tech-based job, so I'm confident this can be done! Motivation: 1. Tried lots of different workouts over the last year, from Insanity, to weight training, to dancing, kettlebells, you name it.... and built up my strength and fitness over that time. I seem to carry all my body fat on my belly and now I want to see my hard-won abs! 2. My partner recently ran a half-marathon in a ridiculous time - while I've still got my faculties I want to do something cool, and raise awareness/money for my chosen charity too. The atmosphere at his race was out of this world as well. The race I've yet to sign up to takes you around Central London, and I don't believe there's any other event like that, aside from the London Marathon. ​3. I'm going on a walking holiday to the Lake District during this challenge. I will use Runkeeper to track those long walks. If memory serves I'll be walking all day and it will be too much, not to mention annoying to The Fellowship, should I decide to do Kettlebells or Running of an evening... Ashtanga Yoga should cover it.... Stats: Height: 5' 4" Current Weight: 129.2lbs Current Body Fat: 24.3% Goal Weight: 115lbs Goal Body Fat: 20% Is that enough info? Let me know if I've missed something out!

I was informed that I had my post in the "past challenge section," so I'm adding it here instead XD Hello, everyone! I've been following Nerd Fitness for a couple years, but I only created a forum account a couple days ago, when I noticed the start of a 6-week-challenge. I must have seen several challenges go by, and I'm not really sure what made me take notice of this particular one. But I suddenly decided that I would go for it. I actually started the challenge on the first day - two days ago. I'm just a bit late posting. ^-^' Now, I'm not in bad shape. I'm not noticably fat, and I'm strong and fast and flexible. But at the same time, I would like to lose some excess fat. There are some shirts I have that fit, but aren't flattering for my mid-section, if you know what I mean. - - So I generally stick to wearing looser shirts. Plus, there's always room to get stronger. I've been vaguely trying to get in shape for a while now, with little success. So this time, I'm going to try to keep a record of what I do each day - my excersize, and what I eat. I'd like to start by losing about ten pounds, and see where that gets me. So for this six weeks, I'm going to try to get as close to that as I can. Once I hit that goal, I'll see if I want to doible the amount. The three steps I want to take are as follows: 1. Less sugar. This might be one of my biggest problems. I want to stop snacking on sugary stuff throughout the day, and eat less for dessert. So, I'm going to allow myself only 1 piece of candy during the day, and then 1 dessert (though I may do that backwards, depending on circumstances). 2. More veggies. I like veggies, and there are plenty of ways in which I'd be happy to eat a lot of them. But sometimes I just don't... So I want to eat veggies with every lunch and dinner (or an extra lot during one meal, if I have to miss one). I may also include fruit with every breakfast. 3. Be more active. I'm fairly active already, and pretty strong. But some days I completely forget to do some kind of exercise (or I make some excuse not to do it). So this time, I want to do some form of exercise at least six days out of the week. I'm getting pretty good at running and biking, and I'll also do some body-weight workouts from this site (and possible try a few of their other workouts). I would like to get better at push-ups and pull-ups. And I'm also working to fix my posture. Though I've gotten pretty far on that already. As my extra goal, I want to write some every day. At least a paragraph, but I can sometimes do an entire chapter in an evening. (It's a story I'm writing as my graduate project - I'm actually editing. My first draft is done, so I'm mostly re-writing everything). Does this sound like a good beginning for a 6-week-challenge? And of course, good luck to all the rest of you!

Awakening the Phoenix Hello! My name is Kat and this is my first challenge. I've been wanting to join these challenges for awhile (a year?) now but have been too nervous. So really, my first challenge was even making this post. I'm a nerdy craft-person who likes to sew, cosplay, roleplay and draw. I love fantasy but my real love is scifi. Talk to me about space, Mass Effect, Star Trek, KSP, SpaceX, black holes; I'm in. I'm starting Environmental Sciences at college later this year (My love of space starts with the Earth). I love HabitRPG and have been using that for 5 months or so now to build some good habits. Now I'm using the challenge forums for that final push & accountability! I'm very interested in paleo, and have been ovo-pesco vegetarian for 12 years now, except for the last 3 years where I have started eating chicken on occasion. I'm a short, thin type of human who wants to become fit and strong. Onto why I'm here... The Big Quest To get stronger and more flexible by building healthy, lasting habits - to be reborn as the strong, powerful, flaming bird I know I amAnd meanwhile, train to join the druidsSpecifics:Build a healthy workout routine I will continue for much longer than the span of this challenge​Get my butt lower and further back when doing squatsTouch my toes with straight legs with no painLift heavy things without being afraid I'll hurt myselfLearn and catalogue paleo meal options I can turn to when hungryBecome mindful and perceptive of the world around me - listen to the rain, the birds, the windBreathe deep The Steps I will do my stretches routine 6 days a week (or more) - spread those wings I will do my workout routine 2 days a week (or more) - no more excuses; feel the burn I will have a 100% Paleo breakfast 5 days a week (or more) - easy peasy; my baby steps towards a more paleo life Side Quests Practice guitar for at least 15 minute sessions, 3 days a week30x30 challenge - 30 minutes of enjoying nature each day in May Weekly Grading Monday --> Sunday Stretches: _/6 A+: 7, A: 6, B: 5, C+: 4, C: 3-2. C-:1-0 Workout: _/2 A+: 3-4, A: 2, C+: 1, C-:0 Paleo: _/5 A+: 6-7, A: 5, B: 4, C+: 3, C: 2, C-: 1-0 15m Guitar: _/3 A+: 4-7, A: 3, B: 3 short practices, C+: 2, C: 2 short, C-: 1-0Monthly Grading for May: 30x30 (__/30) A+: 31, A: 30, B: 29-25, C-: Less than 25 Grading will be done each Sunday. Week 1Week 2Week 3Week 4Week 5Week 6

Hello evrybody, My long term goal is to loose 4 kg and fit back into a size 38 (French, which is UK 10 and US 8). My goals for this 6-week challenge are : Go back to doing 3 NF workouts a week Go for 3 30-minute walks a week Go back to eating vegetables with every meal My life side quest is to get my house more organized and clean, within these six weeks I want to tackle the study and the bedroom (on top of what I have gotten organized and am keeping clean for the moment). Or to get a more positive attitude in general !! I am a Recruit I am on NF since February this year. I am a 54 year old Belgian woman who is trying to get in the best shape she can to be ready for old age. By this I mean that I want to stay fit and lean and flexible and active as long as I can. I want to enjoy my life when I get older and don’t want to give up activities I enjoy because of avoidable health problems (a lot has been taken from me already due to breast cancer about 13 years ago). I love hiking, cycling, dancing, singing, swimming and so many other things and my deepest wish is that I can keep doing all those things till I leave this world !! I know I will not be able to if I don’t fix my condition right now. So ….. My mother was quite heavy and had problems with her heart rhythm and her knees and my eldest sister is also a heavy woman with problems with her feet, psoriasis and high blood pressure though she isn’t 65 yet !! These two images are frightening to me and I don’t want to go down that road !! But I have had a desk job in IT for 8 years or so (before that I was also working in IT but not glued to my desk like I am now). Moreover, sitting on the couch and watching TV is what I normally do in the evenings and it is very hard to get up and do something else. I only get active over the weekends and during my holidays. Watching my diet is easier. I eat a lot of vegetables as is and since I’ve started NF I hardly eat any carbs at all. But I have a weakness for wine and pretty regularly I get these ‘wrong’ evenings during which I stuff myself with almost everything I can find. My history with exercise is a love-hate relationship. Once I get started I love it and I have been a member of several fitness clubs in my life. I tend to go all out but I always give up after a while. Sometimes it’s a long while, but nevertheless. So, this time I want to hang in there until it is all a habit. Unfortunately the form of exercise I really love, which is dancing, is very hard for me to do, because I don’t have a dancing partner !! I was on the right track with NF until we went on holiday and went for long hiking trips so there was no time left for NF workouts. Unfortunately, since we got back, being tired and having no time have been the excuses to not pick it up again. That’s the main reason why I want to join this six week challenge, because this time I DO NOT WANT TO GIVE UP !!! I hope that some of you will take an interest and keep me accountable for what is happening with me, NF wise !! As a report for the first week I have nothing to report. I have to find the courage to get up and do something !!!

Hello, everyone! I've been following Nerd Fitness for a couple years, but I only created a forum account a couple days ago, when I noticed the start of a 6-week-challenge. I must have seen several challenges go by, and I'm not really sure what made me take notice of this particular one. But I suddenly decided that I would go for it. I actually started the challenge on the first day - two days ago. I'm just a bit late posting. ^-^' Now, I'm not in bad shape. I'm not noticably fat, and I'm strong and fast and flexible. But at the same time, I would like to lose some excess fat. There are some shirts I have that fit, but aren't flattering for my mid-section, if you know what I mean. - - So I generally stick to wearing looser shirts. Plus, there's always room to get stronger. I've been vaguely trying to get in shape for a while now, with little success. So this time, I'm going to try to keep a record of what I do each day - my excersize, and what I eat. I'd like to start by losing about ten pounds, and see where that gets me. So for this six weeks, I'm going to try to get as close to that as I can. Once I hit that goal, I'll see if I want to doible the amount. The three steps I want to take are as follows: 1. Less sugar. This might be one of my biggest problems. I want to stop snacking on sugary stuff throughout the day, and eat less for dessert. So, I'm going to allow myself only 1 piece of candy during the day, and then 1 dessert (though I may do that backwards, depending on circumstances). 2. More veggies. I like veggies, and there are plenty of ways in which I'd be happy to eat a lot of them. But sometimes I just don't... So I want to eat veggies with every lunch and dinner (or an extra lot during one meal, if I have to miss one). I may also include fruit with every breakfast. 3. Be more active. I'm fairly active already, and pretty strong. But some days I completely forget to do some kind of exercise (or I make some excuse not to do it). So this time, I want to do some form of exercise at least six days out of the week. I'm getting pretty good at running and biking, and I'll also do some body-weight workouts from this site (and possible try a few of their other workouts). I would like to get better at push-ups and pull-ups. And I'm also working to fix my posture. Though I've gotten pretty far on that already. As my extra goal, I want to write some every day. At least a paragraph, but I can sometimes do an entire chapter in an evening. (It's a story I'm writing as my graduate project - I'm actually editing. My first draft is done, so I'm mostly re-writing everything). Does this sound like a good beginning for a 6-week-challenge? I do have a question though. When I updats on my challenge, do I reply to my own post? And of course, good luck to all the rest of you!

So the other week I had my FIRST session working with deadlifts and it. was. awesome. Not only did I fall completely in love with this lift, but I hit 145lbs for my final set and TOTALLY felt like I could have added more weight!!! Just my little victory of the month

Hi everybody. I have been following nerdfitness for almost 2 years, it has helped me to lose some weight (15kg), and also to feel healthier and stronger but I think maybe I've hit a plateu. That's why I would like to start a 6 week challenge. Main Quest: To get below 80kg (175lb) and 18-20% body fat. Quests to accomplish the main goal: 1_Eat clean After the holidays I want to clean my diet again. This means, no sugar, no processed food, no bread, low-carb. I will allow myself 1 soda and 2-3 beers a week. 2_Record food daily and keep calories under 2100 This should mean a 2-3kg weight loss in 6 weeks. I have to weight myself this week, but I think I'm around 85kg. I'm using Myfitnesspal to keep the track. I will restart with intermittent fasting, something near 16:8 3_Workout at least 3 days a week I will start weightlifting again, 3 days a week. I would like to add 1 more day a week either walking or running. Life goals: Improve my English One post a week talking about the challenge will help. I would like to hold a conversation in English with a friend at least 2 times in this 6 weeks. Please, feel free to correct if I write anything wrong. I will update soon. Thanks.

My Wife just turned me onto this, Hoping to have a good first challenge. My Main goal: Drop and stay below 260, I am currently a big bastard at 285, I am supposed to be around 170 according my my height and wrist size, so says the internet, and that thing is never wrong. Challenge goals Diet, stay on that, that unholy son of a b**** is my downfall, my brain likes to tell my hands that my tummy needs crap foods, then my tummy doesn't like telling my brain it's full. I just need to keep calories down and make sure it's good calories going in, I need to try to get into a veggie habit (or at least eat one or two once in a while.) keep away from the bad carbs, and most importantly keep the F away from "sugary" foods. Bike to work at least twice a week, while still maintaining a good gym habit and routine. it's a 3.1 mile trip to work, some nice hills along the way, then about a quarter mile each way at lunch for the gym. Life goal Support my wife (who will be on her first challenge here too) and help her reach her goals too. Going at this like a good party, we can take on tougher mobs if we both level up together. look forward to this journey with all of you and hope I can do what I can to support everyone. You guys can do it, be the you,that you want to and most importantly be happy with the you that you are.

She set down her walking stick. Never again. She said. Never again would she be required to lean. She would stand proudly on her own two feet, and nothing could stop her. She looked to the forest and the mountain beyond which lay before her. I will conquer you. She began her run through the forest, dodging the ghouls that tried to stop her, outpacing them but only just barely. She knew if she was ever to become the assassin she dreamed to be, she had a long way to go. Her mind had always been sharp, but her body had crippled her for a long time, and it was now time to stretch her legs. MAIN QUEST A brief intro – I have been sick, most of my life. After walking with a cane for 3 years, in a wheelchair for several months, chemo, and 7 surgeries I am now walking on my own. I’m skinny, but squishy, and looking to actually be fit; to have some muscle on these squishy skinny limbs. I am now able to enjoy active hobbies like kayaking and rock climbing and trail running. I also work in a laboratory all day so it’s nice to get outside in the fresh air occasionally. So my main quest - To be able to climb a 5.10b route. (Currently at about a 5.8+) Quest 1 – Climbing into Mordor (+3 STR +1 DEX) The only way to get better at climbing is to do it! A lot! Fortunately with a gym membership to my local rock gym it is doable! I will climb 3 days every week, with the goal of completing at least one 5.9 route before the challenge time is up. A – At the gym 3 days a week, successfully climb a 5.9. B – At the gym 3 days a week (only missing maybe 1 or 2 days), unable to finish 5.9 C – Only climb 1-2 times per week. I simply couldn’t make it into Mordor. Quest 2 – Running with Orcs (+2 STA) I’ve never been much of a runner. Never have really been able to. I would like to change that! So I’m currently doing the Zombies Run 5K program! So I would like to dedicate at least 2 days per week to completing Zombies Run episodes/challenges. A – Successfully complete 2 Zombies Run programs per week. C – Successfully complete 1 Zombies Run program per week. Quest 3 – Chasing the night (+2 CON) I have always been an insomniac, with a very weird sleep schedule. I’ve also recently gone from working night shift (12:00 – 7:00am) to a day shift 7:00-4:00. Shifting to that schedule has been difficult. So I’m setting a bedtime for myself. Going to be in bed (and not reading/playing some game/etc) by 10:30, and wake up in time for work at 6:00 every day. Weekends I will permit myself to stay up until 12:00 and no later (considering I prefer 3-4:00 this is a big step) and waking up by at least 8:30. A – stick to my schedule every day. B – 1-3 slack days C – More than 3 days failing my schedules. Side Quest - Bibliomancer (+2 WIS) Writing has been a hobby of mine, almost since I could read. Unfortunately I never have the drive to finish anything that I start. So I’m participating in NaNoWriMo for the first time this year, and while I’m not sure if I’ll get 50,000 words in in November I for sure will by the time this challenge is over! A – 50,000 words in November B – 50,000 words by December C – 30-45,000 words by December

to put it simply my motivation is to walk from the set of Hobbiton in New Zealand to the mountain used as mordor. Goals- 1. run two miles 3 times a week 2. to gain about 3 pounds in muscle 3. to start attending my longsword classes again 4. follow to Paleo diet by cutting about roughly half the grains and dairy going into my system.