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It's about time Starfleet decided to create an actuarial1 department. And I'm perfect for the job! I mean, who told them to get rid of red shirts to lower workers' compensation and accidental death & dismemberment claims? Yours truly, that's who! But did they listen? Nope. Some other consultant (*cough* Wade Wilson *cough*) convinced them that they'd save on their uniform budget by sticking with red, which doesn't show the blood as much . . really? You'd think Starfleet could at least afford new uniforms for everyone. Now that they've learned from they're mistake, I'm coming on board as the Chief Actuary2 of Starfleet. Woohoo! To prep for my first day, I'm doing the following: Improve water intake. Dehydration leads to physical and mental fatigue FAST. To be at the top of my game, I need enough water. Week 1: Track water intake. Week 2-4: Steadily increase water intake until I complete the "High Quality H2O" NF Quest (3L of water per day for 5 days out of 7). Physical fitness. Continue with the Zombies Run 5K program. Should be able to run a 5K by August 15, which will give me some 'street cred' with the admirals I'll be working with. Also continue with the NF gym workouts, with extra focus on improving my push-up form. This will definitely give me street cred with those admirals. Injury avoidance: Finish reading ChiRunning, and incorporate 2-3 suggestions into my running practice. No workers' comp claims from me! Stress management: Help one of my kitties get on the fitness bandwagon - increase her activity level by playing with her daily. On the off chance I get to go on a site visit to a Starbase or Starship (wouldn't that be awesome?), I need my pets healthy enough to come along. Those are looong trips. When all that is done, I know I'll look awesome in my new uniform: blue dress (for actuarial science) with a command pin (cuz I'm in charge!). And maybe then we can do something about that red shirt liability issue. Notes 1) Actuary (noun): a person who compiles and analyzes statistics and uses them to calculate insurance risks and premiums. Basically, an insurance geek. 2) Yes this is a real title. I didn't make it up. Well, the Starfleet part is made up. And no, I'm not a chief actuary in real life (yet).

Main goal: Over the next year, I'm going to lose 50lbs, be able to run a 5k in 30 minutes, and greatly increase my flexibility and strength. And I want to be able to do a pull up. Oh and I want to get good with a longbow, but I won't own one til probably Christmas. I have some experience through an archery class but I want to increase my speed and accuracy. Challenge goals: workout 5 days a week (swimming, running, climbing, yoga and/or zumba class); cut out meat, dairy, and soda; go on at least 1 hiking trip. Life goals: help clean the house, dedicate time to taking care of myself mentally. I'm not sure how the point assignation works, but I think I'd start out at the 10 points and remove a point every time I miss one of my challenge goals. Can I give myself bonus points? If so, right now I can only run 2 miles but if I can either run 3 or shave 8 minutes off of my two Mike run time I want to give myself bonus points. Did I miss anything in this initial post? I'm working my way up to being an assassin but I'm definitely not there yet.

Let's start small and focus on a simple goal that is easily doable in 6 weeks. Bio: I am an active archaeologist working on staying strong as the field tears me down. Even with all that and my much cleaner eating, I have a hard time losing weight. It's stagnate at 178 lbs and refuses to budge. What's more aggravating, the more physically active I get, the more weight I gain. I've had my thyroid checked and there's apparently nothing wrong with it, but I am skeptical. I have taken to tracking my measurements and those do seem to change, so I've shifted my focus here as a way of tracking my success. That said, I want to work on things I've always wanted to do, but have been discouraged from due to my mass. So, I've decided to just do what I want, do it at my pace, and be as good at it as I can be. If things happen to my body then that's great, otherwise, I'm pretty ok with my body and am interested to see what I can do with it. Main Quest: To get the basics of Ballet down. I've been wanting to do this for a long time, and now that I'm in my 30's it's a great time to start, right? Quest 1: Get Bendy with it. Focus on challenging myself with advanced yoga positions and strengthening my back and hips. We're working up to inverted positions, but that's a challenge for another time. Yoga Every Morning all week. - A - DEX +1 ; STA +1 ; CON +1 Yoga 5 Mornings a week. - B - DEX +.75 ; STA +.75 ; CON +.75 Yoga 3 Mornings a week. - C - DEX +.5 ; STA +.5 ; CON +.5 Yoga 2 Mornings a week. - D - DEX +.25 ; STA +.25 ; CON +.25 No Yoga. - F Quest 2: Barre Crawl and Center Work. I've got 2 good Intro Vid teachers, so focusing on just getting my body to move right is the goal. Barre and Center 5 nights a week. - A - DEX +2 ; STA +1 ; CON +1 ; STR +1 Barre and Center 3 nights a week. - B - DEX +1.75 ; STA +.75 ; CON +.5 ; STR +.5 Barre and Center 2 nights a week, or Either Barre or Center alternating nights a week. - C - DEX +.5 ; STA +.5 ; CON +.25 ; STR +.25 Either Barre or Center 1 night a week. - D - DEX +.25; STA +0; CON +0; STR +0 No dance practice. - F Power Up: Make it to an actual ballet class at an actual school. WIS + 1; CHA + .5 Quest 3: Resistance is Strength. I want to keep my upper body in some shape, and I know I need upper body strength to maintain posture. So I want to work with my Resistance Bands or Kettlebells during the challenge. Bells or Bands 4 nights a week - A - STR +2 ; STA +2 ; CON +1.5 Bells or Bands 3 nights a week - B - STR +1.5 ; STA +1 ; CON +1 Bells or Bands 2 nights a week - C - STR +1 ; STA +.75 ; CON +.75 Bells or Bands 1 night a week - D - STR +.5 ; STA +0 ; CON +0 No Bells or Bands. - F Power up - Get bronze medals on my pedometer all week. - Counts as one night of working out. Side Quest: Clean up the craft room and toss a bunch of crap out. Be really brutal about this, I don't need all that scrap fabric and random bits of junk. Probably can live without the patterns too. Foreseen Obstacles: I will be making a big move out of state during this. It will complicate things and really cinches down my budget, so no classes at an actual school for me this 6 weeks.

Greetings and salutations! I am Ausleigh, and I am ready for this. I think. Sort of. I'm a type 1 diabetic and my overarching goal is to have my A1C down to 6.5 in 13 weeks at least. For many of you, this means nothing. Basically, an A1C is a measure of how close to in-range blood sugars are. Many people strive to get close to 6.0, but for right now, 6.5 is fine by me. :3 For those of you who read my original, unedited discussion starter, judgement of diabetics is a hot-button for me. I've had too many people see my pump or hear my meter and tell me, "Oh, you really should watch that. My Uncle Bobby lost his limbs because of diabetes." or "How high is that number? That seems bad." or even, "Should you really be having that scone right now?" Oh, and I'm a stress eater. Thank you, random stranger! You have just exacerbated this problem by about 100%! Excellent work. Now go away. Part of the problem is food. Actually, a LOT of the problem is food. BAD FOOD IS CHEAP and my brain tells me that it helps me to live!! Seriously, when our species was trying to survive and actually working our prehistoric asses off to get by, sugar was great! It's fuel, it helps to keep us going! Helps us to catch our meat! Helps us to run for our lives from the dinosaurs! Huzzah sugar! Now, however, I can count people who need excess sugar on one hand. I've tried to give up sugar cold turkey and all that jazz... it doesn't work. So, now, what I'm going to do is try and cook and bake yummy, low-carb options. If I have YUMMY low carb options, then there should be a natural cutting out of sugar. That and prayer. LOTS of prayer. My new mantra is "God, I can't do this. Help." SO here goes nothing! Wish me luck, and if you have any ideas for stats, please let me know! Mission 1: check blood sugar 4x a day. At least. A=4x a day, every day (42 days) Con+5, B= 4x a day almost everyday (at least 35 days) Con+4 C= 4x a day most days (at least 28 days) Con+3 D= 4x a day some days (at least 21 days) Con+1 Mission 2: exercise (dance, parkour, etc) 3-4 Times a week IF ASTHMA ALLOWS. Sub-mission: do not exercise when it is not wise. A=4x a week, every week (24 times) Str+5 B=3-4x a week, every week (at least 18) Str+4 C=3-4x a week almost every week (at least 14) Str+3 Mission 3: cook 2-3 low-carb meals a week that can be eaten as leftovers for other days. (I.E. explore good/yummy food!) A=3x a week, every week (18 meals) Wis+5 B=2-3x a week, every week (at least 15 meals) Wis+4 C= 2-3x a week, most weeks (at least 12) Wis + 2

Salutations! I'm Olivia and you're reading my first challenge. I came into the challenge a bit late, but I actually started before I created this thread so I'm probably right on track. I have wanted to get into shape for years, fantasising about having muscles, lifting heavy things, and running side by side with my friends on the cross country and track teams. (Also I wanted to look great in my upcoming cosplay!) My main quest is to become stronger and improve my diet. I am satisfied with the shape of my body, so I'm not aiming to lose weight, but I've lost 8 pounds so far and a few inches from my waist, hips, and thighs so I'm not complaining either First, I aim to work out 4-5 times a week. This will include two/three gym days lifting weights and two/three days running. I also have a wingman; I've had my cousin start a fitness quest of her own and we will be working together I'll be using Starting Strength for lifting and circuit training for running. Oh; and I need to remember to stretch before and after my workouts. Second, I am cutting out vegetable, corn, safflower, and canola oils and sugar. I'm not in a position right now to go full paleo, so that's the best I can do until September. Third, I want to increase my protein consumption. This will be the most difficult part as protein is very expensive where I'm living this summer. I really like Staci's 'chicken breast in a baggie' idea so I will be doing that often. My Life Quest is to improve my German skills. I just met a neighbour of mine who turned out to be German so I plan to speak with her often. And if any of our fellow rebels speak German, don't hesitate to comment in German if you want! My motivation is to look great in a Captain America cosplay by 4 September for Salt Lake Comic Con. It might seem silly, but it's something I've wanted for years and I've finally had the resources to create a beautiful costume so it really is motivational for me! (Also, if I make my fitness goals I'll let myself get a real spun aluminium shield!! Aahhhh!!)

Introduction Hi, my name is Grawlix, I always considered myself healthy if not fit until I started putting weight on a few years ago. Eventually I had put on an extra 4 stone, which beyond being immediately obvious, made it undeniable that I was really out of shape. I spent two years out of work where I struggled to find motivation but in january started a new kitchen job. The hours are long and it can be stressful but I like it and most of all I finally have the energy levels I need to really be proactive and started by walking to work whenever I have time. I discovered NerdFitness a few weeks ago and I'm now set in my path to improve myself and take control of my life once again! It all starts here Main Quest - Build base fitness ready for the quest ahead Walk to work every day - I do this most days already, its 3.2 miles on its own.Aim to walk 5 miles a day - keep track with pedometer and keep a log.Complete Beginner Body Weight Workout twice a week.Quest 2 - Basic Combat Training Attend Fight Night (Viking Reenactment) each week, track progress.Quest 3 - Tracker's Challenge As of starting this challenge you have 16 geocaching logs, catch up so you are no less than the number of weeks into the year. ie. Currently 16/22Plan and confirm your proposed camping trip.Life Quest - Sort your $%!^ out! Clean/Tidy - Make flat into a healthy, productive environment.Sort unwanted stuff to throw, sell, donate. Your material goods complicate things.Set up a proper savings account and start paying in regularly, even if its only a bit.Start sorting your debtEnjoy the summer while its still nice!Motivation F = ma : An object at rest stays at rest, an object in motion stays in motion... Do not sit and let life pass you by. (I have considered getting a tattoo of Newton's First Law on my wrist as a reminder of this for quite a long time now, I love the simplicity of it but the strong and positive connotations I have found with it. Maybe its time I finally do it.)

Hi Everyone im JabbaTheSlim (im only slim when compared to Jabba) and im excited to start with NerdFitness because i think it will help me stay on track my my lifestyle changes. Main Quest: Get a flat Stomach Support Quests: Exercise 3 times a week(Dex:1, Str:1) Do Yoga 3 times a week(im super inflexible)(Dex:2, Str:1) Switch to a at-least mainly paleo diet.(Wis:2, Con:1) Life Quest: Spend time drawing to improve my art skills.(Int:1, Cha:1) Motivation: To be able to go swimming and not feel self conscious. To look in the mirror and think happy thoughts To feel worthy of a certain someone

To the best of my abilities, this quest shall be completed. Hell hath no furries that will stop me. But life might XD. Main Quest- gain between 10 and 20 pounds of muscle. Preferably in areas you can poke my bones. Steps of this quest. 1. Eat at least 3000 calories a day. 2. Do the beginner body weight circuit until I can do it 3 times without feeling any burn. Then move on to something better. 3. Get at least 8 hours of sleep Life quest- get some decent workout gear: buy overcoming gravity, paperback edition. Buy a full body weight suit that is able to hold up, so good quality. 10-20 legs 5-10 arms 30-50 torso. Maybe more. ------- This is for when I get a chance to get on a computer Hi there. I'm a resident of the US, Southern region specifically. I'm sortof a jack of all trades guy. I have a horrible tenancy to jump from thing to thing. My main sticking points are archery, guns, blades, The Elder Scrolls, Dresden Files books, Redwall books, animes, wilderness survival, fitness, health in general, most first person shooters, and good friends. I've done everything from crocheting to blacksmithing, or attempted to anyways. Oh and I can do art. If anyone wants to see my work give me a private message and I'll guide you to my gallery. I do best with own and ink, or graphite and charcoal. Those taken care of, some really interesting things. First, I'm a furry. I identify mostly with a fox. Lean playful and intelligent. But also quiet and reserved at times. Judge if you must, but know I'm not a suiter. I might would do that some if I had one, but not often. Next, I'm a brony. And Twilight Sparkle is my girl XD I'm not fanatical about it, and I only like the friendship is magic stuff of course. It's a legitimately good show that makes life a little better for me I'm clinically diagnosed with ADD so when I go rapidly from topic to topic please forgive me. I can't really help it. Imagine, if I'm typing this much, what all I'm probably thinking. Be gentle, I'm shy. °~°

Hello there! This is my first quest and I am very excited to begin this with all of you. I got an early start on the challenge, and I've been trying to stick to my fitness goals for a couple weeks already... I couldn't resist! I'm based out of Boston, and it is getting colder and colder, so I am hoping to keep my motivation going. My fiance and I are moving in the middle of this challenge, so there may be a couple of hurdles, but I am hopefully going to be able to stick with it. Long term goal is to be fit for my wedding in June and our adventure honeymoon in Belize in July. Main Quest: Start a healthy lifestyle and lose a few inches and pounds. Goals: 1. Go to the gym and lift at least 4x per week A = 4x per week B = 3x per week C = 2x per week D = 1x per week F = 0x per week 2. Attend a yoga class at least 1x per week A = Every week C = Every other week D = Once a month F = Not at all 3. Reduce intake of foods with processed sugar to 3x week at most A = Sugar < 1x a week B = Sugar < 2x a week C = Sugar < 3x a week D = Sugar < 5x a week F = Sugar > 5x a week Life Quest: It has been a really stressful month, and it looks like it will not end any time soon, and typically when I am stressed I will shop for a quick pick me up. My goal for this challenge is to recognize when my spending habits and to reduce impulse buys significantly. A = No impulse buys B = 2 impulse buy C = 3 impulse buys D = 4 impulse buys F = > 4 impulse buys Motivation: I'm getting married, and I want to feel strong and beautiful on my wedding day. I have back pain that is the result of muscle imbalances. I would love to be able to strengthen that to reduce the pain and the need for chiropractor visits.

Main Quest - Climb Half Dome in Yosemite National Park in the 2014 season. The Half Dome climb is a strenuous, 16 mile round-trip with approximately 4800 feet of elevation change. Thus, my main quest is to put one foot in front of the other many times in a row and get to the top of some of the most beautiful country America has to offer. And then, I will throw the One Ring off of it and save all Middle-Earth. (No, no, every park ranger that just had a heart attack. I promise I will not do any such thing.) However, just like any other chubby, asthmatic hobbit who enjoys second breakfast and plenty of ale, I have a lot of training to do in the meantime to make sure that Gwaihir and the eagles don't have to come save me. - Complete Couch to 5k: This will be my primary cardiovascular and aerobic training. I've gone to week 4 or 5 multiple times in the past, but never actually finished. (Let's face it. I just hate running.) I will follow the plan and run 3 times a week. - 100% Sync: No repeats, 18 sessions. - Two strength workouts a week: using either the Sworkit app or the Beginner's Bodyweight workout here on NerdFitness. I may substitute these for self-guided yoga or long stretching routines as my health dictates. 12 sessions total. - Sworkit (100% sync) - start at 10 minutes per session, advance 3 minutes a week. - Beginner's Bodyweight (100% sync) - start at 1 set. Advance in reps or sets each week. - Hit the trails: The county has graciously given us an entire network of hiking trails - albeit much less strenuous than Yosemite - just a mile away from my house. One loop through the closest trail is 3 mi, and there are a total of 8 mi of trails all within walking distance from the first trailhead. My goal is to start at 3 mi per week - one loop this weekend - and increase each week until I reach 18 mi: an increase of 3 mi per week. While I'd like to pledge to do all those in one day, my night shift schedule often means I won't be able to awake at dawn and dedicate an entire day to hiking every week. Completion Criteria: Since some aspects of the main quest are out of my control (i.e., weather, Half Dome permits, travel logistics) I will consider this quest completed if I complete the three sub-goals successfully. Side Quests - Life Goal: There's no getting around it - I like my beer. I'm by no means an alcoholic, but I'm also keenly aware that I'm drinking many, many calories during the week, largely out of boredom or to 'wind down' (unhealthily) after work. Thus: No alcoholic drinks during the work-week. (And no binges on the weekends to 'make up' for it. 1 drink per hour ONLY + proper hydration.) - Fitness Goal: (LOCKED) Motivation:(http://52brandnew.com/2012/09/30/frequently-asked-question-7-do-you-still-seek-new-experiences-for-yourself/) "What do you fear, lady?" he asked. "A cage," she said. "To stay behind bars, until use and old age accept them, and all chance of doing great deeds is gone beyond recall or desire.†― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Return of the King ============================================================== +sheet/stats for Aes Sedai Anaelle============================================================== Age: 29 Race: Hobbit Sex: Female Height: 5'4.5" Weight: 145 lb Class: Adventurer -> Ranger Level: 0 Inventory: 1 x Fitbit, 1 x HR Monitor, Hiking Boots, 1 x flask of Scotch Companions: 2 x level 0 common housecat Strengths: Viking Metal Weaknesses: Asthma, Comfort==============================================================

Leaving Westros... The lone wolf has survived thus far, from Winterfell, to Harrenhal and the Twins, up the Trident, to the Saltpans... But now, it's time to cross the narrow sea, and winter is coming... am I ready? The Main Quest... Surviving during the war of kings is tough, but surviving as a lone wolf may prove to be even more challenging. The long nights, and the endless days of travel require endurance, determination, and willpower beyond all else. There are 21 kilometers of road to travel ahead to get from the Saltpans to the narrow sea, where the whole future lies ahead. It's going to be tough, and daunting, but crossing that distance is the only way to escape the war, and who knows what lies beyond Westros... Missions to that end... Swift as a deer: run three times each week Calm as still water: yoga twice a week Fuel for the journey: eat a whole foods, plant based diet six days of the week Life Quest... Fear cuts deeper than swords: do something extraordinary and unexpected each week Motivation... “the only people for me are the mad ones, the ones who are mad to live, mad to talk, mad to be saved, desirous of everything at the same time, the ones who never yawn or say a commonplace thing, but burn, burn, burn like fabulous yellow roman candles exploding like spiders across the stars.†Jack Kerouac On the Road I need to get out of my current rut of having no energy, and no passion. Points... Each week points (as a % of days completed) will be awarded for completion of each mission/quest. An average for each week will be determined. At the end of the challenge, an average of all 6 weeks will be determined from the weekly averages, and a 'success!' will be a 6 week average of 85% or greater. Reward TBD ... right now I'm leaning towards new running shoes.

Hey everybody. Late to the game, I know. Today I put into words what I've needed to write down for a while: it's time to lose the manboobs that jiggle when I brush my teeth. I have the tools, and knowledge, but I just haven't been able to stick with the plans I've laid out to date. Sub-goal 1: strict paleo until the end of the challenge. Fill up on quality protein and healthy fat, leave the carbs for after the workouts in sub-goal 2. Sub-goal 2: make it to and through twelve crossfit wods before the challenge is over. I only pay for twelve per month, so it's a good number to work with. Lately, there have been days where I've had a rough day at work and just want to zone out for a few hours instead of hit the gym. This month, my work day isn't over until I finish a wod or take the dog for a long walk. Sub-goal 3: sleep a full 7-8 hours per night. This is the only way to recover fully from the workouts and stressful job. Fortunately, I've been decently paleo for long enough that I don't get cravings for sugar or bread. Unfortunately, I tend to eat what's in front of me if I'm hungry, and I work with a lot of people who enjoy bringing junk food to share. My wife and I also enjoy BW3 and the beer and junk food there (and the trivia!). My reward at the end of a successful challenge will be to wear the nice, athletic cut t-shirt I bought to wear during last year's college football season and look dead sexy in it.

As soon as I discovered NF I knew I would be a warrior...why? Because lifting weird heavy stuff is fun! Lifting traditional weights is fun too. But this year had not been my best..the first 4 months were spent in PT rehabbing a tear to my labrum and rotator cuff in order to avoid surgery...then two good months, then the last month working through some ligament damage in my hip. So...my first challenge is simple...regain my once Samsonian strength through careful and planned lifting of less odd objects until I can once again lift said odd objects. OK maybe not quite like Samson but I am naturally strong, and discovered I had pretty decent maxes as a beginning lifter...I want to get back to them, and hopefully surpass them at the end of the year. How I am going to lift the cedars of Lebanon: (i.e sub challenge) 1. Paleo - I slacked off while I was injured...clean eating = better lifting...so goodbye grains,dairy, legumes. 2. Specific training plan - my normal routine plus a lil extra M/W - yoga T/TH/F - lift (oly/pl) & metcon S - yoga & endurance wod SN - tennis 10 - 20 minute bodyweight drill every AM (this is new, and how I am easing back into bench and squats since those are the two things that are hardest for me right now) 3. Accountability / Encouragement This is where I could use some serious help! I have a great support group here, but since my injury I am not as competitive as I used to be so I feel a little out of place. I'm not lifting my usual weights so I can't just rotate in. I have tried to use it as an opportunity to try to get to know some of the newer girls in the group...but I still get discouraged. I think a part of regaining my strength will be to branch out and meet new people. To share my love of lifting with people new to it, and we can encourage one another to do our best. And to cheer on my friends that are competing and doing well! I hope I can join them in December! I hope by the end if this six weeks I will be ready to start lifting strongman again...I miss kegs, logs and heavy ropes...I wish I could hug an atlas stone. :/

Hokay, I'm just gonna jump right in. : ) Motivation I got on a scale a few weeks ago and found I was 60 pounds heaver than I was last October. Basically I need to lose weight, then I can start taking levels in badass. Main Quests 1) Try Paileo Diet. At least the 80/20 version as I'm living at home and my family's not at all eating this way so when I am home from uni, evenings and weekends I have to eat something so learning how to make the best of a sub optimal situation. Breakdown: Eat Palieo 5x/week 2) Get better sleep. Its as vital as the eating and exercise. So I'm going to start going to be no later then 1am. Breakdown: Get better sleep 3) Stop. Stress. Eating. Stress eating is my shadow link, it is the insidious issue that bought me to this point to begin with. I need to eat only when I'm hungry and if I Do stress eat to eat something that's not junk. E.G: An apple beats a bag of Doritos. Breakdown: Stop eating poorly when upset/stressed. Side Quest: Finally make a Linked in account and a wordpress blog. It's a new age and I want to make myself marketable for jobs and other opportunities.

I have been reading NF for a while and there have been too many times when things have come up "preventing" me to continue improving. It's mostly me losing motivation after a rough patch. I want to have accountability and I don't really have much from the people around me so I'm turning to this challenge.