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Hey there, I'm trying to create a new device for night-time runners. Trying to get a grasp of what runners want! It would help alot if you could do this quick-survey for me! Thank you so much (its a google doc so no virus!) Also if there is anyway to make my survey better please let me know! http://goo.gl/forms/KxhtnlDPFol7skT33

It's May, and unfortunately, I'm still up on that damn plateau. 164 pounds. Yes, my jeans are getting loose. (Go me!!!) Yes, I'm finding that I can trot up the stairs (with a pack on) instead of crawl up them (really, I never crawled .... just wanted to). Yes, I am attacking days with more energy and resolve than I have in oh, about 10 years. (And I warn people in my office that I AM A SHARK. They think I'm cute and energetic.....what do they know???) But sooner or later, that scale IS going to reflect the new reality. Or else!!! So, I need to exert discipline - train harder and sacrifice things that are holding me back. (Yes, I'm looking at you, wine and pizza. Don't think I didn't notice that you account for the majority of my calories each week.) I really need a big, solid goal to work toward that puts me back into the "training for" mindset: Warrior Dash 2017!!!! Soon enough to be serious, but far enough away to be feasible. I'm taking Margaret Schlachter (from Dirt in Your Skirt) as my Jedi Master. Her book is an easy introduction that is getting me started. There's probably better, more in-depth books out there, but I don't want to become an underpants gnome. I've got enough to get started and a year to work on upper body strength and agility. And mental toughness. Getting off the plateau (Get down to 162 lbs or less) It can be difficult to find your way down if you've lost the trail. Trust me, I get lost fairly often on hikes, and I know this to be true from experience. So, what's the plan????? 1) Use your body!!! 28 days of OCR fitness training, based on Schlacter's example workout .... which is mostly bodyweight training. That schedule includes rest days, and I've already planned out how to gradually increase the challenge over the coming year. Plus, it also involves preparing to run 5K, which will keep me in training to do fun runs, like the Color Run and a Zombie Run. 2) Embrace the obstacles in front (or below) you. Do obstacle-specific training. Every non-rest day. I'd randomize them, but I'll have to allow for passing on exercises that require equipment that isn't readily available on that day ... like the bouldering wall at the campus gym. 3) Keep moving!!! It's one of my favorite ways to tackle a dungeon. It's not efficient, but it eventually you will get out. Or die, which is another way of finding the way out on the corpse run. In this case, increase step count to 11K per day. And don't die. 4) Travel light. (That's what I'm trying to do here .... Didn't you see the goal above? Oh yea, I did see that. But do you realize that you're talking to yourself???? Must be the heat and dehydration. You better get off this plateau. Yea, like I'm not trying .....) Keep net calories at 1375 per day BUT distribute over 5 or 6 smaller meals each day. 5) Live off the land!! (Cuz there ain't much cake and ice cream up on that there plateau.) Increase protein. It's at 75 grams average right now, which is low for trying to build muscle. Aiming for 82 grams. I think protein powder is going to be my new friend. And low sugar jerky. And salad greens and carrot sticks. Cut out the wine, eat less pizza even on Friday, and fill up on fruits and veggies.

Hiya… I’m a little late, but since I have a new goal it’s time for another challenge :). For those who don’t know me, I’m a grad student and powerlifter. I haven’t been around the past few challenges since I’ve been struggling with some chronic health issues that flared up in September. For the most part I’ve maintained my NF-inspired habits, but there are a few things I want to focus on for the next 22 days. Goal 1: 10,000+ steps, as measured by my Fitbit, each day. This is the new goal and, as evidenced by my title, the focus for this challenge. I’m holding on to a bunch of extra weight because of all of the endocrine issues, and I need to find a way to shift it without having my body flip out because I’m asking too much of it or cutting calories too low. So… lots of walking. To give an idea of where I am now, since my work is pretty sedentary and I bike more than walk, I’ve been averaging ~5,000 steps/day before this. Grading: A = 21+ days, B = 19-20 days, C = 17-18 days Goal 2: Take all the supplements, and take them at the right time (I’m pretty good about this, but sometimes miss my afternoon/dinner supplements). Grading: A = <=3 misses, B = <= 6 misses, C = <= 9 misses Goal 3: Have regular Epsom salt baths (~3x/week). Grading: A = 9+ baths, B = 7-8 baths, C = 5-6 baths LUYL Goal: Meditate every day. I’ve mostly been using the Stop, Breathe, Think app to track this. Grading: A = 21+ days, B = 19-20 days, C = 17-18 days Otherwise, I’m still making lift, eat, and sleep my priorities. On the food front, I’m still following the Autoimmune Paleo Protocol, but with a more moderate carb intake (mostly from sweet potatoes, plus a little fruit). Lifting is finally feeling good again, and I’ve gotten into a good routine with a variation of Wendler’s 5/3/1 that has me lifting 4x/week. Progress has been super slow the last several months, but I’ve taken this as an opportunity to work on my form and weaknesses (good-bye rounded back deadlifts!). At the end of my last cycle, my heavy singles were 245 lbs (squat), 135 lbs (bench), 310 lbs (deadlift), and 95 lbs (OHP).

The base goal for the year remains to lose weight!!! Goal weight is still 146 pounds by the end of 2016. During March, I pretty much maintained on my plateau. I don't like it up there, and I want to come down and play with all the rest of the nerds. Process goals: 1) Reduce Net Calorie Intake by 10% The good news is that I tracked my calorie intake pretty well in March. It hurt sometimes to record a monster caramel roll at 800 calories (!) or a big bowl of Kemps premium chocolate and peanut butter ice cream. But I've established my actual maintenance calorie intake rather than a calculated estimate: 1538 net calories average per day. So .... new target calorie goal (net) for the April challenge is ...... 1384 calories. That's going to take some work and discipline!!! So ..... 2) Increase Movement by 10% My FitBit is my friend. I probably need to develop more friendships and get out a lot more, but this device is a constant data gathering wonder that tells me that I'm not very consistent in my daily activity. In March, my average step count has fallen to 9K. In April, I'm increasing my goal to a daily 10K. I should be able to fit in walking around campus and stair climbing, but I will also work at programmed fitness activities (running and weight lifting), which the FitBit tracks pretty well. 3) Weekend Food Preparation Saturday or Sunday needs to be cook-ahead day so that I have healthy lunches in easy reach at the office. This builds on the February Bento Baby challenge and incorporates Staci's article on meal prep. This makes it easier to avoid fries and chips and goopy mayonnaise-laden sandwiches .... plus, it also usually lets me get out for that noon walk ....... 4) Training Never Stops (Flexible Discipline) No, flexible discipline isn't some new sadistic type of yoga. It means that I will commit to working out every day, but that I will have a variety of workouts from which to choose. I'll set them up and then select from options based on how I feel, the weather, and Mr. Wizard's desire (or lack thereof) to participate. AND ..... I will be soliciting votes from the audience as I continue to write my RP story. A little randomness keeps it interesting. Finally ..... 5) Advance Planning for Missions!!! Sunday is a day to clean up and get ready for the coming week. I may not be able to do all 21 of the Easy Things to Do On Sunday That Will Make Monday Suck Less, but I will do as many as I can. Grading .... Well, I track calories on LoseIt and steps on FitBit, but I'll put a summary up in Google docs, unless we get progress bars working again. And, I'm going to averages really, rather than try to be perfect every day. If I can hold calories and steps to a good average each week, I'll count that as a major win!!!

MAIN QUEST: Lose Weight Feel Great! To hit my goal range of 125-135 and do it in a healthy way! Goals (diet and fitness related) that will help me achieve Main Quest: I feel like I just haven't made much progress at all the last 15 challenges. I keep losing and gaining the same 10 pounds lately... Not really sure how to fix this, but I just keep trying! Back story: All through high school I struggled to GAIN weight. I weighed 110 pounds all through high school. I am 5'2", so that's a "healthy" weight, but I really was way too thin and didn't have any muscle. Then I started having babies and started gaining weight. My heaviest was 219. I am at 205 now. I have managed over the years to diet myself down to 165 at the lowest, but it was a very unhealthy diet (around 500 calories a day) and I started losing my hair, so I decided I would rather be fat and have hair than to thin with no hair lol 1. #OneDerland - Get under 200 lbs - This is obviously a pass/fail, and I know a lot of people will say "muscle weighs more than fat blah blah blah" but I weigh 205 lbs and I am 5'2", this is ridiculous! I NEED to lose pounds! Edited to add: I guess I need some plan to get me there, huh? I don't like counting calories all the time because I tend to obsess over it and then I just don't eat, which is unhealthy. (I understand that counting calories works for a lot of people, and my NASM training is going to tell me all about it lol but I just get too obsessed) I also tend to do whatever eating plan my current Beachbody program uses, but this means changing my "diet" every 4-8 weeks, which is also not working for me. So, I think I am going to take a Paleo 2.0 approach with occasional calorie counting, just to make sure I am not eating way more than my body needs. I will be eliminating the following: Gluten - already gone from my diet Processed junk Soy Sugar I will eat minimal dairy (already stopped drinking milk, but still eat hard cheese and butter) No stopping for candy bars and sodas!! Gotta get my shit together! A: 25-28 days B: 21-24 days C: 17-20 days D: 13-16 days F: <13 days Pass = 2 CON, 2 CHA 2. #FitGirl - Workout 6 days a week. This will include 22 Minute Hard Corps, Girls on the Run and CIZE on the weekends. A: 22-24 days B: 19-21 days C: 15-18 days D: 12-14 days F: <12 days Ability to earn 2 STA, 2 STR, 1 DEX points. 3. #10000Steps - yep, back to that one lol I feel like I will make myself work out more if I HAVE to hit 10,000 steps a day! (6 days a week... Sunday is my rest day!) A: 22-24 days B: 19-21 days C: 15-18 days D: 12-14 days F: <12 days Ability to earn 3 STA points PICK YOUR SIDE QUESTS Side Quest 1: #Study - Ok, for reals this time... I have access to my course again, so I need to crack down on this. And I need to give myself a deadline. I need to take my test before teacher's academy starts in June (IF I get into the teaching program!), so I need to take my test by the end of May! Grading: A: 25-28 days B: 21-24 days C: 17-20 days D: 13-16 days F: <13 days Ability to earn 1 WIS and 1 CHA point. Side Quest 2: #DropInReady - I am changing this, because the crafty stuff is probably not going to happen this challenge... too much other stuff going on. So, this is just do dishes every night before bed and put away laundry! Grading: A: 25-28 days B: 21-24 days C: 17-20 days D: 13-16 days F: <13 days Ability to earn 1 CHA point #OneDerland - 0/7 - 0/7 - 0/7 - 0/5 - 0/26 #FitGirl - 0/6 - 0/6 - 06 - 0/6 - 0/24 #10000Steps - 0/6 - 0/6 - 06 - 0/6 - 0/24 #Study - 0/7 - 0/7 - 0/7 - 0/5 - 0/26 #DropInReady - 0/7 - 0/7 - 0/7 - 0/5 - 0/26 Rewards(these might change... especially if I just end up buying the stuff before I lose the weight. I'm awful lol): Start: 219 Goal 1: -30 lbs: 190 or waist size 35" - 10 shirts from $6 t-shirts dot com Goal 2: -40 lbs: 180 or Waist size 34" - IKEA desk chair Goal 3: waist size 33" - Target gift card Goal 4: -50 lbs: 170 or Waist size 32" - ?? Goal 5: Waist size 31" - ?? Goal 6: -60 lbs: 160 or Waist size 30" - Blackwing Subscription Goal 7: -70 lbs: 150 or Waist size 29" - Anchor tattoo and wrist quotes Goal 8: -80 lbs: 140 or Waist size 28" - Lionheart tattoo Goal 9: -90 lbs: 130 or Waist size 27" - New wardrobe - shopping spree!! STATS: Female/41 Start Weight: 219 (BMI 40.1) Current Weight: 205 Goal Weight: 125-135 Height: 5'2" Jeans size: 14-16 Diet: 21 Day Fix I reserve the right to change my challenge week to week if I get bored!! 03/06/2016 (will be redoing these April 1st) Waist: 38" Hips: 42" Chest: 39." Thigh: 26" Calf:16.25" Bicep: 13.25"

I'm coming over to the druids for this challenge since it's mostly about self refection and improvement. I have lost my muchness and I need to find it again. EAT ME, DRINK ME Maintain Calories in the Green Zone tracking with MyFitnessPal and my FitBit I cannot outrun my fork. I cannot get healthy by over OR under eating. I need to eat the proper amount to fuel my body. I will also try to limit my fast food and junk food by eating at least 1 homecooked meal a day. Slimfast shakes for lunch at work will help me feel full and satisfy my sweet tooth. Eat a minimum of 1 veggie a day, preferably with dinner. Need to get better about eating my veggies. Will work to include at least 1 portion of veggies at 1 meal a day. Start small, and achievable. FOLLOW THE WHITE RABBIT “My dear, here we must run as fast as we can, just to stay in place. And if you wish to go anywhere you must run twice as fast as that.” Complete NF Beginner Bodyweight Workout Lvl 1 3x/Week. Try to Lvl up to Lvl 2 by the end of the challenge, but this is not required to pass. I rocked out this workout last challenge and I hope to continue the momentum. The scale and clothes don't lie! My knees have been giving me a lot of problems, so I have forgone the Bodyweight Workouts this challenge. Do FUN activity thrice a week This can be yoga, walking, darebee apocalypse, hula hoop, jumping rope, wrestling with the boys, etc. Whatever is fun and gets me moving! Even extreme cleaning can count! Walk An Average of 5 Miles a Day (35 per week) Gotta walk to Mordor! REGAINING MY MUCHNESS “Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?" "That depends a good deal on where you want to get to." "I don't much care where –" "Then it doesn't matter which way you go.” Organize 1 Bin of Unused Items Every Week To Donate To Charity I have a house filled with extra knick nacks and clothes and stuff that I do not use and do not need. It is wasted extra that need to be donated to others who may use it. I will focus on deep cleaning/organizing one area of the house every week and in the process collect at least one box (generally going to use the big pampers diaper box) of goodies I don't use/need to donate to a local charity. Meditate with my Mantra Daily Over the last challenge I worked on a mantra for myself that I could memorize and practice daily to keep me mindful of what I want to be and do. While I wont list the actual mantra here for personal reasons, I have memorized it and will practice in daily in my sacred altar space as I meditate on the energy I wish to manifest in myself. No excuses, no skipping. Work to figure out which way I want to go.

Basically, my goal since the founding of the Blue Group at the Temple of the Jedi has been to figure out what real life skills and abilities would approximate the fictional abilities and skills of Jedi Knights. Or any of the heroic paladins from myths, epic tales, fantasy/sci-fi books, and role-playing games. And then .... here's the kicker .... figure out how to train up to be like my favorite characters from those stories, D&D and RPGs. I have been working on my long-term curriculum for quite a while and am gradually copying it over to my Epic Character page. Meanwhile .... here we are for the March challenge. The overall challenge for the rest of the year is to get down to "normal" range for my height, age, and gender. 146 lbs. Below 150 for the first time in 9 years. There. I said it. I commit to it. I will do it!!! Why??? I will feel better and be able to do more things that I want to do. I will look better and have greater self esteem. I will view myself with greater self-respect. During the golden years of the Temple of the Jedi, I weighed 127 lbs (21% body fat). Right now, I don't feel like myself, and I certainly don't look like myself. Part of my RPG story is the path to recovering my best self. How?? A Jedi May Need to Ration Food As much as I hate to do it, I am going to count calories. For MARCH, I will simply count them. No budget .... just setting the bench mark in preparation for setting a budget on calories and macros in April. A Jedi is in tune with the Force 1) I will impose discipline and avoid alcohol. I've already gotten coffee intake down to two cups per day, but alcohol is empty calories ..... and probably accounts for most of the weight I've gained gradually over the past decade. 2) I will meditate. I've already started a meditation PLP and am up to 12 minutes, adding a minute each day until I get to 30. It does help calm me and prevent emotional eating A Jedi trains every day 1) I am going to run a 5K at the end of the month; so I will do training runs 3 times each week for a total of 12 2) I will do strength training OR go to karate class 3 times each week for a total of 12 March Bonus Goal To do something worthy of a cool, custom title. What's that, Yoda??? Eh. Sorry, but you're wrong. I've been here a long time, and I feel like I should have done SOMETHING noteworthy. It's cold in the shadows. Changing Targets After 2 years of JOB HUNTING, I finally have a real, full-time position. No more project work. No more contract work. No more adjunct classes. The rub is where we currently live forces us to commute a long way. My new job is an hour away. Hubby's job is 45 minutes away. So, we're moving .... again. (I probably set the record for number of moves during the years I've been at Nerd Fitness. I'm an accidental gypsy.) So, I'm switching targets from job hunting to house hunting. We'll see how long my prey eludes me .....

Welcome, welcome!!!!! Draw up a chair and sit here by the fire while the assembled company prepares its boasts and plans for the coming month!!! I have no doubt that many brave deeds are being contemplated right now. At month's end, many a glorious tale will be told. And more than a few heroes will find themselves back here to nurse wounds and plan anew. I myself am taking a month's leisure to strum a merry tune of an evening and prepare for a long journey, waiting only for the easing of the winter cold before I am bound for the East, to see new lands and seek treasures I've only known of in tales. No one knows for sure what we will encounter on the way; so I need to prepare quite a number of things: 1) Healing Potions and Bandages I seem to catch minor illnesses with some frequency, which interferes with strenuous activity and training. There is a great deal of opinions about what remedies and preparations will prevent one from becoming ill ... or in speeding recovery. I plan to spend time each day reading at the great library and consulting with the local alchemists about the most effective items to take now and to bring with me on the adventure to come. I am a bit frustrated with my frequency of catching the "crud" and plan to do some research into effective ways to improve immunity, adopting tactics that have support of research. Some are obvious ... like getting good sleep and drinking plenty of water. But even a quick look at Harvard Health shows me that there are some stones I've left unturned. If I'm not feeling good, I often don't workout .... or I take it easy ..... so it takes longer to reach goals. I'm going to find ways to stay on task and working hard longer. 2) Food Well, food. A traveler may find places to eat along the road, but the quality of the victuals is often ...... questionable. And one might be better served by eating an apple and greens rather than fried porridge. I am preparing foods to bring with me so that I do not need to rely upon fast food served by the MacDonalds or other similar families. Their pubs may look inviting, but I've heard tales about their chicken nuggets that would curl your toes. I've had two interviews for a job in the Twin Cities at the University. Yea, that doesn't mean that I'll get it, but I started thinking about logistics and remembering that LUNCHES are often a real challenge. And that dinner can also mean that we go out because we're both tired and not interested in cooking. So, I'm going to get back into the habit of cooking ahead and preparing Bento Box lunches for each week day. Even if I'm working on projects on my own time table, this is not a bad thing to do, and it's more interesting than popping a frozen burrito in the microwave to be swilled down with warmed up coffee. 3) Gear I've been gathering up traveling clothes for a few weeks. I've garnered a nice, warm cloak and sturdy hiking boots, suitable for the cold. But I still need a few changes of shirts and trousers. And my time-keeping device has entirely lost the band that keeps it on my wrist. I need to dig through my packs and figure out what I will need for the trip, but I am sure many of my adventuring supplies are worn out or missing. I've been too long sitting by my fire, strumming a tune on this guitar. It is time for an adventure!!! I let my winter gear wear out and not be replaced. I got a few things for Christmas (parka and boots), but I still need more base layer items and a replacement for my FitBit, especially since for goal #5, I need to be prepared for what February in Minnesota can dish out. It can be damn cold (-30F) or very snowy, depending upon the year. 4) Spells No bard would take to the road .... nor no ranger either ..... without having essential spells memorized. It's a dangerous world out there, and one never knows if charm or a wolf will be needed to smooth the way. I am going to finish my personal trainer certification book by the end of February. I won't be able to take the test until April, which will let me work on memorization, but I want to learn the material and put it to work in my own life. 5) .... and I shall spend fair days in scouting the way ahead, as much as the snows permit, of course. It's best to know the lay of the land .... and start to get toughened up for the long walk. I'll gradually go out further each day to stretch my legs and get used to traveling in the cold again. One thing that helps keep me healthy is getting outside to exercise DAILY. Even if it is just a 30 minute walk, the fresh air really does seem to help. This can be a challenge!!!! And the gear for a February afternoon stroll can weigh more than 10 pounds .... so I'll get a leg up on prepping for a Go Ruck or OCR.

Ok so it is way past my bedtime (off to a great start, aren't I??) so I will throw down these goals really quickly and elaborate later as needed. Since last month's challenge was a mediocre success, I am tweaking the formula but going with the same basic goals. I will repeat what needed more work, and I will amp up the goals that I was successful in achieving. Based on my learnings from last challenge, here goes: Diet Reduce coffee-with-cream drink at office to one per day, after that, consume only black coffee or herbal tea drinks (round 2 - need to make this a habit!)Meet my MFP calorie intake goal 5 out of 7 days of the week (I have committed to a 500 cal/day deficit - on the other two days I will not eat more than I burn)Side note: I have converted to MyFitnessPal for food logging because it lets me delete the Fitbit's ridiculous calorie adjustments and helps keep me real. More discussions to come. Have you also had this experience?? Reply to this thread and let's chat about it!It's official: this round the goal IS weightloss. I'll start small, and while aiming for a pound a week, I'd take half a pound also. The point is that I'm sticking to the realistic calorie deficit and aiming to shed some weight! Fitness Meet my Fitbit activity goal of 5 active days per week (go for a 40+ min walk, use stationary bike 30+ minutes, cardio or yoga, etc) Level Up Your Life Wake up no later than 6 am on weekdays, and 8 am on weekends (If I have not slept enough I will give myself a free pass on Sundays for a reduced grade, but I'm hoping to not need it)As evidenced by the fact that I'm posting this at midnight, I'm clearly a night owl and I struggle with sleep like nobody's business. I'm hoping by forcing myself to get up early it will help create a more habitual routine that will have me falling asleep earlier at night (although chances are I may become prone to napping and narcolepsy... well, we'll see lol)

Hello Adventurers! I'm fairly new to Nerd Fitness and looking to start a challenge (plus make some friends while doing this). For Christmas I received a Fitbit, so some of my goals below will be easier to track with it. BTW, here's to a new year... Goal #1 (Diet) - Have a salad, fruit, or veggie each day. Goal #2 (Diet) - Cook one healthy meal at home per week. Goal #3 (Fitness) - Walk 5k steps per weekday and 8k on weekend days. One day my goal will be 10k steps. Goal #4 (LUYL) - Get at least 7 hours of sleep each night. Eventually the goal will be 8 hours of sleep, but I barely get 6 or 7 now. To follow along with my progress, please click here. Points (out of 104): Goal #1 - 1 point per day completed (max. 28) Goal #2 - 5 points per week if a meal is made (max. 20) Goal #3 - 1 point per day completed (max. 28) Goal #4 - 1 point per day completed (max. 28) A = >92 B = 92-83 C = 82-72 D = 71-62 F = <62

I have been at Nerd Fitness for one year. What?? One whole year in the Rebellion, most of that among my beloved Rangers... and yet I still have not really found a system that works. I still feel like a n00b. A hatchling, you could say. As a hatchling, I have to learn how to live - how to move, how to eat, how to survive. It seemed kinda fitting to the place I'm at in my fitness journey. I won't say I lack success - I've had many successes over the past year - but I lack consistency, and I lack progress. I've been able to maintain my weight and keep some small modicum of physical activity in my weeks, but really, I'm stuck. I have not made the progress I imagined I would make. So, it's time to hatch out of my shell, put in some real work and learn how to live! 30+ minutes of physical activity every day. With the help of my new shiny FitBit, this shouldn't be hard to track. It can be 30 minutes of anything - yoga, walking, running, bodyweight circuits, whatever I feel like or have time for. I've found that an easy way to do this is to hop on the elliptical after dinner, so I really don't have any excuse at all for being more active. IN ADDITION, starting January 9th, I'm finally beginning the parkour class that I've had my eye on for forever, and I AM STOKED! So that is at least two days out of every week that I will be guaranteed a workout - the actual class and one other day of attending open gym. Stick to macros. I'm trying to get my diet in line, and my first step is to make sure I'm not eating a whole week's worth of calories every day! Haha. While I do want to go back to the paleo diet eventually, since I saw huge success with it before, it does get expensive and I can't do it all the time. So right now my focus is plain-old calorie counting, as boring as that is. Gotta start somewhere, right? Read my Bible daily. I am so forgetful about my Bible reading, and I really want to make it a habit but it always seems to slip my mind. So once more, I am including it in my challenge goals, in the hopes that it will at least keep me coming back to it. Do my homework as soon as it's assigned. I just completed my fall semester at college, and boy, was it a rough one. My courses were the hardest yet, and sometimes I was struggling to stay caught up. My main problem was my procrastination - I waited until way too late to start, and then couldn't always figure out what was going on. I still finished with all A's and B's, so it could have been worse; but I am extremely lucky I didn't suffer more for it. This semester is going to be even harder than the last, and so it is critical that I stay on top of my studies right out of the gate. School starts January 11th. tl;dr ~ 30+ minutes of activity daily ~ Stick to macros ~ Read Bible daily ~ Do homework as soon as it's assigned ETA: Mini-Challenge Feats

All excuses aside, I'm going down this month. My main quest is weight loss, and I've been to wimpy to reflect that in my goals lately. I've had some lovely side quests. I found some delicious foods to cook and I've squatted an intimidating bar. But my weight loss goal has plateau'd because I've been avoiding it, plain and simple. Holidays are over, and I am striking back with a vengeance. Goal 1. Healthy Eating I am shooting for six out of seven days of healthy eating. This works with my own personal checklist that includes eating lots of vegetables and reasonable portion sizes. I will use it to lose a pound a week. In addition, I'm adding two sub-goals A. No french fries. Seems like we've been eating out an awful lot lately. If it's just once and a while, it doesn't hurt to eat some fries. But it's become a habit, so I'm cutting them out entirely for the month of January. B. Kid vegetable challenge. This isn't my own eating, but we've made a New Year's Resolution in our house. Ok, the "we" is a little misleading. Mando Baxter and I are 100% on board. The Nickster and the Golden Boy are complying only because we've linked the goal to screen usage. Ha! Ha! Ha! Evil parent laugh. Since one child eats vegetables occasionally and one child never ever eats any, we're starting small. For January, every child must eat 1/2 cup of vegetables a day before he can turn on a screen. The goal for me is to make this stick through the whining and complaining. Goal 2. Stay Active I'm using my fitbit this challenge to help keep me going the extra mile. I've signed up for the walking PVP and I'm going to walk 100 miles this challenge. That is an average of between 8000 and 9000 steps a day on the fitbit. I test drove the fitbit for 20 days in November. I became a little obsessed, and finally took it off when I developed a blister on my wrist under the band. This time around, I'm going to be less obsessed. I will not be measuring my sleep quality and will be taking it off from time to time. But the numbers from November gave me a good idea of a decent goal for myself. 100 miles will be hard - but obtainable. Goal 3. Work Out This is my usual morning routine. It's proving to be the part of fitness that I look forward to the most. I do strength MWF and cardio TTh. Outside cardio will boost the fitbit numbers, so I'll shoot for at least two this month. So, I'm looking forward to seeing the new changes here on NF. The four week challenge will be tricky for me come February. The family is going to Disney the first week, so I will be tempted to skip the whole month. Probably not what the NF masters intended with the new shorter format, but I'll worry about that later. For now, watch out plateau!

So I am back and doing my best to respawn since getting royally pwned by life a year and a bit ago. To account for the absence I took myself down to level 1 (and adjusted my stat points accordingly). I'm restarting in the rebels since I don't feel that I can commit to any of the specific guilds just yet. I will continue to eye up the Warrior guild however, as I felt most happy lifting heavy things and for the first time in ever I saw progress I was loving and I didn't care about the scale at all. Maybe one day I will be able to make it back to that level of commitment, but baby steps, for now. Since I left NF, my weight hasn't really changed, but my body composition sure has. I've always had a 'base layer' of extra fat on my body that puts me into the overweight BMI category. I would use that Cartman excuse "I have big bones" and that may be somewhat true, but facing facts I know I overeat and I would really like to burn off some of that fat. I've read the paleo/weight lifter opinions that you need to strength train and eat lean proteins/veggies/fruits while avoiding grains and dairy to lose the fat and I totally respect that - but the intense paleo diet is too big of a commitment for me. I keep some grains in my diet - the whole ones, while mostly omitting breads and baked goods. Regardless, my current goals are calorie in vs. calorie out in nature as well as healthy foods in. I'll work my way up to the more intense diet plans perhaps, but for now I know it's not sustainable for me and I need to aim for something more realistic. I have always had good success with meal and fitness tracking when I was very determined to lose weight, but I found it easy to ignore my apps if I was feeling guilty about not living up to my goals. The most challenging part about having to enter all of your diet and fitness into a tracking app is that sometimes it's hard to know just how many calories you burned in a day (I don't know how far I walked or what my heart rate was) and many home made foods are tough to account for in terms of calories unless you enter all the ingredients separately and weigh/measure everything. It gets tedious. I wanted to try the Fitbit Charge HR to take some of the guesswork out of the calorie burn side of the equation. I've been using it since the beginning of December and am proud to say I have been consistently logging my food intake again (though home made foods still pose a challenge). Over the last month I have learned/confirmed a few things: my new job is resulting in me being more sedentary than ever before; I do not get enough sleep; I eat or want to eat much more than I burn in a day - even if it is nutritious food. So, with all that in mind, I set for myself the following challenge: Diet Reduce coffee-with-cream drink at office to one per day, after that, consume only black coffee or herbal tea drinksMeet my Fitbit calorie intake goal 5 out of 7 days of the week (I have committed to a 500 cal/day deficit - on the other two days I will not eat more than I burn) Fitness Meet my Fitbit activity goal of 5 active days per week (go for a 30+ min walk, use stationary bike 30+ minutes, cardio or yoga, etc) Level Up Your Life Go to bed 10 minutes earlier each week While these goals don't sound tough, I have been struggling on my own with them for some time - so hopefully some accountability will push me over the wall! Happy New Year and good luck to everyone!! ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ While this is unnecessary for the challenge, I'd like to celebrate some Past Achievements (things I'm already doing that I would like to continue): Diet: Only sweeten coffee/tea with stevia instead of sugar, or do not use sweetenerEating nutritious, whole foods - organic and local as much as possibleIncreasing produce purchase from local farmer's marketMeticulous food intake entry into calorie tracker appLevel Up Your Life: Choosing a few new recipes per week from my Clean Eating and Power Foods cookbooks - trying new ways to keep my diet clean and healthyReading 1-2 books for pleasure per month (brand new library card - aw yeah!)

MAIN QUEST: Lose Weight Feel Great! To hit my goal range of 125-135 and do it in a healthy way! Goals (diet and fitness related) that will help me achieve Main Quest: I have managed to GAIN some weight back. I need to get back on track!! I feel like I have always done better when I do a challenge revolving around pounds lost, so I am going to go back to that at least for a while! I am also doing a Challenge Du Jour for workouts, if anyone wants to join me, here's the link: https://www.teambeac...ingRepId=558773. I am working on getting 10,000 steps a day again, and am paying myself $1 for each day I do it, I know that's not a LOT but it buys art supplies! Speaking of art, that's one of my side quests... get working on developing my art skills! And my other side quest is blogging and vlogging! I am really wanting to step way out of my comfort zone and start a YouTube channel and actually vlog in 2016!! 1. #LoseWeight - get to 199 during this challenge A: 199 lbs B: 200-201 lbs C: 202-204 lbs D: 205-206 F: 207 or more lbs Ability to earn 3 CON points. 2. #FitGirl - Challenge Du Jour workout every day, with one rest day a week as an option A: 22-24 days B: 19-21 days C: 15-18 days D: 12-14 days F: <14 days Ability to earn 2 STA, 2 STR points, 1 DEX points. 3. #10000Steps - 10,000 steps on my FitBit every day! Plus I get $1 for each day I do this! A: 25-28 days B: 22-24 days C: 19-21 days D: 15-18 days F: <15 days Ability to earn 2 STA point, 1 DEX point PICK YOUR SIDE QUESTS Side Quest 1: #ArtsyFartsy - I want to get back into art, so I will be working on the following each day: -handlettering -brushlettering -drawing -coloring with Copics and colored pencils Grading: A: 25-28 days B: 22-24 days C: 19-21 days D: 15-18 days F: <15 days Ability to earn 1 WIS and 1 CHA point. Side Quest 2: #TalkAboutIt - I want to start vlogging and blogging once a week I will get one point for blogging and 1 point for vlogging Grading: A: 8 (4 blog posts, 4 videos) B: 6 (3 blog posts, 3 videos) C: 4 (2 blog posts, 2 videos) D: 2 (1 blog post, 1 video) F: 0-1 Ability to earn 1 WIS point, 1 CHA point #FitGirl - 0/6 - 0/6 - 06 - 0/6 - 0/24 #10,000 steps - 0/7 - 0/7 - 0/7 - 0/7 - 0/28 #ArtsyFartsy - 0/7 - 0/7 - 0/7 - 0/7 - 0/28 #TalkAboutIt - 0/2 - 0/2 - 0/2 - 0/2 - 0/8 Mini Challenges: Mini 1: Mini 2: Mini 3: Mini 4 Mini 5 Mini 6: Rewards(these might change... especially if I just end up buying the stuff before I lose the weight. I'm awful lol): Start: 219 Goal 1: -30 lbs: 190 or waist size 35" - Lightboard Goal 2: -40 lbs: 180 or Waist size 34" - Jane Davenport Supplies Me Drawing Course Goal 3: waist size 33" - New Pair of Cross Trainers Goal 4: -50 lbs: 170 or Waist size 32" - Copic Clothing Kit & Clowder Course Goal 5: Waist size 31" - IKEA desk chair Goal 6: -60 lbs: 160 or Waist size 30" - Blackwing Subscription Goal 7: -70 lbs: 150 or Waist size 29" - Anchor tattoo and wrist quotes Goal 8: -80 lbs: 140 or Waist size 28" - Lionheart tattoo Goal 9: -90 lbs: 130 or Waist size 27" - New wardrobe - shopping spree!! STATS: Female/41 Start Weight: 219 (BMI 40.1) Current Weight: 207 - UGH!! Goal Weight: 125-135 Height: 5'2" Jeans size: 14-16 Diet: 21 Day Fix I reserve the right to change my challenge week to week if I get bored!! 03/11/13 04/22/13 09/18/13 10/02/13 10/23/13 11/11/14 Bust: 38" 38" 38" 38" 36" 37" Breasts: 45" 45" 45" 44" 42.25" 43" Belly: 42" 40.5" 39.5" 38" 37" 38" Hips: 45" 43" 43.75" 43" 43" 44" Thigh: 27" 27" 27" 26.5" 27" 26.75" Calf: 17" 16.5" 17.5" 17.25" 16.5" 16" Bicep 13" 14" Wrist 6" 6" Neck 14" 14.5" Butt (lol) 47" 47.5" Ankle 9" Forearm 8.5" 02/02/2015 02/10/2015 02/22/2015 04/10/2015 07/21/15 Total inches lost from 3-11-13: Chest: 39" 39" 38.25" 38" 39" 0" Waist: 40" 39" 38.25" 35" 34.5" 7.5" Hips: 41" 41" 39.5" 39.5" 39" 6" Right Thigh: 26" 25.5" 25.5" 25.5" 25" 2" Left Thigh: 26.5" 25.75" 26" 25.5" 25" 2" Right Bicep: 14" 13.5" 13.5" 13" 12.75" 0.25" Left Bicep: 14" 14" 13.5" 13.25" 13" 0" Right Calf: 17" 16.5" 0.5 Left Calf: 16.5" 16.25" 0.25" Total: 200.5" 197.75" 194.5" 189.75" -18.5"

G'day! A West-Aussie here, and massive metal-head (I endeavour to name each of my challenges after a metal band) and most certainly a nerd. I recently finished my Bachelor of Games Design and am looking forward to paving a career in video game development. I do love my movies (every sort) and my books (I will admit I haven't and don't read alot, but it is one of the things that I really wish I did) and table-top gaming is a big favourite of mine. I have lost about 20kg(~45lbs) over the last year, and am ultimately looking to lose that amount again over the next year, which is certainly negotiable as I would like to put some more muscle on, which would offset some of that weight. I discovered this wonderful community a couple of years ago, thanks to my sister Rachy87. Last year I was rather absent from the community, but I still pushed myself ahead and lost that 20kg. This year I want to be more involved, more focused and go that extra distance. At the age of 25 now, I have weight to lose and muscle to gain. These are my current goals and aim at getting my health in check. Later down the road I will look to strength, speed and aesthetic goals, but health is more important at the moment. I am still in Act I right now! Current Stats: H: 182cm (6"0') W: 90kg (200lbs) (I always do my best to include conversions, because I know that there are many fellow Rebels that are used to different units, but always keep in mind that these are rough conversions I do mentally) I bought a FitBit last year, and it's tracking certainly held me accountable for what I was doing, and as a gamer I was determined to keep getting better and earning those badges! I will incorporate my FitBit and it's tracking into my goals where appropriate and possible. Right now I have back issues, this is related to my pelvis tilt/spine curvature, and am fixing this with regular visits to the physio. I have mostly sorted this now, but I am still in pain everyday. The reason I mention this is because it will effect my goals and how I go about achieving them. Health is the priority, so goals will be down-tuned as necessitated. Main Quest: A Funeral Mist It feels as though years ago I cast off on a journey to escape Sodom, pass through the badlands and descend into the caverns of hell and further onwards to the cesspools of the deepest corners of Hell. A hard earned and tiresome journey it felt. And yet it was just my mind casting off and dreaming about it. As of late I have been doing some real travelling, been truly trying hard and have been looking to escape these walls. A funeral mist now lays upon those thoughts of escape, as I now realise the true journey ahead of me. My mind reborn into the present, I seek to pave the way out of here, and truly pass over the badlands, this time not some fantasy or dream. My pained back being the most likely source of contention out of here, an injury too easily sustained in this madhouse we call Sodom. But still taking the reigns for myself and trying my hand at a better existence is a true testament to my will and conviction. I think back to those dreams of the caverns and what felt like a dragon's force pushing me forward, this is what keeps me going and looking for a way out of here. This place is mayhem and I seek to escape it soon. I just need to get my footing and I will be out of here... Main Quest Objective Alpha: A Brick in the Wall I must journey through this city and find any gap in the walls, any lapse in the guard, any possible way out of here. Something I can aim for to escape. I will walk up and down these walls until I find it. Walking is the main focus of this goal. Keeping my fitness up while my back is injured is hard, but walking is good for it, and it helped me lose 20kg already. I can't walk for long periods of time, but if I aim to lots of shorter periods each day I can get there. I feel it might become complicated trying to track this intricately as I need to start and stop walking and sitting so much at the moment. So I think aiming for a step count on the FitBit is appropriate here. A: 9,000+ Average steps a day over the challenge period - the recommendation is 10,000 but I don't want to be needlessly pushing myself if it will make my back worse B: 7,000-8,999 Average steps a day - 7k is my current daily goal for my fit bit, so if I get it to go off every day, I know I will get a B on this one for sure C: 5,000-6,999 Average steps a day D: 3,500-4,999 Average steps a day - my current daily average is just below 3.5k, and I consider a D a less than average grade, so I feel this suits for making at least a small improvement F: <3,500 Average steps a day - this means I am actively doing less than I am now, which is the opposite of progress! Main Quest Objective Beta: Not the Rack My back causes me great pain throughout the days of searching for a way out, but I quarrel not, for it is not as though I had to suffer the rack, like many that live here. Although part of me wonders if a short time on it might just fix the issue, without going too extreme of course. As has been, and will continue to be, said, my back is causing me problems at the moment, and caused stagnation in my weight loss and fitness gain. It is under control and I have plenty of exercises to help with the pain, and to also help the problem. I am rather particular about making sure I get them done, but I am still a bit lax, and with going for a job interview today, there is a greater chance of me being distracted from doing them. So I want to spend this time focusing on getting all the exercises done every day. A: Don't miss a single day for my exercises AND do at least 2x the reps for each exercise - doing extra reps has been encouraged, and I generally do try to at least twice as much, so I feel confident about this one B: Don't miss more than 1 day over the whole challenge C: Don't miss any days during 3 or more weeks of the challenge (i.e. if I miss a single day, once a week for 3 of the weeks, it will count as a C) D: At least one full week, and no more than a total of 7 days missed over the whole challenge F: Anything outside of the D requirements Main Quest Objective Gamma: The Oncoming Thirst If there is one thing I know of the badlands, especially from my dreams before the funeral mist of my dream-self, is that it is hot and dry, and little water can be found out there. I must stock up if I am to travel to the obsidian gates. Dying of dehydration is a real threat, and a feeble way to go when I am trying so hard to escape this place. I have been getting lax in my water consumption, and in this Aussie heat you really notice it. I need to get back to a proper daily routine of drinking water, I won't lie you do feel better when you keep your fluids up (and when they aren't sugary fluids!). A: Average of 2.5L a day over this challenge - it is January and this is WA and I am expecting to get back into a fitness routine... ...if anything this may even be a bit low, but I think it foolish to consume too much B: Average of 2.1L a day C: Average of 1.8L a day - not quite to daily recommended average of 8 glasses, but a massive improvement and undoubtedly a great benchmark D: Average of 1.5L a day F: 3 or more days with less than 0.5L of water - this can fail me from an A. The point of this quest is consistency and habit, not just drinking big to make up the average Life Quest Objective: Knowledge is Power, Talk is Cheap If I am ever to get out of this place I am going to need the eyes and ears of others. But I will also need to ensure I know who I can talk to and when I can talk to them. I need everyone's knowledge, and to get that, conspicuously or not, I must talk to them. The more I chat, the more I will learn, and the better my chance at making it out of here. The more I learn about outside will be important too. I need to know what is really out there, and how to overcome what I find. Confidence is something I have always struggled with, and the desire to entire a career such as game development, especially as an indie developer, means I need to network. To network I need to talk. So I think for this challenge this will be my life goal. Communication, especially with people I don't know, don't know well, or haven't communicated with in a long time. Even it is a small amount, or even an un-reciprocated attempt on my behalf, it is something and it will work towards my confidence and ability to network. A: Small talk with someone I normally wouldn't 4+ times a week, every week B: Small talk with someone I normally wouldn't on average 2+ times a week C: Small talk with someone I normally wouldn't on average once a week D: Small talk with someone I normally wouldn't at least twice over the whole challenge F: One person over the whole challenge might be one person that I choose because I know they won't engage or some other excuse, 2 or more (for a D) means I am at least trying Time to start the real journey! The last 4 chapters were just a dream, not comes the real deal. Thanks for reading, thanks for any replies you leave, and good luck to all of you taking on challenges yourself! Cheers, -Radact

Decided to start a group if anyone is interested in doing the Workweek Hustle challenge in the Fitbit app. We have done this in past challenges. We can do groups of 10, so post your Fitbit profile and your step goal and we can try to group people by their goals. Looking forward to walking with you: Jkiley: https://www.fitbit.com/user/3BW62W

A Superhero Story In Paris by Lilith I’m a dreamer, and I love fantasizing. I love going to bed early, to live for a bit in my own stories. Stories I thought up based on universes from books and series. They are my escape. In those stories, I can be whatever I want to be. I can have magical powers, or be a parkour goddess, or survive outside with no other means than the weapons I carry. By itself that is not a bad thing, but I usually use it as an escape too. An escape from reality, when I don’t like reality as much anymore. Pressure from university, the struggle with my weight… No I’d much rather dream. Spend my energy and time on that. Lay on the couch during the daytime, just dreaming away. (See, this is a great example of what I want to do to my responsibilities. POOF YOU'RE GONE) But this is not healthy for me. I write my own reality, my actions are my story. I need to be the superhero of my own story. So far, I’ve been the typical hopeless case, avoiding responsibilities and hard work. But hey, EVERY superhero story starts that way. The superhero is never actually born as one, but becomes one. And that stark contrast, that is what inspires everyone, makes everyone love the superhero. Well today I’m starting on my superhero story. This is the moment things change, and I really work on leveling up my life. Making my life awesome, because it can be! I will live, instead of dream. (Yes I think Emma Stone is a superhero) The start of the challenge is actually my first day in Paris. I'm there for 7 months, doing an internship abroad. If that isn't an epic start of a story.... So below I will list my goals. But my challenge goals are more than the things written down below, it is also a change in mindset. It is believing in my own superhero powers, and not escaping into fantasy worlds anymore. Goals Walk 10.000 steps every day (fitbit) Follow GMB Elements Do 1 Vibram Run per week Follow Focused Flexibility (first week in Paris you can do just one stretch, to get used to everything first) Do at least one 10 minute meditation a day I'm already following GMB Elements, so I will be on my third week the start of the challenge. I love Elements so far so I see no problem with keeping it up! It's like I'm discovering my body tbh, even in normal life now I am so much more aware of my body it's amazing! (Well, that's the idea this challenge anyway! I will rock it!)

Last challenge I sustained an injury to my shoulder; too many weeks later, I finally recieved a diagnosis: AC Separation. I was not informed what grade of separation I have, so I'm assuming it's somewhere between a 1 and 2 (based solely on my observations in the mirror on how large of a bump I now display). I am currently in the process of trying to begin physical therapy - that is to say, I'm waiting for the powers-that-be to re-exam me and make their magical medical computers spit out an appointment date. In view of the aforementioned injury, I have determined this challenge's title will be the tongue-in-cheek "Unarmed Attack". This is amusing to me, if no one else. So, on to Challenge Goals! Main Goal: Finish a 2nd challenge. Last challenge I was once again hijacked by the call of duty (NO, not the game), so I would really like to redeem myself here. Very little about my goals from before have changed. WEAPON UPGRADE! I finally decided to buy a Fitbit Surge. It arrived last Friday, and I have been very pleased with it thus far. Aside from tracking my heartrate as a bit high (or maybe I need to get my blood pressure checked? Compared the Fitbit to an actual armband cuff at the clinic; Fitbit is approximately 12bpm higher.), everything works smoothly and is easy to use. I went for my first run with it this morning and was especially pleased with the GPS performance. No more carrying my phone around with me to record my routes! Subgoals: 1. Bodyweight workout 3x a week I already know I have to keep my right arm out of the mix. I also know that I don't want to work just my left arm and risk creating more of an imbalance than I'm already going to have by the time its partner is finally healed. PT will help with this, although I'm still a little unclear how to record the military exercises on Fitocracy (ex: the 8 count pushup. It's just a burpee, but instead of doing a single pushup you perform two. If you think burpees are easy, then this is the next level up for you! Not that I can do those now with my stupid arm, but you get the point... wait, what was my point again? Um....) Anyhoo, PT is M/W/F - assuming the weather is good, and other work responsibilities don't get in the way. Yes, you read that right: my current unit eschews the traditional Army standpoint ("If it ain't rainin', it ain't trainin'!"). All it takes is the beginning of a sprinkle and everyone goes, "Welp, guess we'll wait until next time!" It's a little wierd, a little fun, and a little disappointing all at the same time. It also means that I have to take full responsibility for T/Th workouts, and any days PT is deemed more of a hassle than a benefit (which is more often than you might think). Ergo, the following: Focus on what I can do, sans my arms - squats, lunges, calf raises, flutter kicks, bicycle/regular sit-ups, V-ups, leg holdsTrack progressRecord progress on Fitocracy and NF 6WC threadScoring: Every workout for the week performed, tracked and recorded = 3 pts -1pt every workout not performed, or tracked and recorded 2. Walk, Jog, Run x5 a week I *really* miss my spin class, but I need to focus on getting back into running. Walk, jog, or run 5 days a week (hashing does not count, because that's just weekend fun)Track progressRecord progress on Fitocracy and NF 6WC thread Scoring: Every walk, jog, and run for the week tracked and recorded = 5 pts -1pt every walk, jog, run not performed, or tracked and recorded 3. Food choices x7 a week I fell completely off the bandwagon when my work interrupted my last challenge. Because of this, I want to aggressively focus on eating clean and staying at/under my caloric limits. I'm hoping this will be easier now that I have my Fitbit; it syncs with MyFitnessPal, which automatically adjusts my 'Calories Remaining' according to how many Fitbit says I've burned. It's especially nice because they sync up automatically throughout the course of my day, too, so every meal I record shows the adjusted amount available according to how active I've been up to that point. Technology, FTW! Stay at or under 1500 calories a dayTrack daily intake on MFP and NF 6WC threadScoring: Every day caloric goal is met = 1 pt Every food choice for the week tracked and recorded = 7 pts -1pt every day caloric goal exceeded -1pt every food choice not tracked and recorded Total # of points possible: 132 pts Total # of points currently: 0 Total Points ***********************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************Beginning Stats: Mid-6WC Stats: Final Stats: Weight: 183 Lbs Weight: Lbs Weight: Lbs Waist: 32.5 in. Waist: in. Waist: in. Arms: Arms: Arms: - R: 11.5 in. - L: 11.5 in. - R: in. - L: in. - R: in. - L: in. Thighs: Thighs: Thighs: - R: 22.25 in. - L: 22 in. - R: in. - L: in. - R: in. - L: in. *********************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************** Weekly Points Week 1: SG 1 - 1 Week 2: SG 1 - 1 Week 3: SG 1 - ? Week 4: SG 1 - ? Week 5: SG 1 - ? Week 6: SG 1 - ? SG 2 - 3 SG 2 - 4 SG 2 - ? SG 2 - ? SG 2 - ? SG 2 - ? SG 3 - 2 SG 3 - 2 SG 3 - ? SG 3 - ? SG 3 - ? SG 3 - ? Totals: 6 7

Last challenge we had a great group of rebels who joined in on the Workweek Challenge and a Weekend Warrior on the Fitbit app. If anyone is interested in joining let me know, we can do groups of 10. Either share your Fitbit Public Profile, or the email address you have associated with it. Looking forward to competing with you: Jkiley: https://www.fitbit.com/user/3BW62W jcsimmons: https://www.fitbit.com/user/34M3Y3 our.lady.of.ashes: hurt.lee@gmail.comDarkKent: xadus1@gmail.com

Yesterday went with the family to the CNE, got my High Tops badge on my Fitbit, which means 20,000 steps in one day!!! Positive achievement!!!!! AC

Intro: I'm Tracy, soon to be a 44 year old wife and mom from the metro area of Atlanta, GA. I have 4 kids and will be a grandma in Dec. Younger me was naturally slim, but not fit, and I never formed the habit of regular exercise. Older me became a foster mom and gained 100 lbs (and some health issues) during those 8 years of foster care due to lack of exercise, high stress, anxiety and emotional eating. We adopted two with special needs (they are 9 & 11), and I am learning how to handle issues (life) in some way other than with food. I'm setting weight loss goals in 10% increments. Main Quest: Lose 23 lbs and gain strength. (Strong enough to complete 3 burpees.) 3 quests: 1. Continue with my Whole30 (will be a Whole68 at the end of 6 weeks), tracking for accountability on IG 2. Walk 10k steps minimum 6 days a week, tracking with my Fitbit. (Sundays are optional.) 3. Complete the NF beginner body weight strength training workout on Tuesdays and Fridays at 8am. Life Quest: Declutter my bedroom and sewing room. -I will spend at least 20 min each day (Monday-Friday) getting rid of excess and keeping only what brings me joy. My husband and I deserve a peaceful haven to retreat to. I will no longer let it be the catch all room, while keeping the kids rooms orderly and decluttered. My Motivation: 1. I want to be a strong fit woman, in a smaller body, because the woman I currently am is not the example I want my kids and grandchild to have. 2. I want to be a woman that doesn't quit when it gets hard 3. Has confidence 4. Has energy to get all my work done and still feel like playing with my kids. 5. I want to look hot on the Harley with my husband. I may allocate attribute points later on because it would be fun. For now, it kinda stresses me out trying to figure that part out, and I just want to get started.

This is my second attempt at my fourth challenge that I kinda abandoned back in January. There were some positives but in general it was a failure. So I'm using this time to start anew and pick up the pieces. I have two challenges before a busy September including Alumni Band and Camp Nerd Fitness 2015 to make up ground. This is my third challenge as an Assassin, so I hope to finally be able to do Assassin-like activities like BodyWeight and so forth... To recap my last challenge, I did do the Pax South and restarted Graduate School at Georgia Tech in Computer Science. I have averaged between 70K to 75K steps a week for both my own wellbeing and for participation in my workplace wellness program (Humana Vitality). I have done a few hikes, but definitely not enough. But I have slacked considerably on both my body-weight and weight-lifting regimen. This needs to be changed. My Motivation? I am considerably overweight (well, morbidly obese by definition) and was diagnosed as a Type II diabetic who is currently taking a long-acting does of insulin daily. I also suffer from a condition that will require major surgery to fix (upwards from 6 to 8 hours) that will end my sepsis issues that generally hospitalizes me yearly. In order to decrease the risk of this surgery, I need to lose between 100 to 150 pounds. Plus I am tired of being this way and need to change to make sure I have more time to spend helping others and to live to my potential. I also need to be ready for both Alumni Band and CNF 2015... My Current Regimen? I don't have one. But I will start again. I will occasionally do a bit of weightlifting, but it hasn't been consistent. I have been keeping up with my 70K average step count a week.. My main Quest? For this challenge, lose 20 pounds in 6 weeks. At my weight, this should be doable. I will consider myself as passing this overall challenge if I meet this goal. Continuing Quest? Increase my step count to 77K steps a week -OR- increase my average speed to 3 miles per hour with a lower step count. Since I have a new park open within a quarter mile that is vertically challenged, I need to leverage it to help myself build new muscles and increase my stamina. Challenge 1? Do the Bodyweight Brigade Level 1 challenge (from the Academy) and add burpees as needed. Perhaps progress to Level 2 (though I'm not sure when that should happen) Challenge 2? Learn to swim. I know how to swim, but I don't remember it from my time as a kid. I try to do alternating weight lifting and water aerobics during the week, but it would be better to actually do laps. I struggle with water in my nose and breathing. So my goal in this is to conquer it. Challenge 3? Like I mentioned in Challenge 2 above, I need to alternate between water workouts and some strength training, primarily centered around squats, deadlifts, bench press, and overhead lifts. From my previous challenges - I never took my reward trip. It is coming...

I was going to have a great theme for this challenge, and then ..... SUMMER hit!!! I realized that I didn't want to spend a lot of time writing a story or fussing over making my goals fit into a theme. So, in honor of the lazy days of summer, here's a simple challenge. I'm focusing on good habits that will support my mojo when I find it, support growing healthy muscle (for OCR races), prevent injuries, and keep my mood sunnier than a clear day at the Lake!!! Goal #1 - Eat Real Food (+3 CON) When Luke Skywalker met Yoda for the first time, the wise old Jedi commented on the processed foods Luke had brought with him on this journey. While the emergency rations probably would sustain life, they certainly would not help him thrive during his training!!! Same thing applies to each and every one of us. We've all heard it - 80% of your training success happens in the kitchen. Well, it is time for me to spend more time in my kitchen!!!! For this first half of the summer, I am going to focus on eating meals with lots of protein, fruits, and veggies. Veggies in particular are my nemesis!!! After my childhood experiences with salty, canned, limp, "vegetables" each night, I will probably always have to work at incorporating fresh vegetables, but I have a plan. I have eggs for breakfast almost every day. SO ...... I am adding vegetables to my eggs to make a scramble each morning. I've already started in my between challenge challenge, and I like the variety. I am also going to have a nice "green" smoothie for a snack or lunch each day. By "green" smoothie, I mean that it incorporates at least some spinach or young kale along with fruit and protein powder. And, I'm going to build on the salad habit that I'm developing during the break. I have an info graphic on Pinterest that has recipes for vinaigrettes and suggestions for salad combinations. I usually have to add chicken or fish to make it a full meal, but I like the approach and will try to eat one most days. Score will be a percentage of successes over 108 opportunities (36 days x 3). If I end up working, I may need to make some adjustments, but I do have my bento box still and can find ways to bring a salad or a premixed smoothie. I HOPE I have this kind of "problem" this summer. I'm giving myself some leeway on this one, since there are a lot of weekend events that can wreck havoc on plans. Happily so. Goal #2 - Stretch Like a Cat (+3 DEX) Nagging hip pain and tightness have been reminding me that I am not 20 anymore ..... and even when I was 20, I couldn't skip stretching after a workout for long before I got injured. So .... it's time to work on that habit. I'm going to get the Supple Leopard book and commit to mobility work and stretching DAILY. Grading will be by a simple percentage of the number of successes over the 42 days. Goal #3 - Be 10% More Awesome (+3 STA) I've been averaging at least 10K steps per day, and I am going to increase my goal to 11K steps per day average. That's 462,000 steps during the challenge!!! I use my FitBit to track, and the steps can come from any activity. I might settle into a good running schedule again. Or I might just walk alot while playing Ingress after work. Who knows???? My life is still so unsettled that I am building in as much flexibility as I can while still pushing limits. Goal #4 - Get Out There (+ 3 CHA) I might have a job in an office. I might have a remote job. I might spend the summer gardening and taking my PT prep class. But I do know that I MUST talk to people. I don't do well alone, and hubby is still working down in the Twin Cities. So .... simple goal is to get out and talk to someone, face to face. Daily. Family does not count. Grading will be by a simple percentage of the number of successes over the 42 days. Goal #5 - Get 1/2 Done with PT Prep Class (+3 WIS) This will be a pass/fail grade. I've been wanting to get my personal trainer certification for YEARS, and I plan to focus on senior fitness. In part, because I am heading into the "golden years" and want to remain as active as possible. But I also think that a LOT of people at the gym and in the community could benefit from fitness advice tailored to the needs of older people ..... from an older person. So, I'm taking this lull period to study and hopefully pass the test at the end of the summer.

I was one of those guys that enjoyed running and biking because I could moderately exercise on the weekends and summertime, then eat whatever I wanted. This flawed logic worked fine in my 20s and 30s, but now at 45, my weight has ballooned up to 215 lbs! While searching for Paleo Diet recipes, I came across this site and was certainly intrigued. Recently I've given up soda, pop tarts, and my afternoon snack of two handfuls of M&Ms. I've bought a Fitbit, Ninja mixer, and joined a gym. Like many of you, I stare at a computer screen and sit in a cubicle most of the day. With the Fitbit I have been inspired to get up once an hour, climb a few stairs, and wander around outside pretending to hurriedly be on my way to a meeting. I look forward to interacting with everyone on here, obtaining and giving encouragement whenever needed. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go for a quick walk. Ed

Hi all, I have for a very long time been interested in investing in a Fitbit. I am now ready to take the plunge and buy one. However, I would like to know how well it plays with bodyweight and weight training exercises, especially Nerd Fitness specific training? Is the stats accurate? How do you find the Fitbit app and other integrations? Would really appreciate some feedback.