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I'm BACK BITCHES! I had to take a bit of a break. See a lot of stuff was going on with work has I have whined about before and as some of you may know, I have been hit with major fatigue and continuous low-level nausea due to the success of the cloning project! The experiment was a success!! Which presented itself with its' own challenges. Now that I am adjusted I am also ready to go on my own adventure! I started out from humble roots in my introduction From Lurker to (Newb) Rebel!, did a few side quests and explored some back alleys in BlackTezca's Daily Battle Towards Feline Greatness and have completed one major quest in BlackTezca's 11th Trial: An Artsy Geeky Amazon becomes a Badass Retro Agent of the SSR! only to get lost in a sprawling dungeon during BlackTezca's 12th Trial: An Artsy Geeky Amazon Brings Destruction to the Silver Millennium so it can be Reborn Anew. That just means it's time to come back stronger than ever. Especially now that there is another person residing inside me! Hopefully not like that! Though I have been going through a lot changes, especially physically, my goals have not changed. I want to get back into the swing of things in order aim for my main quest as well as be a good role model for the future clone! This challenge is not only to help me come back and respawning back into my usual awesome crazy self that will be responsible for raising someone even more AWESOME than me! This challenge is to help me onward to my main quest...and we all know which quest that is... My Main Quest to be as POWERFUL and BATTLE READY as Wonder Woman Now lets' introduce ourselves to the inspiration for this month! I'm sure some of you have heard of undertale and also heard of the awesome story, characters in the game! What else is awesome is the FANTASTIC music which you will be hearing a lot of this month! I may even have the weekly summaries and start and end on an awesome song! Before we get into that, I did mention some awesome characters so here they are!! Undyne is on a strict regime of suplexing boulders. Details: Undyne is a badass. She is strong, buff, a good fighter and hilarious. Essentially is the ultimate anime hero. I'd like to be more like her and while I'm no where near suplexing boulder levels and I'm taking it easier than usually do, I still need to keep up a good habit of working out! Maybe not as much as previously, but enough to get buff and strong like my awesome Undyne!! Contingencies: Sickness and travel pretty much. However considering the flexibility here, I should be able to do something! Walking, yoga, etc! Tracking: I'll be tracking the workouts using MyFitnessPal ( username BlackTezca ) and this lovely thread will be updated as well. Grading: A for Working out for at least 30 minutes 3 to 4 days a week ( 25 pt - 2 Sta 2 Str 1 Dex) B for Working out for at least 30 minutes 2 days a week( 20 pts - 1 Sta 2 Str 1 Dex) F for all else Papyrus wants to become a member of the Royal Guard! Details: Simple quest with a simple goal: get my ass back to Easton. Been gone out of there for too long. I'd like to go there at least once a week. Hopefully more. Problem is that they have cancelled morning classes...Still should be able to make kickboxing in the afternoons and Muay Thai sometime! Contingencies: Sickness, vacation and any nausea from clone habitat building. Should be all right though! We'll see! Tracking: I'll be tracking the workouts using MyFitnessPal ( username BlackTezca ) and this lovely thread will be updated as well. Grading: A for Kickboxing/Muay Thai once a week! ( 10 pt - 1 Dex) F for all else Alphys is keep strict records of her success...and her failures Details: Hey you know what I have not been doing as well? Tracking. I have not been tracking my food intake. At all. Lets' get back into the habit. Seriously. I'm not gonna be too hard on what I eat, but I know if I track it'll also help me make healthier decisions since I have been admittedly giving no fucks with food. So...I need to give a few more fucks. I shall find the fucks I need to give. Contingencies: Phone does like my myfitnesspal anymore. However, I can still track with a tablet and my computer. As well trust my trust memory!Tracking: I'll be tracking the workouts using MyFitnessPal ( username BlackTezca ) and this lovely thread will be updated as well (with total calories and some food descriptions. Good and bad).Grading: A tracking 25 to 28 days - 25 exp ( 2 Wis 1 Con )B tracking 22 to 24 days - 20 exp ( 1 Wis 1 Con ) C tracking 20 to 22 days - 15 exp ( 1 Wis ) F for all else Sans maybe lazy, but if you're on the wrong path you're gonna have a bad time... Details: SLEEP CHALLENGE! AND WAKE UP CHALLENGE!!! I need to make sure I get plenty of sleepy ( at least 7 hours) and I also need to get up when my alarm tells me too! Contingencies: Mostly caring about weekdays and non vacation days here.Tracking: Fitbit keeps me honest and I shall track here!Grading: A for good sleep and waking up 15 to 17 days of challenge - 20 exp ( 1 Wis 2 Con )B for good sleep and waking up 13 to 14 days of challenge - 15 exp ( 2 Con ) C for good sleep and waking up 12 days of challenge - 10 exp ( 1 Con ) F for all else Mettaton EX is gonna bring back some GLAMOR into my life! Details: Mettaton is fabulous. My art is also...well...I guess decent enough! I need to get back into drawing! Sketching, model painting, coloring, etc counts here! Just need to keep up my habit again! Contingencies: Busy weeks and weekends and vacation need week. However I have been making time for both model painting and my drawing so this should not be an issue :D.Tracking: I have an art Tumblr and I also have DeviantArt (WATCH ME FOR ACCOUNTABILITY). I shall use those and this thread to keep track. Grading: A for at least 30 minutes 4 to 5 days a week - 20 exp ( 2 Wis 1 Cha )B for at least 30 minutes 2 to 3 days a week - 15 exp ( 1 Wis 1 Cha) F for all else Now my challenge is all set! Usually I do measurements but...uhmmm that won't be realistic for long. However, I will keep taking fitness photos, mostly gauge the return of DEM GAINZ but also to see how the habitat is progressing. It's a silly thing yeah but hey at least it keeps up the photo measuring habit. As you can see there is a small progression already! I won't be shirtless for long but I kinda like the idea of comparing myself challenge to challenge, even during this time. In any case... The stage is set! The challenge is ready! My sleepy goober face is up there! We are ready to go!!! LET'S DO THIS!!! Shall I show mercy...? Or shall I...FIGHT?!! Told you the music is awesome!!!

The first two weeks of the last challenge went great. Then work killed it. We had to expedite a project for a client. Ended up working crazy hours, which leads to me getting stressed out and being too tired to cook and too tired to workout. Excuses, excuses, I know... But now I am ready to get back in there. This challenge I want to reinforce some of the good habits that I have let slip over there last couple weeks. Basically get back in there, and not lose the progress I have made this year! Main Quest: Weigh less than 200lbs by the end of the year. Start: 242.2 lbs | Current = 225.6 lbs. | Progress: 16.6 of 42.2 lbs Challenge Starting Stats (More for my reference if anyone cares). Goal 1: Morning Exercise Get up in the morning and exercise. Mon, Weds, Fri: Bodyweight Brigade – Level 1 Tues, Thurs: Interval Training Goal 2: Food Tracking Using My Fitness Pal I will track my calories and macros to learn what it takes to meet my goals. Using this info to help me plan meals over the next few weeks. Goal 3: Morning Routine My morning routine has gotten all out of whack, and switching to working from home this year is not helping. So here is my plan to help get into a regular Rhythm. 6:00 - Awake 6:15 - Out of bed, coffee, reading. 7:00 - Work Out 8:00 - Shower, cook breakfast. 9:00 - Start workday. Goal 4: Spring Cleaning My bedroom, closet, and shed are in complete disarray right now. Mostly from transitioning from my winter activities to warmer weather ones. I will come up with a plan and tackle each section a little at a time until they are organized.

Simply put, my goal right now is to get strong. I am following Pavel's Simple and Sinister workout, and working toward the simple goal. I will also be working on increasing my pull up numbers. Add in some ab work, lots of walking, a bit of ring play, some rucking, geocaching, and a bit of flexibility work, and you have a happy Ranger bear. Goal 1 Track Food 6 days a week (this is pretty much a habit now. Just listing it here for accountability) For the next several challenges I will be eating at maintenance. I will all pay attention to my body, and if I am hungrier I will eat more, and not hungry eat less. I will track weight and measurements to help me determine if I am on track. Track water 8 glasses of water( or decaf/herbal tea) a day during the week (weekends excluded, I just want to make it a habit during the week. I’ll work on weekends next challenge)This is a hard one for me, and if I succeed I will get a prize. Not sure yet what the prize is. Goal 2: 5 Turkish Get Ups (per side) with a 35 lb. kettlebell 100 swings with a 35 lb bell in 5 minutes Setting a performance goal is tricky. Setting a specific goal gives me something to shoot for, but it is sometimes hard to predict how long it may take. So, plan is, I will do the work to get me to the goal, and hopefully I will reach it by the end of April. If not, well then, I will work on it next month too. Goal 3 Try something new. It can be a food or an activity, just something to remind me that life is an adventure, and it is good to get out of routines once in a while Adventure Goals:The idea isn't to get all of these done. Just ideas to help motivate me. Pick out counter top paint Shop for living room chairs Finish planning San Francisco scrapbook Finish S.F. scrapbook Do a geocache puzzle Look up a geocache quest- called geotours now, found a fun one in Fremont Find 3 locations nearby to go caching-found a good spot with enough to keep us busy for a while Find 2 location an hour or so nearby to go caching Find 3 hikes Find 2 fun local things to do Make a meal for someone who is sick/just had a baby-signed up to bring a meal for a family with a new baby Volunteer somewhere Look at travel blogs recommended in Level Up Your Life Memorize Philippians 1:1-15 at verse 7 Finish Desiring God by John Piper about half way done plan garden order seeds re-read parts of garden book- doing on an as needed basis go geocaching twice-once at beginning of challenge walk somewhere different go on a hike hike to a waterfall

I realize today is the first day, but I am still ironing things out. Regardless, I will be here and I am going to do whatever it takes to get back onto the health train. More to come!

Now that I'm refreshed and relaxed from a two week holiday I think this is a good time to reboot my healthy lifestyle goals for this year. I know what I want, I just struggle to find and/or stick to a routine that works for me XD 1. Leave the house, do some exercise, 1x a week. I went to the gym a few times on the cruise ship and rather enjoyed it! I'd also like to incorporate some outdoor skating to improve my skating skills; these both entail me leaving the actual house; its only the idea of leaving the house that stops me - once I'm out and about I'm happy to exercise! Just once a week is a good start to supplement my 2x week derby training. 2. Clear 1x surface "hot spot" and keep it clean for the week. By the end of the challenge I should be keeping 4 small areas of the house clear of rubbish and dishes and things that are not put away. I hate that my house is never as clean as I want it to be because I am definitely happier when I'm on top of the housework. Starting small and building up does work for me with housework, but keeping the momentum up is the hard part! 3. Something something something... Nutrition. Track what I eat. I'm getting too slack with what I put in my body. I definitely feel better when I eat less refined food and more vegetables and protein. That's it. This can't start until I actually get home from my holiday though; I'm currently still in Singapore. We get home Wednesday so I'll start this on Thursday.

Here we are again, stuck on tracking food and dialling it in. So this Challenge is going to start by getting out a book and writing down what actually enters the pie hole. If I can't upload those onto MFP from my place, do it when I get to town. Even though calories need to be kept at 2500, or approximate to that number, there needs to be an eye kept on protein, fats and carbs, so lifts don't suffer. I am starting a 10 week program "The Cube" with this comes longer more intense workouts 4 times a week. If my recovery becomes a problem I may need to kick back to 3 times a week. Part of the success of this is going to be good nutrition from good foods! So I guess we'll see how this goes.

I'm Back!!!!!! Oooookay, sooooo.....things happened........some bad, some good, some totally INSANE and I had absolutely no focus past week 1 of the last challenge. So I decided to just put my attention on what was going on and lurk NF. Because I never want to completely leave here, you guys are too important. And it was so awesome that you guys kept an eye out for me. Now hopefully......things are settling down, weather is getting nicer, and I can start making sense of the resulting chaos. Time for a new challenge! Harley's 1st Mission Mace work continues. I smashed my 416 rep goal and ended my streak at 428 before the flu incident. Last week I picked my mace back up regularly doing the original 140 rep start. This was to get things warmed up again since I had been away from it a couple of weeks. Starting this week I am back to my 428 count. My goal originally was to upgrade my mace to 10 lb, but I haven't been able to do that just yet. So, my goal here will be to put together a new routine starting with week two and start with half the current rep count and work up to the 428 until I hopefully can do the mace upgrade.My current plan is to purchase a 10lb mace in the next couple of weeks and restart my rep count from 140 with a revamped routine. Harley's 2nd Mission Again this mission includes two elements, c25k and GMB's Focused Flexibility Program. Though I have continued with the GMB sporadically both have suffered between the winter weather and my recent bout of the flu. So, my goal is to get both of these going regularly again. Weeek 1 I will pick the FF back up for three days out of the week alternately with the mace work. Then Week 2 I want to add in one C25k run in addition to the GMB , week 3 two runs, and week 4 three runs. Harley's 3rd Mission Food Tracking. In order to stop the mayhem being instigated in my eating my goal this round is to keep a daily journal tracking everything. This can either be through MFP (which I am terrible about) or most lIkely in my trusty spiral bound notebook. If I'm feeling particularly organized I will track it in the notebook AND then add it to MFP. Harley's Life Mission Adulting This will probably be an ongoing Life Goal for a few challenges as there is always a ton to do, and with a lot of recent life changes new routines need to be formed. My goal is a hefty one because I am intent on going through every square inch of my house and eliminating the clutter while getting those routines in order. I just do not function well in clutter and it seems there is a never ending supply to get caught up on. The price of living with seven other people. Bonus Goal To continue with reading/ listening through the Dresden Files. I'm currently midway through book 3 which I want to finish (and preferably be midway into book 4) by the end of this challenge. Grading again is going to be real simple here, each day is a pass or fail on each goal. I either got it or I didn't. At the end of the week if there are more passes than fails, I'm good and Harley has succeeded. If on the other hand, I have more fails than passes then some reevaluation needs to occur. And there you have it!Onwards and Upwards guys!

I’m back!! I took the last challenge off when I saw that NF was switching from the 6-week format to a 4-week format since I’d spend most of the challenge either in Japan or recovering from jet lag (which this time was a fresh new hell, omg). But now that I’ve returned to the States and have recovered and gotten back into the swing of things, I’m ready to charge forth into NF Challenges once more! I’ll admit, I’ve been mostly lackadaisical in everything related to fitness and diet the past couple of months, so really, it’s just about coming back down to the basics. So nothing too fancy here, just reestablishing the base! So without further ado: Let’s Get Back Fitness!! QUEST 1: Snakebite! [+3 STR] One of Ban’s main attacks is his infamous snakebite, which is largely just a ridiculous amount of grip strength with some magic involved. I don’t have magic, but I do have barbells, dumbbells, and my own bodyweight to work with! This boils down to strength-training 3x/week. Ideally, I’d like to do lifting all three days, but it may wind up being more like lift twice, bodyweight once. Either way, let’s get strong! A = 3x/week | B = 2x/week | C = 1x/week | F = Ban is disappoint QUEST 2: Fuuchouin School of Grace [+2 DEX] Kazuki’s chosen style of combat is by far the most graceful of anyone. I mean, koto strings. Plus Kazuki. How could it be anything but? Though I may be taking it easy in the theatre scene this year due to my crazy work schedule, I need to keep my chops up in all areas necessary to be a Triple Threat, and that includes dancing. That’s why I will do some form of dancing 2x/week. Ideally, this will be Monday night jazz/tap class with some time spent outside of class working on basics on my own, but for this challenge, ANY dance style will do (including Zumba either at home or in a class) just so I can get back into it. A = 2x/week | C = 1x/week | F = Did you even try QUEST 3: Data Entry [+3 CON] MakubeX is all about gathering and analyzing data (though this is grossly simplifying his capabilities as a genius computer hacker) to accomplish his goals. While I’m no longer stuck on how much I’m eating as a measurement of my success, I do want to get back into tracking what and how much of it I’m taking in for the purposes of evaluating my performance. Guys, I’m ready to tackle an Eat to Perform style of eating. So it doesn’t matter how much I eat, I just need to log everything. A = 6x/week | B = 4-5x/week | C = 3x/week | D = 1-2x/week | F = Nope LIFE QUEST: Honky Tonk Tab [+2 WIS] Ban and Ginji are notoriously bad/unlucky with money, and Paul has the café tab to prove it. While I’m not terrible with money, I can always strive to be better, especially since I’m still recovering from super expensive Japan trip, super expensive new mattress, and looking to acquire a new car in the next couple of months and wanting to save for a down payment on a house. Plus, I need to start saving for the NEXT trip to Japan in 2018 and I need to start a general savings for vacations that aren’t to Japan. Like to Europe. What does this mean? Basically every Sunday night/Monday morning I make sure my budget is all up-to-date, including checking in on my various debts to see exactly how much I still owe and making sure I’m on track with paying them off in a reasonable amount of time. I know me; this action alone will keep my financial behavior under control! Pass = Did the thing | Fail = Lol nope Ready to kick all the ass! Because the post needs more Ginji

Hello ladies and gents! I am Calanthia Cobbin of Overhill, a hobbit of the Shire with a desire for adventure and travel! I am truly an Assassin at Heart, however right now my goals align more closely with the Druids, so I hope you all don't mind if I visit for a short time I've been naming my challenges off of chapters in Lord of the Rings, and this is my third challenge, which happens to also coincide with the third chapter of The Fellowship of the Ring, titled "Three is Company," hence the Topic title. *For those of you who don't like blocks of text, the tl;dr version of this post consists of the highlighted sections! * My (very generalized) main quest is to lose weight and become stronger over the next year or so, however I've realized through my previous two challenges that I'm not really in-touch with my body and my mind, resulting in a tendency to be very stressed and lazy. My husband's favorite phrase is "you're acting so depressed lately," but I think that is an insult to those who actually suffer from depression. However, he does have a point. I need to learn what my body needs and take care of it. So without further ado, I present: Calanthia Cobbin's Quest for Mindfulness! Prepare for Battle: the first quest of this challenge is to prepare for daily battles! Or in its simplest form, stretching. Specifically, I will be following the NerdFitness cooldown/stretching routine at least 5x per week. Extra credit may be earned for stretching more than 5 times per week. This is a repeat quest from my most recent challenge because frankly, I failed at it. So, I'm giving myself a second chance! This quest is designed to help me to be more mindful of my body and how it feels/ how it can or cannot move, etc. as well as with my flexibility (and let me limber up to face the day), so successful completion will earn +3 DEX and 10 xp on my epic quest. Mind the Lembas: my second quest requires me to be mindful of the fuel that I am using to power my body. This is something that I struggle with as I tend to "inhale" my food and I also like to stare at the TV or my phone while I eat rather than focusing on what I'm eating. This causes me to be less full, end up eating more later... you get the idea. This quest involves three parts, all of which must be met for each meal 5x per week (weekends are free in case my husband wants to have a movie night ) 1. I must track everything I eat, even snacks and times where "I just had one." This will help me to maintain awareness of how much I REALLY eat during the day. 2. I must not be looking at a screen while I am eating. I am allowed to read a book while eating, however it is recommended that I simply focus on what I am eating and how I am chewing. 3. Between bites I must put down my utensils and/or empty my hands. This will allow me to slow down and listen to my body when I get full, which is one of the biggest issues I have right now when it comes to food. Successful completion of this quest may give up to +3 CON and 10 xp towards my epic quest. Strength of a Different Kind: For this third quest I am of course referring to strength of mind. I often find myself lacking the will power to do much of anything these days, and I think that has something to do with the mental beating I took throughout college, which I finished last May and never truly recovered from. Therefore, throughout this challenge I will meditate for at least 5 minutes each day, 5 days per week. When I was in college I would sometimes sit on the floor and just listen to my own heartbeat and breathing as a sort of mental break. At the time I had no idea that I was basically meditating. It helped me tremendously when my brain felt fried and I hope that bringing back that habit will grant me the mental strength to go about my day in a productive manner. Because I feel that honing my mental strength leads to wisdom, successful completion of this quest will grant +3 WIS and 10 xp. Resting in the Heart of Lothlorien: Another potential cause of my constant moodiness and lack of will power is that my emotional strength has waned as well. I'm currently in the process of taking care of my husband while he is going through medical school, which means that I essentially run the house. This often leaves me stressed, frustrated, and emotionally running on empty because I'm not what you would call your typical "housewife." I am also a huge homebody, and can go for literal DAYS without stepping foot outside except to stick my dog on his leash to do his business. Therefore, my challenge to myself is to spend at least 75 minutes per week outside in nature (15 minutes per day, 5x per week). The time it takes me to walk between my car and various buildings or going out to check the mail doesn't count. These 15 minutes must be spent in a relatively restful state. This can include going for a walk, reading on my porch, going to the park, or even just sitting and thinking. I just need to be outside, get some sunlight, and take some time to renew my mind and my emotions each day. Completion of this quest will give me up to 10 xp and +3 STA, as it will hopefully give me the ability to carry on with my daily tasks. I plan to post on here almost every day since I need to post my food journal here for accountability, though since life gets busy I'm expecting a few "info dump" days. Good luck to those of you that are also doing challenges, I'll be around checking out what everyone else is doing shortly May your roads go ever on and on! ~Cal

Hi, everybody: My general goal: Lose 15 pounds before my sister's wedding on April 8. (8 weeks). I've never really tried a diet quest because I really fucking hate diet changes. But I'm at my highest weight ever, despite bodyweight workouts and trying to be more active. So, it's time to try something new. Q1: Document all my food. I use YouFood, my username is traaki. I'd love to have some accountabilibuddies over there! Strengths: I've done this before and was fairly successful unless I was drunk or hungover (surprise). Weaknesses: I'm shy about it and feel rude for whipping my phone out every time I eat. Q2: Eat a high protein, low/slow carb breakfast every day. Eggs, beans, salsa, veggies, lunch meat, lentils, spices, hot sauce, cottage cheese. No more waffles and sweetened yogurt. If I must eat those, I will eat them later in the day. I will need to prep for this pretty intensively--mornings are not my best time, but it's also the time of day when I eat on my own the most so I don't have to worry about getting my partner involved. Strengths: I love eating lunch for breakfast. Weaknesses: If this morning is any indication, I'm going to need to plan out these meals. I'm reaaaaal slow in the mornings. Q3: Do 100 pushups/100 squats program 3 x week. I tried this a while back and had good success with it. I basically just got bored when it got really hard, I think, and stopped doing it. But I'd like to get through the whole program. Now that I can do squats at least some of the time (!!!!!) I'm really looking forward to this. LQ: Take daily action! I'm doing a different challenge for marketing my business this month. My LQ is to read the program materials every day and take the actions I've planned for myself each day. I took new measurements on Saturday--those are in my battle log. I really want to see how these diet changes affect things since I struggle so much with the diet changes at all, so it's kind of a respawn point for me.

It was one of those cold, clear nights of winter that find most people huddled in their warm houses, watching the glow of their televisions while eating popcorn. But not this group. They had chosen a spot deep in the woods, far from civilization. The only lights to be seen were the stars above and the the campfire glowing brightly, around which they sat. Enjoying the warmth of the campfire they sat quietly around it, once in a while pausing to grunt at one another, or to take a drink of their ale. It was into this group that the stranger entered. Dressed entirely in black, she stealthily made her way into the campsite. Her goal was to blend in quietly to this group, observing them from a distance. She had heard tales of their heroic feats, and wanted to see if there was any truth in the rumors. She sat down, close enough to hear and watch them, but hopefully not close enough they would notice her. As she sat, the wolf that had been sitting amongst the group, turned to face her. Slowly, deliberately, the wolf began to walk toward her. She remained motionless, waiting to see what the wolf would do. As the wolf reached her, it turned its’ face to the moon and let out a long,low howl. The wolf’s howl alerted the group to her presence. They all turned to face her, grabbing their swords and axes, preparing for a fight. Calmly she stood up, removing her hood, she said “ Please, I come in peace, I have heard of your heroic feats, I too seek the harder path,the one tread by heroes. I seek to learn more of your Ranger guild. From out of the dark, a bearded man wielding a flaming sledgehammer appeared. “Who are you and why should we allow you entrance into our Ranger guild†he demanded. Not daunted by his fierce looks, she replied†I am Elastigirl, Slayer of Omnidroids, Destroyer of Syndrome, Hero of Metropolis†One of the group who had been sitting closest to the campfire stood up, “I have heard of her, I will vouch for her bravery and goodness†The sledgehammer wielding man turned to him, “Chaplain, you would vouch for anyone. You see the good in all. You would have everyone be a Ranger. Turning back to her, he gazed at her silently for a few moments, as if trying to read her mind. She confidently returned his gaze, knowing that just as she had much to learn from the Rangers, she also had many valuable skills to teach them. After a few moments he spoke again, “Very well, since the Chaplain himself vouched for you we shall let you in for a little while. But understand, the Rangers are an elite group, and if you wish to take part in our mission you must prove yourself†Elastigirl nodded her approval. “Very well, I accept those terms, give me any challenge and I will complete it†This challenge I am switching over from Assassins to Ranger. Right now, my big focus is on kettlebells. I am following Pavel’s Simple and Sinister program. My big goal right now is to be able to complete 10 full Turkish get ups with 35lbs in under 10 minutes and to be able to do `100 44lb. swings in under 5 minutes. I have been working on this for 6 months, and am still in the process of working toward that goal. My goals for this month are focused on things that will help me reach my big goal, look good doing it and, have time to pursue life goals, and a bit of Ranger adventure along the way Goal 1: Track food 6 days a week Points 4-5 days=5 points 6 days= 6 points 7 days= 6 points plus a bonus day to use on another wee Goal 2: Workout plan; Focused Flexibility from GoldMedalBodies. There are two main poses I am working to improve. My task is to do two stretches for each pose, and foam rolling.I will do the stretches at least 4 days a week. Simple and Sinister: Swings 4 days a week; Turkish Get Ups 3 days a week, the 4th day I can choose a different strength workout. Points: FF done= 1 points per day SS done= 1 point per day Goal 3: Track progress: Focused Flexibility: pictures week 1, end of week 2, and end of challenge Simple and Sinister: videos week 1 and 4 Points 2 per picture/video Goal 4: get up at 7:30 at least 4 days of the week Points: 5 points a day Goal #5 Ranger Initiation Be a Ranger (Ranger yoga, rucking, sledgehammers,bro-crow, etc) Video/photographic evidence at least twice Take part in at least three of the Ranger mini-challenges Points Completion= 10 points Life: turn extra bedroom into craft room 10 points Scrapbook; finish vacation scrapbook 10 points Look up hikes/ plan fun vacation ideas 10 points Update Epic Quest for 2016-10 points WEEK 1 point total 43 points WEEK 2 point total 58 points 180 points= Elastigirl proves herself Ranger worthy and will reward herself ; prize still undetermined 170 points= Elastigirl proves herself Ranger worthy, but she feels as if she could have worked harder,so she does not buy any reward.

Challenge #7 Waldgeist trains like a Werewolf Backstory: As William Waldgeist stumbled through the river of Valkyrie the waves clinged onto him, trying to drag ihm down and swallow his body into the deep dark waters. But he resisted their pull. This wasn't the first obstacle he'd had to overcome but it seemed like it was the last one. At the bank of the river there was a fortress and many people in black clothes were jumping around on the field below. With his last ounce of energy William left the water, stepped on to the field and collapsed. Later he awakens in an infirmary, the smells of potions and creams leave no room for doubt what this place is used for. An old man with healer's crest tattoed on his left hand approaches: "Good, you are awake! After you were brought in we were worried, they tell me you came out of the river? But that river flows directly from the vicious wodds..." "Yes, that's were we've been, for a long time. I was trapped there, but we managed to defeat it's master and that opened a way out. Not an easy, open road of course, but a narrow path full of obstacles, that seemed unconquerable, but we did it anyway!" "Who is this we you speak about, are there others we need to look out for?" "No, just me? What do you mean?" "Nothing, maybe your nerves are still rattled. Surviving and fleeing from the vicious woods is a great feat. Not many manage to do that, at least to my knowledge.You must have many strong abilities. " "Yes we possess great talent and training. Bitten by a wolf, touched by the Force, trained as an agent and in the ways of magic..... My head hurts, I see so many picture, hear so many voices in my head...." The old healer guided the mind mage gently into the infirmary. "There he is, he fainted again after he awoke for a couple of minutes. Physically he is fine, I healed his wounds, there is nothing more I can do. But I fear for his mind and heart." The mage grabbed Williams head with her left hand and pressed her other against his chest. Mumbling spells of old she closes her eyes. The healer with his second sight observes how the aura of the mage merges with the one of the patient. When she openes her eyes again she sighes. "Interesting..." "I think he'll want something more when he gets up. And so do I actually!" "Well, it's simple. He is several people." "Could you make it more complicated? I don't understand simple things." "Several men were lost in the vicious woods, the only way to survive for them, was to merge into one person. But that's not the interesting part actually.." "Hahahaha, oh, you are serious?" "You know how we are near the edge of this universe and that there are others behind the rift? Each of this personas – I counted 5 if I'm not mistaken – comes from a different universe..." "What can we do to help him?" "Not we, him! He has to go to each universe and (re)live the life of each persona, probably several times. Then maybe there will be chance that they will be seperated again." "What if he does nothing, just ignoring what happened to him?" "He will go crazy, sooner than later actually, nobody can be several people withoung lossing it completeley....." First Werewolf chapter As I set foot on this earth the memory of Person #2 hits me (yes, I numbered them: 1 Jedi, 2 werewolf, 3 shield agent, 4 mage) hard. He was just a regular college student, pre-med/exercise science, when one night a wild animal (or so he thought) attacked him. The more I remember, the more I loose control. They are not just fading memories anymore, but it feels like I'm actually there, reliving his life from the moment he got changed minute for minute...... Challenge Goal: Get the basics down (Bodyweight + KB + Food) As you can guess from the backstory and the pictures below, this challenge has a TeenWolf theme. Quest 1 – "Tansformed by the Bite" Armstrong Workout Time to work on that pull-up, bitch. Last challenge I got in the habit of doing them regularly again. Now it's time to step it up and concentrate on increasing those reps. My maximum for an unbroken set now is 6 pull-ups. The ambitious goal for this quest is to get to two digits. The Armstrong workout consists of two parts: Max push-ups in the morning and an actual pull-up workout in the afternoon/evening. And that for FIVE consecutive days a week. Just one more.... Grading: Reward (2 STR I 1 STA I 1 CHA) 5 days = A 4 days = C 3 days = D Quest 2 – "Move like a Fox" GMB Floor 1 Phase 2/3 Continuation of last challenge. Basic strength training was phase 1. That is finished. Now to the interesting part: working on my skills. No mobility sessions this time, just 3 different skill sessions, twice done each week. Phase 2 should take only 4 weeks, but longer is always possible I guess. But if I finish there is still work to do in form of phase 3. Handstands, cartwheels, pirouettes whatever bring it on. Grading:* Reward (3 DEX) 6 days = A 5 days = B 4 days = C 3 days = D *If I finish phase 2 I get an instant B+ at least, even if I would've gotten a lower grade normally. Quest 3 – "Beast Mode On" Strength & Conditioning workout This is basically a kettlebell plus whatever bodyweight only exercise aren't covered in Q1+2 quest. I want regulary do swings and TGUs (like 4-5 days a week) plus occasionally (read: no more than once/twice a week) snatches, military/push presses, jump roping, maybe even some running or whatever I can think of. I AM STRONGER! Grading: Reward (1 STR I 1 STA I 1 CON) 4 days = A 3 days = C 2 days = D Quest 4 – "Druids know stuff" Study I like to learn, I really do. I just have to get motivated for the studying part. Last challenge this was 8 hours per week, which was amibitious. I managed about a third. This challenge same time but harder grading. I wish I had studied more, so I would know what this shit is.... Grading: Reward (2 WIS) 8 hours = A 6 hours = B 5 hours = C 4 hours = D Quest 5 – "Don't eat like a wendigo" Nutrition Last challenge this didn't go so well either. Different approach now, very basic. First, keep an eating diary. Second, do intermittent fasting on every work day. The first part doesn't need any explanation I think. The second part means on work days I'll eat only at work, which is an eating window of about 5-6 hours per day. I'm still going to prepare those meals at home and on the weekend I don't restrict myself at all. I'm just so hungy! Grading: Reward (2 CON I 1 CHA) 12 IF + diary days a week = A 10 IF + diary days a week = B 8 IF + diary days a week = C 6 IF + diary days a week = D Challenge Start Measurements: Belly 90 cm Chest 95 cm Arm 26 cm Arm (flexed) 30 cm Good luck!

MAIN QUEST The Game Continues: The town of Metroville, grateful for having once again been saved from destruction in the hands of evil villains, wanted a special way to honor Elastigirl . The town’s mayor created a game with Elastigirl as the heroine. Game play allows the player to take on the role of Elastigirl, and therefore tap into her superpower of Tenacity. In order to win the game, the player will have to accomplish many feats. This will require tenaciousness and determination. The evil foes- Shiny Object Distraction, It’s Too Hard and You’ll Never Make it- will be constantly throwing their weapons. But, if the player sticks with the game long enough, they will be able to eventually win the trophy and Unleash the Power of Tenacity. I have been working on the main quest of this goal for 4 challenges. I decided that I needed to tap into my tenacity in order to keep me motivated to stick with it another challenge. I have broken the big goal down into many smaller goals. The last challenge I completed 2 more levels. I plan on completing more levels this challenge. Most likely I will not reach the game final this challenge, but will make it closer than ever before to finishing the game. Game Objective : Swing 44# lb KB 100 in 5 min: 5 reps, each side,35# TGU in 10 minutes Level 1 : 35# 100 one handed swing 6 min- badge-COMPLETE Level 2: 35# 100 one handed swings in 5 min-badge and unlock prize-Yoga socks-COMPLETE Level 3: 30# 5 reps TGU in 10 minutes-badge and prize unlocked-lacross ball-COMPLETE Level 4: Beserker Round- 30# 5 reps TGU in 10 minutes, 1 minutes rest and 35# 100one handed swing 5 minutes- Beast trophy and unlocked prize- starry night socks Level 5: 3 full 35# TGU-badge Level 6: 5 full 35# TGU- badge and unlock prize-yoga stretching band Level 7: 5 full 35# TGU reps in 10 minutes badge and unlock prize-juggling balls Level 8: 44# 100 one hand swings 10 minutes-badge and prize mug Level 9: 44# 100 one hand swings 8 minutes-badge Level 10: 44# 100 hand swings 5 min-badge and prize-TBD Final Level-35# 5 reps TGU in 10 minutes, 1 minute rest and 44# 100 one handed swing in 5 minutes-mug Game Win badge Goals to help me on the journey to the main quest: 1) Track food 4x a week to ensure getting enough calories and potassium Reward: each week I complete all 4 days, I can buy a Kindle book and take a day the following week and instead of being a responsible adult, curl up with a good book and read. 2) Box breathing. : 3 minutes , 6 days a week; and try at various times during the day I did this last challenge and found it relaxing and a great tool to help with my breathing between swings. I want to really cement the habit this challenge. 3) Video myself at least once during the challenge during warm up, doing TGU and swings, so that I can get a good idea of my form Life quest: Video my pull up for this thread; http://rebellion.nerdfitness.com/index.php?/topic/38996-ladies-can-you-do-a-pull-up/. I can do a pull up, I just haven’t videoed it. For some reason, it’s a bit intimidating to me, I’m fine with video stuff that I am working on, but if it is an accomplishment I worry that it’s not good enough. But I just need to do it.

In several of the stories that I love, the hero must face a near-insurmountable number of stairs. For Link, it's the final spire of Zelda's overrun castle, Ocarina of Time around his neck, sword in hand. Up and up the stairs he went. Within the forest, Utena climbs the Mirrored Arena, an ever-winding spiral of steps, to defend her claim to the Rose Bride. At the end of all the worlds, Roland faces the Black Tower, the fall and rise of each staircase running him ragged. Those don't all have the same ending, though. Link faces the boss for the final time. Utena makes the journey several times with different foes. Roland faces his greatest adversary, and himself. I'm fighting a lot right now, and it's done some bad things to my health. I struggled through the last challenge. I'm not happy that I haven't lost weight. Thing is, I don't want to give up. I've seen that making these changes and putting in the work can have results. It's really easy to undo those results, too, if I'm not consistent. So. No more excuses. No more "My anxiety hurts, I'll just snack instead." No more "I'm stiff I just want to sit on the couch." No more "It's too hot to cook, let's go out." Especially because I do NOT eat smart at the places I go. Goal: 5 lbs. That's it. I did it the first challenge. I'll do it again, and more. Clean Your Guns: BBWW Tu/Th/Sa @ .20 for potential 3.6 to STR. Ifrit won't let you cheat or bail. Do it when you get home, Ever. That ass doesn't hit the couch unless it's sweaty. Shadow Puppets: Steps or Yoga M/W/F @ .25 for potential 4.5 to DEX. Stress and anxiety have been leaving me sore and crunched-up. Stretch on days when this is an issue; use Netflix for at least 20+ minutes. If tension/movement are not an issue, walk loops in the park until hitting the stepcounts goal. This is the part where you make Ifrit go. You help him, he helps you. Love That Lon-Lon: Food tracking. All day e'ry day at .1 for potential 4.2 to CON. Work at elimating one 'problematic' food item per week. Follow beginner keto/paleo guidelines. Make a Dress Out of a Tablecloth: You Want To Do How Many Cosplays Now? With the next con looming right at the end of this challenge, that's my Personal Quest. That's my boss fight for this round. With that in mind, each character completed will be 1 to CHA, with 3 points total. 1 hour each working day, 4 hours weekends. You Caught a Fairy! That final .3 left over will be for WIS, should I manage to finish a book during this challenge.

The game continues: The town of Metroville, grateful for having once again been saved from destruction in the hands of evil villains, wanted a special way to honor Elastigirl . The town’s mayor created a game with Elastigirl as the heroine. Game play allows the player to take on the role of Elastigirl, and therefore tap into her superpower of Tenacity. In order to win the game, the player will have to accomplish many feats. This will require tenaciousness and determination. The evil foes- Shiny Object Distraction, It’s Too Hard and You’ll Never Make it- will be constantly throwing their weapons. But, if the player sticks with the game long enough, they will be able to eventually win the trophy and Unleash the Power of Tenacity. I have been working on the main quest of this goal for 3 challenges. I decided that I needed to tap into my tenacity in order to keep me motivated to stick with it another challenge. I have broken the big goal down into many smaller goals. I may (most likely) not reach the Final level by this challenge, but I will get closer. Game Objective : Swing 44# lb KB 100 in 5 min: 5 reps, each side,35# TGU in 10 minutes Level 1 : 35# 100 one handed swing 6 min- badge-COMPLETE Level 2: 35# 100 one handed swings in 5 min-badge and unlock prize-Yoga socks-COMPLETE Level 3: 30# 5 reps TGU in 10 minutes-badge and prize unlocked-lacross ball-COMPLETE Level 4: Beserker Round- 30# 5 reps TGU in 10 minutes, 1 minutes rest and 35# 100one handed swing 5 minutes- Beast trophy and unlocked prize- starry night socks Level 5: 3 full 35# TGU-badge Level 6: 5 full 35# TGU- badge and unlock prize-yoga stretching band Level 7: 5 full 35# TGU reps in 10 minutes badge and unlock prize-juggling balls Level 8: 44# 100 one hand swings 10 minutes-badge and prize mug Level 9: 44# 100 one hand swings 8 minutes-badge Level 10: 44# 100 hand swings 5 min-badge and prize-TBD Final Level-35# 5 reps TGU in 10 minutes, 1 minute rest and 44# 100 one handed swing in 5 minutes-mug Game Win badge *Due to nature of game play, some higher levels of one kind (swings or TGU) may be reached before another. This is allowed by the rules. In order to win the final Level all prior levels must be complete. A unique feature of this game is its frequent reminders to the player of the importance of tenacity. During game play, motivational quotes will often flash on the screen. The player can then hurl them at the villains who are trying to throw the player off the path. My Goals Goal : Fuel: Track food 5 days a week- one of those day must be a weekend- hit calorie, protein, and potassium Track water and drink at least 6 glasses a day( 5 days a week doesn't need to be a weekend day) Goal: Deep Breathing Practice box breathing 6 times a week 3 minutes a day http://www.livestrong.com/article/74944-box-breathing-technique/ Life: Continue morning routine: Been doing this for several challenges now. Last challenge it really finally started to be habit. I want to continue this so I have the accountabilty. Morning: Read Bible, Dishwasher empty, walk, breakfast with timed computer play Chair cushions; Failed on this seemingly easy one last challenge. No procrastination this time. They must be purchased by week 3 Side goal :Cartwheel practice once a week. If I'm enjoying it, I'll do it more. If not, no loss. Idea stolen borrowed from Obax's crow challenge. Special notes and addendum: I am going to be gone the very first week of the challenge. I'll start my challenge next week, and the first official week some stuff may happen (or it may not) No kettlebell will be happening, but I will hopefully get some bodyweight work in.

HERRRGGRRK BLEH Okay, so living fast and loose with hunters has made me strong, and eager to do more. That said, to continue my training, I’m going to seek out strict, organized, Military discipline. Fair warning – this challenge will feature A LOT of swearing. I’ll try to avoid RvB spoilers, but it’s hard with so many gifs available.) Turns out, being embroiled in an endless, pointless, Godot-type war/waiting game gives you plenty of time to work out and do squats. So, using the state-of-the-art training programs recommended by both the Red and Blue armies, I intend to spend the next six weeks going from Blood Gulch slacker (Grif) to awesome Freelancer (Tex). My goals are as follows: Seriously. What the fuck are “girly lapsâ€? DEX 2 STA 2 The step counting has been great, but I need to build up my stamina, especially as it starts getting hot and humid. 3 runs per week. No excuses. Long bike rides can substitute. If it’s too hot, I can wait for nightfall or go to the gym and work out on a treadmill. “What’s stronger than rock? Like, super rock?†“PAPER!†STR 3 I let weights fall by the wayside as I got more into dancing and taiko. My goals involve strength, though. So 3x/ week, I’ll do BW (or learn to do regular weights at the gym). Emphasis on pull-up training. I can let one slide, if I have a really intense taiko session, but dance has not been intense enough to take the place of a BW. Again, if it’s super-hot, I can do a Neila Rey at home or go to the gym. No excuses! “Do they put something in the water here?†“Water? We ran outta water six months ago.†“No water, then what do you drink?†“Uh, you know, ketchup, uh, soy sauce, gravy, the usual.†CON 2 WIS 1 Food and drink has varied wildly from overeating a bunch of junk (Grif), undereating good stuff, and undereating junk. And water consumption has just sucked. So I will log everything. I will use MFP and a text document on my phone to keep track. Not trying to hit macros, but I will journal a bit to figure out how much I need to keep going. Also, inspired by Polgara, I will not eat sweet treats when I am alone. Sweets are for sharing, so no solo snacking on crap! "I'm just chillin'. That's the only rule on blue team, rookie. Be cool." "I thought the only rule was don't kill the leader?" "Yeah, but we break that rule all the time. That's what makes us so cool." CHA 1 DEX 1 Without going all lazy like Grif, or a little . . . too stretchy, like Grif's sister, I want to continue my stretching and meditation/prayer ritual before bed. It helps me shut down a little - i often can't fall asleep because of whirling thoughts. “Talk about a waste of resources. I mean, we should be out there finding new and intelligent forms of life, you know, fight them.†CHA 1 WIS 2 I’ve been getting excited about going back home in August, but I have two more months in Japan to have amazing experiences, and “discover new mapsâ€. So my goal is, every week, to find/do/see/eat/try one new thing. This is a little fuzzy, but some ideas are: Cook a new dish, with a new ingredient Try a new activity/exercise See a new site in the area

Today, feels like I battle. I feel like all of my different crazy makers are converging on me, including the one inside my head. So I'm doing this for myself. I signed up for the Wipeout Run in chicago a while ago, with a friend who is excited to have a fitness partner accept I am not fit. I had enough time to slowly ease into running, but then life kind of flipped out and I also had spring allergies or a cold. Booger face does not fun running make. So this is also part of my re-starting "the game". It was way easier to go run tuesday because I knew what was going to happen. I just have to make the choice to keep re-applying myself to things that I actually want to do. I want to be fit enough to go do fun things with my friends. I like kyacking and camping/hiking. I don't hate running, I use to like riding my bike. I want to be able to just do things again without being concerned that I'll be slow or tired or feel gross. The Plan is Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday: Get up, get the to gym, run, shower, go to work. Monday, Wednesday, Friday: Yoga/bodyweight workout from home, go to work. Foods Currently tracking my food with my fitness pal. Been tracking daily since February. These are the current food goals... - Need to find a time each week that I can always make food. Some is better than none. - Figure out how to get more greens into my diet. - You don't eat sugar. If you're freaking out have an orange, if you don't want a supid orange then don't have one. Geez. Get sleep. working is not sleep. ...chocolate is also not sleep. Current weight 255lbs - goal is 240 F 5'2", for interests sake. Original intro blather --- Started this 5/26. Tuesday - ran, showered without panicking and made it to work in enough time. Thursday - nothing. Work meeting, gym doesn't open early enough for me to get done in time. Which is fine because it seems I'm rolling my ankle inward as I run and it hurts to walk now. Friday - got new running shoes that should help with the hurting. All running shoes seem ugly and expensive. Was disappointed in other shoppers for being generally rude, to each other and staff. --- Didn't buy tickets for the Emo-Coaster, instead I'm drinking a lot of water and taking a nap.

Now that I have access to something that has a physical keyboard, I can actually type out my challenge. Woo! I won't be able to start fully on my challenge until Wednesday as I'm visiting family out of state and it'll be super hard to do most of this when I'm busy and traveling. Next Sunday I'm going to start GM'ing a Star Wars RP campaign. Because of that, I've had Star Wars on the brain for a bit, so I'm going to go with a Star Wars theme for this challenge. Main Goal - Get down to target weight of 130 pounds. Goal #1 - Stay On Target! I'm still thoroughly confused about how many calories I should be taking in because some days, 1300 calories makes me feel like I'm starving to death. Though, that could be because I'm not eating the best foods or something. Going to try and stay between 1300 and 1500 calories while tracking everything I eat. May also ask for help in some of the help forums to figure out what's best for me to eat. Goal #2 - Train Like a Jedi To defeat the Empire, I need to be in better shape. So this time, I'm going to buckle down and get my butt to the gym. I *have* to go to the gym 5 days a week, though my bare minimum is going to be 5 days. 3 days will be strength training with 20 minutes of cardio and the other days will be training for my 5K in July. Goal #3 - Walk to Mordor....er....the Battle of Endor Continuing with my friends over at Sprite Stitch, I'm walking to Mordor. I don't really have a clear goal on this, but if I walk more than a mile each day, than I'll call that a win. Being a stay-at-home mom in a tiny apartment doesn't give me much room to walk, but by going to the gym and even getting outside with the Youngling will help me get those much-needed steps in. My Life Goal this time is going to be in the creative streak this time. I have several cross stitching projects that I need to get done sooner rather than later. I keep putting them off due to other random things, so I'm going to devote at least 2 hours a day to stitching. I'll have to post pictures of the projects when I get home.

The town of Metroville, grateful for having once again been saved from destruction in the hands of evil villains, wanted a special way to honor Elastigirl . The town’s mayor created a game with Elastigirl as the heroine. Game play allows the player to take on the role of Elastigirl therefore . In order to win the game, the player will have to accomplish many feats. This will require tenaciousness and determination. The evil foes- Shiny Object Distraction, It’s Too Hard and You’ll Never Make it- will be constantly throwing their weapons. But, if the player sticks with the game long enough, they will be able to eventually win the trophy and Unleash the Power of Tenacity. I have been working on the main quest of this goal for 2 challenges. I decided that I needed to tap into my tenacity in order to keep me motivated to stick with it another challenge. I have broken the big goal down into many smaller goals. I may (most likely) not reach the Final level by this challenge, but I will get closer. After this challenge, I may switch gears, for a little bit, and do a different workout. But then I will return and keep working. I will keep working at this until all levels are complete. The Power of Tenacity:game objective : Swing 44# lb KB 100 in 5 min: 5 reps, each side,35# TGU in 10 minutes Level 1 : 35# 100 one handed swing 6 min- badge Level complete! Level 2: 35# 100 one handed swings in 5 min-badge and unlock prize-Yoga socks-Level Complete! Level 3: 30# 5 reps TGU in 10 minutes-badge and prize unlocked-lacross balLevel complete! l Level 4: Beserker Round- 30# 5 reps TGU in 10 minutes, 1 minutes rest and 35# 100one handed swing 5 minutes- Beast trophy and prize unlocked- starry night socks Level 5: 3 full 35# TGU-badge Level 6: 5 full 35# TGU- badge and unlock prize-yoga stretching band Level 7: 5 full 35# TGU reps in 10 minutes badge and unlock prize-juggling balls Level 8: 44# 100 one hand swings 8 minutes-badge Level 9: 44# 100 hand swings 5 min-badge and prize-TBD Final Level-35# 5 reps TGU in 10 minutes, 1 minute rest and 44# 100 one handed swing in 5 minutes-Tshirt: Game Win badge *Due to nature of game play, some higher levels of one kind (swings or TGU) may be reached before another. This is allowed by the rules. In order to win the final Level all prior levels must be complete. A unique feature of this game is its frequent reminders to the player of the importance of tenacity. During game play, motivational quotes will often flash on the screen. The player can then hurl them at the villains who are trying to throw the player off the path. The Power of Tenacity (challenge goals) Quest 1:Strength: Workout 4 x a week The workout I will be following is Pavel’s Simple and Sinister. It consists of two exercises; the swing and the Turkish Get-Up. I will also be using this program to help me level up on my swings http://rdellatraining.com/blog Quest 2 Fuel: Maintain strength by eating healthy food. Track food 4x a week. Make sure I am getting enough calories and hitting my potassium goals * eat healthy all the time, but this game play is set on easy, so player only needs to track 4 days of the week, though at least 4 of those days need to be weekends Life goals When she is not busy saving the town of Metroville, Elasitigirl is trying to make sure the Incredible's home is a comfy place to retreat to after a hard day fighting villians. Now that she has painted her dining room chairs, she will complete the project by buying new chair cushions. Morning Routine: It's a busy life, managing a home and fighting villains. This is why Elastigirl is working on building consistency in her morning routine. This goal is familiar, but she wants to keep at it tenaciously until it become routine. Read Bible, walk, kitchen chores. After two of these are done, she can set the timer for 20-30 minutes and check her computer. After the timer goes off, she will finish the other task and workout. Goal is to do this routine at least 4 x a week. Side goal: Remember to enjoy the game. The workout can become a bit monotonous. This can be combated by having some side adventures. There should be time some days to play around with animal flows, skills stuff, balance stuff, whatever Elastigirl thinks sounds fun. This is allowable and even encouraged, as long as the workout is completed.

Time for some déjà vu: What do you do when your 2014 resolution was to lose 10 pounds and then you end up gaining 10 pounds instead? Pick yourself up and try again. So here I am, picking myself back up and continuing on my goal to get healthy. Overall, I want to be smaller. I know that my measurements will become smaller but the scale could go up. This is something I constantly struggle with. Since 8th grade I’ve been trying to get the scale to go down (yup, I was an 8th grader drinking SlimFast for breakfast). And with doctors constantly hounding me to lose weight, it is ingrained in my head that the scale needs to go down. So, yes, I want to lose weight, but I want/need to become stronger. My goal is to be 2-3 inches smaller in all my measurements (waist, arms, thighs, hips). If I lose weight in the process, yay! If not, well, you may need to talk some sense back into me. So here we go for Challenge Number 7: Main 3 goals: Track food 5 days a week This is to see if I’m actually eating healthy and the right portion sizes. Obviously something isn’t working. Strength Train 3x a week (MWF) Hey guys! Remember when I couldn’t even do it once a week? I’m now doing it 2x consistently! Go me! Now to add another day Swim at least 1x a week, 2x if body can handle it (TTH) If not swim, hoop! I really, really want to start hooping again, but being insecure at the gym I just haven’t. So, if I’m not swimming that week, I need to hoop! The weather is starting to get warmer so I can start doing it in the garage again. Scoring: Each Main Goal will be graded on a scale of A-F. Fully completed will get an A while never even attempted will get an F. Partially completed or half assed attempted will get somewhere in the B-D range. EDIT 4/10: Adding in a mini challenge!!!! I'm going to see how long I can go without peeling off a fingernail. When I get bored or stress I start picking at my fingernails and then end up just peeling them off. So, I bought nail polish last night when I was at CVS and my hope is that maybe it will curb this habit if I actually have pretty nails. Just going to take this one day at a time. No pass or fail. But I will reward myself with something if I can go all 6 weeks

This week I start my second challenge both with the rangers and for the year. Last challenge had a great middle, I hit my stride by finding something that clicked with me and got me to the gym, and I saw good results. Family coming to visit (and me trying my best to de-bachelor my boyfriend’s home because of it) as well as a ton of meetings at work during my lunch break (my favorite time to work out) side tracked me at the end. I still learned a lot, and now I KNOW I can do it. This Challenges Focus: Signet of Stone – Passive Boost to Toughness (Outer Strength) Training – To be tough you must train. 3 weight training days, 2 cardio days, and a walk 20-30min every day. Worth +4 Str +2 Dex (Inner Strength) Food – This has been my most difficult wall to break through, but to be tough you must feed your body healthy things, not crap. During this challenge I will track all my food via TwoGrand (TiffanyD if anyone else is on there), I’m going to write in the comment calorie info when it’s available, and I am going to focus on eating no more than 1450 calories a day (my protein shake post SL 5x5/Crossfit will not be counted). I am not having anything be “off limits†this go around. Worth +3 points (tbd) (Resilience) Water – In order to be tough you need to be hydrated, I will drink a minimum of 2.2 liters of water a day (9, 8oz cups). Worth +2 to Con My life goal this time around is to be nicer to myself. I am the type that refuses to expect something out of people that I don’t expect from myself, so I can be very critical. I don’t think anyone should be as harsh on themselves as I am to me, and I need to change that. I will be completing the love your body challenge here.

This week I start my second challenge both with the rangers and for the year. Last challenge had a great middle, I hit my stride by finding something that clicked with me and got me to the gym, and I saw good results. Family coming to visit (and me trying my best to de-bachelor my boyfriend’s home because of it) as well as a ton of meetings at work during my lunch break (my favorite time to work out) side tracked me at the end. I still learned a lot, and now I KNOW I can do it. This Challenges Focus: Signet of Stone – Passive Boost to Toughness (Outer Strength) Training – To be tough you must train. 3 weight training days, 2 cardio days, and a walk 20-30min every day. Worth +4 Str +2 Dex (Inner Strength) Food – This has been my most difficult wall to break through, but to be tough you must feed your body healthy things, not crap. During this challenge I will track all my food via TwoGrand (TiffanyD if anyone else is on there), I’m going to write in the comment calorie info when it’s available, and I am going to focus on eating no more than 1450 calories a day (my protein shake post SL 5x5/Crossfit will not be counted). I am not having anything be “off limits†this go around. Worth +3 points (tbd) (Resilience) Water – In order to be tough you need to be hydrated, I will drink a minimum of 2.2 liters of water a day (9, 8oz cups). Worth +2 to Con My life goal this time around is to be nicer to myself. I am the type that refuses to expect something out of people that I don’t expect from myself, so I can be very critical. I don’t think anyone should be as harsh on themselves as I am to me, and I need to change that. I will be completing the love your body challenge here.

I was debating about doing this challenge. I just couldn’t feel it in my heart. However, that all changed last night. I decided to try on my too tight pants (aka: my fat pants) before I went to bed to see if they were still too tight or if they had gotten looser. I could not button them. I cried myself to sleep promising that tomorrow (today) it will all change. Here goes challenge #5. Main Goal: Lose 2-4 inches from arms/waist/hips/thigh/calves. The goal is by April. My friend and I have a bet going. I want to fit into my jeans and my size 10 dress by my birthday, and he wants to fit into his suit for a friend’s wedding. If I win, I get the 13 foot long scarf that he knitted. If he wins, I have to give him a drawing of Supergirl and Batgirl that I’ve wanted to work on. It’s a recreation of this one: Main 3 goals: Do cardio 3x a week Strength train 1x week Track food 5 days a week Mini goals: Swim 1x a week Practice Swedish 30 minutes a weekNot to be confused with a mini challenge. These are goals I want to accomplish throughout the entire challenge, but aren’t as important as my main three. I will not be grading my mini goals. Just a yay or nay each week if completed. Scoring: Each Main Goal will be graded on a scale of A-F. Fully completed will get an A while never even attempted will get an F. Partially completed or half assed attempted will get somewhere in the B-D range. No more crying myself to sleep!

Okay, sounds a bit crazy huh? Well, let me explain. I have a dear friend (swampling) and this is a little "joke" that has been a fun way of dealing with stress over the last challenge. It started with making a joke about burying things that bug us. She lives in Germany and happens to have access to the Black Forrest. I love unicorns. So, when something would bug me we would talk about packing up the unicorns and taking a trip to the woods to do a little digging. This is going to be a VERY busy time in my life and I have a feeling I will need to go visit the Black Forrest often. School is starting and I homeschool six kiddos from a high school senior to a preschooler. Between school and the day to day of life it can get so busy that it's easier to focus on the squeaky wheels and start the ....... "I just don't have time for......." This challenge will be to focus on keeping that from happening and moving in a positive and healthy direction. Also, I injured my knee a week ago.....promptly ignored it, and now I am paying for it. Day before yesterday I reached down and found a lump the size of a golf ball sticking out of my kneecap and within a few hours the skin all around that area started turning dark purple and red. Now, I can barely walk on it. Treatment seems to be to "stay off it as much as possible" , ice, and pain meds. That means that for the start of this challenge I will be looking to do something that keeps me active but puts little stress on that knee until it heals. I have no idea how long that will be, or quite what that will be yet. Goal 1: Stay active.....stretching, upper body work, rehab exercises, Belly Dancing lessons, ect. And, Because injuries tend to lead to being more sedentary and being sedentary to eating too much or to often....or not what is not the healthiest..... Goal 2: Food Tracking.....everything that goes in my mouth. I don't do MFP well, I tend to be a bit old school and find that having a physical journal works better for me. Though I may throw it into MFP as I feel inclined. But, everyday I have to list in my journal every bite I eat and approx. amounts. This will give me a basis to work from and hopefully deter me from eating anything I don't want to write down. Goal 3: Still working on this one....... And finally.............. A Life Goal..............French I have always wanted to read the Little Prince after having it highly recommended by a number of people. Last challenge my friend swampling mentioned that she wanted to read the Little Prince in French and asked me if I would like to join her. I was thrilled to do it. As I mentioned , I wanted to read it anyway and my oldest daughter had hinted that she wanted to learn a language and this would be an excellent way to brush up on the French I took in high school...... which I remember NONE of..... So, French....... Here We Come! Alrighty, here's to a new challenge, pretty unicorns and trips to the Black Forrest! Care to join me? Grades and any further details to come......

Do you feel like Summer gets here and THINGS HAPPEN (hopefully good things), and the next thing you know it’s labor day weekend and you wonder where the summer went? I’ve been trying to find ways to not just enjoy my summer but to slow down a little and enjoy it instead of getting caught up in so many things to do that I forget that I love to take it slow and just go and enjoy my own way. I just finished my first full quest, and am looking forward to enjoying my next one. When I try to do things I use to do the overhaul approach “I MUST DO IT ALL Now!â€. now I’m going slow taking a few baby steps at a time and trying to make changes gradual, and hopefully permanent . So a half of my quests are continuations of the quests that I did last time, with some tweaks. I talk and post photos of my Lovely side kick River, the 11 month old Great Dane. Last Challenge Hubby was away at conference/work travel and I was a single dog mommy. He’s back and we will be sharing responsibilities a lot more. She and our 3 furry purry friends, Patrick, Sebastian and Beatrice, Hubby and I make up our house. Enough talk, time to Quest! Main Quest: To change from a awesome Oger into an Awesome Amazon. Lose weight and gain muscle. Also be as kick ass in person as I am in my head (physically). Keep my sweet sidekick River the Great Dane healthy, happy and active. Get fit and loss pant sizes though watching what I eat (tracking), and working out. Quest 1: weight training 3 times a week. mon, wed, fri, or for long weekends, tues, thur sat I’m going to add Weights into my life again. it’s been years since I did weight training seriously. I started and worked with a personal trainer that I loved working with, but then he moved and I started working with a women that wanted me to do many reps with light weights, uggg. So I stopped. and life, operations and recovery and never really got beck to it. So the plan is 3 times a week, maybe starting with bodyweight exercises for this challenge and up it to free weight next challenge. Quest 2: track food 7 times a week I’ve been using sparkpeople to track my food, and still love it. I did so well with this last challenge and I want to keep it up. I’m going to aim for 2,000 to 2,500 a day in calories, and Post my daily total on my challenge board. Quest 3: walk River, and/or bike to work and/or swim 6 days a week. last challenge I had a lot of cardio for my workouts. things that were good, I definitely biked to work more since I had to be accountable for them. Walking River comes pretty naturally since a board Great Dane is a handful but a tired one is a warm lump on your couch. We have plans of visiting in laws and camping next month so I thought that adding the swimming for those days I can is always a great addition. Life Quest: Practice singing and piano 5 times a week I’ve been taking singing lesson for the last year and a bit, and just started to alternate taking piano and singing lessons at my weekly lessons. I am bad for only practicing 2-3 times a week and now I have two things to practice!