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Okay, These 4 week challenges are great and all but I think for now I am going to amalgamate everything in the one log. That way my disjointed rambling posts will have some sort of backstory and probably make more sense. xD If you don't know me already (sheesh!) I am 24, australian, working in hopsitality, learning roller derby, and trying to live my aussie dream of owning a house with my lovely partner and gardens and no people and shit. Yeah! Most concise intro so far. Last challenge I focussed on tracking my food (having just come back from a 2-week holiday including an all-you-can-eat buffet) and trying to do some exercise and keep my house clean. The house cleaning plan got de-railed a little bit because everything ended up getting packed up and dragged over to our new house, so I have a clean slate to start again with good housework habits. (also, Mr. Tea said he'd buy me a dishwasher so booyeah!) For the next 4 weeks (at least, probably longer!) I want to be focussing on unpacking the rest of the boxes and throwing out anything I don't need, cleaning the old house, ticking off things on my house-moving list, and getting some sort of garden happening, as well as keeping the new house looking somewhat presentable. Awesome! I also want to re-route my derby focus to be working on the last few things that I need to pass my minimum skills, as well as get good at skills that come in handy in games but aren't necessarily skills that are demanded of you. I've been feeling a bit 'meh' about training since coming back from holiday but we've also had a string of public holidays depriving us of all our training sessions, so I need to get back in there! DERBY SKILLS LIST; 27in5 (currently 24) 360 transitions (at faster speeds!) side-skating / T-skating backwards crossovers pushing through walls core bracing THE HOUSE MOVING LIST: Get a mailbox - done, just need to put up Organise internet - waiting for tech support - still. Call the electricity company Order Gas Bottle Build a dog-fence Put in doggy door - completed (thanks dad!) Clean old house - Put bins out at old house Grab lemon tree from old house Take a load of rubbish to the tip Change addresses at various places (requires mailbox!) - Vehicle license + new license photo. - Car Insurance - Debit card - Superannuation - Work - Dentist - Spotlight (:P) Unpack Rooms; - Formal lounge - all the spare furniture is in here - move extra furniture to the shed - Ensuite - need to move a chest of drawers in for storage space - Craft Room Just gotta put my desk back in there Misc. Things Put up a washing line Oil the hammock stand Change ensuite shower head Stockpile wood for winter Got a good few weeks worth at least; ~ 8-10 wheelbarrow loads for now.

These are all scored daily, either full credit or half credit (or no credit) for each day. Tallied up for each goal, scores are A=25 days, B=20 days, C=15 days, D=10 days (out of 28 days) So a passing score is just slightly better than half credit on all days, which seems reasonable. Kettlebells - Simple & Sinister Get back to Pavel's "Simple & Sinister" kettlebell routine, with custom warmups and stretches to address my various achy parts. For this challenge, full credit is: Any Mobility drills or warmups, 5-10 minutes. 10 sets of 10 swings - 35lb (16kg), generally one handed. 5-10 minutes. 10 getups - as many with 35lb as I can manage before switching to 20lb. 10-15 minutes. Any stretches - 5-10 minutes. (Although Pavel says no passive forward bends after swings, so anything besides that.) Half credit is any two of these, so yes, it could be just mobility drills and stretches. In case of actual injury or illness, I can get full credit for using whatever weight seems appropriate, and/or substituting 10 sets of 10 of any of the preliminary swing drills in S&S, and getup drills (5 sets of 5, R&L) of one segment of the getup. Fatigue from other activity is not an excuse - do the workout first thing in the morning. Food Goal - Simple & Sensible Keep it simple. Just eat decent meals with protein and veggies. To keep me on track, my sensible responsible adult meals are defined as: protein - roughly 1/2lb (measured raw, boneless) at least "big enough to share", like two chicken thighs, or a can of tuna. 4-6 eggs. veggies - roughly 2 cups or 1/2lb (measured raw and reasonably packed) or one standard can. (Figure that cooking and mashing each reduce size roughly by half.) other stuff - whatever carbs and fat, as much as I am genuinely hungry for. water (or another healthy beverage) - total of about a pint (500ml) Skipping a meal is fine, if I'm not hungry, or if I'm away from home and decent food is not available. Alternately, have a small meal of a half portion of protein, a half or full portion of veggies, and water, no extra carbs or fat. (And no snacking later.) If I'm hungry and eating full meals, snacks and treats are okay, so long as I drink water with them. No eating when I'm not hungry, or stuffing myself. Full credit for three "sensible" meals a day, plus whatever other snacks or treats (with water). Full credit for less than three full "sensible" meals a day, IF I'M NOT HUNGRY and that is pretty much all I'm eating. (No more than two SMALL snacks.) Half credit for two "sensible" meals a day along with other snacks or meals (with water). I've got no excuses for not being extremely physically active next month - I'm doing construction, not taxes - so I'm not looking to restrict calories. I just shouldn't subsist solely on peanut butter and banana sandwiches, raisin bran, and toast. Besides, it is veggie time! EAT ALL THE VEGGIES! Teamwork Goal - Simple & Supportive Every day, find an opportunity to do some kind of physical activity with my partner. (Do it together, if at all practical.) Full credit if I make an enthusiastic and welcoming offer IN PERSON with a doable time, place, and activity, regardless of whether my offer is taken. My partner is often ill or in pain (lupus, arthritis, etc) and always busy despite that, so coming up with a good offer is not trivial. Full credit if he's already done substantial physical activity without me offering. That is actually the long-term goal - to help him get in the habit of being more active and giving him ideas about things he CAN do, when there is so much he CAN'T do. Half credit if I seriously gave my best effort to figure out an appropriate time, place, and activity, but couldn't come up with anything plausible to offer, given the circumstances. No credit for nagging or making offers that I really should have known were implausible. Any activity counts - a short walk with the dog, a few minutes of Tai Chi, some gardening, maybe some careful assisted strength training, or if all else fails, some assisted passive stretching/massage. BONUS - Once a week, go do something active with Silver Olivia! One bonus point for each time we actually do something. Half a point for realistic firm plans that fall through. Life Goal - Simple & Systematic Check-in every evening and use the list daily. Half credit for only doing one and not the other, or for a serious system malfunction. Super simple. Just do it. PREVIOUS CHALLENGES: 1. Weasel Gets Things Done Nov-Dec 2015 Eat more protein, veggies, and whole grains (B+). Sleep Routine (A). "Primal Fitness Blueprint" (A++). Laundry! (A++). Order of the Stick (Success!) 2. Return of the Weasel : Consistency! Jan 2016 Handstands (A), Kettlebells - Pavel's "Simple & Sinister" (A-), Daily Routine (A), Ukulele! (C ) 3. Weasel Takes this Show on the Road! Feb 2016 Continue Simple & Sinister kettlebell routine. (D. Injury.) Track sleep schedule (A). Make a diet plan (A). Write on spirituality blog. (F) 4. Sith-Weasel's Road Trip Continues Mach 2016 Daily fitness activity (D) Responsible Adult Meals (A++), Hydration (C ), Tasks & Check-in (D). (Travel is hard on routines!)

Back to Basics This challenge will not be a part of the "Becoming Ulfhedinn" series. Along the last few challenges I've deviated from my original weight loss goal... and it's been awesome. I've learned a lot, from hand balancing to survival skills. But I feel my original goal got left behind and my size reduction has lost it's momentum. One could argue that the first puonds melt away and those stubborn last pounds are the harder to get rid of, but I don't think I'm near the "last few pounds" yet. Besides, I don't have the sightiest idea of my current carb intake, let alone the rest of my macros. Using the weekly variance as an excuse to binge eat has become dangerously normal... long story short, I got lost in all the fun of learning new skills and getting stronger and lost track of my eating. So, this challenge will be aimed at getting back to basics: Tracking my macros, taking weekly measurements and returning to the old habit of monthly progress pics. Of course excercise and to-do lists will be a part of the challenge as well, all in a Tapatalk-friendly way, since class is in session si I'll be spending little to no time at home and surveillance levels at work are still too high at the moment. Wish me luck!

A ship in port is safe, but that's not what ships are built for. I’ve finally managed to get down to only having one job! It’s very exciting to actually have free time! And my weekends to myself! I’ve got some of the same goals in this challenge as in the last couple, but I’ve taken away my mobility and work ones and added in grease-the-groove and will be adding a stricter food goal than just “don’t be a dickhead” Previous Challenge Stats Weight 164lb Waist 30" Belly 34.5" Hips 39" Thigh 23" Body Fat 26.93% Goals Cadence to Arms I just got a pull up bar to put up in one of my doorways - time to really kick it into gear with moving towards my goal of being able to do a pullup! The plan right now is to (attempt to) do a pullup every time I walk by/under the bar. The way my apartment is laid out means that this should be a lot! I’ll keep track of how many I’m doing per day, and maybe set a number goal depending on how that goes. Walk Away Running and walking goals (still) here. I’ve discovered that I like running in the morning before work, it’s just getting out of bed that’s the trick! I’m going to try and do my weekly run in the mornings, and go for my walk on the weekend. Weekly 5k Half an hour walk once a week End of the Night Sleep continues to be an issue. I’m really going to work on it this time around 11pm bedtime Do morning prep immediately after work Computer off at 10pm & start getting ready for bed - turn off all the bright lights (kitchen, some living room), turn on my sunrise/sunset light in the bedroom Meditate at 10:45pm Reading, knitting, journalling, drawing, or listening to podcasts are ok after 10pm Socializing exemption still exists To help with this, I'm going to make sure I also wake up early on weekends. I'll set my alarm for maybe 7 or 7:30, and then I can stay in bed but I have to be awake. I'm still working on Saturdays right now (hopefully not for too much longer), so that I'll probably just apply to Sundays for this challenge. During the last challenge I needed the sleep more, and slept in late every Sunday, but in theory if I get my bedtime under control this can happen Captain Kelly's Kitchen The List will get finished! Tidying - things that I have to bung out and get organized Dresser - 1 drawer of T-shirts to go through The Corner of Doom - desk to be cleaned off, side table with my printer to clean off, drawers to clean out, stacks of paper to be gone through - Started Wardrobe - just have to get it organized, now that I have a stool and can reach the shelf in it instead of chucking things up and then barely being able to get them back down Bathroom cabinets - under sink and above toilet. Not too much stuff but needs organized and gone through Cleaning - it would be really awesome if I could get all of my cleaning done so that I can feel like it's done (for a while, anyway), instead of doing one thing and then trying to ignore the 5 other things that I haven't done Get all of these done at the same time Dust - Started, barely Sweep/mop kitchen - DONE 1-off stuff Fridge - DONE Kitchen cupboards Under/behind stove - DONE Under/behind fridge Windows Scrub down shower walls - DONE Minimizing One thing in, one thing out 52 things gone - /52 The Spicy McHaggis Jig Week 1 - Worked out some macros based on IIFYM and the "so you're trying to lean out while doing intense training?" that someone posted a challenge or two ago: 2000 calories Protein 175g (35%) Fat 89g (40%) Carbs 125g (25%) I also get one variance/week. I'll adjust these as the challenge goes on, depending on how I go. The Road So Far Week 1: Pullups - got the bar up (finally!) on Sunday morning, started working on them! Walk 1/1; 5k 0/1 11pm 1/7 - could be 2/7 if I get to bed early enough tonight Tidying? Cleaning? Minimizing? - dusted the tops of the cabinets in the bathroom after getting a look at them while putting up my pullup bar. Cleaned/tidied the kitchen counters and the table, tidied the bathroom counter/shower ledge. Took out the compost and 2 lots of recycling. Floordrobe tackled and laundry away. Totals for week (this includes my plan for dinner but that's subject to a bit of change): 12619/14, 000 calories Protein 978/1225g Fat 607/623g Carbs 814/875g Week 2: Pullups - working on them! Walk 0/1; 5k 0/1 11pm 0/7 Tidying? Cleaning? Minimizing? - Not a lot, got papers triaged in the Corner of Doom, cleaned the bathroom (including scrubbing the walls down), cleaned under the stove. Did a compost/garbage/recycling/shredded paper run. Food for this week wasn't great. A bit high on carbs and low on protein. Pretty sure that's attributable to me not being willing to even think about cooking on Wednesday night (0 energy) and having lasagna instead. Totals for week: 13, 885/14, 000 calories Protein 1006/1225g Fat 671/623g Carbs 1064/875g Week 3: Pullups - continuing to work on them Walk 0/1; 5k 1/1 11pm 0/7 Tidying? Cleaning? Minimizing? - Cleaned out the fridge, did some shredding Food? - only tracked Mon-Thurs this week because I was travelling 7400/8000 calories Protein 501/700g Fat 406/356g Carbs 527/500g Week 4: Pullups - slacked a bit on this during this week. Was sore from rugby on the weekend, then was feeling sick, but I did some today! Walk 0/1; 5k 0/1 11pm 1/7 Tidying? Cleaning? Minimizing? - nope. And the floordrobe has made a reappearance Food? 13, 672/14, 000 calories Protein 711/1225g Fat 738/623g Carbs 1082/875g

Last challenge started out with the best of intentions, but life doesn’t always recognise that and sometimes will punch you in the gut, just because. After that it’s easy to roll over and decide that maybe now isn’t the right time to get back up, maybe it’s best to wait until life has focused on someone or something else. ...but such a time does not exist. The best time is NOW. I’ve tried pushing through with different methods, and despite having many failures, I’ve also gained a better idea of what works best for the different mindsets I find myself in most often. So I’ve simplified things down to the bare bones in order to minimise the stress that goal setting can have on me, and I’ve worked out a points system for it all that I can keep track of easily. MOVEMENT Do SOMETHING every day. Maybe I have a long shift and only have time for ten minutes of circuits, or maybe I have a day off and time for a full on workout. Maybe I’m feeling happy and motivated to work on deadlifts, and maybe I’m upset or anxious and would feel better taking a walk. As long as something gets done every day. Three points will be awarded for ‘full size’ workouts, a combination of bodyweight and weighted work, including warming up properly, cooling down and stretching, and work on the foam roller. Two points will be awarded for ‘regular size’ workouts, which will be counted as something that hits most of the above points, but not all. For example, warming up, working on deadlifts, then stretching afterwards. One point will be awarded for sporadic movement throughout the day, like that ten minute circuit session mentioned above, or a grease the groove approach to pull ups or pistol squats, or a few sets of push-ups here and there. No movement, no points. ***EDIT: In a slight adaptation to the above, I'm adding in a couple of small essentials that should be done daily: Mobility work: Use one of the NF Yoga mobility mini-sessions. They're all ten minutes or less, so it's not a massive time commitment. Grip work: In this case, dead hangs. Basically what I've been doing most days of this week. Every time I go past the bar, I hang from it for a while. My grip strength is shocking, and not in a good way. NUTRITION I was getting back on track in the food department, and then my fridge and freezer went kaput. Unresponsive landlord is unresponsive, so I’m making the best of it for now. It means that tins are my friend, I have to get creative with any accidental bulk cooking I do (which happens a lot), and I need to find new and interesting ways to keep the right kinds of food in my diet. Three points for three meals. A protein shake will be counted as a meal at breakfast time only, and is best accompanied by some fruit or other snack. Two points for two meals. One point for one meal plus consistent grazing. Trying to avoid this, although it’s happened a few days since the fridge went. I feel crappy after days where I haven’t eaten properly, so I can only imagine what is happening to my insides. A no point day is not an option. MIND I am first and foremost responsible for looking after myself, and that includes taking time out to do something enjoyable or nothing at all. I’ve recently changed jobs, and although I’ve only had two shifts at my new job there is a noticeable difference in atmosphere. Throughout those two shifts I’ve run into several pub regulars who have all, without fail, commented on how much happier I seem. I’d like to keep that happiness. Therefore I will take thirty minutes every day to set everything aside and do something purely for me. Three points for the full half hour. Two points for up to twenty minutes. One point for up to ten minutes. No time, no points. Although with my new shift structure there really is no excuse for not having time... REWILDING I am happier when surrounded by nature, and yet I don’t include enough of it in my life. This isn’t going to be a points goal, but I will aim to do something every day. It can be as simple as watering my small collection of plants, opening the curtains to let the daylight in, or sitting out in the garden for a little while. It can be going for a walk and turning the music off for a while, foraging for edibles in the glen, or setting up a riverside camp fire to cook a meal. So long as I’m making an effort to do something, that’s what counts. The rewards part is something I’ve not quite figured out yet, but I’ve got plenty of time to think it over, and while it is nice to get something tangible out of it all, it’s not the most important thing. The important thing is that everything will be logged here, and I mean everything. What I ate, what I did, and should the worst happen, what I didn't do and why. ***EDIT: Rewards System I've done some sums and have decided that the maximum number of points I can earn in this challenge is 243. That's accounting for full nutrition and mind points daily, a full size workout every second day, and a workout every other day. Based on that I've split things up very roughly, figured out what will both motivate me and further my progress, and have come up with the following rewards: 0-120 = The knowledge that I tried my best, and next time will do better! 121-174 = Been there, done that, got the t-shirt (the nerdier the better). 175-200 = The knowledge that I'm getting a grip on this healthy living business (fat grips). 200-243 = A congratulatory pat on the back (plus a shiny sandbag). I debated the consolation prize thing, but in the decided that if I didn't even get halfway then there's no point. The t-shirt reward will do nothing to further my progress, that is motivational enabling that's come about purely because I've got my eye on a few different ones, and want an excuse to buy one. Grips are self-explanatory and varied grip training will help massively for bouldering. The sandbag (which does not have to be shiny!) is for training variation. That way I can train inside, or just as easily take it out for a walk.

1. Get in bed before 11 PM or as early as possible. Sleep is still my biggest problem. I'm working on it. My spring break gave me some time to get away with sleeping in, which did help. However, i'm going for the long-term here, and that ain't good enough. If I can, I need to drop everything i'm doing between 10 and 10:30 PM. I've got a plethora of alarms to help with that. 2. Eat healthy stuff that makes you feel good; avoid junk food. I feel that i've been doing fairly well on this. My body has been happy with what i've been eating over the last few months, which is an awesome feeling. 3. Practice Aam Ka Jutsu and work with the kettlebell. I finished my 20,000 side-kick challenge, so I set up a new goal at 40,000 side-kicks. I'm not working toward any crazy number after which i'll never throw a kick again. I find that having a small goal like that acts as a reminder for me to work on my kicks. I like doing the small number of kettlebell exercises that i've tried. I'd like to do more of them, and possibly get to the point where I can justify buying either another 25 lb bell or a heavier one. I haven't got a clue which I should or will go with. We shall see. I think i'll rotate between martial arts and kettlebell stuff each day. 4. Code stuff; work on your projects at least once a week, hopefully more. I need to keep improving my skills, so i'm going to commit to doing as much work as I can when i'm not working on homework. Feel free to follow along and call me out if I need it. Keep being awesome.

New Quest List: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1ynwB0Zs2zcz-AWzSS-BWBdrqM7ifoh0GK3aVmx_iC4k/edit?usp=sharing *cough* Ignore the formatting nightmare. CATEGORY QUEST HEADING XP POSSIBLE XP EARNED PROGRESS DEADLINE REWARD PENALTY NOTES & BONUSES & PREREQUISITES CURRENT LEVEL 3979 12.5 0% PHYSICAL QUESTS 360 0 0% PHYS1 Reach all three of my weightlifting goals 10 PHYS1 Deadlift 100kg 30 PHYS1 Squat 80kg 30 PHYS1 Bench 50kg 30 PHYS2 Perform an unsupported handstand 20 Cool Party trick! http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2013/10/24/how-to-handstand-better-than-luke-skywalker/ - It has R2D2 in it, how could I not love this? PHYS2 Practice towards a handstand for 5 min each day for 3 months 10 PHYS2 Perform a 60 second wall plank 10 PHYS2 Perform a 60 second wall handstand 10 PHYS2 Perform a pirouette bail 5 PHYS3 Actively skate outdoors without falling over for 30 min 25 New skates! PHYS3 Skate for 30 mins once a week for 3 months 20 PHYS3 Practice stops for 5 minutes once a week for 3 months 10 PHYS3 Practice turns for 5 minutes once a week for 3 months 10 PHYS4 Have all 6 arrows score at a minimum distance of 20 metres 15 Combat arrows! PHYS4 Attend all Anealan archery training and IKACs for 4 months 40 PHYS5 Reach the top of a rock climbing wall 40 PHYS5 Attend and participate in 1 rock climbing session 20 PHYS5 Attend and participate in 5 rock climbing sessions 15 PHYS5 Attend and participate in 10 rock climbing sessions 10 MENTAL QUESTS 400 0 0% MEN1 Watch an episode in Korean and understand what is going on 30 Don't need subtitles, know what I'm actually singing! MEN1 Practice Korean for five minutes every day for 3 months 10 MEN1 Know how to write and speak the Hangeul alphabet 15 MEN1 Know 100 common words/phrases and how to count to 10 20 MEN1 Read a book in Korean aimed for teenagers or older 25 MEN1 Have a 10 minute conversation in Korean 30 MEN2 Be able to code my own website 25 Self-sufficient. Website. MEN2 Follow the Make a Website tutorial on Codecademy 15 MEN2 Follow the Build Your Own Webpage tutorial on Codecademy 15 MEN2 Register my domain 10 MEN3 Complete an embroidery sampler 35 Hands free hoop MEN3 Plan the layout 5 MEN3 Research and decide on stitches used 5 MEN3 Order/buy thread required 5 Linen w/ silk thread MEN4 Learn to play one song on the keyboard without having sheet music and lettering the keys 40 Fun sheet music? MEN4 Practice the keyboard for 15 minutes once a week for 6 months 15 MEN4 Practice the keyboard for 15 minutes twice a week for 6 months 15 MEN4 Know all 72 chords 15 MEN5 Make 100 glass beads 40 The beads MEN5 Take a class in glass bead making 20 MEN5 Buy all equipment for bead making 10 FUN QUESTS 100 0 0% FUN1 Complete a colouring-in book 25 Drawings to put on the fridge FUN2 Complete my childhood reading list (5 XP per book) 85 FUN3 Cycle around the whole of Rottnest 25 Birthday in Rottnest! Bonus points if I rollerskate? FUN4 Play Cards Against Humanity 50 times 25 The friendships won and lost FUN5 Go on a cruise (min one night) with my mother 50 Thinking moms 60th? 65th? WORK QUESTS 325 0 0% WORK1 Get an article/short story published in a magazine/e-zine 50 WORK1 Write an article/short story 10 WORK2 Publish a novel 100 WORK2 Write a novel 50 WORK3 Attend a writers conference 40 WORK4 Be earning enough money via writing to drop down to part time work 60 WORK5 Build my brand - have a website and social media accounts for my writing 15 ADVENTURE QUESTS 325 12.5 4% ADV1 Travel to a non-English speaking country by myself 75 ADV2 Visit Antarctica 75 ADV3 Go on an overnight/multi-day hiking trip 50 ADV4 Visit at least one cave in each Australian state/territory (8) 50 12.5 WA - 3 in Margaret River, NSW - Jacob Cave @ Jenolan ADV5 See the Northern Lights 75 COURAGE QUESTS 155 0 0% COU1 Go on a rollercoaster 20 COU2 Sit with new/different people at an SCA event. Converse with them 20 COU3 Perform at a burlesque show 40 COU3 Attend a burlesque course 15 COU4 Steward an SCA event 20 COU5 Sit for a boudoir/nude photoshoot 40 FREEDOM QUESTS 210 0 0% FREE1 Pay for housecleaning 15 FREE2 Have a commute of under 30 minutes 15 FREE3 Apart from story research, drop internet use to only 1 hr each weekday 30 FREE4 Own my own home 100 FREE5 Kon Mari all my possessions and contemplate all new ones 50 MASTER QUESTS 1694 15 1% MAS1 Be in a Marvel/DC episode/movie (or work on one) 100 MAS2 Design and build my dream home 100 MAS3 Meat Quest 594 6 MAS4 Wine Quest 800 9 Delicious wines MAS5 Have someone tell me I have changed/influenced their life for the better 100 GRATITUDE QUESTS 410 0 0% GRA1 Marshal 10 rapier, target archery & armoured lists 100 GRA1 Become an authorised target archery marshal 15 GRA1 Become an authorised rapier marshal 15 GRA1 Become an authorised armoured marshal 15 GRA2 Help a refugee 100 GRA3 Leave a $100 tip 15 GRA4 Leave 50 positive reviews 50 GRA5 Donate $10,000 total to Youth Focus 100 LEGACY QUESTS 600 0 0% LEG1 Donate to 10 Kickstarters that are successful 100 LEG2 Donate to 10 Science Experiments 100 LEG3 Mentor someone 50 LEG4 Teach 10 SCA classes 100 LEG5 Sell one million books 250 I wrote this for a page on my Blogger and thought I would cross post it over here for extra motivation and support. I decided to write this as a Quest for Life because for the past year I've been working on a 12 hour day 2 weeks on, 1 week off roster. It was very tiring and much of my week off was spent recuperating and not living. I was made redundant from that job a few days before Christmas so now that I've got lots of time, it's time to get back to living! Travel New Zealand Ireland Scotland Spain England Visit the 7 other Australian States and Territories Drive the Great Ocean Road (Australia) SCA Go to Pennsic Complete one SCA item a month Have some basic knowledge of the lives of my SCA persona's Make my wall tent functional Steward an event Enter 4 A&S competitions a year Make 20 glass beads Enter and finish an IRCC Health & Fitness Move to an 80/20 Paleo diet Go indoor rock climbing Deadlift 60kg Squat 60kg Bench Press 30kg Clean & Jerk 30kg Snatch 30kg Food Try: Snake Meat Crickets Horse Meat Camel Meat Beef Heart Writing Complete 2015 Book List reading Complete NaNoWriMo Complete outlines for 5 stories Complete the first draft for 1 story Misc Go away for a weekend and relax Complete my Diploma Find my cause Find my tribe Find 10 Geocaches Do 2 hikes in Perth

No surprise here, I'm doing the same thing again. So interesting (sarcasm)! --- 1. Get in bed before 11 PM or as early as possible. Sleep is still my biggest problem. I'm working on it. 2. Eat healthy stuff that makes you feel good; avoid junk food. 3. Practice Aam Ka Jutsu 5 days a week; includes side-kicks. The kicks are coming along. I'm still working on some bad habits, but I feel that they are much more solid than they were at the start. Those things are balance and consistency. My balance has improved, but i'm not quite If needed, i'll substitute with BW or kettlebell stuff. 4. Code stuff; work on your projects at least once a week, hopefully more. That's it. Pretty much the same as the last two. Last challenge, I tried to keep up with too many threads. I felt kinda bad about not staying up to date with all of them, so i'm picking two. I'll do my best to stay up to date with those two. Feel free to follow along and call me out if I need it. Keep being awesome. --- Here's a musical treat for you. Something that I found by accident: https://soundcloud.com/builtbytitan/the-darkness-ft-srvcina?in=builtbytitan/sets/alpha-ep Here's something a little more relaxed. I've never actually played the Last of Us, but I like the music. https://soundcloud.com/addisonbarbee/the-choice-extended-the-last-of-us-ost

My last challenge I crashed and burned, because my entire family kept getting sick. One thing after another, sometimes all of us at once. Not fun. I have also had a bit of trouble recently coming up with good challenges, mostly through a combination of not really knowing where to set my goal and having some trouble laying out a solid plan that works with my life. I have a plan to fix that this time! This challenge won't really be a challenge. It will be a month of data gathering. I'm going to list all of the many things I would like to work on, do my best to work on them as life allows, and record every day how I did. After that, I can see what's going well, what I have a long way to go on, and where I can best start making improvements to get things rolling with the small changes. I will set my next challenge based on all of that. Scoring for this one is going to be solely based on recording things. Each day I record how I did will get me 3.85 points (for a total of 100 by the end of the challenge). 50% of my level-up points will go into wisdom, the rest will be distributed based on what I did best. List of stuff I want to work on: Roller derby Cycling Taking the bus to work on non-roller derby practice days Eating better Getting more sleep/getting to bed earlier Improved flexibility Weight lifting Fat loss Pullups Let the data-gathering commence!

Welcome to the Scout Tavern Kitchen ... here we talk about fooding. It can be something paleo, just plain clean eating, or even snacks for that much needed energy when you're out running/swimming/biking/hiking. Here's something the wife and I have been doing recently to help Burrito Bowl1/2 cup black beans1 teaspoon chicken brothPinch of cuminPinch of cayennePinch of garlic powder1/2 cup red cabbage, sliced thin6 ounces grilled chicken breast, sliced thin2 tablespoons salsaMicrowave black beans with chicken broth, oregano, cumin, cayenne, and garlic powder on high for 30 to 45 seconds until heated. Set aside. Add red cabbage to your bowl, and spoon the black beans on top. Layer sliced chicken and salsa. Enjoy immediately!

I failed. Epicly. I had set goals for myself and let the flow of life (and mostly WORK) completely take over and destroy me. Or rather, I let myself destroy me with Cheesecakes and junk food. Ok. End of pity moment. Let's use the challenges well and respawn. Few objectives in this challenge: just to recreate good habits and kick the bad ones. One day at a time. I often feel like overeaters should also have chips for every day they don't overeat, AA-style. I know it's not as hard, but it is not easy. Ultimate target (expected achievement in the best conditions: end of July) Get under 70 kgs Reward Will go to the hair dresser and dye my hair blue! I have ALWAYS wanted to do it. This will be my ultimate reward. I won't care about the corporate naysayers (because of which I gained weight). Objectives 1- Eat more balanced meals, in the right amount 2- Limit snacking, or make it healthy 3- Exercise five times a week 4 - Start dance class again Means 1 and 2 will be monitored with Weight Watchers. This will help me get a grip on things, while still having the opportunity to enjoy some of the food I've been eating lately. It will help with the moderation. 3 I will monitor on an excel file. 4 may be difficult as I feel particularly FAT right now and already missed two classes... But I'll go for fun! I will come to NerdFitness to get inspiration from you and courage from your epic successes!!

of the questions of these recurring, Of the endless trains of the faithless, of cities fill'd with the foolish, Of myself forever reproaching myself, (for who more foolish than I, and who more faithless?)Of eyes that vainly crave the light, of the objects mean, of the struggle ever renew'd, Of the poor results of all, of the plodding and sordid crowds I see around me, Of the empty and useless years of the rest, with the rest me intertwined, The question, O me! so sad, recurring -- What good amid these, O me, O life?Answer. That you are here -- that life exists and identity, That the powerful play goes on, and you may contribute a verse. The first thing I thought when I first came here was, "What if I drown amidst this gargantuan forum?". So many posts and threads bombarded my sight, it feels daunting to even start lurking here. Then this poem popped into my head. It portrays how I currently feel quite accurately and reminds me that as vast as life or this forum may be and as insignificant as I may feel in the face of it, I can still contribute something of myself and that makes all the difference. So hello, how are you and do you happen to love "Dead Poets Society"? Because that is my ultimate favourite movie ever. Omgletsgushaboutitplease. And you, whoever you are, strolling around the Introduction forums, be it other newbies like me who are looking to feel less alone in this huge place or regulars who enjoy greeting fresh bloods, I just think that you must be a very warm, friendly individual or in a serious need of collecting good karma. Now I should probably share my health goals. Its been a long while since I last checked my measurements and last I remember it was 143 lbs, 4'9". I aim to lose 2 pounds 4 weeks from now. I know, I know, I'm starting small. I've done the beginner's bodyweight workout twice this week and I jog 20 - 40 minutes 3 times per week. So I'm not concerned about staying loyal to my exercise routines...it's my diet that I'm devastated with. I live with my family and we eat a lot of carbs and never enough vegetables. I ate a slice of pizza for dinner last night for goodness sake! I need a buddy to pair up with and help keep me disciplined on eating healthier. Anyone want to be my diet buddy? Would be a bonus if you're a (South East) Asian like myself since you'll understand my palate. I'm planning on cooking for myself more and more often so I can control my nutrition and calorie intake. Also, anyone else use myfitnesspal as a daily food journal? Let me know so we can add each other and learn what good things to eat. For those of you struggling to manage a healthy diet like me, holler at me and could you please tell me how you improve your situation? 'tis a pleasure to meet everyone!

Rebel's log Challenge Date: 2/7/16 Today was a miracle. I was supposed to get together w/a cousin at a fast food place today. We set this meeting up a week ago. I went through the whole week thinking i was going to go over my allowed quota but this morning she called to cancel. A blessing in disguise i suppose. But went through a litany of emotions afterwards. Raising Cane's Chicken Fingers is more powerful than i thought. I took a fellow rebel's advice and just had a glass of water to take the edge off. Seemed to help. Another fellow rebel, Fleaball made me realize, i may be failing so much because i don't have a baseline or maybe trying to do too much. Must create base line for this month. I'll work on it and be back later once i have it together

A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away... Episode II ESCAPE FROM JAKKU Learning basic survival skills was a good start, but Starstuff knows there's more to this galaxy than she can find scavenging on Jakku. With the help of her new friends, the mysterious ASSASSINS, Starstuff plans her escape... Main Quest: Build fundamental fitness habits My partner in crime and I have recently gotten serious about having kids, so I want to build healthy habits that will be beneficial to me when I get pregnant and that I can pass on to our kids. That means cleaning up my diet (working toward NFA Diet Level 6), establishing regular workout habits, and making sure I have fun doing it! Quest 1: Fend off your enemies Whether it's thugs trying to abduct your friend or more insidious villains like poor muscle tone, klutziness, and generally feeling unfit and crummy, it takes strength and agility to defeat your enemies. And, of course, competence with your weapons (or flow tools) of choice. To complete this goal, I must complete 2 Academy workouts and 1 Darebee staff workout every week. I'm only allowed to count workouts if I warm up before and cool down after. 11/12 92%92% Quest 2: Run like hell Sometimes you're outgunned, and when that happens, running is your best course of action. I'm usually pretty good about running regularly when I'm training for a race, but when I'm not actively prepping for a race, and even more so when I've just completed one (like, say, right now), I start to let other things get in the way of my running schedule. Not only does this slow my progress toward my running goals, but it makes everyday life much harder, since running is one of the most effective ways I've found to deal with my anxiety. Not this time. To complete this goal, I must run 5 days a week. I have a base-building schedule I plan to keep to, but I'm more concerned with just making sure I get my sessions in, since getting my butt out the door is always my biggest stumbling block. 16/18 89%89% Quest 3: Prime the fuel pump If you don't prime your ship's fuel pump, you're not going anywhere. Human bodies are thankfully a little more resilient than a jury-rigged Corellian freighter, but they still work best if you start out your day with a good fuel source, so to complete this goal, I need to eat a healthy breakfast every day. For the purposes of this challenge, I'm defining a healthy breakfast as one that contains a good source of protein and at least one serving of fruits or veggies. Six days a week, it also needs to be grain-free, but I want to be sure to include some complex carbs on long run day, which can (but do not have to) be grain-based. 25/26 96%96% Life Quest: Stretch those musical muscles Last challenge, I got back into practicing my flute regularly. Now that my fingers and chops have built up some endurance, it's time to get in a little more practice. To complete this goal, I must practice my flute for at least 45 minutes, 6 days a week. 16/22 73%73%

My second NF challenge, and first as an Assassin. I’m feeling good after January’s challenge, despite some slips. Tried indoor rock climbing last month and loved it. So this month: Fitness: Wall climbing 1x/week. Assassin’s gotta be able to get to those upper story windows. I’m going to take a belay certification workshop this month.Escape the area: 30 mins cardio exercise 2x/week. Must be able to give guards the slip.Fitbit steps: average 8k per day for the whole month. Life: Meditation 10 mins per day every day.I’m working on a book. I’ll write 3 hrs/week. Diet: Cook a new recipe once a week. Less cheese. Less starch. More vegetables.Weigh myself at the end of each week. I’m not setting a weight loss goal, but tracking it will help me keep an eye on how the food choices are going.

Recap: The Lady Eowyn of Rohan organised for Shield maiden training while her uncle, the King of Rohan, and his men were off fighting Saruman's army. She organised for a formidable team of Ladies of the Realm to arrive on very short notice to help the maidens in their training. The ladies fulfil many rolls: Lady KJ Tauriel (an elf!) was in charge of self defence and weapons training. Lady Normand from the Lightning Mountains, and Lady Chris Tien the Wise help with training in general, getting the women fit and ready. Dwarven Queen Elastiwen of Moria, brought various devices with her to train the shield maidens in strength. The worst of these were the heavy metal balls with handles that the women had to lift and swing. "Control your strength at all times", was the Queen's motto. The last of the ladies who came to Eowyn's assistance was Lady Anny of the Shayr. - a Hobbit-born! She trains those with the aptitude and skill in healing. Elezé enjoyed the slight reprieve from all the training. It was hard going, but she actually thoroughly enjoyed herself. Lady Chris Tien had helped her with the training when she didn't know what or how, while Queen Elastiwen and Lady of Lightning concentrated on drilling her in form and strength. The only lady who was exasperated by Elezé's progress (or lack there of in this case) was Lady KJ Tauriel. It proved early on that Elezé did not have as great an ability with weapons as she had with training, animals and healing. Lady Anny from the Shayr on the other hand, were beaming! Between the two of them they fixed up injuries from small cuts to more grievous wounds caused by the gusto of a good weapons training session! Eowyn sat down next to her cousin in the shade of a huge Acacia tree. They sat in companionable silence for a while before Lady Eowyn spoke: "...No fiction wrought magic lore, but natural was the steed the wizard pressed; For him a filly to griffin bore; Hight hippogryph. In wings and beak and crest, formed like his sire, as in the feet before; But like the mare, his dam, in all the rest. Such on Riphaean hills, though rarely found, are bred, beyond the frozen ocean's bound. Drawn by enchantment from [her] distant lair, the wizard thought but how to tame the foal; And, in a month, instructed him to bear saddle and bit, and gallop to the goal; And execute on earth or in mid air, all shifts of manege, course and caracole; [she] with such labour wrought. This only real, where all the rest was hollow and ideal." Ludovico Ariosto's poem, Orlando furioso (1516) "Those are magical creatures, never seen here before, Eowyn, but oh, how I wish I could fly on the back of such a creature! To be high up in the sky, close to heaven... the wind through your hair... freedom to go where ever your heart takes you...feel the soft feathers under hand and foot..." "Well dear, I don't know about the freedom to follow your heart, but if you accept, you can be trained by a special Lady to fly upon one of these so called "magical creatures" " Eowyn replied. "Eowyn, you jest! Where on Middle Earth are there creatures such as these? Whom are able to tame them, never you mind to teach them to accept saddle and bridle like a horse?" Eowyn told her cousin Elezé of the Lady of Fire Dragon Isle, a magician no less! A lady of light, but a lady also of fire, because she not only tames magical creatures like dragons which breath fire, she also breed and train animals such as the Hippogriff. "Easily offended, hippogriffs are. Don't never insult one, 'cause it might be the last thing yeh do." Rubeus Hagrid talking to the class about Hippogriffs The man who delivered this comment was just suddenly there! He had a huge chess-shire cat grin on his face, with a naughty, yet clever look in his eye. Then off in the distance they saw a Hippogriff lying peacefully in the long grass. http://harrypotter.wikia.com/wiki/Hippogriff "Master Willes is the name. From Gryffendor Castle on the Fire Dragon Isle. I call these beauties my Gryffendarlings, and this one is called Buckbeak. Gave me a real hard time at first, but once I got to know them, we made fast friends! I take it you're the one we came to fetch. Back to Gryffendor Castle with you to learn all about my Gryffendarlings." Elezé could only stare in shock and awe at the man and the beautiful creature. She was to fly one? Truly?

Since the new challenge format is 4 weeks instead of 6 and I don't feel like my goals have changed, i'll be continuing from last challenge. The next personal project that i've started on is a theme for my portfolio site. I'm currently using an absolutely fantastic theme by Elegant Themes. While that's nice, it is not hardly as impressive as being able to show a potential employer/client a site that utilizes a custom theme that I designed and developed myself. I'm not going to get even remotely close to the breadth of features that my current theme offers. However, the cool features that I do add will cater more to the portfolio portion of my site. ------ From last challenge: Not necessarily in any order of importance: 1. Get in bed before 11 PM or as early as possible. I've been really bad about getting to bed the last few weeks, and my sleep last challenge didn't go as planned either. I'm not sure what to do, other than force myself to go to bed on time. Maybe I should tell myself to JUST DO IT! I got a handed-down Fitbit, so I can see what my sleep looks like. So far the average is ~7 hours a night, but i'd like to bump that up. 2. Eat healthy stuff that makes you feel good; avoid junk food. I have a food/sleep/exercise/whatever log that i've got nearly 345 entries in. I've reduced the amount of fiber that i've been eating, and I feel much better. That's been working for the past month, which is great. I believe that the sandwiches and english muffins combined with the veggies and fruits were a bit too much for my stomach to handle. 3. Practice Aam Ka Jutsu 5 days a week; includes side-kicks. The kicks are coming along. I'm still working on some bad habits, but I feel that they are much more solid than they were at the start. If needed, i'll substitute with BW or kettlebell stuff. 4. Code stuff; work on your projects at least once a week, hopefully more. I'm currently on winter break, so i'm going to have a lot of time for projects before school starts up again. Now is the time for me to go ham on the coding. On the job front, I guess my seasonal employment is over, but I haven't been told officially that i'm done. Regardless, I did apply for the part-time position (to stay on) and edited the cover letter a bit to reflect my new experiences. Hopefully, i'll get it. That's it. Pretty much the same as the last two. Last challenge, I tried to keep up with too many threads. I felt kinda bad about not staying up to date with all of them, so i'm picking two. I'll do my best to stay up to date with those two. Feel free to follow along and call me out if I need it. Keep being awesome.

Hi everyone! I'm currently in my last year of university and doing exchange in a foreign Asian country. I've never had Freshman 15, and I was thankful to have a fast metabolism. Now, it doesn't seem to be that way as I find that I'm constantly exploring the world and all the various cheap, yummy food that the world has to offer. It's difficult to commit to a gym or get a trainer as I'm always going here and there. I found this community, also the challenges and I really hope that I can learn from you all! I'll be joining in the challenge starting this Monday. Best, xosaliiixo (I figured that I would just use my old, but childish username here..no shame lol)

My daughters favorite scene from RWBY is the epic food fight. That is going to be my main focus this challenge. It is my weakest link. Time to buck it up a bunch. So in my battle log I laid down my training schedule for the next 4 weeks. I have found that I have many goals and a hard time keeping focus on just one. In the next 3 challenges my fitness goals are related to staying consistent with strength work, cross training fun, and running. The only thing I am honestly upping is biking. That will be the first epic off my list this year. However I need to eat better to achieve my goals both short term and long term. So for a big change of pace the main 3 goals of my challenge are food focused and the life goal is consistency with training. That simple. Goal 1: Eat mindfully. I must work on stopping when satisfied again and making more good choices. Goal 2: Mega meal plan and track what I eat here. We plan meals but I need to be careful. We are trying out a martial arts class this Monday and if we like it we will be going weekly. This means I have to be the gal with a plan. Since that happens one day a week (and it is done for week 1 already) this goal is also going to encompass tracking my food here to keep it honest. Goal 3:Eat whole foods with only 7 servings a week of a food that is not a whole food. Free pass with plain greek yogurt and almond milk. Life goal: stay consistent and meet the training plan I laid out in my battle log for the next 4 weeks. Period. No excuses.

Hello! This is my first every NF challenge, and in my personal typical fashion, I'm getting in late. I've been a lurker for quite a while, but I figured it is not time to stop lurking and start participating in the challenges. My goals can be fit into four different topics: food, fitness, life, and cosplay. So... without further ado, let's get into those. FOOD Make own meals, logging recipes and intake on MyFitnessPal.This is really important to me in making sure I don't binge whenever I have to go to lunch during work or when I'm bored at home. I'm not to the point of buying a scale, but I need to use those measuring cups more often. Drink at least 2L of water PER DAY and cut down on the coffee filled with creamer.I have a water bottle that contains 750 mL of water that I keep on my person almost constantly, so I know I will need to drink at least 2.5 of this bottle per day. I'm also obsessed with coffee, with probably a little too much creamer. It's time to cut out the creamer, and bring in the skim milk. I'll say, with each daily coffee, only 2 tbs of creamer allowed, so I have a quantifiable amount. Break up with my one true love: bread and pasta.It's in my blood: I am absolutely obsessed with pasta and bread. I need to cut it down, so I will be measure this goal by only one pasta dish per week allowed for dinner. And only one bagel per week allowed. One "Treat Yourself" meal per week.I don't like the idea of "cheat" meals because after I eat them, i feel like I've done just that: cheated. I'm thinking of it more like a reward yourself for good behavior for getting through the week and being a better you. FITNESS Run for 45 minutes once a week, and 15 minutes twice a week.I hate cardio. I'd rather dance then sit on a treadmill, staring at a bad television show for hours. However, it's something I need to start doing. To get my end goal of weight loss, it's something that I need to learn to love to hate, and get over it. stillwontbehappy Perform a body weight circuit four times per weekThis will help mediate my hate for cardio. I just moved to a new state, and lost my usual gym. So I figured now would be an amazing time to start working on body weight exercises. My rest days will be Sunday, from both running and weight training. Do one yoga lesson per week.I love yoga. I've found some sort of inner peace and acceptance in it, even though I've been told otherwise. (Once at a studio, someone told me I was "too fat" for yoga....) Hopefully to be done on Sunday nights, or whenever I find the time. Spin my flag more oftenI know some people may read this, and ask "What the hell?" I've been in colorguard for almost half my life at this point, starting when I was only 14. Since then I've marched in 8 different groups, performed with 2 drum corps, and won three medals with my winter groups. I still teach, even though my body has retired itself. This is more of a happiness reset: when I'm feeling down, go out and spin. Fight the wind. Reset. LIFE Get 7-8 hours of sleep per day.I am a huge offender of sleeping enough. I usually will get around 5 hours of sleep, and wonder why I need 3 cups of coffee to get through the day. This is an attempt to fix this. Read a bookI love to read, so as a wind down to each day, I hope to get through a book by the end of the month. I'm currently reading Ready Player One. I highly recommend it. Clean the apartmentThis is a month-long project. I've moved in, and gotten a little too comfortable in my state of constant disarray. Time to fix this. COSPLAY Get a sewing machine.This is a pretty simple goal, and I just need to figure out what to get. I'm starting to get into the idea of stitching up my own costumes in an attempt to get away from my normal: horror cosplays. I recently did Ashley from Until Dawn and got huge reviews on my blood splatter technique. Finish a piece of my Hanzo cosplayI am looking to do a fem-Hanzo from the upcoming game Overwatch, and I know my issue will be starting the cosplay. So whether is be his pants, his robe, or his bow, I need to commit myself to making one of the pieces this month. Good luck to EVERYONE!

Hello lovely peoples! Welcome to the new year. <off-topic> I got a jacket for Christmas, and it fits me! I have a jacket that isn't incredibly baggy! Woot! I'm slowly acquiring clothes that actually fit me and aren't two or three sizes too big. Also, I got gloves, which were greatly needed for my eternally frozen hands. Unfortunately, I can't use them while coding, they are too thick for that. </off-topic> I'm going to be sticking with the same kind of goals this challenge. Keeping things stupidly simple seems to work for me. Not necessarily in any order of importance: 1. Get in bed before 11 PM or as early as possible. I've been really bad about getting to bed the last few weeks, and my sleep last challenge didn't go as planned either. I'm not sure what to do, other than force myself to go to bed on time. Maybe I should tell myself to JUST DO IT! I got a handed-down Fitbit, so I can see what my sleep looks like. So far the average is ~7 hours a night, but i'd like to bump that up. 2. Eat healthy stuff that makes you feel good; avoid junk food. I have a food/sleep/exercise/whatever log that i've got nearly 345 entries in. I've reduced the amount of fiber that i've been eating, and I feel much better. That's been working for the past month, which is great. I believe that the sandwiches and english muffins combined with the veggies and fruits were a bit too much for my stomach to handle. 3. Practice Aam Ka Jutsu 5 days a week; includes side-kicks. The kicks are coming along. I'm still working on some bad habits, but I feel that they are much more solid than they were at the start. If needed, i'll substitute with BW or kettlebell stuff. 4. Code stuff; work on your projects at least once a week, hopefully more. I'm currently on winter break, so i'm going to have a lot of time for projects before school starts up again. Now is the time for me to go ham on the coding. On the job front, I guess my seasonal employment is over, but I haven't been told officially that i'm done. Regardless, I did apply for the part-time position (to stay on) and edited the cover letter a bit to reflect my new experiences. Hopefully, i'll get it. That's it. Pretty much the same as the last two. Last challenge, I tried to keep up with too many threads. I felt kinda bad about not staying up to date with all of them, so i'm picking two. I'll do my best to stay up to date with those two. Feel free to follow along and call me out if I need it. Keep being awesome.

This is how I feel. This is also probably how I look - especially given how tight my clothes have gotten. I had a good excuse - several in fact. But no more. I am building the habit of eating right. This 4-week challenge will be perfect to get me started. I will be posting results weekly but following daily. THE RULES! 1- No shaming, no disgracing, no criticizing. I make a mistake, I move on and do not repeat it. This also means no weight measuring until after the four weeks. My clothes will be my judge. No comp. 2- Exercise every day. At least a little. It can be some biking, a BBWW, dancing, but it has to be at least 15 minutes, EVERY DAY. Yes, I am looking at You, Saturday, and You, Sunday. You will become workout days too! Comp allowed within a week. 3- At least 1 fruit or vegetable per meal and for snacking. Exception can be made with protein shake if no real dinner is eaten. Total of 3 fruits / vegetables (or portion of) is required per day. Comp allowed within a day. 4- Daily journaling. Because it heals my soul to put on paper the torments it endures and the feelings it experiences. Because choosing with care the little stickers I put in my daily box helps me process these emotions. And because it helps me reflect and accept what I feel. So back to 1! Comp allowed until the last day of the challenge. THE POINTS Note: to make it easier, I used 1 pt per fruit per day (5 pts total instead of 3), so I moved the negative comments to -4 pts. This is a 4-week challenge, so total of 28 days and I start with a small handicap, since I missed Monday. Breaking Rule 1 will take 4 points away, while following Rules 2, 3 or 4 will bring one point each per day (so if I do everything right, but I say "I look fat" instead of "I don't fit in that dress, let's change it", I get only 1 point for that day). Over four weeks the goal is 100 points, which means basically doing all right with Rules 2, 3 and 4, but failing to provide self love for 10 of the 28 days (more than 35%). THE REWARDS Note: rewards adjusted to fit 5-pt per day rule Nanoblooooocks! >99 points: ALL the Nanoblocks 67-99 points: 2 nanoblocks 33-66 points: 1 nanoblock <33 points: Start again next challenge. I WILL GO BEYOND! Over a maximum of 140 points over 28 days, if I gather at least 117 points, I will get MORE NANOBLOCKS!!!!! THE STRATEGY This challenge is really to help me get back on track after I lost myself in work last year (and gained 22 pounds, yikes). Rule 1 is so that I will stick to it and stop the downward spiral of "I am fat, therefore I can eat like a fat girl", Rule 2 is to build the habit before gradually increasing the intensity, Rule 3 is to help because nutrition is 80% of the battle and to get me into the habit of eating good foods, and Rule 4 is to remind me that everything doesn't have to be okay all the time. LET'S GO!!!!

Jakkals gaan aan. My umpteenth challenge, I've sort of lost track (15?16?) Like last time, small steps towards a new brain. 1. Truth As part of my bravery challenge last time I've found that I tend not to talk the truth. I know why, and it is time to speak what is on my mind and not what I think other people want to hear. And also to myself. This is going to be difficult. 2. Pomodoro Almost every part of tackling my internet addiction problem obsession thingy so far has been a disaster. I also want to learn the Pomodoro Technique, so every day I have to do something important for 10 minutes (baby steps!) 3. Food My weight has been creeping up the past few months. It is not a disaster, but since I want to have a six-pack this year I have to start dropping fat again. I have to learn how to eat slower, and watch when I have to stop. 4. Exercise NF Yoga and Weights. I am still fumbling a bit for a sustainable routine, but I will get there. 5. Cutlery This is the new career/money thing I want to do. One knife a week. I am getting better at it. All of this is sustainable, and a good stepping stone to get to the next level. But do not expect much during the first week, I am still on holiday for a week and will not feel guilty for slacking.

Me over the holidays: Me in my head, going forward: I'm so lazy that I am a week late to a 4 week challenge. But at least I'm here at last! Goal One: Eat Healthy and Lose Weight Create good habits.Make it easier to make healthy choices.Track all food. Goal Two: Be More Active Get back to twice weekly gym visitsGo hiking every weekendPersonal Goal: Read constantly. My goal for the year is 50 books. I intend to surpass my goal. Right now I am re-reading the Anita Blake series. While I was off work after Christmas, I read a book per day. Now that I am back to work, it takes me about 3-4 days per book. Should still get done the 26-book series pretty quickly. One of the reasons I chose this as my first series of the year is that Anita Blake is a strong, ass-kicking necromancer who's got a black belt in Judo and lifts heavy, runs, and takes absolutely no one's bull. She's also 5'3", just like me, but WAY less Hobbitish. Day One Food so far: Breakfast was a wrap with ground beef, mozza, hummus, lettuce, yellow peppers and spring onions. On the side I had the rest of the yellow pepper and some cucumber. Tea with a tiny bit of honey and milk. I will be refraining from honey in my tea going forward, unless I have a sore throat. I have an apple on my desk in case I need a snack before lunch. Lunch will be a sandwich with ham, sharp aged cheddar and hummus. Another apple on the side. Dinner I haven't decided on completely yet. Chicken drumsticks with a large veggie side. TBD. My goal today is to not have any snacks that aren't fruit/veggies.

Hello Rebels! So, I've been here before, had a poor showing at these challenges before, but I need to get myself on track again. Part of the reason for my return is that I love the changes to the challenges! Especially the character developing part! Really keen to get involved with that! Plus I think the shortening of the challenges will help me keep it up Anyway, on with my goals. I had a good think about the things that I want to achieve this year and came up with two long term goals: - To develop a food program that helps me plan my shopping and cooking, keep it in a calorie limit (eventually working to improve macros, but for the moment, just focusing on calories) and minimise food waste - To run a half marathon To meet these goals, I've designed some mini-goals, using Spezzy's example challenge (with 2 dietary, 1 exercise and 1 life goal) to help me: - Record everything I eat, including weights and volumes included. This will help me get a better idea of my calories and see what I like to eat most. This I can use to start making up my food plan. - No crisps (they are my downfall, my "crisptonite", if you like and I just need to not eat them) - Run 3 miles, three times per week. This should help return me to an ok-level of running fitness, which I could build on towards a half - Sort out my sleep routine by turning off my laptop and not playing on my phone for an hour before bed, at 10pm (I know, it's past 10 right now, but the challenge hasn't started yet!) In previous challenges, I would have gotten excited about assigning points to my challenges, but I am going to leave that for now, and see how the whole character development thing works when that is all up and running Looking forward to checking out all your challenges tomorrow and getting stuck in!