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The last day of this challenge is the day Mx and I fly out to the reef to celebrate my 30th and to find Nemo. There will be swimmers and strangers and probably photos. Goals~ Eat with intention: 5/4/3/2/1. Minimal takeaways. Use the meal prep delivery service. Stay away from soft drink. Swim prep: I’m going to be going in the water. Get ready for that now by swimming once a week, getting familiar with the swimsuit again. Gym it: this is basically an ingrained habit now, twice a week gymming, currently on 5x5 lifts. Keep this up. Mental toning: spend some time each week loving on the body I have. The beach gets the body I’m in.

I’m reading “atomic habits” at the moment and the focus this challenge will be on continuing my habit building from last challenge. It was the first challenge I’ve finished in a LONG time, so I’m sticking with what worked, as well as adding another potential tick. 5/4/3/2/1: ⏹⏹⏹⏹⏹5 veggies ⏹⏹⏹⏹ 4/week legumes ⏹⏹⏹ 3 serves whole grain ⏹⏹ 2 fruit ⏹ 1 nuts/seeds Noom homework: ⏹ keep working through those modules, doing the readings, weighing in etc. focus for zero week/most of week 1 is going to be maintaining at approx 90kg. Then weeks 2-5 will be a gentle deficit to bring it down by another 2-3kg before hopping back into maintenance mode. Say hi to the nerds! ⏹Keep up with the regular updates, folklore (autocorrected from ‘follow’, but I’m keeping it) and interact with other’s challenges. Runner 5, report: ⏹5,500 steps per day. Under 5hrs screen time on the phone: ⏹ self explanatory. PUMP IT (louder): ⏹new habit: gym on Tuesday and Thursday. Get reacquainted with the iron. Active recovery the other days, ideally yoga, but minimum physio stretches.

5 weeks 5 goals 1. “Five a day” freggies goal! Been listening to a podcast about gut health, as well as reading other info about how to get more real food in to push out the junk. The podcast gave a very specific 5/4/3/2/1 breakdown that seems challenging but doable: ⏹⏹⏹⏹⏹ Veggies ⏹⏹⏹⏹/week legumes ⏹⏹⏹ whole grains ⏹⏹ fruit ⏹ nuts/seeds 2. Runner 5, report. ⏹ 5,000 steps per day. That’s to the bridge and back, make Sam proud. 3. 5 Noom articles. Aka ⏹“do your homework”. 4. high-5 your friends. ⏹ check in on NF, preferably post on a friends challenge, but minimum here 5. 5hrs max on the phone screen. Last week was up to 7hrs/day according to screen time tracker. ⏹ less than 5hrs per day on iPhone “screen time” average.

Hello friends. This challenge I am focussing on some goals which are a little more Druid than Ranger. Given that I have friends here and am used to the Ranger way, I hope that I am still welcome despite that… I am focusing on building my mental armor, backing myself and keeping myself safe. Affirmations, to reinforce my brain, “I am a strong and resilient person. I am a good worker. Toxicity will not change who I am”. Freggies, medicine, and vitamins reinforce my body and will keep me strong and healthy. Yoga will keep me flexible as well as giving me time outside if the weather is nice. My habitat impacts my mental health directly, as such I will spend ten minutes a day following the UFYH suggestions, I will also water my plants every day, I need more green in my life. Weekly I will do my readings for my management class to ensure I maintain my distinction average. Twice within the challenge I will be paid, and I will continue to pay down our debts, if I can squeeze out some extra cash from can collection etc I will roll it through to extra debt reduction. Summary of Goals: Daily: - Affirmation - 5 a day freggies -Meditation or yoga 5mins (outside if possible) - UFYH 10mins - Water the plants - Medicine and vitamins Weekly or one-offs: - Pay down debt (2 paydays in challenge, bonus from cans/other cash influx) - MGMT969 readings on Sunday Let' s do dis.

Inspired by @Elastigirl and her declaration of a prestige class, I think it’s time to make a change and switch not only classes but themes. This one holds the promise of costumes and actual weapons ….. I’m going to be a Forester, counting this as a prestige class based on the Rangers. A combination of trail hiking/running, ranged weapons, protecting the Forest, and dispensing the Crown’s justice (and mercy). Part SCA and part D&D/Pathfinder. After 30 years of hanging around the fringes of the Society for Creative Anachronism, I finally became a sustaining member a couple of years ago. It’s been a bit of a rocky start since my local group make a bunch of frost giants look welcoming. Seriously, no one can turn a cold shoulder like these guys. But, I’ve been doing my thing and persisting. They’ve been acting like it’s the beginning of Macbeth, but I’ve worked around them and made other friends … And suddenly they needed someone to step in as president (known as a seneschal in SCA terms), and I agreed to do it - against my better judgement - at least temporarily (since I may be moving again …. More later.) While I await the actual appointment by the Crown, I am going on a pilgrimage to southern Europe. As it happens, we’ve been planning this cruise for months … and it does just happen to end in Rome. We already have tickets to spend a day at the Vatican. So …. It’s a pilgrimage. Now, this cruise could be an excuse to go back to old habits. Eat a bunch of refined carbs - especially chocolate. Sit around on lounge chairs all day, getting sauced while I read trashy novels. BUT NO!! I’ve decided that this is a perfect time to take care of myself and treat myself to lots of fresh fruits and veggies and good fish!!! So, my eating goals start today, pro-rated as necessary. I’m going to strive to eat more freggies than I did last challenge and average 28 per week. And add that I will eat an average of 2 servings of fish per week (not fried!). That’s it for the nutrition front. Exercise-wise …. I figure a Forester, like any good Ranger, will cover ground and be ready to deal with whatever is lurking in the bushes. I already have a solid cardio foundation and don’t need an excuse to keep running, but I’ll add a bit of forestry flavor and commit to walking outside AND capturing portals and territory in Ingress daily. I can do that even on the cruise since we have daily shore excursions. Plus … some sort of strength training OR weapons training twice per week. I’m leaving it a bit vague because weather will have a huge impact on what I do each week. If the weather is good, I can get to archery practice. And if the weather starts turning really fair, we can start axe and knife (and spear) throwing again outside. Finally, the (Royal) Forester usually dispensed the King’s Law within the area of his or her writ. And I need to read through at least 5 handbooks in order to get familiar with the rules of my new role. So … the goal here is just to print them, read them, and make notes so that I'm ready for our first dance practice in March.

The grinder challenge (not to be misconstrued as the Grindr challenge!! O_O) Often my last lift in a set will be really hard, I will feel like I can’t possibly do it, that the weight is too heavy, that I’ve done too many reps. But, slowly, surely that bar will inch up (often with a growl of exertion) until it clangs back into the holders. This will be the theme of the final challenge of the year. I’m tired. I’m feeling like maybe it’s too hard. I’m going to do it anyway. Goals. Gym: Once a week PT, once a week Krav, minimum once a week visit gym for programmed lifts. Eat: 5-a-day freggies. No soft drink. Speak: Mandarin every day for at least one sentence. Videoed and screenshot as proof. That’s it. Get it done.

As @deftona said in her new challenge, it is about seeing just how much progress I can make in such a short time frame. I found this very inspiring the moment I read it, and decided to go for it too. Then, this challenge is about making the most of the summer and working hard to improve myself. There is maintenance: everyday meditation, eating lots of freggies, daily music practice. There is consolidation and improvement: cross country run, parallettes and floor work, self-defence, sink push-ups. There is novelty: stop visiting my favourite news site to stop being so angry and frustrated; taking all my supplements everyday (recent events at home have caused a huge rise in anxiety). And even one old friend: icelandic. How will this work? Simple enough: For the next 6 weeks, I will give myself permission to rest when needed but also will give the best of myself when I am active. And this is a long challenge, so I go back to a 15 points reward system. Everyday meditation: +2 WIS Lots of freggies and supplements: +2 CON Daily music practice: +1 CHA Cross country run: +1 STA Parallettes: +2 STR Floor: +1 DEX Sink push-ups: +1 STR Self-defence: +1 DEX ; +1 STA Stop reading the news: +2 WIS Icelandic: + 1CHA I need at least half the points to achieve level 23.

This challenge I will be channelling one of my favourite Disney women: Fa Mulan. While not technically a Princess, she is brave and strong and beautiful. She starts weak and works on herself to become a strong enough soldier to defend all of China. She’s pretty damn BadAss. As such I will be theming my regular goals around Mulan. Eat like a warrior (freggies, protein): In order to perform I need to maintain good eating habits. Continuing the 5-a-day freggie habit and bringing in the a-protein-with-every-meal habit. This could take many forms… meat, eggs, cheese, protein shake etc. Haven’t decided if we’re bringing back the Whole30, not likely seeing as we have a wedding to go to, my birthday, a concert which we’ll be staying with Mr’s Mum and sister… Actually thinking about it that’s going to be a ‘no’ on the Whole30, but good choices where possible. Marked x/5, x/3 daily. Training to defeat the Huns (gym): In 2.5 weeks will be my 25th birthday. I want to lift my bodyweight (70kg). I’ve been making steady increases in my weekly deadlift (46kg, 57.5kg, 65kg), and expect to continue this trend to at least 1RM my bodyweight. Only 5kgs to go, totally possible. Other than that, I will continue going to ROAR 3/week and BigLift+Boxing 1/week. Where possible I’ll tag along with Mr to any weekend sessions he goes to. Note: I will be aiming for 70kg even if my bodyweight goes down between now and then (I’ve lost 10kg since when I started at the gym in August down from 80kg, technically I should lose another 5-10 to fall in healthy for my height, but I want to start packing on some muscle, and we all know the scale lies about that). Marked running total x/4 per week. Birthday Deadlift PR is its own mark. Notes… in case I forget something (studying): As of Wednesday of zero week I will have completed the Business subject, but will have the second half of my Chinese Mandarin class to go (through to 5th June). I will continue to keep up with classes and homework too. I have two written tests upcoming and plenty more to learn, online quizzes and the such. Marking: All classes attended (3/week). Homework on 5days a week marked x/5. Side note: She's doing this with her left hand, which is hellah hard... you're almost better to just learn to write characters with your right because its so hard to follow the strokes and not get mega-smudged. Side-side note, I don't know all of these characters, but I see the depictions of woman, fire, people/person and sun. Huzzah for knowing some tiny things! Bonus goal~ Who is that girl I see? Skin-care erry day. I get topical eczema in one of my eyebrows and on one of my ears (lovely). It's not very noticeable, but goes away when I take proper care of my skin, so proper care I shall take. Daily cleanse and moisturizing cream to banish the eczema and the beginning of lines from living a quarter century. Mark daily Y/N.

Last challenge, I got ready to perform in Edinburgh's Samhuinn Fire Festival. It's currently... 7 and a bit days to go till the performance date, so this post is mostly me fantasising about having things to do that aren't costuming and rehearsing. More detail will follow when the challenge actually starts (which will be the 2nd of November for me). Goal 1: Lifting. The Edinburgh Nerd-Up in October was fantastic, and at the lifting session I hit a new deadlift best of 70kg. I've not touched a barbell since because I'm terrified of wrenching my back before the festival, but in November I'll be free as a bird to completely screw my spine over. Not that I plan to. But I'll be able to lift without fear. So, the usual: Lifting 3 x per week. Goal 2: Eat right - 1600kcal/day - 5 freggies - 2 litres water - Do food prep once a week Life Goal 1: Prep the Barr Cave Everything is chaos in my flat right now. I'm moving house next summer and it's time to gut the place. - Sell, donate or chuck everything I don't need or really want. (KonMari that mess.) - Get everyone who has stored their stuff at mine to take it back Life Goal 2: Set up two Etsy shops I have lots of items I've made or painted that I'd like to sell. I want one account to get rid of that stuff. Then, I want to start a small craft business. So, nice and restful, this challenge. Not daunting at all. No. Definitely not. I'm going to go back to costuming now. See you in November!

"Without change something sleeps inside us, and seldom awakens. The sleeper must awaken." -Frank Herbert, Dune --- Hey, all-- It's my first challenge since my Birthday Respawn, and I'm super excited for some structure in my NF life. Slowly (so slowly), I've built a really good water drinking habit (96 oz per day), workout habit (2 bodyweight workouts per week) and sleep habit (at least 8 hours every night). So I'd like to stretch just a little farther and get a little better. I feel impatient for improvement because I feel like I've been stalled out, but I'm trying to find the middle path between stalled out and burned out. I just finished a really big month of change (lots of travel and learning) and re-read Dune for the umpteenth time, so I figured that would be the theme for my challenge. September 26 - October 23 Here's the short version (full agonizing detail to follow): Diet/Fitness SPICE MUST FLOW: Eat a vegetable or fruit with lunch 3 days a week, as a side (e.g. a cup of roasted/steamed veggies, an apple, 2 slices of melon, a cup of baby carrots). BENE GESSERIT TRAINING: Complete the NF Mindset module. (currently on Quest 3: Find Your Big Why). SWORDMASTER TRAINING: Complete the NF Bodyweight Level 3 workout 3 times per week. (currently doing 2/week). Level Up My Life MENTAT TRAINING: Finish my PHP class (I am at 17% completion). EDITED: Reach 50% completion on the class and finish my first Drupal 8 module. --- Details/concerns: 1) SPICE MUST FLOW: I work from home and have been really stressed lately looking for a new job. This has led to a sad amount of macaroni and cheese lunches. Some day, I will have fancy, healthy, protein-rich lunches, but for now, this still seems a little bit challenging (mostly because I have tried a variation of this challenge before without success). I made it a smaller challenge than I have in the past (only three days per week) and I'm enlisting the help of my partner. Worst case, I'll steam some frozen veggies! 2) BENE GESSERIT TRAINING: I respawned back in JULY but have been slow to work through the various NF Academy modules. I will focus on getting through those--I was struggling to find quests I could believe in and going through the rest of the Mindset Module would get me in the right headspace. Called this BG training because they are masters of the mindset. 3) SWORDMASTER TRAINING: I've been reliably doing 2 workouts/week for several months now. I've been wanting to move up to 3/week but felt like I didn't quite have the momentum behind me....until now! LQ/MENTAT TRAINING: I also have been struggling to get through this PHP class I'm taking online, mostly because I only give it a few minutes every night. I really need to get through this class. I'll feel better about myself when I've done it, and bonus, I'll know something I didn't know before and will be far more employable! I'm going to be setting aside larger chunks of time to focus on this, instead of leaving it to the end of the day. The last two diet/fitness quests and my LQ will all take extra time I don't currently spend. I will proactively schedule the NF and PHP studying times, and I have already scheduled in my workouts. I've recently started playing an addictive phone game, and that might need to go, or perhaps I will use it as a motivator. I also need to plan so that I make sure we have veggies/fruit around for lunches.

Last challenge, I used the Idiot Jar to great effect - I only failed a goal four times over the whole challenge, so since that was under five fails, I didn't have to go to the gym in a terrifying leotard. This challenge, I'm going to be eyeball deep in preparations for my first Samhuinn fire festival. This is an annual night of fire spinners, drummers, acrobats, and miscellaneous monsters celebrating the change of the seasons in Edinburgh on the 31st of October, and I somehow managed to get into one of the performance groups. You're not going to get any spoilers from me on my costume (I signed a thing to that effect) except that there's quite a lot of leather. The preparations mean my previous training routine is up in the air a bit - I usually work out in the mornings, but practice is quite late at night, so my sleep schedule is all over the place and I need to use this challenge to get it working smoothly again. You may not see much of me this month, sorry! ILOVEYOUIAMSORRYIAMNOTREADINGYOURTHREADHAVEAGREATCHALLENGEILOVEYOU Goal 1: Remain capable of fitting into my costume. Same as always. I'm expecting/hoping to be about half a stone lighter by the festival, so my costume's adjustable, but I need to make sure I'm not too big for it, because there are some bits that might, er, ping off, if I expand from present size. - 1600kcal/day; bonus 200kcal after workouts, to be consumed straight after. - 5 freggies/day - 2 litres water/day - Prep at least one dish (4 portions) each weekend for the following week. Goal 2: Stay strong enough to pick people up. While I was sane enough to not apply for the acrobatic group this year, my group will be picking people up. I need to not drop them on the cobblestones, so although I did seriously consider suspending lifting training for the next six weeks (I'm knackered), I think it's best I keep it up. I need to focus on grip strength, maintaining ab tension, and squats/OHPs. Which fits in nicely with what I was doing anyway, so I don't actually need to change much: I'm switching back squats for front so I can work on stability with weight in front of me, and adding goblet squats too. I'm changing my dumbbell farmer carries from 3-4 sets of 80 metres to 8 sets of 20 metres, and aiming for heavier weights. (I'm doing [2x16kg] for the 80 metre carries right now, we'll see what I can manage for the short carries, but I'm planning to attempt [2x20kg] and work up from there.) Switching the usual bicep curls and shoulder shrugs on bench day for Arnold presses. Not sure why. Variety is nice. After a lot of deliberation, I'm temporarily cutting out deadlifts. I could argue with myself back and forth about what lifts are directly applicable, and wise use of my finite energy, and how the deadlift is about the best all round exercise you can do, but in the end it comes down to the fact that I still cock up my form sometimes, and I REALLY can't afford an injury. BUT we have a lifting session at the Edinburgh Nerd-Up on the 8th, and if I can confidently deadlift with decent form after that session, I'll add them back in to squat day. With group practice factored in, my workout schedule now looks like this: - Monday: Ab work, Goblet squats, Front squats, OH Presses, good mornings - Tuesday: DB row, DB bench press, farmer carries, leg press, Arnold press - Wednesday: Ab work, Goblet squats, Front squats, OH Presses, good mornings - Thursday: Proper rest - Friday: Rest/possible group bonding games that, like many things in my life recently, seem to mostly involve jumping and being confused - Saturday: Pick people up and be scary. - Sunday: Rest/any extra running about being scary planned for that day Goal 3: Sort out your sleeping patterns I was so happy when I finally got used to waking up at 6am. It is now screwing me over because practice runs very late sometimes. - Maintain consistent firm waking time of 6am (shakes fist) - Consistent firm bedtime of 11:00pm. - No caffeine after 5pm. - Caffeine restriction of 1 portion per day still in force (1 portion being considered here as 500ml soda, or 2 cups of tea, or 1 cup of coffee. I can have all the portions of decaf tea I want. Which is none. I want none portions of decaf tea.) Life Goal: We are not at home to Mr. Cock-Up. I would like to survive this festival, please. Therefore, I have some general goals related to that, but I'm not going to make myself add any more culture to my brain than I already am. - Do not be on fire - If already on fire, do not remain on fire - Do not strangle yourself with a spaulder strap - Do not take a hot flaming rod to the face (ho ho ho, fire spinning jokes. I'm not even fire spinning.) - FLAME TEST ALL OF YOUR COSTUME PARTS - Waterproof test your badass skull helmet to make sure you don't end up with a sadass blob helmet if it rains - Jiggle test your costume parts (I have learned from the mistakes of others) Tracking: - Idiot Jar. £1 in the jar for every bullet point failed per day. - Idiot Jar forfeit for this challenge is... yet to be decided. RIGHT! Challenge starts on Friday for me, because I'm off to my parents' tonight and they have neither barbells nor vegetarian food that isn't, er, hummus.

Ahoy-hoy friends! A challenge similar to the last as I'm trying to stick with what works and adding little bits and pieces throughout the challenge rather than all at the start and succumbing to RangerBrain(TM) and falling off the forums. 5-and-2, Pal: Food tracking on MFP plus photos. Aim for 8160 kJ, not focusing on macros just yet, just choosing real food whenever I can. 5 Freggies. Continue increased water. ROAR and more: Continuing on the 12wkch I started at the gym, week 0 of this NF challenge will be week 4 in the 12wkch so it will be weeks 4-8, there’s potentially going to be a check in on week 6 (NF challenge wk 2) I’m keen to get some feedback on my progress, but I know even if I don’t see any change in numbers I’ve gained some serious strength and stamina compared to when I started, but it would be nice to see some numbers changing too. Adulting: Before bed routine and I am adding something like Tank’s domestic Rangering to keep the new place all pretty and presentable for myself just as much as it is for entertaining friends. I like it when the house is clean, but I don’t bother unless there are people coming over. Hosting DnD on Mondays is helping, but I don’t want to do a big clean on Sunday, but rather exist in a mostly-clean state and just touch up little things here and there before the game. I will figure out a way to do this, but I’m not yet sure… Forums: I tend to lurk!follow, rather than being forthcoming with my comments/encouragements. I will try to comment at least once/day on multiple threads since I like it when people comment on mine. Here's a bear doing burpees to get the challenge started!

January… uh… somethingth. So, the zombie apocalypse was happening. Actually, legitimately happening. National news kept going on like the world wasn’t ending but the locals were getting nothing but radio silence. Power was out, resources were scarce, and I just put on my big damned hero pants to save a teenager stuck in a tree. Oh, and did I forget to mention I got bit within the first week or this and my days are numbered and it’s only… uh… six days? Until I turn into some undead monster? Yeah. That sounds about right. “You caved his head in!” the teenager shrieked. “Shut up,” I hissed, still gripping the tire iron, “Mister Armless was trying to make you lunch and if you keep yelling more will show up.” “No-no, I mean- thank you-“ “You’re welcome-“ “But it’s really hard to break a bone like that.” “I… uh… played softball when I was fourteen,” I told her with a sheepish look. “What, that was, what? Twenty years ago?” I can’t believe this. The world is ending and a teenager is giving me crap about being comparatively old. “Fifteen years ago, kid,” I corrected, “c’mon, we gotta bounce. Things are going to get really bad out here and neither of us are going to do too hot if we stay alone.” “Wait, who are you?” Well, crap. I hadn’t actually thought about this. I know, it sounds lame, but it felt kind of weird telling someone what my name was. She was a stranger- also I was going to turn into a zombie in about five days (six days? Five days? Crap, either my memory naturally sucks or this is a side effect of the bite people don’t tell you. ANYWAY). I didn’t want her to get attached. It’s the same principle behind naming the goldfish you win at the state fair. Besides, I just bashed a zombie’s brains in with a tire iron and Heather didn’t sound like a badass enough name to give someone. “Ruby,” I replied. “Well, uh, I’m Jessica,” she said. The kid offered a thin hand with chipped nailpolish. She had on sweatpants and a messy bun that had never intended to be cute. I decided instantly that Jessica was a good kid. Like it or not, she was going to be the Clementine to my Lee. Except, hopefully, it wouldn’t end with a traumatized Jessica shooting me in the head. Greetings from the great beyond! I figure it's better late than never to get back on this horse. I have a bad habit of getting behind on a challenge, getting eaten by life, and then skulking away in shame with my head hung low wailing whyyyyy? I let all my followers dooooooown! And it is a sad, sad time all around at the Heather compound. So, I decided to go through a handle change, get myself geared up, and be ready to rock this jam yet again. I have readers to (hopefully) not disappoint! Stories to tell! Things to talk about and finally get my readers back in the game about figuring out how my main character survives getting bitten during the zombie apocalypse. Eight months later, I am finally going to pick my story back up. I mean that in both a creative sense and a non-creative sense. AND NOW, ON TO THE GOALS FOR THIS CHALLENGE!

Back once again! I dropped off partly due to suspense regarding whether we were moving or not and how to shape my goals around that. Happy to say we have now moved into the new place and taken up the mantle of hosting Monday night DnD which is awesome (see below for pic of our pretty view!). Now that things have settled a bit I’m hopping back on the bandwagon before it’s too late with this challenge (minus a week)’s 3 SMART goals: 5-a-day-freggies. Previously by simply being conscious of my freggie intake I automatically had to make better food choices (but by phrasing it as ‘I have to have xxx, instead of I can’t have yyy’ I had less self-rebellion), bringing back the food-photos wherever possible to make the thread nice and colourful. Specific: I will eat at least 5 combined fruits/veggies (“freggies”) each day, Measurable: x/5 Achievable: ~In previous challenges I have managed 5 freggies, I know I can again. Realistic: Yep. Timely: On a day-by-day, every day a new chance to succeed. Half-hour walk each day. The new place is just 6mins from the bus stop and I haven’t yet found the best way to walk to work (although I am sure it is possible), I’ve been sacrificing health for the convenience of the bus and I need to wean myself back into walking more (perhaps Pokewalks may be the answer?). Specific: I will walk for half an hour each day either before work (to work?), in lunch, or in the evening (home from work?). Measurable: mins/halfhour Achievable: Half an hour is not too hard a goal, but not overwhelming after so long inactive. Realistic: I think an hour would be too frightening, so aiming for half an hour should make it more realistic. Timely: On a day-by-day, every day a new chance to succeed. Plastic free JulAugust. I dabbled with plastic free July, but because of moving I wasn’t as strict on myself as I should have been, cracking down on it for what’s left of July and into August and I will be keeping the suggested ‘dilemma bag’ with check-ins at the end of each week. Specific: Cut out the ‘big four’ single plastics (plastic bags, water/softdrink bottles, coffee cups, straws). Measurable: x/0plastics, Achievable: I have been making incremental changes towards this for ages, so the ‘big leap’ won’t be so big. Realistic: I dabbled in plastic free July but didn’t commit due to moving, committing to the big four should be fine now we are settled. Timely: On a day-by-day, every day a new chance to succeed – with check-ins each week.

Last challenge I took care of some habits that were starting to worry me, and I'll continue working on them, but I've broken them enough that I can start to focus on other things again. I want some energy – the kind I only really get when I'm active – since last challenge was so focused on mental health I let the exercise flap off out the window, and I'm feeling bloated and sluggish, like a... slug. So this challenge is all built round the things that I know make me feel more like a human being. I MISS COFFEE SO MUCH Goal 1: Cut out caffeine. Had last cup of tea on 11th July. No more at all till end of challenge, in order to sever my dependency on an absurd volume of energy drinks. I've found it's good for me to do a hard reset every few months, so here's to Hell Week. freggies freggies freggies freggies freggies Goal 2: The Usual 1600kcal/day, 5 freggies/day, 1.5l water/day. Goal 3: The Unusual Every weekend, I will do something active that I've not done in a while. Just for an afternoon. The lack of commitment feels much less stressful, and I can afford that because I have commitment in Goal 4. Week 1: Well, this'll be in the middle of Caffeine Crash Hell so let's start off with a gentle walk round the botanic gardens. Week 2: Swimming (Can be swapped with another week if the proverbial sharks descend. If the actual sharks descend, I will just regret not having my camera.) Would be good to swim in a loch or the sea, then I can get my snorkel out. It's my birthday that week, and since I managed to get a little time off work I'm going to North Berwick to do a shark eggcase search on the beach, so there's a good opportunity to splash about. Week 3: Scramble over the rocks on Cramond Island (Can switch with another week if tides are terrible) Week 4: Learn a new kind of dance! (See Gif. Or tango. Does tango have caffeine in it? I miss caffeine so much) (Note: I have resisted Pokemon Go so far. So far. I'm waiting until the initial rush calms down.) Goal 4: Lifting Three mornings a week – whether this takes the form of powerlifting has yet to be seen, but I will be picking up heavy things and putting them down again, because it makes me feel happy and gives me a much-needed sense of achievement. Comes with a protein shake at 200kcal or less that doesn't need to be counted in my daily calorie limit Oh hey, I searched for Idiot Jar and this gif came up from the last challenge I had with an idiot jar. Tracking: Here cometh the return of the Idiot Jar. Sticking £1 in the Idiot Jar at the end of each day for every goal I missed. Money goes to charity at the end of the challenge, preferably through buying something from a charity shop that'll help me with whatever I struggled with most. Alternatively, spend it on something hideous from a charity shop as a reminder that I am an idiot. In addition, this time, since I'm beginning to lose track of what marine animals I've already posted before, you'll get a new journal article abstract, interesting documentary clip, or vaguely reputable magazine article (Nat Geo, New Scientist, etc.) about the sea every time I update. I'm not planning to do accountability group things with the Doodlies this challenge (next time, though) but I am together enough to follow more than a couple of threads this time, so I'm off to try and sub everyone. OR APPARENTLY I'M GOING TO WATCH TRIBUTES TO THE COFFEE ON TWIN PEAKS ON YOUTUBE. My head My poor head

This month's theme, because my challenge might be a bit grim for me, is "Things I Like". By which I mean "Sea life". I've been developing binge/purge habits that scare me and I need to break them before they get worse. So instead of a restrictive diet starring calorie counting or emphasis on particular food groups, which do usually work for me, but have been difficult recently in that they trigger huge surges of guilt when I fall off the wagon, I'm following the set-up below until I can discuss things with a qualified therapist (which I am seeking out): Goal 1: Start to make peace with your inner tiger shark. (The model's name is Hannah Fraser. She is good. But I neither condone nor recommend titting about with tiger sharks.) Tiger sharks are renowned as dustbins of the sea, and have been found eating things like, well, dustbins. And fishing floats. And license plates. And everything. They cope with this by then everting their stomachs to get rid of the things that aren't actually food. I am going to start working on not eating like a tiger shark. - 5 portions of freggies a day - 1.5 litres of water a day - Whatever I eat needs to stay eaten. This is the most important thing. I will try my best to have sensible, normal-person sized meals with balanced macros but points are awarded for making it through the day with all meals consumed staying that way. Goal 2: Get thee to sword fighting - As it is, I'm not ready to go back to lifting yet. - Instead, it's medieval combat on Sundays (we're doing long sword, hence the sailfish, and it's excellent), and yoga twice or three times a week. - Boyfriend's dog should be in the country next week, so taking the Fluffy Floofy One (or even the dog) for a walk will be a good way to get some more fresh air in, too. Goal 3: Keep busy in non-stressful ways Saturdays I have reserved as for me alone on my schedule (I moved food prep to Sunday mornings). If it is raining, I do some messy crafting, and if it is sunny, I go to a beach and do some beach cleaning. Both of those things feel good to me, as does seeing this little harp seal pup have a snooze. Goal 4: Writing Get a rough draft of a ten minute play adaptation of Sir Gawain and the Great White Green Knight finished, then fine tune. I'm about halfway there already so I can plod away at this a couple of lunchtimes a week without doing my nut in. No points system this time, but I will be tracking my food related goals on my calendar. Bonus:

I was ill last challenge, and between that and a minor procedure on my arm, I was knocked for six for way too long, and then I split up with my partner of three years. I am pretty amazed that I did not gain more than a pound last challenge. I feel very self-conscious about my body right now, and my plan for this challenge is to get to a point where I feel more comfortable with myself. I am embracing my obsession with to-do lists and micromanaging the living daylights out of Challenge 18. GOALS – Same as usual. It's the consistency, not the content, that I struggle with, so the goals are the same, it's just the tracking I'm altering. 1.) 1600kcal/day – including 1.5 litres of water, 5 portions of freggies. Bonus 200 calories on lifting days, but only if they go towards one portion of protein and that alone, consumed within half an hour of leaving the gym. 2.) Gym: Monday: Rest (Theatre classes when in session, writing if not in session) Tuesday: Dumbbell Rows, Bench Presses, Front Squats. Wednesday: Lat Pull Downs, Overhead Presses, Deadlifts. Thursday: Yoga at home. Friday: Dumbbell Rows, Bench Presses, Front Squats. Saturday: Lat Pull Downs, Overhead Presses, Deadlifts Sunday: Yoga at home. Challenging yoga poses in the warm up on lifting days. Sets: 1 x 5 heaviest for Deadlifts sandwiched between 2 x 5 lighter lifts. 3 x 10 for everything else, at challenging weights. 3.) Daily Self Care: Day cream, eye cream, we all scream for spending all our money on high SPF moisturisers. BQ: Moisturise relevant areas with appropriate method. Try not to judge me one way or the other, but if I find myself spending an evening singing along to Dio in my bedroom, I have to do it in my underwear. The idea is that I get used to seeing the parts of me I don't like in the mirror doors that line my bedroom wall. That should start to make me more comfortable with those parts, whether they shrink quickly or not. PLANNING: I don't know why I'm cackling, just because I'm inflicting this on my future self doesn't mean it's going to be any more pleasant. There is a LOT, so I'm (hopefully successfully) sticking it behind a spoiler: Cackle, cackle. The plan behind the spoiler took me about four hours to compile. TRACKING: I have finally located my gold star stickers. I bought a new A2 sketchpad, and I think it's fair to say that pack of felt tip pens I've now had for ten years was a sound investment. REWARD: - I've been meaning to create a dating profile but I'm not quite there yet regarding self-esteem. My reward for this challenge (or the one after) will be the confidence to make a dating profile, even if I don't then bother. Here's to a cracking 5 weeks! P.S. Since I, like many of the Doodlies, started my challenge yesterday, I can confirm that I have screwed up in record time! Today was the first workout, and my warm up usually starts with some gentle neck stretches. The FIRST REP of the first stretch, I trapped a nerve or pulled something and now I can't turn my head left. Still got the workout in, although I didn't want to risk front squats. But that will be a tough mess-up to beat. I think I'd need to fall over in the changing room and crack something to do worse than that. Heheh.

The punishment system I had in place last challenge did me the world of good – I got at least a B in all my goals (and 3 A+s) out of fear of having to eat only my least favourite raw vegetables for a whole day, and provide photographic evidence, if I failed a goal more than 3 times in a week. The stakes are being upped this time, same rules, same forfeits, but I’m only allowed two strikes before I’m out. Consider it like a narrow path through a cursed forest – if I stay on the path, no harm will come to me, and I can ignore all the man-sized many-legged things that scuttle about in the undergrowth on either side. And if I stumble once or twice, and fall off the path, it’s not that big a deal, but it draws the attention of the scuttling things so that the next time, they’re waiting. And they’ll make me eat raw, unseasoned cabbage or something. I do see some possible fallen logs blocking my way, so I’m trying to list what they might be now so I can work out contingency plans. Yesterday (28th March) the scales said 101.8kg, and last challenge, I started off at 104.2kg. If I stick to the path, I could expect to get under 100kg, something I’ve not been in a long time now. Goal 1: 1600kcal of good-quality food per day 1600kcal. 1800kcal permitted on strength training days, but only if the extra 200kcal comes from protein consumed straight after training. Must include a minimum of 5 freggies, and 1 litre of water, as has been my standard for a while. No more than one measured serving size of junk per day (poorly defined, I know. I mean chocolate, bread, pasta, rum, and other things that don’t count as a freggie and don’t contribute much other than calories). POTENTIAL FALLEN LOG 1: Food at work. It’s usually high-calorie. Avoid bringing money when I have a packed lunch; try and always have a packed lunch. +4 CON Goal 2: Strength Training I’m trying to develop some sort of split with the workouts: one with horizontal upper body and glute work, the other with vertical upper body and quad work. Yoga daily except Mondays, with difficult poses being incorporated into my warm up and cool down on lifting days, and flexibility related poses being enjoyed on Thursdays and Sundays. Monday: Complete Rest (Theatre group in evening) Tuesday: Bench Press, Dumbbell Row, Dumbbell Flyes, Front Squat*, Lunges Wednesday: Lat Pull-Down**, Overhead Press, Goblet Squat, Deadlift Thursday: Yoga at home. Friday: Bench Press, Dumbbell Row, Dumbbell Flyes, Front Squat, Saturday: Lunges Lat Pull-Down, Overhead Press, Goblet Squat, Deadlift Sunday: Yoga at home. *I have squats in both sessions, but I like squats, and I have three rest days, so I’m not all that fussed about that. **Bent-arm dumbbell pullovers if it’s busy and the lat machine I can actually reach isn’t free. I prefer the lat machine, because I can get heavy without fear that I’ll cave my skull in if my grip slips. POTENTIAL FALLEN LOG 2: I’m getting an implant removed from my arm on the 11th. When it went in, I couldn’t use that arm for about 6 weeks. Removal may be fine. If it isn’t fine, I’ll clamber over that log when I come to it. +2 STR, +2 DEX Goal 3: BQ Long, euphemism-ridden story short, my back HURTS and I desire the lifting of a great weight from my chest. So, I have embarked on a mission to make it so. BoobQuest, as it decided to name itself despite my protestations, is threefold: Lose weight, thereby almost certainly reducing breast tissue, as should result from Goal 1. Do some extra work to the back and chest, as detailed above in Goal 2 (expanding my lifting routine beyond Squat + Press + Deadlift). For self-esteem reasons, take good care of the skin in that general area with massage and moisturiser, daily. +1 CHA Goal 4: Self-Care This is particularly important to me right now, because shark week is consistently every second week. I will have whatever chocolate fits my Goal 1 rules, but my womb is not the boss of me and I refuse to let it rule my stomach. I’m not making an activity-specific goal, because I hate it when relaxation becomes a chore. Strength training has been giving me enough enjoyable time to be alone and not think. But I am going to grade myself on the yes/no question “Have I done an extra kind thing for my body today?” Examples: It could be choosing a soft drink over rum at the pub after writing class, or a bubble bath, or a face mask, or swapping out something junky for a sixth freggie, or doing some bedtime yoga (the kind described as yummy, that mostly involves breathing and cracking your back) or having an extra glass of water. Things I have to do anyway for Goals 1-3 don’t count. +1 CON Goal 5: PAIN Update thread every day, or £1 goes into the Idiot Jar and I have to reveal an embarrassing fact upon the next update. The money in the Idiot Jar gets spent on something atrociously hideous in a charity shop* at the end of the challenge, as a reminder of the fact that I am an Idiot to some degree. If no money is in the Idiot Jar, I can spend up to £10 in a charity shop on a proper reward, and any remainder on something awful to amuse LadyShello. Either way, at least £1 goes to charity this challenge. If I miss two goals in a week through laziness (i.e. not through illness or injury), then I have to suffer a forfeit. The following Monday, I am only allowed to eat raw veggies that I find unpleasant raw, like broccoli. All day. And provide proof. To up the stakes this time, every time I miss one goal through laziness, my next meal can't contain any seasonings. No salt, no pepper, no condiments, no butter, no interesting cooking methods, just plain bland boiled protein and vegetables. If you saw how much peri peri sauce I go through in a week, you'd see how much that makes me tremble. +2 CHA, + 1 STA Life Goal: Writing It's less than a month till the Scratch Night for the playwriting course I'm doing. We each have a 5-10 minute play to write that'll be performed on the 22nd of April. I am second guessing myself a lot. It’s a very common thing to never think your work is good enough, and I’m trying to remind myself of that, but I could really use a beer after this. Work on writing, as and when needed or wanted, but I must have a new draft of the play by the end of each week. +1 WIS, +1 CHA Tracking: Monitor goals daily, with a yes/no checklist (I made a paper chart) Weigh self, weekly. If weight loss plateaus, double-check calorie totals, recalculate BMR, and adjust intake accordingly. A for Goal 1: Something fancy from the fruit section A for Goal 2: A new vest I can do downward dog in without flashing everything – under £5. A for Goal 3: Better moisturiser. A for Goal 4: Something pleasant for the bath A for Goal 5: As dictated by whatever’s in the charity shop A for Life Goal (by which I mean getting to the end of the Scratch Night alive): BEER. ONWARD!

Hello, my name is Sarah, and I will definitely not regret this challenge about two weeks in. Goal 1: Yoga Work diligently towards the following three targets, by doing yoga that challenges me, DAILY.1.) Put legs behind head2.) Hold Crow Pose for longer than it takes to fall haphazardly through Crow Pose3.) Move forward from Down Dog to a forward fold in one fluid movement, without taking my hands off the mat and without doing a Night of the Living Dead shuffle. I don't expect to achieve them this month, but that doesn't mean I won't give it a square go. +3 DEX, +1 STR Goal 2: Food and Drink - Consume no more than 1400kcal/day, through a combination of calorie counting and intermittent fasting. (My normal fasting method is 23hr fasts. I'll decide whether I'm having several weeny little meals throughout the day or just one meal in the evening at the start of each day, but I have to do one or the other.) - Record calorie intake daily. - Eat at least five portions of freggies within that calorie allowance. - 2 pints of plain water down the hatch every day. +4 CON Goal 3: PAIN Since a reward system doesn't seem to work, we're going to go for a punishment system this time. Ho. Ho. Ho. - Every day I don't update my thread, I put a £1 coin in the Idiot Jar, and reveal one embarrassing fact when I next update. - If I miss a goal more than three times in one week, I am only allowed to eat raw vegetables the following Monday. Photographic evidence is required. Not nice, delightful, refreshing vegetables like cucumbers and bell peppers, either. We're talking cruciferous vegetables here, my friends. And onions. - At the end of the challenge, the money in the Idiot Jar is taken to a British charity shop of your choice, selected from the following list of ones near me:- The Bethany Christian Trust - Providing practical help for homeless people across Scotland- The British Heart Foundation - Research into heart disease- Cancer Research UK - What it says on the tin.- Marie Curie Hospice - Support and palliative care for people with terminal illnesses throughout the UK- Capability Scotland - Help with education, employment and care services for disabled children and adults in Scotland. - I then spend the idiot money on the thing I find most hideous and useless in the whole shop, be it a weird fluorescent mesh bodysuit with Nameless Stains, an earthenware arse, a 5-video VHS boxset on How To Use Your Filofax, whatever. This will serve as a reminder that I am an idiot. The remaining idiot money will then go in the wee collection box on the counter. - If there is no money in the Idiot Jar, I can reward myself by spending up to £10 in the chosen shop on something I really fancy. +2 CHA, +2 STA Life Goal: Write a Play Produce a first draft of the play I need to write for the playwriting course I'm attending. Redraft until I'd be happy seeing it professionally directed and performed, because it will be, on the 22nd of April, no matter what. Pressure is good.Pressure is good. Then redraft it even more. +2 CHA, +1 WIS LET US NOW DO THIS THING.

Jericho's Pilgrimage - Assassins are Adventurers Hello everyone and welcome to my challenge. It’s been awhile since I’ve done one of these but I feel more refreshed than I have in a long time and I feel really excited to dominate February. First just a quick head’s up, I’m a bard (according to the occupations?) and by that I mean I’m a writer and that’s the form my challenge posts take. I tell a story that relates to my challenge and is hopefully fun to engage in as well. So if you’re into heavy role-playing like this by all means, read my story. If, however, you don’t really care for stories and the such then I will be writing my challenge information is straight-talk like this. So just to keep things straight, Blue text will be for my story, for the role playing. Red will be for the real world. Enjoy one or the other or both as you see fit. So before jumping into it, I just wanted to give you a little bit of an overview of both the story and my challenge. The central idea is about trying to become a great assassin but by learning from all of the classes as well. This first challenge will be learning from the Adventurers since they didn’t exist last time I was on here and I feel they are my second class after Assassin. Anyway the gist of the challenge: Fitness Goals On days (M,W,F): Rock climbing Off days (T,R,Sa): Eat one fruit or vegetable Improved hygiene (brushing hair, waking up earlier etc.) Level Up Goal Write for at least 15 minutes everyday So anyway, that was the introduction to my challenge as well as the tl;dr to it. Now on to Jericho’s Pilgrimage, Chapter 1.Thank you for supporting me. Good luck with the challenge everyone. Ad victoriam.

This challenge, I'll be doing what I usually do, but with a few important tweaks to help it run more smoothly. Goal 1: Intermittent Fasting One fresh fruit smoothie or juice, up to 400kcal, around lunchtime One meal, up to 1000kcal, in the evenings. Half-hour evening eating window. The idea being that it'll give me less room for error (i.e going over 1400kcal, which is my tried and tested weight loss Magic Number) than my usual 23hr weekday fasts and 16hr weekend fasts, but will also give me a bit more energy during the afternoons when I tend to find myself flagging. +3 CON (I can't get my head round the new XP rules today, may switch next challenge!) Goal 2: 5 Freggies a Day. Enabled in part by the fruit in my smoothie tweak Goal 1. Ideally, make sure the rest of the day's freggies are vegetables. Key to this one for me is always budgeting. I rarely manage a full 35-freggie complement in the week before pay day. The +1 WIS is meant to reflect having successfully budgeted if I pass this goal. +2 CON, +1 WIS Goal 3: Self-Care - Face: Apply day cream in the morning, night cream at night. Face scrub every two or three days. - Creaky bits: Yoga, as needed, when needed. By which I mean 20 mins, every day I don't want to do yoga. And then as much yoga as I like every day I do want to do yoga. - Squishy bits: One pint of water when I wake up, and one pint of water at 6pm. That's the minimum. Extra fluids encouraged, but every day must see a litre of unadulterated water going down my gullet. +2 DEX, + 1 CHA Bonus Goal 4: Acting Waffle Chief-ery JC's taking a break from being Chief Waffle in the Doodlie PvP for this challenge, so I'm keeping his seat warm. (And also making sure I'm more accountable by being responsible.) - Check up on every Waffle every two days without fail. - Ensure that by Sunday night all Waffle scores are calculated and entered. - Pure beast every PvP challenge you can take part in, and make sure that you officially sit out the ones you know you won't get done so that your zero score doesn't drag the team average down. - Avoid going mad with power. +1 WIS, +1 CHA, +1 STA, +1 STR upon successful completion of all PvP challenges only. Otherwise, nil points. Life Goal: Weekly Scavenger Hunt I liked the cultural scavenger hunt I did last month as my adventurer class qualifier, but there was a whole load of stuff that I regret not having included, and I'd included too many repetitions of things. Happier with the variety in this one. Complete 50%+ to pass. - 1 hour of vocal practice - See one new play - See one new film - See one new episode of a decent TV show - Cook one new healthy recipe from a different country - Read and contemplate one new poem - Complete 1 unit of the Khan Academy course "Crash Course in World History" that the Doodlies are working through together. - Pick up litter from the beach. - Find something beautiful and photograph it. - Finish one unfinished craft project. - Complete 1 unit of another online course. - Read one new poem - Read 1+ new chapters of a novel, or one short story. - Read 1+ new chapters of a non-fiction book. - Write one new thing - a poem, a song, a short story. - 1 hour of guitar scales (Just scales. Any extra playing is encouraged but will not count towards total.) +1 WIS, +2 CHA Prep: - House is clean. - Kitchen has protein and vegetables in it - Clothes are ready - Misc. courses and books selected. They include a free course on theropods and birds on Coursera if you're interested in playing along. - Not much to prep this time. Which is quite nice, really. Just need to set aside an hour or so tomorrow, to prep the Waffle sheet and sub to everyone's threads, and do whatever prep I need to do for the first Doodlie PvP week, and that's it!

(MG1) Exercise Points: /50. As with the last challenge I’ll be aiming for 10,000 steps/day. This time I’m making it a goal to get to the gym at least once each week. Now that I’m back to paying for the gym I need to get the bang for my buck. Points are allocated: Gym Class=2pts, Bike Ride=1pt/30mins, Swim=1pt/5 laps, Walk=1pt/10,000 steps (plus .5 for every 5,000 above 10k). (MG2) Adulting: This challenge I will focus on small, achievable goals in this regard: teeth brushing 2xday, 5mins chores everyday, one Peter Walsh declutter challenge/day. Having these little goals should mean I can smash them and then build up from there. The declutter challenge should make a dent in the accumulated junk from living in the same house for 4 years, we are thinking about maybe moving in May, and I don’t want to move anything I don’t love. (MG3) Food Glorious Food: Continue with the 5 freggies/day and introduce ‘protein with every meal’. I believe I had been hitting that with last challenge, and that the wibbly-wobbly-woosey-weak days were days I neglected proteins. Having it as a goal should increase the get ‘er done mentality. Keeping this goal pretty simple as I will be returning to study this challenge and I want to stack the odds in my favour. (*Life*) Study: (Starts from the 8th Feb, points for pre-reading the required readings though) Every Thursday I will do a half-an-hour review of the topics covered in class. All the other days I will aim to read over my notes or required readings for 10mins minimum. I hope that by making sure I actually do the homework and start the assessment tasks before they are due will be reflected in some epic marks. Eventually I want to graduate with distinction, and the road to that is made easier by smashing the foundational subjects. (*Bonus*) Hair: Try one new hairdo per week. I have great (expensively) coloured hair, it's time to show it off more than a ponytail or plait. Rewards~ NF subscription (if I am consistently achieving the goals). Bellybutton piercing (if the waist measurement goes down to 90 or lower).

Happy January! I've had a Dexterity level of one since... I can't be bothered looking it up. Possibly Challenge One. I can't do my regular walking since my Achilles tendon has been throwing a tantrum since Halloween, so I think this is a good opportunity to do some carefully thought out yoga. Struggled a lot with intermittent fasting over the holidays because I don't have a solid routine like I do at work. But, I know that when I do have that routine, it works well for me, so that is what I'm doing for my dietary component this challenge again. (I'm planning to work on a holiday-only system next time I have time off work coming up.) Goal 1: - Monday to Friday – 23 hour fasting, (e.g. 7pm Sunday to 6pm Monday) - Saturday and Sunday – 16 hour fasting (e.g. 7pm Friday – 11am Saturday) - Aim for 1200 – 1400kcal limit on weekend days. (I have some difficulty in controlling my intake during longer non-fasting windows, so setting a calorie target for those days should help.) +2 CON, +2 STA Goal 2: Five portions of freggies to be eaten daily during non-fasting periods. (My usual secondary food goal.) +2 CON Goal 3: Four yoga poses a day. That's barely anything, just a warm up, cool down, and maybe four minutes of work. That's the minimum to pass. The plan, though, is to work through a beginners' yoga video lasting about 20-30 minutes long, every two days. (I've been drawing a yoga poses poster over the Christmas break to pin to my wall for quick reference.) +3 DEX, +1 STR Goal 4: Three pints of water a day. That's only 1.5 litres, not too difficult. But it has to be plain water, it can't be tea. I can stick ice and the odd lemon wedge in it. + 1 CON Life Goal: Complete at least 50% of the table below each week, to pass. This is my justification for remaining in the Adventurers now they've changed the guild description, since I love the Adventurers, and exploring the world doesn't necessarily require wading through mud. (Although, as soon as my leg's better, mud had better watch out.) Cultural Scavenger Hunt Description: Date Accomplished: Notes: Read and contemplate three new poems. See one new play Learn one new vocal technique Practice vocal techniques for two hours throughout the week. Write 500 words Write 1000 words Watch two new films Cook a new recipe from a randomly selected country Have one drink in a new place Read four new book chapters Learn to sing one new song by heart Speak to one new person +2 WIS, +2 CHA Tracking: I will check off scavenger hunt items as I'm doing them, and will track challenge goals in the posts below. Rewards: For every successfully completed week, I get to reward myself that weekend with a face mask, manicure, pedicure, and sauna visit, if I feel that way inclined. I'm not bothering with rewards I have to purchase, because I know full well I'll just buy them anyway. Here's to an excellent January and a decent start-of-year stretch!

I'm tossing this in here to get started. Never fear, I will expand upon the concept throughout the thread. LAST CHALLENGE of the year - how did that happen?? It was rollercoaster for me. At the beginning of the year, I had some definite plans. And some indefinite ideas that I thought I would be able to work through during the year as the Hunt for the Mojo. It didn't exactly play out as envisioned. I didn't lose weight -- but I didn't gain weight either. Body composition is about the same. I did one fun run. My online coding job ended up being such a disaster that I quit and ended up working retail. Self-loathing .... and yet another move .... derailed plans to cook nutritious foods. And ultimately, I did not find my mojo. I suspect it is like Dorothy finding her way home. I have the power within me .... I just have to realize it. So, it is time to save what I can of the year and adjust my mental orientation. If it is going to happen .... weight loss, new job, fitness, social life .... it is up to me to make it so. This thread seems to be developing a shoe fetish. So ... goals ...... +3 CON: eat a rainbow daily +3 STA: finish C25K again and do a fun run +3 STR: Chinups @ 115 lbs of assistance (24 reps) +3 DEX: Yoga or mobility work 3 times per week +3 CHA: See someone (other than my husband) every day Some are progress goals and some are endpoint goals. I think the mix helps keep me focused. I'll be running 3 times per week, doing strength training 3 times per week, and doing yoga class three times per week. Since I'm not currently working or taking care of my mom, that's reasonable - the yoga will help with stretching and mobility. Tracking will be done publicly on ...... Tracking spreadsheet of badassdom AND, I am hoping to really participate in the guild mini-challenge this time. I know nearly nothing about Mario (shocking considering my research field), but it looks fun.

Thirteen! Challenge Thirteen! It took me twelve challenges but I've finally found The Thing That Works For Me! Rejoice and be merry because it bloody well took long enough and now I can finally stop trying out new nonsense. I got through the last six week challenge doing 23hr fasts every day (barring the last week and a bit, where I'd caught something from someone). I made more progress with weight loss in that challenge than I had the whole year, and to my great surprise it turned out to be pretty easy when I'd moved past the stage where I wanted to feast upon the flesh of my fellow human beings. GOAL 1: - Tell Breakfast and Second Breakfast and Elevenses and Lunch and Afternoon Tea and Supper to sod off and bother other people. - 23 Hour fasts Monday - Friday (One meal sometime around 7pm.) - 16 Hour fasts Saturday and Sunday (Can swap a 16 and 23 hour fast round in social emergencies.) - Tea with skimmed milk is exempted from fasting until the 1st of December because it's NaNoWriMo time and if I have to write a novel in my lunch breaks without any tea I'm going to scream. +2 CON, +2 STA GOAL 2: - Since Delicious Precious Dinner is to be eaten all in one go, Delicious Precious Dinner must contain five portions of fruit/veg. - This will be achieved by cooking plenty freggie-rich meals for the freezer during the weekend - And backed up with a bottle of pure fruit smoothie in the fridge at all times. - My big issue with this last challenge was running out of money for anything but couscous and my stash of emergency lentils, so budgeting will be the key to unlock this tricksy little goal. - And any filler food (couscous, bread, pasta) must be avoided where possible and restricted to one recommended portion size if unavoidable. (I won't say I'll cut it out completely in case there are unexpected bills and I'm back to spaghetti and imaginary bolognese.) +2 CON, +1 WIS, +1 CHA GOAL 3: (This was originally walking and yoga but then my Achilles tendon betrayed me.) Take Care of Self With Warmth and Tea and That Sort Of Thing, and Thereby Avoid NaNo Burnout Every weeknight: - Alternate a face mask, face scrub, or a really good moisturising. - Make a cup of tea from one of the many, many teas you have in the cupboard that don't require milk. - Do not pick at blackheads. Do not pick at whiteheads. They are so small nobody ever notices them and all I do is leave horrible marks on my skin from fiddling with them. Every other weeknight: - Read for 20 minutes in the sauna, then shower and sleep. Every weekend: - Change at least the pillowcases without fail + 1 STA, +1 CON. LIFE GOAL: - Write a novel for NaNoWriMo. +3 CHA. Tracking: Points system as in previous challenge, see posts to follow. Weekly weight measurements.