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Turns out the classes I’ve signed up for were even harder than I expected. However, the school has a really forgiving set-up for incoming student transfers. Instead of getting failing grades or being expelled for low marks, I am spending the next block in a self-lead placement test. My task is to challenge myself, do what I feel capable of doing, and log it all for review. I am allowed to drop in on classes, visit professors during their office hours, and all that good stuff… But ultimately, it is up to me to find what works and what doesn’t, then present it at the end of the block. At that point, they will do an evaluation and see how my classes should proceed. Part of the struggle last challenge (however minor) was that I was getting bored tracking the same stuff every day, so I stopped writing stuff down. Time for a format twist! I will still be trying to do a lot of the same, but also acknowledging points for other things I do. Each action I do will count for 3 points to be split across physical, mental, and emotional categories. They are not set in stone because one day going for a run could be 100% physical, another day it could be primarily emotional. What are these points actually for? Hey look, it’s a tracking log! I’ll have to be extra diligent with my paper logging to make sure my spreadsheet is accurate, since I won’t necessarily be logging the spreadsheet daily. **In addition to my regular tracking, I have some stuff in the background for me to keep in my awareness: -> We know I have difficulty with snacks at work, but I want to try making sure that, of the snacks I do have, they are primarily non-wheat snacks. I’ve had some pretty ridiculous headaches over the last couple weeks and while I know a lot of it was due to stress, I’m pretty sure some of it was wheat related. Ew. -> I would really like to get 2 chapters done this challenge (so, chapters 2 and 3 completed). I started chapter 2 a week or so ago, but pretty much started over from scratch today because I didn’t get very far -> Overall, just try to get back into the swing of things. I’m hoping that my mental/emotional state will allow me to have a schedule again by the end of the challenge. With last year as a reference, I’m not holding my breath, but I’m being a lot more aware and perhaps proactive this time around. -> Most importantly, play everything by ear and be as forgiving as I can be.

They see you as small and helpless;They see you as just a childSurprise when they find out that a warrior will soon run wildPrepare for your greatest moments;Prepare for your finest hourThe dream that you've always dreamed is suddenly about to flower MAIN QUEST: Prepare for the future! 2016 is going to be a crazy busy year in my professional life and I still want to accomplish a lot in my personal life, including becoming a true Triple Threat (be an acting/singing/dancing MASTER) and completing a sprint triathlon, all the while not backsliding on any of the progress I’ve made since starting my fitness journey. It's a lot to handle, but a future huntress needs to prepare to be prepared! QUEST 1: PRACTICE OUTSIDE OF CLASS [+3 DEX, +2 CHA] This quest that has Jaune written all over it: he goes to Beacon under false pretenses and has to work doubly hard outside of his classes just to keep up (though often with Pyrrha pushing him to do so). That said, he’s also an incredible dancer, as are the rest of Team JNPR. For me, I came into the acting game later in life than most people, and I have a lot of catching up to do especially in the dancing department (since I’m all about the musical theatre), which means I need to work on dancing outside of class so that I can be just as castable as anyone else. So, twice a week, I will work on my personal trouble spots from jazz and/or tap class on my own time. It will not have to be all at once if my schedule does not permit it, as long as each skill/move is touched upon on two separate days of the week. A = 2x/week | C = 1x/week | F = zilch Prerequisite: Attend a jazz or tap class. Caveats: Prerequisite is waived if I cannot get to a class due to scheduling conflicts, inclement weather, or health reasons. If I get injured, this quest will be replaced with a conditioning quest to encourage a speedy recovery, details to be determined if this happens. Bonus Opportunity! I can earn an extra $15 towards Japan spending money for every session I spend focusing on Latin-based dancing in order to prepare for Evita auditions/callbacks. QUEST 2: FIGHT OR FLIGHT [+2 STA] Sometimes, a huntress just needs to know when to run. Or swim. Or take some other mode of transportation out of a sticky situation, like, say, a bicycle if it happens to be available. And hey, sometimes, you just need to be adept at these things just to know how to survive when fighting Grimms. Since one of my big 2016 goals is to complete a sprint triathlon, and since biking and swimming are areas I’ve never really focused on, I need to start working on them now. So, twice a week, I will swim, bike, and/or run, BUT at least one of the sessions MUST be either swimming or biking. If I only run, I get docked a letter grade since I’m already a strong runner. Yes, races will count for running. A = 2x/week (swim/bike at least once) | B = 2x/week (running only) | C = 1x/week (swim/bike) | D = 1x/week (running only) | F = zilch Prerequisite: None. Caveats: If I get injured, hopefully I can still do one of these sports depending upon the injury, but if not, I will adjust accordingly or get a bye for the duration of the injury. If I get sick, I get a bye for the duration of the illness. Bonus Opportunities! I can earn an extra $50 if I manage to do all three sports during the course of the week. Also, if I bike outside on a real bike instead of a stationary bike, I will earn an extra $15 bonus for Japan. QUEST 3: EPIC FOOD BATTLE [+2 CON, +1 WIS] While Team RWBY and Team JNPR know how to fight the most epic food fight in the history of ever, that’s not quite what I mean with this quest. Rather, it’s the holiday season, and I have an extreme weakness for all of the foods this time of year (but let’s be fair: who doesn’t?). Now, I don’t want to restrict myself by any means, and so I have three situations in which to approach the temptation of yummy desserts and sweets so that I take everything in moderation: PARTIES: If a small plate is available, I am allowed only as many sweets/desserts that can fit on the plate without piling. Otherwise, I am only allowed to fill half the plate. THANKSGIVING/MOM’S BIRTHDAY: Bye. While I don’t tend to go crazy for these occasions, often just limiting myself to just one slice of pie or cake, I’m also giving myself permission not to worry about it, either. ALL ELSE (date nights, social outings, someone brings treats to work, etc): I am allowed the treat only if it fits within my macros/calories (i.e., I meet my protein minimum AND/OR it’s within my allowed caloric range) A = Followed the criteria | F = Did not follow the criteria Prerequisite: Calories must be logged every day. Caveats: If I break the rules, I must eat completely clean during the next 24 hours in order to not fail the quest, and I am only allowed this out once a week. Also, the prerequisite is waived on Thanksgiving. Bonus Opportunities! I can earn $10 per day that I eat at least 95g of protein (my estimated lean mass being 95lb). If my average weekly calorie count is within 50 of my current estimated maintenance, I will earn $25 extra for the week. LIFE QUEST 1: DON’T STOP, JUST SLOW DOWN [+1 CON] Blake and I have this tendency of overworking ourselves and not getting the rest we need. While I tend to busy myself with things I enjoy versus, say, trying to stop villains from succeeding in their goals, I still need to take some time to myself and just relax. So, 5x/week, I will dedicate at least 30 minutes at home to doing nothing. What this means is for 30 minutes a day, I’m not on my cell phone (unless I’m listening to music, and this music cannot be anything I’m working on for auditions and what not, or I’m doing guided meditations), I’m not on the computer (unless, again, I’m doing guided meditations), and I’m not doing any work at all whatsoever. If tea is required to help me relax, tea is allowed. It’s about stilling my mind, letting go of my obligations and stress, and just relaxing. A = 5x/week | B = 4x/week | C = 2-3x/week | D = 1x/week | F = zilch Prerequisite: None. Caveats: Watching a movie or TV show or Netflix can count as long as I’m doing literally nothing else (not even eating dinner) but watching. Ideally, I’d rather not have to count it, but just sitting down and watching something can be enough of a chore for me because I feel like I ought to be doing something, anything else. ;;; Bonus Opportunity? Nope. I think having one would defeat the purpose. LIFE QUEST 2: DICHOTOMY OF REN AND NORA [+2 WIS, +2 CHA] Ren and Nora are polar opposites and yet they’re best friends. Ren is the studious, mature, adulting type, and Nora is the fun-loving, hyper type, and they balance each other out perfectly. Because I do need to adult better, but also since I don’t want to risk giving up the things I love, I decided to do a grab bag redux for my life quest with the intention of maintaining a semblance of balance. So below are the rules of this little grab-bag mini: Each task is worth 5 points. Most tasks have an attached bonus. This is my ideal, If-I-had-Hermione’s-Time-Turner-Or-At-The-Very-Least-A-Clone way of living. Obviously, it’s crazy to expect to get more than one of these bonuses in any given week, but hey, that’s why it’s a bonus! No penalties, no stress if I don't accomplish them. And if I do, permission to pull from my savings account for Japan! My minimum goal is 400 points by the end of the challenge. This is basically saying that I’ll complete two tasks every day with some leeway in case of Life, the Universe, and Everything. Since the idea is balance, my adulting and my extracurricular tasks need to be as close to 50/50 as possible by the end of the challenge. With a 400 point goal, that means 200 points need to be for adulting and 200 points need to be for fun. Bonus opportunities will be available if one category skyrockets past the other, but ideally I shouldn’t need it. Grading will be based on a percentage scale of how much of the goal points I earned (with a boost if I need to increase the minimum) and how close to 50/50 I balance out adulting and extracurricular. Prerequisite: Budget must be updated by Monday morning. Caveats: None. Bonus Opportunity! I can earn $50 towards Japan for every increase in the goal I need to do. See each individual task for other possible bonuses. IN SUMMARY: Work on dance basics 2x/week Swim or bike or run 2x/week Follow holiday-food eating criteria Relax for 30min 5x/week Grab bag!WEEKLY RECAPS Day Zero | Week One | Week Two | Week Three | Week Four | Week Five | Week Six | Challenge Complete! REWARDS (non-stacking) I'll be going to Japan at the end of December through mid-January, and Japan is expensive, so this is the money I'm going to allow myself to withdraw from personal savings. Non-stacking, because let's not go insane here! This is the money for food and shopping and sightseeing adventures. I'm already budgeting for travel and hotel costs. This will be on top of the money I allot myself via bonus money in the above quests. A-average = $500 towards Japan spending money B-average = $400 towards Japan spending money C-average = $300 towards Japan spending money Starting Measurements Waist @ narrowest: 27" Waist @ navel: 30.25" Hips: 37.5" Thigh: 21.75" Calf: 14.25" Est bf%: 21.5% Weight: 121.8lb

MAIN QUEST: Continue self-improvement, become a Triple Threat (act, sing, and dance awesomely), and don't burn out! Every third challenge, I burn out, and I spend the challenge after that licking my wounds and trying to get back on the horse. Not this time! I will continue the hard work I’ve put in instead of taking a step back, because Reborn would expect no less from one who is to become head of the Vongola Family, so why should I expect any less from myself? QUEST 1: EAT TO SURVIVE REBORN’S TRAINING [+3 CON] Reborn’s training is brutal, and it’s impossible to survive without the proper fuel. Not only do I need to make sure I’m eating enough protein, but I need to make sure I’m eating enough, period! I’m at the point now where I should be looking for my maintenance numbers since I’m basically right where I need to be in order to do so, so that’s going to be a primary focus of this quest on top of making sure I get the protein intake I need. (Taken from starsapart’s quest for maintenance a few challenges ago, modified for my needs.) Eat at least 75g of protein a minimum of 5 days/week. A = 5x/week | B = 4x/week | C = 3x/week | D = 1-2x/week | F = Nope Calculate average daily gross calories at the end of each week. If my measurements decreased, I will increase my minimum calories by at least 100 calories. If my measurements stayed the same, I must be eat within 50 calories on either end of that range. If my measurements increased, I will evaluate and adjust accordingly. A = Followed the criteria 100% | B = Short of the minimum by 25 | C = Short of the minimum by 50 | D = Short of the minimum by 75 | F = Did you even try?BONUS OPPORTUNITY: If I eat at least 95g of protein (my estimated lean mass being ~95lb), I earn $10 towards Japan spending money. QUEST 2: A WELL-ROUNDED MAFIA BOSS [+12 TBD] Reborn trains Tsuna with some of the oddest regimens that covers a wide range of skills – basically, in the KHR world, a "mafia" boss can’t be any less than the best in strength, dexterity, stamina, constitution, wisdom, and charisma. And so, taking a page out of stillskies’ book from last challenge, here is a grab bag of assorted things in order to improve all manners of necessary skills in my own life! Of course, I have a few rules in place to make sure that I stay consistent with the habits that I feel are still too raw to rely upon without a challenge to motivate me. The Rules: In order for the fitness points (STR, DEX, STA) to count in a week, I need to exercise 5x/week for at least 30 minutes. This does not need to be traditional workouts/exercises. In order for the non-fitness points to count (CON, WIS, CHA) in a week, I need to make sure that on Monday morning at the latest my budget is up-to-date. Ideally, I’ll have it up-to-date Sunday evening. Attribute points will be distributed at the end of the challenge based on total points accumulated in each category. Mini-challenge participation will grant me 5 points in the appropriate category each day I contribute (for example, if the challenge is to earn +1 STR, it will be 5 points in the strength category when I do it). If the mini is particularly involved, I can earn 10 points in the appropriate category; alternatively, if I’m one of the top five contributors if it’s a quantitative challenge (top three in a team if we do teams), I can earn 15 points (only once a week). Clarification: if I'm both top three in teams and top five overall, then it will be 30 points. In order to successfully complete the challenge, I need to accumulate a total of 2,500 points. Number subject to change based on my progress throughout the course of the challenge. For every increase I need to do, I will earn myself $50 towards my upcoming Japan vacation. BONUS CHALLENGES And here are some extra things I'd like to pay attention to and reward myself if possible that didn't make it into the grab bag itself. Twenty Pull-Ups Challenge: I’m participating in the PVP for the Twenty Pull-Ups Challenge, and damn it, I’d like to be able to do a pull-up before I turn 30 besides! That gives me 15 months to do a pull-up. So every time I do this, I will earn myself an extra +5 points towards strength, up to 3x/week for 15 bonus points. I will most likely spend the entirety of the 8 weeks in the -2/-1 Week but hey, it's the effort that counts! Pirouette Drills/Tap Basics: So I suck at pirouettes, and this is not okay. I may not be able to move up to the intermediate jazz classes for a while, but if anything is going to hold me back, it’ll be my pirouettes. So, every day that I work on the drills, I will earn myself +10 points towards dexterity. (Added on Day 02: Because I need some serious help with tap basics, if I work on it at home, I will earn +10 points towards dexterity. If I do both pirouette drills and tap basics, then yes, it'll be +20 dexterity points.) Conditioning: I want to spend quality time with my exercise band and the foam roller and work on my grip strength. Every day that I do conditioning exercises with the band, roll out my muscles, or dedicate some time specifically to grip strength, I will earn +5 points towards my stamina. Why stamina? Because this will keep me going stronger, longer! Clarification: +5 points each conditioning exercise. Meal-Planning: A lot of stress that comes from making sure I meet my macros comes from a lack of planning, and so I will plan out my breakfasts and lunches for the work week every Sunday to make sure that no matter what I eat for dinner, I know I’ll be making my minimum counts on protein. If I make a plan, I will earn +20 points towards constitution for the week. If I stick to it, I will earn an additional +30 points for the week. Adjustment: for every breakfast and lunch during the work week I eat according to play, I will earn +3 constitution points up to +30 points. Focus: I am… really bad at staying focused at work. The Adderall helps, but I have to pull my own weight in this regard, too. The goal here is to devote only the last 15 minutes of any given hour towards non-work distractions, and at the top of the hour, I’m back to doing something productive again. If I miss that :45 mark, I miss it and I can’t make it up. And if I really need a distraction, I take a brief walk to either get more tea, or a glass of water, or just walk around the building some. And if I have nothing to do? I FIND something to do that’s work-related, even if it’s just reading documents. I earn myself +15 points towards wisdom for every day that I manage to stick to these criteria. Hygiene Routine: I am AWFUL at taking care of myself before I go to bed. I usually just do one or two things (usually dental care) and then hit the sack. I need to be better about this. And so, every night I commit to a full hygiene routine, I will earn +10 points towards charisma. What is a full hygiene routine? Brush my teeth, floss, wash my face, moisturize. If I do a full facial, I get an additional +10 points. WEEKLY RECAPS Day Zero | Week One | Week Two | Week Three | Week Four | Week Five | Week Six | Challenge Complete! REWARDS (non-stacking) I'll be going to Japan at the end of December through mid-January, and Japan is expensive, so this is the money I'm going to allow myself to withdraw from personal savings. Non-stacking, because let's not go insane here! This is the money for food and shopping and sightseeing adventures. I'm already budgeting for travel and hotel costs. This will be on top of the money I allot myself via bonus money in the above quests. 100% of total points achieved = $500 towards Japan spending money 90% of total points achieved = $400 towards Japan spending money 80% of total points achieved = $300 towards Japan spending money Starting Measurements and Pictures Waist @ narrowest: 26.875" Waist @ navel: 30.625" Hips: 36.25" Thigh: 21.75" Calf: 14" Est bf%: 23.35% (as of 9/7/15) Weight: 124lb (as of 9/14/15)

Yes, this is yet another grab bad challenge. What can I say? As soon as I saw stillskies' challenge last round I knew I wanted to get in on the grab bag fun. (Also, does "grab bag fun" sound kind of wrong to anyone else?) Anyway, during the last challenge life kept throwing giant, stress-filled curve balls my way, and I kind of went into survival mode, which can work for a time but isn't anyway to operate long term. Coming out of that I'm feeling overwhelmed with life. It would be easy for me to slide into a minor depressive state right now, and the last week or two there have been days when I felt the shift happening. So the goal of this challenge is to give myself little wins everyday. Goal: Earn 600 pts. over the course of the challenge by completing items on my list. Each item is worth 5 points and falls into one of three categories. Health Take a walk (take dog for an extra 5 points)Workout (strength training, bjj, or kickboxing)Log food for the dayEat a plantAbstain from sweets for a daySchedule a long overdue doctor/dentist appt. Drink a large water bottle of water before noonPlantar Fasciitis stretchesStretching/Foam Roller SessionLights out and kindle off by 11PMLife 500 words or 1 undistracted hour writingResearch panelist @ upcoming writing conference (Anyone else attending NerdCon:Stories?)Do something nice for someone (cards, phone calls, quality time, etc.)Spend 30 minutes unpackingTry a new quality time activity with JohnUpdate my address Get dressed for the day before sitting down at computerGo on a social outingThat's it for now. I may come up with some bonus point challenges along the way depending on what's happening that week, but otherwise I'll check in every couple days to update my progress.

I think you all remember but if not, my name is BlackTezca, known for generally insanity and clogging up your computer or mobile phone with GIFS, GIFS, AND MORE GIFS. You will also remember me from my titanic introduction From Lurker to (Newb) Rebel!, the colossal continuous war known as BlackTezca's Daily Battle Towards Feline Greatness, and the absolutely villainous and bloody previous challenge known as BlackTezcas' 5th Trial: An Artsy, Geeky Amazon Takes A Walk on the Dark Side! From that last thread, I have decided on an awesome theme for this challenge! The fantabulous anime known as Attack on Titan. I know this maybe a little late but the forums were hidden from me this time! Oh man I totally didn't find them until now! But now that I have found them it's time to party hard and start a brand new challenge! Now this anime is perfect for this new challenge as well as for my epically TITANIC main quest! A quest to become all powerful! To become larger than life! To crush down all the walls that stand before and become a truly colossal and deadly being! To fight with agility and strength despite being larger than life and to kick away any small thing that could possible think to stop me! My Main Quest is to be as POWERFUL and BATTLE READY as Wonder Woman Now this challenge is gonna be set up a little differently from the previous ones. This challenge is in a different grab bag format inspired by StillSkies previous challenge. The reason I chose this type of format is...well...because it looked fun and different and I wanted to check it out and see how it would fit! Not only that, but it allows me to have different options for each day in order to get the most points! And those points will start out pretty heavily but will be adjusted if I happen to make the total points! Here are the points I need to make for each possible grade for this challenge: REVAMPED 10/12/2015: 8500 to 7650 Pts - A 7649 to 6800 Pts - B 6799 to 5950 Pts - C 5949 to 5100 Pts - D Quite a heavy order! At least...it might be...not sure...but let's move onto the challenge side quests themselves: COLOSSAL TITAN: Representing Strength Training, the Largest Titan is the strongest titan. The Colossal titan kicks off the horror and action of the series. Details: All strength based activities are the only activities that can get me points for this side quest! Tracking: I'll be tracking using MyFitnessPal ( username BlackTezca ) this lovely thread will be updated as well with the activities that count for points Grading: up to 2 Str ARMORED TITAN: The armored titan dashed any hope of saving the outer ring by crashing through the inner gate. He is the fastest titan. Details: All cardio and stamina/endurance based activities are the only activities that can get me points for this side quest! Tracking: I'll be tracking using MyFitnessPal ( username BlackTezca ) this lovely thread will be updated as well with the activities that count for points Grading: up to 2 Sta FEMALE TITAN: The best fighter and the one more in control and seemingly the most intelligent, she is the most agile of the main titans. Details: All dexterity (martial arts, balance/yoga) based activities are the only activities that can get me points for this side quest! Tracking: I'll be tracking using MyFitnessPal ( username BlackTezca ) this lovely thread will be updated as well with the activities that count for points Grading: up to 3 Dex EREN TITAN: The Art Quest. Representing that Eren is the odd titan out and has to be creative versus the Female titan who is the far better fighter. Details: Art, gaming, and other activities meant to work my creative juices count for points here! Tracking: I have an art Tumblr and I also have a DeviantArt (WATCH ME FOR ACCOUNTABILITY). I'll use those for tracking and on a weekly basis...like a weekly update or something, I'll post art on this thread. Also! Check out Renaissance Rebels which is my accountability group! I shall post art and do some challenges there too . Grading: up to 1 Wis and 2 Cha Armin Arlert: A stabilizing force, Armin may not be the bravest, nor the strongest, but he is the heart of the main trio and often provides comfort in a very dark world. He's the puppy. Please don't hurt the puppy. Details: Cleaning, tidying and all other home stuff here! Need to keep up and happy home life Tracking: This thread will be tracked and notice I have a extra BONUS challenge in there for MEGA points! This BONUS is a minimalist type challenge to get rid of things I no longer need and it's called 30 Days to Less Stuff. I shall be tracking the stuff I get rid off in there and hopefully I made the full days! Woo! Grading: up to 2 Wis and 1 Cha Sasha Blouse: Potato Girl. Poor thing is only known as Potato Girl. She also steals food. She is all about eating a lot and eating it all well. Details: All diet, sleeping, and cooking activities belong here for points! Tracking: I'll be tracking what I make (and eat) via MyFitnessPal ( username BlackTezca ) and also this thread! MyFitnessPal will be updated with recipes too since those can save the recipe. Expect some pictures as well! Grading: up to 2 Con Of course, what challenge would it be without some starting measurements to track! I ended the last challenge pretty good and though I don't know if I can get these measurements any different, it's always awesome to see progress! Starting Measurements: Date: 09/04/2015 @ 6 am Weight: 125.6 ***Body Fat***: 23% (I haven't checked this) Waist: 23 Waist @ Navel: 24 Hips: 35 Neck: 12 Chest: 32 Left Bicep: 10 Right Thigh: 16 Wrist: 5.5 Forearm: 9 I'm gonna be interested in seeing how this grab bag format turns out! This looks like it might be one of tough challengers yet, but all of these side quests are building up on what I have done before and what I would be continuing on anyways! This encourages me to do all sorts of things and I can also be flexible with it so much so that even on rest days I can get up to so many points. The number of points I'm starting out with seems a little daunting, but if I keep up momentum, it shouldn't be too hard to accomplish! I think so anyways. That's gonna be the actual challenge. That and remember what I did and how many points I have earned. Man that's gonna be a lot to count up each day and week and MATH IS HARD YA'LL! Edited 09/11: Also I just realized that I'm not going to be in town at all during the final week. I;'m gonna be in a MAGICAL place where dreams come true So this challenge is a 5 WEEK challenge instead of 6 weeks. I know a few people are making their challenges 5 weeks for Camp so I find it very interesting that the stars aligned and I have the same issue. So this will need to be an EPIC FIVE WEEK CHALLENGE!!! Fuck it! Let's DO THIS!!! NOW! For humanity sakes onward Survey Corps! Show those snobbish, cowardly morons in the Military Police Bridage, and those merely average Garrison folks what we are made of! JUST DON'T GET KILLED (easier said than done...)