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TLDR: ⏹️ daily photograph of to-do-list (doing optional), ⏹️ daily 2L water, ⏹️⏹️ gym 2xweek. Long: I am keeping things relatively small this challenge, mostly wanting to get back in the habit of regular check-ins. Looks like I’ve been AWOL since Feb/March, so a brief update on the life stuff that’s happened since then/thereabouts. Health: I have been diagnosed with ADHD and been taking meds for it after coming off the old anxiety meds, they help very much and while I am the same person much is different about how I go about my day-to-day. While I still get RangerBrain(TM) it is now less fueled by chaos. Being hydrated is important for my meds to function correctly. The meds are still affecting my appetite but no longer to concerning levels, I am able to lose weight now (unclear if from new meds side effect or old meds had a sticky-weight side effect), and have been slowly trending down since March at a sustainable level. Once ‘healthy’ weight is reached I will have to take care to eat enough to maintain, and currently I have to take care that I eat enough nutritious food because I am full quickly. My shoulder is almost entirely healed, I cannot sleep on that side still, and I have to take care when doing things at extended range (outstretched) but otherwise close to ‘normal’ and no longer seeing the physio. My personal trainer sold his gym last month and moved interstate which is so sad (for me! He’s living his best life lol), so I have signed up for a ‘fitness passport’ which allows me access to lots of different gyms. I have specifically joined the one at my work, so I can prioritise working out when I am on campus. I may increase my in-office days to two this challenge, or I may find another closer-to-home gym to get my second weekly workout in, yet to be seen. Work& Study: I started a new job as a manager in HR in March. I like my team, they like me, it is going well. It is also one day in the office and the rest WFH which works very well for me. I have finished my permaculture design certificate, and cert 2 in Auslan, and am now taking a break from studying. Love & life: Mx and I are still going strong, semi-regular river walks and snorkeling when the weather permits. Mx has also been assessed for ADHD and will be starting meds soon. We have made some new friends with a couple and Mx plays magic with one of them one evening most weeks, we sometimes go birdwatching the four of us, and Mx is running a DnD campaign for the four of us plus Mx’s sister. For challenge purposes I will likely refer to them as BirdFriend (they/she/he), MagicFriend (he/him) and Sister-in-Law (she/her). Our decade long campaign is currently on hiatus as one of the members (Best Lady) is finishing her placement for speech pathology. Both cats Mischief and Mayhem are doing well, though Mischief still needs to lose some weight. CHALLENGE GOALS PROPER Goal the first: take a photo of my ‘do-to-menu’ each evening. I don’t have to do all the things on the list, I don’t have to share the photo with anyone, but I must take it. It is a modified version of the daily, weekly, monthly and seasonally lists from UFYH. Goal the second: Twice a week go to NewGym. This can be the gym at work, or any of the gyms that take the fitness passport. If I go Zumba-ing with Best Lady, this also counts. If I do a massive birdwatching walk, or a big snorkel/swim I may substitute for one gym sesh. Goal the third: drink 2L water each day. I have a cute water bottle with measurements on it and the weather is warming up, so this should be achievable. THAT’S IT! Looking forward to following along with old nerdfriends and new and wish you all the best for your respective challenges!

I think i have To go super simple - drink 3 litres water each day -my gym just reopened and i will go two times a week i forget how this all works!

My boyfriend is 35 years old and currently 200lbs. We are beginning the keto diet this week and had recently gotten gym memberships about a month before the quarantine began. Pretend the quarantine is not going on and gyms are open. What would be a good workout plan for him at the gym for weight loss, specifically belly fat? Our gym has all the typical equipment, a pool, sauna, and track. We are not comfortable using the weights yet, but do use the ab machine. So I guess a workout that is more cardio based would help. Our current workout plan: 20 minutes on elliptical 100 rows on row machine 100 regular crunches 100 crunches on ab machine 10 minutes on stationary bike 10 laps in the pool 10 minutes in sauna Any suggestions of additions or changes for this? Thank you so much!

I guess I'm here. Howdy. Goals: * Home cooking 2x/day. This is to curb my eating out. I love Chick-fil-a and it's great for when I'm running late into work, but let's face it, it isn't that healthy. * Bike at least twice. Preferably the trail with my mom because then I can get some good mileage in (we did 11 just before New Year). * Lift heavy things. Even if that heavy thing is just me. Every other day minimum. Anything counts if I do 5+ reps of it. * Finish a book for once. I'd like to get in one chapter a day. This is actually doable now that I'm probably only working this semester (my university where I just transferred apparently lost my transcripts from when I applied so that's nice 😑). * Less negativity. Okay this one is very subjective but I've had this niggling feeling lately that I spew negativity. Some of it comes from my home life (my grandmother is a very negative person and my mom unloads on me a lot about her). A co-worker recently told me that I like to complain... and she's not wrong. I unload on my best friend all the time on Facebook and I hate it every time I do it. I'm not aiming to be a ray of sunshine, just more conscious of my attitude. Less cynicism. More constructive outlets. That sort of thing.

Hey everyone! To those who frequent my challenges, welcome back! To those who are new, welcome to my crazy rantings. Feel free to introduce yourself, I love meeting new people. I was looking over my New Year's goals from 2019. Many of them I at least attempted at some point this year. Some I realized just were not for me, others I just didn't prioritize, some I stuck to all year, and some I started and stopped throughout the year but am finally getting them to stick. I noticed that most of the weightier of my goals, the ones that should have been highest priority and were of most value to me were the ones that actually received the least priority. In other words, I prioritized the easy stuff that didn't matter as much instead of focusing on the things that would really propel me toward where I want to be. One of those things is fitness. I have put going to the gym on my list of goals every year, and every year I make very little progress towards that goal. It is not for lack of interest. I have gone to the gym, I know a good workout session feels good, I WANT to be a person who goes to the gym, but I always have a (rather pathetic) excuse not to go. I have a lot of life goals that I want to work on next year, and I don't want to be fighting tooth and nail with a gym habit, so my goal is to use December to at least start to get into the swing of things so that by the time New Year's hits, I don't have to focus as much energy on just convincing myself to go. I also want to continue solidifying some recently introduced habits (twice-daily skincare routine, twice-daily teeth brushing routine, daily flossing routine, intermittent fasting) so they are more secure before I add new resolutions in January. The recently introduced habits all had great streaks last challenge, so they are definitely getting closer to where I want them, but I am not yet ready to take the focus off of them. And finally, I want to finish up my reading goals for the year. Challenge Goals: 14:10 Intermittent Fasting during the workweek (attempt on weekends and during holiday travels, but not required) Gym Week Zero: Get a gym membership at pre-selected local gym and workout at least once Week One: Get to the gym at least twice for weight training Reading - Finish last book to hit my goal of 30 books in a year (complete) Daily Routines 2x Skincare 2x Brushing Teeth 1x Flossing Let's finish this year out strong!!

Joining late and fist week is not as good as I would like but here it is. My Goal = Improve fitness, reduce % body fat and get stronger Each day has tasks worth points each week I give myself a score out of a possible total of daily points. Week days = Early AM workouts; Nutrition tracking; 10,000 steps; martial arts training; Drink water Weekends = Nutrition tracking; drink water; 10,000 steps; Long distance run; cleaning Just to make life easier for me I am counting Sunday to Saturday as a week.

I'm 21 (137 lbs) and hitting gym for the first time . I don't have any knowledge about shaping body so I have a partner with me who has some experience with gym and I follow his instructions ... here is what we did in the first week : day 1 : warm up - mix workout ( push ups(15 - 20 reps) , chin ups ( hardly 3) , sit ups (50 reps) , biceps , triceps , wings ). day 2 push ups , chin ups , sit ups, chest day 3: push ups , chin ups , sit ups, arms day 4: push ups , chin ups , sit ups, biceps , triceps tomorrow : shoulder here are some issues: 1- a buffed up dude told me to do mix workout but my partner didn't agree (so im super confused cause buffed up dude is way more experienced than my partner) . 2- the buffed up admin of the gym smiles in an inappropriate (devilish) way when he see me working out and struggling with gym equipment which de-motivates me a lot. 3 - I got stronger lower body and my partner has stronger upper body .. he is not even interested in lower body training so he told me to ignore legs workout saying "our upper body needs more focus , we will think about lower body training once upper body is in shape " 4- my back is hurting after 4 days of abs workout .

Hey guys, I'm a 32-year-old male and was wondering is it fine to take testosterone specifically for when I work out?. Hope to hear from someone soon Thanks in advance

Hi all. Callanthae here. I had a previous account on Nerd Fitness a long time ago, so I decided to skip the Level 1 Challenge and come straight to the Rangers. My challenge doesn't really have a theme, but it does have an inspiration. My favourite anime of all time, the reason I got into tennis, Baby Steps. For those who haven't seen it, Baby Steps is a tennis anime. What makes it so fantastic in my opinion is a host of factors: - Maruo Eiichiro, the protagonist, doesn't have impossible skills. He starts out as a complete beginner to the sport. While his eyesight and his studious nature are big strengths, they're strengths that need to be honed and trained to be of any real use. Because of this, we see his journey from the very beginning. - Maruo loses. Like...a lot. You really never know how any match, no matter how important or plot-crucial, is going to go. Maruo could easily lose at any time, and it makes it all the more thrilling when he wins. - The realism of the anime shines through in a thousand other small ways. The shots and feats of athleticism are almost never superhuman, they're very much achievable for skilled players. Maruo's a very analytical player, and you get to understand his thought process as he plays. When he ascends to a new level, it's never because of just "powering up" or "wanting it more"...it's always a result of some useful insight that occasionally even proves useful on the court in real life. You really feel like you're in a match, and you get an understanding of how strategic tennis really is. - Last but not least is the title of this challenge. "Baby steps to giant strides" sums up the mentality of this anime perfectly, and it's an expression that appears in Season 2. The protagonist doesn't have lofty goals...he just wants to get better at tennis, and over time, as he keeps working hard, he end up doing better and better in competitions. That's how I'd like to do as well. A series of baby steps that lead to giant strides as each one is steadily accomplished. Because of this, a week or two after I watched Baby Steps for the first time, I found a local tennis club and started playing. That was about six months ago. I now want to add in off-court training, getting back to running and lifting on a regular basis - and that's why I'm back. So, Baby Steps gets full credit for getting me active again, which is yet another reason I'm such a fan of it. Goal 1: Practice my serve twice a week. I don't think you're legally allowed to have a challenge here without at least one GIF. I already practice tennis with other people a couple of times a week, and on Fridays I compete with the juniors (12-14 years old). Being 5'4" and relatively new to tennis, I'm a pretty fair match for them despite being an adult. So that's 2-3 sessions a week already, and I need no motivation to keep attending them. However, sometimes you need to get some solo practice in and really drill something, and for me that's my serve. It lags significantly behind my groundstrokes, and I really need to dial in the new serve I learnt a few weeks ago - a solid pace on the first serve, and a spinning second serve that manages to be reliable without being easily attacked. My current first serve misses too much, and then I have a weak second serve with no spin or pace that's easily taken advantage of by better opponents. Goal 2: Lift weights at least twice a week. (Ideally 3x) For weights, I'll be following Phrakture's Greyskull LP variant. The Big 4 compound lifts, plus pulling added in as Pendlay Rows and Chin-Ups. (Assisted chin-ups for the time being.) I'll be tracking it using the Personal Training Coach app on Android, which has a bunch of workout templates, including the Greyskull variant I'm doing. I've started relatively light, but over the last couple of weeks the workouts have gotten harder. I'm still getting 10 reps on the last set for all the exercises except Chin-Ups though, so I've got plenty left in the tank. Over the next few weeks I expect that to change as the weights climb back up to my old levels of strength. Goal 3: Run at least twice a week. (Ideally 3x) For running, I'll be using Zombies, Run! to keep things interesting. For the first two weeks I'll be running 4 km (2.5 miles), and for the second two weeks, I'll be running 4.5 km (2.8 miles). At my peak I was running 5-6 km 4 times per week, but I went from 3 days a week to 4 too fast and got injured. I never really got back into it. The goal is to run at an Easy pace (Based on an estimated 27-minute 5k time from a recent max-effort run I performed) 2 days a week. On Saturdays, I'll be doing story runs, where I run faster. I allow the Zombies Run story to determine exactly how fast I do run, though I don't plan to run faster than Threshold pace (Comfortably hard) except at the very end of the challenge, where I'll be doing an all-out max-effort run if everything works out, probably a 5k time trial. I could fill plenty of words with various details, but I figured I'd leave it nice and short...and it'll give plenty of stuff to talk about throughout the challenge this way. Looking forward to the start of the challenge!

Hi there. Hope to receive some help. Will tell you my short story. I was a heavy smoker and one day I've decided to give up that habit. It was 2 weeks ago. I was doing my best to manage, but now I'm almost on the verge of a nervous breakdown. I became too nervous and too irritating. I started eating too much, but then I've realized that I didn't want to be fat and ugly. I decided to go to the gym to leave my energy and bad emotions somewhere. BUt guess what? I came to the gym with vape. One of my friends recommended it to me and I thought it would be a good alternative not to smoke cigarettes, and not being so aggressive. But the administration of this sport club made me leave this place. They didn't allow me to be there with vape. Is that forbidden? Then I started googling it and found this article - https://vapingdaily.com/health/ I've seen a lot of people vaping in public places, but why I was not allowed? Or maybe someone can recommend me another way of quitting smoking without vape? Would be grateful for any help.

Have you ever wondered, bodybuilders like Arnold, Flex Wheeler, Shawn Ray and many others are so committed to working out? How do they get it right every single time? Because they not only work out physically but also their mind is trained for it. They experience a feeling of euphoria. It is a feeling where the body and mind is in unison Does this seem difficult? Let me tell you, it's not. Here are 3 simple tips to getting the connection right! 1. Be positive- You can do it. Arnold Schwarzenegger always believed that the immense power came from "channelling positive energy into his muscles during every exercise". Manier times we underestimate ourselves and end up giving excuses. These are not statements alone, there is scientific evidence to it stating that more positive your mind feels the productivity of the work done is much much higher. Make your workout plan. Set a Goal. Believe in yourself that you can do it. 2. Warm-up Take up any sport, players indulge in warm-up sessions before they begin to play. Think of your muscles like rubber bands. If they spend the whole day sitting at a desk or working with your laptop, your rubber bands (Muscles) are not being used at all. Then, you start your workout by lifting heavy weights or sprinting fast where the muscles get pulled apart quickly and will snap resulting in muscle pain. This is exactly why you need a warm-up. It's a way of telling your body especially your muscles to loosen up. You need the muscles to be prepared for the workout session which is to start in a while. Yes, you might tell me that you don't have time to warm up, but let me tell you if you don't have time to warm up you probably don't have time to work out. A simple warm up will be: 2-3 minutes of jump rope 15 body weight squats 15 hip extensions 10 forward leg swings (each leg) 10 side leg swings (each leg) 10-20 push ups 3. Rest, Rest and Rest. Rest? means no workout? You might be wondering why is this even on my list! Allow me to explain. In the process of being fit, most of us overdo our workouts. We keep adding exercises to our plans. You cannot have breakfast, lunch, and dinner together. Your stomach will certainly not take it. Similar there is a limit to how much your muscles and mind can take it for a session. Do not do it all at once. Give your Mind and Muscles the rest it deserves. A positive mind set, a warm up session, and proper rest is what it takes to get the balance right.

Nightcrawler_Bamff Rejoins the X-Men (Take 2) Nightcrawler: Me Rogue: Unknown (but AMAZING!) Photo: Burump (Instagram) Goal: Get back to within 2lbs of my Weight Watchers goal so I can start going to meetings for free again and stop paying for the online tools. This was the goal for the last challenge, but I fell off the wagon and ended up at the same weight I started at. I am currently 6lbs away from this goal. How: 1. Weight Watchers: WRITE IT DOWN!! I'm figuring out that if I eat something that isnt very Weight Watchers friendly, I end up counting the day as a loss and continue making poor choices for the day. That ends up impacting the rest of the week too. If I track it, I am less likely to let that affect the rest of the day or week. I am planning ahead for three days that I will not be tracking - friend's wedding and two going away parties...*read that last part in a cryptic voice*...more will be explained soon!!) 2. Exercise: Work out at least three times per week. The last challenge, I tried to say specifically to go to the gym (NOT including gymnastics) three times per week, but my schedule ended up limiting that. My goal for this challenge is still to work out three times per week, but I can replace one of the gym workouts with gymnastics class if needed. 3. Work pantry: STAY OUT! This will not be a problem for part of the challenge (*use cryptic voice again!*) Interpreting: I am working on a continuing education program with my peer mentor and our goal is to do one lesson per week. I would also like to add in some extra practice. I think I can commit to 10 minutes per day, five days a week of working either into English or American Sign Language. If that ends up being too easy, I will tweak it during the challenge. Gymnastics: I will give weekly updates on anything fun that happens in gymnastics class. I just connected a front handspring and front tuck for the first time the last week of the last challenge, so lets see if I can keep it and if I can build on that!

Right now I'm unemployed and it's great! I'm finishing a semester of school, and I've got a job lined up to start on May 21, pending a physical and such on Friday morning. But until then, I've got plenty of time to get into the gym and work my butt off and prepare good meals and track nutrition. If I really buckle down, I think I can get below 240 lbs. by the start of my new job. I've also just read How to Be a Stoic by Massimo Pigliucci. I've always had a spiritual and philosophical streak in me, and I've had problems with depression, anxiety, and some anger. I often go down youtube rabbit holes about philosophy, religion, and society. Recently, I came across some videos on Cynicism and Stoicism, and decided to give Massimo's book a read. As those who've followed me a while I'm fond of Zen Buddhism for its mindfulness, discipline, and compassion, but one thing that always bothered me with it is its disregard of rational thought in favor of spontaneity and emptiness. Stoicism seems to compensate for that well while by replacing these with rational thought, and it's virtues foster mindfulness, discipline, and compassion. So let's shoe horn some goals into the cardinal Stoic virtues... eh? And for once, I'll actually grade things with points. Because a Stoic would collect data and use it to inform future decisions, even if it was time consuming and sometimes frustrating or annoying. Zero week points = bonus points to be distributed freely at challenge end. Goal 1, Wisdom: Practice Stoic meditations in the morning and evening. Journal the results. Morning meditation questions: Reminder of the previous day. What challenges do you anticipate today? How will you overcome these challenges while maintaining your virtue? Evening: What good deeds did you do today? In what deeds did you fail to maintain your virtue? What is left to be done, or improved upon? Do it everyday. 28 days. 1 point for morning, 1 point for evening, 1 point for journaling. 3 points/day. 84 points total Goal 2, Temperance: Track nutrition, regulate food intake for healthy weight loss. MFP everyday. Hit BMR calories, ~2167 cals. Stay below, 3000 cals. At least 100 g Protein 1 point each day for tracking. 1 point for keeping cals in range, 1 point for sufficient protein. 3 points/day. 84 points total. Side quests: Limit coffee to one cup before sun up. And avoid alcohol. This is for GI health, and mental clarity. And avoiding alcohol for weight loss. Goal 3, Courage Go to gym. Because lifting stuff makes you braver or something. Go to the gym and lift something then do cardio. 6 hours each of four weeks. 1 point / hour. 24 points total. Goal 4, Justice. Do good deeds. Help other people. Or at the very least, be a fucking adult. 1 point for each good deed or adulting task completed. Aim for 1 per day. 28 days. 28 points. LUYL_1: Figure out what the fuck cardio means in spanish. I spent 90 minutes on an elliptical, while I'm glad I burned 900 calories (supposedly), that time might have been better spent studying my Spanish textbook, or consuming some other reading material. Hmm... maybe I should have tried to find a Spanish channel on one of the TVs while I ellipticaled. Basically, this goal is to bring a book to the gym to make good use of lame cardio time. LUYL_2: Keep studying spanish. Duolingo changed everything all of a sudden and now it annoys me. But I should start incorporating and moving on to new ways of learning. Such as: Working through the Spanish language course Watching Netflix shows in spanish Reading Kid's books, newspapers in Spanish. I should still try to finish the Duolingo tree tho. LUYL_3: Flamenco guitar Daily practice. My teacher dropped hints last week he might invite me to join his Flamenco orchestra this summer. So I ought to keep practicing daily and dilligently. Ugh. Why are my initial posts so damn long?

Photo by Robert W Scott Photography on Flickr: Costume by me Photo by Robert W Scott Photography on Flickr Nightcrawler has been working hard to lose the extra pounds he had gained during his two years away from the team. Over the course of the next four weeks, he plans to drop the remainder of the excess weight and rejoin his friends at the mansion. Goal: Finally get back to my Weight Watchers goal weight! Plan: 1. Follow the Weight Watchers program: Track everything and stay within my points allowance each week. 2. Go to the gym three days a week: I got a gym membership between challenges and plan to use it! I don't feel like I need a goal for while I'm in there for now...Its still new and exciting and I feel like just getting in will result in doing real workouts each time. 3. Stay out of the pantry at work: Continuing this from the previous challenge since I had so much success that time! There is a cupboard at work that is always filled with junk food, which is a major reason for the weight gain over the last 1-2 years. I am not good with self control when it comes to free food, so I go all or nothing - either I eat everything I find in there all day long, or say its off limits and cant have any of it. I am staying out of it all together. Life goal: Improve interpreting skills: I was accepted into a control group for a program that ends in November or December in which they will pay for my national certification test at the end, which costs about $450 and has a 14% pass rate. Because of the low pass rate, I am considering this a free trial to see what I need to expect when I actually have to pay for it. However, I would LOVE to not have to pay for it at all, so will be trying my best to improve as much as I can over the next six months. How: Finish the initial tests: The program involves tests at the beginning and end to compare. The first set of tests is due April 1 and they are fairly time consuming. I did the practice ones, which took me about five hours all together...And they are much shorter and far less work than the actual tests. I am not entirely certain what the next steps after that are, but I will update this part of the challenge at that point.

Hello There! So, I can proudly say that yesterday was my first workout (much more to come) at a proper gym. I did my routine, learning the proper forms using low weight and testing the machines. The experience was nice and I feel accomplished of doing a full hour of exercises. I started a beginners routine but, after a couple of weeks, I will build my own to cater to my necessities. Thanks for the support guys and, to all of those out there looking for an extra push to do this, I'm 272 pounds coming from 315. If I can make a difference in my life by adding good desitions to my eating habits and making small changes in the way you approach yourself, you can do it too. There's no limit to what you want to be. Mode: Recomp Style: Soresu Source: Power... UN-LI-MITED POWER!

SORRY FOR THE LONG POST; BUT I APPRECIATE ALL INPUT ON WHAT I MAY BE DOING WRONG OR RIGHT. attached are imagines of my weight throughout the years, from 16,21,24 (current, bathroom and hiking pics) http://s1361.photobucket.com/user/ga...?sort=3&page=1i started losing weight about 3 years ago when i was at my heaviest about 290-300lbs, i dropped down too 220 and then stopped and went back up too about 250-260. i then started losing weight again (around late november) too my current weight of 205-210lbs. not 100% sure on my height its from 5'9-5'10 im not sure if im working my body too hard or not pushing my maxs high enough, but i feel like ive hit a platue. my muscles have been getting harder it seems like (probably because of fat loss) , but not bigger. im not sure what i need too do. i feel like my body is starting to become skinny, fat and thats the last thing i want.my goal is not too become swole, but too look athletic and fit. Im not sure what it is but when i was working out before hand 2 years ago and losing the weight i feel like my body looked harder and more fit. im noticing fat in areas that it wasnt when i was working out before. and now that im at my lowest ive been at; i feel like i might be eating wrong or working too hard or not taking enough days off? or something; that could be causing me not too get the results i feel like i should be? sorry for repeating myself; i had too write this post twice.. AS WELL ANY TIPS ON LOSING THIGH FAT WOULD HELP ME ALOT, my thighs have always been massive... below is my workout schedule; i eat about 1500-2000 calories a day, lots of lean meat and veggies, fruits and some carbs throughout the day. as well as usually a cheat meal once a week and a togos sandwhich every now and again.monday - no gym; 1-2 hour hiketuesday - leg day, cardio- treadmill 40 min/ 20min jogging, row machine 6 min, stairs 6 min. 60 squats, slowly adding more weight up too 205lbs (my max roughly) then i use the leg machiens to hit my calfs,quads,hams,inner and outer thighs 40 repswed - upper body - SAME CARDIO AS BEFORE; bicep curl 60 reps up too 130lbs, tricep machine 60 reps, chest machine 60 reps, free weights for bicep,forearm and shoulder, dip machine 60 reps up too max roughly 170 lbs (trying to get my dips stronger for my own weight comfortably) thursday - upper body - ALL SAME CARDIO, bicep and tricep again lightely.; ill benchpress this day (trying to improve that as well) as well ill hit my back and abs (i also hike this day) friday - SAME CARDIO, hit my entire body this day lightelysaturday - SAME CARDIO leg daysunday - upper body day (but its a light day) and i hike as well.

2018 Changing Behaviors This year, my first challenge was a “what the hell am I going to do challenge”. So I threw in some stuff that I thought would be good to focus on. Those goals were good but I still felt a little lost and kept thinking about 2017 and what worked and didn’t work. 2017 was a stressful year and I let my impulses kind of run wild. I’ve always been a wants over needs type of person but have had a difficult time figuring out a way to change that. I just want to do everything now and feel silly taking it slow. Mentally, that’s what I want and I don’t want to wait to do anything. Physically, I put things off if I’m not sure how to do something or if it requires manual labor. 2018 is going to be about changing my behaviors. I want to have a good routine and strategy for overcoming my impulses. It’s time to start small and work my way up to the person I aspire to be. To accomplish this task I need a clear and fairly simple plan. My challenges are rarely simple so this will be clear but probably not simple. I need knowledge to help create that plan. I’ll need motivation or motivational tools to help when things get tough. I also need to make sure I have a support system (Thanks Rebels ). 2018 Changing Behaviors Levels LVL 1 - Organization LVL 2 - Night LVL 3 - Morning LVL 4 - Nutrition LVL 5 - Movement LVL 6 - Financial LVL 7 - Knowledge LVL 8 - Expression LVL 9 - Self-Discipline LVL 10 - Sustaining Each Level will last approximately 1 challenge cycle (28 days). If I do not follow my plan or fail to achieve my desired goal, then I do not move up a level. These levels are meant to build upon previous challenges and continue the habits gained from the previous level. For example, when I reach level 6, I should still be doing what I did through levels 1 to 5. The goal here is not to get as many points as possible but to develop the habit. If I end up skipping something or putting it off, I need to examine the reason why. Standard Goals Save $84 Got to the gym 4x Read 3 books Donate Plasma Monthly Focus - Feb : Sleep (7 to 8 hours) & Mar : No Spending on Non-Essentials Level 1 Goals Follow Dailies Cleaning Routine (1 pt each - 84 possibly points - GOAL = 58 points) Make Bed Bedroom Floor Clear Dish Free Sink Follow Weekly Cleaning Routine (1 pt each - 28 possibly points - GOAL = 19 points) Dust Mop Floors Vacuum Laundry Trash Clean Counters Clear Surfaces Follow Bi-Weekly Cleaning Routine (1 pt each - 8 possibly points - GOAL = 5 points) Scrub Bathroom Clean Sheets Toss Expired Foods Wipe Down Appliances Follow Monthly Cleaning Routine (1 pt each - 6 possibly points - GOAL = 4 points) Clean out car Clean out fridge Wipe down fridge Clean inside Microwave Sanitize sponges Deep Clean granite floors Follow Bi-Annually Cleaning Routine (1 pt each - 1 possibly points - GOAL = 1 points) Wipe Baseboards Follow Annual Cleaning Routine if applicable No Annual Cleaning task for February

So I'm sick... again... If anyone remembers from last challenge I go stupidly ill and wasn't able to do much of anything gym wise since I couldn't stop coughing and I'm also just not a jackass and I stay home when I'm sick. Nobody needs whatever plague can ever get through my usually killer immune system. I got over that bug and then a week later landed a new one! I was rocking a brutal fever and full body pain for 5 straight days. And I actually had to go to work on all of those days because my boss was away and there isn't anyone at work who can step in for me at all ever. It sucks, but anyhow... I'm also sick and tired of how my life currently is and I'm going to change that. I'm going to write out a list of all the things I'm annoyed with in my life and I'm going to tackle them all one by one starting with these five things. Money Management: I've got about $10000 of debt that I've been very, very slowly and erratically chipping away at and I'm sick of the sight of the giant negative balance I see when I log into my online banking. I'm going to change this. I need to change this. I've been a terrible adult and have been late in paying my rent and my phone bill each month for longer than I can reasonably remember. I've been rock solid in paying my gym fees and making sure I had bus pass funds available when I needed them all of last year, but rent and the phone bill always got put off. I'm going to be challenging myself to have my share of the rent paid in full by the 4th of each month (can't pay rent on weekends, holidays or when I'm stuck at work from before they open until after they close) And my phone bill will be paid in full within 8 hours of it being sent to me. No excuses. In regards to spending. I want to enact a shopping ban, similar to what @pureleeawesome is doing and only spend money on daily necessities or things that are on an approved buying list As for debt and savings, I will be putting $100 towards each on the day I get paid. And if when I get paid again I have money left over from the previous pay cheque that is not needed for an immediate and important reason (vet bill, replacing things like my work shoes, glasses etc) I'm going to divide that amount by 3 and 1/3 is for savings and 2/3 is going onto the debt. Cooking: This is slightly linked to the money stuff because I spend far too much on shitty fast food and convenience foods that it's getting totally out of hand. We order in pizza at least three times a month, and get cheap take out about once a week and there is no reason for it other than being totally lazy. The worst part is that I don't even really enjoy the food we buy most of the time. I might as well just throw the money off my balcony for all the good is does me. In an effort to stop throwing my money away I plan on cooking all my own food at home. I want to see less empty pop bottles in my recycling bin and more sauce jars. I want to see less crumpled up fast food wrappings in my trash bin and more meat/veggies scraps. If my lovely girlfriend wants to order pizza, she can get it with her own money and I will say thanks, but no thanks and go make myself some real food. I'm making 3 reasonably exceptions to this plan: I can get iced caps from Tim's with ONLY my tips money (I make so little in tips that I think that's fair) I can get garlic bread if my girlfriend or my sister orders pizza, but ONLY once per month I can eat the food at work, because I'm trying to get out of debt, and food at work is free. Gym: I need to go at least once a week for winter. I'm not going to demand more than that for gym trips each week because the walk there and back in winter conditions is shitty at best, and hazardous at worst. That and with the New Year's crowd in there it's honestly not very much fun to go in January and February. But I still need to go. I'm paying for it and it's a waste of money not to go. I will allow myself a tiny reward if I do go more than once a week. I get to buy a hot chocolate brownie from my local Mucho Burrito on the way home on my 2nd trip of the week. I will treat myself for a personal sized chocolate milk on the 3rd trip. Chores: My home is a disgusting place to live in right now. I'm not the only person responsible for the mess but I am likely to be the only person who does anything about it. I'm also sick and tired of nagging everyone around me to do their damn chores all the time so I'm just going to do them myself. I almost want to unleash my inner passive aggressive bitch and post up one of those time check off pages on the bathroom door and above the kitchen sink and beside the recycling bin listing when it was last taken care of and by who. My sister has the habit of leaving her bagged garbage in the kitchen in front of the recycling bin because she doesn't want to get dressed to walk it down the hall to the trash chute. Hell she doesn't even do her own laundry, she gets out room mate Jordan to do it. I almost want to start piling it up on top of her work shoes the next time she does this. It takes literally 1 minute to walk down the hall, open the door, step in, open the chute, throw the bag down, and walk back to our unit and yet she can't be bothered to do it. She could leave literally ONE MINUTE early for work and take her trash with her but she doesn't. She hasn't taken out the recycling ever. We've lived in this building since 2011 and she's never taken out the recycling. So I'm giving myself one small chore to do each day, something that only takes 5-10 minutes to do Chore Chart Knitting: It's simply something that I enjoy doing, and frankly I need to do it since my yarn collection is getting out of hand, and I also don't have a hat or scarf for myselg for this winter. My old hats were covered in an impossible amount of cat hair and our recently deceased cat Jazz spent a great deal of time snuggled into my favourite hand made hat that it smelled horrid so I threw it away. I want to finish the hat I started for myself and start a scarf and finish it before the challenge is finished. I'll post up a photo when it's done

Greetings from Arcelas the n00b! If you are reading this right now, it means I have successfully posted it. 2018 (The year we all become murlocs) Quests 4 Week Challenge Quests: Quest Line: Lose 59 lbs. Hit my daily step goal of 10000 steps. 5000 the first week, then add 1666.66 (repeating of course) steps each week until 10000 is reached Quest Line: Get Out of Debt Cook as many meals on Saturday and Sunday as possible to reduce dining out spending by 50% (dropping from $220/mo to $110/mo) Quest Line: Become Much Better At Magic Read Royal Road to Card Magic: Chapter One and watch the accompanying videos Quest Line: Become A Much Better Vocalist Complete KTVA Streaming Lessons Vol 1 and practice 30 minutes a day 3 days a week OK Rebels. Let's do this!

Just like the title says, I have no idea what I'm doing. Usually I have a whole bunch of challenge ideas but I've been procrastinating and drawing a blank. Well not really procrastinating, I just have no idea what I want to accomplish this year fitness wise. This challenge I'm going to try to hit some basic goals and figure out what I want out of this year. Challenge Goals 1. Save Money - Save $85 2. No fast food - Avoid Fast Food - Will allow 5 slip ups. I'm not a saint! 3. Donate Plasma - Donate at least 4x this month. I was sick last month and missed half of it 4. Get my ass to the gym - I was doing so well, then I got sick 5. Do my monthly focus - This month I want to focus on doing either 5 mins of yoga before bed or when I wake up 6. Read - I have 4 books I need to read this month. Side Jobs, Cold Days, Burn for me and Passion Unbound 7. Bullet Journal - Work on it!

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.

It’s time for Jonesy's Magical Christmas! 2017 is coming to an end and it’s time to bring my Disney theme to a close. This year has been a year of fantasy and disbelief. I’m not exactly where I want to be health and fitness wise but I’ve done a lot of good things this year. To end the year I want to focus on the Holiday and enjoying the season. Holiday Funtivities I have a few activities planned and have created an advent calendar for even more fun! I’ll post either a picture or a description of the activity I have been tasked with. Calendar must be completed by December 1. Mission: Complete at least 1 funtivity a week Points:10 points per activity Expectation: 50 points total Get pumped like Santa and have endurance like his reindeer Sticking to a workout routine during December is HARD. Instead of stressing about missing workouts I will plan on going to the gym at least once a week. Mission: Go to the gym at least 1x each week Points: 20 points per gym session Expectation: 80 points total Santa’s bag may be stuffed with goodies but I will not! Time to reign in the free for all spirit of the season in regards to food. This tends to be a time when the office is filled with delights and or I get lazy and eat fast food all them time. I’m not sticking to a specific food plan but I will be trying to continue to add more veggies to a meal. I want to load up on Veggies before I load up on sweets or other foods. Mission: Eat my veggies and avoid sweets Points: 1 point per vegetable eaten & Bonus 5 points for avoiding sugary treats Expectation: 28 points total Make the house guest ready - Santa is coming Tis the season to be lazy and busy! I feel better when my house is clean and I need to have room to wrap presents, put up decor and my tree. No specific cleaning routine, I just need to clean! Mission: Clean for at least a hour each week Points: 1 point per min cleaning Expectation: 240 points total

Come one, come all! Join my Disney pals in celebrating my NerdFitness Anniversary! November 5th is my official 5 year NF Anniversary. To celebrate I’m going to challenge myself to do my original challenge. Although I’m making a few tweaks based on my end of challenge results because I still hate the morning mile and because I’ve learned a lot in 5 years Oswald is going to remind me what my original goals were, right after he gets done fighting this guy… ORIGINAL - Back when challenges were 6 weeks and we still used stats Now time for this years goals, who wants reveal what I’ll be doing now? Now now, let’s introduce my anniversary goals! DRUM ROLLLLLLLL Fine I’ll do it myself. Forward 5 years later, Goals 1. DIET: Veggies! I still struggle with this goal. I know I can’t do 5 veggies or even 5 servings yet but I can start to build the habit back up. Wk 1 - 1 veg serving per day Wk 2 - 2 veg serving per day Wk 3 - 1 veg serving each meal (2 meals) Wk 4 - 2 veg servings each meal (2 meals) GRADE : WK 1 - A = 7 veggies WK 2 & 3 - A = 14 veggies WK 4 - A = 28 veggies 2. FITNESS : Go to the Gym 1x a week & Body weight workouts I started to make working out a habit again but I let stress ruin that. I want to make sure I get to the gym every week. No excuses. If I’m sick I go and walk on the treadmill. If I’m injured I go and do something that won't hurt my injury. I need to stop using those as crutches. Wk 1 - 1 gym & 3 10 mins Bodyweight workout Wk 2 - 1 gym & 5 10 mins Bodyweight workout Wk 3 - 1 gym & 1 30 mins Bodyweight workout Wk 4 - 1 gym & 2 30 mins Bodyweight workout GRADE : WK 1 - A = 1G & 3/3 WK 2 - A = 1G & 5/5 WK 3 - A = 1G & 1BW WK 4 - A = 1G & 2BW 3. HABIT : SLEEP - 7/7 There was no way I was doing the morning mile again. I actually remember waking up some days and dreading it. Not going to happen. Instead I want to work on getting to bed early and waking up early so I have more time in the morning to stretch, get ready, make breakfast, etc. Wk 1 - In bed by 11pm Wk 2 - In bed by 10:30pm Wk 3 - In bed by 10pm Wk 4 - Wake up between 5:30am and 6am GRADE : # of times per week = A:7 - B:6 - C:5 - D:3 - F:2-0 4. LIFESTYLE : Inventory the Townhouse/ keep a report (Complete at least 2 worth 50 points) I did actually do a few of these but it’s been 5 years and I need to do them again because I was slacking and forgot. Organize the pantry for easy inventory Pull out all items and organize Possibly label front of shelves Make an inventory list for pantry items Organize kitchen cabinets for easy access Pull everything out and organize Light bulbs and light fixtures counted and recorded as well as batteries Inventory all light bulbs - watts and styles Check to see how many bulbs I have total Count all items that use batteries and make an inventory list Maintenance schedules Create a schedule Go through coat closet and organize Go through linen closet and organize Thanks Guys! BARBIE!!! Sigh...

So as small of a success as this was, it still impressed me. Throughout my entire college career and even into my job, one of my biggest gym problems was forgetting my socks at home. I would bring my bottle, headphones, cushy supps, and my whole outfit, but my socks would always be conveniently left behind. This posed a problem when i wouldn't have worn any that day, and my mind always immediately used that as an excuse to turn back home and not work out. After all, i don't wanna wear sweaty tennis shoes with no socks right? Flash forward to today when i leave my non-dress socks at home again and, where i normally would have just gone home, i didn't. For the first time, i overcame that excuse and did something with my gym time anyway! I think that deserves a sizeable woot.

For almost a year now, I’ve been on the quest to travel to foreign lands and find the healing herb that can save my husband. For the last half of that journey, I’ve been sitting in a horse-drawn carriage, eating my way through the enchanted cotton candy forest. I can see daylight break through the pink clouds of sugary hell, so it’s time I prepare myself for the rest of the journey - I’ll be no use whatsoever in my current state once I get out of here and actually have to walk and possibly even fight monsters. Oh the horror! [My husband got really sick last year. He’s had three surgeries and is taking medication, but so far it’s not gotten any better. My apprenticeship ended in December last year, and I’ve not been able to work since then, in parts because I had to stay home and take care of him/be his translator at local doctors’ offices and hospitals, and because I haven’t been able to find a job. I tend to embrace laziness in times like these instead of using my time to better myself. Aka eat my way through cotton candy forest while letting the carriage do the moving for me. That needs to stop now.] Main Goal: Get ready to leave cotton candy forest [stop being lazy and get back into the habit of actually doing things] Life Goal: Find a good side quest line to replenish the funds for my journey. All that sitting and eating hasn’t exactly helped replenish my little chest of gold, and my benefactor has forgotten about me! It’s time I help someone herd their kittens or farm some crab meat to fill up my chest again. [Check job adverts. Send out applications. Ideally, find a job. But mostly, don’t give up hope and keep putting myself out there.] Diet Goal: Cleanse my body with the orange potion of gut health All the cotton candy has wreaked total havoc on my body and the wizard I’ve met along the way has given me a big cauldron full of orange potion. It looks quite vile, and I need to gulp down a lot of it at a time or it won’t work. But I gotta be strong clear out all the remnants of sugary webs the cotton candy spiders have spun in my body. [Drink fiber at least twice a day, ideally three times. Before meals. Add laxatives to one drink per day. I started that to help out my husband, since he has to do it and that’s one small way I can support him, and noticed that it makes me feel a lot better, so I want to stick with it.] Fitness Goal: Shake out those stiff bones and get out of the carriage! I’ve been sitting for so long, I don’t even remember what standing up feels like. Or walking. And dear god, don’t even get me started on running or pushing the carriage out of the sticky cotton candy puddle it’s currently glued to. I’m going to have to start moving if I want to make it out of those forest - especially if I want to continue with my quest! [I’ve been lazy. I haven’t exercised properly in forever. Rather than setting myself two different fitness goal, my goal is to move. Every day. In whatever way feels good that day. I’d rather have a five minute dance party with myself and make that count than getting frustrated with myself for not doing a certain workout on a certain day and giving up because of it. Any movement counts, but I want to focus on the following especially!] Train like a warrior! [strength training at the gym] Run circles around the carriage! [go for a walk/run/any combination of the two] Dance among the stars! [have a dance party with myself - e.g. dance a couple songs on Just Dance or turn up the music and dance around the house while doing the laundry] Stretch like a cat! [Do yoga or any other stretchy thing that looks good to me, like floor ballet] Seek guidance from my coachmen and -women! [Attend a class at the gym] There is no one way for me to start moving again and fight my way out of this darned forest. The only way I can continue instead of returning home without the cure is to just start moving and not stop, and to take tiny steps on days where the big ones seem like too much. TL;DR: Life goal: Actively try my best to find a job Diet goal: Drink fiber drinks Fitness goal: Move every day I am still tweaking my workout. I am aiming for a full body workout rather than split workouts at this point, because chances are I’m not going to be going to the gym every day all of a sudden, so I want to make the most of it when I do. I would appreciate any advice you have on how to improve that workout! Right now, I’m going for lower weights/more reps so I can get used to the movements and learn to do them correctly with lower chance of injury. I’m planning to change that up once I’m more comfortable with the exercises. Gym workout plan: Warm up on bike/run a couple laps 3x10 shoulder press (machine) 3x10 chest press (machine, the one that’s sorta like a bench press but without having to have someone spot you) 3x10 butterfly (machine) 3x10 triceps pushdown (cable machine) 3x10 wide-grip lat pulldown (cable machine) 3x10 1-arm bent-over rows (each arm) 3x10 (decline) crunches 3x10 deadlift 3x10 glute bridge variations (add weight, incline or lift a leg - or all of it!) 3x10 dumb bell lunges 3x10 inner & outer thighs machine If any of you have suggestions, recommendations or advise regarding that routine, please feel very free to let me know. I would appreciate it! I'm going to the gym with a friend today and will do each of those exercises so he can check my form and give me advice and help where I need it before I just try it all on my own and screw up my back. I'll add my starting weights to it afterwards. Time to channel my inner Xena and escape this sweet, sticky forest!