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I have been having trouble with the Customize Your Batcave quest. It seems easy, but I have a small home and put into place most of the suggestions before I had even heard of Nerd Fitness. I am looking for suggestions that maybe out of the normal as I am working toward a full life level up. Maybe ways to help making cleaning easier and messes more difficult to make... does something like that even exist??? ANY ideas would be great - looking for that kick start. If there is a board that already talks about this (I can't seem to find one) I would love to hear about that as well! This is also the time where I wish I had gone to Hogwarts - although I would have probably never have mastered cleaning spells either... or be rich enough for a (well treated) house elf. Support S.P.E.W.!

This is my first challenge, so the Rebel camp seems like a good place to start! * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * The Challenge This month, I'm building habits so solid even an Uruk-hai couldn't bust 'em. I've realized I've had a lot of good interests, athletic experiments, and even a couple fun hobbies (or wanna-be future hobbies), but if I don't get better at regularly investing time in the ones that are important to me, I won't get very far. So, as befits a first challenge, this is going to be a "back to basics" kind of month. To that end, these are the habits I really need as a foundation for EVERYTHING I want to accomplish in the future: basic protein/nutrition, regular workout times, and time for prayer/meditation/reflection. The only exception is my running goal. Two weeks after this challenge ends, I'm running the DC Rock 'n' Roll half marathon. I've never run a half marathon before, so this is kind of a crazy thing... Regardless, I need to top out at about 13 miles max with my runs at the end of the challenge period if I want to survive. Gazelle mode, activate! The Goals Diet/Fitness: - Get my rear to the gym/trail each afternoon for my preset workouts (either Stronglifts weight training or my running plan). Both are written out... I just have to do them! - Increase protein intake on a daily basis (I'm still not sure how much I need, total. Expert advice welcomed!) - By the end of the challenge, run 13 miles in one session. (!!!) Life: - Prayer/meditation at least 20 minutes a day. I really need this one. This month is all about getting better at being dependable, so if you guys can keep me honest and reliable with my workouts, that would be amazing. I'll link up XP counts for each goal sometime soon, once I figure that out. For death and glory! For Rohan!

Howdy there, I know I am a few days late, but I haven't been on the boards since the beginning of Jan. I have done one challenge before and attempted my second, but gave up after day two. So the purpose of this challenge is to make the habits. I finally read Level Up Your Life, and the part about not using motivation really hit me. So we are going to try smaller things this time. I have also been watching Red Bull videos and just gotten super inspired to do more with my life then I thought. I realized I had those dreams and simply decided that they were ridiculous and unachievable. I guess I finally decided I would rather spend my life chasing the dream then sitting around dreaming up more. I am starting a journal of every dream I want to do. Not sure whether I am going to post them or keep them to myself. So a little bit of background: I am 20, currently attending college for engineering. I rock climb, adventure, and just all around explore. I am a skinny-fat dude, weighting 168, but only able to bench 105lb. I am currently working on bulking up with my roommate who is helping me at the gym. Not sure what else to write. I'm pretty ambivalent in life towards other people which presents a whole slew of problems, but one the main ones is that I think no one cares about what I have to say, because well, I tend not to care. It has it's benefits, but makes for a fairly solitary life style, which is okay and not at the same time. I love music. I have been teaching myself lead guitar for three years and have been playing piano for thirteen years. I would love to pick up the cello, but just haven't gotten around to it yet. I want to do a theme for my challenge, as it will relate to one of my challenges. So the theme is the space industry, as that is where I want to work when I graduate. The goal is to build a space company and a shuttle from the ground up. This is going to require public relations and building a team, learning the technical jargon, as well as dedicating time to the calculations. The final challenge will be to construct the shuttle. Break Down: Public Relations and Build a team: Like I mentioned before, I am pretty ambivalent. It pretty much means I have almost no close friends as I just drift around. Once the next group or person starts to bore me, I just move on again. Makes relationships difficult as well. So my challenge here is to be more social and engaged. To help keep me in the challenge, I need to post on other people's threads. I will follow at least three other challenges, and post in there at least once a week. I know I need to do this in real life, but I am starting small. The goal is to eventually build a team like Level Up Your Life talks about. I just need to hunt those people down, because all my friends right now dream to small for me. ATTR: ​+4 CHA Learning the technical jargon: I have found a job down in the Caribbean for the summer. While everyone on the island knows at least some English, I would like to be able to talk to people in Spanish. I started Duolingo this afternoon and really enjoyed. The goal is to be able to have a full conversation once I am on the island. I will spend roughly fifteen minutes every day on Duolingo. I have had a Spanish class before, so it is not completely foreign, I am just not proficient. Time to change that. ATTR: +3 WIS Dedicating time to calculations: Like I mentioned above, I am a college student and the classes this semester are intense. I want to dedicate at least 35 hours a week to diligent studying. ATTR: +4 WIS Construct the shuttle: Since I am going to be on an Island for the summer, a lot of my time will be spent without a shirt and I want to look better. Currently, me and my roommate are following a workout routine that is MWF. It's a moderate workout, but can be made harder by upping the weight. This is really only my second week on this, but I have already lost six lbs. and upped my weights by 5 lbs. ATTR: +4 STR TL;DR Post on at least three other people's threads at least once a week ATTR: +4 CHA Spend fifteen minutes on Duolingo everyday. ATTR: +3 WIS Spend 35 hours a week studying for classes. ATTR: +4 WIS Continue going to the gym MWF with roommate. ATTR: +4 STR

Sooooo I decided to try to improve myself again. I'm a physicist mostly doing research on the computer which means that on many days I just sit for the whole day. I'm not overweight, actually I quite like my current weight, I eat more or less "right" though I do sometimes eat to much sugary stuff but that is not all that often so I'm not too concerned about it. Basically I just have to focus on getting moving again to feel better and to feel a bit less tired + I want to build some habbits. This happens generally about 3-4 times a year - I realize that I stopped moving and should do it again and then do it for a while and stop only to start again... And the circle starts again. I want to break out of this circle this time so I will try to include a social component into the mix (social exercise in my case being swing dancing + walks/runs with my GF). This time around my goals are: "Fitness" goals -I should move my ass at least 4 times a week (dance, walk/run, bodyweight exercise...) -learn to "shim sham" (famous swing dance routine) -I might start with some fitness routine again but lack the motivation a bit at the moment. Building habits and discipline -no more than an hour of Netflix in the evening- focus on the side projects instead (various small raspberry pi projects, programming, improve my blind typing) -read more Explore life -try something new at least once a week (new food, go someplace new/special...) -go out more and meet people (I can be a bit awkward with people which means that it's difficult for me to make new friends but that shouldn't stop me – world is full of awesome people). My motivation: "You'll seldom experience regret for anything that you've done. It is what you haven't done that will torment you." (Wayne Dyer) I will try to evaluate my success each week to see if I am going in the right direction and than write about it here.

Hello everyone! Looking forward to another challenge with the crazy, wonderful guild that is the Assassins. Without further ado, mah challenge! Epic Quest Master my body and mind. Quest 1 - Hydration Drink a bottle of water first thing every morning. Bonus if it has lemon juice or apple cider vinegar in it. I don’t think this one will present too much difficulty; I’ll just have to remember to prep the night before. I’m saving what willpower I have for my other more difficult challenges. Quest 2 – Maintain Exercise Habit For the last 4 months, I have been working at this habit and I am quite happy with my progress (: I’ve got to say, being able to do casual pullups make me feel freakin’ badass. My workouts look like this currently, I will be upping it again tomorrow. I can’t wait to move onto harder exercises! 3 sets of: LEGS 11 deep squats PUSH 11 knee pushups PULL 3 pullups & 8 negatives CORE 55 second plank Quest 3 – Cold Turkey Diet Change Rules are simple. 1. No lollies. 2. No pizza. 3. No chips. 4. No ice cream. Ah. Yes. Not a gradual shift in the right direction this one. I’m trying something new this challenge, it might not be successful but I will give it my best shot. I tried weaning off sugar last challenge and lo and behold I failed. A lot. Hence experimentation. Life Quest – Gratitude Journal This is the first step towards the mastering my mind part of my Epic Quest. Each night I will write down 3 things that I am grateful for in a journal. Although not officially part of my quest this will also give me an opportunity to improve my handwriting, I’ve always been a sucker for pretty fonts and I’d like to try mimic this: SO PRETTY. Measuring/tracking for this challenge will be as follows: Goals will be a SUCCESS if I did the things or a FAIL if I didn't. A 28 successful days B > 25 successful days C > 21 successful days E (EPIC FAIL) <14 successful days Fun Fact: As I was writing this my brother offered me a snickers bar. *whimpers* And so the challenge begins.

What in the world has happened to my life? Ok, it's not that bad. And I know what happened. Life happened. I made some significant life changes, and my diet and exercise has suffered since October. I slowly let myself stop paying attention to what I put in my mouth. I got a new great job and it's harder to get to the gym. I let myself float through the holidays doing whatever the heck I felt like. I haven't focused on myself at all. I've let my life get hectic all over again and that crap stops now. GET MY LIFE BACK: Get my diet in order. I have gained 20 lbs since my lowest, but really 15 lbs since my last reliable stable weight. I worked my ass off to get down to those weights, and I won't let it go this easily. I am doing a diet program that was written by a doctor who specializes in Insulin Resistance. Saturday nights when I have a social night and Sunday morning brunch with my friend can be my only two divergences. And I must do as good as I can on those occasions. - Follow Dr. Spencer's diet - Track my food - every. damn. day. - Do not eat things at work that I did not bring!! Strength Train Regularly. I feel better when I work out. Lifting weights brings me functional strength that helps me through life. I enjoy the gym and need the stress reduction. I have started the Unapologetically Powerful lifting program and have done two workouts so far. I like it, it challenges me. - Life weights! Aiming for the U.P. program 2x a week. Plus one "other" workout Work on Decluttering My House. I come from a long line of hoarders. I have an 1100 sq ft house and inherited a lot of junk from my parents. I don't have the space or need for a lot of this crap. I need remember that my home is not a container for my stuff, but rather a place for joy and connection. - Get rid of something significant and measureable every week! MOTIVATION "Great things will happen when you get up, dust yourself off, and go after life with Determination and Courage" PROGRESS Pass or fail each week - categories are: Food, Exercise, Decluttering Beginning Weight: 184.8 Week 1: 181.8 Week 2: 181 Week 3: 179.2 Beginning 3x8 working weights: Bench - 55 lbs. Squat - 95 lbs. Deadlift - 115 lbs. Week 1: Diet: Pass Exercise: Pass Decluttering: Pass Week 2: Diet: Pass Exercise: Pass Decluttering: Pass Week 3: Diet: Pass Exercise: Fail (2/3) Decluttering: Pass

Across the board, I'm aiming to do these things daily, with the understanding that sometimes I won't be able to manage. HOWEVER, I have a firm goal of doing these things at least every other day. Never miss two in a row! I'm breaking the details for each of these out into separate posts. 1. Handstands - five good ones each day2. Kettlebells - Pavel's "Simple & Sinister" routine3. Develop a Healthy Routine - start putting some things on autopilot Life Goal - Play a Ukulele Song from Memory REWARD - A real kettlebell!If I get at least a C in the Kettlebell goal, and I decide I'm sticking with kettlebells, I'm getting a real 35lb kettlebell, to replace the much lighter rock-in-a-bag I'm using for get-ups.If I get an A, I'm getting a 50lb as well, to replace my marble-filled, duct-taped cinder block that I'm using for swings. If I get at least a C - I'm getting a real 35lb kettlebell, but I keep the rock-in-a-bag 20lb weight.If I get an A - I am getting a real 20lb as well. Regardless, I can use the 20lb and 35lb together for 55lb two handed swings, so I am done with the cinderblock stuffed with chunks of marble. I got myself a 50lb and a 20lb, a little early, because I'm doing well with 50lb swings but my DIY 50lb is falling apart. They'll arrive at the end of the challenge. Just means I definitely have to get the A! I CAN DO THIS! DEFERRED GOAL: The Christmas PudgeWhile I would like to drop this extra five pounds of fat I gave myself as a very special Christmas vacation present, for January I will just be making a reasonable effort to eat on the healthier and lighter side of my normal diet and see how it goes. I'll also be experimenting with different easy-to-prepare and pre-made meals, because lack of enthusiasm for food prep is a primary factor in poor food choices. However, there is only so much I can focus on at once, and while annoying, my weight is really not a high priority at the moment, so there is no formal goal. If I'm not happy with my weight at the end of this challenge, the next challenge will include specific diet goals and food tracking. (The vacation was totally worth it, and I came back really looking forward to getting back into the game.) PREVIOUS CHALLENGE:Weasel Gets Things Done Nov-Dec 2015Healthy Sleep habits: B+ (87.7%) Primal Fitness Blueprint A++ (104.5%) Eat Some Damn Vegetables! A (94.2%) Laundry A++ No problem. Mission accomplished.Order of the Stick - SUCCESS!

For the first challenge of 2016, I’ve decided to tackle my biggest struggle head-on, improving my food habits and my relationship with food. This challenge will involve the first stage in the battle plan to tame my Sugar Dragon; another Whole30. Yep. You can’t call your challenge “taming a dragon†without everyone’s favorite cat-bat-dragon gifs. It seemed to fit, considering my struggles during the holidays, and admittedly, even before. I realize that I just recently completed a Whole30 in September. I struggled through it and did my best to do a slow roll reintroduction, then migrated over to tracking macros in order to find a way that I could live with moderation. I paid close attention to my thoughts and feelings during the holidays as my Sugar Dragon grew stronger. I reflected on my previous attempts to change my food habits and noticed that my Sugar Dragon’s behavior adapted to the situation. What I learned was what I suspected; while I completed the Whole30 as per the rules, I adapted the slow roll and macro tracking to fit my cravings that still whispered to me near the end of the Whole30. I will admit, I chickened out on making it longer to tame my Sugar Dragon. I wanted to dive right back into moderation so I could have the foods that I was missing. With macro tracking and the holidays looming, my Sugar Dragon kept getting fed, so I spiraled back into old eating habits. With these observations in the back of my head, I revisited the method and purpose behind the Whole30 when it was suggested by my husband that I should probably do another one. As a big girl, I must accept that I still do not have the control over my habits and cravings that I wish I had, that moderation cannot work for me unless I truly get over these habits and cravings. I understand that it’s a work in progress to make these habit changes solid, but I’ve found nothing else that works better for me in the long-run than Whole30’s black and white rules, while temporary. I cannot eat in moderation; not yet, anyway. This challenge will focus entirely on my Whole30. I’ve said good-bye to the foods that hurt me (though I imagine that I’ll still be going through some food grief), and I’m ready to accept that this Whole30 will probably go beyond January. That’s okay. I’m making it a point to focus on my habits pertaining food during this run, so a lot of the following strategy isn’t just about following the rules, but paying attention to my cravings and finding ways of forming new habits to replace the old. Main Quest: Tame the Sugar Dragon (make solid changes to my food habits/obtain food freedom) Goal One: Follow the Whole30 rules (CON +1.25, STR +0.5, STA +0.5) meat, veggies, fat, fruitno sugar, grains, legumes, dairy, artificial foodThis is a no-brainer. Focus on following the Whole30 rules to the letter, especially when dining out (which is where I usually get a little laid-back). Goal Two: Follow the Whole30 recommendations (CON +1.25, STR +0.5, STA +0.5) three meals a daymeat, veggies, fat at every mealpre & post workout snacksWhile not part of the rules, I believe that following the recommendations as though they were rules will definitely help keep me satiated and keep cravings in check. Goal Three: No separate desserts/snacks (including fruit) (CON +1.25, STR +0.5, STA +0.5, WIS +1.5) do not eat fruit or dried fruit snacks when craving sugar/stressed/super hungrywhen eating fruit/dried fruit, eat as part of meal, not on its own afterwardssnacks should be part mini-meal (include two of the three macros)This is something that needs focus. I tend to still reward myself for eating compliant food with fruit after I’m done eating the meal. This is obviously a reward habit that needs breaking. If I’m having fruit, it’ll be eaten WITH the meal or as a separate snack, and not when I’m craving sweets. Goal Four: Follow the battle plan (CON +1.25, STR +0.5, STA +0.5, WIS +1.5, CHA +2, DEX +1) Part of the Whole30 preparation strategy is to come up with battle plans so that you don’t need to dip into your willpower reservoir all the time. I’ve tried my best to come up with every incident that might come up this month, so I can make the conscious effort to change my food habits. I’ll probably come up with a few more here and there as the month goes on, and I’ll edit and update them accordingly. I’m not putting the rest of my habit foundation on hold. I’m keeping up with my strength training, stretching, and sleep cycle. And I’m even adding regular capoeira classes during the week (SO MUCH FUN). But I won't be counting it against me if I miss a few of those. It'll be hard to anyway; they're pretty habitual by now. Now that I’m done talking, it’s time to get started on my 2016 goals! Here are my mini-challenge feats. Yes, they are all inspired by my new found interest, capoeira. Strength Feat: AMRAP push-ups, assisted/negative pull-ups, & plank (with proper form). RANGERED Agility Feat: NF Yoga session on rest days. Stamina Feat: Practice basic capoeira moves for min. 30 minutes. RANGERED Ranger Class Feat: Practice Portuguese for 30 minutes.

I'm not out for the count yet! Lots of things learned from the last challenge. I'm trying to mentally shift gears this time around. This time, it's all about habit forming. These are my goals for this challenge: Fitness: Every morning - no matter how tired or whatever excuse, I've got to get dressed in my workout clothes. This is all part of a habit building exercise for me. Last challenge I used so many excuses for why I didn't want to exercise, and December basically fell completely apart. I've realized that my perception of my life's responsibilities has me way stressed out, and exercise is usually one of the first things to go because it's both such a mental and physical effort. I'm taking this week by week, so this first week. My only fitness goal is to wake up and get dressed like I'm going to exercise. The idea is that will at least trigger something - even if it's just stretching. This whole hiding in bed so that I don't have to face the world isn't working for me because it just makes me feel even shittier. I LIKE when I exercise. I usually feel better physically and mentally during the day - if I can just get over that hump of convincing myself to get out of bed... my day is so much better. So all my focus is going to be on this weak spot. If I don't commit to anything else, it shouldn't be so hard.... right? If I happen to start exercising - so much the better, but not required. So...Baby steps. 1. - get my ass out of bed in the morning, and show up for the party. #2: Diet: Eat like a human being. Habit-wise, I think I have a pretty good handle on the breakfast and lunch thing, but I always fall apart after getting home from work. My goal is to make a real meal when I get home from work (still sticking to the gluten free and vegan thing). I want to break my habit of walking in the door and walking straight to the fridge to stuff my face. I'm going to focus on walking in the door, and getting myself psyched up to make some really tasty, nutritious, healthy food. The recipes will be simple to start - hell I might even make the same thing every night for a week if it makes it easier for me. But the point is that I'm trying to bypass the usual destructive habit I have when I arrive home. I'm not going to try to make something different each night, or lay out enough food to feed an army for Sunday brunch. I just want to use my kitchen, use my tools, combine some good health ingredients.... Hell it doesn't even have to be a full meal - as long as I'm creating the habit of cooking food that doesn't come out of a package or straight from the fridge. (Peanut butter scoops do not count as a meal ). I'm not going to count calories for this first week. We'll see how it goes for the following weeks. And that is all I really feel like putting on the table right now. I've got my son's soccer season starting up this week, and this is my last semester of IT classes to get my certificate. Essentially I'm going to be mentally and emotionally slammed for the next few months. I've watched myself over the last challenges fall apart because I try to take on too much and make everything perfect. This challenge is not about doing everything all the time - I need to restructure my foundations first. R

Challenge #5 - November 2015 Hey everyone! Challenge started 1 week ago and I never wrote my end results for last challenge - duh. I needed time to reflect, to not put everything in words at once. So many things happened, but I have to say: I’m already on this challenge from the start but I prioritized my goals instead of all the community stuff - I did a lot of refinement and added more precision to my goals so I’m more clear. Example: I always said “no starch for lunch†- but I allowed rice and potatoes. So, now instead I write: “no wheat for lunch†- this is very clear and I think, swapping out wheat really helps me because I always get bloated with it. I keep to the rule to eat veggies and protein with every meal and to drink 2l of water everyday. For exercise: it’s still to get moving minimum 5 mins every day. I still struggle to get my butt out of the office chair but this also is changing - see reasons down below. But, there is great news: I took 20 secs of courage last week and walked for the first time ever into a gym and informed myself about their concept!!!! I don’t know if I will go there regularly yet but I turned out that my boyfriend would really love to go and work out at a gym with me - whoah!!!!!!!!!! This is my second fitness goal for this month: find new ways to exercise to do more and try out what I like. For my non-fitness goals: daily chores run quite nice, but for this challenge I chose to prioritize time to take care of myself. It’s about establishing some kind of morning routine: getting up, get dressed, brushed, brush teeth etc. and make myself ready for the day. This really has tremendous effects!! I used to wake up, switch on the Computer and just get properly dressed when I had to leave the house around noon. So, level up! So, I think I keep it to this post for now, more info about me is still to come - I don’t know if I will update more than weekly here but I feels good to keep in touch with everyone, because this community is so helpful! Let’s get prepared for battle fellow rebels!!!! Yours, Elanor

Lucky fire dragon gets a grip on After a luscious break time during last challenge, I am ready to pull my "innerer Schweinehund" out of the comfy mud again and get back into action. A shocking realization of not being able to do a full pull up anymore has brought on extra motivation to build up strength again with the ultimate goal of Leveling up my dance again literally. It's time to move on to the Level 2+ courses at class and I won't be able to unless I gain more strrrrrrrrrength So, here we go: 1. Get a grip This too is literally. I slip too often from sweating hands, especially when I am upside down and that is just no good. - figure out how to improve grip: which aids work best, room temperature, washing hands in between?, gloves?... - improve grip strength by training, training, training (see goal 2) and working with tennis balls and hair bands 5x/week for 5 min each hand 2. Get strrrrrrrong Stick to a daily "homework" of - 10 push ups - 5 lay back sit ups each side on pole or 20 rolls with ab roller or 30 regular sit ups - 5 chin ups Do a full pole workout 3x/week no excuses!! If I could run 3x / week, I can train, too Here is my inspiration for workouts this time round: She makes it look super pretty and I must warn you it does not look anything like this with me (yet) but hey it gives me a goal, right Can't do it all yet, will "only" do the following parts: - continuous climbs - pole hold leg lifts -- 3/side - pole ups (or at least attempt them) -- starting with 1 or 2/side - superman push ups -- 5/side - caterpillar push ups -- 5/side - tucks and lift from floor -- 10 reps - aerial squats -- 3/side - lay back sit ups -- 5/side and if I have any strength left I can add a couple of swing mounts with slow negatives I actually tried the whole thing out today just to make sure it's doable and am so proud that a large part of it is, woot woot Video of my attempts today to have a starting point for progress celebration: 3. Stay in the Flow Balance with active recovery, happy shiny points and goooood restoration - no need to burn out This will be my hunt for shiny treasure points and I will actually buy some pretty stickers of stars and smileys to stick on my calendar on all the days I did well because stickers are shiny and success needs to be proudly celebrated Doing my main pole workouts will give a big star or smiley each, on all the other days, stars can be earned with - 15 min or more of yoga - some of Marlo Fisken's beautiful flow exercises - eating the whole day healthy and nutritous (no need to list cheats, I'll be honest) - drinking 2,5 liters of water or more (herbal tea counts too) - getting 8 hours of sleep in - spending 20 min or more outdoors - meditating for 10 min or more Each of these areas can get a star so a perfect day would have 3 stars and at the end I will see with one look what went especially well and which parts I might want to prioritize better - you see I am planning ahead while going, hehe, I must be growing up I will let myself off the hook completely for 1 day / week, so with a max of 3 stars / day that makes it 108 stars to go for over the whole challenge. Treasure hunt go I am also hoping for some nice visible effect from all these badass workouts, so this time I will actually take measurements again and do before and after pics To be included here on Monday What else? Oh yes, important note to self, if I slip into some silly mindframes: DISCLAIMER None of these exercises will be done to prove anything about me. I know that I already am special and beautiful, just the way I am (*in case nobody told you yet today: you are too!!*) I am not doing these to become special - I am that - I am doing these because I want MOAR FUN ON THE POLE and enjoy the feeling it gives me, the vitality of my heart beating fast, the thrill of exciting moves and spins, the delicious sense of a worked out body that just gave it all, the clarity that comes after you sweated everything out, the satisfaction of cuddling into bed and falling into rejuvenating sleep after an active day,... all of these and more will be my bountiful reward

I am so late so very late. But, hey, at least the new challenge hasn't started yet. This one will be a bit weird. Bear with me. There is a pile of things that fight for my attention. This pile is not getting any smaller, sadly. But those things, as important as they seem, are only distractions, necessities, but not what I want to spend my energy on. Let's get to the gifs and lists and things, shall we? Goals for this challenge. continue 30 DAY push up challenge MAINTAIN walking 1+km or 25mins/d, Spanish 20xp/d, Danish 20xp/d, swim 1+/w, eat paleo (dairy and legumes allowed, snacks don't count as food -yet), MEAL PLAN make a plan before any shopping, take notes 2+/w Live more CONNECTED TO SOURCE: breathe and just be 5 min 1+/d (and while I'm at it: appreciate the exercise I do get, do enjoy and do do: walking, swimming, PT, dancing) In a sense it's going to be a focus-on-the-minimum challenge, there is a list looming, and that's all fine, but there is specific things I want that I can do, even if my world is hectic and in turmoil. Here's a fancy spreadsheet (yes, you folks are inspiring) (and no I have not yet fixed my signature, I'll get to it, eventually.) M love ya all

Last challenge didn't go well for me. I'm going to do better on this one. Goal One To be more consistent with my workouts and to get more out of them I have to have a clear idea of what I'm doing. My plan of this challenge is to do strength training three days per week cardio three days per week and martial arts and yoga six days per week with Sundays being rest days. The days I workout will change based upon my schedule for that week. Goal Two Diet is a weak spot for me. Even with IF I tend to eat too much and not eat healthy. The goal here is to stick to IF while aiming for between 2,000 and 2,200 calories on lift days and between 1,800 and 2,000 on cardio days while tracking my macronutrients. Thanksgiving will be anexception from this goal. When my Memaw makes noodles I eat 2,000 calories just of those. Goal Three I have a lot of skills I want to get down, physical and otherwise. For this challenge I'm making it my goal to be able to do a L-sit, unassisted pistol squat, and a handstand against the wall by the end. I'm also going to be learning how to tie various knots. Goal Four Religion is very important to me and it's one of the things that suffers the most when I'm down n the dumps. To help change that and to get some accountability for it I'm making it my life goal for this challenge to read my Bible daily and to go to church for every service barring sickness. So those are my goals this time around. See how I do. I'll get the grading and all figured out and posted later. Sorry to everybody for not keeping up to date on your challenges and for taking so long to get mine up. Had kind of a rough week.

There is neither darkness, nor light; there is only the Force. Zane Kahn did not know if he had been fighting for three hours or for three days. Once, long ago, it had mattered to him. Back when he had been young, nothing more than a Genin with something to prove, he would have secretly stolen glances at the clock to see how long was left. Time, however, had revealed itself to him - a mirage in the face of the eternal reality of the Force. There is passion, yet peace. Serenity, yet emotion. He met the gaze of his opponents - five other Gray Jedi. Their faces were unreadable behind their masks. They were masters, all in their own ways, one from each of the fighting orders and a fifth to speak for the Grays as a whole. Zane brought his lightsaber up to neutral guard. He wanted to laugh. He wanted His breath was slow, steady, even. His awareness floated in the Cloud, in the gray nothing between darkness and light. The fatigue of his muscles was contrasted with the Force stinging in his veins. He wanted to laugh, and he wanted to roar his defiance, and he wanted nothing at all. And then, he felt it. It was time. Chaos, yet order. He was one with the Force, and though there was a distance between he and they, Zane was on them in a single step. It would have been suicide to approach it that way for anyone else. Any advantage in coordination he would have had as a lone operator against multiple opponents was negated by the Force. The same thing that let him feel the incoming blows before they happened was telling them much the same thing. But to hell with it. So there wasn't a weak link in the chain. So any link was as good to hit as any other. He channeled the aggression into heavy, hammering blows against the smaller master of Wind. She tried to flow away, to take the flying leap backward. Zane had overextended himself, and there was no way to recover back in time to form a proper defense. So he didn't even bother. Instead, he gathered all his joyous fury into the palm of his off hand and pushed with the Force. It caught her square and sent her flying a good deal further than she'd meant to go. In the space of an instant, he reversed the push, cutting the roar of energy down to a single thread. He looped it around her lightsaber and yanked. It worked - the lightsaber released from her hand and landed in his. It would have been a waste of time to try to catch four different sabers at once, so he didn't bother. Instead, as he flicked the new one to life, Zane whirled like a dervish, catching their strikes in the patterns of his blades. He spun away. Four. They stayed on him, though, a wall of heat and light. Playing this game would end poorly, but the flash of fear happened on the outside. It did not pierce the Cloud. So Zane didn't miss feeling the opening in the defense, a slowness on the part of the Fire master. Zane could see the space in the down swing, and flicked his saber up and into the guard, catching his opponent's blade at the hilt and severing it in a flash of heat. The Fire master disengaged. Wise man. Three. The Earth master must have sensed the shift in the momentum. She stretched out her hand, and Zane felt a heaviness in his limbs. As if great chains had been looped about his wrists and his ankles. Deep breath in, and he roared this time, pushing his will out through his arms. The chains were still there, still heavy, but he could fight through them. He slashed at her head and she pulled back. He spun to catch the other two combatants before lifting his leg and stomping backward. The Force flowed through him and he felt his heel catch her square in the ribs. She flew and flew, and he knew that she wouldn't get back up again when the weight lifted off his limbs. The last two - Water and the Gray - paused in their assault. Zane stopped. He could feel it like an oncoming wave, something, something... and then they raised their arms. He could smell the burning in the air and cleared his mind. Lightning crackled in the air toward him. Zane let his blades fall to the ground and raised his hands. He felt the electricity slam into him, a hammer against his palms that tried to worm its way into him, to cripple him in agony as it lit up his nerves. But Zane had learned the truth of the lightning - that it wasn't just electricity, but intention. A last attempt to dominate him. He held the lightning, held the gaze, held the raw purposeful aggression. Time ceased. And then, it was over. They lowered their arms. Zane drew the electricity down, down, down into a ball that he clenched in each fist, down into nothing. He let his arms hang loose and permitted a half grin. The moment stretched. And then the other Masters extinguished their lightsabers and clipped them to their belts. The cloud parted, and it all came crashing in. It hadn't been three days, only most of one. And it had been enough. But even as he let the Force go, Zane found himself wrapped in a blanket of pure sound. By the Shadow, he thought, staring at the students cheering around him. The whole damned academy must have come out to watch. That's right. He remembered that sense of nervous excitement before his world had shrank to the arena and the five people trying to sort-of kill him. And it was over. It was blessedly over. He heaved one breath, and then another, and then another. He was Kage now. He was a shadow unto himself. He knew it would be regarded as a tacky, hamfisted thing to do, but to hell with it. Sometimes, you just had to live it up. Zane felt his lips curling into a wide smile as he lifted his hands wide. He gathered the Force into his belly, letting it roar up and out of him, his voice booming deeper than anything he would have managed alone. "I am the shadow cast by the sun! I am the candle burning in the night! AND THE FORCE ALONE SHALL GUIDE ME!"

I just read "The Power of Habit" by Charles Duhigg. Excellent insights from scientific research on the subject of habits and how to make them and how to break them. I need to start some new habits. I actually already started so the challenge will be to continue them until they are an automatic habit. 1- Don't eat in my office or bedroom. 2- 1 hr morning meditation, seven days a week 3- Work on memorizing basic witch stuff from my first and second Alexandrian coven class. (Yup, I wanna be a witch.) That's about it.

Hey all! This isn't my first challenge ever, but it's my first challenge in years so rather than trying to pick up where I was I'm starting from basically level 1 and working my way back. I'm a med student who got pretty depressed first year of med school and is now trying to get healthy so that 1. I don't feel like a hypocrite and 2. I can encourage healthy behavior change in patients when necessary. When I got depressed I gained about 40 pounds, of which I have lost 10 so far. I also stopped cooking, stopped working out and stopped talking to people. I've started fighting back, and am hoping the challenge will help make healthy behaviors routine. I know the challenge doesn't start until Monday, but I'm starting now given my focus. STARTING PLACE: 5' 6", 213 pounds. Will be posting pics and measurements by the official start of the challenge, I take measurements/pics on the 14th/15th of every month. All added below. MAIN QUEST (by 8/30/2016): lose 50-60 pounds, get stronger, become a general badass. Female Role model is Hayley Atwell as Peggy Carter. "7"-WEEK FOCUS: redevelop health-promoting habits These all fell off when I got depressed two years ago. They're slowly coming back but they aren't very consistent. Goal for the challenge is to Implement good habits over 6 weeks. Goal #1: Do Crossfit/another workout 3 times per week. - Scheduled days are Tuesday, Thursday, Sunday. - 21 chances over the course of 7 weeks. I've already signed up for all of the classes and my goal is just to show up to all of them. - The only acceptable cancellations will be for illness/injury. If school responsibilities run late, I have to find an alternate workout if I miss class. Goal #2: Go to Mobility and Yoga once per week each. - Mobility Tuesdays, Yoga Fridays - 14 chances over 7 weeks, 7 for mobility, 7 for yoga. Goal #3: EAT ENOUGH FOOD. I noticed over the past few weeks that I tend to forget to eat, or just unintentionally not eat enough food to meet my BMR requirements. I'm tracking calories in MyFitnessPal to make sure I'm eating enough. Based on calculations my BMR is 1875, and my TDEE is somewhere around 2800 calories. Goal is to just try to eat 2300 calories daily. I'm mostly vegan, so it'll mostly be on a vegan diet, although really, the goal is to eat enough more so than stick to any specific diet. I'm meal planning/prepping on the weekend, and trying to make a daily menu that meets calorie requirements on a weekly basis. My MFP username is ramaraj1649 if anyone wants to link to me there. 48 chances over 7 weeks, starting today. LIFE QUEST: Start adulting. "7"-week focus: dishes. Get all dishes out of the sink by the end of the day, every day. Looking forward to this challenge, hoping it'll pay off for me! EDITED TO ADD: 9/13/15 Measurements/Pics Weight: 212.5 Waist: 32.5 Hips: 45.5 Thighs: 25.25 Calves: 14.5 pics under the spoiler Week 1 Summary Crossfit 3/3 Mobility 0/1, Yoga 1/1 Food 5/6 Dishes 3/6 Mini Challenge #1: 2. When I was younger I wanted to be an astronaut, and have been to space camp where I was the scientist on our simulation flight. I have been to Space Camp. I was the pilot/Mission Commander on our sim flight, not the scientist. Week 2 Summary Crossfit 2/3 Mobility 1/1, Yoga 0/1 Food 2/7 Working on this. Dishes 5/7 WHEEEEE! Week 3 Summary Crossfit 2/3 Mobility/Yoga 1/2 Food 4/7 (improving!) Dishes 4/7 Weight 211

2nd Rule of the Rebellion: When you join, you're in for life. I've been on the forums for a while now, but I keep fading away and coming back. That's pretty indicative of how my habits have been going as well; only sticking with a few things for a while, then falling back into old ones. The only discernible progress that I have made has been how much I have learned about myself; what works for me, what doesn't work for me, where my biggest struggles are. That's great progress to have, at least for me. Recently, I've realized that I will soon be turning 30 (will turn 28 in December this year), and I haven't quite completed very many things on my Master Goal List. And honestly, I'm tired of waiting to get started on it. So, armed with the lessons that I've learned, I'm evaluating and revising my Master Goal List and am currently getting started on a few things. Since this all has to do with my aging and all, I've decided one of the first steps is going to be losing 20lb by my birthday. Since I cannot eat anything in moderation, I'm on Day 6 of a Whole30; I've constructed a workout schedule that fits my work schedule, and (with a new job), I'm starting a savings account and a new budget, to start preparing for the things on my goal list that will need some funds. Here's to respawning. Huzzah!

**TL;DR @ bottom** Back at it again. I missed a couple challenges, so it's time to get going again. This time, I just want to reinforce some of the good habits I started to develop, specifically with eating and exercise. A year ago, I made a goal to lose 35lbs (from 215 to 180). Going to woot it up and say that not only did I meet that goal, I have also been maintaining it over the last couple months. My new goal is to go beyond my expectations and reach a target weight of 165lbs, something I haven't been since high school. So I am going to tighten up my routine and re-focus back onto the habits that really worked for me the first time around. Plan #1 - cut out sugar and fats - I don't mean the healthy stuff found in awesome things like blueberries and avocados, but the "extra" stuff that gets added to coffee or unnecessarily added to salad dressings. Plan #2 - yoga - I fell in love with yoga a year ago, but for some reason stopped going this last month. So back to the studio four or five times a week to awesome it up with this cardio, core and mental fun-zone. Plan #3 - running - I started running last year, then stopped over the winter. I started again this past spring, but then stopped for some silly reason over the summer. So back to it. I am currently still working with walk/run intervals, but I really want to be able to run my entire circuit without break before the snow flies again. Weeeee!!!!! Wish me luck!!! **TL;DR** no sugar, no fats, lots of yoga and running = working towards new weight goal

Survival of all or none My second challenge overall. I am not aiming to do any fancy leaps this 6WC - but still it seems I'm unable to slim down this huge list of mine. On top of that comes that I overdid things last challenge and had a painful experience with my shoulders, slowing me down on that end, which -in a way- is a blessing. QUEST#1 Do one thing at a time aka Hack down Ze List of Doom In August starts the new application phase for the 2016 apprenticeships. I have a heap of hurdles to clear until then so getting the list of doom under control is the major thing for this challenge, while actually applying for apprenticeship jobs will be the center piece of the next one. This is a big thing for me. When I graduated school I went straight into procreation, which is fine, it means I'm now 31 and expect to be done with diapers for the forseeable future. Yay. It also means I never learned a trade and although I did go to uni for a little while I never finished a degree. So starting out applying with ~12 years of homemakerdom, an 11yo, and a 4yo child, and a hubby who's working full time shift work, I realise I'm not the most attractive applicant for any potential employer. I have a list, it's a huge list - but it's possible to tackle it, if I DO ONE THING AT A TIME. In the July-August-challenge there will be a "however many applications per week" "Interviews per week" and a "Find a firm to train with" But this challenge is all about the necissary preparations: ☑ Daycare ☠strike and sick time daycare replacements, ☠brush up the resume ☠practice writing tailored-to-the-firm-I'm-applying-with-letter of applications ☠practice daily schedule -working on it was free at nine today ☠autodidact stenography if I can -- seems unlikely ☠have a counselling appointment at the family center about how to set up contingencies ☠where to apply for funding for said contingencies ☠figure out if I am going to aim for a parttime apprenticeship (fulltime=3 years 40/week including school) or a variation thereoff with less hours per week (but longer overall, obviously) ☠a councelling thing with whoever knows which lawfirms actually take on apprentices ☠set aside work outfits ☠interview outfit ☠application photographs ☠and, and, and... (everything added on later) ☑ Student Loan Paperwork - done Maintain Changes Quest #2 One raindrop raises the sea —> optimize and with that reduce necissary maintenance on the past gained changes —> monitor the consitency of the following habits: one personal habit - going strong5 minutes handstand challenge (reached 60cm distance need more endurance)Danish and Spanish each 10xp twice a day (Duolingo Link)walk every day (max 3x as little as 10 minutes) - failed 3 times how do I get back on it now?!workout every other day (incl. doc's exercises) - failed Fri (but yoga) AND Suneat Paleo 6 days a week (dairy and legumes allowed) - decent if not awesometrack weight and other measurements every Monday morning - gaining weight. Blegh!bed at 2200 - yeah, I wish! I'm cheering if I get to bed before midnight (and sleep before 1). No wonder I feel like crap all the time. level up the workout QUEST#3 Weapons are enemies even to their owners —> level up to Advanced Bodyweight Work Out - on hold until strong enough. I am hindered in my progress by my own impatience. I have now rested (no workouts) for nearly a full week. Finally painfree I started yesterday with working on the Beginner's Body Weight Workout (BBWW) substituting the b.o.rows and push ups with the five exercises my doc gave me. Since I am trying to gain momentum with my workouts and not ground myself again, the current Quest #3 is "train without pain". I am not pushing myself to get to the AdvancedBWW this challenge as originally planned, even though I want to —I so want to— but it's unrealistic. So this challenge is to workout every other day, consistently. Without my muscles doing the knotting and seizing up they did now. I'll be playing it by ear. Add one after the other, but slowly. I want to start practicing my wall planks and bend over rows and incline push ups again, and eventually inverted rows, but I don't want to fall on my face again, just because I'm impatient... So, consistent changes. Let's do it! WEEK I+II Quest #1 - Do one thing at a time list: ☑ Daycare ☑ Student Loan Paperwork Quest #2 - One raindrop raises the sea maintenance 9/14 Not good with bedtime, walking or working out - feel like crap because of it Quest #3 - Weapons are enemies even to their owners Workout 3.5/7 Ranger Mini: Week 1 Endurance Feat: Plank: 21/21*[30s] Wall Plank: 14/14*[20s] 1*[30s] Week 2 Combat Feat: Kill the workouts. Sleep on time. Essential tools for success: SplenDO to-do-list app Duolingo app ~0.5m free wall, and a small towel to dry off hands between sets Timely app stopwatch and timer functions Food&workout logging notepad/diary Netflix (temptation bundled to do chores like dishes, ironing or folding) Zombies , Run!³ - some entertainment for walking, running or cycling Week 1 Doing fine so far, since I have no real big challenges going on fitness wise, "only" maintenance I'm struggling a bit with finding my footing. Shower broken, threw a wench in my mood and days. There's to hoping that they fix it on monday. Half a point for workout today sunday week 1: I was not feeling up to doing a full workout, actually felt like curling up in a ball of sad-woman-in-pain, but I didn't I did my handstand practice YAY wall planks, even though 12 seconds was the most I could hold, then I went and did the remaining 15 times 30s horizontal planks. Spread out as 3 sets of five within 5 minutes each set. Ok, but I did them, then I did more chores, because that's what my life is all about atm. Tired. Too much on my plate. Forgot the walk. dang. tomorrow: Scale date + maybe a repaired shower. Week 2 Gained 100g in the last week. I feel like I fell of the waggon and am still clinging to the side, dragging myself through the dirt, for I'm neither letting go nor pulling myself up. I did some walking around today. I've not had a good start so far. The start itself was awesome, but since friday things have been falling apart at the seems. There is a pile of reasons. But I don't care to reutter all of them, I will do the following: make the small kid go to bed at 7, bigger one at 8.workout when the kids are in bed, a bit of sweat will make me find sleep easierdo bathroom routine myself at 9-9:30; bed at 10, until I caught up with my sleep deficiency.Put clothes out in the evening ⇨ alarm ⇨ hop into clothes ⇨ do my walk before small people or hubby or anyone wakes. Optional: do vocab practice outside while walking.NO FEELING BAD FOR RESTING - Tiredness is a signal, shouldering through is stupid.Combat Feat for mini quest: Sleep and Workout. No sense in adding things to my plate when already things are falling off it left and right. But focusing on one or two things: Tension & Relaxation, and keeping them ON the plate. That I'll do. WEEK III+IV Quest #1 - Do one thing at a time list: ☠Quest #2 - One raindrop raises the sea maintenance x/14 Quest #3 - Weapons are enemies even to their owners Workout x/7 Ranger Mini: Feats WEEK V+VI Quest #1 - Do one thing at a time list: ☠Quest #2 - One raindrop raises the sea maintenance x/14 Quest #3 - Weapons are enemies even to their owners Workout x/7 Ranger Mini: Feats Ranger Mini-Challenge: the first expedition Old: Scaled for health:

Na regen komt zonneschijn, after darkness comes light! Hi, I'm KB Girl. Lamest name ever, but it's appropriate because my main quest is still competitive kettlebell lifting, with during this challenge the dutch national championships (July 5th)! My bestest set with the 24kg bell; https://youtu.be/gggR0Rlsycg Besides trying to be an athlete, i'm also a trainer/coach, gym owner, just opened my own dietitian practice, got a job on the side to pay the bills and i'm still jumping through the last of the uni's hoops so I can get my diploma. Needless to say i'm completely overwhelmed, spread thin, out of my element and just a bit depressed.. So this challenge will focus on getting me to stop hiding in a book and actually trying to make the best of this life instead of living through whichever main character. Because all those things ARE things I want. Leveling up by experience points: This will be a stacking challenge, my four goals will be aspects of my life that need improvement and each week I will pick a habit/mini-goal to work on. Every action earns me xp, I need 30 for my first lvlup, 60 for my second, 90 for my third, etc. There will be rewards per level up, I'll post them as soon as I know. It'll be sort of like a new challenge every week, might do wonders for keeping motivation high. -Taking care of myself- My diet has been mostly chocolate based, i'm averaging 5 hours of sleep but 10 hours of being in bed and I hardly pay attention to my appearance: time to change. week 0: no reading in bed (1xp), two servings of veggies a day (1xp) -Moving and training- Either lying or sitting around most of the time and only teaching instead of training myself is really regressing my fitness. Next competition is only 5 weeks away so GOGO! week 0: walk the dog at least once a day (1xp), 3 kettlebell training sessions (1xp each) -Habits and routines- Stress is not so much from doing a lot of things, but having a lot of things to do and not doing them and not being sure what exactly you need to do. This can be handled better! week 0: build a to-do list system that works for me (3xp) -Improving my environement- Not having clean workout clothes, not being able to find my stuff, having to clean pans before I can cook... so done with that! week 0: make a very basic weekly chores list (1xp), clean out my bedside cabinet (2xp)

Hey Monks and Monk-ettes! (and any non-monk fellow rebels who grace us with their presence). I took off on my own last challenge but I’m back for some of that motivation and encouragement that only Nerd Fitness can give! During my last challenge, I learned that I tend to run into a lot of trouble when I focus on on NOT doing things - when I set hard limits on the amount of food I eat or tell myself that I will not eat this certain food. I do much better when I focus on adding healthy things rather than subtracting unhealthy things. When I’m doing the things that keep me healthy and happy, avoiding the harmful things seems to come easier So with that in mind, onto the challenge! Challenge Objective: Master my habits and remove the destructive ones. Goal #1) Relax the right way. My relationship with leisure time is not good. I tend to overdo it. Watching a half hour show tends to lead to watching a few hours of TV while absently snacking on whatever food I have lying around and making myself sick-full. This is a pretty destructive habit. I want to develop some healthy habits around my leisure time so my relaxing actually re-energizes me instead of making me feel like a lump. Eat all food while reading or doing nothing. Not in front of a screen or listening to an audiobook. Goal #2) Dealing with Emotions. As mentioned above, I tend to abuse leisure activities. I often use food, TV, and games to deal with boredom, stress, anxiety, etc. I want to learn to deal with unpleasant feelings in a healthy way. Keep an Emotional Coping Journal for 6-weeks. Track unpleasant feelings, what caused them, how I dealt with them. Try to deal with them in alternative ways (like meditation, exercise, going for a walk) as challenge progresses. Journal can be viewed here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1LAydFBrXL3UBTyLi2MeTyo2EfCwsPhMBnaABYLKwzaA/edit?usp=sharing Goal #3) Energy Conservation. To ensure that I have enough energy and willpower to pursue my goals, I’ll go to bed by 10:30 on weekdays, 11:00 on weekends with 8 minutes of meditation right before bed. There will be nights where social events may keep me up later, but outside of these exceptions, I’ll get to bed on time. On nights where social events keep me up, I’ll go right to bed afterward. Side Quest) Find a New Job. I’ve been feeling “meh†about my current job for months now. Not really learning anything new or progressing. I think it’s time to start on a new venture.

Hey, So I am new to this neck of the woods. Usually sit in the Ranger category as I am trying to be a Warrior and Scout hybrid, but decided this round that I wanted to focus on getting stronger instead of trying to do everything at once! So here goes: Overall Goal: For those who have not seen me around in other parts. Here is the big scary monstrous goal. My reason for trekking to Mordor.. I want be a kick ass babe (Black Widow is my poster girl), strong and independent. but more so I want to be a police officer (or invisible superhero as I like to think of them). I have always had a passion for the justice system, loved what the police do for our communities and looked up to them as a kid. Well, I like my gourmet dinners and playing video games for hours, mixed with a disdain for running, so I bet some of you can guess what that means and translates to. A bunch of extra weight gathered around my mid section slowing me down. I have decided to get serious about my goal and the very first step I can do towards this is to get in shape. The physical tests are murder and I am not ready for them. This is my 4th(? I think) Challenge. I have been successful at 2 of them so far, the last one and the one prior I fell off the horse, so here I am, dusting myself off and getting back in the ring. Here's how: Mini Goal 1: Tracking my food every day! I am notoriously bad for not tracking my food and I need to, because I never eat enough in the day (except those wonderful dinners I love so much with all the wine I can drink), so here goes: Track every day: A Track 5 days: B Track 0-4 days: C Rewards: TBD Mini Goal 2: Stick to the Workout Schedule I have a wonderful trainer that I am working with and I need to do his sessions and some on my own, totaling 4 days a week. 4 days: A 3 Day:B 0-2 Days: C Rewards: STR 2 CON 1 Mini Goal 3: Water and Stretches Along with my laziness to work out, I am shamefully lazy about water and stretches (the stretches necessary so I do not hurt myself), this is a conundrum as I need these stretches everyday and especially before I workout. Here's to kicking Laziness in the butt! Stretches 3x a day + 8 glasses of water/day: A Stretches 2x a day + 6 glasses of water: B Stretches 0-1x a day + 0-4 glasses of water: C SIDE QUEST Since becoming overweight in my early teens, my self consciousness is brutal. And I am ashamed to say that I have found very little of what I do or am worthwhile. I have struggled with this concept for many many years and I think it's time to start feeling a little self love. I want to say one thing I like about myself every day. Write it down, say it out loud, anything. I feel if I can do this, then I will start to believe myself. ok.. here goes!

Aside from work in the gym, when was the last time you guys invested in yourselves? Like, when did you last buy a tool or a course to learn a skill? When was the last time you took somebody farther ahead on your career path out for coffee and some advice? I try to ask myself this question a lot - if it's been too long since I really invested in myself, I start to kind of slide a little bit. Thoughts?

Hello Adventurers! I am Not So Nerdy Nerd. This is my first challenge with you lovely group of people. I did my first challenge with the recruits, it was....a learning experience. I did not accomplish any of the goals I set out for myself, but I did learn a lot about me, and FINALLY learned and understood macros, and planning nutrition around them. So I would call it a success. Anyways...I first said I was going to loose weight about 25 lbs ago. I have been half heartedly trying to do so without any progress for several years. Last year, I set myself a goal that by the time I hit my 25th birthday I would be back to the best shape of my life. LOL yeah...some knee injuries, stress, and school stopped that from happening. So this year I have decided to use some upcoming weddings as the finish line for my current get healthy attempt. As of today, the first of these weddings is in 118 days. As my quest title suggests, I want to wear my little blue dress to the first of these upcoming weddings. This dress has a sad backstory that can be summed up as never got a chance to wear it when I fit into it. (and yes, if I ever figure out how to post a picture I will show you the dress, and I am sure its blue, not white and gold) Sounds great...so what is with the "The Closet is Coming" statement? - first off it makes more sense if you whisper it like the voice in Plants vs. Zombies. I'll wait.... One thing I have been avoiding like the plague since I first decided I was unhappy with my weight gain and appearance is cleaning out my closet. I have not wanted to get rid of clothes that I love, and know I would fit into again if I just lost the darn weight. Plus the closet would be terrifyingly empty if I did clean it out. Heres what currently fits...2 pairs of khakis which I wear to work everyday, 2 pairs of jeans, and a handful of shirts appropriate for work. So as a swift kick in the butt of motivation I am officially scheduling a closet clean out for the last weekend of this challenge. You all are welcome to come, cheer me on, talk sense into me, whatever. This means its crunch time. I have 40 days to make some real progress, drop a couple inches off the belly and thighs and get to add back some more items to my wardrobe. I intend to do this in a healthy manner that helps me towards my ultimate goals of getting all the clothes to fit again and have healthy habits so I can maintain that body. NO YOYOING HERE! So without further ado, what I am going to work on this challenge. Metrics will be discussed after. 1) Consistent healthy eating according to macros. I will plan, and record all the food I eat in MFP. 2) Be active every day. 10,000 steps or 30 active minutes as recorded my fitbit, runkeeper, or time in gym weight lifting. On rest days still must hit 10,000 step of 30 active minutes. 3) Yoga /flexibility improvement every day. Minimum 20 minutes per day. 4) Life Side Quest: Limit the number of hours spent watching netflix. Metrics I like quantitative metrics...what can I say, I am an engineer after all. I also want to make sure I am measuring my success in small enough pieces that I dont get discouraged if I miss a step. So I am going to structure my metrics like classes in school. I will get completion points for each little step towards my goal, and the opportunity to earn extra credit for extra good behavior, or loose points for very bad behavior. Points will be tallied and grades assigned based on traditional percentages. 1) Healthy Eating - weekends are my downfall so weighted towards good performance there. Weekdays Weekends Meal Planning/Prep +5 points +10 points Record in MFP +5 points +10 points Workweek consistency bonus: +10 points Total: 100 points per week Extra credit: +1 eating only what was planned for the day, -5 points for each soda consumed even if it is recorded. 2) Active Time +10 points/ day for participation. +5 points/day for working out before noon Total: 105 points per week Extra Credit: +1 for each additional activity completed each day 3) Yoga +15 points for completion each day Total: 105 points per week 4) Netflix -No netflix until other goals achieved for the day <4 hours/week - A 4-5 hours/week - B 5-7 hours/week - C 7-10 hours/week - D <10 hours/ week - F I hope that all makes sense to everyone. Thanks for stopping by, I hope you make it a regular habit, I would love to make some new NF friends! With that, I am off to clean the kitchen/organize the fridge to start meal planning for the week.

O.K., here goes... Today I have become a person who no longer reads romance novels. That's it, in black and white for everyone to see. Please don't laugh... I suppose I should give some background info. There are a few different tangents that will help clarify where I'm coming from. First of all, I love reading, always have, always will. I started voraciously reading when I was about 10 years old. It started with classic young adult series: the Borrowers, the Black Stalion Series, all the Nancy Drews.... It morphed into sci-fi/fantasy in middle school. Piers Anthony, Anne McCaffrey, Michael Moorcock.... I would stay up 'til 3 am reading, get up at 7 am, go to school.... 3 hours of hockey practice and then I'd get to read again. I always got my homework done, I carried my 3.9 GPA (damn you civics!) in college I picked classes that asked you to read.. History, English Lit, Philosophy.... Screech forward a decade... I'm out of school, dealing with kids and house cleaning. There was/has been very little "me time." I was going through the local public library... Every now and again I like to randomly select a book off of any shelf, and read whatever it is that I grab. One day it happened to be a romance novel. Now, snobby old me would publicly turn my nose up at the idea of a romance novel... Let's face it, it isn't Tolken. So I started reading them in secret.... I was too ashamed to admit that I liked them (They can get really hot!). Then I got an iPad, downloaded the kindle app...and all hell broke loose... Or rather all control was lost. I fell back into the habit of staying up all night to read...to the detriment of other aspects of my life, like taking care of my home and family. It hasn't affected work, but still. I'm at the point now where I have no idea what my children eat for dinner, and my house is embarrassingly dirty. tangent number 2: I strongly believe I have a genetic predisposition for addiction and depression. The depression is pretty obvious, I've managed it with some not so great habits: food, shopping, and yes, romance novels. I'm sure many people would suggest medication, even my husband has, but I'm scared of addiction issues and the side effects of antidepressants. My grandfather was an alcoholic. The reason I feel I have an addiction problem is because I make decisions based upon my desire for that pleasure, rather than doing what I need to to to function properly in my life. Shopping has been an issue (over-spending), i eat without stopping when Im depressed. There have been all sorts of habits that I recognize as giving me a high. I have known something was wrong with the romance novels since I realized I would rather read a romance novel than cook my kids dinner. And I'm ashamed to say, that is exactly what I have done. Seriously, how is o.k. to tell your 9-year old son that he'll have to pick dirty clothes out of the laundry basket because mommy was reading last night and didn't have time to do any laundry. God this is embarrassing! I've tried stopping, but I keep buying the God damn things! Whenever I get a little depressed or overwhelmed, it's just one click on my kindle, and my drug of choice is instantly delivered to my ipad, or phone, or computer. I can't stand that I don't have the control to follow my own advise of avoiding something that isn't good for me! I've tried just reading one chapter a day... I haven't been able to do it. I seriously think the only way I can beat this is to go cold turkey. I'm sure there is all sorts of stuff I'm leaving out, but I don't want to drag this out forever.... The point is, today is the day that I've finally said I've had enough. I'm not going to be that person anymore. I am now a person who doesn't read romance novels. This is going to hurt, and I'm sure many people would laugh, because I mean, really? Romance Novels? I didn't say this wasn't going to be embarrassing! I'm scared that I'll pick up some other bad habit to replace this one with. I'm scared that I'll never find something to make me feel good again. Will I be able to find something that makes me feel good but that doesn't "hurt" me or my family. So this is my respawn point. I'm going to be checking in as a method of holding myself accountable. I'll try not to bitch and moan too much, but rather I want to focus on positive thoughts and ideas for how I'm going to get through the withdrawl, how I'm going to develop new healthy coping skills... I'm desperately hoping that getting some physical exercise in my life is going to help! If anyone feels like checking in to give me a thumbs-up or other form of encouragement, I'd really appreciate it. This is incredibly embarrassing for me, but I'm doing it because if there's anyone else out there in a similar situation, I want them to know that they are not alone. I figure that if its some that has to be hidden... It can't be a good thing.... So, Time to walk through that door, close it behind me, and never look back!