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Whoa! Well well well, Rebels, I have been looking forward to this challenge for a LONG time. This marks the challenge where I start my life, yet again, in a new spot! (Well, we’re always in new spots). But seriously now, I’ve just graduated college, just been discharged from ED treatment, just started a new job and this week I’m moving to a new city. Whew! This is going to be a fun challenge with a LOT of discovering involved, so let’s get crackin’! Main Quest: Reconnect with my Authentic Self Yes, I was going to put ‘Recover from my Eating Disorder’ as my main quest, but that struck a bad chord with me. It just seems too… negatively focused. It’s just not a positive-sounding goal; to me it’s like saying ‘To Lose all this Fat’ versus ‘To get Leaner and Stronger’. The second one sound so much more self-affirming, you know? That’s not to say that recovering from anorexia would be a bad thing, not at all! But will I ever 100% recover from my ED? Who knows. What I CAN do is make a quest to recover my true, authentic self who I’ve been stifling for years… That’s a positive change I can really commit to. So without further ado, the goals! Goal 1: Endeavor to Continue Support Since being discharged from the large hospital/treatment center, I’ve started a five-month-long intensive outpatient program at a local treatment center. It’s three hours a night, three nights a week, plus my additional primary and doctor’s appointments. They still control my meal plan and fitness, so of course, I comply with their rules. I go there straight after work, and my brain is basically porridge afterwards… but I am committed to myself, so slog on I shall! The goal is to attend all IOP sessions. Scale: A= 0 missed, B= 1-3, C= 4-6, D= 7-9 Goal 2: Endeavor to Train my Body Okay maybe not Waterbending, but close. While I was on exercise restriction for a very long time, recently I’ve finally made it to a healthy BMI! This means I have a little more flexibility with fitness. I was medically cleared for restorative yoga, and recently I’ve been cleared for Tai Chi as well! I want to start practicing that. It may take a bit (I haven’t found a place yet), but that’s part of the challenge. Scoring will be up when I figure out the schedule! Since my ultimate goal is to explore Kung Fu, I think Tai Chi would be a wonderful place to start. So my goal is to sign up for and attend Tai Chi classes (at LEAST 1 per week). Scale: A = 6 weeks, B= 5 weeks, C= 4 weeks, etc. Goal 3: Endeavor to Train my Mind Mindfulness is a huge part of recovery… and one that I could really use some practice with. I try to be mindful at random parts of the day, but formally, I have no routine, and sometimes it falls by the wayside. I can meditate for five minutes, I know I can, but doing it regularly will be the hard part! So my goal is to practice meditation, morning and night, for 5 min. Scale: Percentage out of a 100% scale Life Side Quest: I want to continue with my sketches, but not as intense as before. I know I’m insanely busy with work and my other mandatory activities, but let’s be real here; I spend nine hours a day hunched over a Cintiq tablet, I should be able to squeeze in a tiny sketch here and there during a lunch break, or something! I mean, honestly. It’ll probably help me not burn out at work, either. Goal: Two sketches per week Diet goal: Endeavor to Eat More Compassionately Ha, okay, guilty. So for years I based my diet on a steady stream of cheap meat to keep my high protein levels and low-carb lifestyle. Something I always wrestled with was a large amount of guilt, because I’m not passionate about a lot of causes, but I hate factory farming. I feel like the fact that I relied on such suffering to sustain myself was selfish, and I want to change! I did try doing a completely vegetarian diet for about a week, and… ah, well, I’ve never felt worse. I seem to run well on meat, what can I say? I’m extremely fortunate to live in a place where I have a LOT of access to farmers who I personally know. I don’t think I’ll need much more than having meat a few times per week; but I do plan on buying small amounts of quality meat, which on my budget, means I’ll have to slash my intake by a lot. So in order to do that, I need to experiment munching on some plants! Yes… even the grains. Goal: Explore/cook and eat two new vegetarian dishes per week So that's the game plan for this challenge, folks. I'm extremely happy to be joining the Druids during this transformative time, and I look forward to keeping up with everyone's (and I mean all the Guilds!) progress! Keep on keeping on, everyone!

Main Quest Reach 18% body fat. Goal One: Follow the Nerd Fitness Guide workouts at the gym 3 times per week (Monday/Wednesday/Friday) and reach Level 2 Recruit workouts. I will take progress photos once a week. Track measurements and log them on here once a week. Do some form of cardio on Tuesdays/Thursdays Goal Two: Follow a strict paleo diet. Cut out grains, dairy, sugar etc. (Been doing this for two weeks already)Write down my food intake daily and note how I feel after eating healthy all day.Try out a new paleo recipe at least once a week. I will log the recipes on here. Goal Three: Join a yoga class I need some form of relaxation in my week if I am to complete my challenge. (My stress levels get extremely high)This will be my 'fun' exercise I'm also wanting to work on my flexibility, so this will help Life Quest Re-decorate Bedroom I've been wanting to do this for a while now and I've only just started getting everything organised, so I thought it would be a good idea to just use this as my life quest. I feel I need a change in my life so I nice, new bedroom is a good place to start. I will be on a tight budget, so I'm not sure how much will get done in the six weeks, but I'm going to try my hardest to get it finished ASAP. Will log how it is going weekly, and may post in-progress photos. Motivation I want to lead a healthy and active life. I don't want to look in the mirror anymore and feel disappointment. I want to change, gain more confidence and self-esteem. I don't want to spend all my time thinking about what it's like to be fit and healthy, I don't want to just keep wishing I could look a certain way. I'm going to take the bull by the horns and DO something about it! Weight Loss Log: Starting Measurements Body Fat Percentage: 23% Waist: 24.5 inches Hips: 35.5 inches Thighs: 21.5 inches Arms: 10 inches Current Measurements Waist: 24 inches Hips: 35.5 inches Thighs: 21 inches Arms: 10 inches Food Log: Monday 05/08 Made paleo sushi today using this recipe: http://eatdrinkpaleo.com.au/paleo-sushi-salmon-avocado-recipe/ I swapped the salmon for tuna and instead of filling them with avocado, I used egg fried cauliflower rice. Then had the rest of the cauliflower rice as a side dish. Made my own almond butter this week. 100% almonds, no other ingredients and it tastes amazing! Found a great recipe for paleo pancakes! I definitely recommend this one http://ultimatepaleoguide.com/paleo-pancakes-recipe/ Life Quest Updates: Went out at the weekend and bought some paint, wallpaper and paste. Time to get decorating!

I'm starting this out and I'm going to start talking here. I've attempted to start an accountabilibuddies thread but that did not seem to work out so well. So I think I'm going to just get all my thoughts, work out feats, defeats, and all around daily struggles here. Be prepared for what might come because my mind tends to really scatter. But I think this will be a new and very well needed adventure. I welcome all beneficial criticism/comments/concerns. Optimism encouraged. Negativity left at the door. If you have questions about me, look me up and check out my current challenge. Or my accountabilibuddies page pretty much is a good explanation of myself. I don't feel like typing much about myself. Basically because it's 11 pm. Ugh. Gotta get to sleep. first thing is first.... some numbers: 7/30/13: BF% of 29.78 8/13/13 BF% 29.4 I'm slightly on target with my goal. However, I think I gotta kick it into high gear. What do yall think? I think I'm gonna look up my macros after reading some threads. I've always attempted to do a food journal but have never followed through. I think it's finally time to really commit. Any tips on how? I know to use MyFitnessPal. I guess just eat the same things all the time that way I just have to put in the same things and not have to worry about measuring things out. Macros found.... Calories: 1740 Carbs per day: 208 g Protein per day: 100.1 g Fat per day: 56.4 g Fiber per day: 28-35 g Calories per meal: 580 Carbs per meal: 69.3 g Protein per meal: 33.4 g Fat per meal: 18.8 g Fiber per meal: 9-12 g

So I am going to add this team to the spread sheet right now. If you are entering this challenge with the specific goal of taking your life back; if you are sick and tired of being sick and tired, please join me in the quest for physical and mental wellness. You don't have to be diagnosed with anything Wideeyed (aka Marge)

Nerd Fitness: Six Week Challenge 29 July 2013 – 8 September 2013 Action Plan Pick Three goals that work TOWARDS my main goal. Specific Measurable Countable Track-able Pick One life-related side quest, called my “Life Quest.†Anything to do with life not directly fitness related. Does not need to take a lot of time. Has to be challenging for me. The Main Quest Goal By September 2014 I Want to be in the MOST Fit Shape of My Life. The Underlying (Six Week) Quest Goal Build Muscle, Get Stronger, Lose Fat, and Prepare for a 30 Day Juice Fast Commitment I want to achieve with Underlying Quest Go to Gym at least Five Days a Week for the Next Six Weeks and Stay at least Two Hours Each Day Time frame I want to achieve Underlying Quest Goal Six Weeks How I benefit by achieving this goal By Achieving this Goal I Will Improve My Health, Feel Better, Look More Attractive, and Set Myself Up to Succeed at Completing a 30 Day Juice Fast. What's My Motivation? My Motivation for My Main Quest is to Be Healthy for Myself and for My Family. Within the Next Year I Want to Achieve More Physical Fitness than I've Ever Achieved. With a Solid Level of Fitness I Will Feel Better about Who I Am and I Will Maximize My Chances to Have a Successful Business and a Great Family Life. The Life Quest Complete My First Coursera Course (notice I said COMPLETE and not START). -Rather coincidentally, there is a six week Coursera course that goes on for the exact time frame of this challenge in a field of study that I've been wanting to dive into: Exercise Physiology. -I will complete this course and organize my notes from the course to provide freely on my website. -I will obtain a certificate for completion and officially begin my journey into being a professional fitness guru! I'm an aspiring Ranger (woot, woot) so feel free to hit me up if you want to take on this Six Week Challenge as a team! -Anton

Just what are they, exactly – and how do I use them to reach my weight loss/body fat reduction goals?

About 5 months ago, I finally lost enough weight to get into size 6 jeans again. Size 6 was always my goal. It was the smallest I'd been to my memory and pretty much as small as I ever expected to go. Those size 6 jeans have felt pretty lose lately, which was odd because I haven't lost a pound since buying them. Just for the heck of it, I stopped by American Eagle today to try on the next size down. They fit perfectly. Without losing a single pound I have toned my body down an entire size. Holy cow. i had no idea I was making that kind of progress. I know I've only been nerding it up here for like, two days, but I had to share because none of my IRL friends would care. SO FLIPPING EXCITED RIGHT NOW.

Main Quest: My main quest is to lose 220 pounds and get to a healthy weight (135 lbs.). Goals: -Track my food daily, good or bad. -Workout 3-4 times a week, no matter how tired I may be. -Consciously make better decisions about how I fuel my body. Lifequest: * Save $500. Motivation: I want to be able to not worry about what I can or can't wear, do, or accomplish because my weight might get in the way.

In case you couldn't tell from the title,this is going to be a 6 week challenge inspired by the movie 300 aka the most badass movie of badasserie that there is. A little back story. Felt that the last challenge taught my alot and showed me that I can do great things when I put my mind to it. I enjoyed all of the exercises that I did, however I found myself getting stuck in the same old routine, squats->rows->Deadlifts->curls->pullups ect. I wanted something new/different/exciting/shiny as well as something that would cut down my time in the gym (at the end of the chalenge a normal gym time for me was 2-3 hours). I started doing research and I came to realize that I wanted the Kettlebell, it engages many more muscles than the other excercises that I was doing, and it is something new to learn. While looking for a book to describe and teach me proper kettlebell edicit, I came across The Spartan Warrior Workout: Get Action Movie Ripped in 30 Days. So I initially picked up the book because I wanted a laugh. A book that claims to take you from where you are to action movie ripped in 1 month? come on gotta be good for a laugh. The more I read in it though, the more of it made sense. The workouts seemed solid (and very intense, just reading some made my body ache) and the different levels for the pullups/pushups/deadlifts ect were awesome. So after reading through the book in the book store {1) its not a very big book and 2) I am that guy} I bought the book and made the decision to become a spartan. I have completed 2 of the workouts so far and I can honestly say they were different from eachother and they challenged me in ways I didn't know were possible. I will post my actual goals and my workouts from yesterday later tonight but I just wanted to get this going now. THIS IS NERD FITNESS!!!!!

I actually started Paleo two weeks ago. I have been enjoying my summer vacation (I teach English and social science, grades 10-12, at an alternative high school), and doing LOTS of research. My children and husband are surviving quite nicely. They get grains, but the kids are also not getting junk food or take out, and are having to eat fruits, veggies, and home made smoothies instead. Doesn't seem to be bothering them much (they are 8 and 12). My story: An entire life (48 years worth - pediatrician took me off the bottle at 6 months because I was too heavy) of overweight and 15 years of miscellaneous and undiagnosable neurological symptoms that really flared up in the last two years. After trying a bunch of different medications, the neurologist finally said, "fibromyalgia." Humming "Always Look on the Bright Side of Life," to myself, I figure that's not so bad. It's not degenerative, it's not fatal, and it IS manageable. One of the management techniques is low carb. Prior to that, I had lost 70 lbs with a combination of Atkins and circuit training via Curves. I ruptured a cervical disk and had surgery. Maintained the weight loss for a while, but without the exercise it got harder, and eventually I stopped the Atkins too. Since developing more pain, I've gotten very sedentary again and put 50 lbs back on. The problem with Atkins, for me, is that I rely on WAY too many chemicals when I do it. Easier to eat a bar or drink a can of shake than it is to cook. Considering that there is some evidence that the artificial sweeteners used could be impacting my neurological health, not such a good way to go. So real food it is. Gluten free it is. Low carb it is. I lost 8 pounds of bloat the first week when I was all gung ho. The second week, I didn't eat much. I wasn't hungry (it's been over 100 here), I'm not a breakfast person, and who feels like cooking? I ran out of raw spinach, and stopped making my green smoothies. So the second week I gained a pound. Moral, I guess, is that I have to eat Here are my goals for the remaining 7 weeks of summer: Walk my 5 month old puppies twice a day working up to at least 30 minutes each walk. The first walk will be RIGHT after they wake me up at 5:30 am. That'll teach THEM. Plan weekly menus and grocery shop accordingly so that I have no excuses not to cook, and that there is always something healthy for us to eat in the fridge. EAT BREAKFAST every day when I get back from that walk. Take my kids somewhere special to play at least once a week, preferably somewhere that will involve me moving as well. This week, I think we're going to one of those indoor trampoline places. I'll probably just bounce on my butt, but hey, it's still moving! Practice this well enough all summer so that it is routine by the time I return to school in the fall, and therefore can't use the excuse that "I don't have time to cook, exercise, grocery shop, play with my kids." Get through a couple of more seasons of stuff we have queued on Crunchyroll and still manage to sleep 7 or 8 hours a night. Mostly, I want to stop hurting so much all the time. I am hoping to not have to do the stricter AI Paleo, but if I don't get good enough results, I will try it for six weeks. I'd ultimately like to be able to reduce my need for so many medications. Nice to meet everyone! Marge

A big hello to all the NF-ers out there. Hello, and congratulations to my fellow adventurers for taking that first step towards positive lifestyle transformation. I'm CalBert, and I've known about Nerd Fitness for quite some time. I read a lot of the literature on this site, and now I'm here for my first NF Six Week Challenge, and I am in need for some intense accountability and support. I'm 27 years old, and I've decided to apply for OCS, or Officer Candidate School, for the US Military. I'm very inspired to become an officer in the military, and I think that it's an honorable job. I'm still in the process of deciding which branch to apply to, but while I look into the prospects, I also want to become physically ready for this endeavor. I hope that this six week challenge, and other challenges to come, will help me realize if I am both mentally and physically prepared to become an officer. After talking to a few officer recruiters, I've narrowed down the main qualifications that I need to work on: Goal 1: 3 Mile Run Candidates are required to run 3 miles in 21 minutes or less. For every ten seconds, a point is subtracted from the maximum of 100 points. A qualifying run would be under 27 minutes. Here is how I'll score myself: A+ = under 21 minutes A = 21 minutes B = 23 minutes C = 25 minutes D = 27 minutes F = 30 minutes Goal 2: Crunches Candidates are required to do a maximum of 100 crunches within a time of two minutes to get a perfect score. Each crunch is worth 1 point. Here is how I'll score myself: A+ = 100 A = 90 - 99 B = 80 - 89 C = 70 - 79 D = 60 - 69 F = 50 - 59 Goal 3: Pull Ups My recruiters have expressed that rules are changing in regards to pull-ups. Nothng is set yet, but I've been asked to be ready to do 3 - 8 pull ups to qualify. The previous rule was to do a flexed arm hang. Every second is worth 1 point from start to 40 seconds. Every second thereafter is worth 2 points. The maximum valus is 70 seconds for 100 points. Here is how I'll score myself: A+ = 70 seconds or 8 pull ups A = 65 seconds or 7 pull ups B = 60 seconds or 6 pull ups C = 55 seconds or 5 pull ups D = 50 seconds or 4 pull ups F = 45 seconds or 3 pull ups All of these numbers are are female qualification scores. Starting Day 1, I'll assess myself by performing all three events, and hopefully see great improvement by the end of six weeks. My goals do seem ambitious, but if I don't make a good grade by the end of six weeks, it doesn't mean I'm giving up. I don't expect to become Wonder Woman overnight. I love sports, but I've been out of the game for a bit. I've played sports since high school, and I've taken yoga, dance, and other cardio classes during college. I have a one and a half years experience in taekwondo, and I picked up kenpo last year. Unfortunately, I tore a muscle in my right arm from over-exertion, and I think that it will be a challenge for getting a high score in pull ups. My Goal 4 is more long-term, which is to be selected for officer candidate school in the summer of 2014. It is a long time until then, but the process is long and demanding. So, here I am getting myself back into shape and hoping to make the military part of my life.

Goal 1- Complete squats challenge - 2 STR, 1 STA. A- If I complete it. B- I miss a few days, but do extra to catch up. C-I miss a few days. D- I don't follow it consistently/ miss 2 days in a row/ more than 4 overall. F- I miss more than 6 days. Goal 2- Run 5k without stopping - 4 STA. A- Pretty obvious! B- I have to jog at times. C- I jog 5k. D- I stop occasionally. F- I stop often. Goal 3- Join cross-fit - 1 WIS, 2 CHA. I either do or don't so this one is pass/fail. All I'm trying to do is to call up and sign myself up. Its expensive enough that turning up shouldn't be a problem. Goal 4- Pass my driving-test theory - 5 WIS. A- I pass! B- I attempt my theory. C- I book my theory and lessons. D- I book my theory. F- I procrastinate. Motivation- http://lanadelfitness.tumblr.com/ http://pinterest.com/anyafitzpatrick/inspiration/ http://thehautebunny.wordpress.com/2012/05/08/brazilian-butt-workout/

Hey all, time to make myself accountable! I'm a little unsure how to start and how to structure this, and I need to get to bed, but here goes: Age: 23 Height: 173 cm Weight: 76 kg (not as much as I thought I was!) Goal: Gain strength and endurance and reduce body fat percentage, probably by at least 10% 28-05-13 Been inspired by the paleo diet for the last three days, and feeling very happy about it. I have some minor deviations, such as using some cream in the tomato soup yesterday and eating black bread with my smoked herring. I probably won't be super 100% strict about it quite yet, but I'm overall very happy to have gotten my boyfriend along on eating alot more vegetables! Had a lot of success with this recipe, accompanied by steamed broccoli and roasted carrots, and substituting pork chops for the chicken (boyfriend allergic to fowl): http://cfscceat.blogspot.dk/2012/03/maple-mustard-glazed-chicken.html Basic training Workout A Inclined push-ups: 15-12-12 Body weight squats: 20-18-15 Plank: 30s-35s Finishing move: % How'd I do: Damn I hate push-ups, it's like my arch nemesis. My inclined push-ups are almost at 90 degrees, and my arms still shake like hell. I also shook quite a lot while doing the planks, I look forward to that clearing up! Even the cool down routine made me sweat. Low motivation, so not sure if I pushed myself as much as I could have, but at least I've been feeling it taking effect in my legs this afternoon and tonight. Depending on how my body feels when I wake up tomorrow, I might try doing some interval running. Found a seemingly good app for it on my phone, with training schedules from the Danish military, so I think it'd be fun to try out. Will try to keep myself posting regularly here, to keep my motivation up.

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I'll begin by introducing myself: I am 23 years old, six feet tall and weigh nearly 300 pounds. I currently live in Massachusetts with my parents, and go to a Community College nearby, majoring in Communications. At the moment, I write to you all from upstate New York, where I am working my annual summer job. My story, however, begins nearly a decade ago. When I was thirteen, my father, perhaps the biggest support in my life, gave me a picture frame with this quote in it : "It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat." -Theodore Roosevelt I'm sure many of you have heard this quote, and have your own interpretations, perspectives and personal meanings associated with it. Here is my account of what I've associated with it for many years: I received this from my father one Christmas day in my teenage years, not a few months after failing to summit Mount Jefferson in New Hampshire. My Boy Scout troop took a three day weekend in order to set up camp on a Friday, hike it on Saturday, and leave on Sunday. Of the ten or so boys and four adults, I was the only one who didn't make it to the very top. My father, bless him, was one of the adults, urging me on as I trudged up that mountainside, hating myself for going on the trip and hating everyone else as they seemed to shoot up the trail. By the time I neared the summit, there were no trees to block the strong winds that nearly forced me off my feet. There were only the stones and pebbles underfoot that constantly shifted and slid downhill, making it that much harder to reach the top. With my heavy thoughts and heavy feet, I dug in and refused to continue, not even a hundred yards from the top. My father spent all of half an hour, shouting over the roaring winds, trying to convince me to make that last concerted effort to hit the peak. I'm sorry to say that I refused, and my father was forced to make that last leg alone because of my stubbornness. I gave myself all sorts of excuses why I couldn't make it: I was too tired, my feet hurt, the winds were too strong, etc. etc. etc. In any case, my father returned a few minutes later, and the entire group began our trek back to camp. When my father presented this to me, he included in the frame pictures of that trip, and I immediately associated myself with the critic, not the man in the arena as my father hoped. I was the one who attacked my own self-confidence in my abilities, and began a near decade long cycle of self-deprecation, giving up on my goals, and telling myself I was worthless for giving up on myself. I began finding more reasons to give up on completing important things, from schoolwork to other Boy Scout hikes, all the way to my own Eagle Scout project and college courses. All because I was stuck in a whirlpool of self-loathing and doubt that began back during that hike up a mountainside. For the longest time, this quote wasn't an affirmation of my struggles: it was a constant reminder that no matter how hard I tried, I was my own worst enemy and I would give up on myself before my efforts were rewarded. And despite my parents best efforts at trying to get me back on course, I would constantly sabotage myself because I knew I didn't deserve to succeed. That hike, back when I was just thirteen, shaped my life for nearly ten years. It has only been recently, after failing out of college and taking a year off, that I've begun to take an active role in turning my life around. I began taking classes again at a community college, two for the fall semester and once I passed them with flying colors, four in the spring. This past year, I took four courses both semesters, kept all of them in the A's and B's, and was promised an internship next fall at a local newspaper. Along with that, I've managed to cut off my depression medication and stay stable, and have started to realize something very important. While I may be my own worst enemy, I can also be my very best friend. All it takes is a little change to begin doing something right for yourself, and the first thing I did right was to take a year off of school. I realized during that time that I am worthy of my own attentions, and that the only way things are going to get better is if I stop getting in my own way. Obviously, that revelation hasn't just been a shining beacon that suddenly took all the hardships out of my life. During last fall, I got a job and subsequently lost it due to an idiosyncrasy of mine where I tell people only the good things and leave out the bad until it piles up enough that it's unavoidable. I also had to withdraw from one of my courses, although that was more because of the teacher than my own shortcomings. In any case, before I left home for the fifth summer in a row to head to upstate New York for my summer job, my father challenged me to do something about my health. Currently, I am six feet tall and nearly three hundred pounds, and I have been ever since I was about fifteen. I've tried, with very little results, to change my weight. Each time I've begun an exercise plan, within a week or two my motivation dropped off and the self-loathing cycle kicked in once again. This time, however, I have a secret weapon that will, hopefully, change the status quo. A friend of mine recently introduced me to this site and also dared me to complete a 6 week challenge with him. Although I haven't told him yet, I'm accepting his challenge, and setting a few goals for myself as well. Goals: 1.) Get below 250 pounds by the time I leave my summer job. 2.) Get below 200 pounds by Christmas. 3.) Modify my diet to include more vegetables and fruits, and fewer carbohydrates. 4.) Continue to build my self-esteem through completing challenges and not giving up halfway through. I'd like these goals to be my set-in-stone, no compromise objectives, although I'm sure I'll be setting smaller goals for myself along the way in order to attain these lofty aspirations. In the end, I'd like to make myself into the Man in the Arena, and stop being the critic holding myself back. I know I'll need all the help I can get, and so, I would like to ask for all of your support, encouragement, advice and knowledge in helping me leap from the stands into the stadium. For now, thanks for reading that looong introduction, and I look forwards to meeting and conversing with many of you as I begin this grand new undertaking.

Greetings! As is clear, I am new here. I found out about Nerd Fitness through a link to Staci/Spezzy's story (http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2011/07/21/meet-staci-your-new-powerlifting-super-hero/). For me, it completely hit home. I'm 23 and from Denmark. I'm studying Medialogy at the University of Aalborg in Copenhagen, and I'm currently finishing up my first year, with exams coming up in June. After that I have 2 months of summer vacation, which I have decided to dedicate to improve my health. I want to see how far I can get before my 24th birthday in December. I don't know what I weigh, as I don't own a scale. All I know is, I can't fit into the majority of summer clothes I packed away six months ago, and my stomach is now bulging out over my pants lining. My sides bulge over my favourite pair of jeans. My thighs and butt don't fit in any of my shorts. In short, over the last couple of months I've realized that if I don't change things, I will end up overweight like both of my parents. My mom in particular is having some issues with her blood pressure, from having a stressful job and being overweight. I don't want to be like this. I'm no super-model potential, but I'm a pretty girl. I clean up nicely, and I *know* that I could feel so much more confident about myself. I could look *that much more amazing*. And not only that, I could *feel* that much more amazing. I'm tired of being tired, I'm tired of a flight of stairs winding me, and I'm tired of giving up before even trying. I don't think I've ever done a proper push-up. Well, now I want to. And I want to do more than one. I guess I'm saying, I've had enough and I'm here to learn. I want to learn to change for the better, and I want to become stronger, both on the inside and on the outside. I'll be reading a lot more here on Nerd Fitness in the coming days! My first focus will be to improve upon my eating habits, and to find out how I can motivate myself to exercise more. Don't wish me luck, just let me know that I've found the right place to learn! - Liv

So about a month ago, something weird happened to me. I started to get really stiff and super sore after a particularly intense circuit first thing in the morning. Initially I thought it was post exercise soreness, but instead of abating it got considerably worse. One day I could only swing my legs, not bend them, the next day my arms felt beaten up. Anyway, comes to the weekend about 3 days later, and I clean my parents' house (need the cash) and I can barely drive home afterwards. I jumped in the bath thinking that would help. BIG mistake - I had trouble even getting out. So my partner comes home, helps me to bed and we go to an A&E next morning. Long story short, I end up in hospital the same day. It was really weird, they initially freaked me out with conditions like rheumatic fever, gout, ankylosing spondylitis, but eventually after a couple of days they ruled it down to a temporary "viral reactive polyarthritis". First time I've had it, and my energy is only just coming back. It's still affecting my eyes of all places, they're super hot, itchy and swollen. So has anyone experienced this before? Any tips getting back into exercise? I seem at this point ok to test the waters and get back into fairly intense workout, but I don't wanna end up back where I was. Feel free to comment on the weirdness of this, or share any experiences. Thanks Logros

Howdy all, This is the first challenge that I will be taking place in. I am a 20 year old elven college student. I aspire to raise myself through the ranks of the rangers through hard work and determination. I have been interested in being healthy for a couple of years now but my methods have been all over the place so I plan to use this challenge to kickstart the formation of regular habits so lets get down to business (TO DEFEAT THE HUNS!). Stats: Race: Elf - Height: 5' 7"ish Weight: 149 lb. Body Fat: 15.4% - affinity to the forest and woodland adventuresClass: Ranger - starting with CrossFit (more below)Attributes:STR (2)DEX (3)STA (2)CON (3)WIS (2)CHA (3)The Goals: Regular Crossfit Attendance After over a year of dreamily looking upon the Crossfit world, I have finally signed up for a gym. After they put up an insanely discounted Groupon, I didn't hesitate to snatch that up, and I'll be attending my first introductory session on Friday I hope to be attending 3+ times a week once I have finished the introductory sessions Starting the Paleo life My friend has been pushing me since the beginning of last Summer to start eating Paleo. I have read up on it and leaned my dietary habits that way but have been confined by the restrictions of college dining halls. During this challenge I will be moving to an apartment and will be responsible for all of my meals and will be transitioning to full paleo. Finish the Semester with Stronger Grades Due to stress in my life that has been out of my hands, I have let my grades slip. With the inspiration that I feel with this surge of healthy living, I hope to also transfer my academic life to one of more productivity Save more of that CASH MONEY! As a financially independent college student, money is tight. I work two jobs to pay the bills but I do spend excess money when I have it. I plan on cutting out unnecessary spending to get a real swell on with my bank account Please leave me feedback. I love criticism, compliments, advice, words of encouragement and anything people have to say that may help me on my quest. I hope to find an Accountibilibuddy who can help me on my way, so to all you out there I enjoy long walks in the woods, many types of music and discussing all the facts of life Thanks to all, Dan

*** Tracer's HOLOCRON *** //Information Database\\ *Training, Nutrition, Health* I intend to keep a record of all articles, data and information I discover on my journey to become a Jedi Master. Open my Holocron - A collection of Training, Nutrition and Health resources across the Holo-net (Internet). The Holocron is open source and readily accepts any entries from anyone who feels they have discovered something worth sharing with the Rebellion. Please add to it as you see fit! Training Blogs Charles Poliquin Blog Dangerously Hardcore Blog (Training and Carb Back Loading Nutrition) Workouts The WOD Shop - Excellent WOD Generator site, broken down into various categories. Crossfit Endurance - Excellent resource for interval workouts and conditioning. The Fitness Conduit - Max Effort Black Box. Excellent strength program. SEAL Grinder - Intense SEAL Grinder Warrior workouts Crossfit Kensington - Some good WODs (generally contain more running) + periodically posts Partner workouts SVGFit - another cool WOD site. Has a lot of short, intense workouts involving sprints, etc. 5 Workouts you will never outgrow! Gymnastics Gymnastics WOD - Daily Gymnastics WODs Gymnastics Bodies WOD - Gymnastic WODs from Gymnastics Bodies.com Body Weight Training Body Weight WODs - Downloadable list of Body Weight only WODs BodyWOD - Bodyweight Workouts The Daily Fitness Solution - 20 minute workouts that require little to no equipment General Articles Is Aerobic or Anaerobic better for burning body fat? Why Women need German Volume Training (GVT) 10 000 Swings to Fat Loss - Good info on high volume training and what to expect 10 Nuggets of Wisdom from Top Couches - Nice quick read with great tips Single Tasking the Basics - great for when you are feeling lost and need re-grounding. Beginners Guide: How to read Training notation - must read for any beginner. Train like a Champion: Technique, Habits and Positivity - Good article containing information on correcting habits. Program Design: Feeling vs Planning Active vs Passive Recovery The Mellow Metcon: Conditioning for Strength Blocks Gymnastics Pre-requisites? L-Sit Walks - an Abdominal Challenge Skin the Cat Transitioning from Wall Handstands to Free Standing L-Sit Lifts - Straight Arm Strength Training Methods / Types Cluster Training - an interesting method utilising single, heavy reps with small duration between sets. Weight Lifting Muscle Matrix Program Sprinting Sprinting - The purest, most powerful physique-shaper in an Athlete's Arsenal Part I Sprinting - The purest, most powerful physique-shaper in an Athlete's Arsenal Part II Plyometrics Better Training Methods - Ploymetrics Technique / Skills Burpees Just one Exercise: Burpees - Good article on Burpees, different variations and sample Burpee Workouts Hindu Squats How to do them Hindu Push-ups How to do them Push-ups The Ultimate Push-Up Guide - 35+ Push-up variations Wheels - A dynamic Push-up movement. Dips Swinging Dips & Dynamic Strength Plyometrics Upper Body Plyometrics Jumping The Mind-body approach to vertical jumping Improve your jumping ability - Good CFJ article Squats Five ways to get Stronger, Faster and Better from Squats - Simple article, worth a read Heaves 16 Week Pull-Up Program Chin Ups vs Pull Ups - The difference explained Pressing Top Ten Bench-Press Variations How to add to your presses - Armstrong Pull-up Program - great article on Push-Ups and Pull-ups to supplement training. Glutes 10 Tips to Improve Your Glutes - Vanity, great for a girlfriend (ha!) Grip Strength Grip Strength Training Program for Weightlifters - Sample training to improve Grip Strength (always useful IMO). Supplementation Creatine Ultimate Guide to Creatine Part I - Excellent go to resources for understanding Creatine and what it does Ultimate Guide to Creatine Part II Ultimate Guide to Creatine Part III Caffeine and Creatine Caffeine Caffeine Therapy - Great easy read. Leucine The Secrets of Leucine - Good article on Leucine Nutrition Tools Body Fat Caliper Calculator - Tool for calculating body fat with options for several different caliper and tape measuring styles. Intermittent Fasting Calculator - Best calculator I have found. Use it for calculating Macro-Nutrients and Calories, or (as I prefer) just general interest (as I hate counting calories). Blogs Robb Wolf - The god of nutrition and Paleo Primal Toad - Good site for general info Modern Paleo - General Paleo blog. Has a weekly round-up of articles called the 'Paleo Rodeo'. Not a bad read. Eat To Perform - Good blog on nutrition Articles General Breakfast causes weight loss? I don't think so... There is no such thing as a "Calorie" (to your body) - Everyone should read this, just to understand (in the simplest terms) why the idea of "Calories" is stupid. Julia Ladewski interview at Eat To Perform - great interview on all nutrition, carbs, CBL and women, CBL and Crossfit and heaps more. Why Crossfit Athletes should not aspire to be 'Shredded' Intermittent Fasting Intermittent Fasting Part I - Good series for what happens during IF and how to use limited IF for maximum benefit. Intermittent Fasting Part II Intermittent Fasting Part III Protein Myths about High-Protein Diets Does Protein Make You Fat? The Shocking Truth - good quick info on how Protein cannot make you fat. 6 Reasons why Vegans (and Doctors) are wrong about Animal Protein Carbohydrates How Many Carbohydrates Do You Need? Low Carb Paleo + Crossfit, Not Loosing Weight - Why not? Low Carb Paleo + Crossfit, Not Loosing Weight - Recommendations. - Must read for anyone in this boat. Eat more good carbs! Fat 10 and a Half more ways to add Fat to your Diet - Excellent quick article on adding good fats to stay healthy. Eat up! Eat Fat to Burn Fat - Do not go low-fat. Unless you are a moron. Carb Back Loading / Carb Night Solution Carb Back Loading or Carb Night Solution? Ideal Protein Diet Plan using CBL and CNS Depleting Glycogen Stores on CBL and CNS One Factor that could effect your Insulin on CBL Fat Intake on CBL and CNS Eating Paleo on CBL and CNS CBL Post Workout Explained - When to eat Carbs Explained CBL in the morning. Can you workout in the morning? Propane Fitness Audio Interview with John Kiefer: Creator of CBL Upgraded Self Interviews Kiefer about the Science of Carb Back-Loading, Paleo, Caffeine, and more. - Transcript Carb Backloading - Women of Crossfit version Carb Backloading for Crossfit and Paleo Recipes PaleOMG - Good site for Paleo Recipes Primal Smoothies - Shakes / Smoothies!

I recently purchased a Magic Bullet. I found a great receipe that I have been making for my son. It is a Brain Fog Buster. Basically it has: Blueberries Walnuts Banana Spinach Protien Powder Water I tweaked it a little by adding coconut water, and I use a protien powder that tastes like cake mix. I also change up the nuts when I'm out of walnuts. It tastes so good that I have been drinking it for breakfast every morning for the past week. It is remarkably filling. I also made tomato sauce for our home made pizzas. It was the best I've ever had. I will post the recipe when I have access to it later. Does anyone else have healthy ideas for the Magic Bullet? I'd love to add to what we already have.

So, my dad just bought two shake weights. Not one, but two. That's sort of funny-ha-ha at first glance, and sort of "what's so wrong with that?" when you think about it, but ultimately it's the latest symptom of a problem that I am increasingly worried about. My whole family is overweight, out of shape, and teetering on the edge of serious health problems. To be really honest, I'm frustrated and a little angry, and more than that I am scared. His efforts are so halfhearted and gadget-oriented. He thinks "I need to start exercising!" so he buys a stationary bike, or an expensive series of workout videos, or a silly tool, and inevitably he'll use them for a week or two and then stop. He says "we need to eat healthier!" but he doesn't stick to it for more than a few days. He'll pop the cholesterol pills, but won't go to the doctor regularly. I totally understand that this is hard stuff to do and changing your habits is difficult (I wouldn't be here if I didn't), but I feel like he is incorrectly identifying the problem. The problem isn't that he doesn't have the stuff. It's that he doesn't do the work. I'm bringing this up because I suspect a lot of us struggle with this, and I am hoping some of us have figured out what they can do to help. I feel like I need to talk to my parents about this, but I don't know how to start. I don't want to be overly dramatic and scary, or offensive, or wishy-washy...but I AM afraid of losing them. I want them to live long, happy lives and I want them around for the milestones in mine. So, have any of you performed such an intervention? What worked for you, and what didn't?

Hello there, everyone! First of all: Who is the DeviatedForm? My Name is Philipp but since you're a friend of mine, Phil (or Deviated) is fine I am 20 years old and a student in a german Gymnasium (no, not a gym, it's a kind of school). In terms of fitness I didn't do anything except from my school classes (which amounts to about 1-2 hours per week). Needless to say I don't do well in sports, which is depressing, since I went to karate when I was younger and was in the youth group of the fire department not as long ago. Phil, why are you here; why'd you join the Rebellion? Due to a recent personal crisis, I had to reevaluate my life: I lived in a house which is too big for me and my father, that has become disorganized, unclean and uncomfortable. I barely did anything with my friends anymore because they all have jobs and I didn't want to disturb or annoy them. I was unhealthy and unfit and did no sports because I was too shy to of joining any group because I was unfit and felt like I would hold them back. I felt overwhelmed with school and thought that I would fail school even the second time around. What has happened since then? It was then that I knew that something had to change. Continuing on the way that I had would exhaust me physically and mentally. I started by trying to organize my surroundings, but I didn't quite know how to do so properly. I also tried two health/workout books, but I pushed myself too hard. I failed at both attempts. I did have success at another course of action (or did I?): My father and I started to eat better: less microwave food and real recipes! By now we do cook most of the time. But then, through some accident - or rather good fortune - I found my health mekka: The Rebellion. So... what's your status, Newbie? Fitness: The day before yesterday I tried the Beginner workout and could barely finish the first time. Then, later, that same day, I tried it again and couldn't finish two full cicuits with the right exercises, fewer reps but rest in between. Yesterday I had to drive my father to the doctor's, mopped the floor of our kitchen and picked up some veggies when I had picked him up. I thought that was enough that day. Diet: The day before yesterday I made myself a salad and ate the most paleo meal I could find: nuts. Yesterday, after having picked up the veggies I made a huge salad and ate part of it today and a part today (as Lunch). Other: I signed up for NerdFitness yesterday and took a picture of myself. Not that impressive, right? But guess what: Today I signed up for the community, created my Real Life Character (somewhat, I can't quite tell what my stats are....) and *tada* entered this challenge. My goals for my first challenge are: 1. Do the Beginner's Body Workout Routine of NerdFitness at least 3 Times a week. That means: - I will be able to do the exercises as shown in the W/O Routine. [sTR +1] - I will be able to do all the exercises with the respective number of reps. [sTR +2] - I will finish each circuit with as few breaks as possible. (Thanks to Laureleye for pointing out that a rest between circuits is okay) [sTA +1] 2. Clean up my (almost nonexistant) diet. Doing this I aim for a Paleo Diet. - I will not drink any soda, energy drink, juice or smoothie (tea, coffe and espresso is still allowed). [WIS +1] - I will change from dinking coffe to drinking espresso. [CHA +1] - I will eat at least one Paleo-approved meal per day, every day. [CON +1] - I will fight the urge to eat any fast-food; that includes but isn't limited to: McD., BK. and KFC. [WIS +1, CON +1] 3. Do some form of sport. (Probably walking outside for now, since it's winter). - I will go outside everyday I don't do the BBWR. [CON +1] - I will do some low-impact activity on said days. [CON +1] 4. (Level up your live goal) Get stuff done - I will paint the new terrarium of my two snakes. [CHA +1] - I will buy the lighting and other electric equipment for said terrarium. [WIS +1] - I will assemble the terrarium. [DEX +1] - I will move the snakes into the assembled and painted terrarium. [CHA +1] Quest Log (I know, very original) Day 0 (today, 16. Jan. 2013) - Did the Beginner Workout, Results: ---> 3x20 Squats (will increase # of reps) ---> 3x10 Pushups on my knees (will so regular pushups the next time) ---> 3x20 Walking Lunges (barely) ---> 3x10 Dumbbellrows (will revive old weight lifting equipment for these, only used 2kg water sprayer) ---> 3x15s Planks (will increase time) ---> 30 Jumping Jack's (had quite some trouble with these) ---> Had quite long and frequent breaks, hope to reduce those Thank you for taking the time to read through this (turned out to be much more than I thought I would write). I am free for any advice, feedback, suggestions or anything else you want to leave around here DeviatedForm. Edit1: made goals more specific, improved layout (a bit) Edit2: made the text explode... restructured the text, added today's log, added or rewrote almost everything but my goals from edit 2... you'll have to read way more now... sorry 'bout that also, if you're curious about how the text started, this is the original text (posted in the wrong challenge first - like a noob). Edit3: added stats to goals

Hey guys, I've become one of those people that loves exercising and I never have a problem of staying motivated to go exercise. However, my diet is not the best. Somehow I find it SO much harder to stay motivated eating the right stuff for my body. I'm not saying I'm bingeing on fast foods or anything like that, but more that I'm not choosing to snack on vegetables or something healthy. I also can't seem to stay away from that one cup of soda a day (good thing it's no more than a cup, but still). I also find it hard to stay away from bread and bakery stuff How are you all staying motivated? What are some of the things that run through your mind when you're choosing to skip those Oreo's and take the carrots instead? Are there any good reads or videos to watch? Thanks for the help!

Hello All, first timer here. I found the site at the beginning of last week, and after much reading (and subbing class work) I'm ready to start! By the way, I'm totally winging this, so if you've any recommendation to help tweak plans, or how a goal is set, advice is much loved. Starting Point:Weight: ~179lb.Height: 5'5.5"41-39-42 Able to do (without rest):2 "Real" pushups, 17 2.5' incline pushups. 20 sec Planks40~ish bicycle crunches.38 squats QUEST JOURNAL - Goals & Definitions: Quest: Training from an Elven Hunter1) Lose Weight and get fit with Basic Parkour Training and Aikido practice (up to 7th or pre-6th Kyu). End Goal: Lose Ten+ Pounds by end of challenge. Do Ten+ full push ups.I've posted a list of basic recommended exercises for parkour beginners on my wall, along with all the training I remember from Aikido class.Spend at least 10 minutes daily working through the list, increasing reps by +1 every two days. Minimum time +5 min for each week.Weigh-in, photo (personal) and measurements on Sundays, so I don't stress about progress in between.On days I hurt too much to do the harder exercises, it is acceptable to replace training with 20 minutes of stretching. +5 minutes for Yoga with each passing week.Skill Points: STR 3, STA 2, DEX 1 Rewards: Archer's Gloves (Rare), Gatherer's Satchel (Common) Quest: Herbologist Training 2) Eat a Paleo-themed diet at least 50% of the time, keeping everything healthy the other half. End goal: To have switched to a Paleo/Primal based diet, instead of the pizza/rice one I eat. I've scoped out all the locations on campus which would support Paleo related eating habits, and no longer go to the places that won't.Swapped out fried foods and baked goods for roasted foods and fruit.Cut back on grains until february first, when they're completely out of my diet (Reason for slow change is that grain is a large source of fiber for me).Research and menu plan for dorm-friendly, low-mess Paleo snacks and meals (that can freeze well). Have menu ready for next weekend (Jan 19th).Side Quest: Research anti-inflammatory foods & herbs. Skill Points: CON 3, STA 1, WIS 1 Rewards: Small Herb Cabinet (Rare), or Trainee's Manual (Common) Quest: Journey to the Sage 3) Work on my mental well-being and Health. End Goal: Visit and speak with a counselor. Reduce anxiety, to stop the emotional eating triggers - defined by frequency of bingeing. Visit the school counseling office 1+ times a month, to work through anxiety and personal issues. Schedule an appointment.Keep a weekly journal of things that cause me great stress, and work on solving the triggers.Meditate a few times a week to soothing music. Three to four times is desirable. Skill Points: CON 2, WIS 1, CHA 1 Rewards: Book of Wisdom (Rare), or Book of Secrets (Common) *Note from Headmaster: Each week starts on Monday. Side quests may become available with progression. Completion of all side quests may earn additional rewards. Any Student's rewards for quests cannot be obtained unless the quest has been achieved at the basic competency level. Anything lower than a (C) will be dismissed as a failure. Rare Rewards may only be obtained in the event that a mission was completed in full (A), and every other quest grade has been satisfactory (C).