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I was feeling inspired, and moved by something that I read in Steve's profile... And realized when I was writing to him, that this was the Battle Log entry I've been trying to write for the last two weeks... Though seriously, it could be that Bastille's album Bad Blood as a soundtrack played a big part... Here is what I said to him: Steve, I know you get a bunch of messages from your followers... So I'll try (I say try, because I am a woman after all... And a long winded one at that) to keep this short. I joined because your newsletters are fantastically entertaining and completely on par with my personality, but for another reason that is far more important: You make me feel empowered. Society and our culture shames people for being outside of what is deemed "normal" size. Commercialized weigh loss programs try to make you feel like you need their program or you will fail... You give messages of hope and encouragement for free. You have created an environment that encourages self-love, not shame... What is the ultimate way to show love for yourself? To make yourself as healthy as you can, in any way that makes you happy and works to meet your goals for yourself... I was looking at your profile to see what you were posting about, if you posted at all... And saw the ignorant post that you responded to... I started reading that person's post, and felt this heavy weight that maybe there are people on the board who think that way... But your response, and the response after from the man who lost almost 200 lbs, was like Thor himself had destroyed ignorance with one swing of his mighty hammer... I have only been a forum member for what...two weeks? But the love, support, and encouragement I have felt was so overwhelming... I honestly didn't understand it, I've been so used to using self-hate to excuse my body size and shape.... And I'm finally beginning to realize that it isn't my size, it's my love for who I am... And doing what I can to love myself by treating my body like it deserves to be treated, like the goddess it is.... I feel empowered by you, and the remarkable transformation of the man that had posted with you.... What he said was very powerful too... (Especially when you are listening to Bastille's CD bad blood in he background lol) I just wanted to say "Thanks." In the shortest way a forum nerd like me can.... In a really long message... Haha My first goal can be considered met... I just didn't know that I had even made a goal... My road to leveling up my life starts at loving myself... And thanks to you and your forum's members... I think I've started that journey... Okay, this may be ALL inspired by this album... But I feel empowered and ready to tackle my life's epic journey. Thank you for getting me started. I am excited to have you and your "minions" by my side the whole way. Big Hugs, Sara Age: 29 Height: 5'8" Weight: 233.4 lbs Target/Goal: Goddess level How will I get there? I am already there, I just never realized it. What will I do to stay there? 1) Take care of myself: get a full night's sleep, work at a job I enjoy, love with my whole heart, and forgive those who have wronged me 2) Take care of my body through exercise: 3 days/week minimum with Bodyweight training at first, progressing to personal training with Clawed_Bear's trainer when he gets back from his vacation, and continue to Crossfit classes when my body is ready to handle the challenge. 3) Take care of my body through food: consume whole fruits, veggies, lean meats, whole grains, and other good foods...and yes, okay, I include some chocolate in there... How often will I do this: Every day for the rest of my life (unless otherwise stated). What I will do when I stumble: Look to the encouragement of the NF community, and take my inspiration from those who came before me. (I think I also just wrote my first Battle Log entry!)

Inspirational as bleep. So I've packed on some weight. It's been a rough couple of months. I can't really complain that much, because in general, my life is really good. It's just been... hectic, I guess is the best word, with all of my time being taken up by my various other responsibilities. My wife is full-time in university, my kids have activities all week, my dog needs walks at 5am and 5pm, and I'm still working full time and trying to make it as a writer. I probably bitch about this every time, but I have ALL of this energy going out into the world, and I have no energy coming IN to my life. I am the nice, sturdy foundation of my world: I'm solid, dependable, blocky, and always there. And like most foundations, you kinda forget it's there and just assume it'll always be there. I've been in my routine, and my routine doesn't leave a lot of room for exercise (outside of walking the dog, which is probably all that's kept me alive so far!). I've been treating my depression with food, as I always do, and an impressive pattern of telling myself I'll stop tomorrow. And just the other week, I noticed, I REALLY NOTICED that I'm significantly fatter and more out of shape than just a few months ago. My back hurts, my knees hurt, my wrists and elbows hurt, and five minutes on the heavy bag was my total limit. So right now, I'm going to start some small steps in order to build some better habits, some better routines. I'm going to be on autopilot, with my daily routines, for the next eight months at least (after which, I'll probably be on another new routine). I can't BREAK the routine... there's too much to do. But I can tweak the routine. Try and shape it to be more productive. Challenge #1 - 30 Minutes With The Kettlebells I'm up early every morning, just because my dog REALLY wants to come in. It used to be she only wanted in when it got light around 6am, and then as the days got shorter she would want in around 6:15am, or 6:30am. But now, she's going backwards, and she wants in around 5am. So I'm gonna be up anyways, and I can't sit when it's that early, because I just stiffen up. So I want my NEW ROUTINE to be making my big morning coffee, hanging with the dog, stretching out, then 30 minutes with the kettlebells, mostly legs and back. Then walk the dog when she wakes up again (she always comes in then passes out for a bit), then home to clean up the house and make lunches before the kids wake up. I'm ALREADY UP, so lets use some of that time better. Challenge #2 - 30 Minutes Bag Work At Night I sleep better if I burn off some energy at night. There's usually some time between when the kids go to bed, and when I go to bed, that I either write or I play a couple video games and try to unwind. Every time I play video games to unwind, I wish afterwards that I'd done anything else. So now I'm gonna do anything else. 30 MINUTES OF BAG WORK. Not power shots, since I don't need a POWER WORKOUT at night, but speed, stance, ducking and weaving and pulling and shifting, and really working the core and throwing fast combinations. Work up a sweat, then stretch, and off to bed. Challenge #3 - Better Eating At Work I need to get back into eating sensible food at work. No getting frustrated and driving around aimlessly until I find whatever fast food joint appeals to me that day. No more going grocery shopping, and throwing a bag of chips or a bag of chocolate almonds into the cart and then leaving them in the van 'for work', rather than bringing them into the house. Sensible food, at work. Bring sandwiches, bring leftovers, and keep a case of soup under my desk again like the old days. BE HUNGRY at work. Not starving, but that level of hunger that tells me to drink more water. I don't need to be full 24/7. Challenge #4 - Self Care This one... I don't really know how to cover. Writing makes me happy, and I have been writing a lot more. I've been prepping two novels, and of course getting ready for NaNoWriMo. I'm still up in the air about working on a web serial, because my writing is inconsistent and I have a hard time writing THE SAME THING for an entire week, let alone every week for a year or two. But I need simple things that make me happy, that make me hopeful. When I figure out what those are, I will try and update this challenge. On the flip side, though, another part of self care is significantly LESS social media. Less Facebook, by far. Less Internet, probably. My only friends are online, though, so I need to find some good habits where I can keep in touch with people, but where I don't need to constantly expose myself to the horribleness that has become the norm. Baby steps in this direction. Find the balance. ... there's not a lot of "Monk-ish-ness" here, but I'll get back there.

GREETINGS REBELLION!!I am Wraiven but those whom know me well call me Mitch Jnr. I have been working on leveling up my life and developed my quest log in a way to grow, not only for me but for the benefit of those all over the world. Since I can remember I have always been a very giving person and gathered joy from tasks that not only helped me be a better man, but also to help others grow too. Since my Father (Mitch Snr) passed away started really struggling with depression and anxiety in recent years and it's truly effected my growth and attitude towards what I always believed of myself. It could be chemical or it could just be my mind trying to avoid the pain of failing... But that's not gonna happen! Since joining the Rebellion I decided to dedicate a whole year to trying to change some lives and it's really had an Impact on me too.17 has always been my favourite number soooo I decided in 2017 I was going to do a Charity Challenge called 'Songs and Smiles' to help raise funds for Kids with Cancer, Mental Illness and Poverty/Famine. This requires me to do a song a day to bring smiles and provoke thought/nostalgia every single day and then people could share and possibly donate if they could. A simple premise but alot of people seem to like it. So far we have raised over $5000 and had 250,000 views on Youtube.My Dad always wanted to help kids with cancer because when he had it he always beleived he had lived and they deserved a chance to aswell, so I am doing this all in his memory and I hope all of the rebellion can join me too and become a SMILE SAVIOUR!DONATE: http://bit.ly/2iRw2vO GOFUNDME: http://bit.ly/2jXoQ5f FACEBOOK: http://bit.ly/2hFp6UY TWITTER: @MitchJnrMass <3 Mitch Jnr

Kuros, through passed down stories that have become nothing more than legend, is known to most as the "Knight Warrior of the Books of Excalibur," but few would know it upon meeting this unassuming hero. Less bulky warrior and more agile ranger, with a mind sharper than any blade (except Brightsword, of course), Kuros is a servant of light, far more humble than the picture this old keeper of lore will paint for you. Always cloaked and seldom seen, it would be easy to mistake him for an assassin (a poor one at that if he is indeed seen), or a scout. Alas, this is not the case. Jack of all trades, but a master of none, except maybe stillness of mind. The sum total of his attributes is what makes him a force to be reckoned with. Any obstacle or any foe can be conquered, and the only limiting factor is his force of will. With the proper application of blade and bow, mind and manners, Kuros can equally well disarm both the hound of Hades or the daughter of Zeus. Ironically though, given his tremendous capability and power to sway the forces of evil, Kuros has not been seen for many years, and as we approach our darkest hour, the world needs all the heroes she can get. Whispers on the wind have become widespread rumor, and these tell of a broken husk of a man that was once humankind’s staunchest advocate. It is said that he has withdrawn from the world, grieving for a loved one who has passed from this life. If Kuros happens to be reading this right now, know this. This world is merely a doorway to the next life. You will see your beloved again, but not yet… not yet. Take heart. There are many more beautiful lives to preserve and the darkness is ever encroaching. The bell has been rung and the hour is now. The time to reforge ourselves into something new, something stronger, is here. I call upon all the hesitant and all the eager heroes of the world. Our world is at your mercy. Will you not answer her call? Hello everyone and sorry for the over the top RPGing. I had serious fun with that. I'm really looking forward to this experience. Such a cool site and idea. Anyways, my real name is Mike, I'm 27 years old and I'm looking to get fitter than ever. How fit? Like Gimli and Legolas had a baby and that kid grew up in the wild raised by wolves and surrounded by orcs level of fit. I like to do a little bit of everything to be honest with you. Traditional strength routines, cross-fit style circuits, sprint workouts, distance running, and climbing. If anyone's in the Idaho Falls area (just about to move out there from Virginia), let me know if you're looking for a workout partner. Also, that list is by no means exhaustive. I also like to snowboard, play ultimate frisbee and competitive online video gaming. My xbox live gamertag is Terra Unu if anyone wants to add me. Right now I play Overwatch and Left 4 Dead 2 (yes I know it's old) mainly, but I also occasionally get on Battlefield 4, Halo 5, Destiny, Diablo III, Titanfall 2 and Call of Duty: Black Ops III. My favorite games of all time are Rygar, Wizards and Warriors, Donkey Kong 64, Goldeneye, Nightfire, Halo, Left 4 Dead, Jak and Daxter, Champions of Norrath, Fusion Frenzy, World of Warcraft, Counter Strike and the original Star Wars Battlefront games. This last part I'll end up posting in a more appropriate section of the forums, but I thought since I'm introducing myself, I might as well introduce another idea that I think would be great for the site (or terrible, not sure yet). What do you guys and gals think about all our character profiles and quests being accessible via a facebook-like network? I personally think it would be cool to check out and gain inspiration from other people's profiles and keep in touch with one another via a facebook-like interface, but in the style and format of this site with this specific community. Or should I just shut up and go use facebook? Ha, anyways thanks for reading and rebel on. Mike (AKA, Kuros) https://www.nerdfitness.com/character/191847

Since this is a Nerd fitness forum i figured this would be a good topic. What are your personal inspirations from tv/games/ anny other nerdy stuff. Personally i get a lot of inspiration form the assassins creed games, Arrow on tv and Vikings. Assassins creed. This because is envy their way of life and feel a lot of empathy for their creed. i one day hope to achieve some level of skill in Parkour. Arrow. For me Arrow is about a superhero without any special abilities and had to learn everything he knows, and train his body to superiority. it is inspiring. Vikings. this is simple, because vikings.

Arnold coined the phrase of stay hungry. Arnold during the film pumping iron talks about what it is to stay hungry, but to summarize it in my own words it means to constantly find new ways to challenge yourself in order to become a better you. Joe talks of wanting evolution of his body in his book by making his body grow in a functional sense by evolving it to its strongest form. Inspired by the messages of these two men have l decided to become hungry for evolution. Hi everyone. I used to use this site a lot a long time ago and went by the screen name Lanithroe. Im back and Im here to use this site as my online journal to track my workouts and Food intake, because it worked very well in the past. First let me tell you a little about myself for those who don't know me from before. I was a dietitian in the military for six years and have been a personal trainer for 8 years. I no longer work as a trainer for fitness is a passion on mine but my passion for writing was bigger, but know I share my knowledge In the form of inspiration and humor when ever I can. Im not here to try and be the one telling you I wear the daddy pants because of my experience. Im here to log my info, and maybe inspire some body along the way wile having a few laughs and making a few new friends. I am currently in the process of moving so I will be holding off on getting started with a day one post, but as soon as I get moved I will just be on here to hang out as things fall into place. Until then Ill see you in the logs.

“Energy can be neither created nor destroyed. Thus power generation processes and energy sources actually involve conversion of energy from one form to another, rather than creation of energy from nothing.” The law of conservation of energy. It’s an irrefutable fact of physics. We talk about it a lot in relation to weight loss. Calories in, calories out. But I wonder; what would this look like in terms of the way I spend my daily energy? The way I spend my life? I tend to think about some things as "requiring energy" while others don't. But that's not true. Everything requires energy, according to the first law. And I have all that energy already within me. So it's up to me to be conscious how I spend it. So this challenge I'll still be making my to do list. But I want to explore limiting it. And reflect on what gets done -- and what doesn't. How am I choosing to spend my energy?

Revenge of The Loft It has been a while! Welcome back to The Loft! A simple a humble space for all those rebels out there who wish to level up their creative side! This group is here to offer inspiration and support for all the writers, musicians, and artists out there. In the past threads I have been blown away with all the interaction, advice and sharing that has gone on and I hope to have that continue this time around. For myself I will admit that life has thrown some curveballs along the way that I have been pleasantly surprised with or completely overwhelmed. I am happy to be back and to bring this group back for some awesome fun times! I'm not sure about doing weekly topics since I have had a hard time tracking and keep those up, but any and all suggestions are welcomed and nothing wrong with a few creative exercises to get those imagination juices flowing :). Anywho, hope to see ya'll around these parts! Let's share some art!

Return to The Loft Welcome back to The Loft! A fun little space where we can share our love of creativity and help inspire each other to keep pursuing our passions. Whether you're a hobbyist, full time artists/writer/crafter or simply curious and wanting to get started, this is an awesome group for you! We had a lot of fun last time and I was really excited about how much interaction, activity and discussion we were having! I'm really happy that so many people had a good time with this group and I hope to keep that momentum going as we move onto the next challenge! I plan on using this thread not just to share art (though please if you have any art, writing, photos, videos, etc that you want to share, they are more than welcome here), but also to share tips and tricks, pose some topics, and just overall have a great time. We are here to level up every aspect of our lives, especially our passions! The doors are once again open! Please step inside and explore The Loft!

I love movies and frequently find inspiration in them. I wonder what some other rebels think of great movies that inspire.

Hey, guys! So, I've really come to appreciate you guys. All the encouragement and the pick me ups, the good jobs and what the hells. I just joined the Academy today (been on the forums for about 3 months), and I got to a part where they ask you to find "the big why" of why you want to get fit. Steve said to take a pen and paper. Well, this IS the rebel army, so, I started typing instead. The weird thing was, as I started typing, I just kept going. I couldn't stop. Before I knew it, I had dug deep and found out for the first time why I want to get fit. At first, a few months ago, it was "I want to look good" or "I think I'm fat." But this time it was much deeper than that. The Rebel Army is almost all about accountability. To me, accountability means letting someone you trust know something intimate about yourself so they can steer you in the right direction when you falter. That being said, I wanted to share my Big Why with you. This is why I want to get fit: I hate who I see in the mirror. The blubber hanging and rippling from the side, the back that melts with the ass to form one wobbly entity, the sack hanging from my chin, the bags covering my chest and stomach and limbs hiding the muscle I know I have. Every girl I see, I feel like I can read their minds as they think to themselves, “He’s a really nice guy, but I would never find him physically attractive.†The body in the mirror stares back with eyes that preach sermons on how I’m a pathetic loser, doomed to being insecure and scared but forcing myself to act differently so nobody will notice. The eyes, they scream from the reflection at me and they say, “You will never be happy! You will never find your second half! You will never be both nice and attractive, just nice, and that is a turn off!†What is the big why of my fitness goals? I want the man I become to kick the ass of the man I am. I want the man I become to inspire those who are like the man I am. I want the reflection in the mirror to be one whose eyes still scream at me, but they do so with pride and glory and triumph! I want to be seen as attractive as well as super nice. I want to be more than just someone I can imagine. I want to be imagination incarnate. And there you have it. Guys, you rock. If there is any way I can help or if you just want to talk or joke around or watch a movie or something, please let me know! And remember: if you don't find me handsome, at least you'll find me handy!

~Hungry For Evolution~ Thank you for stopping by and visiting my battle log! First let me share with you the two men that have inspired me to have the motto of being hungry for evolution. Joe Manganiello & Arnold Schwarzenegger Arnold coined the phrase of stay hungry. Arnold during the film pumping iron talks about what it is to stay hungry, but to summarize it in my own words it means to constantly find new ways to challenge yourself in order to become a better you. Joe talks of wanting evolution of his body in his book by making his body grow in a functional sense by evolving it to its strongest form. Inspired by the messages of these two men have l decided to become hungry for evolution. This Battle log will track everything from my thoughts, training, eating habits, and personal progression. Now while I am doing a challenge this log will be put on the back burner as I post in my guild for my current challenge. I will still visit and post, just not as often so I don't become side tracked. I do promise to post once a day in this log even when I am doing a challenge so I can level up? I welcome you all to join me on my journey to becoming A max level, over powered RPG hero. Here is what you will be able to find in my battle log -Monthly stats, my personal progression.- -The body, my daily training- -The mind, my daily fitness thoughts- -The spirit, everything inspiration and motivation- -Random posts of articles I wrote and youtube videos I will do for you guys.- DISCLAIMER: The information on this forum does not replace advice you receive from your qualified health care professional, and the information on this forum is not intended as medical advice. You are asked to make your own health care decisions based on your research and the advice of a qualified health care professional.

Checking in and starting my next challenge! I'm a couple weeks behind from starting, I started a new job, so that's exciting! I've been going strong with my weight loss! Today I weighed in at 202.2! That's 40.4 lbs down!! Getting close I know I only have 10 days left in this challenge, but I wanted to throw it in there to keep the motivation going! Level 2 Krav Maga has been going strong! Love it so much. Pushing really hard to be Level 3 by the end of the year, and maybe Level 1 instructor as well!! Main Quest: Lose more than/maintain (42.6lbs) by September 1. This number is from starting January 1, 2015. My Goal is to drop a few more lbs by September 1! I'm close to the goal, so I will keep going! Quest 1: Stick with going to Krav 3 times a week I've been going 3 times a week! Just want to stick with it Quest 2: Run two times a week I want to keep this as a main Quest as I've signed up for the Spartan Super in August! Quest 3: Go 90% Paleo Paleo has not been easy for me. I've done it about 80-90% of the time and I'm okay with that. there are a few things that I still enjoy enough that are not too horribly bad for me. Side Quest 1: Go for a run/walk in the morning before work. Getting closer to this one, i've been waking up earlier, but still need to just hop out of bed and go! Side Quest 2: Finish inspiration website More to come on this Motivation: Friends, Family, Coworkers. I've had a lot of friends follow my progress of working out, running, trends that I've taken on. I want to encourage everyone to not only follow what I do, but to see them commit to it and be healthy themselves. Life Quest: House will be on the market in the next couple weeks, want to make sure that happens! Reward System: Weight Loss Info(Instead of credits, xp, or $, I prefer info. Its value goes beyond anything else): 100% complete - 200 info 90% complete - 90 info 80% complete - 80 info 70% complete - 70 info 60% complete - 60 info 50% complete - 100 info 40% complete - 40 info 30% complete - 30 info 20% complete - 20 info 10% complete - 10 info 700 info total, (100 extra info available).

This is just a bit of a ramble about my weightloss story, which is neither incredibly dramatic nor exceptional, but I thought I'd share a few thoughts! Feel free to skip this one, but you might find it a little inspirational. :3 I recently revisited the United States, staying with the same people I did last time, and the difference was dramatic: the first time, I had been about 88kg of lazy teenager (edit: this may have been higher, as I never took pictures or recorded my weight at this stage in my life, I wonder why...). I had my reasons, and I don't hate on myself for messing my body up in my formative years, but this was the truth: I was very overweight, and no muscle development to speak of. The second time around, I was around 72kg, and had semi-defined biceps and shoulders. Though my hosts had seen me online, thanks to the occasional picture, the reality in front of them was a shock. I was physically a different person. It was actually the first visit to the US that started me on my weight-loss journey. While over there, people took me out to places that sold good food, I got to see how established grownups outside my family live, got a chance to step back and see things differently, and it changed my perspective on a lot of things. A lot of the changes were subtle. I felt like I could live a better life, be more of an adult. Perhaps due to the lesser stress while I was over there, I actually lost weight before I headed home. Like I said, that started it off. I started to move away from scoffing nothing but junk food, prefering things that were a little more adult, and even before I started exercising I had dropped a few kilos. It wasn't for another few years that I started working out, and being re-introduced to mixed martial arts completely blew my old attitudes out of the water. I often scoffed at "sports heroes" but it was in my twenties that I suddenly got one, and my entire attitude towards myself, towards goal setting, were changed. Combining that with starting to work out really changed me physically and mentally, entirely for the better. I started reading, and learning, and analyzing things, and made slow and steady adjustments to my diet. Soda was virtually gone, sugary sweets were massively reduced, and though I never quit fast-food entirely... I now don't think you actually need to, just need to be reasonable with what you order. The attitudes towards training and self-improvement moved me towards doing exercises I wouldn't think I would ever do. If you told me in 2005 that I'd be willingly doing things like medicine ball slams/burpee supersets and deadlifting nearly double my own bodyweight, I wouldn't have believe you. Not even slightly. Everything about me shifted, slowly but surely; my attitudes about food, exercise, physique, responsibility, goals... The end result is starting to show, and I'm only a few weeks from my goal now. It's my main fitness goal now, and I've stopped screwing around and taking half-measures. While I care a lot about athletic performance and strength and looking better, the excessive fat that had hounded me since I was a tween is starting to diminish and it's a really powerful emotion. I'm almost there, I've almost undone it all. I stood in front of the mirror this morning, and I realized something. It was no surprise that my changing body was shocking people. In almost a strange analog to puberty, I was undoing a lot of the damage I'd done to myself as a teenager, and my body was starting to inch closer to a taller version of the skinny little kid I used to be - although, this time, I had muscular definition and I'm just a liiiittle taller . In a way, I'm going back in time. My identity as a "fatter" guy was melting away, my "physical presence" was changing, being replaced by someone that wasn't familiar to everyone around me. Some of them even object to it, at least at first. But to me it's like seeing an old friend. It gives me hope that I can reclaim or salvage a little of what I had, before I screwed it up, and improve upon it - after all, I certainly never had a 140+kg deadlift and visible biceps as a kid. This is humongous to someone like me, who feels like they f*cked everything up when they were too young to know better, and thought he'd never have a chance to fix it; the prominent stretchmarks on my sides serving as a constant reminder of the permanency of my screw-up. Or do they? Now, those stretchmarks seem inconsequential, and I even hold hope I can eliminate them in the future, though I barely care now. The root problem is being diminished and I can see the progress every time I walk past a mirror; the thing that I thought I couldn't fix, is being fixed, and my permanent screw-up is proving to be decidedly impermanent. I can focus on being the healthiest, best version of myself ever, and whatever other benefits come, all the better. That one moment where I was like "huh, sh*t, I kinda look like when I was younger!" has served as a visible reminder that my opportunities aren't entirely lost. If you're like me, you want to turn back the clock and do it right this time before it's too late, and that's very much possible. If you've always been overweight and unhappy with your body, you ARE capable of seeing something you've never seen before. Don't tell yourself you're not. Don't tell yourself it's too late. And if you've got any form of battle scar to prove your struggle, don't let it get you down - it is what it is, and it is something to be proud of. Focus on becoming the best, the healthiest version of yourself, and deal with everything else afterwards. -------------- On a related note, you might run into what I was saying before, especially if (ironically) you were never extremely overweight: people are going to be surprised and confused, and possibly even concerned over the new, changing you. Tell them to relax. You'll be redefining yourself, and changing your body and even mind. For example, I've had people act like I'm becoming harmfully anorexic when I'm actually sitting at ~15% body-fat and consult doctors semi-regularly. It just happens that I'm actually a small-framed individual, and people since I was a teenager were used to seeing me at 25-30% body-fat; the real, healthy, happy me (that isn't afraid and ashamed to go shirtless at the beach anymore) is a lot smaller. Sort of unfortunately. However, obviously don't be deaf to those concerned and fall into the trap of eating disorders yourself. They're serious business and surprisingly easy to fall into. If people who love you are concerned, check why and at least listen. But you are going to be changing yourself, you will change yourself and your physical presence, and let people know to expect it. Thanks for reading, and I hope I didn't post this waffling crap in the wrong place. I didn't even really check this over or proof read it, this is just as honest (and probably stupid) as I could be. I wasn't sure where else, if there IS anywhere else, I could share my sappy feelings. Don't hate me, folks. :S

Hey there! I'm new around here... just getting started. My first goal is to friend 5 people who have been part of this Nerd Fitness community for awhile, specifically people who have some experience, have gained some success, and who have been around the block. If my own goal is longevity, then it's best to focus on longevity. What better way to start out? I know this is only a minor thing, but that's sort-of the point! I want to get a few quick wins and build upon my little successes. I don't want to bite off more than I can chew. I want build momentum and move towards real successes. What better way to start? This post is my first post. It's mean't to be an act of good faith. I'm not sure where I fit in around here but I look forward to moving forward. Thanks, everyone! In kindness, Adam

That is a fantastic title, I'm fairly proud of myself for that! Anyway, I feel that missing more than 2 weeks of the current challenge is enough to want to wait until the next one starts to officially log there. That is to say, I will still sort out and start on my goals RIGHT NOW, but I won't join a 6-week challenge until the next one starts (Feb 23 - April 5 I believe is the next one) So a preview and toe-dipping-to-check-the-temperature is what this is, I suppose. There's always room for tweaks and scootching to adjust for the busying of schedules or for more leisure time as it comes along. MAIN QUEST: It resides in my signature~ inspired by Daft Punk's song "Harder Better Faster Stronger" and Might Guy from Naruto, I never want to actually be able to finish this goal. So, my goal is to be better than my past self. YEAH FOREVER-GOALS! My current goals to achieve the fundamentals of my main quest are as follows: EDITS IN BOLD Goal #1: Mostly Vegetarian, Mostly Paleo Inspired by: Everyone who's ever picked on me for eating a vegetarian meal. Please note: I am not a vegetarian. I just don't eat a whole lot of meat products, they tend to be a smaller part of my diet because I prefer vegetables. Someone once told me this meant I was "Mostly Vegetarian", and I laughed pretty hard not gonna lie. I told one of my vegetarian friends about it and they got upset to the point of being offended, which I thought was strange but hey- to each their own.Plot Point: Reduce grain intake and replace with more proteins and healthy fats. I mean I love veggies, but they're not gonna keep the engine running all by their lonesome. Veg intake is already optimal.How-to: Replace at least 1 grain product per day with a protein/fat combo (ei: replace veggie burrito with lettuce wrap + meat/nuts, replace sandwich with raw almonds, ect) watch portions - make sure to have ≥ of veg instead of going nuts later and filling up on potatoes/breadGoal #2: Walk to Mordor Inspired by: The Lord of the Rings & Nerd Fitness! Great movie/article. I have a good activity level, but it's kind of sporadic and dependent on other peoples presence (my mother at the gym, my co-worker for bouldering, my sister for Just Dance Wii, ect)Plot Point: Walk places, or around. Don't have to go anywhere necessarily, but motivation always helps! Instead of paying an extra $3 to go 5 km from work to the next bus stop, walk. 0.75 km from the grocery store on the way home to buy those raw almonds instead of asking someone to pick it up. It's a beautiful, fresh-aired day, walk the 11 km to the local nature park and back, plus whatever wandering happens at the park! Anything counts.How-to: Walk a total of 25 km (15 miles) per week walk 5 minutes/day minimum - first thing after breakfastGoal #3: BAT-CAVE!!! Inspired by: Batman & Nerd Fitness (I spy a theme here)Plot Point: My living areas are pretty chaotic, it's not good. Definitely need more order and organization in that department.How-to: Do one thing, every day, to improve the overall functionality of my batcave living spaces. Can be cleaning, dusting, re-organizing all of my mothers DRAGONLANCE books (that last one takes hours though, maybe for an especially enthusiastic day) order of importance/rooms to focus on first: Computer room, kitchen, bedroom, living room.Goal #4: Finish This Challenge Inspired by: Every other challenge/goal that I have not finishedPlot Point: I habitually quit after a week or two for most things. No longer. I am now someone who finishes what I start or has the sense of mind to not start that thing.How-to: Keep a day-to-day journal. Post a cumulitive report online once a week (Friday) I opted to replace one of my diet/fitness goals with another life goal because that last one is fairly important. It's not looking at my failures in life and trying to be motivated by regret. I've accomplished a lot since I decided I wanted to be healthy: Lost 45 lbs Started exercising again Made new friends Go out of my way to socialize instead of complaining about being lonelyand then some more, so it's more looking at my failures and seeing how I can better myself from them (see: main goal). And this all starts today, right now. After I post this, I'm going to go wash todays dishes (goal #3) and then I'm going to check out what food-stuff we have so I can plan tomorrow's breakfast (goal #1). I'm not going to put too much pressure or planning behind this, because I know it doesn't work and I'm only moderately insane. So tomorrow's goal achieving plans will be made tomorrow, likely right before I do them. It's 11:01PM here in Canada, I wish you all a good night! Happy Tuesday~ -Rebecca

I just wanted to encourage the posting of everyone's favorite bodyweight practitioners performing amazing feats of strength and skill! What's the most amazing thing you've ever seen? For me it would have to be Arevik Seyranian, the high manna dislocate to handstand at around 8:00 in this video is just unreal! The one arm press handstands are pretty amazing too.

There are so many awesome people out there in the world of fitness and health and many of them are causes for much inspiration and motivation. Now i wonder, do you have any special role models or persons that inspire you and makes you think "damn, that dude is awesome, I want to be like him" or "man, that girl is insanely fit, I want to learn how she does it" ? At first, I thought I´d ask you only to mention one, but I found that I could´t do it myself, so you can mention several if you like . For me, I´m particularly inspired by these persons: - Alex Honnold: Bad ass rock climber who climbs without ropes (free solo) and has a great philosophy about the environment. - Bruce Lee: No explanation needed, - Awesome people in general: Ninja Warriors, people who can do the flag etc. When I look at these people, it always motivates me.

So I'm off to Serifos in late October 2014. My goal is to lose as much weight as possible, but sensibly, between now and then...but also changing general lifestyle. Anyway, I'm currently 5'6 and am a size 20-22 (UK), depending on what style of clothing I'm wearing. Today I needed to get a nice summer outfit that would be a goal to fit into. Here it is: From Tesco, so not expensive. The top is loose and will have a tanktop with it eventually. It's a size 14. The shorts are a size 14. 22 to size 14 is a lot... but I tried them on earlier and, surprisingly, there is only 3 inches that I need to loose before I'll be able to wear these with the button done up. So I think that's pretty attainable. I had two books arrive today (Paleo food book, and a Primal Blueprint book), as well as 20-min workout DVD that only cost £5. So I am keeping motivated, for now. Long may it continue!! Night all Bluehorn out.

As much as we would all love it to be, life is not a montage.....there is no fast forwarded, quick snip-it reel of you doin' some work to hype inducing Kenny Loggins music resulting in achieving 6 months worth of training in 6 and a half minutes!! Life is a grind....it is the day to day challenge to continue doin' what you must in order to achieve your goal....the constant fight of will power against those things which would stand in your way....and the knowledge that no matter what you have to keep pushing to matter how far you have come, or how far you have to go!! As any of you that have read my challenges before, I have continued to try to maintain my motivation by making it a challenge related goal. Well I have decided to make it my battle log instead. I will be posting pictures, sayings, videos and stories that motivate me. I will also occasionally add in life stories, rewards and stories about others that I find inspirational. There might also be the random things that make me laugh sometimes. I will try to makes these posts daily but I am not goin' to make it a requirement or a challenge goal. This way if I don't I will not start getting down on myself. Again these are for me, but if you are here I hope that they might help motivate you as well. Might as well start with my morning alarm:

Hi all! This will be my first official quest. I joined the Level 1 Rebels in the last week of the previous challenge, and am looking forward to being able to level up this time around. My quest is the same as last time, although with my previous week of experience I am far more knowledgeable about what works for me with regards to exercise, and what will keep me motivated and on track. So here is my mission: Krunchy's Main Quest: to lose fat and gain muscle. Ideally at a fat loss of 2 lbs a week. My Three Dragons: 1. No flour and no glucose, every day. Note that I didn't say 'no sugar'. This will allow me to enjoy my homemade preserves, but avoid any of the processed crap in the store. I will lose a grade for every day that I do not accomplish this goal. Exceptions to this rule: planned Girls Night out this Saturday and my sons 2nd birthday in October. 2. Work up to drinking 10 glasses of water a day, at least 5 days a week. I will keep track on my calendar to ensure that I am meeting this goal. Week one I will drink 5 glasses/day, and for each week after that I will add another glass/day. For every week that I do not accomplish this goal I will lose a grade. 3. Get moving, every day. Strength training one day with cardio the next does not work for me. I lose motivation. I like variety. So 'Get moving' can mean many different things to me. It means any combination of the following, 30-60 minutes a day: working with free weights, HIIT training, running on the treadmill, biking with my family, interval training outside, playing and working out at the playground with my kids, hiking, basically anything that gets my heart rate up and my muscles moving. I will lose a grade for every day that I do not accomplish this goal. The grading system may seem a little harsh, but I have been on this path since the beginning of August, so I have no excuses. I should be able to do the above realistically. The thought of losing a grade WILL keep me on track. Life Quest: Continue to read Thinking Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman My Motivation: To be able to do a chin-up. To be a healthy and active role model to my sons. To be good to my body so I can live a long and healthy life. To make up for all the damage I've done to my body up until now. To do a Warrior Dash next year and not have my ass handed to me. To be an inspiration to others so that they can live long and healthy lives too. To vote with my pocketbook so that the current food system is forced to make changes that benefit our society as a whole.

The wonderful life of being healthy, it's a far fetched and almost unrealistic goal for many of this earths inhabitants. The inspiration felt as you lie in your bed at night, saying over and over that tomorrow will be the day when you wake up and make a change. You research weight loss on google, trying to no avail to discover a secret, an easy way out. But when you see the horror stories that come with the supplements and pills, you finally realize that the one way you will look good in that now to small bathing-suit is pure fitness. Maybe you make the one mistake we all do our first time, you just try to change the exercise. You make a detailed plan, one which has you exercising at the gym or at home for an hour every other day, but after a week as you expect to see a perfect person in the mirror, the inspiration rushes away and with it takes a piece of your expectation. You start looking at other people, comparing them to yourself, thinking maybe you don't look that bad, maybe you're body is fine. You delude yourself. Then in a month or two as you watch your slim friends splash at the pool while you stand there in a white t-shirt and boy shorts, that wave hits again. I want to be skinny. I want to be skinny. You repeat. I want to be skinny. But that's not the way to start out. Maybe you spend years of this routine, failing each time. You lose one pound and it's like heaven on earth until the next week you're up by two. Or maybe you do what I did. You wake up one morning and you say to yourself enough is enough. You're sick of the cycle. You're sick of hating the way you look. You set your alarm for the next day to 6:00. You wake up and jog through your neighborhood. You throw away all the cereal and candy and sweet things in your house and replace it with fruits and vegetables and meats. You watch what you eat, you mark the calories and fat and carbs and you stay true to your limit. You get rid of that scale in your house. The only time you ever look at your weight is when you go to the doctors. You drink 8-10 glasses of water and you exercise along with it. They say 80% of weight loss is diet. I say 100% of weight loss is willpower. You can change your life. I had never before eaten as well in a month as I did that first day I woke up and cut the crap. I lost 5 pounds in 8 days. And I honestly don't care. As long as I am doing my best to make my life a healthier and better one then I am happy as a clam. I hope this helped some people out there that were as conflicted as me. I am 5 foot 8 and I weigh 130 pounds. I am not their yet but everyday I am working towards a goal which I haven't even made yet. Before I was 142 pounds and unhappy. I felt like I was the heaviest person in the world. Now I feel light as air and happy and everyone has noticed a change. If you want to make a change here are some great methods and websites that can help. 1. http://www.livestrong.com/ Count your calories and water and exercise. Not only does it force you to look at what you eat but it also takes time. A great motivator is convenience. Is that cookie really worth taking all that time to figure out the calories and nutrition info? 2. The Eatery app. This is the same idea as the calorie counters. 3. http://www.bhg.com/recipes/ This website has some healthy and delicious recipes. 4. http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCM1Nde-9eorUhq-teaWlgUA Without access to a gym, these exercises are easy but really work you. 5. Smoothies. If you are a salad hater like myself, add spinach and kale to smoothies. My smoothies are simple and easy, half a banana, a handful of strawberries and blueberries and a little water. Then just add a handful of your two greens and you can't even taste them. A teaspoon of powdered sugar isn't too bad, if you are a sugar addict like I once was then I would do that until your taste buds adjust. The point is, make a healthy change. And do it now. Don't say next week or tomorrow just do it now. And when you get those cravings just go with them, a healthy oatmeal cookie or a square of dark chocolate never hurt anyone.

Found this in a German newspaper a couple of days ago and thought it was just awesome. These guys are well into their 70s and are still going strong. Seriously, I'm under 40 and I can't do a planche ! http://www.spiegel.de/fotostrecke/die-seniorenmeisterschaft-beim-turnfest-2013-fotostrecke-96893.html

Hey guys, I just want to start off by saying I love Nerd Fitness and the support that comes from the site! Lately I have had a string of bad luck that has led me to kind of get into a funk. Besides going into the gym and hitting the weights hard, and training for a career in the fire department, nothing else seems to really be working out for me. My friends have all but disappeared out of my life, which leads to a lot of lonely weekends, my girlfriend dumped me a few months ago, I just turned 30 and I am still not making a good enough living to move out of home, I never finished college but I am currently enrolled in the new semester, and my sister is suffering from major depression issues and tried to take her own life. All of this topped off by no support from family, and my dad being no where to be found in my life. Any tips/ideas on what I can do to make life better? Being thirty now has really hit home, and caused a major depression issue with me. I feel like just quitting my current job and following my passions but I have no support or help from anyone. There are days where my phone doesn't ring or go off for days from friends. Am I too old to be feeling this way NF community? Should I continue my quest of doing better at the gym. HELP!

Perhaps something like this exists already, but if so I havn't found it. Nevertheless, this thread is meant to contain various inspirations: anecdotes, quotes, memes, motivational/demotivational posters, really whatever you'd like to share to help encourage others ranging form the most cliche to the most profound. Please feel free to share. “Our job in this life is not to shape ourselves into some ideal we imagine we ought to be, but to find out who we already are and become it.†-Stephen Pressfield, The War of Art