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Whew! That last challenge was a real doozy, but I made it! I am now officially graduated from my MA program 🥳 and just got back into town late last night (the ceremony was several states away from home since it was an online program). It's the last two-ish weeks of the classes I teach and my doctor cleared me to do gentle workouts (with a few "extra" restrictions since we're getting ready to do IVF). I'm finally over that mountain I've been slowly climbing for a long time now - in the case of the MA, 3 years! - and have found myself wondering...what now? What do I do with all this time I've suddenly "found"? What goes in those sections of my daily journal entry anymore? What happens next after the big goal has been achieved? This is something I've often found myself struggling with after big events like this, so I'm not wildly surprised. Still, there is a little bit to finish off here but I've found the best way for me to move forward when I feel like this is to relax a little bit but think up some new goals to set or I end up becoming one of those people who putter around doing nothing and then wonder how in the world they wasted an entire day/week/month/summer, so it's time to start dreaming up the next steps! Quest One: Fitness Okay so here are the rules according to my doctors: 1) start very slow and add time/frequency only if my body is responding well 2) walking or light jogging is okay except during egg retrieval week - no sprints or hard pacing (I believe walking is okay during egg retrieval week but not jogging, I will double check that) 3) No quick changes of body position, especially twisting - slow changes are okay as long as I don't feel any pain 4) Yoga is okay, but no inversion stuff (which could be a challenge, but I hate downward dog anyway so at least there's that?) 5) Be careful of my heart rate - try to keep it under 160, but it's running fast right now anyway, so I have to be extra cautious here 6) Try my best not to work out for more than 30 minutes at a time So with all of that said, my goal is to start with workouts 1x a week that are less than 30 minutes. I'm going to focus on walking and careful yoga with some light jogging - think like C25K but an extra slow, short version. Quest Two: Nutrition I'm still trying to gain weight, as well as improve my nutrient stores in preparation for pregnancy. I got this app called Sidekick that has a bunch of recipe "packs" that are supposed to allow for variety in healthy meals while minimizing food waste. My goal is going to be to cook recipes, probably from this app, 1x or 2x a week that still focus on protein while also including foods (mainly produce) I don't usually eat. This might be a single ingredient or a whole bunch, but the idea is that I get a wider variety of nutrients if I eat a wider variety of foods. Also I love to cook but haven't had time or energy during the last year or so of grad school crunch, so this is a way to get me back into a hobby I enjoy while also meeting a health goal! My weigh-in this morning was at 131.8 but I'm pretty sure that's only because I spent the last 5 days eating mostly takeout and sitting on my butt driving for hours on end. Quest Three: School Well, just because I graduated doesn't mean I'm done! I have the school that I teach in, but I also already have my eye on the next graduate program I want to do - my MA in Romance Languages (which will end up being dual degrees in Spanish and French). I promised my husband I'd take at least a year off before applying to the new program, but some prep in the meanwhile will help me a LOT once I get in! Goals for work: 1) send in dual-credit form to get that process started (I'm trying to get a local university to offer dual credit to my advanced students) 2) finish French 1, Unit 7 curriculum so that's prepped and ready to go in August 3) make the list of realia for my co-worker's son to try to gather for my French classes during his short trip to Paris this summer Goals for the second grad program: 1) find and read a French or Spanish chapter book - I own several of these, I just have to find them and pick one Quest Four: Personal Because if I don't make it a quest, I will get too obsessed with work or random social media nonsense to take up all my time. Either way, goals for my home and family tend to get pushed off, so this is the perfect time to bring them closer to the forefront! Goals: 1) work on my son's quilt - finish through row 15 (I'm currently barely beginning row 12) 2) reach out to a realtor so we can start looking at houses in the neighborhoods we want to move to sometime in the next two years 3) declutter the master bedroom/closet partly for home showing purposes but also because it's a mess. This includes my closet, the floor in front of the closet, the overflowing hamper (which will require a good amount of laundry!), the top of the chest at the foot of our bed (though I can start putting things into said chest, as it's currently empty), and weirdly enough the lamp next to my closet, which has some shelves built into it which tend to collect random hats, scarves, etc. This is not nearly enough to make the house ready to show, but it's a good start especially because I would love to paint our bedroom in June!

Hi Rebels, Restarting after a few years off forums, I've changed my username etc for a true respawn. A bit late to the party thanks to the bushfires. The smoke haze that has settled over my town has brought home how much I need and appreciate exercise for my health and wellbeing. There really is nothing like being able to do nothing fitness related to make you appreciate it. The gym has been closed and it is too hazardous outside. The gym finally reopened and I have been getting back into my fitness routine but I thought some accountability after about a month off (and being basically sedentary during that time, and breathing a lot of smoke!) would be a great way to respawn. My endocrinologist encourages me to try to exercise for an hour a day (I'm a type 1 diabetic) and I'm keen to get back to it! Goal 1: 30 minutes of yoga every day - Post run OR - Pre strength OR - Sunday on it's own - I'm doing YWA's latest new year 30 day challenge. I also meditate with Sam Harris' Waking Up app. Goal 2: 30+ minutes of jogging 3 times a week - Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday - Currently doing this on the treadmill because of the air quality - I can't stand treadmills without a distraction so I am using Zombies, Run! - I can comfortably run 5-10 km but have decided to go back to basics to prevent injury and am doing their 5k program. The 10 minute free run at the end makes for a good balance between drills and a jog. Goal 3: Barbell training 3 times a week - I've been lifting for about 6 months after a break of a few years - I've recently changed from Stronglifts to Wendler's Beginner Prep School from the book Forever 5/3/1 - I've deloaded by 10 kg. Possibly unnecessary but I am treating this as though I'm recovering from injury. Life Goal: Prepare my mind and body to tackle my last year of grad school head on I have between 12-15 months left before I submit my thesis. This year is going to be awesome and difficult. I'm keen to stay on top of my health which can quickly go haywire when I'm stressed. This week, my laboratory was still closed because of the smoke in the building, I am taking advantage of that time to prepare for the year ahead and will continue to do so this challenge. There are a couple of fellowships I want to apply for, some papers to draft out and experiments to plan. One thing I want to be strict about this year is my waking and sleeping times. So I'm planning to experiment a bit with timing of things, and alarm placement to improve my chances of this. Let's do this!!!

Hi, I'm Raptron! One of your friendly neighborhood flipperdoos. I'm in the middle of a hot, hot summer of action, but still trying my best to make time for gymnastics, lifting, friendships, prepping for a road race, bachelorette parties and weddings, non-wedding related travels, etc. Things are going to be a little wild the next few weeks: 7/31 - 8/2: Overnight work retreat 8/2 - 8/5: DC trip with childhood friends 8/9 - 8/11: Tennessee for gymnastics camp 8/17 - 8/19: Cape Cod for 7 mile road race on Sunday 8/31 - 9/2: Bachelorette weekend in Rhode Island 9/7: Wedding (local) 9/8 - 9/12: Possible trip to ??? for my friend's birthday I also have signed up for a powerlifting meet on October 12. Once the 7 mile race happens, I'll have 8 weeks to meet prep, so I can't really be slacking before that either! I need to be in a good spot to get my prep in gear. And finalize what I want my meet prep approach to really look like. I'm in something of an in-between program at the moment. With these things in mind, I'm going to try not to lose my mind. I love a fast pace and I love travel, but I can't ignore the things I have on my plate -- mostly my workouts, the fact that I'm trying to get a new job before the year's out, and maintaining sanity by saving downtime to digest my thoughts, try to divine my feelings (we're pretty estranged), and work on some personal projects. 1. Jog at least 3 times before the 7 mile race 2. Lift 3x per week 3. Journal 2x weekly + write 2x weekly (planes are a good place for writing!) 4. Work on new job applications 2x per week And that's that! Given my schedule, I may not be updating at the normal frequency this challenge. But, I'll do my best and I have a good record of sticking around.

Disclaimer: I hate running and haven’t run for more than a bus in years! ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A number of us (it might be 100%!) are sub-optimal in the running department. How about a couch-to-5k to rev the NF crew up? It’s a zero to hero, couch to 5K program, designed as it says to get you from the couch to a 5k run. 9 weeks of terrible dreadful pain and suffering in your time, then it’s over and you can get back to your pint! This is the app that outlines the program and guides you through it, there’s a small cost (less than $5): iPhone: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/couch-to-5k/id448474423?mt=8 Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.active.aps.c25k Start next week on Saturday 30th March…..9 weeks later on Saturday 1st June at 8am(!) we’ll do a virtual team 5K using a local Park Run Lycra optional! Who’s in? OK back to my beer… @DarK_RaideR help me out bro...

OK, I did a little better than that, but I still didn't really live up to my own expectations. Howdy, I'm Thrillho. I think I was here last year sometime, maybe the year before, but I am generally over in the Monks' Dojo. I enjoy boxing and MMA, and I've been more focused in slowly reducing my excess weight (down to 255 from 268 so far this year, 238 at my lowest last year and 288 at my highest last year, so... it's a struggle). For this particular challenge, I need to focus more on the strength that my body is lacking. I'm still heavy, but I need to worry less about my weight and more about what my weight is composed of, namely muscle. My lower body is strong and flexible, but my knees are a problem area, particularly with range of motion. I can slowly squat press pretty much the entire stack, and with my legs wide I can squat press the next biggest guy on my gym thrown over my shoulders... but what I CAN'T do is a simple jumping split squat. The speed and co-ordination just isn't there, and if I manage to do it fast enough and high enough my legs give out. My strength is very uneven. I need to fix that. Worse than that, my upper body is quite weak, which is kind of something that a big guy should never be saying. I've been working towards a pullup for the last four years and I keep getting closer but I am still a ways off. I'm not shooting for it THIS challenge (I will be doing it this summer, though). THIS challenge, I am focusing on the shoulders, biceps and triceps, mainly developed through pushups (which I can't do a lot of) and kettlebells (which I keep forgetting I own). So... let's break this down! Challenge #1 - Sproing Not just squats, but jumping squats. Full depth down, full extension up, and knees to my chest while in the air (if possible). Sets and reps to be determined this week, but I already know I can't do A LOT of these in a row. I have good cardio but these will gas me out like nothing else. Challenge #2 - Push'em Ups I think someone from Fedor's camp might have edited that... anyways! Arm strength, as well as the associated shoulder, back and chest strength. The best way to do this for me, at home, without extra equipment? Pushups! Bodyweight. I have no shortage of bodyweight (thank you, belly jiggle). Reps and sets also to be determined this week, but I THINK I can do twelve in a row. Not sure how many I could do for my second set or third. I might just do "as many as I can", and keep track that way. To be updated. Challenge #3 - Pick'em Ups And what is in between those two areas? My core! Specifically my lower back. I'm a big, heavy guy and I spend all day sitting so this is a problem area for me, and when it comes to training and striking that's also a weak spot... the core is the anchor for all head movement and stance switching, and especially for stuffing takedown attempts. The pushups and the jumping squats will help with this somehow, but I will also be incorporating in kettlebell spins and good-mornings, to strengthen that whole area. Spins for time duration (at least five minutes, twice a day, to be determined) and quantity of good mornings to be determined. I don't know what's going on here, but it won't stop me.

Good evening guys, I'm BioGuyJos and this is a very quick draft of how my story here starts... I always wanted to feel faster and lighter with my body, I used to weight around 120 kilograms way back in 2011. I managed to exercise myself starting from summer vacation time in 2011 up to summer vacation time in 2012. I lost around 50 kilograms, weighting 70 kilograms before summer in 2012. In that time I was a high schooler, I felt better with myself and people started to treat me in a different way. It was pretty awesome. I got graduated and I started college. I did not exercise as much as I did in 2011. I gained weight again, now I do weight 88 kilograms. I went to the gym various time in the past, I did lost some mass but I felt somewhat incomplete. Now that I found this community and read about the kind of classes here encountered I felt like being a Scout could bring this "completeness" feeling of mine. My objectives are, in a BROAD sense, to improve my endurance and my stamina with running. A more specific goal is to participate in a 1/2 marathon nearby my town in August, it is about 23 kilometers. Last week I jogged 1 mile with some friends, I felt good and also tired after it. I am here to ask for your experience and also to join in this class. I do not know if here is possible but I am using a template from level ones challenges... LEVEL 1 SCOUT CHALLENGE: Diet Eat a vegetable with one meal every day Reduce fast food consumption by 50% Fitness (pick one) Commit with running the running every day. Level Up Your Life 5 minutes meditation daily. Say one positive thing to yourself each morning when you look in the mirror. My exercise schedule will be something like in the link attached. (OBTAINED FROM THIS PAGE, http://running.competitor.com/2014/03/training/running-101-how-to-start-a-running-program_7648) THANKS FOR READING!

Whenever I have run over the past 14 years, it is always the same. Severe pain in my shins, my legs get fatigued, but my shins burn really, really badly. I was told of shin splints and that this is common, but for the last 14 years it has been major factor in me always stopping my fitness routine. Any advice or encouragement? Is this normal? Am I doing something wrong? Please help.

http://rebellion.nerdfitness.com/index.php?/topic/79718-rantings-of-a-mad-man/ ^ Also posted this up here and realized this area is where introductions go. Attention Mods: feel free to remove the above post if you would like, I apologize for my confusion. ^ Hey all, my name is Matt and I am a computer nerd. Phew, glad I got through that. I am out of shape and recently made a solemn vow to my family that I would run a 5k with them this June. I am a procrastinating hobbit who eats way to many snacks and does absolutely nothing to burn it off. I'm not obese, but neither am I "in shape." Since starting Nerd Fitness, I am now doing the 10 minute walks every day (for 2 whole days now ) and the 4 recommended yoga poses, despite my feeling silly whilst doing them. After the 10 minute walks I find myself winded. Sad, I know, but true nonetheless. I am great at starting something new, but really need to develop the endurance to persevere and I am hoping NF will help with that. I know I have many hurdles to jump and look forward to questing with you all. Also: I am leaning towards becoming a Scout or an Adventurer, but am unsure which one is up my alley. Guidance is appreciated. I have always felt like I "could" get in shape, but honestly I've had no desire to do so. This is the start of day 4 and I enjoy getting involved in groups and I have been told I am a wonderful motivator, therefore, if I can be held accountable to keep going, I will gladly do the same for all of you! Ojara out.

On runs going for multiple hours, one needs to carry a few items: house key, iPoodle, a little money, and importantly, a snack bar or goo packet. Without getting too graphic (oh go ahead, imagine it), I found out on my half marathon that tucking sharp-edged foil goo packets into one's bra can lead to injury. Unfortunately, most of my running clothes contain no pockets, so perhaps it's time I got a belt. suggestions? Got one you're happy with, or did you find another clever solution to the luggage problem? My mother's expensive bike jerseys always seem to have pockets in them, but I can't afford those, and anyway I need something suitable for running, not biking.

Introduction: My name is Qiyra, I'm a 21-year-old Australian PhD student who wants to be more physically capable. I'm a healthy weight (163cm, 56kg) but have a suspected hereditary heart condition (coronary fistula). Nothing that serious, it just means that my heart gets tired a lot quicker than other people's because one of the little arteries that sends it oxygen to pump isn't connected up properly. So I've gotta toughen the little guy up! MAIN QUEST: Be able to run for 30 minutes without stopping (STA +1) Quest 1: Run 3 times per week. Motivation = increase cardiovascular fitness (main goal)Attribute = STA +1Quest 2: Do yoga 5 times per week Motivation = to stretch muscles and maintain flexibilityAttributes = DEX +1Life Side Quest: Wash face every morning Motivation = to wake myself up! I find it unbelievably hard to get up in the morning. I'll need to be ready for my run.Attributes = CHA +1The attribute points are awarded at the end of the challenge, depending on what percentage of my goals I achieved (link to calculator). Check point saved... tomorrow will be day one!

Ughh So I am turning 25 during this challenge and I am soo dreading it. Not that I think I am doing bad in my life right now I am just WAY far off from what I always thought and dreamed I would be at this age. So I am using this challenge as a way to distract myself. And since running is something that I have pretty much sucked at during my first 25 years of life I would really like to turn things around and actually get good at it for the next 25 years. So that's going to be the focus of my challenge. Main Challenge Goal: 20 minute sustained run Goal #1: Follow Zombies 5k trainer program 3 times a week I have been successfully avoiding running most of my life and I would really like to get my shit together and get good at this very basic skill. So as I am very much a beginner I want to follow a laid out program created by someone with much more experience than me. I like the RPG set up of this app because it keeps things fun and interesting. I will be starting on week 2 this week and will be on week 3 by the starting day of this challenge which works out nicely because I will be able to finish the program during the challenge. Goal #2: Hike Koko head Stairs at least once a week. For those of you who don't know what this is it's a short but steep hike up an old railroad track consisting of approximately 1100 railroad tie steps and about 0.7miles total; basically Hawaii's outdoor stair master. I'll try and post some pictures for you all. It is a seriously good cardio workout and a good strength and endurance workout for your lower body, once you get to the steeper part at the top you are basically lunging up a mountain. I will post my times going up and down for you guys, right now I am right around the 30 minute mark going up and 35 minutes going down. Last time I was there I met a girl who goes up and down 5 times as a regular workout, so badass. Goal #3: Every 1 hour yoga class = 30 minutes cardio workout of any variety. So in an effort to create some positive reinforcement in my brain I want to combine something I love (yoga) to something I avoid at all costs (cardio). That way a built in reward. SO this doesn't necessarily have to be running outdoors on a track because that's already going to be happening 3 times a week with my first goal, so this can be any kind of treadmill, elliptical, bike workout at the gym or even one of the cardio based classes at the gym like spinning/ cycling, core and cardio, or cardio kickboxing. Life Goal: Work on my writing at least once a week.

I think I've asked this before, though probably in my long-buried 6-week challenge threads from last year. What's the best way to build up endurance for jogging and future running? This happens intermittently: I say I'll start walking to begin training, but life happens and I end up not walking again for a month or more. Then I have to start all over again. More than once I thought, "well, don't just stroll leisurely, speed walk or try to jog for 30 seconds." And that gave me shin splints and/or a headache. So I suppose I just need to walk more? I feel like it's not enough, because I always hear that you need to push yourself, that the way to burn fat is with short, intense intervals. I think it's intense summer sun that contributes to headaches, so I don't have to worry about that for awhile. But I always dress appropriately and take a bottle of water, sometimes a spare in the car for afterwards. I wish I could get a gym membership for just summer. Also, getting up early to beat the sun is not an option right now, as I work at night and sleep til 11 am-noon. Hoping to change this very soon though......

Hi guys This challenge for me (my second, just moved up from recruit!) is about losing as much fat as it is possible to lose in a sustainable manner. I weigh 172lb, and according to my estimations, I should weigh no more than 156. I have made a huge impact in my fitness level by taking up jogging, but I'd like to start branching out, as well as generally doing more. I also have huge issues with coordination, posture, flexibility etc, and if these got improved along the way, it would be a great thing. Last challenge I aimed fairly low, as I wanted to really make sure I would stick with it. This challenge I'm aiming higher! Anyway, my challenges are as follows: Main Quest: To weigh no more than 156lb Quest 1: Food I want to follow my complicated food and drink plan, which consists of this: Monday and Tuesday: <1900 calories. No alcohol. Wed, Thurs, Sat, Sun: <1900 calories which may include up to two UK units of alcohol. Friday (date night): < 2400 calories which may include up to six units of alcohol. NB if I stick to diet and exercise plans and at week three have lost less than 3lb, I will drop to <1500 and <2000 respectively. Also, not doing paleo as am veggie. Measurement: A= ≥ Stick to this strictly throughout all 6 weeks, B= Up to 6 days where I didn't stick to this overall. C= Up to 12 days where I didn't stick to it overall. Reward: A = +2 CHA, +2 CON, +1 STA Quest 2: Exercise. Follow my complicated routine of: Every week 1x 1.5 mile run 1x 3 mile run 1x 5.6 mile run 1x 20 minutes boxing 1x Yoga 30 mins 1x core bag work out 1x sit ups and stretches (warm up, down, energising and posture stretches) 1x NFBWW 7 x toe touchers 7x (press ups to failure x3) Measurement: A= Do all of these things each week, B = Do at least seven of these things each week, C = do at least six of these things each week. Reward: A = +1 STR, +2 STA, +1 DEX, +1 CHA Quest 3: Balance Stand on one leg (my right) during the time it takes to boil the kettle EVERY TIME. Stand on one leg (my left) after flushing the toilet during the time it takes to stop Measurement: A = Perfect, B = Follow to at least week 4, C = Follow to at least week 3. Reward: A = +2 DEX Life Quest: Code for ten minutes at least five days a week and at least one hour on one day. Measurement: A = Perfect score, B = At least four days of ten minutes and at least 30 on one, C = at least three days at ten minutes and one at twenty. Reward: A = +3 WIS

The Zombies are after you, better start running or you are done for. I'm about to get real with you guys... I have been lazy, full of excuses and giving up easily. I have been eating when I am not hungry and going for those bad snacks lately. Water? What is that... Juice all the way. It has made me feel like shit and I am tired of it. It has been affecting me in my horseback riding and my life... it needs to stop. These are my zombies and I am going to outrun them for this challenge. MAIN GOAL FOR THIS CHALLENGE: Lose 10lbs by April 5th Sub quests: > Minimum 15 minutes Zombies, Run (or cardio supplement) 2x/week 2x / Week = 2 Points 1x / Week = 1 Point 0x / Week = 0 Point > Minimum 2 Strength workout - Bodyweight, Resistance Bands, Swiss Ball, Kettlebell 2x / Week = 2 Points 1x / Week = 1 Points 0x / Week = 0 Point > Track that Grub (Food Journaling) 6-7 Days = 2 Points 3-5 Days = 1 Point 0-2 Days = 0 Point 6 Points = A.. You outran the zombies... this time 3-5 Points = B.. The zombies are still on your tail, pick those knees up! 0-2 Points = F.. You got eaten by Zombies... Try again LIFE QUEST: Get my head in the game...If I don't it could cost me my life. Be decisive...Be motivated...Be Confident. This part of the challenge is all about mental health and perspective. For this, I will be reading books, listening to music, speeches and basically just pumping myself up for life. If you guys are interested, these are the books I am reading currently. So I guess I could give a little blurb about myself I adore horses and I quarterboard a beautiful Belgian cross mare (non-horse people read: big female horse). I had quite a tumble off her back in October and that resulted in a torn ligament in one of my fingers which is just getting sorted out now with physio two times a week and I have an appointment with a plastic surgeon April 20th. Anyways, a lot of my goals tend to resolve around my riding and getting lighter, stronger and more stamina for that. Horses are a big part of my life, but the biggest love [aside from my boyfriend ] is my Boxer dog Rook He is just so crazy and full of life, he is definitely the best! Aside from those, I like programming, playing video games, reading and doing art. I tend to randomly post art I have done in my thread lol so don't mind that. Starting weight: 248lbs Height: 5'10'' Wish me luck <3 grawwrrrrrrrr

right. well. last challenge had its ups and downs [as is to be expected] but it ended with a catastrophic down. so i'm dusting myself off and trying again. pictured above is how i plan to deal with this challenge. long-term goal: 19% bodyfat i'm currently ~25% and i have been for quite a while. i joined Nerd Fitness in July of 2013. from then until now i have been trying to drop these last few pounds of fat. physically, there have been a few small changes [both forward progress as well as back-sliding]. mentally and emotionally, however, i am in a much better place than ever before. i think the kind of progress i've made is the most important, and i'm extremely thankful that i'm able to love myself the way i should, but these last 5 lbs are really starting to get on my nerves... 1. don't eat that shit! reprise - no sweets in the previous challenge, i tried to track my food every day and stay at a caloric deficit. it's a great idea in theory, and last year i probably could have done it, but my life has changed and i don't have the time or discipline that i used to. so i'm taking out the extra effort of recording every dang calorie and just cutting out sweets all together. no more guess-work. no more excuses. just results [i hope!] 2. do what you love - get up and move around 5 days/week i already have a habit of taking a brisk 15-30 minute walk every day at work, so that's a good start. i also meet up with a friend 2 times a week to jog [which, surprisingly, i am really starting to love!] but more than that, i have to re-commit myself to exercise. i've got a punching bag, rock climbing shoes, a bike, running shoes, a weighted vest, and lots of knowledge about bodyweight exercises. i always have fun working out. it's just making myself do it that's the hard part. 3. pen to paper - write 700 words/day, 5 days/week as you may or may not know, i have aspirations of becoming an author. during the last challenge, i finished my first book. now, i've started work on my second book [which will be the first in a series]. i need to write on this thing HARD, and i also need to publish the first book. i have a feeling it will need quite a bit of overhauling before i send it off to the press, which i don't even want to think about because i am just so done with that story, you know? anyway, it's something i have to do. i'm really proud of the work i've done so far. i know i can shine it up and make it even better, but it's hard. other things i want to do more of during this challenge: witchy things - Tiberius got me a whole bunch of spell ingredients and a freaking awesome Grimore for Christmas. plus i ordered a couple of wiccan almanacs for 2015 that have information about moon phases and herbs and all kinds of things. and on top of that, i did a lot of prepping this past fall so that i can have a garden this year. and having a garden means lots of green magic! so i'll read up on that, too. violin/dance - right now i'm half way through a pottery class [another (early) Christmas gift from Tiberius] but as soon as that's over, i'm going to either start violin or dance lessons. i've been wanting to learn both for years and years and i finally have enough money, so i'm going to do it. go to church - i grew up going to a typical non-demonimational Christian church, and i hated it. but my parents have started going to a really, really cool Mennonite church. whenever i've gone with them, i come home feeling full of wonderful peace and joy. so i think i should do more of that. i think peace and joy are good things to be full of.

"There is no need to sally forth, for it remains true that those things which make us human are, curiously enough, always close at hand. Resolve then, that on this very ground, with small flags waving and tinny blast on tiny trumpets, we shall meet the enemy, and not only may he be ours, he may be us." -Walt Kelly I’ve conquered boredom eating. I’ve conquered loneliness eating. I’ve conquered entitlement eating. Deeper than all these things I found something else, something different altogether. Here is how we recently met: A maple bar. I took it, intending just to have a few bites. I ripped off a quarter of it and enjoyed that. It was good. Then I decided I was done, I didn’t want any more of it. My stomach, which has always been sensitive to sugar, also let me know that I should stop. That’s truly all I wanted. But there was some other voice inside my brain, a hot little salamander buried somewhere deep that said, “Mmm, get fat. Cozy, cozy. Good, good. Fat happy.†And I ate the whole bar. I haven’t lost a lot of weight this summer as I’ve been doing the challenges, but I’ve gotten a lot stronger without gaining weight, and I’ve got some noticeable muscle tone that wasn’t there before, so I know I’m making significant changes. And there’s some part of my brain that’s not happy about it. It’s not really part of my intentional mind, not something really conscious. Something subconscious that’s keeping track of its lovely collection of fat, its shiny dragon horde of extra – something that’s not happy with the way things are going. And it can be very persuasive. My goal for this challenge is to draw this dragon out into the open and identify my weapons against it. To this end I will: 1) Completely abstain from all junk food until the dragon shows its head. This may take a few days the first time, I’m not really sure – but I’m certain it’ll starve out well before the end of the challenge. The metric for this goal will be pass/fail for each campaign, each cycle I have time to go through during the six weeks. I can then assess a percentage of successful attempts to hold tight until the dragon appears. (Stats: 4 stamina for 100% success.) 2) Identify the dragon’s strategy. When the dragon appears, I will not ignore it or push it away from my thoughts. I will observe it carefully and attempt to document its weapons against me. I will hold out for a reasonable time, long enough to attempt some strategic (less unhealthy) pacification of the beast. This is, however, not a dragon-slaying expedition, but merely an investigative one. The metric for this goal will also be pass/fail, based on effort. (Stats: 1 stamina, 1 con, and 3 wisdom for 100% success.) 3) While I wait in my camp outside the dragon’s lair, I will continue to improve my strengths for future combat by maintaining the exercise plan I’ve built up over the last two challenges: I will go running at least 15 miles a week, and I will do my expanded bodyweight exercise routine at least three times a week. (Stats: 4 strength, 1 dexterity for 100% success.) I also have a life goal during this time. My spouse and I agreed that the time had come and I could buy myself a laptop if I wanted, even a pretty nice one. I’ve never had a laptop before, and have really no idea what I want or how to make a good purchase on something like this. So my life goal is to research and make this purchase. (Stats: 1 wisdom)

Hey everyone! After lurking around Nerd Fitness for the last few months and living vicariously through my friend Priscillia I've finally decided to partake in a 6 week challenge of my own! A little about me - I'm 23 years old and currently work full time in retail. My whole life I've been on and off fad diets, losing weight and gaining weight. As an occasional gamer (not so avid anymore), I love the concept of NF... if you can spend so many hours leveling up your character in game and making it the best it can be, why can't you do that with your own life? Love the idea! I really think (and hope!) it'll work for me I'd say my biggest problem would be motivation and prioritizing. The sad part is, I've taken anatomy classes in university and college and I know pretty much all the 'rules' when it comes to what the body actually needs nutrition-wise in order to flourish... I just never seem motivated enough to make it a priority in my life. I've always said that everyone's got their vices- I don't drink, I don't smoke and I don't do drugs... I eat! That's my drug. But I think it's finally time for me to have a healthier relationship with food and to experiment with different forms of exercise to find something that I like that I can stick with! Last year I moved away to Winnipeg, Canada where I lived on my own for 4 months. When I came back home I realized that all my pants were loose and no longer fitting me properly. After stepping on the scale, I realized I had lost 20 lbs while I was away without even trying! All I did was buy more fresh produce vs processed, prioritized making my own meals and limiting my fast food/take out intake to once per week as a treat. It was then that I realized that it is possible to lose weight without following a specific diet just by choosing healthier options... And it doesn't need to be soul-crushingly difficult! Haha. Anyway, enough about me! Here goes nothing... Main Quest Lose 10 lbs in this 6-week challenge. Form lasting positive habits in order to fulfill my long term goal of losing 50-60 lbs by this time next year (September 2015). Quest 1 +2 STR, +3 STA Work out for 1 hour 3 times per week (combination of jogging, swimming, weights or yoga class) Grading : A : 3 days/week B : 2 days/week C : 1 day/week F : none Quest 2 + 3 CON Log all food intake and try to eat between 1750-2000 calories/day, preferably the former. Grading : A: Logged 6-7 days/week B: Logged 5 days/week C: Logged 3-4 days/week D: Logged 2 days/week F: Logged once or none per week. Quest 3 + 1 CON Cut out fast food and eating out to a maximum of once per week. Grading : A: 0-1 time/week B: 2 times/week C: 3 times/week D: 4 times/week F: 5+ times/week Life Quest + 5 WIS Job hunt and research online part-time school programs. (I'm currently working full time in a low paying job... I love it, but it order to move along with my life and become more independent I need to make a better income. I'm also thinking about going back to school to broaden my work opportunities). Motivation Weight gain and physical activity has been a lifetime struggle for me... My main motivation is to be able to live a healthier lifestyle, to avoid disease in the future, and to feel more confident and body-positive. Mini Quests : Adventurer Mini Quest 1 = complete ✔ + 1 WIS

Ahoy ye mateys! Omg he has a little hat! The names Rookie and I am finding myself back at the Adventurers door step I hope you will have me back! Last challenge I joined the Scouts to help me focus on my upcoming 5k Color Run (July 26). During that challenge I focused on doing my C25K, eating clean without counting calories and doing exercises/stretches to help with my horseback riding. During that challenge another challenge popped up between my future SIL, Mum and my friend... If I lose 55lbs by August 2015.. I get a free trip to Positano, Italy! So my focus is back on losing those pounds and getting a killer bod. Main Quest: Get to (and maintain) 190lbs by August 2015. Sub Quests: Do BWW twice a week (probably Thursdays and Saturdays) BBWW reference A: 2 workouts B: 1 workouts F: 0 workouts Journal my food daily (1 optional day a week) A: 6-7 days journalled B: 4-5 days journalled C: 2-3 days journalled D: 1 day journalled F: 0 days journalled ..... NOT SURE YET D: for my third one. -paranoid this thing will get deleted- Thinking something to help upper body strength. I suck at that but that could get covered in my BWW. Life Quest: Readddd more I miss reading and I have a lot of books. I would like to read some and then donate the ones I don't want to keep. Starting Stats: (I will update this closer to the challenge start date) Height: 5'10 Weight: 241.4 lbs Fat %: 41.1 Water %: 37.6 Muscle %: 34.1 Bone: 4.2lbs Motivation: To be more athletic for horseback riding I'm a bridesmaid at my brothers wedding August 2015 Positano Weightloss Challenge August 2015 (if I get down to 190lbs by then.. .FREE TRIP) Rookie my puppup He has too much energy. I really need to invent something to siphon it from him. Yup. Dat face!

Through sheer force of will he materialized! His spontaneous appearance accented by a resounding clap of pure anger and frustration! He collapsed to the ground, the magenta hued Pandarian breathing heavily. "Curse you Goregemonger!" he swore violently, a string of curses so vile they could not be reproduced with mere words alone. "It takes more than that to defeat me!" Laughter, deep and foreboding replied as he started his third quest. <Purple_Panda has reconnected> Long story short, last quest ended swimmingly I thought, held to my goals, didn't quite complete all of them, but success across the board was had. However, sadly, we had ISP issues for the last 30 days of the challenge basically. *grumbles incoherently* This being said, the last quest was pretty tough. I think with the success of the first I bit off more than I should have. Again, while I feel I succeeded, it was by the purple fur of my butt! I plan with this challenge to revert back to my first challenges goals to get the wheels going a little easier, but tweak it slightly. Main Quest Continue to rid the country side of Gorge Monger, the Evereatings, influence! Drop 12lb in six weeks. Missions: 1: No Rest For the Wicked! Just as the forces of evil do not rest, I must maintain my activity! Run/Jog, at least, 5 miles a week. +3STA +1STR +1DEX 2: Cleanse the local Temples! Continue with Paleo. +3CON 3: Training 101 + More! Every other day do the Advanced Body Weight Workout followed by 20+ minutes of an additional work out of my choice. This means after completeing the ABWW I'll then, for example, do another circuit of it, or dumbbell routine, or stair stepper, etc. Jogging/Running does not count for this particular Mission. +3STR +1DEX +1STA Life Quest: Get the house sold! +1WIS +1CHA Realtor coming over tonight; didn't make the last goal. Blargh! Hopefully by the end of this challenge I'll be rid of it! Notes Pretty short and sweet for my goals, simplistic can be better I think; so I'm hoping this will rock. On top of the goals above, I've kind have fallen in love with the PLP challenge, I started it this morning, and while not a goal, kind of a sweet thing to do on the side. Rocking out 60 Pull-ups through out the day is pretty awesome! I never thought I'd be able to do 10 in a row! Trying to get to 12 in a row at the moment. *cheers* Starting Stats Weight: 267lb

Heyo, I just started up exercising and dieting again and something I've begun to do is running. I've never been much of a runner so I know that there are several things I'm getting wrong but one thing I know for sure is that I'm stepping wrong somehow. The calf muscle in my right leg gets really sore while I feel nothing in the calf muscle of my left leg. What am I doing wrong and how do I fix it? I think I'm using my right leg more than my left leg. When I go running it frustrates me so much that I stop and take a break just because I'm angry at myself. Help me please and by running i mean jogging Edit: Thanks for the replies everyone! I tried different shoes and it seemed to solve my problem so it's all good now

Hi all! I understand there's already an ongoing thread for people that are already using Zombies, Run! or 5k, but I just wondered if there was anyone else out there who was starting up Zombies 5k? I've started it before, TWICE, but always gave up due to my horrendously low will power...even though I enjoyed it... weird. Anyone else thinking of starting it up for the new challenge? It would be nice to have some Zombuddies (hurrr) to go through it with?

This is my first challenge. I'm super excited. I'm doing it with another friend (and possible another). I believe I've set up reasonable goals and I'm ready to get going. I hope to get to know some of you during this six-week challenge. Starting stats: 5' 11", 232lbs, BF% 28.1, sedentary lifestyle (programmer by day, husband/dad & movie buff by night) Challenge 1 Goals: 1. Do the Angry Birds Workout (ABW) for the full six weeks on Mon/Wed/Fri http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2011/03/10/angry-birds-workout-plan/ The ABW is just the first step to getting to Ranger. STR 3, DEX 1, STA 1 2. Work my way up to jogging 1 mile without stopping by jogging on Tues/Thur/Sat for 30 minutes I have never been a good runner. Ever. I'd like to change that. I will be using C25K for my "trainer" DEX 1, STA 3 3. Start measuring food to correct portions This has always been an issue for me. I really need to start being intentional about what I eat and how much. I will make sure to at a) portion before sitting down to dinner at home and portion the food immediately when it's brought when eating out. CON 2, WIS 2 4. Every week complete at least one of the many DIY jobs my wife planned for this summer. We have several projects which need to be completed and I don't want to let the summer get away WIS 1, CHA 1 Risks: - The ABW and running are about 20-30 min each. It should not be difficult to carve out 30/day. However, it's every day and life tends to get in the way. It's going to mean getting up early to make it happen. - The portioning foods goal will not be dificult if I just remember to do it. - The DIY projects will mostly have to be relegated to the weekends. I get home too late to start most of these projects Check-Ins: I plan to check in Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for goals one and two. I will include updates on goal three a few times a week but will leave goal four updates until the following Monday (unless it coincides with a M/W/F update).

First challenge! I'm really excited. I'm also a teeny bit lost on how to put points to each goal. Also how to break them up week by week. Goal #1 - 3 miles in 30 minutes I've been jogging six days a week for the last 4 weeks, and I've gone from one mile to 2.6 miles. My jog this morning took me 30 minutes. But not sure how to break that up into weekly intervals. Goal #2 - Yoga every day, strength training on Sundays and Thursdays. I've started this already, but haven't managed total consistency. Goal #3 - Spend 5 min a day focusing/meditating on this: I trust myself. The Universe supports me. I create my own reality. Every day I move closer to my goals. I know how to get what I want. I am safe. Goal #4 - I want to write the rough draft of the novel I'm outlining right now. I do National Novel Writing Month every November, so I don't think this is outrageously difficult. I just need some accountability like I have in November. The first week will be finishing my outline and character development, and then after that I need to write 2,000 words a day. Or so. Around 16,000 words a week. So those are my goals. Mostly they're sort of pass or fail, except for the jogging. Unless anyone has any input on how I could divide them up?

Jumping in late, so this will really only be half a challenge. I tried doing my first challenge back in November and fell off the wagon after a couple of weeks, so, this is my second attempt... Start of NF (and Current) Height: 5'9" Weight: 258-260 lbs Body Fat: 47.5% Hips: 48.25" Waist: 42" Arms: 15.75" Thighs: 32" Pants: 18-20 Shirt: XL-XXL Since I'm only doing half the challenge, and since I failed so miserably last time, I just have 2 goals: Track Everything [+1 WIS, +1 CON]​Track all food/activity on WeightWatchersWear and sync FitBit every dayCouch to 5K [+2 STA, +1 DEX]​Follow the C25K plan and do workouts 3x per week And since I'm only doing 3 weeks, I'm only going to take 5 attribute points if I'm successful. My motivation for starting this up again is that I'm moving with my bestie to NYC this summer. I would like to be able to actually be helpful during the move instead of having to sit down every 5min. I'm also moving across the country, in part, to get away from this ex that I can't seem to escape, and to just in general get a new jump-start on life. So, being fit and healthy and looking good, would be awesome. I want to enjoy NYC and not just sit inside and eat junk food. I also just turned 24 and for some reason am already freaked out about turning 25. I want to feel good about myself when I'm 25 and stop wasting away my youth. Or something.