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So 2020, eh? This is exciting! I can already kind of see the light returning to the world. The dark of the year is behind us. And as someone who has been doing kind of okay, managing s.a.d it still fills me with joy. I am 36 yo female from the north of Germany, Katrin irl, going by the handle Morag or Katrin Morag most everywhere online. I weigh 100kg, which is way too much. And I don't much like how bloated and stuff I feel. On a less depressing note: I did really well throughout the holiday season and into the new year. I am leaving break week with two more staple meals in my quiver, leaving me at a glorious all-time high of two. Yeah, I know, but the last 3 challenges were obviously worth it, because I now HAVE these 2 meals and am thinking about what else I like to eat regularly. One rice concoction is definitely needed, because the mushroom porridge I cooked in the past is kind of difficult because it has more than one portion (which is good, because it's a comfort food I sometimes prepair when I feel a cold come on or shark week or something, but calculating portion size is iffy with that one). Anyway so far so good. I am taking a weekly afternoon class of Korean, which is challenging and therefore good. I learned a lot but there is so much to learn still. The kids both need support for school work. Being a single mum, yes we co-parent but still, it falls onto my plate. And I don't mind that much, sometimes we are a bit overwhelmed, the boys and I. Luckily usually it's just one of us at a time, so it all works out. I have a twinge in my lower back / hip and it's keeping me out of the gym, which pisses me off, because of the lack of endorphins, plus I LOVE lifting, but I have called the physical therapy office and I may be able to get started on fixing it as early as next week. So progress. Phone call on Monday will tell. I need to implement a self-reflection habit of some sort, due to my therapist sending me out into the world on my own soon. Which is exciting, but also scary. So taking care of the things that pop up, when they pop up or scheduling them. All in an effort to keep stress levels managable. And I am kind of happy to not be in the gym that first half of January. But I miss the barbell. So theme? I wish I had an idea. Warning lable: there will be rambling wall posts, there will be food porn, there will be both hype and whine. And I am hoping for weight going down. Pain going away. Morag returning to the bar.

Welcome friends. This is my new challenge. Main Goal! My ongoing quest to rid myself of extra, unwanted padding continues. This quest will see me through the rest of my vacation, and my subsequent trip back home to Korea, where my job will start up again. Near the end should be a fairly stressful time, but I'm planning on being fairly in my habits by then. I will complete my main goal through three quests. Quest 1: Run 150 kilometers total I'm hoping to increase my distance this challenge. In order to do this, I have set out a specific goal number. This also is a good way to keep track of the mileage on my brand-spankin-new running shoes. (DEX 2 | STA 3) Quest 2: Paleo 80% We all know we can't outrun our forks. To complete my main goal, I need to take more care with my diet. Going paleo has helped me so far lose 13 kgs. I have gained some of that back, but I know I can get it back off. (CHA 3) Quest 3: Wall-free headstand and handstand This is more of a fun, supplementary challenge than something to work towards my main goal. It's a definite plus in that it forces me to practice my yoga habits more regularly. I like yoga but I find that I don't tend to work it in as much as I should. So, something to complete by the end of 6 weeks. Doesn't matter if it's for 2 seconds or 2 minutes, but I want to be away from the wall. (STR 2 | DEX 2) In addition to these quests, I have Life Quest: Complete my Korean vocabulary book My Korean studies have been lacking in the past 6 months. Dreadful, actually. I'd like to learn it to make my life easier, to be able to help friends, and be more independent in my life, and not rely on others as much as I do. I'm currently in the process of making all of the flashcards. My vocabulary book is the 2000 Essential Korean Words for Beginners, and I plan to finish it by the end of this challenge. In order to do this, I must study everyday, without fail. This is extremely important.(WIS 3) Bonus Quest: Sign up at local gym when returning to Korea To keep improving my strength training, it's time to sign up for an actual gym once I return home. Luckily while I'm in the States I can use my mom's gym. (no points awarded) My journey is about more than me. My goal is ultimately for me, but I am aware that I can pass on some good habits, or at least a good example, to my friends and family members. So, join me during this challenge and together we can conquer the world!!!

All of my life I've wanted to learn languages, and I've finally decided to go for it. I'm working on adjusting my eating habits, getting into shape, losing weight, and now I want to work out my mind as well by trying to learn a new language. I've tried to learn a new language before but I haven't been able to 1, stick with it or 2, find a method that works. I'm a very visual learner, but I can't seem to get a handle on a new language. The top five languages I want to learn are Russian, Arabic, Farsi, Korean, and Chinese. Does anyone have any advice/tips/tricks/suggestions/HELP! that they can give me? I would be VERY thankful for any comments you send my way.

Well well well, we meet again. Having fought my way through the first challenge, I find myself standing in front of the most secretive and most shadowy guild hall in our humble Nerdville. It seems like a million eyes are watching me from the shadows. I knock on the door, and it opens. I'm ushered into a dark room, and handed a file. "This is your target." To complete my mission successfully, I will need the strength and stamina to physically confront them, the dexterity to escape, wisdom and charisma (and linguistic skills) to blend in with the locals. Main Goal: Build Strength and Flexibility, and Consistency Goal 1: Bodyweight training 3X per week STR 2, DEX 2 I will be doing the BBWW or a HIIT Neila Rey workout if I'm short on time. Goal 2: Daily Yoga 30 minutes of Adriene Mishler or Erin Mott's youtube yoga. (For the second week of the challenge I'll have no internet, so I'll just improvise with whatever I can remember). DEX 3, CON 2 Goal 3: Daily Plank (yesterday's plank + 10 seconds) My ultimate goal is 5 minutes (in this challenge). STR 1, STA 1 Life goal: Daily activity on Lang-8. 1. Study Korean for 1 hour. WIS 2 2. Correct someone's English post. CHA 2

So....here we are. I completed my first challenge, but didn't do as well as I'd hoped. The two weeks in between have been......worse. Now I'm here to commit to myself and make sure that I start this challenge on a more serious, but reasonable, note. Let's get to it: My background: 28 year old female, living in South Korea. I'm an Elementary English teacher for another month and a half, then I'm off to start a new job as a university professor in Seoul. I enjoy movies, reading, art, and cooking. During this challenge, I will not only be starting a new job, but also finding and moving into a new apartment. There's also a week's vacation in there. So, there will be a fair bit of stress, I'm sure. Why did I choose Nerd Fitness? I'm tired of being unhealthy, fat, and unable to do so many things I want to do. I remember being able to run, climb trees, or walk uphill without being winded for five minutes. Main Goal: Commit to a healthy lifestyle and actually get under 80kgs this time. I will do this by completing these: 1) Stop smoking This is really important. As much as I've tried to quit so many times before, I really want to do it this time. Today is actually day 1 without, and I'm doing great so far. I just need to keep doing it. If I'm really serious about getting healthy, this is the best thing to do to get that started. I know that smoking affects every aspect of my health and in general is pretty yucky, so the time is now. 2) Commit to moving everyday So far I've been doing a 30-day yoga challenge, and I finished day 13 today. I'm getting used to having a routine and looking forward to it. I've also been making sure that I'm walking for at least 30 minutes a day. I'm glad that I've started this routine already, and I'd like to make sure that I keep doing it throughout this challenge. 3) No takeout This was the same in my last challenge, but I'm hoping I do better on this goal this time. More cooking at home, less processed food, and more control over what goes through my body. Not so much of a diet, per say, but more control over everything. Bonus Round!!!! 1) Studying Korean This was also part of my last challenge, but I didn't keep to it the best....or really at all. So, this time it's on my list again. Whether it be making a blog post in Korean, studying vocab, or at least one grammatical rule, I must keep to it every day. I'm here with the adventurers to start my fitness adventure! Make me accountable and help me out! Thanks for reading.