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This turned out maybe too honest. A fair warning: I personally think you should read this as an adult, and then decide if it is okay for your kid to think of such. Concerns dark and sad emotions and suicidal feelings. -Thank you Lately, that mental bullsh*t started giving me trouble again. After one extremely bad "not-any-kind-of-beautiful-thoughts" day, I am seeing professional help. On a rational level I mostly know what is causing it (depression, addiction, loneliness, low self-esteem like glass and a general "why the **** bother?" with life), but it is a royal mess to start making life easier. Tried to tidy up the challenge to save people from the hurt. Well, seems with this kind of subject, I can't tidy it up enough. PM me, if you want a rougher account, I will gladly give it, but I am not comfortable with the idea of making it public. Main goal: Although I feel sometimes like suicide is a good option, I am afraid of death. I don't want to die. The small steps of beautiful things: Escapism is not a depression medicine 1) 2 hours of homework day, and no gaming/books before that. 2 hours is less than I'd need to solve the huge backlog accumulated, but as I currently do next to zero, that'd be a good step up. Love, human connection and beautiful things 2) I know I need close people, and just a normal conversation with someone makes me feel better, but I do not know how. I have spent so long alone, I find it hard to reach for people, especially strangers. Despite family and two good friends, (sometimes) I feel terribly lonely. 3) Look on the positive Due to depression and my self esteem feeling like glass, if something happens (I fail at something, break stuff, can't hit a deadline) I have a tendency for spiraling thoughts of negativity that go on and on, and I tend just listen to that little voice that tells me I am worthless (and worse...). On the worst times I really believe that lil' bastard. I am going to take active part in the Honorable Order of Rebellious Appraising Yeomen and Love Your Body and Food. To have a defence for the horrible days. 3) Finding thing that bring me joy Lately not even PC games or reading has brought me much joy, other things even less or not at all. I just do those to have something, to have bubble that shields from the boring real world. See #1 But then again, sometimes the little things, like walking in the sun, or drinking warm chocolate are fun. But I still can smile and laugh, and enjoy things. Finding more of those. Right now, I would rather feel pain than nothing at all, because of the chance of life. -Yours, Fearkiller

Hi everyone! I've always been a skinny dude; I come from a family of skinny men, which is nice since it means we can eat whatever and as much as we want without damaging our figures (contain you envies girls). However once I entered puberty I, like any other teenager, started to become conscious of my body. During high school I was in Karate, which helped me a ton to be in shape; however I was lazy and had anxiety issues, so I didn’t develop any muscle. When I started my university studies (as an international student) in Canada I decided that it was time to start working out, but the new country, culture, studies, etc was too overwhelming… in the end I had to forsake the gym to try to work things out, alas it didn't. I returned home for a while to plan my next step in life and I also decided to start working out. I worked out for a while…but I simply couldn't make myself continue; it just didn't feel like the right moment. Fast forward a couple of months to the present, I’m here in Houston ready to start a new chapter in life. Found a nice place to stay, eager to start my studies and I definitely feel way more into working out. I get my membership to the gym, all goes well…until exactly one week after I started working out. In that week I suffered a biking accident. Fortunately I was going very slowly, no fractures nor twisted extremities. Yet I wasn't left unharmed, I still can’t move my arms perfectly. I have yet to return to the gym. I guess that what I’m trying to say is that every time that I want to get started, to try and feel better with myself, some factor (either internal or external) always seems to prevent me to go on more than a couple of weeks. I WONT let it stop me… but it’s getting awfully tiring. Has something similar happened to you? AramisN

Not sure where to begin or even how to begin. I guess first to say that I stumbled onto this website while trying = AGAIN! to find a way to lose weight; at the same time trying to figure out what was WRONG with me. I don't want to dwell on the past, but I wanted to give a little bit of what has gone on so that maybe someone (with compassion) would help, guide me, and understand that "baby steps" are what I can do until I can gain some momentum to run with all ya'll WILD REBELS!! Started off life with Oreo cookies to my mom's delight! She found that it was a way to keep me entertained while she spent all her time chasing after my little sister, Miss Picky Eater. So started off my school years as a chunky monkey and into High School struggling to lose weight. I wasn't totally obese yet, but getting married then having a baby started the inconsistant race. Each year I thought I was being successful by the end of the year I failed and gained it all back. By now I had gained up into the 200 mark. A whole lot of things happened along the way, programs, diets, pills, books, doctors, taking college course to learn about Fitness and more studying and still no results or motivation or sticking with it. Present day, work consistently at a desk job, gained more, exercised way less. In a car wreck in 2010 so that contributed to even more weight gain and thus triggering a series of aches and pains (so I thought). For the past 4 years I have gained up to 300# and now severely sore and struggle with any type of movement. Needless to say, the day after Easter I was so down, depressed and just plain mad that I decided NOT to eat any of the junk that everyone brings in after the Holidays. I was not going to eat ANYTHING. That night I was feeling pretty okay. So the next day I decided to do it again. By that evening I was surprised that I was actually feeling like some of the pain was going out of my body. I was getting a little excited, so I decided to check out the internet for topics on "Sugar Detox" and what other things would lead to feeling better. As I kept reading and soaking in what I could I was so surprised that I didn't learn any of this in my Fitness and Nutrition training course years ago. On the third day I had found a website that I wandered into and started reading about all the things that changing your eating can do. I had seen this word before "Paleo" but the first part started out with giving up all sorts of things that I "thought" I would not get to have. By the forth day I had seen it again and then saw these funny little leggo people and thought I would check it out and that is where I found Steve Kamb talking about food, eating, fitness and getting healthy and being a REBEL! It has been a total of 7 days now and only a few days of checking out Steve's websites and learning about some of these changes. I have to tell anyone and everyone that I run into how these simple (wish I had done this a year ago when I saw it then), but here I am now and I can hardly contain myself. The reason being is in just these few days of changes I CAN: Stand up straight again, I can walk forward without waiting for my legs to catch up with my brain, I can actually walk forward, and I don't have to hold on to objects to make my way around a room or to get to another object to hold onto for fear of falling. AND THE BEST PART OF ALL!!!!! THE PAIN IN MY BODY IS GOING AWAY! I am so going to be a REBEL! With or without my friends. I tried to explain what is going on inside and out and all the noticable changes and feelings and they have already been discouraging me about following an unhealthy eating program. THEY HAVE NO IDEA the pain nor do they understand that weight issue since none of them have ever had weight issues or struggles. So here is my introduction and my struggle to this point and my EXCITEMENT TO BE HERE. My first challenge is to make it past the 5 minute warm up of a video I bought a year ago and have tried it now about 4 times in that year and only made it through the 5 minute warm up. I started on Steve's first newsletter. Just read the second one and will be looking forward to the rest of my life in a much better healthier physical active state. Yeah!!! I have 50+ more years to enjoy!!!! BTW...I lost 5# this past week and didn't even realize it.

I'll try to get this to the point where I'm posting daily, but this first post is almost overdue enough to call it a weekly retrospective. MONDAY Exercise Goal: StrongLifts workout A - my first! Squats - 5x5 @ 45lbs Bench Press - 2x5 @ 45lbs Barbell Row - 4x5 @45lbs Jog/Walk on treadmill - 15 minutes/1mi Food Goal: Total Intake: 1759cal - 96 over goal of 1663 Fats: 60g - 11g under goal of 71g Protein: 73g - 87g under goal of 160g Carbs: 140g - 42g over goal of 98g Fiber: 31g - 1g under goal of 32-40g Thoughts: Sooo I suck at the bench press. I'd like to blame it on my bum shoulder, but in reality I know it's just because I've probably never used my chest muscles for anything more than supporting my boobs. (Not that that's not a task in and of itself, right ladies?) Barbell row was almost a complete success, so I'm confident that when it comes time for the next set (Saturday!) I'll do the whole 5x5. Squats felt easy at the time, but my legs were sooooo stiff the next day! Food.... ouch. I won't be too harsh on myself because it's day one, but I REALLY need to get more protein - I hit less than half my macro today! TUESDAY Exercise Goal: Not met. Missed yoga because food shopping took longer than I thought it was going to and I would have been 25-30 mins late to class, which is not cool. Food Goal: Total Intake: 1149cal - 514cal under goal Fats: 29g - 42g under goal Protein: 69g - 91g under goal Carbs: 86g - 12g under goal Fiber: 11g - 21g under goal Thoughts: This was my day off, which means I spent half the day lounging in bed, sleeping late and catching up on paying bills, reading things, etc. Days like this I actually forget to eat, which is pretty much what happened. I didn't get up and do anything, so I didn't eat. Once I finally got up, I went food shopping and that was a success, because I got zero junk food, all healthy proteins and veggies, but it was hard to catch up on my eating - I can't force myself to eat if I'm just not hungry. I tried to have 2 pieces of chicken with dinner and everything, and I just could NOT manage to finish. I did have another small victory though, because Tuesday night is Bar Trivia night, and not only did I avoid the temptation of greasy pizza (my favorite), but I kept my alcohol intake down to 2 beers. We won, because all false modesty aside, I am a trivia savant. (No really, my family stopped agreeing to play Trivial Pursuit with me by the time I hit puberty) WEDNESDAY Exercise Goal: Stronglifts Workout B Squats: 3x5 @ 45lbs, 2x5 @ 50lbs OHP: 3x5 @ 45lbs Deadlift: 1x5 @ 70lbs Food Goal: Total Intake: 1709 cal - 46cal over goal Fats: 87g - 16g over goal Protein: 112g - 48g under goal Carbs: 137g - 39g over goal Fiber: 30g - 2g under goal Thoughts: Realized I was reading directions wrong initially, and that for deadlifts it's 1x5, not 5x5. So I adjusted the weight accordingly. Increased weight for my squats about halfway through, since my legs were still sore I didn't want to hurt myself. Barely sore at all today though, so I'll definitely up the lbs next workout! Food wise this is probably my best day so far, but I'm still struggling to get enough protein and reduce my carbs. Learned that the secret to hitting my Fats macro is to just eat nuts to make up the difference, haha. Bought almonds, macadamias and walnuts while I was food shopping, so I shouldn't run out for a while! Now that I've caught up a bit, it's a relief! I'll put today's entry in a separate post since this was a lot of info in one go. What I really could use some advice on is how to up my protein intake! I do have Muscle Milk shake powder that I have after workouts, and Met-Rx bars here and there, but my problem is that they're also a lot of carbs, so when I'm already going over for that macro I need alternatives. Also, I do like meat, but I can't eat a ton of it or I get a little sick. Ideas? Suggestions?

When someone asks how I'm doing in February and March: Life is busy. Too busy for a formal challenge. I'm exhausted. Two jobs and the impending end of Crazy Work Season is really taking its toll. Four of the next six weeks will be spent trying to maintain as much sanity as possible (the last two, recovering). So, with that in mind here is my short and sweet "I just want to play with you guys" challenge. 1. Self care. Meditation, yoga, sleep, whatever I feel like I need to maintain sanity and manage my stress levels. 1a. Meditate daily. 1b. Workout at home when I can't get to the gym. I lift 3x weekly. If I can't get to the gym I lose motivation to workout. So, my ass needs to be in gear at home. 1c. Don't die. (back by popular demand) Low key, it is. But rest assured next challenge is going to be amazeballs.

Main Quest - Become more aware of movements and mental status. Related Missions - Keep a daily log of food and beverages consumed. Include calorie intake. Keep a daily log of time spent on fitness. Note duration and exercises. Begin writing in a journal, at least twice weekly. Monitor stress and results. Life Quest - Improve visual accuracy and general hygiene. Related Missions - Take visual exam, and purchase upgraded eye-ware in an updated form. Improve nail health by using special polish weekly, and not biting. Improve oral health by cutting out soda and finding a new dentist. Current Information: Lvl 0 - Human/Hobbit - Aspiring Assassin STR: 0 CON: 0 DEX: 0 WIS: 0 STA: 0 CHA: 0

Had an epic week this week and I just can't contain it anymore I need to shout out to the world how awesome I am (no one at home really cares) So you guys are it. So after ages of blah blah boring life and routine with nothing much changing. I have managed to PB sumo deadlift 62.5kg x5 (137lb) PB front squat 47.5kg x2 (104lb) boo-yeah!! Stand up on the clean bit of the wave and turn to miss someone while surfing wooo i'm still learning and generally catch the white wash and don't often stand so was super amazed with myself Rode a motorbike (for the 1st time) round a mates property and i didn't crash/hurt myself (which was my fear) in fact had an awesome time and can't wait to try again, hopefully today when the rain stops :D:D ps I'm not normally this full of myself

Hi guys, So I am working on an idea for an online business, sort of a subscription service. I have some general questions that maybe I can get some opinions on. First some back story. I entered University 7 years ago having no idea what to do with my life (like most people). I ended up graduating with a Commerce degree, and since then have been seeking ways to use it without hating my job. I have yet to find this type of work. Going to work every day and sitting in the office for 8 hours, then going home and just waiting to do it all over again the next morning is exhuasting and demoralizing. Frankly it depresses me to no end. But what else can a guy do? I mean you have to make money, you have to have a job, you cannot just piss your life away. These thoughts are how I kept getting up for work everyday. So what if there is another way? I was reading Nerdfitness for the first time the other day and I became inspired. Maybe there is another way to live your life. I don't want to check into an office doing the same thing 8 hours a day for the next 30 years. It's exhuasting, it doesn't challenge me and I simply do not enjoy it. So I started picturing a way to get out this life path. I came up with the idea of starting a online distribution business based on subscriptions. Which brings me to my questions for you guys: I know zero about programming/web development. Is it possible to create a site without this knowledge? I was thinking of trying Squarespace or some similar service versus hiring a web developer.How difficult would it be to deal with shipping products without a warehouse? Do you think its possible to find wholesalers that ship products for you, or is a warehouse to hold product necessarry?How do you think the best way to advertise is, without spending outrageous amounts of money? I was thinking advertising on social media, podcasts, and word of mouth.If I have never done anything like this before, am I doomed to failure? Would failure be the worst thing or should I accept the possibility that it could happen, and if it does use it to learn?Anyways these are just general inquiries/doubts that have been running in my head. This may not be the best place to ask these questions, but I love the nerdfitness community since I heard about it, and am just hoping for some general advice/tips for where I can get better information should anyone have any ideas. Thanks!

Hi Nerd Fitness Community! I've seen various blips of information filtering into my life for a while now from Nerdfitness; the community on facebook, Steve's blog and email updates etc. t-shirts!!! and I've decided to do something about leveling up my own life overall. I've got a tonne of aspirations and a life full of tasks and chores, no shortage of motivation, or enthusiasm to get the stuff done (that I'm good at) but I'm permanently tired from having too much going on at once. What I could do with is pointing in the right direction to leveling up generally. I seem to remember seeing categories for structuring these goals to level up in all aspects. Does anyone know where the list is as I can't find it. Once I've got those categories set down then I can work out what needs to be in them and where from this list of tasks - big small or otherwise, and set to with working out how to get them done - THE FUN WAY!!! If I structure my goals in the same way that you're all structuring yours then it becomes measurable and I can join in with you all on the 6 week challenges! - thanks for having me on board

Main goal "I want to feel the life and be present in every moment, so that no moment would be boring and there would be time for the really important things" Mostly, when I do something, I worry over things I haven't done, or did wrong, or should do. And it made me angry&irritated, not be really with my family or enjoy things, ruining the moment I was in. And because of just screwing around doing all the other things than what should be doing (schoolwork & time with family) I don't get anything done. What a waste. - Whatever I am doing, I will give it my full attention. So no distractions, multitasking, worry of past or the future. I am hoping that feeling present fully will reveal the person that I am under all the useless mind-clutter. (Inspired by the NF article "How to become a productivity ninja" ) - Every day I will have a moment I do absolutely nothing. Just close my eyes, breathing slowly and deep from my diaphragm, letting my thoughts go. Also known as meditation. (Stumbled upon this in Leo Babauta's blog Zenhabits, "How to meditate daily" http://zenhabits.net/meditate/ ) Life goal: "I am not person who disrespects others by being late." I wrote to a teacher an email where I once again had to explain why an assignment was late. And I had no acceptable reason or excuse for it. All I could say was "Sorry, I can't say anything else than I will do my best to correct my ways". It felt bad, because I felt I was making her life a bit harder, and because I have a long time thought that returning agreed things late and not being in time at class shows -and is- disrespect for the teacher, classmates and anyone else. Teachers respect me by doing the work they do, and they are good people, so it's only fair to respect them back. To make this happen I will aim to be early in every set meeting and deadline. I will be 10-15 minutes early in class and other daily times, and more than one day early in any major deadlines. In class this time I have to wait I will use however I feel like at the moment. Meditation, thinking, going through notes... A 15 min block of completely free time is the carrot I need. (These two tips were lifted from Art of Manliness article about punctuality http://www.artofmanliness.com/2012/07/18/a-man-is-punctual-the-reasons-youre-late-and-how-to-always-be-on-time/ ) My motivation is this quote, although I do not know who said it: "You can say sorry a million times, Say 'I love you' as much as you want, say whatever you want, whenever you want. But if you're not going to prove that the things you say are true, then don't say anything at all. Because if you can't show it, your words... don't mean a thing."

Ladies, I know it's taboo to talk about our menstruation cycles with non-females This is why I have a question for you. When do you think it is appropriate to talk about periods? I mean, this place is all about fitness and health, and I don't know about y'all, but when I start, things kind of get out of wack. It directly effects my physical performance in most cases and trying to explain things is just plain awkward. Like, lets say, why you think your back was pissed off at you while you were doing leg lifts when it normally is fine, suddenly it becomes difficult to state that your period decides to send cramps to your lower back just for fun (I just had to deal with this like two seconds ago, thus this awesome post here). It becomes, "how do I say this without grossing people out?" or "I can't just say hat I'm on my period". How are we supposed to solve issues that they cause without discussing it? So I am asking you how you deal with these situations, how you feel about it, and how, if you do, modify your workout schedule while on your period?

January 14, 2014 AD Introduction - Hey there everyone, or no one as the case may be. I'm Nianis, and I'm a 19 year old guy from Cincinnati, OH. I'm currently in the process of trying to join the military, which requires a lot of working out, especially for my job. I've been trying to keep journals off and on for a few years now, but I've never actually been able to stick with it and just keep forgetting about it eventually. Hopefully this will change it, as I'll actually have to come back and check this site! That being said, right now I know I'm just some level 1 rebel and haven't achieved too much, but I guarantee that I will show you all my potential and one day RULE THE WORLD! But for now, this will just be something I will log my workouts in, and also just a public journal about the various happenings in my life. Currently - I've been waiting in the Air Force DEP for a ship date for almost 11 months now, and I'm getting sick of it. I gave my recruiter until the end of this month to come up with something, and if he doesn't I'm leaving for the Army. A lot of people might think that I'm being too picky about the kind of job I want, but to them, I say this: It's my life, I have a right to be picky. I've worked my booty off to even qualify for this job, not even mentioning keeping qualified. If you still think I'm too picky after the first two reasons, then you're just an unreasonable person >:c Other than that, I've pretty much just been working out, not really watching what I eat though, it's never really been a problem for me. That's about it, thanks for reading my post! I'll most likely post another one tomorrow, since today was a rest day. If anyone's around the Cincinnati area and is looking for a work out partner, just send me a message and I'll do my best to keep up! Nianis Out.

Kibcy's battle log version 3.0 Because Kibcy is that stupid human who can't win. But Kibcy is also that human who will NEVER GIVE UP, NEVER SURRENDER. So Kibcy is ready to give this another shot. I've restarted my SuperBetter profile again. (www.superbetter.com) I hope to use it to help battle my mental obstacles to a better life. I have no reasons, goals, or aims right now. I don't care much for a "where I'm now" or "where I'm going" type thing. To be completely honest, I don't care much for being healthy actually. What I care for is feeling good. I'm not feeling good. Not physically, not mentally, not anything. I'm not even sure why I'm even making this battle log. I guess I'm just looking for something to hold on to. Challenges? Yes they're fun. Only I can't do them. I will fail them. The pressure too high, the support too minimal. Then rather no pressure and no support. Unless you want to give support. Support is always welcomed. Let me talk about yesterday. Seeing as it's morning here, talking about today is futile at this point. Yesterday. Getting up was a problem. I was tired. I went about my routine and took my "always the same" breakfast of yoghurt and muesli. I went to work. I survived the 8 hours I'm required to be there. For lunch I had bread with chocolate sprinkles, a cup of milk, an apple, a banana and a pastry. I was still tired going back home. I was actually feeling "light-headed" and not quite right. Like I would just topple over and I couldn't feel better for whatever reason. I ate two "stroopwafels" on my way to my car. I parked my car down town of my home town, because I was going to the pharmacy. They were suppose to have my vitamins. Turned out they didn't. I left my phone number, they would call me. Then I went to the bakery and got food there. Then I went home. At home I ate the bakery goods. A pastry, cheese croissant and two buns (I put chocolate sprinkles on them). I did my laundry and I dealt with my cats for a bit, then started up the movie "The company you keep". At one point, after my will power was gone (I had used it to resist the urge for awhile already), I got up and poured down the remaining chocolate sprinkles in a small bowl. I grabbed a spoon and ate it. After the movie I took care of the cats and spend some time with them. After that I went to bed. Indeed I left nothing out. It's the full tale. It's depressing. It was depressing to live it. These little bits of story is what I plan to post. Maybe in a different format, but just... a tale of my life. Maybe not as detailed, but definitely this will be a log of my life. Hopefully we can see a positive trend as time goes on...

'Sup Scouts? I'm the worst about actually finishing challenge, so in addition to my main goal, the meta-challenge is to actually finish this challenge. And I think I've finally figured out my main challenge... RUN THE 2014 BOSTON MARATHON (April 21, 2014) Now you're probably thinking that I'm crazy because people like my friend's marathon-running dad haven't qualified for Boston and I've only run 4 miles once. However, my university near Boston sponsors a Marathon Team, where everyone can run with the team and 100 people get numbers (the rest can do bandit, which I'll do if I don't get a number, unless I get injured. Priority goes to students about to leave and I'm a senior...so there's hope?) Anywho...challenge goals: Go to every marathon team run/interval training. I've been pretty bad about this for last few weeks, including this morning. It's Wednesday/Sunday runs and Tuesday interval training all in the morning, which (as a creature of darkness) is something I'm not a fan of. Run at least one other day during the week. Do this guy every morning. Modified a little bit because I live on the third floor of a very old college dorm where the walls are thin and I am self-conscious. I might drop this goal if I'm not seeing any sort of "Oh man I'm sure feeling awesome today!" results or something like that after a week or two. (Corollary to this one is getting up with my first alarm at 9:30. You'd think that wouldn't be difficult but you haven't seen my desire to not get out of bed.)The obvious exception to 1 and 2 is injury or illness, maybe if I have an exam late in the day, but midterm season is basically over so I'm in the clear. LIFE GOAL: Apply for at least one job every week Like I said, I'm a college senior. I took the FE a couple weeks ago and just handed in my term paper on Monday, so there goes all the things I said I would do before I started applying for jobs. The first one's always the hardest. Here we go...

Hey there! I figured I wanted to get a bit more involved (and I realise that a battle log isn't the best way to do *that* but it might help me to remind me to check the forum, and participate ). For food I think it's important I don't obsess too much (hence the 'keep it simple'). I'll post my weekly meal plans and comment on food when I have something more to say on it. Exercise-wise I aim for at least 3 solid work outs a week, so I'll track those. Other than that I cycle to work every day (15 minutes each way) and if I don't have to work I cycle to the stores, city centre, church etc. Other interests which might pop up are scripture reading (reading 15 minutes/day was my goal during the last challenge, I try to keep it up), reading (in general, fiction and non-fiction. My goal for the year is 50 books, I'm currently at 47) and music (I play the harp and ocarina, focussing on the harp lately. I try to play a little bit every day (didn't play for about 2 years, need to get back into it). So... Let's start! Meal plan for this week (And because it's the first post: Last week ) My workouts are always over at Dailymile (see signature). This week I didn't do a lot just yet But it's in-between challenges, so I'm taking a rest-ish week. I'm going to do a BW workout today, and I plan on doing one more (or going for a run, depending on the weather) this weekend. Which will bring my 'official' workout count to 2 for the week. I also did some handstand practice (anyone else get achy eyes when upside down? ) and went for a walk on Tuesday.

Main Quest: Create a healthy lifestyle that I am proud of. I want to look good, feel good and know that I am doing good things for my body the majority of the time. Three Goals to Achieve my main quest: Eat at least four servings of either fruit or veggie a day. (CON +3) Track everything I put in my mouth as follows: 7 days on, 9/23 off 8 days on, 10/2 off 9 days on, 10/12 off 10 days on, 10/23 off (WIS +2, CHA +2) 2 sessions push-ups/crunches/plank and 2 sessions of either an aerobics class or one hour workout per week (STR +2, STA +2) Life Side Quest: Beautification. I have to admit that for at least 75% of my life I am slummin' it! My primary hair do is the bun/pony tail. I have been eeking the last bit of foundation out of my basically empty bottle for two weeks now. I would like to get into doing pretty things with my hair/make-up/clothes. I'm not trying to buy myself something new all the time, although that will count, but maybe try curling my hair or a new way to do my eye shadow. You know.. actually trying. 4. Do something with hair/make-up or clothes once weekly. (WIS +2, CHA +2) Why are you doing this challenge? Because God gave me this awesome body, and instead of abusing it I want to take care of it and strive for excellence. Because you can't have a completely sound mind without having a sound body, and you can't have a sound body without creating healthy habits. Because I want my husband to think I'm hot without any effort . Because I want my daughter to love herself and know she is beautiful, and the best way to do that is to live it out in front of her. Because I want to show my daughter how to eat healthy and be active instead of just telling her. Wednesday morning weigh-ins weekly, measurements and pictures at 3 and 6 weeks. Weekly challenge reviews and grading. A - 100% B - 75% C - 50% D - 25% F - 0%

My main quest right now is to become stronger. Or, more specifically, to be able to do one proper pull-up is my goal. To achieve this, I will: Find out exactly HOW I'm eating wrong RIGHT NOW Via dietician teacher lady, super-duper online counting program, Canada's food guide [sparingly], research and common senseRecord findings Find out exactly HOW to change my diet for the better (requires completion of goal #1) Write an action plan for the rest of the challenge timeApply action plan in small, manageable stepsStay motivated! (Post-it notes, pictures, inspirational quotes, music, anything else that comes to mind) Exercise REGULARLY I have a gym membership, no cold weather excusesBody weight workout at least twice a weekgo for a run/jog (not walk, walking is too easy now. interval is ok though) 20 minutes at least once a weekSTAY MOTIVATED Balance LIFE Find the most optimal balance between school, work, home, fitness, and social. Post a copy of the balance in frequent places (bathroom, locker, ect) It's a lot, but must be done.MOTIVATED I MUST STAY Motivation: I like being strong. Strong people inspire me. I dislike being considered weak. I have never finished a challenge, failed or otherwise. This time I'm different.

So... First neuro midterm COMPLETE! Start of awesome day. Tried to have some fast food to celebrate. Couldn't finish, tasted wrong, felt wrong, body did not like. My body is rejecting bad food since ive been filling it normally with good food. DOUBLE WOOT. Body now doesn't like junk! And finally, went to the blood donation clinic. About to get drained a bit, and help save some lives. How awesome is that? Awesome enough to make me grin like an idiot.

*removed*

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

Hi, I'm really new here! I've recently found it had to find a particular balance in my life, considering all I have to do. I'm a student, majoring in graphic design at my college. I work part time at an animal hospital, I try to work on as much personal art as I can in my spare time, I have a wonderful, beautiful boyfriend, and I'm trying to reach my fitness goals. I've always believed in having a particular balance of things in life, and not letting certain things overrun other things that might be important to me. The thing is, all of the things I listed are very important! How would any of you suggest giving everything an equal amount of attention without burning myself out completely?

History I was always relatively in shape because I played soccer all year round from elementary school up until spring 2009 (my freshman year of high school). Even back then though I did not have a lot of endurance nor was I flexible but I was confident in my own skin and loved my body. At 5'4" my weight averaged at 117. After quitting soccer I did not have any other form of exercise and didn't think I needed it. So young, so naive, but happy until about a year ago. Senior year of high school was a tough one. Not because of the typical senioritis (I actually got the best grades of my life that year) but because my family and best friend were having a lot of health problems and it all happened within 2 months. After this I started feeling out of control and took it out on my body. I luckily never had an eating disorder but I did have an obsession with researching them and even trying a few "diets" out. I quickly snapped out of it and since then have been an on-again off-again fitness and health researcher but never actually sticking to a healthy life. Present I am 19-years-old, about to be a sophomore in college and am severely out of shape. Height: 5'4" Weight: N/A (don't have a scale) Waist - 27.5" Hips/ Bum - 39.5" Under Bust - 29" Over Bust - 33" Bicep - 11" Thighs - 22" -both Things I Don't Like -I'm a pessimist -I quit things if I am not instantly good at them -the squish on my body -my procrastination -my indecision, axiety, and shyness -how weak I am -I can't let things go easily -Acne Things I Do Like -My kindness -My love for many different things (criminology, law, movies, music, dance, books, anatomy, traveling, ect.) -My eyes -My coworkers, though I hate my job itself -Family and friends -Pigs and cats -Adventures (from road trips to hiking) -My sense of humor, one that most people don't usually get Level One -Adapt to the Paleo diet -Start my own garden -Create a workout plan -Learn proper form for workouts -Touch my toes (yes I know, it is sad that I cannot) -Write down at least one positive thing every day -Take my dog on a walk at least 4 days a week (My dad already walks him twice a day, I just don't usually join) Workout Plan So Far Beginner Body Weight Workout 3x a week - don't know how many sets I will be able to do yet. Elliptical bike at an easy, steady pace for 30 minutes 3x a week I do not really know if that is a good plan yet, will give it a go today and see how it is!

I'm a 21 year old white female college student. I weigh around 265 lbs at 5'4". I have a desk job and rarely exercise. I've been obese all of my life, and it's time to end it. I've tried the typical eat better and exercise routine, but I've found that jumping in all at once and hoping for the best isn't the way to build a healthy lifestyle. This is my very first 6-week challenge and I'm here to build healthy habits for my life. Thank you in advance to anyone with encouraging words. Diet and Fitness Goals: 1) No sugary food/drinks for 6 weeks. This includes soda, ice cream, deserts, candy, etc. Keep alcohol consumption to a minimum (once per week). [CON 3] PERFECT = A Indulged Once = BIndulged Twice = CIndulged Trice = DGlutton = F2) Move three times per week. This can include taking a walk, playing tennis, hiking, etc. Just move for 30 minutes, 3 times a week. [DEX 2 / STA 3] PERFECT = A One Miss = BTwo Misses = CThree Misses = DSloth = F3) Meditate every day for 5 minutes. It's simple, just make time for it. [WIS 3 / STA 1] PERFECT = A2 Misses = B4 Misses = C5 Misses = DIgnoramus = FLevel Up My Life: 4) Submit work for publishing once per week. As an English student, I dream of being a published author. If I ever want to get there, I need to get my work out so people can see it. [WIS 1 / CHA 2] GOT PUBLISHED! = A+++ PERFECT = A One Miss = BTwo Misses = CThree Misses = DHobo = FLet's do this.

I've been mulling it over for more than a week now, and I haven't found a good way to approach this. (...which leaves me a little lost - I'm not used to having any trouble framing a question/problem. It's part of what makes programming appealing to me. Along with the tedious/engaging process of tracking down bugs and the excuse to cuss at the computer.) I think PHASE 2 is "find employment programming or debugging code, with a company that doesn't need me to commute." (PHASE 3, obviously, is "Profit." Or more accurately, and in line with my goals, "Income.") I'm not collecting underpants right now, because I can see that it is not what PHASE 1 should be. I'm not doing anything right now, because I don't know what PHASE 1 should be. I'm not even sure that there even IS such a thing as "employment programming or debugging code, with a company that doesn't need me to commute." Is that even a thing? Or is it one of those things like flying cars that was promised to me when I was younger, but never actually happened? I think that's my first question. Because there's really no point in any of the follow up questions if the answer is no. IS there such a thing as employment programming or debugging code, with a company that doesn't need me to commute?

I just watched this TED Talk, "How to live to be 100+" by Dan Buettner, and I thought you guys might find it interesting: http://www.ted.com/talks/dan_buettner_how_to_live_to_be_100.html Dan worked with National Geographic to study areas of the world where the average life expectancy is way higher than America, and he talks about what was common amongst those communities. A lot of it supports what we work on here at NF -- eating more colorful veggies and nuts and less crap, portion control, natural exercise, and having a supportive community -- but there are other tips too. I found it inspirational. What's your feedback?