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Sometimes we fail to see the forest for the trees....I was taking to much time looking at trees to see the obvious...huge thanks to @DarK_RaideR to pointing out that a battle log may work better for me in keeping up on here...I had one previously but it was dated and no longer fits...so this one is shiny and new! For those new to my saga, I've been here for over 3 years now (January 2, 2014) I've been a Ranger (and everything that entails) since the big restructure of 2016. I am <95% Paleo in my style of eating, because I have RA and it makes me feel better...I'm slightly addicted to 5k's, and am discovering that weight lifting can be a lot of fun if I take it slowly and don't aggravate my neck injury. I'm an accountant and work for a minor league baseball team in Florida, which is every bit as much fun as it sounds So I have a spreadsheet for tracking purposes (may look very familiar to some, )...if this works for you as well feel free to borrow my sheet (file/save copy into Google Drive I think...) and tweak it to fit your needs My overall, far reaching, want to accomplish this year, goal is to lose 40 lbs...at the very minimum I want to look good nekkid In my opinion, not anyone else! To work towards this goal I'm going to go to the gym 3x a week, or if I'm not able to do that I will do an alternate workout (such as hitting my step goal, bike ride, bodyweight workout...etc) I was aiming for 5x but that was stressing me out because I was not always able to accomplish it due to life/work commitments! I re-worked the routine I worked out with the trainer to come up with to fit into the new goal...I may also add tracking at some point to see where I'm hitting with calories if results are not forthcoming. Sleep is a struggle for me, I rarely get 7 hours a night and this makes a huge difference in my energy, not to mention my pain levels if I don't...I'm going to try and do better with this... The last one is NF related, I am tired of going weeks without checking in on here, so I'm going to make it a point to not only be on here, but post somewhere on here at least 3 times a week to keep myself accountable...I did better with my goals when I was doing that, and I enjoy supporting and encouraging others

Okay, I might still have a tiny spark of sass and style, but it needs to be fanned into flames for sure. I've got gains, but they aren't the good kind. I'm at 141.6 lbs. and heading the wrong way, so this challenge (my first one) is right on time. I need it. Really, really need it. I have been in a winter slump and it's time to move past it. I wish my brain could conjure a lovely tale complete with a point system and rewards, but that is a bit of a reach at the moment. Perhaps I will work on it during this challenge once my brain is functioning better. Anyway, on to my goals for these five weeks: Fitness: NF app's Bodyweight Level 1 Attempt a pullup every time I look at the anime dudes hanging from the bar in my kitchen doorway. Whatever pops in my head to move a little more that day (walk, dance, etc.). Drop under 135 lbs. Nutrition (I know what works for me and I have to just do it): Lots of good proteins, carbs and fats. Limit tea (seeing if it affects my migraines), caffeine, sugar, grains, and whatever else that keeps me sick and unhealthy. Drink at least five cups of water a day with plans to increase as I adjust. Plan some meals. Mindset: Use music to motivate myself. Spend a little time each week on learning to play either my guitar or the piano. Memorize something (some French, a new word, lyrics, etc.). Try to overcome my shy nature and meet people on here and become part of the community (totally outside of my comfort zone). Follow a better sleep routine and work my way off of Benadryl as a sleep aid. Get creative: art, photography, whatever creative thing pops in my head. Writing: Complete Camp NaNoWriMo (my first time participating in the camps). Set up Scrivener. Work on my novel or something novel related a little each day. Continue journaling and writing on 4TheWords (online fantasy writing game and tool). Okay, I think that is my plan. Detoxing from sugar, grains and caffeine will be rough for the first week or so, but I have done it before, and I can do it again. I just might be prone to growling, snarling and biting for a bit, but it's all good.

I am having trouble with my workout. I do Goblet Squats, Pushups, Lunges, Plank, One Arm Row, and Jumping Jacks. I use dumbells for the Lunges as well. (So basically, a heavier version of the Basic Bodyweight. I tried to get a meatspace accountabilibuddy, however still no luck on the Find Your SideKick section of the forums (which also trying to find someone without NF took me 7 years now, and it is still counting). I feel like I haven't lost an inch and feel like I am slipping towards quitting completely and forgetting to exercise, just like I did for those four months. My brother told me that I have to use twice my weight to gain muscle. Is that true? Is there any way I can up my workout plan to get rid of my fat stomach and make me feel good that is towards the fitness body fat from NF's article? I am totally misunderstanding exercise and feel like I am doing this completely wrong.

Last challenge was all about the Epic. Epic Ranger meet-up, smaller races with badass rangers, driving up to the Peak District and hiking the 24km Fan Dance (without weights or a time limit!) with people I mostly hadn't met before. I achieved a lot, I found out a lot about myself. I have strength and endurance inside me, and I can tap into it when I need to. But, with all the races and travel and such, two things happened: 1. I didn't go to BMF nearly as regularly. Some of that was travel, or race recovery, but still, it happened. My daily workouts as per Prime Evo also fell to the wayside a bit. 2. I put on weight. Strange, one might think, given all the hiking and racing. But when you use them as an excuse to eat crap, and then fall to temptations in the office... it happens. So this challenge is all about reigning it back in, and establishing a healthy baseline, habits and routines that serve me rather than act as destructive forces in my life. My current stats (and I was 72kg just a couple months ago!) Weight: 74.5kg Waist: 36 inches. This is the bit that worries me, and the momentum behind my 'oh, I really need to fix this NOW'. Goals up to the 9th June: 1. Clean eating a minimum of 80/20. To me, this means I do not eat junk at work, I don't graze mindlessly through the day on chocolate (or dried fruit, which is still fueling my sweet tooth). I put in the effort to create healthy meals and increase healthy fats to help with fullness. I am also cutting out dairy for health reasons. But equally, if I do slip, then I will do my best not to beat myself up, and just make sure the next thing I put into my mouth is healthy. 2. BMF 3 x week I had a good habit building with this, and I want it back. Tuesday and Thursday nights then Saturday morning are my days. Unless something dire happens, then I go. No excuses. 3. Prime Evo 7 x week (it includes a rest day) The workouts are 20 minutes long, for crying out loud. 6 mins either side to warm up/cool down, though I often draw those out a bit. I have a bad habit of if I miss them in the morning, they don't get done. That is not okay, Rho! Go workout already! After the 9th, I'll be on holiday in the Lake District, where more challenges await. Yes, there will be fells and long walks and all those places that I love, but also restaurants. And it is far too easy to eat a lot and think 'oh but I did a long hike today'. So I need to be disciplined. Luckily, the place we're staying at has a kitchen. Here's the rules: 1. Stick to Prime Evo. There is space to work out. I can do this. 2. Desert with a meal only one day each week. This is to help stop myself with the overboard mentality. 3. 12th June is the only 'free reign' day, because I refuse to try and limit myself on my birthday. 4. Cook healthy meals (I may take a cool box of pre-cooked things if I can organize myself) most of the time. M's parents will be in a nearby cottage for a week, too. Instead of always eating out, I might suggest a meal indoors. Key word being might. 5. Lunches must be healthy. This means no lunchboxes with chocolate or pastries in. Flapjacks are okay if a) I make them myself and make a low-sugar version and b ) I don't eat them every day.

Hi, I am looking for the best way to train at home to lose (a lot of ) weight. I have a treadmill, dumbbells and barbell (W shape). Is there any pointers how to start? What is the best exercises? Thanks in advanced.

Hi Guys, I have had a knee problem for almost a decade now. To be specific, its hyper knee along with knee knocking (10 degrees bend) . Lately is has started to hurt; so, I can't run any more. I have been trying to find an alternative which gives me a complete body work out with low impact on my bones. Being a runner, I hate indoor workouts. So please recommend some cross-fit training alternative which can solve my problem. Till now, I have found a machine called "Me-Mover Fit" while searching online. I would really appreciate your comments on this machine or any other alternative. Aarish

So, this beginning is catching me in a situation where i feel i have the excuse not to worry about health. But i thought about it alot before writing and i realized that that can be said about a lot of points in my life. if i won't face it when its hard, i will find myself even fatter in 5 years. I'm at a week holiday vacation from the army (not U.S.A) and everybody around me thinks i should gather my forces. meaning they wont say anything when I'm eating ice-cream and binge watching legends of tomorrow. But if i wont start now, sure as hell won't start well I'm at the base, far from home. So. my plan. fitness: I need to find a good replacement for the stuff on the bodyweight brigade i don't have the equipment to do (namely the laying down pull up thing.i don't have a anything to do it on in the base) More importantly, i might need to start getting up early to workout- i hate it. I hate waking up early, but i think that the time before the day starts is really my only 100% guaranteed free time on the day. and if they want me to get up earlier, i can always beat them by waking up even before that. its gonna be rough. I will start working out 3 times a week- 1 run and 2 workouts. Following the advice of people here in the forums, i'll schedule for 4 workouts while I'm at the base cuz military tend to mess with whatever schedule i set up. nutrition: Nutrition has always been my real problem. i am afraid. i hate starting making small steps at eating right but not being able to kick some strong habits. my plan is to start by not eating sweets (full chocolate packs, or sweet drinks) for two weeks now. I hate it. i want to have the power to just right off cut everything but i know ill just jump right into eating only vegetables and meat. but knowing myself from past try i will just give up after a week or so. i need something i can handle. Thats it for now. i hope ill make it and ill update every week or second week when I'm home about my progress.

Hey guys, I just found out about this forum and I'm really enjoying reading a lot of the threads. I just wanted to say that for any of you guys that are interested, I have a YouTube channel where I post fitness/basketball videos, and I just released this video about this certain food that everybody needs to eat before and after their workout, and I thought you guys would like it. If you're interested, check it out and tell me what you think! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MSoLDF08ZOs

Hello! I'm brand new to Nerd Fitness and I'm excited to do my first challenge. Since this is my first challenge I decided to keep my goals relatively simple. I'm still trying to get the hang of things but hopefully I'm doing this correctly Fitness Strength training 3x per week Run 3x per week Walk everyday during my morning break at work 10k steps per day Nutrition 100oz water per day vegetable with one meal everyday hit protein macros -- 139g per day log all meals on My Fitness Pal

Holy long thread title Batman.... oh wait, Last challenge ended in the classic, do too much at the same time and fail thing. So instead, I've automated some of my plan. DIET: RP Auto-Templates. These basically tell me how much to eat and when. And when the weight stops dropping, then you click the next tab over that reduces the calories. There isn't any calorie counting necessary as long as I follow the prescribed strategy. So far their supplied maintenance plan has worked (kept the same amount of weight but dropped 2" around the belly). This challenge will begin with the next tab over, CUT 1. The templates are also split into workout intensities: No workout, light, moderate, intense. TRAINING: Layne Norton's PH3 on Bodybuilding.com This program is more for muscle building but I'm wondering if I can still get some more strength gains while still dropping my body fat. So far, I haven't dropped any strength and the workouts fit within my time available. I have to workout early in the morning (4 am) which sucks it means that I can still mentor my robotics team and spend time with the family in the evening. At some point I have to do homework too. Regardless, I'm done with week 1 while eating at maintenance, and now starting week 2 at a deficit. Good luck me. SLEEP: Sleep is important for everything. The goal is to get to bed 8-9pm and wake up at the appropriate time, typically 4 am on work days. Hopefully all these things end up with me being lighter and stronger while still being sane..

I have been pretty discouraged lately. I have tried so many diets and workouts and plans and schemes and so on, but I am right back to where I started. Overweight, unfit, and almost to the point of giving up. The odds feel so stacked against me. And yet, for some reason, I can't just quit. I can't accept that I am destined to stay this way. There has to be a better way. One more try.... In a similar vein, I was tempted to just vanish from NerdFitness, to not burden my friends with my angst, but just struggle on on my own. But I need help. I am trying to pull it together, get some semblance of a plan together. I know more about what doesn't work than about what does. All I can really determine is that I need to move more and eat less sugar. (I really eat an inordinate amount of the stuff, not even counting where it's hidden in normal foods). I am starting with some very simple steps: 1. Run 3 days a week (I am training for a 5K in December) 2. Pay the Closet Tax (I hung a pullup bar in my closet doorway and must do a 5 second straight arm hang whenever I go through it) 3. No sugar before noon (Hey, it's a start).

Hi! First of all, thanks for checking out my thread! I'm 100% new to all of this, so I really hope I'm doing it right! A little about myself - I am 24, a mom of 2 (6 year old and 6 month old!), a wife of an amazing husband, and a full time office-job-glued-to-my-desk worker haha . All-in-all I have about 60lbs to lose (about 25lbs is baby weight, the rest I had prior), but for me it's not the scale that I'm worried about. I want to look and feel amazing. Right now, it's the opposite! I'm addicted to sugar (no joke) and I'm tired of being a slave to food. If I can break my sugar addiction I believe I'll have no issue eating healthy and losing this weight! I would love some tips/pointers from those who have been there are broken the addiction! I really hope to complete this challenge and feel motivated to reach my goals! Speaking of, here they are: 1) Main Quest (Long-Term Goals): To lose weight, lose fat, and gain some awesome muscle. One day I want to be able to lift major weight like Staci! 2) Smart Quests (Short-Term Goals): 1) Exercise at least 4 days a week! 2) Give up chocolate/sweets (my kryptonite!) for at least 2 weeks of the 6 week challenge! 3) Eat completely healthy (breakfast, snacks, lunch & dinner) at least 3 days a week! 3) Life Quest: To do something nice for someone else at least once a week! 4) Motivation: My family! I want to be a good example for my children, and I want to look amazing for my husband and be happy with myself!

Hey, I'm looking for some advice about my diet. I'm a female climber, who is trying to lose a bit of weight/ get leaner. At the moment I'm not overweight, but I'm at the high end of healthy for my bmi, and would ideally like to be about a stone lighter. I weigh about 137 pounds (I am about 5''4), and I work out for about an hour 5/6 days a week. This is a mix of climbing (at a high intensity) and weights. Sometimes I do HIIT. I don't want to lose muscle, although I guess some loss is probably inevitable. When I'm not working out I am completely sedentary haha (I am a student- I sit down and revise/ netflix). Does anyone have any guidance as to how many calories I should be eating, roughly? I am confused by all the different advice on the internet, I've found everything from 1200 to 2000 calories recommended for me per day. I've been following the every other day diet for the past few weeks, but got fed up as I started getting light-headed whilst bouldering (not a great combo). Thanks v. much for any advice : )

I wasn't going to participate in the upcoming challenge because I'm going away on vacation November 14-22, there's Thanksgiving, and I really haven't had a lot of free time after work during the week to get to the gym at all. However, the closer November 10th gets, the more I want to just say screw it, let's do this again. So, with caveats, I'm in for my 6th challenge! And with a Codex Alera theme too! (For those of you who are fans of the Dresden Files, check out Jim Butcher's other, equally awesome, series!) Main Quest To live a healthy and balanced life by exercising and trying to eat healthy. For my sixth challenge, I am going to MAKE myself start going back to the gym on a regular basis. I've slacked off and I'm tired of it. So while I may not be 100% worthy of the Warrior's Guild yet, I think joining them again will get me there by the end of this challenge. I haven't done any serious weight lifting all summer and I really miss it. Motivation I've successfully dropped weight by counting calories so my diet will be staying the same with 1200 calories per day M-F with blow meals on the weekends. For the past few challenges, I was really limiting my sweet treats during the week and that somehow caused me to then eat badly most Friday nights. So this time, I'm going back to the basics like my very first challenge: sweet treats are allowed, but only 2-3 days during the week. I want, and need, to get back to only 1200 calories M-F. Story The Vord is coming back to Alera and all the races of Carna need to come together to fight once again. To join the ranks of the Aleran army, my goals are below. Perhaps if I'm lucky, and dedicated, I can join the ranks of the most famous Aleran legion, that of the Battle Crows! Quests 1. Battle Ready, Battle Crow: Become stronger by doing these: a. bar squat: 85lbs (115lbs, 9 reps on 8/13/14) b. stiffleg deadlift: 55lbs (85lbs, 9 reps on 6/26/14) c. bench press: 75lbs (70lbs, 9 reps on 8/13/14) {revised 11/24/14} d. barbell curl (each arm): 20lbs (25lbs, 6 reps each arm on 8/6/14) e. assisted pull-up with 30lbs of assistance (30lbs of assistance, 3 reps on 8/13/14) Scoring: x/5 Reward: +5 to STR (1 for each achieved) Since it's been months since I lifted weights, I cut the goal weights by 30lbs. After my first workout, I may need to adjust the numbers further. 2. Watch Your Rations, Recruit: Eat healthier by cutting down on the sweet treats to 2-3 times in the 5 day week. Scoring: /25 days Reward: +3 to CON I'm not going to be as strict by trying to avoid the chocolate things every day during the week, but I do want to measure using days to see how many days I can go. I'm not counting the weekends, the week I'm on vacation or Thanksgiving. 3. Don Your Armor Again Drop 6 pounds Scoring /6 pounds Reward: +2 to CHA Current weight: 141lbs Along with lifting weights again and watching what I eat more, I would ideally like to weigh 135lbs. It's never a bad thing to want to lose a few pounds and while this doesn't seem like a very high number, I have been lazy about maintaining my weight and feel like I would prefer to be lower. Plus, loosing 6 pounds is easily doable over 6 weeks. This should also encourage me to not go crazy with what I eat while on vacation as gaining a lot of weight will make this goal even harder to achieve. 4. Find your Fury Scoring: x/6 weeks Reward: +2 to WIS I really enjoyed meditating when I did it as part of my Druid challenge and I think it will be a good thing to do while on vacation. I want to listen to nature more and just relax while calming my mind. So, in keeping with the Codex Alera theme, I want to focus on finding my fury (although it would probably be water and/or metal). 5. Marching /30 miles in 6 weeks (5 miles per week) Reward: +3 to STA I found that I was able to do more walking than I thought I could do in my last challenge. And an Aleran recruit needs to do a lot of marching: to reach the battle lines, during battle, just walking around Alera, etc. Plus, walking is always beneficial. "There are some people who will never understand what loyalty means. They could tell you what it was, of course, but they will never know. They will never see it from the inside. They couldn't imagine a world where something like that was real." - Gaius Sextus, First Lord of Alera; Furies of Calderon

Alright World. This log will be here to (ideally) maintain my convictions and keep track of my triumphs and setbacks. “It's a dangerous business, Frodo, going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don't keep your feet, there's no knowing where you might be swept off to.†― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings I'm sure this quote is elsewhere on these forums but I really love it as it can mean so much with regards to embarking on any journey. I think it can also have positive insinuation about where the world can take you. I am excited about this quest! For me this is to lose weight, gain strength and have an awesome adventure along the way! I have recently started (although a couple weeks late) the six week challenge. I am on my second week now but have only today taken some body measurements. I'm a little embarrassed to post these but I know it will just give me more reason to be proud when I improve on these numbers. Height: 5'5 Bust: 44" Waist: 40.5" Hips: 45" Bicep: 13" Thigh: 23" I don't have any exact weight since I have no scale currently but I estimate I am somewhere in the 170s. My main goal for my current challenge is to lose weight. I'd like to lose a pants size by the time this challenge is finished. My three missions are: 1) Do 3 workouts a week! I have decided to commit to the bbww. 2) walk to and from work every day! 3) No more than 3 fancy coffees a week. So! My first week was a success! I did 3 full beginner body weight workouts! I did 3 full circuits. 20 squats 10 push-ups (right now I am doing wuss ones from the knees) 20 lunges 10 dumbbell rows (each side) 15 sec plank 30 jumping jacks All of this x 3. With 2 min between circuits. I think these circuits have been a great way for me to start working out. I definitely have gained a sense of how out of shape I am but I can also already feel a little bit of progress. I also succeeded in walking to and from work 4 days and only had 2 macchiatos. So week one I gave myself an A for a grade. Yesterday was the first day of week 2. I am adding a modified version of Steves dynamic warmup routine. Before I begin my bbww I have added this routine. 30 jumping jacks 10 squats 5 lunges - each leg 10 hip extensions 5 hip rotations - each leg 5 forward leg swing - each leg 5 side leg swings - each leg 10 elevated push-ups 10 spider-man steps - each leg 10 arm swings 10 shoulder rotations So today I did this routine and then my 3 circuit body weight workout. Yay! I also walked to and from work yesterday. These are my first steps out my font door, but I think I am on the right road. Oh and as a side note, since I am still new to this and finding my footing I am identifying as an adventurer but I think in the future I will be aiming to join the rangers.

Water, Earth, Fire, Air. Long ago, the four nations lived together in harmony. Then everything changed when the fire nation attacked. Only the Avatar, master of all four elements could stop them. I must master all four elements to become Avatar, to become the master of my body! I'm very excited about the progress I've been making so far and want to keep it going. My Main Goal: still working towards a US size 10 jean but ultimately surpassing this goal is in the books. Officially becoming the Avatar may take a little more than being a smaller size so I am also really focusing on building strength as well. Going for that whole harmony thing. Of course one step at a time. My missions! 1) Book of Water- Upgrade my Diet! I plan to upgrade my diet 3 times using the NerdFitness Diet as a guide. Obviously I am starting at level one and have the potential to upgrade three times during this challenge. Ideally ending at level four. Each level up requires two weeks and each upgrade requires something different. I haven't focused too much on my diet during my last challenge as I have already drastically cleaned up my eating before beginning here at NF but each level of this challenge will help me to be more mindful and healthy in my eating habits. (Grading will be every two weeks as Pass/Fail. At the end of the challenge I will grade the overall progress. Still lvl 1 = FAILED/ lvl 2 = C/ lvl 3 = B/ lvl 4 = A) {Tough to allocate points because there is much that goes into this goal. Many different things going into it. 2 CON, 2 WIS} 2)Book of Earth- Daily Stair Mastery! This may be a big challenge since I live on the 8th floor but I plan to take the stairs instead on the elevator every time from now on! On average I use the elevator in my apt 12-16 times a week. Gonna master the stairs here instead. (Grading will be weekly. 100% use =A/ 90% use =B/ 80% use =C/ 70% use = D/ 60% or less = FAILED) {1 STR, 1 DEX, 2 STA} 3)Book of Fire- Do 3x body weight workouts per week! Last challenge I did the BBWW three times weekly. This week I will adding some variety by using the body weight brigade workouts. Also using my personal warm up and cool down routines. As I complete these I will be upgrading through brigade workouts to further challenge myself. (Grading will be weekly. 3x = A/ 2x = B/ 1x = C/ 0x = FAILED) {2 STR, 2 STA} My life Quest: Air- the air benders were nomads. Perfect for my travel planning goal. In a few months I'll be touring a few places I haven't been to yet Aus but have been procrastinating my planning. I love reading and seeing pics of the sites but I will be travelling on a budget with 2 others so this needs to be planned out properly! I need to get to the details too. {3 WIS} I have also taken new measurements and pictures for myself. My current stats: Bust: 43" Waist: 38" Hips: 43" Thighs L: 23" R: 22" Biceps L:13" R:12.5" Although my airbending skills are great, I still have a lot to learn before I'm ready to save anyone. but I believe, I can save the world! EDIT: This is obviously also my first challenge in The Adventurers Guild and if any of you have any tips or suggestions I would love to hear them!

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

MAIN QUEST To obtain the goal I set out to accomplish when I was 16. I want to get down to 137lbs and feel good when I see myself in the mirror. I want to accomplish this before my 24th birthday. (January 10) GOALS 1) Work out 3x a week (or 3hrs a week) A: Work out Tuesday, Thursday, & Saturday - for 3 hours total B: Work out Tuesday, Thursday & TBD day - AND/ OR for 2 hours total C: Work out Tuesday, Thursday & TBD day - for undetermined amount of time D: Work out 2x in a week - for undetermined amount of time My plan this time is to complete the BBWW as well as my own 30 day Little Black Dress (LBD) or Plank challenge. I also want to try to run more. I was doing really well last challenge and then I kind of fell off near the end and only stuck to my 30 day challenge, then I ended up injuring myself and slowed my roll again. I hope to accomplish this and lose more than 5 pounds this time around. +2 DEX +1 CHA + 1 STR +1 STA 2) Drink Mas Agua A: Drink 5376oz in 42 days - 128oz/day, 896oz/wk B: Drink 4480oz in 35 days - 106oz/day, 747oz/wk C: Drink 2688oz in 42 days - 64oz/day, 448oz/wk D: Drink 2240oz in 35 days - 53oz/day, 374oz/wk F: Drink 1386oz in 42 days - 33oz/day 231oz/wk Last challenge I know I increased my water intake, but this challenge I have a gallon water bottle that I take with me everywhere and I plan to consume all of its' contents every day. I will use my kitchen scale to determine how much I drank every day if there is any left over by the time I go to bed. +2 CON +1 CHA +1 STA 3) Eat better. A: Paleo B: Home cooked every day, mostly vegetables, no bread C: Home cooked every day, smaller portions & with salad D: Home cooked at least 5 days +2 CON +1 CHA +1 WIS LIFE QUEST "Become an advanced DT/Sports/Therapeutic Bodyworker who is healthy and plays the role of a model therapist. I want my clients to take what I say seriously and feel confident that I know what I’m talking about when I recommend certain stretches/habits because I look fit and healthy." This life quest still applies. However I will be adding more specific goals to this. I have a deep tissue massage book and an anatomy book that I need to start reading again. LQ Goal A: Read a section of both books every day B: Read a section of either book every day (alternating books) C: Read a section of either book at least 5 days a week D: Read a section of either book at least 3 days a week F: Read any less than or equal to 2 days a week. +3 WIS +1 CON MOTIVATION My dresses are collecting dust in the closet because they're too snug Looking good GREAT in less clothing or & no clothing Finally accomplish the mission I set out to do 7 years ago I want to turn myself on when I look in the mirror Can't let my best friends get sexy without me And let's be honest, I wanna look damn sexy for my boyfriend current weight: 174.1 lbs goal weight: 137-145 lbs waist: 34" hips: 44" bust: 40.5"

REMINDERS FOR ME: Why I want to get in shape I've never felt happy in my own skin. I've always considered myself overweight or fat and hate even catching a glimpse of myself in the mirror. I want so badly to see my body and be happy with the way I look. "Awh, woe is me!" Right?! In all seriousness, I think creating this blog and treating it as my food diary and progression tracker will help me obtain my goal. I'm tired of waving at someone for a second and my arm waves for 3 seconds longer than my hand. I want to look good naked and I want to finally reach my goal weight that I've been on-again-off-again trying to reach since I was 16. Way Back When - Never Again Starting Weight in 2007: 218lbs February 2010: 185lbs Last Year July 2013: 175.6lbs October 2013: 153lbs Current Starting Weight 2014: 179.4 (7/10/14) Current Weight: 177.6 lbs (As of 7/28/14) Goal Weight: 137-145 lbs Waist: 35" Hips: 43.5" Bust: 41" I'm remembering another motivator. I want to be okay with my boyfriend trying to pick me up. Correction: I want to be okay with my boyfriend picking me up. This is it. I'm doing it once and for all. 137 I'm coming for you!

Straight to the point... Main Quest Lose 12 pounds in six weeks. Straight forward, to the point. How am I going to get there? Missions #1: Log my food intake daily. A = 42 days tracked (+3 WIS +1 CON) B = 35-41 days tracked (+2 WIS) C = 28-34 days tracked. (+1 WIS) #2: Exercise for at least 30 minutes each day. This would be a total of 21 hours throughout the course of 42 days, or six weeks. I will allow missing a day, and being able to make it up the following, or working out extra-long one day to skip the following etc. +2 STR +1 DEX +2 STA A = 21 hours or greater (+2 STR +1 DEX +2 STA) B = Greater than 19 hours but less than 21 hours. (+1 STR +1 DEX +2 STA) C = Greater than 17 hours but less than 19 hours. (+1 STR +2 STA) #3: I DM/GM a P&P Roleplay, and I’m notorious for eating like a garbage compactor during them, this is also compounded by the fact I drink like a fish during such escapades too; as a goal I would like to keep my consumption of candy/chips/booze etc. in check. One such week during the previous challenge was a quiet absurd amount of calories once I logged it. It can, in all seriousness, derail an entire week of goodness. Each Thursday will be categorized as followed; the end of the challenge I will average them out; e.g. if I’m able to stay within my calorie limit for the day through each RP session I’ll award myself the associated stats. A = Stay within my Calorie limits for the day (+2 WIS +1 CON) B = Exceed my Calorie limits for the day by 300 (+1 WIS +1 CON) C = Exceed my Calorie Limits for the day by 500 (+1 WIS) Life Goal Try and get my best friend out once a week. Sounds simple, but… circumstances. A = 6 out of 6 weeks! (+3 CHA) B= 5 out of 6 weeks! (+2 CHA) C = 4 out of 6 weeks! (+1 CHA) Starting weight: 258lb (currently, will change at start of challenge)

Alright I know I'm a bit late to the party but to help keep myself accountable and motivated I decided to jump right into a challenge! I am only 5'5, I have always been a bit overweight but after starting college (and all the binge drinking, junk eating and bad sleep cycles that come with it) I started gaining weight slowly enough not to notice until a couple of years ago I hit my peak weight of 179lbs. I decided to do something about it, starting playing wii-fit and actually cut out pop cold turkey, setting myself a goal of a month of nothing but water. This actually helped so much. I used to drink so much soda because I could have as much for free as I wanted at work but I still drink very little compared to before then so I say that I officially kicked that habit. I eventually dropped about 20lbs! But then hit a plateau, life got in the way and eventually I gained most of the weight back. Now I am determined to try again and make working out more seriously a habit! Main Quest: I want to drop some weight. Hoping for at least 10 pounds but I don't have a scale and will try to shoot for dropping a jean size or two. I am usually a 12/14 so fitting into a 10 would be awesome! Goals: 1) do body weight workouts at least 3 times a week! 2) walk to and from work every day! 3) Cut back on fancy coffees! 3 max per week. Life Quest: I am about to start a new job and I will have to learn a few new skills. It may sound vague but I really want to rock this job and learn lots of new things, one of them being really rock an espresso machine. Motivation: I feel kind of lame emphasizing outer beauty and all that jazz but my motivation for my training the year will be to really look bangin in my bikini. I have always been pretty confident and have always tried to ignore the opinions of other people so even though I may be a bigger girl I still rock a bikini at the beach. However I saw a picture of myself in my swimsuit from last year aaaaand decided you know there is room for improvement, so in a few months when I go back to the beach I just want to feel like I am rocking that suit.

I still have a few days to hash out my goals for this challenge. I took some time off for school, but I have the summer off. Recently I discovered my childhood karate has some of its katas online. I love my first intro to the martial arts. It was a style called Pukang Tang Soo Do and is based out of Michigan State University. I know one goal is to relearn the katas. My last challenge I relearned my Iaido katas. Now I want to relearn my karate ones from High School, 30 years ago. I'll be honest, I am on a karate kick since watching "Street Fighter: Assassins Fist". I already started relearning the kata and I have also been on a diet. I started both at the same time. I should probably continue. Last week I relearned Pinan 1 and I am about half way through Pinan 2. I also got in touch with some instructors of my style. They are far away, but I will try to figure out a long distance learning strategy. 1st Draft: 1- Relearn Pinan 2 2- Continue counting calories.

Level 5: Laying Down the GroundWORK. Hello there!!! I come join you from the Ranger forum, as I’m focusing more on lifting than ever before. Got some help from Chairohkey and I’ve got a new program to try out (so far going very well). My overarching goal is to get down to under 15% bodyfat and keep it that way. Currently, I’m around 29-30% after taking a BodPod test about a month ago. I’m about a pound or two lighter than I was then. So I still have 15% of fat to trim, or 30lbs to lose. I’m currently around 204-205 lbs at 5’ 11â€. It’s going to be a long journey, as I hope to do this without losing as lot of lean mass (only 145lbs right now). Why do I do this? This little guy and his mom. And because I want to be a jacked beast for the rest of my life. Done being the fat guy. Done with being ashamed of my body. Done with not doing things because I can’t keep up. Done with can’t. So for this challenge, I want to do a few things, most of which I’ve been doing already but are changing slightly. GOAL 1 - LIFT Follow my new plan, and eventually start going to the gym 4 days a week. This is difficult because with a baby boy at home, my time is limited with work and the gym. Currently I go MWF, right after work. I want to change that to MT,ThF with W as a rest day for two reasons. 1= Rest and 2=My wife likes to go to church on W as she volunteers with the youth group. This will allow me to spend one on one time with the boy and give her a much needed break (because she is awesome). Over the course of these 6 weeks, I’ll transition to this schedule. I may just jump right in and try it out the first week. GOAL 2 - EAT LESS Since I’m trying to lose body fat, I’m at a caloric deficit. Currently at 1960ish calories with a macro split of 200g PRO / 150g CHO / 60g FAT. These are flexible. I weigh my food but I’m fairly lax on strictness. The big one is hitting protein and at least 100g of carbs while keeping fat down. I eat mainly primal, as a lot of grains and milk do have a significant affect on my bowels. The hard part is weekends when I usually run out of pre-made food. My goal is to reign it in on the weekends and make some better decisions. GOAL 3 - SPRINT This is straightforward. Sprinting increases the metabolism, and helps speed up fat loss. I’ll be doing this twice a week on my upper body days. Monday and Thursday. This should be plenty to help me along. I’ve done it so far and this week and last, and it’s helping. LIFE GOAL - BACKYARD In May, I’ll be starting up my Master’s classes. I took a break this past semester due to my volunteer work and the new baby. With that, and my work and gym time, I’ll have very little time to feed myself and be with my son and wife. Right now my backyard is a mess. It’s essentially just dirt. Boys need to be outside, and I want to get the lawn going. I put in sprinklers a while back, but never got to the grass part. So over the course of this challenge, I’ll be working towards having a green lawn.I plan to follow this schedule. Hopefully faster than this but at least this. Week 1: Ensure sprinklers still work. Week 2: Level out the ground, as best I can. Week 3. Water ground to soften. Begin tilling. Week 4. Till in compost, and fertilizer. Week 5. Seed. Week 6. Profit? I can do this. I hope you can keep me motivated. I know I’ll need it. I’ll post up measurements and photos this weekend.

So I didn't do all that fantastic on my first challenge. I did complete it so I’m OK with not being fully successful. I really wanted those shoes but alas it wasn't meant to be. I did however learn something about myself and about the nature of challenges. I plan on trying a new approach this challenge. A lot of my challenge will be similar to my first challenge; the difference is in the measurable results. I’m not measuring my diet right now as I’m eating better than I have been each week on my own without focusing too hard on it. I’m still struggling with my unhealthy relationship to food and focusing on it now won’t help me and might make me quit. Mind- 42 points available per week Log on and complete one thing in my course ware each day.Measurement points 3 per dayJournal entry each dayMeasurement points 3 per dayBody – 42 points available per week Yoga twice a weekMeasurement points 3 per session Run/Walk/Train for 5K twice a weekMeasurement points 3 per training session Walk the dogs once a weekMeasurement points 5 per week 15 minute morning afternoon routine each day (mornings aren't working for me)Measurement points 3 per day Go to the gym once a week Measurement points 4 per week Soul – Working on being a better person is cumulative and not measurable. Give back to the sport (Volunteer at local 5K race)Not scored. Give back to the community (Continue work with Museum)Not scored. Read for pleasure each dayNot scored. Consistency is my weakest trait. I’m going to award 16 points per week for being consistent, (8 completing the day’s tasks as scheduled, and 8 scheduling consistency) Having so many points in this category I will have the ability to quantify activities that merit some but not all the criteria. This gives me a total of 100 points per week, and 600 points total for the challenge.This is a pass / fail project.600-420 points will be counted as successful challenge.420 or less at the end of the challenge means no reward. I still have the envelope with the $50 taped to my project board, now I have to decide on my reward. (apparently I can't add... so with numbers that actually add up to 100...)

So, I know this 6 week challenge ends on April 6th, but I figured I'd join now and just carry on over to the next 6 week challenge. So I guess this will really be a 7 week challenge for me! ...and for those of you who can't read my cursive (and for some elaborations) MAIN QUEST Get under 200 Pounds Starting weight (March 27th, 2014): 258lbs PLAN OF ATTACK I WILL: Strength train (be it the tutorial workout or BBWW) a minimum of 3x/week + Cardio/fun/get your heart rate up workout 2x/week I WILL: Take the stairs at work twice daily. (4 flights up to my office) I WILL: Eat clean 4 days per week. I addition, I will work gradually towards Paleo eating. LIFE QUEST(S) To look in the mirror at the end of every day and write down 3 things that I love about myself. To write at least 2 entries in my personal blog every week. (I'm choosing to add that these do not have to be fitness related, and can just be about life!) MY MOTIVATION To learn to love my body and appreciate what my body can do. My first and foremost motivation is to love what I see in the mirror while naked. I know it sounds so... narcissistic, but I have come a long way and my body has been through a LOT of shit. I thought that when I had gastric bypass and lost weight, these feelings of disgust would vanish, but boy was I wrong. After surgery, I feel even worse about my body than before. Sagging skin. Scars. Weird droopiness that makes me look like a melting candle. When I look at my body in the mirror, I don't see progress. When I look in the mirror now, I see all the flaws. I question why my boyfriend even likes the way I look while nude. The mental toll this takes on me is heavy and stressful. Create a healthy, active, REAL lifestyle for myself, my 7-year old daughter, and my boyfriend. To prove I can!