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Last year I decided I was going to pick up and move north to live next door to two of my favorite nerds, which meant picking up my life and moving to Madison. I moved at the very end of last year, and then 3 weeks later went on vacation to Australia and New Zealand, just getting back a few weeks ago. Thus, I have been pretty absent on the forum and challenges, and since I have #warriorgoals and #scoutgoals, here I am! I have a tendency of petering out after week two, so this challenge is going to be super simple. Epic Goal #1: Run the Hot Chocolate 15k in October with @Haikoo If there's one example of my going MAD, it's this. I'm really a warrior; I hate cardio. But, I somehow managed to sign up for this quest because the medal is SO COOL. But first, I need to be able to run a 5k. Challenge goal #1: Do couch to 5k program 2 days a week. (Ideally this would be 3, but life happens, so I'm going to make this achievable.) Epic Goal #2: Snatch 30kg and/or Clean & Jerk 40 kg I have found the most amazing gym in Crossfit MADtown. They have a 3 class a week Oly program, and despite being a Crossfit gym, ALL the plates are in kg. Their site even says they are a weightlifting gym with a crossfit problem. YAY. Challenge goal #2: Go to Oly class 2 hours a week. (Ideally this would be 4, but life happens, so I'm going to make this achievable as well) Food Goal: Get the adult to run the show, and not the inner 9 year old child Let's be honest. Running a 15K (or even wogging it) will be so much easier if I drop the fluff. Hitting a BW clean & jerk will also be easier if I have less fluff. However, my inner child doesn't think that far ahead; she thinks OMG GIRL SCOUT COOKIES MUST EAT ALL OF THEM. Challenge goal #3a: Eat Primal for 14 meals out of the week (again, let's keep it simple) Challenge goal #3b: Whenever I have a craving, ask myself: "If one of the nerdlets asked for this, what would I say?" and then DO THAT THING. Or, "Is this really going to be me to my goals? Do we want to end up like mom? What do you REALLY want?" And then do those things. Life Goal: Adulting. There's a lot of other things I need to do, so I'm just going to make a short list: Excavate my basement so I can have the girls over for my birthdayGet WI license and license plateResume bullet journalingmore to come...And thus my CRAZY MAD WHAT THIS MIGHT BE ACHIEVABLE challenge has begun. If you are intrigued and wish to follow this thread, please respond with a GIF below! I love GIFs!

I’ve become a huge fan of Habitica, as it has really kept my habits and daily tasks on track. The quests and collecting of things is also motivating, as is not killing my party when I don’t do things. Thus, my monster-themed quest! Be forewarned, this is somewhat lengthy. Weapons Training In order to slay monsters, I must be fit and dextrous with my weapons. Training is comprised of: 50 squats per day [sugar craving squats count to this] 10 single leg balances per leg per day 2 weightlifting classes / wk [M, Sa] 2 strength workouts / wk [W + ? ] 1 yoga class / week [su] bonus points if I go to stretch class on Th Defeat the Sugar Demon I love carbs, and sugar, and donuts, and basically any dessert that doesn’t involve bananas. I also get mood swings and generally feel like crap when I eat these things. I did the 21DSD last month and I did not crave sugar while I was on it. In order to slay this Sugar Demon, I must: Do two 21DSDs with the following exceptions: Berries & oatmeal ok 2 drinks allowed on dates Drinks at Camp NF Mom’s birthday meal Attend 2 meetings / week Avoid stress / emotional eating Journal daily Meditate daily [even 2 min counts!] 20 squats whenever I want anything off plan Vanquish the Dating Anxiety Dragon Long story short, I have serious mental blocks when it comes to available men I do not know well and closing the deal. I shall vanquish this dastardly dragon by completing the following tasks: Message 5 men / day, except for week 1 which will be: sign up for PoF sign up for match update OKCupid profile 5 min tinder / day 1 date / week 1 hookup / mo OTHER BOSS QUESTS: Mutant Koala [Australian Drop Bear]Renew PassportApply for TSA precheck / global entry [requires new passport]Apply for visas [requires new passport] The Hellion HoardFollow decluttering schedule [TBD] HOA-AAAAAH HorrorBalance checking accountFollow up with Scott re:condo meeting minutesAsk Mark to call / contact owners to be on a committeeCall AT&T re:business lineReply to Anthony re: condo management TPS TitanProcess RH exit paperworkProcess GC exit paperworkProcess TA exit paperwork

Hi, I'm maigrey and I have a habit of trying to do ALL THE THINGS!! So, for this challenge, I am going to keep it ridiculously simple. The plan is to smash this challenge and instill some habits and then I can take on some other habits in the next challenge, and be at the top end of the curve: In keeping with the not doing ALL THE THINGS, I'm going to work from a balanced triangle perspective: BODY: Eat like an athlete. No Sugar: eating sugar makes me feel lethargic, headachey, and makes me want to eat more sugar. This means I'm going to suck it up and drink my coffee black. No starchy/processed carbs after 10 am: This piggybacks on #1. If I can't have sugar, I end up stuffing my face with pasta, bread, and other what have you carbs. Some is okay, but I need to have limits on it. This makes oatmeal, a bagel, or tamago kake gohan acceptable. Once per week, I may have up to 2 alcoholic drinks outside of my home: Alcohol has been creeping back into my life. It's not something I need to ban, but again I need limits, otherwise I will go back to using booze as a social crutch. I'm trying to work through my social anxiety issues, and booze doesn't help with that. Also, there's no real reason I need to drink at home; I can save that for when I'm out. MIND: Write up task list for the next day by 7 pm My day goes so much better if I have a game plan. I am not a morning person, so this really needs to be done the night before, but early enough that I don't say 'fuckit too tired, will do tomorrow', because it never gets done tomorrow. SPIRIT: Journal or blog for 10 min a day I also am 500% more sane and happy when I do a mind dump on the day before I go to bed. I have really gotten out of the habit of doing this, and it's been detrimental. THE EVENT / TASK LIST: There's a bunch of other stuff I need to do, that aren't daily tasks, so they're listed here. Konmari method my clothesGet passport renewed for Australia tripDeclutter kitchenDeal with billsDeal with home insurance done! June 8, 2015File 'to file' pilecreate gloomy day checklist Annnnd we're off!

So, it’s challenge time again, and I did not complete the last challenge because of reasons. But, it’s Lent which is a time of making space and such, and I have a much easier time giving up things during this season for whatever reason. So, enter the de-CRAP-tastic challenge! Goal 1: Decrapify my home Let’s be frank: I buy too much stuff that I end up not even using. I have an amazon box still unopened in my house. So, for Lent, I am going to challenge myself to remove 40 bags of stuff in 40 days. I get Sundays off [because they’re not in Lent, do the math, how cool!] or one day of the week of my choosing = 4 points per bag -> 160 points possible Goal 2: Refrain from buying MOAR CRAP that ends up in my home Until Easter, I will not buy anything that isn’t essential to my survival. This includes food/perishables and paper products. This does NOT include: - purses - makeup - starbucks [when not going out with friends] etc - breakfast sandwiches [i work from home] - the next doodad or gadget I must have I’ll put everything I want on a wishlist [which helps my family with birthday gift choices next month], and at the end of the challenge, I’ll evaluate what items I still want and which ones I didn’t need to buy in the first place = -1 point for every $1 I spend extraneously Goal 3: Reduce crap in my diet I really resonated with raptron’s realization that it is easy to make myself do the things I don’t want to do versus getting myself to NOT DO things I want to do [like eat ice cream]. So, I’m going to focus on the things that I can add to my routine, and not the things I should cut out from my routine. The daily checklist: + Eat protein at every meal + Drink 100oz of water + Eat 5+ cups of vegetables + Log what I eat BONUS POINTS: + MOVE everyday (mobility, walking, workout) + Mindful eating (chew your food slowly, get away from the TV) + Sleep 7-9 hours = 184 points possible [not including bonus] Goal 4: Clear out the mental crap I use the internet WAY too much, and I mostly am sucked into a time vortex which doesn’t do a lot for me, and just leaves things piling up. Also, I have a lot of crap that runs through my head and I don’t take enough time to brain dump it. To wit, I shall: + Turn off the internet at 7 pm every day [2 points per day] + Write a reflection / lessons learned on the day [2 points per day] = 184 points possible You’ll notice I don’t have any specific lifting goals - this is because I’ve gotten into olympic lifting and love it and it’s actually not an issue with willingness to go to class or my personal coaching. I never thought I’d be in a position to say that regarding exercise, but it’s true!

I originally wasn’t going to do a challenge this time, as I’ve struggled with internal peer pressure on these things. I’d been putting things in a battle log, which I update just as I go and a little less stressful for me. But then I saw starpuck’s challenge where she’s doing a weekly challenge and that is more up my alley. So, here I am, ready or not! I’ve selected a word for the year: Prioritize. I want to prioritize my emotional, physical, and mental well being. This may mean I’ll need to make difficult choices, but I’m up for that. So, I’ve made a list of tasks I wish to do for the year, the month, weekly, and daily. The daily builds into the weekly, which builds into the monthly, etc. I’ll save the excess commentary on each one and just list my tasks, which I will track this week. WEEK #1 - Jan 5 - Jan 11: Daily Tasks: Meditate for 10 min Journal for 10 min Declutter for 15 min Sitting Solution workout Track food No recreational sugar Make 3 calls Pray get 8+ hours sleep walk 6,000 steps Practice French for 15 min Weekly Tasks: Take progress photos and measurements Go to church Work out 3 times Walk 15 miles Weekly planning Give away/Throw away 52 items Go to 2 OA meetings Meal planning / order kitchfix Grocery shopping Blog post Choose 2 meetup events to go to Organize Jan brunch with friends Mail sorting Filing Shredding This does look like a lot to do, but there are a lot of things that I can do while on conference calls [WFH FTW!], and I will need to stick to PRIORITIZE, and put these things before less important things like TV and dorking around on the internet. We’ll see how this goes!

Okay - I'm starting a battle log here, and as my nickname is Maigrey Awesome, this will be filled of awesomeness. And, because I am me, it will be filled with plenty of random rambles. Please keep your hands inside the car and make sure your harness is securely fastened before the ride starts! Here are the basic things I'm working on, and what I want to focus on for the rest of the year and 2015: 1) Get strong. I joined crossfit and I really like it - especially the lifting part. My box has an oly track and I'm going to do those classes twice a week, and at least one other CF class (most likely on friday) during the week. I also need to work on my ankle mobility especially. I cannot do ATG squats on my own, but I can with a 2.5 lb weights under my heels. So, I want to aim for 10 min of ATG squats per day, or some other ankle mobility exercises [note - I need to ask @wufkar what she and littlewings were doing for their PVP] Adding in yoga would be great, too, but I have a tendency to over-commit and under-deliver, so we'll start here 2) Lose Weight. I know the scale lies, but at 5'6" and 217ish pounds, I don't think anyone can argue that I've got a lot of weight to lose, even with getting stronger as part of the agenda. Right now I'm in the middle of holiday foo, and taking a trip to Texas for christmas/new years, and Ill be honest - I know it's going to make things harder, but right now I am not at the point where I'm ready to limit my food. I am ready to start something on Jan 5th, the Monday after I get back. I'm thinking about the 21 day Primal Challenge or another Whole30. I also need to really think about how I want to go about this. I had a lot of success with the fast 2 days a week (~500 cals) earlier, and I actually grew to like it, but when I added crossfit into the mix, I really didn't have any clue how to fit that into the rest of the week. In addition, I really want to get into a routine - I need to make healthy use of my google calendar to schedule in workouts and weekly food planning/prep. Although, my crossfit box does have a paleo premade food service that I WILL look into for January just to get everything started on the right foot. Maybe I will start taking pictures of everything I eat. The honest truth is, I know what I should do here, the issue is in the execution. This means I need to really be honest with my food and my feelings and get back to going to meetings and using my tools, which I have really let slide. I can be okay without carbapalooza, I just need to be a better parent to 'little maigs' and remember that sugar will only make you feel better for about 5 min, and guilty for about 3 days, etc. Key for me here is - planning foods weekly, and doing a weekly cookup so I always have something decent in the house to eat. I could go on and on about the 800 things I need to do here, but I think this is enough for now. 3) Get the rest of my act together. There are about 400 things I could put down here. Overall, I love my life, don't get me wrong. But I'm well aware of the fact that there is so much more I could do! But for now, I will focus on two things: Declutter my house. [i love gadgets and have a putting things away issue, so I really want to get this under control] Get back into dating. I explained a lot of this in my challenge, but I would like to spend just 15 min a day revamping my profile and shopping for rejections.So, this is just a start. Most likely you'll get a bunch of rambling thoughts throughout the day and the above will all modify and change. Annnd we're off!

Hi everyone! I've been an Adventurer for the last two challenges, but last month I started Crossfit. I hate the conditioning portion of it (who doesn't), but I love the lifting, and I think I've found a plan that I actually enjoy! So without further adieu... Challenge #4: Home, Home on the Range(rs)..... Note: as I will be in Boston Nov 13 - 17th, I am excused from the quests for those days, but all quests restart THE MINUTE I land in Chicago. No vacation prolonging allowed! Main Goal: be able to shop at Old Navy and/or Target (and not in the women's section) Quest #1: Get strong! I'd like to add muscle while I try and lose weight as well (or at least maintain the muscle I have). To do this, I will: Go to Crossfit 3 times per week. I joined in the middle of october and I love it. I hate the conditioning but I love learning and we are learning a lot of lifts! I've even been told I have the makings of an Olympic style lifter 10 min per day of ATG squats to improve mobility (not necessarily all at once). I get one rest day per week on this. If I don't do this on a specific day, I need to do 5 squats per minute missed the next day Quest #2: Eat to fuel my body appropriately. This is generally my sticking point because I love processed carbs. To do this I will: Follow "Palegrey" standards. This is the whole30 approved food lists, with the addition of: Yogurt Cottage cheese Protein powder Oatmeal One serving per day of ONE of the following: Chocolate almond butter, 70% dark chocolate (or greater), Starbucks hot chocolate Kerry Gold Butter Salad dressing Incidental alcohol from things like extracts I am allowed up to 2 non-Palegrey meals a week, to keep life somewhat sane Track food every day to make sure I am eating enough In order to do 1 and 2, I'm going to have to get back in the habit of cooking and prepping. So each week in order to succeed with my goals, I need to: Plan meals for the week Go grocery shopping Do a weekly cookup Life quest #1: Declutter my house, starting with filing for 15 min a day. Every time I do not do this when I am at home, I need to do 5 squats for each minute I did not do this Life quest #2: Get back to the business of dating, starting with updating my profile. I need to work on this for 15 min a day, again with the squat penalty. Things that need to be done for my reference: Update my profile [it is SO OLD] Go shopping for rejections every day Look into signing up for other sites BRING ON THE GIFs and encouragement, fellow nerds!

My 2nd challenge kind of derailed, so I'm getting back to basics. I had started Alternate Day Fasting (ADF) and that actually was going well, however Nerdcation has made that a little harder. I've also decided I'm not going to force myself to exercise. I just hate to sweat, so if I want to do something, I will - but I won't force myself. I've also realized that when my food is clean, I feel a lot better. Main Quest: Get under 200 lbs by the end of the year 1. Follow ADF I will be shooting for a 4 up day : 3 down day with my down days being generally MWFDown days are 500 cal maxAt a minimum, I need to do 5:2 each week.2. Get Moving Walk 30 min each day, preferably outsideAt a minimum, walk 5 days per week3. Quit Eating Like a Chump Eat decent food: mostly following the Perfect Health Diet (rice okay, gluten and gluten free subs not ok, sugar limited to 2 squares dk chocolate per day)Drink at least 64 oz of water per dayPost my food log dailyAnd ... that's that! I'd love support and encouragement and ALL THE GIFS along the way!

Hi! I'm a first time adventurer, having just finished my level 1 rebel challenge this past week. I've been on the diet and exercise train for what seems like forever, and have about 80 lbs more I need to lose (I've lost 20 or so already, prior to NF). I have done several whole 30s and have found that this is a really good way for me to eat, so I've embraced the primal lifestyle, although it's mostly been "ish" lately. I also have addictive tendencies around food, so I cannot count calories or carbs or anything, really with numbers on a regular basis, so I work with that. I haven't yet found my preferred movement - I still, if I'm honest, really dislike exercising (I don't like to sweat), and haven't yet found my movement yet, so I have incorporated that into my challenge. Main Quest: Get under 200 lbs by the end of the year Quest #1: Do hard things! #1a: Complete training workouts and complete half marathon on Aug 3rd Scoring: 1 point per workout; 2 points per long walk/actual marathon #1b: [beginning Aug 4] Do BBWW at least 3x per week. I hate BBWW with a passion, but I really need to strengthen my core, so this counts as a hard thing. Scoring: 2 points per workout Quest #2: Get off my butt. Reach 10,000 steps or over 6 out of 7 days each week Scoring: 1 point per 10K day; 1 point for each 5k over 10k, rounded down [so 21k steps would score 3 points] Quest #3: Eat what is good for me #3a: Limit recreational sugar to 3 small squares of 72% (or greater) plain dark chocolate per day Scoring: -4 points per recreational sugar item consumed #3b: Eat 1lb cooked veggies and 1lb raw veggies every day. [i do need to work up to this, and it will mean eating salads for breakfast most days, I think] Scoring: 0.5 points per ½ lb veggies consumed Quest #4: Find my movement. Once per week, get a guest pass to a gym and try out a new class. Scoring: 2 points per new class attended Statistics: Use the Chammy spreadsheet to track weight and measurements regularly Weekly Challenge Grading: A+: 26 (or more) points A: 23 - 25 points B: 21 - 22 points C: 18 - 20 points D: 16 - 17 points FAAAAAIL: 15 points or fewer [look at that correct grammar!] OVERALL CHALLENGE GRADING: A+: 156 (or more) points A: 140 - 155 points B: 125 - 139 points C: 109 - 124 points D: 94 - 108 points FAAAAAIL: 93 points or fewer [i should also put a life quest in here, but maybe this is enough for now....] Motivation: I am tired of being tired, easily winded, and not confident in who I am. And I'm working on changing that right here!

Introduction: Hi, I'm maigrey and welcome to my first NF challenge! Over the last year I've really been working to get to a healthier me, done a couple of whole30s and really would like to get back to the Primal food plan. I love walking, hate the gym, and truth be told, would like exercise a whole lot more if it didn't involve sweating. I love gadgets and toys and probably have the next new thing already I've also never really gotten into the whole RPG stuff, so I'm just going to dive right in and get to it! (*splash*) Main Quest: Lose 30lbs by the end of the year 6 week challenge Quest: Walk a half-marathon on Aug 3rd! Quest 1: Follow weeks 7 - 12 (i've done 1-6 already) of the Hal Higdon half marathon walking program Measurement: A = 100% of the workouts B= 80% of the workouts + long walks C=60% of the workouts (including long walks) Quest 2: Follow food plan of "no candy, no ice cream, no baked goods and no white flour". Processed carbs poorly affect me, and I'm well aware I don't need them Measurement: A = 0 slips, B = 3 slips, C = 6 slips Quest 3: Drink at least 115 oz of water (weight / 2) per day Measurement: A = 115 oz of water, 42 days; B = 115 oz of water, 36 days, C = 115 oz of water, 30 days Life Quest: Go to a bar and a) not drink and have a conversation of substance with at least one person. If I'm going to tackle my stranger anxiety, let's get that act together Measurement: A = 6 times (1 time/week), B = 5 times , C = 4 times Motivation: I am tired of being tired, easily winded, and not confident in who I am. And, it all starts right here.