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Shorter version of my big long preface on January's goals: I disappeared last March but now I'm back. I didn't go completely off the rails with fitness, just updating. I changed jobs and that took a lot of my time and it felt too overwhelming to try to update things with everything else going on, especially when my updates are all "I'm surviving, not thriving, and have no time for anything besides the basics of not gaining weight etc." And actually I just got a pretty nice promotion in December and I know it'll be months before I'm comfortable in my new role, so the potential for disappearing is still there, but I feel a lot more comfortable in what I can manage now than I did when leaving a ridiculously shitty job last Spring. I'm much healthier and happier than I was, so I think I can take on more than just focusing on work again. My 2016 theme is "Opportunity favors the prepared." I'm in a better position to pursue a career opportunity when I maintain my network and resume and take time to build my skills. I'm in a better position to go on an amazing last-minute hiking trip if I'm already active and working on being fit. Sure, it's nice to dream about moving to Germany, but it's a lot more likely if I speak the language (classes started in January). And in general, luck seems more likely to come my way when I'm keeping myself happy, healthy, and fulfilled via self care and pursuing my interests. I want the abilities behind me to say yes when I want. And if the last few years are anything to go on, fortune does not seem to favor the person that spends hours everyday staring at her phone or the TV. I am planning on short monthly goals with overarching fitness/career/self-improvement and care themes throughout the year. January was used to re-establish and ingrain foundation habits, including eating well, exercising, and trying to be mindful of how best to keep the habits going forward. February I'm going to try to keep up with what stuck, try new strategies for what didn't, and build on last month's momentum. Eins! Continue with last month's successes. Be mindful of my eating patterns by sticking with Paleo and/or tracking on My Fitness Pal. Keep going to the gym 3-4x/week. Write a new letter to my month-from-now-future-self reminding myself why I'm doing this and read it everyday. Zwei! Incorporate activity into my daily life. This was a goal last month and outside of going to the gym more often and more consistently, I really didn't do a great job with this. I especially didn't manage the spirit of the goal- I want general activity to be second nature. I don't want to think twice about a daily evening jog or a fifteen minute yoga routine when I wake up. I don't really have a strategy to accomplish this yet and I'm taking suggestions. Drei! Find and curate happiness. Last month I was very apprehensive about having so much on my plate- very involved new job, German classes, sewing classes, all these goals, vacation- I don't have a great track record of maintaining parts of my life without letting other parts of it go to hell. But I planned and I had backup plans at the ready for when I failed to plan and I tried to stay focused on just what I need to do each day without losing sight of the bigger picture and ultimately I found that a lot of joy in the things I was doing. Though it took energy, I felt energized by the satisfaction of learning something new/ being social/ whatever. But to continue this I need to put in more energy than just showing up. So I'd like to complete at least one sewing project outside of class this month, read the book for book club *ready Player One by Ernest Cline), and devote an extra hour of German study each week. Nebenprojekt! Sleep. A late add to last month's goals that still needs work. But ironically it's getting late so I'll have to elaborate later. I kind of tie this in with the fitness goal, though. I think that will be all. I easily get excited and want to do all the things, but it doesn't work out well so they will have to wait for future months.

These challenges are just going to fly by. I didn't make enough progress on my goals last month to need to move on yet. The only difference will be no boxing since boxing abandoned me. Goal 1) 2 long walks/runs per week. I know there are lots of ways to work on cardiovascular endurance but my feet need to get used to pounding up and down the field so longer walks/runs it is. Might be inside on a treadmill or outside depending on weather. For me long is greater than 2 miles. Goal 2) Rugby 3 days/week. Practice is Monday, Thursday and Saturday. In the event that I can't attend a scheduled practice or we cancel for weather I will replace it with an hour of intense movement of some kind to mimic what I would be doing at practice. Goal 3) Eating. This is my eternal Achilles heel. Probably always will be. I'm continuing with the goal of eating breakfast at home 5/7 days and adding bringing my lunch to work 4/5 days. By not eating out, I am lowering calorie intake without thinking about it. Goal 4) That pesky morning routine. It's going well but it's only been about 3 weeks so I'm just keeping this as a goal for at least one more month. This month I'm going for the added bonus of getting up at 6:30 or earlier, because I can't keep getting up at 7:30 am. I need to be on my way to work by then.

Brothern and Swolemadien, When I started 4 weeks ago, this was my mental spot But last Challenge I get back to fighting shape, but not close enough to where I want to be. So, lets keep the momentum going Fitness/nutrition Q1: Gym all the time, but don’t be afraid to take rest days, don’t be afraid to take some days off if the lower back feels strained. Snowboarding counts as a gym day Q2: Do Physical Therapy every day, even on days not going to the gym. Q3: Track all the foods and eat at a deficit. Superbowl Sunday will be the reward day for this awesomeness. Q4: Post before and after progress pics to show awesomeness achieved. LUYL: When there is fuck around time at work, take the free classes that they give me and stop surfing the internet. and of course Gotta have fun.

Climbing the skill tree Backstory Today (Monday 1 February 2016) marks the culmination of 5 years of work as I handed in my final assignment of law school. As I turn over the page and enter a new chapter of my life I will stride out into the world again ready for new adventures. I have proven beyond doubt that I am capable of persistence and massive amounts of hard work but can I take the time and effort that I applied to school and apply it to other areas of my life? It is no coincidence that I leave for an epic overseas holiday in Europe a few days after my exam results come out. That is 4 weeks from now. So this is a standalone challenge between changes for me. I have put on some weight in the last couple of months that I want to get serious about shifting. I’m only talking about 2 kg which is doable in 4 weeks. There is more I want to lose but that will be a quest for another day. Although I am shooting for the weight loss I’m not going to earn any XP for that as it is just a consequence of success. The next quest... The Talisman of the Lightfoot To earn this talisman I must complete a minimum of 3 couch to 5k runs per week I’m using the c25k zombies run app. I need to feel the burn and get myself in a bit better shape. I do enjoy running and I worked my up to doing a 10km fun run a couple of years ago but it's been a long while since I ran regularly. Pounding the pavement is going to help me in my larger quest to lose a bit of weight 11/11 = 15XP 8/11 = 10XP 6/11 = 5XP The Rune of Rejuvenation Sleep at least 7 hours per night I’ve been on the verge of burnout for a while now. I haven’t had a break from work and uni for more than a week or two in the last year. When I have a lot of work on I cut back on sleep and I know that 6 hrs is the magic number for me. Any less and I’m too tired to work properly and any more is just a waste. Now that is all over my poor body deserves some rest. My Fitbit records my sleeping hours so this will be easy to track. I want to up my minimum sleep time to 7 hrs a night (and more if I can!) 26/26 = 10XP 20/26 = 5XP Collecting boar meat Keep carbs below 150g a day I’m not going to lose any weight unless I can get my diet under control. I should have more time now to meal prep and plan ahead. I’m aiming at 80% paleo and I think that getting militant about my carbs might be a good way of enforcing this. I’ll be tracking with MFP. I might adjust the goal and track averages or some other metric if I think it isn’t helping get where I want to be but no use collecting underpants. 26/26 = 10XP 20/26 = 5XP 15/26 = 2XP Mastery of tools · Clean out the spare room · Fit out the wardrobe in the spare room and decorate · Resilicone the leaks in the bathroom · Clean the whole house · Clean up the storm damage in the garden · Pack my bags for my awesome overseas adventure! I have a number of chores around the house that I need to do before I go on holidays. I’ve been neglecting the domestic rangering for a while so I’m going to set them as a set of mini tasks that I need to complete. I may add to this list as the challenge progresses as I haven't sat down and done a plan yet. between 2-5XP per task depending on complexity Also in this challenge I promise more frequent updates, many gifs and pics and much mead and glory!

Big Picture I am planning on running the 99 miler again this August. And pretty sure I want to run a 12 hour race in June (half stepping stone race half race in itself). But before that I think the plan is 3 months of heavy lifting and consistent running for a solid base. Quests Lift heavy stuff 3 times a week. +4 STR Run at least a mile every day. +4 STA Log everything going in my food hole. +3 CON Follow the step of strengthening familes program my family is doing. +2 WIS Complete life side quests. +2 CHA Life Side Quests (_) Make Valentine's day awesome (_) Complete taxes (_) Clean up at least 3 of the following: workshop, service room, garage, and bedroom (_) Read a book

Welcome, Alright so this is a respawn because although I have 8 challenges under my belt I have been away for quite some time. Time to go back to square one and kick some good habits back into gear. Hopefully the new challenge format is going to be just what I need. I have run with Scouts before and battled evil with the Adventurers but these days I feel Rangers is more where I'm at. I apologise in advance if my updates are short and sweet but time is not something that I have to spare as I'm currently working full time, commuting 2 hours a day and finishing my law degree in summer school. Keeping it simple, I'm just going to steal some goals from the new starting challenge (Thanks Spezzy!) ** The main quest: drop 20kg of spare tire ** **Quest 1: Diet** Eat a vegetable with one meal every day - Super easy right?!Track food on MFP at least 5 days per week - I'm so lax now but I used to make much better choices when I saw the cold hard facts about what I was eating **Quest 2: Fitness** Do an 'activity' at least 3 times a week - yoga, kettlebell, walk, run, whatever **Quest 3: Level up my life** Reduce caffeine consumption by 50% - Currently I'm having a can of Pepsi Max everyday and I always reach for caffeine to keep me going when I'm studying

Brothern and Swole Maidens, I have been asleep for too long And allowed Broki to run amuck. Time to wake up and get back into fitness and stop eating everything and getting my drinky drinky on But now is a new year, and new start and time to stop this and pay for our sins But, the goals are still the same: Fitness/nutrition Q1: Gym all the time, but don’t be afraid to take rest days, don’t be afraid to take some days off if the lower back feels strained. Snowboarding counts as a gym day Q2: Do Physical Therapy every day, even on days not going to the gym. Q3: Track all the foods and eat at a deficit. Superbowl Sunday will be the reward day for this awesomeness. Q4: Post before and after progress pics to show awesomeness achieved. LUYL: When there is fuck around time at work, take the free classes that they give me and stop surfing the internet.

I'm wildly unprepared for this challenge to start. Fortunately my goals are pretty much unchanged. Fitness goal 1: Boxing twice per week. This will be Wednesdays and Saturdays. Fitness goal 2: Rugby practice twice per week. Monday and Thursday Food goal: Eat breakfast at home 5/7 days. Level up my life goal: Figure out what steps need to go in my morning routine and then make it a habit so I stop being late for work. My overarching theme this year is to get fit enough that I can convince my wife it's okay for me to play rugby at 40 years old. I was just going to help out with the team but now that I've been to a few practices, I'm not sure I'm done playing. My wife has valid concerns because I have history of concussions. My partner in rugby crime thinks that if I lose a lot of weight and get in shape, my wife will be more comfortable with me playing. We'll see. About me: I'm a 40 year old female. I work in highway construction as an asphalt mix designer and materials inspector. My wife and I got legal married during the last challenge but we've been together for almost 8 years. We have 5 cats and 3 dogs in the house. Right now we have 1 garage cat who basically belongs to the whole neighborhood and another feral that I'm hoping to get tame enough to TNR. My nerdly pursuits involve all the basic nerdy tv shows, I read a lot, and I'm building a group for table top gaming. Happy challenge!

Oh hello. Cheechoe here. I'll let you nerds in on a little secret. I kiiiiind of have this thing where I forget to be awesome. I just wake up on a normal day, and go about it in a reckless manner only to find the moon has been pushed up all before I had my chance to hang it. That bastard. So this is my challenge where I remind myself everyday to be awesome. 1. Do the Awesome Things. Get back in shape by... TKD 3x/weekGym 1x/ week1 longish run 1x/ week ( 4-6miles)+2 DEX, +1 STR, +2 STA 2. Feed the Awesome. Loose weight/lean up by... Batch cook 1x/weekTrack on MFP everyday w/ one day cheat +1 WIS, +2 CON 3. Don't Forget To Be Awesome. Weekly Adulting ToDo list (Graded proportional to adulty tasks completed)Awesome Aunt Playtime 1x/week (Because my nephew's worlds are smaller than mine)Go out of my way every work day to do something helpful for someone - I get "me" time on weekends, but one selfless act (however small) that I would normally avoid+2 WIS, +2CHA 4. Avoid the Unawesome One positive self thought at the end of everyday (Stealing from SevenFootGeek)Cheat jar: $5/day for everyday I go over my MFP limit +2WIS, +1CHA I know this sounds like a lot, but I am counting on the extra energy since this is only a 4 week challenge. I can do anything in 4 weeks, right? So I challenge myself to find happiness in my accomplishments and encourage myself to actually DO what I can be capable of. LET THE AWESOMENESS BEGIN!!

Main Quest: to regain strength, composure, and balance. Took a look at my former challenges and decided to bring back old goals instead of creating brand new ones. Seems like the way to go since I'll be starting the challenge recovering from gum graft surgery! Strength* Mini Quest 1: Yoga 2x weekly. +2 STR +2 DEX Bonus: 3x weekly = something shiny. I enjoyed the shiny part of my last challenge so why not keep it in there for fun! $20 max per shiny. Mini Quest 2: One. Freaking. Pull Up. +2 STA +3 WIS 5-10 minutes daily skill work to build strength and/or technique to achieve an unassisted strict pull up (ie flex hangs, negative pull ups, dead hangs, body weight rows, etc.). *Until I am cleared by my surgeon for exercise I will walk 30 minutes daily in place of the strength mini-quests. Composure Life Quest: Recommit to the bedtime routine. +3 CON I’ve been rushing through my bedtime routine. I need to slow down and do it right. And do all the parts – I’ll admit I’ve been ignoring my screen curfew because things have been stressful and Hulu/Netflix seems like a great escape... Recommitting now to all 3 parts: Face, floss, and focus (which means do something unplugged like read a book)! Balance Mini Quest 3: Log Meals daily on MFP. +3 CHA Sometimes MFP stresses me out but it’s important after recovering from surgery that I know I’m getting what I need nutritionally from my meals. The key for consistency here will be not stressing about the numbers (that’s why I’ve assigned CHA points for a “diet†goal)

November is always a difficult month for me. This year I'm taking on more responsibility at work, trying to finish my masters degree, and planning my wedding, on top of the usual November difficulties. Luckily, if I can make it to Thanksgiving, it will be pretty smooth sailing. So, getting through this reminds me of getting through a ... Dungeon! Quest 1: Keep my health bar up (+3 CON, +1 WIS) In order to make it through the dungeon, I am going to have to watch my health bar. I have to keep up the heals, because if I let my health get too low, I'm a goner. For this quest, I will take my meds every day, + a multivitamin. Week 1 and 2: +1 CON Week 3 and 4: +1 CON Week 5: +1 WIS Week 6: +1 CON Quest 2: The grind (+2 DEX, +4 STR) As tempting as it is when you're tired and your party is flagging to pass monsters by, the only way to be successful in the game is to keep leveling up. For this quest, I am going to build my strength by going to the gym at least 3 times a week (gymnastics or regular gym). Week 1: +1 DEX Week 2: +1 DEX Week 3: +1 STR Week 4: +1 STR Week 5: +1 STR Week 6: +1 STR Quest 3: Saving the game (+1 STA) Everyone knows that if you go too long without saving, you're bound to regret it sooner or later. For this quest, I will record my food intake in myfitnesspal at least 5 times each week. Quest 4: Treasure Hunter (+2 WIS, +1 STA, +1 CHA) I'm not usually a completionist like some people I know, but I do have a few treasures in this dungeon I really want to pick up along the way. READ plans +1 WIS Report Cards +1 WIS APTT Conferences +1 CHA Action Research class +1 STA At the end of the challenge, I will have an additional: +4 STR | +2 DEX | +2 STA | +3 CON | + 3 WIS | + 1 CHA I plan to post photos. If I can manage it, I will try to do that after work today.

This is my seventh challenge here on NF. I've learned a lot since then, am still learning now, and hope to continue learning about health, fitness, and maintaining a healthy lifestyle/goals. A little bit about me: I'm a college student living at home with the folks. I thought about being an engineer, but that didn't work out. I got into a car accident a few years ago and that set me back a few semesters. I tried being an accountant but wasn't good enough for the college of business. My grandmother passed away last year. I was so busy taking care of my grandpa and the rest of the family that I neglected my classes and it hurt my gpa. So I'm floating on a mulitdisciplinary degree that doesn't do much (unless I can sell it) for any career. I live with my dad (The Fatherlord), sis (mini me). I'm also stuck with my stepmother (Maleficent) and stepsister (Lilith) whose goal in life is to make my life hard. Most of my friends call me cinderella bc of this. All the stress of changing majors dealing with accidents and losses, and toxic people has lead me to put on 30 lbs. I've been here on NF for most of this grief. I've had to learn the hard way how to build a successful challenge, but I'm getting better. I hope to lose this weight that the stress that has caused it. my main goals are to: Get back to a healthy weighteat clean and healthyget enough sleepfeel great about exercising and do it continually graduate with a degree in accountingsave up enough to get my own apartment But enough serious talk, lets move on to the fun! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Main Quest Big Trouble in Little Republic City Being the avatar has been pretty laid back so far. I've mastered all the elements except air. Because of that I'm heading to Republic City to learn it from Tenzin, Aangs son. Air bending is not the most fun thing to do, so I'm doing some pro-bending on the side (Tenzin doesn't have to know about that.) Air temple food isn't that great either, but the water tribe food Republic city is amazing. You can't bend on an empty stomach anyways. I heard you shouldn't water bend until at least forty five minutes after eating, but that's an old myth. Goal 1 Airbending Training (+3 DEX, +3 STR) I've got one last element to tackle if I want to get this avatar thing down, how hard can air bending be? CHALLENGE: workout x2 per week CHALLENGE: yoga/meditation x2 per week STAT: 3 (A=3, B=2, C=1) Goal 2 An Avatar's Appetite (+3 CON) You can't save the world on an empty stomach, so why not stop by the nearest restaurant in Republic City for some Water tribe cuisine? CHALLENGE: calorie limit of 1,600 per day CHALLENGE: eat +100 g of protein per day STAT: 3 (A=3, B=2, C=1) Goal 3 Being the Pro-bending Champion (+3 STA) Pro-bending is great! And I can finally do some bending that I'm good at and kick butt while doing it. CHALLENGE: 100 oz water per day CHALLENGE: go to bed no later than 11pm STAT: 3 (A=3, B=2, C=1) Side Quest Looking for Answers (+3 WIS) Something's not quite right in Republic City, and Tarrlok is not telling me everything either. Better start brushing up on my research and find my own answers. CHALLENGE: 100% on all note card subjects everyday CHALLENGE: read school book/ do homework 30 minutes everyday STAT: 3 (A=3, B=2, C=1) Measurements: Neck: 15.75 Chest: 43.00 Waist: 36.25 Hips: 45.75 Thigh: R: 25.00 L: 25.00 Calf: R: 16.50 L: 16.50 Bicep: R: 15.00 L: 15.00 Weight: 198

I'm so bad at this creative title and theme stuff. I would have had this up sooner if I could have thought of a title. My last few challenges have been mostly about maintaining and continuity. My work is about to slow down so its time to start thinking about what I want to do this winter. I'm really tired of just maintaining my weight. I'm ready to start losing. I want to take a different approach this time. I make all sorts of grand plans without considering what I am really committed to doing. The results have been some meager weight loss and lots of half assed challenges. For week 1 I only have 2 goals. 1) Track my food and aim for average daily calories of 2250. 2) Take a good hard look at things and decide on some concrete goals, short and long term and what steps I'm really willing to take to meet them. Next weekend I will plot out what I'm doing for the remainder of the challenge and what my longer term goals are going to be.

Introduction: I’m a 36 year old fat bloke, I have always been the bigger chap (apart from primary school when I was 4/5 years old and I was sent to the doctor as they thought I was malnourished…boy did I get them back!), this helped when playing American Football (O & D linesmen, it was a very small team at the time)but not much good for anything else. After I joined my current employer (8 years ago) I became quite sedentary and I ballooned even more. I have over the years started loads of things to change this but I always ended up falling off the wagon (and hasn’t exactly gone as smoothly since I joined here!), each challenge I have learnt a lesson either on activity or about myself or just a mental thing, so each has shown some form of improvement if not in the ones I had planned! This will be my fith challenge, the second to fourth didn't go so well. following discussions and helping out at a Spartan Race weekend event, i came to the conclusion i was doing the wrong training and this is why i am here! Main Quest: To become a healthier fitter individual by improving my diet and fitness. This would be measured in an increase in capability, distances covered on cardio workouts (mixture of rowing, cycling, treadmill (10mins each on a workout) and cross trainer (30mins session) ) increase in bodyweight exercises achieved and repetitions achieved, using the Crossfit Thames standard sheets to aim for (with intermittent testing) and decrease in body fat and other measured body sizes. Quest 1: To work out for a minimum of 30mins 7 days a week working towards Crossfit minimums: each day will consist an element of cardio work and i wil be starting on the Convict Conditioning beginners level. I will also be throwing in kettlebells, and bike work at home. Measurement: 100% = 42 days Reward: 100% = +2 STA, +2 STR Quest 2: Weekend Yoga sessions to improve flexibility on either a Saturday or Sunday (using DDPs YRG dvds) Measurement: 100% = 6 days Reward: 100% = 2 Dex Quest 3: downloading MyFitnessPal, this initial challenge will be to stay under 2000 cals each day. Measurement: 100% = 42 days of sticking to 2000 Reward: 100% = 2 Con Life Quest: Again I'm not going to follow my life quest at the moment, I think with changes at work and the physical things I want to achieve I am making some big changes as it is without trying to force another, so going to give myself a break on this one! Motivation: I really need to improve my health, my dad has recently been diagnosed with pre-diabetes we have both had High blood pressure in the past and we are too similar to not worry about the same issues affecting the other or our own returning, plus I haven’t really felt that I have achieved much, I really wan to be Spartan ready for next year as after working the Spartan Race last weekend I now have two passes, so im in im on it and i really cannot fail this time!

I really wavered on doing a challenge this time. But I'm afraid if I don't do one this time then soon it will be 2017 and I will weigh 400 pounds because I broke the only tether that reminds me I don't want to weigh 400 pounds. I've got another hectic few weeks coming up so I wanted to make this challenge as simple as possible. Goal 1) Eat 15,750 calories per week. That averages out to 2250 per day but I like to measure by the week because some days I'm hungrier than others. Goal 2) Household tasks. I will do 1 household chore per day. Every day. The only exception will be if I'm home literally less than 8 hours between work shifts. It happens sometimes and that time is too precious. Other than that, at least 1 thing per day. It can be as big as cleaning out the spare bedroom closet to as small as clearing off a small space in one room. I just need to get better about keeping the space around me in good shape. That's it. See Spot Run. You might notice there is no exercise goal for this challenge. My back is still giving me all kinds of grief so until that clears up, I'm not pushing myself to get to the gym. I am doing enough physical activity at work right now anyway. I also wanted to do a more stringent food challenge but I have to be realistic about what my schedule looks like. My beloved companion is not in the same place I am with eating right now so I need to keep it small manageable steps. I've been in a really horrible mood for the last 2 or 3 weeks. Just writing out this challenge already made me feel a bit better. It's that crazy NF magic.

Ready For Another Round... FYI: I just changed my name from Sokkasm to Korranation in case anyone is looking for the avatar A lil bit about me for those who haven't read my previous challenges: I'm a college student living at home with the folks. I thought about being an engineer, but that didn't work out. I got into a car accident a few years ago and that set me back a few semesters. I tried being an accountant but wasn't good enough for the college of business. My grandmother passed away last year. I was so busy taking care of my grandpa and the rest of the family that I neglected my classes and it hurt my gpa. So I'm floating on a mulitdisciplinary degree that doesn't do much (unless I can sell it) for any career. I live with an evil stepmother (Maleficent) and stepsister (Lilith) whose goal in life is to make my life hard. Most of my friends call me cinderella bc of this. All the stress of changing majors dealing with accidents and losses, and toxic people has lead me to put on 30 lbs. I've been here on NF for most of this grief. I've had to learn the hard way how to build a successful challenge, but I'm getting better. I hope to lose this weight that the stress that has caused it. Main Quest Remaster Being the Avatar I feel pretty beat up and defeated from my last challenge. I thought I had made S.M.A.R.T. goals, but they weren't attainable, realistic, or that timely. That left me with S.M. goals. So I'll make them SMALLer this time around so they're more attainable and realistic. I'll even through in a 5k marathon on the last day of the challenge to make things timely. Goal 1 Exercise (+3 STR, +3 DEX) I've pretty weak for an avatar. I've got to get my strength up so I can face off any baddy that stands in my way. CHALLENGE: run x3 per week CHALLENGE: yoga x2 per week STR : 3 (A=3, B=2, C=1) DEX : 3 (A=3, B=2, C=1) Goal 2 Eat (+3 CON) An avatars got to keep their appetite up to match their strenth right? CHALLENGE: stay within 200 calories of MFP goal CON: 3 (A=3, B=2, C=1) Goal 3 Sleep (+3 CHA) CHALLENGE: sleep 7-8 hrs CHA: 3 (A=3, B=2, C=1) Side Quest Read (+3 WIS) CHALLENGE: read 2-3 books WIS: 3 (A=3, B=2, C=1)

Big changes are coming. I'm moving from Madison, WI to Indianapolis in September. My challenge goal is to survive the transition and not lose track of my health goals while I go through it. Some dates to consider: Aug 7 -- big move day -- I take a uhaul with all my stuff to Indy during this weekend. Aug 14 -- lease ends -- couch surfing begins Aug 21 -- Friends are getting married -- drinking and cake happens Sept 1 -- I'm off the UW payroll and leaving town. Goal 1: Track diet on MFP. I don't care about macros, goals, or whatever really. I just want to get back in the habit of tracking so I can be aware of what I'm consuming and stop eating like a total asshole. Track Every day as close as possible. Goal 2: Make the most of remaining gym membership Membership ends in Sept. I only live in the apartment across the street till Aug 14. Gotta get those workouts in. So it will only be "easy" for the next three weeks. Then I'll have to start going out of my way. My goal is to get 20 workouts in before I leave. Goal 3: Meditate daily 10 min. breathing and non-thinking on the ol' zafu. Gotta let my mind release the stress. I'm starting today. That is all.

After last challenge I clearly need to get back to basics. Soon I will be revealing that plan but now I need to do terrible things to asphalt. Okay: Goal 1) 3 work outs per week. Days to be declared at the beginning of the week Goal 2) Track food, meet the calorie goal my trainer set out for me Goal 3) Keep up with YNAB.

“I wonder if I've been changed in the night. Let me think. Was I the same when I got up this morning? I almost think I can remember feeling a little different. But if I'm not the same, the next question is 'Who in the world am I?' Ah, that's the great puzzle!†― Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland The last few challenges have gotten away from my main quest. Well, not exactly, but they were more about getting back on track than actually travelling back in time. 1999 alluded me just before the holidays. Then I got stuck in some time loop that kept circling from 1999 to 1997 and back again. I have finally escaped the time loop and am leaving 1997 in the past….wait, the future. Now I’m confused. For this challenge my destination is Onederland. According to the numbers, I should just get under 200 by the end of the challenge. And that makes me excited. But not too excited – that would jinx it. I'll mostly be using 7 day averages for tracking and grading. I think this will work well since 1 hiccup won't have a huge impact and if I do get off track, it's easier to see the way back. “We're all mad here.†― Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland Oh, and feel free to drop a gif...

Hello Adventurers! I am Not So Nerdy Nerd. This is my first challenge with you lovely group of people. I did my first challenge with the recruits, it was....a learning experience. I did not accomplish any of the goals I set out for myself, but I did learn a lot about me, and FINALLY learned and understood macros, and planning nutrition around them. So I would call it a success. Anyways...I first said I was going to loose weight about 25 lbs ago. I have been half heartedly trying to do so without any progress for several years. Last year, I set myself a goal that by the time I hit my 25th birthday I would be back to the best shape of my life. LOL yeah...some knee injuries, stress, and school stopped that from happening. So this year I have decided to use some upcoming weddings as the finish line for my current get healthy attempt. As of today, the first of these weddings is in 118 days. As my quest title suggests, I want to wear my little blue dress to the first of these upcoming weddings. This dress has a sad backstory that can be summed up as never got a chance to wear it when I fit into it. (and yes, if I ever figure out how to post a picture I will show you the dress, and I am sure its blue, not white and gold) Sounds great...so what is with the "The Closet is Coming" statement? - first off it makes more sense if you whisper it like the voice in Plants vs. Zombies. I'll wait.... One thing I have been avoiding like the plague since I first decided I was unhappy with my weight gain and appearance is cleaning out my closet. I have not wanted to get rid of clothes that I love, and know I would fit into again if I just lost the darn weight. Plus the closet would be terrifyingly empty if I did clean it out. Heres what currently fits...2 pairs of khakis which I wear to work everyday, 2 pairs of jeans, and a handful of shirts appropriate for work. So as a swift kick in the butt of motivation I am officially scheduling a closet clean out for the last weekend of this challenge. You all are welcome to come, cheer me on, talk sense into me, whatever. This means its crunch time. I have 40 days to make some real progress, drop a couple inches off the belly and thighs and get to add back some more items to my wardrobe. I intend to do this in a healthy manner that helps me towards my ultimate goals of getting all the clothes to fit again and have healthy habits so I can maintain that body. NO YOYOING HERE! So without further ado, what I am going to work on this challenge. Metrics will be discussed after. 1) Consistent healthy eating according to macros. I will plan, and record all the food I eat in MFP. 2) Be active every day. 10,000 steps or 30 active minutes as recorded my fitbit, runkeeper, or time in gym weight lifting. On rest days still must hit 10,000 step of 30 active minutes. 3) Yoga /flexibility improvement every day. Minimum 20 minutes per day. 4) Life Side Quest: Limit the number of hours spent watching netflix. Metrics I like quantitative metrics...what can I say, I am an engineer after all. I also want to make sure I am measuring my success in small enough pieces that I dont get discouraged if I miss a step. So I am going to structure my metrics like classes in school. I will get completion points for each little step towards my goal, and the opportunity to earn extra credit for extra good behavior, or loose points for very bad behavior. Points will be tallied and grades assigned based on traditional percentages. 1) Healthy Eating - weekends are my downfall so weighted towards good performance there. Weekdays Weekends Meal Planning/Prep +5 points +10 points Record in MFP +5 points +10 points Workweek consistency bonus: +10 points Total: 100 points per week Extra credit: +1 eating only what was planned for the day, -5 points for each soda consumed even if it is recorded. 2) Active Time +10 points/ day for participation. +5 points/day for working out before noon Total: 105 points per week Extra Credit: +1 for each additional activity completed each day 3) Yoga +15 points for completion each day Total: 105 points per week 4) Netflix -No netflix until other goals achieved for the day <4 hours/week - A 4-5 hours/week - B 5-7 hours/week - C 7-10 hours/week - D <10 hours/ week - F I hope that all makes sense to everyone. Thanks for stopping by, I hope you make it a regular habit, I would love to make some new NF friends! With that, I am off to clean the kitchen/organize the fridge to start meal planning for the week.

If you pay any attention to my gif choices, you must have expected it. . . The Supernatural-themed challenge. I rewatch the episodes on Netflix all the time, and I always wonder how I would do as a hunter (in all probability, very poorly). But part of being a Rebel is learning to overcome fear and become antifragile, and there is nothing sturdier than the Winchesters. Of course, the best part of the show* is the music, so I chose four songs from the show (or tangentially mentioned - I guess Kripke couldn't get the rights to Led Zeppelin stuff) to represent my goals for this challenge. Ramble On – DEX 2, STA 3. One of dean’s favorite songs, and one of my goals. I love running, I love hiking and going for long walks. I just need to make sure these are a priority in my life. I’m not going to try for 10,0000 steps per day, but rather 50,000 per week. Running, walking, hiking, line dancing, whatever. Get moving. Ordinary biking will not count, but a dedicated bike trip that lasts long (say, at least an hour and a half?) will be included in “stepsâ€, converted with the LIVESTRONG method here: http://www.livestrong.com/article/187672-how-to-convert-exercise-bike-miles-to-steps/ . (This has been way too easy. So I am bumping the total up to 70,000/week, which is the recommended 10,000/day. I also need to run at least twice, because come on. Not sure about the numbers, but it will depend how far over my minimum I go, I guess.) Green Onions – CON 2. Moose gets big eating “shake it baby†salads and green smoothies! Loving my usual “eat greens every day†goal, but it’s too easy. So I will try to eat at least 3 servings of veggies per day, and track all foods using My Fitness Pal. Eye of the Tiger– STR 4. I would like to continue with both my BW practice and my dance practice, but scheduling time to do each 3+ times per week would leave me with no rest days. So this goal is an either/or instead of a both/and. I will “train†3 times per week – bodyweight and/or intense dancing. Intense dancing is defined as minimum 45 minutes, heart rate goes up, or difficult muscle work like floorwork, etc. Ideally, I want to do one pull up by the end of 2015, so bodyweight is going to help me with that a lot. (Edited end of week 2: to make sure I do more BW, I top out at 70% unless I do at least two BW.) (I swear this isn't the only reason I watch this show) Got My Wings – WIS 2, CHA 2. While the show itself is pretty agnostic in tone (which is quite a feat, considering the demons, angels, etc that people the whole thing), spiritual themes are central to the show, and none more so than redemption. If religious stuff bugs you, skip to the gif of Castiel speaking in iambic pentameter, just like an angel speaking English should. I'm the one who gripped you tight and raised you from perdition. Mmmm, prosody. I am Jewish, and living in a place bereft of other Jews, except for my husband. As I live through my first ever Passover without a Jewish community, I realize how much I miss it. I can't make a Jewish community spring up in Shikoku, but I can reconnect to the observances of Judaism that I have let fall by the wayside due to absence. As i have made stretching and meditation into part of my bedtime ritual most nights, I find myself longing for more - more of the outside, physical observances that radiate inwards (lighting Shabbat candles, singing some of the evening service, covering my head when attending to my spiritual needs) and the inside, mental observances that radiate outwards, especially prayer and study. I am going to be realistic, which is a mitzvah in itself, since living life doesn't, and shouldn't. grind to a halt for the spiritual life (Judaism doesn't really have an ascetic tradition, we're more communal and in-the-world). I intend to continue my evening stretching and meditation, and add the Sh'ma and the V'ahavta, as well as keep up with the Parshah weekly – read section, read at least one commentary/midrash. (Also start the morning with the Modah Ani) Luckily, I already have my "Team Impala" playlist on my iPod! Challenges for this challenge: I have family visiting from the 24th to May 4th. However, this is my dad and his partner, so I will probably end up getting more exercise during their visit. We're planning on lots of walking, etc, plus a bike ride across the big bridge and maybe climbing the tallest mountain in Western Japan (if it is open for climbing). And i should try to remember Mothers' Day. And Coming off of Passover sometimes leads me to donut-and-pastry binge a bit, but I'm hopeful that having to track it in MFP will stay my hand at least part of the time. *Yes, even better than the very pretty (and only occasionally shirtless) men kicking demon ass.

My week has been a little hectic so I don't have anything really set down how I want it. But my goals are going to keep on being pretty similar. I just really want to have some details and hammer on some grades this time to see if that helps me be a little more locked on to my goals. Goal 1 will be about exercising consistently even when my job interferes with life. Goal 2 will be about food, tracking religiously and maintaining a calorie goal. Goal 3 is going to be about me time. I have a new chain mail project to work on so I want to at least get that started. I'm also going to do something really outside my normal bubble and go to a board game group I found on Meetup. They meet every Tuesday and Thursday night. Eek!

My Fourth Challenge: 1) Continue Tracking for a whole year on MFP, making sure to get proper nutrition, eating enough and figuring out what is best for me as I may be more insulin/carb sensitive than previously thought. Also, continue tracking exercise with Fitbit. 2) Lose that last 16 pounds by this summer, with 6 pounds for this challenge. 3) Continue keeping up with friends 4) Pass Garde Manger (Cold Foods) and graduate to Bakeshop 5) Put together new cosplay outfit. 6) Take care of ears, which tend to get clogged from time to time, eyes, which need to be examined, and right knee, which is still healing but is better than before. Progress so far: 1) Ongoing, still working on feelings of guilt for not being as athletic as some people on here. 2) Ongoing 3) Ongoing 4) Slightly behind. 5) I've got an absolutely perfect athletic jacket for my first female cosplay that isn't a female version of a male character, Kumiko "Yankumi" Yamaguchi, Acting Kumicho and High School Teacher from The Gokusen! I just need to get the pants, lose a bit of weight and fix up my hair.

I"m sure this is asked a lot, but I didnt look hard enough to necro a thread. My only part of my counting game I'm struggling with is when the wife cooks. She makes the meal and I can weigh it out, but how do I get the correct ratios of the major components? Example: Sloppy Joes. I can get the bun easy. Most of it is the meat. Veggies are don't add up to much and sauce. How do I work out the details to get it mostly right? Thanks for your suggestions and help.

I spent the last day of vacation watching Spamalot on youtube. Main goal for 2015 is weight loss. Plain and simple. Goal 1: Boxing: 3 days per week. Boxing or kickboxing. Try to hit classes with different trainers since they each bring something different. Focus on form and improving shoulder mobility. 3x = A, 2x = B, 1x = C, 0 = F Goal 2: Food: Finally got the info! I don't think she realizes it but it is straight up Zone diet using the ubiquitous CrossFit Journal Issue #21 block charts. I still need to muddle through how I'm going to grade this but a big thing is going to be sending my food journal to Raini every week. Goal 3: Life goal: I want to work on journaling. I want to write something down every day. It may be as simple as a work journal entry or it may be a long rambly feeling my feelings journal entry. Work journal really should happen every day I work. 5/7 = A, 4/7 = B, 3/7 = C, less than 3 = F. I'm going to put in my starting measurements for the challenge at the gym. Weight 307 lbs (YIKES!!) Waist 51 inches Bicep 19 inches Thigh 29.75 inches Body fat 46.4% by the little handheld device. The challenge at the gym runs for 3 months. My non-goal is to be down to 42% BF while maintaining or gaining muscle. That would be around 20 pounds of fat loss. When I was 30 I shed 4.5 pounds a week for 6 months on a super restrictive diet and lots of exercise. Somehow I doubt if I can maintain that at 40.