Search the Community

Hello, This is my first quest here. Guess I should go into my past a little, might shed light as to why I am seeking help on the internet. As an introvert, I spend a lot of time alone, on the computer, playing video games. This lifestyle led to a near fatal embolism in my lung (more than one, actually, but whatever) about three years ago. I was nearly 300lbs, pack a day smoker, and about as lethargic as a brick. Since then I've decreased my weight over 50 lbs, am in the best shape I've ever been, I even quit smoking for over a year. I'm still an introvert in an extroverted world, which brings a fair deal of depression, and for that I started smoking again (this was a year ago). I exercise at least five days a week, for more than hour a day, I aim for all 7 days, however. I really do not have any one goal I am trying to reach, the journey is the goal itself. However that said, there are many many many things I wish to accomplish. Such as: Being Smoke-Free. I think the most important thing, right now, for me is to free myself from this addiction. It's a definite obstacle to my progression. The hardest thing I ever even tried to accomplish. So, any support is very appreciated. My family smokes, so reliable they are not in this department. (They also have terrible diets, but I won't go there...yet) Quest 1: Mindfulness. Staying mindful of the addiction. I am addicted to nicotine. Awareness of cravings. "This is not a panic attack, this is addiction." Quest 2: Meditation. Useful to overcome the cravings, temporarily. To meditate morning and night, and when sudden powerful cravings hit during the day. Nerve calming tool, anti-anxiety. Quest 3: Exercise. Meditation is great for a temporary fix. Exercise is the ultimate tool. Who can smoke when you're jogging around the parking lot at lunch time? My biggest challenge is smoking right after I wake up in the morning. I am hoping 20 push-ups and 40 sit-ups will break that habit for me. Life Quest. Being smoke free will enable me to save money, but one would have to be able to control their finances to even notice. So my life goal is to have more wealth. (not to be confused with earning more) I want to be able to spend less, save more, and not wonder where my money has gone. Phat Loot! So there it is. I would think the rewards could speak for themselves. In case they're not: 1. Enhanced state of being.

I have decided to join this challenge, but with some modifications compared to the previous ones: - No goals - Less updates and less followings (fun, but too time consuming) - KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid) - No points OK, now to the challenge! This time I will just focus on what makes me happy. Just being and accepting. And what does this mean? I am happy when I eat healthy foods, when I move my body, when I relax and when I feel no pressure to achieve stuff. I will not have goals, but I will still I aim for certain things. For instance, I want to eat healthy, and I will try to do so, but I will not set a goal “no sugar for 6 weeks†or something like that. I will update this thread once a week (sometimes more, but at least a weekly update) and then post a sum up of the week for four different categories and three different "grades". The four categories are: Healthy foods: I eat food that makes me feel good. I can eat whatever I want, but in moderation. Body care: Workouts, climbing, trigger point etc Mindfulness: Meditations, eating slowly, gratitude Happiness: How I felt during the day. Does not necessarily correlate with above, but will often do so. The grades are: Green=Great, Yellow=OK Red=Not good And finally, I will do a mini-challenge (of my own) every week, where I focus on something I think deserves some extra attention. OK, lets do this! “Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished.†- Lao Tzu

Hi Druids! A Ninja (in training) is joining your ranks for this challenge. Short recap: In my previous challenge, we followed Swen, my alter ego, who is attending a camp in the Shadow Mountains. His mentor, BrusLi, has now explained that Swen for the remainder of the summer must leave and explore the world outside camp. Swen has reached the physical requirements for joining the fellowship of the Shadow Ninjas, but now he has to for the next 6 weeks be prepared mentally as well. In this challenge, I won’t be as thorough as I was in my previous one. For instance, I will meditate daily, but it´s not the end of the world if I miss a session. Looking at the bigger picture is key, and my grading will be based thereafter. Mindfulness and awareness (WIS+4): I will be more mindful, more present, more aware of my feelings and thoughts. In plain English, this means: I will meditate daily (Qigong and/or other meditation forms)I will eat mindfully and slowly (no computer, and preferably no reading either) I will be more mindful during my day (no constant checking the iPhone, not turn on the computer at once when I feel bored etc)I will be aware of how blessed I am by writing a gratitude journal dailyI will focus on how I feel, instead of how I look. This means no weighing myself or looking in the mirror (body composition). This will be tough….I will take a day of mindfulness every week and some nights. This means, no phone, no computer (unless for writing) and no TV. Taking part of in the world (CHA+4): I have few friends, and I feel that I´m slipping away from the ones I have (different interest, so it´s not a bad thing). Therefor, I will expand my circle and trying to meet new people (IRL…..). I will meet new people who share my hobbies and values.I will every day make the world a better place. It doesn´t have to be big things, it can be anything from picking up litter, writing a kind compliment in the woot room to doing a random act of kindness in the supermarket. The important thing is that I do something and that I do it daily to get the habit going. Food and fitness (STR+2, STA+2): This is mainly not a fitness challenge, but I still want to stay in shape, so…… I will track and plan my food intake so as to be sure that I eat enough but don´t binge (>1500 kcal in one meal)I will work out / climb 7 times a weekI hate the rowing machine (ok, maybe don´t hate it, but it just so fricking exhausting J), but since my knee injury won´t let me run, and this is supposed to be a challenge…..I will row once a week (assuming my knees are holding up), starting with 2 K, then gradually going up (goal will be somewhere around 5-7 K). The longest I´ve ever rowed so far is 1 K so I have no idea how my body will react.Life goal (WIS+3): I will write my personal manifesto. The hope is that this declaration will help me focus on what I deem most important in my life, and provide me with guidelines when making decisions. Motivation: “Someone once told me the definition of Hell: The last day you have on earth, the person you became will meet the person you could have become.†This pretty much says it all. I want to live my life to the fullest, and I do this by staying fit, by eating food that gives me energy, by being a “good†human, by not wasting my life in the couch watching crappy B-movies on Netflix. Psyched to be here, and hope to meet some new friend in this guild! Ohh, PS, If you don´t like people who ponder and submit their random thoughts, you probably should´t follow this thread…..

Well helloooooo there, NerdFitness! Yep, I’m a little late to the party this time around, but I’m ready for another challenge! This last week has been chock-full of work panic, ending in the massive and glorious panic that is a Comic Con… so, I just decided to start a week late. But here we go! I have focused on some gentle, frequent goals over the last couple challenges, but I’m going to kick my training up a notch and see how it goes. After all, I’m getting out of the newb zone, and there’s no telling what’s in that tall grass! Goal 1: Super Training Well, it’s that time again where I’ve got to be putting on some weight, according to the doctors. Fortunately though, my body fat is at a high enough percentage that I don’t have to worry about increasing that too much, so I’m going to get back to trying to build a bit of muscle! My gym doesn’t have barbells, but I’m going to try and stick to a dumbbell routine. Everyone tells me consistency is key, which I have trouble with; I don’t enjoy weightlifting. But I need to gain mass, and I’m kind of over increasing my BF %. I'm thinking of going off of the routine suggestion I found here: Dynamite Dumbbell Workouts. So- Lift weights 4x per week. Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays. Goal 2: Mediation Training Continuing on with this one! But instead of my 10 minutes a day, I’m bumping it up to 15 minutes. Time to get those stamina stats up! Meditate for 15 minutes, every day. Also, keep up with my meditation instructor, have at least two meetings. Goal 3: Art Master Training Of course, it wouldn’t be a ‘Master Quest’ without my favorite training challenge! I do this last Life Goal in every one of my Master challenges. It's a long process! This has expanded to include anything that increases my ability to be awesome in art, design, or my job (promotional design). So it could be tutorials, sketching, reading books on marketing, doing industry research… basically anything that’s going to help me level up! Train in art/design/promo for 1 hour every day. That about sums it up for this challenge! Sketches will be coming soon. I can’t stand this post looking so un-artsy, I simply can’t. Also yes, I did my classic Catwoman thing last weekend, and it was super awesome. Pics to come. ;D

Prologue Alright, so although the last challenge [link] didn’t go well, I’ve decided that I am ready to move up to level 2 and the “real worldâ€. My dream is to be a monk or druid, but right now I’m on the adventurer course. I think considering my current fitness level and need to build solid habits, this is the place for me to start. Here we go! Starting Stats Weight: Neck: Bust: Chest: Bicep: Forearm: Waist: Hips: Thigh: Calf: Goal 1: Go Dairy-Free This is a goal for my last challenge that I failed miserably on. I hope by giving myself more leeway and being at home I can complete it successfully. This will be judged on a weekly score. It’s a meal-based tally so everything that has dairy counts against the weekly total. My main flaw last challenge was that I never looked for dairy before I ate, and then I would check and see. Now that I have more experience, I know I need to be sure I’m clear of it. A – no dairy or dairy based meals B – 1-3 dairy meals C – 4-6 dairy meals D – 7-9 dairy meals F – >10 dairy meals +3 STA Goal 2: Meditate Daily In my yoga class last semester, I found a lot of peace in our daily meditation. I want to continue this in my life and foster a mindfulness of the world around me. For this challenge, I’m starting week 1 with 4 minutes and then adding a minute every week. A – 7 days of practice at the weekly minutes (4 + week #) B – 5-6 days of practice at the weekly minutes C – 3-4 days of practice at the weekly minutes D – 1-2 days of practice at the weekly minutes F – 0 days of practice at the weekly minutes +2 WIS +2 STA Goal 3: Practice Yoga Daily As part of my future druidic nature, I want to be in touch with my body, my breathing, and my mind. Yoga was probably one of my favorite parts of my freshman year and I’m upset with myself that I haven’t continued it outside of class. I’m correcting this mistake now. I’m going to attempt to do 10 minutes per day, preferably in the same chunk. A – 7 days a week B – 5-6 days a week C – 3-4 days a week D – 1-2 days a week F – no yoga days +2 DEX +2 STR +1 CHA Life Goal: Journal Daily Much like meditation, I have found that journaling helps bring me to peace with my thoughts. I’ve been wanting to develop this habit for a while now, and since I’ll be visiting my family and wandering around one of the coolest cities in the world, I figure this is a great time to start. I’m not going to give myself an amount of time I have to do this. I want it to be a flow of thoughts and ideas, so any journaling, even for a few minutes, is better than none. A – Journal daily B – 5-6 days a week C – 3-4 days a week D – 1-2 days a week F – 0 days a week +2 WIS +1 STA Mini Goal: Begin the 52-Week Challenge [link] This is a very simple, pass-fail goal. While I can’t start paying off my student loans until I get a job, I can at least start on a fund for paying for field school or supplementing future study abroad endeavors. If you want the short version and don’t want to read the link, I’ll basically save $27 by the end of the challenge since I'm starting this week. No big deal, but it’s a start. I can’t wait to see where this takes me. Summary So there it is! My second challenge. Hopefully I don’t fail as badly as the first.

Hello Druid guild! I'm Leo, and I believe I've been here briefly before; but today I'm settling down in the forest to journey with you guys! I'm carrying my challenge theme over from my last one, which is namely my Master Quest challenge. My Master Goal is the same, but my others have taken a bit of tweaking- I've been really interested in yoga and meditation for a long time now, but I'm ready for them to take a spotlight in the wellness part of my life, instead of a sidebar! I'm a newbie at all of this, so I'm really looking forward to learning more. Without further ado- my Pokemon-ified challenge goals, (what better theme for a master quest?) complete with silly doodles. Of course the doodles are a must. I'm that kid just noodling away in the margins of my class notes, I can't stop! Goal 1: Mindful Training Mindfulness training (meditation) is something that I got into last year when learning how to best manage stress and unpleasant thoughts I was having. It really made an impact on me, and it's something I want to continue deeper with. I'm managing 10 min a day, but I'm not very consistent, and want to progress more. I plan on finding a mentor during this challenge! But, I think a regular, daily practice is an essential habit to build. Target: Meditate for 10 minutes per day. Score out of 42 +4 WIS, +1 STA Goal 2: Limber Training A goal I'm carrying over from my last challenge (and from before that as well) is stretching for 15 minutes a day. Doesn't matter how, just doing it is important! I was very humbled in a yoga class over the Christmas season when I was the least flexible member of the class (and of my family), and realized I simply didn't want it to be that way. I do yoga at home on occasion (when I make the time), and want to continue getting bendier! Plus, I'm cosplaying as Catwoman this June. A Catwoman who can't bend and stretch is no proper Catwoman at all. Target: Stretch 15 minutes a day Score out of 42 +3 DEX, +1 STA, +1 CON Master Goal: Artistic Training Ahh, the grandaddy goal of them all! This goal is the Life Quest fulfiller that was the focus of my last challenge (and will be for all the Master Quest themed challenges I do). I'm a visual designer by trade, and I wouldn't want it any other way; the only thing I would like to change, is I would like to improve! The goal is to spend one hour a day doing something that furthers my career in a design, artistic or business sense. I have a full-time gig as a video game graphic artist, so extra practice on top of the work I do is daunting. But, I'm determined! Target: Practice art/design for 1 hour a day Score out of 42 +2 WIS, +2 CHA, +1 STA I do have this awful habit of thinking 'oh sure, I'll update today!' thing, and then poof, half the challenge is done and I never get on NF. SO- Mini-Challenge: Updates! I solemnly swear, if I update every day, I will buy myself a lovely meditation cushion at the end of this challenge. :3 So my little throw pillow can have its life back on my bed where it belongs! Anyways, I'm really excited to be testing out my new Druid moves, and I'm looking forward to the next six weeks! Good luck everyone!

This is my 4th challenge ! This time, i will make it a little easier and focus on the 4 recommended goals, since the last times i had 5-6 goals and it was getting hard to focus. So, this time around i will : 1) Run 5 Km (CON 1 + STA 1) I am already doing the C25K program, and am now (as of today) doint week 4 day 2. I will continue to run 3 times a week to reach the 5km, hopefully by the end of the challenge. C25K recommends 9 weeks, so i should reach my goal in that timeframe. 2) Blogilates every day, following the beginner calendar (STR 1 + CHA 1 + CON 1) My goal is to do 1 thing everyday from the calendar, and the hole thing if i can. I would LOVE to check every one of those boxes. For some reason this challenge calendar appeals to me at the moment, so i will follow my wants and see where it leads. I love the fact that every day is different, and the goal is 10-15 min long everyday for only 1 of the things, so short enough that i can make it. I will aim to do this first thing in the morning. The rest day will be tuesday, or whenever in the week i feel the energy of timing lacks. If i already took it, i can't have another in that week, 3) Sleep 7.5h a day, from sunday to thursday at least (CON 1 + STA 1) This is a hard one for me. Has been a goal in the last challenges as well, still not where I want to be, but i am getting there. What i find hard is that with all my treatments, family time, household chores, at the end of the day i want to relax and do things for me before going to bed and i end up going to bed really late. I will aim for 10h pm, and waking around 5h30 every work day. This should give me enough time in the morning to include Blogilates and my things, while letting me get that extra 30 min i need desperetly. - Week 1: Sleep at 10h, for 7h - Week 2: sleep at 9h45, for 7h15 - Week 3: sleep at 9h30, for 7h30 - Week 4: sleep at 9h15, for 7h45 - Week 5: sleep at 9h, for 8h - Week 6: sleep at 9h, for 8h waking up at 5-5h15 every morning 4) Life : be mindfull and present (WIS 1 + CHA 1) Give the most important people of my life my undivided attention when i'm with them. This means : - Playing with my son at least once a day without distractions. - Hanging around my boyfriend and being there for him when he's with me instead of doing something else. - And meditating 5 min everyday for me. I will also leave my phone in my purse when i'm getting back home to limit electronics, wich is an addiction of mine and is in the way of this mindfullness goal. Side quest 1 : RPG Fanatics accountabilibudies. I will do the chanllege there and attribute 6 of my points at those. Side quest 2 : Clean and organise my Home (in any order) - shop my wardrobe for spring clothes and keep 20-30 items, not including accessories and shoes. - clean fridge and oven - finish cleaning and organising my paperwork - clean, organise and make pretty my drawer as well as the desk in the hallway - simplify my cleaning supply, replace them with ecofriendly brand or homemade equivalent Done 20/4 - organise the laundry area I will aim to post daily for updates, as this is the best way to keep me acountable and motivated. 21/4 edited my sleep goal

Hello Fellow Rebels! I've recently read a book called The Thin Woman's Brain: Re-Wiring The Brain For Permanent Weight Loss I fully am onboard with this book in that I believe in it and I think it's a viable long term/lifelong plan. As much as I believe in this book I feel stuck on implementing it. I'm hoping there are some other rebels out there who are implementing this book, interested in it, or have implemented it successfully so that maybe we can have an accountabilibuddies style forum going to discuss it. I think sometimes it's hard to see if I'm self sabotaging and it's often clear to an outside observer. Ideally my boyfriend would be the best pick to see what I'm doing and what I should be doing but he refuses to read the book or learn what I should be doing... Please join and we can help each other

SuNoYo Want to Be A Cat 'Cause a cat's the only cat Who knows where it's at. 'Cause ev'rybody digs a swingin' cat. Previous challenge My last challenge was pretty awesome, though there were some stumbling blocks and, somewhat stereotypically for a Brit, 'rain stopped play' at times. Well, I say 'rain' it was more like hurricane force storms, floods and structural/property damage to my local area (and the country at large). Equally stereotypically, I put on my stiff upper lip (well, with one or two exceptions) and kept on going. Not one to let my momentum tail off when I'm on a roll, I'm dropping straight into my next challenge. It's themed and everything. Main Goal: SuNoYo Want to Be (More Like) A Cat Cats! Cats are adorable, cuddly and a source of adorableness, silly antics, cuddles, comfort and a whole host of other things. F'r'instance: Cats Are (Usually) Flexible and Agile Cats are masters of agility and flexibility, regularly contorting themselves into small balls of adorableness and just strange pretzel shapes with no sign of discomfort. They climb high things with ease, perch on top of narrow things without care and are generally graceful little things. - Complete the beginner's programme on doyogawithme.com OR do yoga exercises a minimum of three times a week, paying particular attention to the wrists, forearms and upper body as I find that my wrists and shoulders (and butt, but that's another thing altogether) always ache the most after a BBWW, even with a cool down incorporating T'ai Chi stretches. - My hips, alas, are not equally flexible or mobile, I would go so far as to say that while they are both equal, one hip is more equal than the other. I will do a hip specific exercise every day, be it hip related mobility exercise from Gold Medal Bodies, MWOD, yoga or even Pilates. Or something else entirely. I'm open to suggestions. Success Markers - I can touch forehead to right knee about half the time; I want to be able to touch forehead to right knee all the time and at least lessen the distance between the forehead and my left knee from three inches to one inch. - When my wrists and forearms in general no longer hurt after a BBWW or other strenuous exercise (or is markedly less painful/frequent). - Doing the yoga three times a week minimum. - The hip thing. Self-esteem challenge: Splits. Do them. Cats Are (Usually) Calm and Quiet Cats are masters of being calm, able to sit down and (seemingly) contemplate the mysteries of the world for hours on end, rather than facing a problem or conflict head on they will think about it beforehand so as not to get in too deep. - Meditate every day for at least five minutes at any time about my day, my feelings and my life. My sleeping meditation doesn't count. - When faced with a significant problem or someone spoiling for a fight, rather than rising to the fight or getting into a panic about the problem or event I will breathe. I will think. I will calmly evaluate the problem or argument at hand and find a way to defuse my growing negative emotions. - Sleep. Do it. Six hours a day minimum at a sensible time. This means no more composing posts on NerdFitness at half past four in the morning. Yes, this is actually the very last sub-goal I'm writing given that I just saw the time. Success Markers - Meditating every day and by the end of this SWC be able to meditate for at least forty minutes a day (in chunks or all at once). - The reason I added 'someone spoiling for a fight' in my little challenge is that I have a relative who enjoys nothing more than calling me horrible names and accusing me of being a Jew killing Nazi, a member of the KKK and saying things in my presence about slavery being good, that all gay men should be gassed and basically the kind of appalling things that would get you insta-banned almost everywhere online or, should you say it in the wrong place in the real world get you beaten up. And because he's autistic he more or less gets excused everything and I'm the one to blame for trying to defend myself. I won't rise to him. I won't. I can't calmly argue anything he says because he takes it as an excuse to say worse things and start screaming. I can't ignore him because then I'm at fault. I will simply . . . breathe. And agree. - I have awful social anxiety/crippling shyness/people problems. Even applying for jobs (and Master's courses) scares me to the point of nausea so, depending on my general mood I actively avoid it. This is a Bad Thing. I will have figured out what exactly makes me feel like this, and begin finding ways to address it. - Sleep is happening at a sensible time. Self-esteem challenge: Leading on from the above I will have applied for at least three jobs AND/OR at least one MA course. Cats Are (Usually) Creatures of Habit Indoors and Outdoors Cats, once they fall into a pattern stick to it like no one's business. Her Majesty will be in this room, sleeping on your feet for four hours between the hours of ten in the morning and two in the afternoon; then you will walk with her to her next room, opening doors as you go. From two in the afternoon until six in the evening she will sleep on the router, the meagre space between your laptop and your crossed legs on your laptop if necessary, and on your feet. At six you will share your dinner with her. At twenty-five to seven you will open the room's door, escort her downstairs to her place on her 'table' where you will feed her and pour a precise mix of water and milk into her cup. You will also turn on the tap and ensure there is a clear space in the sink and on the draining board so that she may drink at her leisure and so on and so forth. - Keep doing T'ai Chi once a week at class and after every BBWW. Therefore, keep doing your BBWW three times a week even when I'm tempted not to because this challenge 'technically' isn't focussing on strength. - Cats shouldn't be kept indoors, they need to go outside. So do humans. Spend more than an hour outside the house every day, even if it means spending time inside another building, such as visiting another person or shopping, though it's preferred to be simply outdoors. Success Markers - all T'ai Chi classes attended unless they're cancelled - all BBWWs and T'ai Chi work done every week unless excused due to injury, illness or pushed back a bit due to The Icky Period. - I'm voluntarily spending time outdoors every day, for longer and longer periods of time. Free passes for: bad weather, especially if it puts me at risk or could affect my health; actually being properly ill/injured. The missed daily hour is still expected to be made up wherever possible. Self-esteem Challenge: most of this SWC involves getting into the habit of doing things; at least one of my other goals/sub-goals must be maintained 100% while maintaining all all my other good habits. - stop my usual form of self-harm (ripping and biting at the flesh around my fingertips) or at the very least drastically reduce it to no more than once a day. - doesn't actually belong here, but I don't care - there's an all-day T'ai Chi course some time in early April. Attend providing you have the funds. Life Side Quest Cats Are (Usually) Clean and Fastidious Cats are obsessed with being clean, while simultaneously being cursed by their owners for making a furry mess everywhere, they groom themselves nigh on hourly and they (almost) always look well-presented and cared for. For much of my teenage and university years I struggled with (and still do) undiagnosed depression (and those social issues I previously mentioned) and, to be frank, I would often neglect my personal hygiene for days on end. I wouldn't bother showering, washing my teeth, changing my clothes; and in many ways I just didn't care for myself in any way at all. I didn't live in my head, I lived in my books. - I will shower every other day - I will maintain my morning and night time facial routine, including the cleaning of the teeth. - I have too many belongings, some of which I almost never use. Not including my books, I will systematically go through my clothes, jewellery and other items and sort out what to keep, what to throw away and what to donate to charity. I currently have one suitcase, one (and a half) drawer(s) and a box of clothing; four or so boxes of college and uni work and other items and who knows what scattered around the house. I will get rid of at least ten percent of it, particularly the clothes. Self-esteem challenge: pitch in more around the house; learn to do the laundry properly for when I move out. Rewards: Ehm. We'll see.

Hello again Monks! The last time I was here in the NF dojo was not particularly profitable, so I headed over to the Druids to get my head straight and my year started soundly. Chapter 5 was rewritten and now the story continues... Chapter 6 My über goal is to be as fit and healthy as I can be by 40. 576 days to get there as of today! I was thinking about this goal, when another side possibility occurred to me, I could be a black belt in my 40th year if I worked at my TKD seriously (and my knee holds out). So, that is a kind of big sub goal... So what am I aiming at right now? I have a lot to build on from the first challenge this year, I paid up my TKD insurance as sports so I am covered for tournament fighting and my friends wanted me to do a paleo challenge with her for March... So, fighting fit is probably where I am aiming in this challenge. The things that will help me get there: Training: STA 2 & STR 2 Sometimes you see those little kids around who are doing the thing they love ALL the time, carrying and juggling a soccer ball, bouncing a footy or basketball making imaginary shots, kicking and punching imaginary fighters and practicing combinations over and over til they master it. I have to find THAT spirit again. Just going to classes and the odd bit of practice before grading is not sufficient to make me the fighter I want to be. I am inspired by Cheechoe and Kishi and the volume of kicking practice they do. I am going to practice for both technique and speed 3 times a week. 2 of these can be warm up before PT sessions at the gym. Classes do not count. I'm not 100% on what makes for a good solo practice session so am happy to take advice for markers and measurement ideas. Nutrition: CON 4 A friend has been challenged by her PT to do a month of Paleo and wanted me to do it too. I thought about it and my previous nutritional challenged (which have mostly sucked) and decided that what I need is a reset. I eat pretty much paleo but when I don't it is really bad and bad for me. Inspired by TerosX I am going to give this whole 30 thing a crack! Week 1: Assessing current diet. Am going shopping today and will not buy anything non compliant with whole 30. Have already been disappointed to realise the coconut amino sauce I bought is full of coconut sugar... Week 2 - 5: Whole 30! Week 6: Reintroduction with careful monitoring of reactions. Recovery: DEX 3 From the last challenge I learned that I don't like stretching cold and the most likely time I will stretch is after exercise... But I also know that sometimes after the gym I skip it or I think I have stretched enough during my TKD class to count. If I walk to the station there is nothing stopping me doing my calves or a seated glute stretch. If I am ever going to be even close to as bendy as Mad Hatter I need to keep on this. So, stretching after every exercise (except yoga ). Headspace: WIS 3 A new category that the Druid practice has shown me is as required as the other areas... I will build on the mindfulness practice of last challenge, but haven't quite decided on details yet. It wont be mindful eating just yet (plan for that is after the whole 30) but some solid daily practice inspired by Matt72. I think just after work or maybe at lunch would be good places to try, but I worry I will claim too busy, too rushed. Yet, if I do it before bed I suspect I will continue to fall asleep part way through my allocated time. 5 minutes a day of mindfulness practice (topic yet to be decided from breath, sounds or thoughts). Embarrassing Side Quest: CHA 1 At risk of becoming the crazy cat lady, my friends have convinced me that now is the time to get back into the dating game... Mostly because I wont have time or energy to put up with anyone who is emotionally crippled or needs a carer rather than a lover. I have made a really tentative step towards this rejoining a web site but I think I will have to push myself to actually get out and meet someone in RL. 1 date in 6 weeks isn't really a lot to ask, but it might be the push I need to get things happening and have a bit of fun with someone else. I really want to channel Jodog's EPIC persistence for this one, I am inspired y the way she just keeps on trucking no matter what life throws at her. Roll on Monday and here we go, Chapter 6 begins!!

“Eating and lifting are the only things Warriors worry about.†~ Nerd Fitness So far I have succeeded in building a solid lifting routine. But exercise is only a part of the battle. My strength and stamina is improving but my belly is not getting any less wobbly! We nerds are often told “you cannot outrun your fork.†So, in order to achieve Level 6, I plan to switch my focus on to what goes in to my body and my mind. I will continue to progress with my exercise routine, but I will concentrate on building a healthier mind and healthier food habits. My main quest is to fit comfortably into size 14 trousers. To move towards achieving this, I have set the following goals for this challenge: 1. Protein CHA+2 CON+2 STR+1 According to my NF Academy homework, 136g of protein per day should be sufficient. This rises to 176g-264g when I am looking to build muscle. Currently I do not hit 100g of protein per day very often. So, I will track what I eat and work towards eating more protein than I currently do. I will gradually find new ways of adding protein into my diet. By the end of this challenge I will be getting at least 136g of protein per day regularly. A=5 consecutive days over 150g protein B=5 consecutive days over 130g protein C=5 consecutive days over 110g protein D=5 consecutive days over 100g protein 2. Food discipline CON+3 STA+1 No eating after 8pm. A=36+ days with nothing to eat after 8pm B=30-35 days with nothing to eat after 8pm C=24-29 days with nothing to eat after 8pm D= 20-23 days with nothing to eat after 8pm 3. Ban boredom CON+2 DEX+1 When I get a craving for an unhealthy food, it’s usually because I am bored. Mostly, I end up playing “Candy Crush†for an hour and mindlessly eat some kind of junk. I no longer buy the junk so there is no junk at home. I will introduce a little extra activity here and there in order to keep boredom away. The activity can be anything useful, and I use the term “useful†in its broadest sense. A=36+ days where I was active and not bored B=30-35 days where I was active and not bored C=24-29 days where I was active and not bored D= 20-23 days where I was active and not bored 4. Life Quest: Practice meditation WIS+3 I will follow some meditation instructions (a book, a CD, on the internet or whatever) and will spend at least 10 minutes per day either reading through the instructions and practicing the exercises or taking part in a guided meditation. A=36+ days of meditation practice B=30-35 days of meditation practice C=24-29 days of meditation practice D= 20-23 days of meditation practice MOTIVATION: Your body keeps an accurate journal regardless of what you write down. If you start now you’ll see results earlier than if you start tomorrow. When you feel like giving up, think about why you started.

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

Hello fellow Rebels! This is my first post and quest. I have been lurking for a while. I did start my challenge 4 days ago, but am now embracing accountability. Main quest: to reduce my middle measurement from 37.25 by an inch or more Measurable Missions: 1 - Be mindful in eating by not having the TV or computer on or reading texts while having a meal 2 - Sleep 8 hours per night 3 - Do at least one half hour of restorative exercise (yoga, walking, sex, etc.) 5 days per week in addition to 2 weekly eccentric exercise sessions. My motivation is seeing if life-hacking stress can reduce my waistline and if it makes me feel better. I am otherwise going to keep eating what I am eating which is the SANE eating plan with a low carb / high fat twist. SANE eating is discussed in the smarter science of slim (SSOS). It was in a SSOS podcast that I heard about NF and the rebellion. You can hear that podcast here: http://thesmarterscienceofslim.com/steve-kamb/ I have a Life Quest to learn how to ride a motorcycle. I am hoping that during this quest challenge I will get my international motorcycle license.

Sawasdeeka! I spaced out on my last six week challenge. I met many of my goals, but didn't check in here consistently because I was active in my local crossfit box. My guilt for spending so many monies there, finally caused me to drop my membership. I'm sad to leave that community, but I am hopeful that I can be more active in this awesome online community. Since leaving last month, I have neglected most of my goals. I'm typing this with one hand while my baby sleeps on my other arm so please excuse any abruptness. Main Goal:To prepare my body for another incubation transformation. Sub goals: Complete 25 Strength Training sessions using a combination of body weight, kettlebells, medicine balls, dumbbells, barbells, and yoga. (STR 5: +.2 per session). Cover 200 miles in six weeks through a combination of running with the jogging stroller, biking with the trailer, walking with my baby on my back, rowing machines, and the elliptical (if I need to catch up). (END 5: +.025 per mile) Prepare the majority of our meals at home so that I can eliminate "foodstuffs" and save money. (CON 3: +.024 per meal) Life Quest: Treat myself the way that I treat other people. This means: No abusive language, allowing for "me time" to write and process experiences (min of 60 minutes weekly), and not undermining the opinions of those I love by ignoring their positive opinions of me. (WIS 2: +.05 per 10 min writing) Motivation: My spirited cuddle bug of a son is my motivation. I want to view myself the way that he views me: with unconditional love and acceptance.

Whoa! Well well well, Rebels, I have been looking forward to this challenge for a LONG time. This marks the challenge where I start my life, yet again, in a new spot! (Well, we’re always in new spots). But seriously now, I’ve just graduated college, just been discharged from ED treatment, just started a new job and this week I’m moving to a new city. Whew! This is going to be a fun challenge with a LOT of discovering involved, so let’s get crackin’! Main Quest: Reconnect with my Authentic Self Yes, I was going to put ‘Recover from my Eating Disorder’ as my main quest, but that struck a bad chord with me. It just seems too… negatively focused. It’s just not a positive-sounding goal; to me it’s like saying ‘To Lose all this Fat’ versus ‘To get Leaner and Stronger’. The second one sound so much more self-affirming, you know? That’s not to say that recovering from anorexia would be a bad thing, not at all! But will I ever 100% recover from my ED? Who knows. What I CAN do is make a quest to recover my true, authentic self who I’ve been stifling for years… That’s a positive change I can really commit to. So without further ado, the goals! Goal 1: Endeavor to Continue Support Since being discharged from the large hospital/treatment center, I’ve started a five-month-long intensive outpatient program at a local treatment center. It’s three hours a night, three nights a week, plus my additional primary and doctor’s appointments. They still control my meal plan and fitness, so of course, I comply with their rules. I go there straight after work, and my brain is basically porridge afterwards… but I am committed to myself, so slog on I shall! The goal is to attend all IOP sessions. Scale: A= 0 missed, B= 1-3, C= 4-6, D= 7-9 Goal 2: Endeavor to Train my Body Okay maybe not Waterbending, but close. While I was on exercise restriction for a very long time, recently I’ve finally made it to a healthy BMI! This means I have a little more flexibility with fitness. I was medically cleared for restorative yoga, and recently I’ve been cleared for Tai Chi as well! I want to start practicing that. It may take a bit (I haven’t found a place yet), but that’s part of the challenge. Scoring will be up when I figure out the schedule! Since my ultimate goal is to explore Kung Fu, I think Tai Chi would be a wonderful place to start. So my goal is to sign up for and attend Tai Chi classes (at LEAST 1 per week). Scale: A = 6 weeks, B= 5 weeks, C= 4 weeks, etc. Goal 3: Endeavor to Train my Mind Mindfulness is a huge part of recovery… and one that I could really use some practice with. I try to be mindful at random parts of the day, but formally, I have no routine, and sometimes it falls by the wayside. I can meditate for five minutes, I know I can, but doing it regularly will be the hard part! So my goal is to practice meditation, morning and night, for 5 min. Scale: Percentage out of a 100% scale Life Side Quest: I want to continue with my sketches, but not as intense as before. I know I’m insanely busy with work and my other mandatory activities, but let’s be real here; I spend nine hours a day hunched over a Cintiq tablet, I should be able to squeeze in a tiny sketch here and there during a lunch break, or something! I mean, honestly. It’ll probably help me not burn out at work, either. Goal: Two sketches per week Diet goal: Endeavor to Eat More Compassionately Ha, okay, guilty. So for years I based my diet on a steady stream of cheap meat to keep my high protein levels and low-carb lifestyle. Something I always wrestled with was a large amount of guilt, because I’m not passionate about a lot of causes, but I hate factory farming. I feel like the fact that I relied on such suffering to sustain myself was selfish, and I want to change! I did try doing a completely vegetarian diet for about a week, and… ah, well, I’ve never felt worse. I seem to run well on meat, what can I say? I’m extremely fortunate to live in a place where I have a LOT of access to farmers who I personally know. I don’t think I’ll need much more than having meat a few times per week; but I do plan on buying small amounts of quality meat, which on my budget, means I’ll have to slash my intake by a lot. So in order to do that, I need to experiment munching on some plants! Yes… even the grains. Goal: Explore/cook and eat two new vegetarian dishes per week So that's the game plan for this challenge, folks. I'm extremely happy to be joining the Druids during this transformative time, and I look forward to keeping up with everyone's (and I mean all the Guilds!) progress! Keep on keeping on, everyone!

Kk, here we go, yo. Going to be out of town the first week of the challenge so my workout and maybe my diet goal will be a little modified. Also - because I want to keep this fun without slipping into being overwhelmed (not a long trip these days) I won't be following anybody or pressuring myself to update frequently. Intake: 2 WIS 3 CON I will not eat past the feeling of satisfaction this challenge. Trying to exercise listening to my body here. Okay, this is just turning into a lazy, ambiguous, nothing's-happening-here goal. Gotta change it up. I've fallen out of a breakfast habit so I should probably start there again. So, revised Intake goal, part A: Every morning I'm up early, I'll eat a protein (eggs or almond butter) and fruit. If I need a grain to feel full, I'll eat oatmeal. Revised Intake goal, part B: I pledge to eat thankfully and as mindfully as I can. Specifically this means no iPod or books or magazines or newspapers while I'm eating. Output: 2 STR 3 STA Beginning week 2 of the challenge, I'll do a Beginner Bodyweight Workout as often as I can - given my still-healing back - up to as many as 3 x a week. Every time I do a Beginner Bodyweight Workout, I will do more than I did the last time. Clarification: I'll begin at 3 circuits. The next time I'll do 3 circuits plus a 4th set of jumping jacks, the 2nd time I'll do 3 circuits plus jumping jacks and squats, et cetera and see how many circuits I can do without stopping. Alternately, I will add reps or sets of exercises per circuit. Output: 2 STA I'll walk 30 minutes outside on my off days, up to 4 times/week. This means getting a walk in every morning of Challenge Week 1. Wholeness: 3 WIS I'll sit quietly every day (preferably morning), practicing mindfulness, adding a minute each session. Starting time will be 3 minutes.

Know that feeling when you realise that you've strayed so very far from the 'real you' that you almost give up and just accept where you're at? When you just stop looking in the mirror, buy clothes without trying them on, wear black and generally just stop trying. With a whole bunch of seemingly plausible excuses for how you got to this point? Well i've felt it, it absolutely sucks and it's got to stop. Despite a very active past and a background in elite sport, I have founded two companies in the past year and taken on a whole lot of projects which keep me computer-bound and as well as the professional awesomeness I now have, I also have an extra 30lb of fat on this warrior ass-kicking body. So it looks less than ass-kicking... and I work in health, and it's hurting the brand! I have a lot of personal and professional input I can offer others here (im a Physical Therapist, Pilates instructor, former elite mountain biker and adventure racer) but I'm actually scared and apprehensive about this journey this time. I don’t have time to do the training I used to do in the past- I’m going to have to be a bit more ninja to strip this fat, and rather than be the lone wolf, I’d love some support because my self belief here is a little shaky. I can rock the world in lots of ways, but this fat and this body… it’s a weird and foreign concept and im not sure how to get rid of it for good! My goals for the next six weeks: 1. Be active everyday (move for at least 30 minutes EVERY DAY of that six weeks, no excuses) 2. Drink 2L of water daily 3. Track my food intake with an app on my ipad and be truthful! 4. Find a business partner/ employee to share the professional journey I have started I'll put some photos up here tomorrow as much as I hate the idea- I cannot fail at this again and I cannot stay stuck in this!