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I'm creating this thread in anticipation of Monday's start date. My goal is this: To look better and to be considerably stronger before my gym membership runs out- namely, June 1st. Since I may not be in a position to renew it, it is important to me to achieve as much as is possible by then! Since this goal isn't terribly specific, here are my sub-goals:- 1. Increase my main compound lifts- Ideally I would like to get my bench up to 80Kg, Deadlifts to 160kg, and squats to 100KG. 2. Lose at least 1inch from my waist and add at least 1/4 inch to my arms (baby steps, I know) 3. Have no more than one cheat meal per week. I will judge myself by- 1. How much my lifts increase by. 2. Body Measurements- arm size, waist size, etc. 3. Quality of diet. As of Monday I will post weights and measurements, and update weekly. Best of luck to everyone else on their journey!

BATWOMAN: ZERO YEAR Welcome back my pretties. So... last challenge... last challenge was a challenge. I did not do as well as I might have liked. I was prepared to battle Mr. Freeze, but unfortunately it was Calendar Man that really did me in. Well, you will not get me next time Calendar Sch-man, because 2013 was my time to learn of your cruel ways and 2014 is when I will slap you in your smug face. So watch out... I'm coming. I spent a lot of time at the end of the year and during my time off reflecting on myself and what this year has been for me. I spend a lot of time looking forward and what I need to do and I don't really ever take a lot of time to feel good about what I've done. I felt like a complete slob around the holiday because I wasn't keeping on diet, but then I got a load of compliments from family that I am looking the best that they have ever seen me. I've also inspired my close family into changing their diets to become healthier. While yes it feels good to be told that you look good. It is more important to me to inspire my family to live longer and healthy lives. At the beginning of 2013 I did not write down any resolutions, but I remember the two biggest things that I wanted to accomplish were 1. losing weight and 2. leaving my miserable job for a better and higher paying job. I accomplished both of those things. At the start of 2013 I probably weighed around 210 and the last time I checked the scale I was at 185-ish. I don't dread going to work anymore and hey I can actually cover all of my bills and save money... w00t! Right there that would be enough to call 2013 a success, but then on top of that I got a motorcycle license that I had always talked about getting and I started playing ice hockey. I started 2 blogs. I continued a podcast here and there. 2013 was the year that I think I'm finally realizing that I don't need to chase approval from anyone but myself. I can only control what I do. I can only love those who want to be open to receive it and give it back. Having perspective and knowing that makes life a lot simpler and me a lot happier. That all being said (and I went on quite a tangent), I feel like 2014 is my jumping off point. This is the year that I shed everyone's expectations and stop chasing what I should do, and start becoming who I am. Alright enough of this cliche start of the year sense of rejuvenation and get on to the challenge... shall we? MAIN GOAL Alright... I'm going to say that I have a problem with just main goal. I have many goals and they range from short-term to long-term. I need to have something to look forward to and aspire to get to, the long-term. I also need something to focus and accomplish every day, the short term. So I'm going to be a rebel and break down my main goal. Day-to-Day: Be as proficient as possible with the time I am allotted in a day. Do not waste time on not getting better or accomplishing. Challenge: Lose 5 lbs. Year 2014: There is a better, leaner, smarter, wiser me at the end of this year. I have a hokey analogy that I've been thinking of at the beginning of 2014 and here it is: each year is like a mountain and you can either spend each day sitting on your butt at the bottom or you can spend each day slowly scaling the mountain. Then at the end of the year you're either looking up at where you could be or you are at the top looking at where you were. I want to look back at where I was. FITNESS Walking 4 hours per week (5 STA) I'm going back to basics this challenge. If you check out the Primal Fitness Blueprint the base of the "fitness pyramid" is to move frequently at a slow pace. This also goes conveniently hand in hand with NAG 42s trek to Mordor, so I could not pass up on this fitness goal. I'm also looking to do less impact stuff because a large part of this time of year is going to be spent towards being a good housewife, but that comes later 20 push-ups in a row Lifting heavy things is the next element of the fitness pyramid, but I will not have time to devote towards full scale work outs. I'm going to look towards building strength through push-ups with the end goal being 20 in a row. I had a PVP with MDowning that kind of got forgotten about unfortunately, stupid calendar man. I think it will be best for me to work on form and try to get stronger with push-ups from week to week. I'm not putting points towards this because it is not my main fitness goal. Stretching Needs to happen. Self explanatory. Not a main goal, but important for recovery and keeping sane during tax season. DIET 100% Paleo (5 CON) Maybe this is crazy, but I don't care. The fact is that when I eat gluten or I eat processed foods I feel like poo. No more holidays to worry about, so no excuse. Then the sub challenge to this challenge is devoting a large portion of my weekend to batch cooking and keeping Jenn fed at all times. I don't have to be there to feed Jenn, but I have to make sure there is food in the fridge that she can just pop in the microwave to eat when she gets home from a long day of work. If not, I am gambling with keeping my face on my face. I want her to eat well and not have to rely on fast food to fill her belly. LIFE Releasing my inner Alfred (WIS 3, CHA 2) January to April 15th when you live with an accountant that works in a small firm is to put it lightly... a challenge. My lovely would be wife works 10 - 12 hour days 7 days a week. She busts her butt and I know that it is my responsibility to work as hard at home so she has no stresses when she walks through our front door. So I am harnessing my Alfred skills... not like Michael Cain Alfred.. while great in his own way he is not badass. I'll be like Earth One Alfred; ex-British-Intelligence secret hero that puts everything into assisting the superhero. Batman could not be Batman without Alfred. It's fact. I still need to make a cleaning schedule, but I see myself coming home from work and spending a few hours either cleaning or cooking or whatever until Jenn gets home. The overall goal is to keep the house clean, clothes washed, dishes done, and food made. Drawing I've already made a goal for the year to draw every day. I started a "don't break the chain" calendar. Four days in and the chain is still going, so we will keep it going but I will not tie any points to this goal. It is just something I need to do to become a better artist. Savings Ok. I don't tend to waste a whole lot of money, but ya know... comics... video games. I really need to save money for certain things. The first being a flight to Portland in September. The second being a new PC. I've already started saving $50 per paycheck and putting it into a savings account. I also have not spent any of my Christmas money. So I just need to keep this trend going and buy my plane ticket by the end of this challenge. MOTIVATION If it was easy then everyone would do it. It's the hard that makes it worth while. reward: wacom tablet for digital painting/drawing.

Main Quest: Apply to four Doctorate Programs. The world is changed. I feel it in the water. I feel it in the earth. I smell it in the air. College Application Season is here!! For the past four challenges (at least I believe four) I have been working on my applications for the four doctorate programs that I am applying to. The deadline is so close. November 15th. Goal #1) GRE: It is a strange fate that we should suffer so much fear and doubt over so small a thing. Such a little thing. How and Why: For every 90 mins that I am studying on the GRE, I will walk for 15-20 mins to refresh my mind. I can get so involved in study mode that I will forget to eat or eat without thinking. I want to prevent any weight gain that might occur in these two months. Grade: A = 38+B = 34C = 30D = 26F = 21 Stats: Sta +1, Con +1 Goal #2) Meditation: I'm not listening... I'm not listening... How and Why: Again, study mode is going to kill me if I don't learn to take care of myself. For this I decided that it's best that I learn how to meditate. I have such a hard time just doing breathing techniques. But I will do it in the morning and before I go to bed. Week 1 – 5 mins a day (2x) Week 2 – 7:30 mins a day (2x) Week 3 – 10 minutes a day (2x) Week 4 – 12:30 minutes a day (2x) Week 5 – 15 minutes a day (2x) Week 6 – 17:30 minutes a day (2x) Grade: A = 38+B = 34C = 30D = 26F = 21 Stats: Sta +1, Con +1, Wis +1 Goal #3) Eating: What about elevenses? Luncheon? Afternoon tea? Dinner? Supper? How and Why: I will be sticking to a 1800 calorie count a day. I use myfitnesspal.com so that will help. I don't want to get weight just because I will be less active during the next 8 weeks. Grade: A = 38+B = 34C = 30D = 26F = 21 Stats: Sta +1, Con +1, Cha +1 Life Goal) Applications: You are far too eager and curious for a hobbit. Most unnatural. - Read a book (Dex +1) - Take a practice GRE test every Sunday (Wis +.5 for each test) <--I am rocking this as I am taking a test every day! - Save $200 for applications (Con +1) <-- FUCK YEAH!!! FINISHED!! - E-mail Berkeley, Georgetown, Oxford and Brown (Cha +.25 for each) - Write Personal Statement (Str +.5) <-- FINISHED- Write Statement of Purpose (Str +.5) <-- FINISHED Dex +1, Wis +3, Con +1, Cha +1, Str +1

Hello NF! It’s been far too long! My fault, but I’m going to make a sincere effort not to fail this time. Here’s the background short version -- I’m 29 years old. I had a stroke at 28 and it SUCKED. I got physical therapy and made dietary changes that helped me bounce back and recover from that completely. (YAY for no long term damage!) I’ve got two kids, 10 and 3, who are my pride and joy. I’ve got a wonderful wife who loves and supports me. This site changed my life in November of 2012. I lost quite a bit of weight, learned about this amazing thing called parkour and committed to a healthy lifestyle. I felt great about my first challenge and had good momentum. Started at 206 and got down to 179 lbs via Paleo and exercise. Had an amazing opportunity to train in Shaolin Kungfu in my second challenge and loved it, but had to quit due to a close friend and his wife passing away unexpectedly, leaving a daughter behind with no job and a house payment and bills that needed to be paid with no one to help. Enter my family…and a LOT of personal sacrifice, including KungFu. I tried coming back for a third challenge in April and never really got started. Again life stepped in and I made other things priorities. (We’re never too busy, we just prioritize something over getting fit or eating right.) FAIL-sauce on my part. So yeah…that’s me and a quick synopsis of my journey on here thus far. Now you’re probably saying to yourself, “Well what makes this time different?†That’s a very valid question, so I’m going to give you a very valid answer. “Greed.†Yeah, I know, I know…greed is bad right? Well, not all the time. I’m greedy for a longer life. I’m greedy for more time with my family. I’m greedy to feel better and have more energy. So yeah, I’m greedy…I want more! And yeah, I’m greedy in the traditional sense too…there is money involved… a contest at work. So yeah, no false pre-tenses, no bs, let’s do this. The contest is whoever loses the most body fat % by December 20th, 2013 wins $1100.00. So yeah…that’s a LOT of money. That’s plenty of money to add a nice new toy (or several) to my new man cave. (I recently finished my basement.) I’m at 26.5% at 196lbs, so I’ll need a pretty significant drop to win this thing. Either way, I’m getting healthier, which feeds into the other greed I listed above. Win-Win even if I lose and don’t have the most BF% lost. So, here we go… Drink Water and ONLY water!!! – Short and sweet. No soda and no beer. Eat clean! Paleo only! – Clean eating to power strong exercise! Exercise! - Starting Convict conditioning, running with Zombie 5k, and doing Parkour! Life Goal: Get promoted or get a new job! – Things are in flux at work. Lots of position shifts…but none of the people that need to go are being moved….i.e. it’s getting rather toxic.I’m up for a promotion for a job that I am over qualified for and have been doing the work of since I got into my current position. If I don’t get it, I’m looking for a new position where I’m getting paid what I’m worth and valued.Toxic workplace = bad news bears. So, that’s it. Hope you’ll join me on my journey. There will be lots of fun along the way. Attached are two pictures, one of my lunch today and one of me (note: I’m not the green leafy one) Oh yes, and one more thing... I'm Batman!

Main Quest: Establish an emergency fund of $2,600 (one full paycheck). Goal One: No beer for 6 weeks. Goal Two: No eating out for 6 weeks. Goal Three: Record meals in MyFitnessPal Life Side Goal: Establish and maintain a routine for managing my to-do list Main Quest: Maintain a daily caloric intake of 2,000-3,000 calories regularly through efficient meal-planning and tracking. Goal 1: Enter all meals in MyFitnessPal for the duration of this challenge. Goal 2: Cook all meals at home for at least four days out of the week. Life Goal 1: Up to October 5th (beginning of Fall Break), have all class assignments graded and entered into the system. Life Goal 1.5: (October 5 and beyond) Have established detailed lesson plans for both sets of classes that will get me through to the end of the semester. Edit: Revised goals.

Hi ya'll, I'm an elf druid alchemist (i didn't even have to decide this, people just have been telling me i look like an elf forever, and i spend most my time meditating, creating art (mostly glass (that's where the alchemist part comes in) it's a great workout btw), dancing and traveling. I'm very optimistic and have a ton of fun! So what's the problem? I have a hard time valuing money, and therefore a hard time making a whole lot of it, I feel like time is more valuble to me than working at a desk for some other dude who hates his life and doesn't even use the money he makes off me to do something that he values. I don't dig the rat race, cause i hate being in competition with anyone other than myself... also, im terrible about branding and advertising... selling myself to people and saying my services are worth x amount of dollars (it's just paper (or a number) anyways right? it's about as much real as time in terms of what the hell is 6:30 pm? it's always right now... so the goals in a nutshell : Monetize all the cool shit i do, figure out how to maintain the lifestyle i want use this to: -travel more, and in a better quality fashion (keep my clothes washed,, have a tent that doesn't leak, and a cell phone that doesn't suck) -eat better and be able to always afford the food i want -seek more education from experts in my various fields -have a stable home base to come back to and regroup during the winter months, or when I'm weary from my travels -have a stable shop at the home base to craft my wares -have all the badass equipment i want to make bigger, more baddass pieces, and be able to afford to fuel/maintain them so... then skillsets and assets that i have currently: glassblowing skills: level 10 -85% success ratio -skilled with many different coe glasses -torch configuration -precious metals fuming -cold working object manipulation skills: level 4 -juggling lvl 4 -poi lvl 10 -staff lvl 2 fire performance skills :level 4 -fire poi lvl 10 -fire staff lvl 2 -fire eating level 1 dj training: level .6 researcher: level 10 computer skills : level 12 where i'm at now: -$8 in my bank account -living with girlfriends support (id rather be the bread winner but im glad she loves me) -currently starting a new shop downtown so hopefully that means some money rolling in soon in the way of glass sales but i need more money to help that happen faster, and i have a solid lead on an investor so if the stars align, this should be under way soon -no car -expenses from a storage unit in another state, for stuff i haven't had in years, though there is some art in there i cant have thrown away where i want to be: -making enough money to cover my monthly expenses and a little extra to put in savings -6 months worth of savings in reserve (preferably in 6 high interest bearing cd accounts staggered to mature once a month) -start a retirement fund -buy a house -buy a car -travel to anywhere i want -passive income to make up the difference so i don't have to sell my time for money the plan: create a website/blog and update it frequently with what i do and showcase the cool stuff i'm doing, driving traffic in with social media and monetizing it somehow. i can do the tech stuff, i've already built some successfull websites for other people, the part that im researching now is different ways to monetize my site, and make money off things other than glass i think that this point i need a mentor who does this, who can point me in the right direction but as far as that goes i don't know where to look, and if i found one i don't have much to offer i can do production work with glass, which does sell fast and is quick money but it's very hard on my body for doing something very boring and repetitive, and i'd rather be working on my next masterpiece than making 100 of the same thing every day, so if the blog/website can take care of the daily expense stuff and i can focus on the high end art and not worry about it selling more slowly, i can really level up and expand my skill, and this is what i'm aiming for.

I have a savings account and keep 1 month of finances in it at all times. I also put money in it each month so I can pay my tuition each semester. However I have problems keeping more than that in it. Way too tempting. What are my options for other types of savings? I'm thinking more long term but not as long term as a 401k. Something without large withdrawl penalties but enough to make me think. I'm looking to put about half of my tax return in it and then not touching it unless something unfortunate happens. Suggestions?

Hello again, everyone! Last time I started on the last week of the challenge, so this will be my first full challenge In honor of this, and for the fact I'm going to graduate from Stanford during this challenge (June 16th woot! ), I really want to push myself. Last challenge I started 80-20 Paleo, and so far I'm sticking to it. Now I'm setting some new goals: Goal 1: Jog/Run for 2.5 mi or 50 mins (STA: 4 | DEX: 1) I've never done a marathon in my life. I hardly ever run since I'm mildly asthmatic and my legs are angled differently. However, I feel that I use those reasons as excuses to not run ever. Now I want to build up some endurance. I'm going to be training to jog for 5k this summer using an app named Runkeeper starting on Sunday. It's gong to be my first time ever training to run, and my ankles are weak, so I'm nervous. According to the app, I should be able to run 2.5 mils and/or be able to walk/jog for 50 minutes. so that will be my challenge. Wish me luck! Goal 2: Remaster math mission 1: Algebra (Wis: 2) I've always been good at math, and I have taken calculus before. But I haven't had to take a math class in about 3 years, so when I took the GRE (and did decent, thankfully) I noticed my math skills are exceedingly rusty with many holes. Since I need to be quick with math for epidemiology next year, this is a problem. As a life goal I'm going to remaster math starting with Algebra. I will be using Kahn Academy in addition to old text books to practice summer, therefore I will use the Kahn Academy Algebra lecture to measure myself. If I finish the lectures with a full confidence in that level of math, then I succeed. Goal 3: Level 3 of the Angry Bird Workout (STR: 3 | STA: 2) I think this speaks for itself. Since I reached level 2 last challenge, I want to get to level 3. The rows and push ups are the most challenging parts for me, but I'll push at it. Goal 4: Reach intermediate Shakti Yoga (CON: 2 | WIS: 1) So I'm using a Yoga app on my computer (yet another app!?!?), and I am starting off with the beginner mode of Shankti Yoga. Yoga has always been difficult to me, but I want to get better. I'll succeed at this challenge if I am able to successfully graduate to the intermediate level **I'd also like to add: I told my parents that I would give them $20 each if I didn't lose 20 pounds by August 1st, which is when I move to Baltimore for grad school. So I really need to be on my stuff!!!!! If anybody has any advice on weight loss, or would like to cheer me on, I would really appreciate it. Since I don't have a job right now, I really need to keep that $40!!

Alright. Back story. My lady moved to Los Angeles about 8 months ago and I stopped taking care of myself. I haven't been in decent shape since college, and I certainly haven't done much (read: "anything") to stay in shape for several years, but for the past 8 months I've been particularly unkind to myself, so I'm kind of starting from less than scratch. I started running occasionally about 2 weeks ago when my roommate asked me to come with him and it made my lady incredibly happy. So am I doing this for me or am I doing it for her? I don't know, but at least I'm doing it. Let's rock. Goal #1: Run 7 miles a week. I'm currently at about 4-5, having started 2 weeks ago. I figure I'll miss some days just due to weather, being busy, etc., but if I average a mile a day, that's quite the improvement from 0 per day. I bike to work every day (7 miles round trip) so I also have that under my belt. I know that if I don't go first thing in the morning, I'll never go, which kind of leads me to goal #2. Goal #2: Get 8 hours of sleep at least 5 days per week. I have a day job and I perform and/or rehearse for various theatrical endeavors most evenings, so by the time I actually get home, I usually take a lot of time just to unwind and not be doing something for a little while. That, unfortunately, means that I stay up basically for the sake of staying up just because I've gotten home so late in the first place. I know there will be times when I just can't get a full 8, but I average about 6 right now and it sets the tone for the whole day each time that happens. It makes me miserable and just generally bummed about about where I am in life and where I'm going. Tired of being tired. Which leads to #3. Goal #3: Consume poison no more than 2 days per week. I'm an improviser/comedian, so rehearsals and shows almost always lead to bars. I have to accept that socialization is a part of what I do, and I'm really into microbrews, IPA's in particular, and I really enjoy having a great beer with fun friends, so I'm not looking to cut it out completely. I just need to stop myself from having it the 5-6 days a week a currently do. Now, I'm not saying I'm drunk 5-6 days a week, but I will have 1-2 drinks pretty frequently and I'll have more than that at least once a week. Rather than going cold turkey, since trying new IPA's is kind of a hobby of mine, I just want to limit it for now, mostly just to test my self control in the face of constant temptation. My office even has a "Beer Friday" every week in which I can drink on the job on the office's dime. No need for me to say yes to that. Life Goal: Save at least $350. I started saving money as aggressively as I can about 2 months ago. I had almost nothing in savings (not counting retirement funds, talking strictly rainy day money here) but I have almost no debt, so I wasn't in rough shape. I just never had any large amount to my name if I needed it. I set the long-term goal of saving $5000 in 2 years in a high-yield savings account I opened 2 months ago. For those of you doing the math, that's $208.33 per month, which I've been good about maintaining by using a very extensive Excel spreadsheet to track every single dollar and by making sure to put away literally any money I save on anything. Saved $3 at the grocery store with a coupon? Put $3 into savings. Biked to work? Put $4.50 (train fare) into savings. On top of that, I start each month by putting $100 into savings right off the bat which I kind of consider to be my ante up, basically just to ensure that I'm doing something at a minimum each month. It has been working very well, better than intended, so I figure I can push it a little harder. $350 in 6 weeks is a bit more aggressive than I have been, but reasonable enough that I can do it, especially if I stick to Goal #3. Rock and roll.

Hey everybody, This is my 6th time participating in the Nerd Fitness challenges. I have managed to level up my life in many ways through this process, and plan to continue during this challenge. Here is a link to my previous challenge http://nerdfitnessrebellion.com/index.php?/topic/22527-kyliewyotie-regains-his-motivation/ In my last challenge I overcame an almost complete lack of motivation. I was very pleased with the results. I want to keep on pushing myself with increasingly difficult exercise, and to improve my eating habits even more. Stage 1: Eat right, 80% 85% of the time, every time. "Right" counts as low calorie or paleo. I'm not setting specific limitations because I know what's good and bad; for example grubbing out on 20 slices of bacon and 5 eggs isn't good, despite being paleo. Measuring success: 3 meals a day for 6 weeks is 126 meals total. 15% of those will be the "cheat" meals (19 total), or as I called them last challenge, "no-go's". All other meals that are good are "go's". For this challenge I will have 19 "no go's" +3 CHA Last challenge I completed this goal using 24 (just under 80%) I want to continue this method put improve a little, so 5 more % sounds good. Stage 2: Workout 3 times a week (strength training.) Last challenge I wanted to ingrain the habit of working out 3 times a week. It really worked, so this time I am making it a stipulation that I will strength train 3 times a week. It can be my body weight routine, or some of my new fangled weight training. +5 STR, Stage 3: Run! First I HATE running. Or at least I always used to. I have been doing alot (still using it, shout out to motivation team ALOT) of walking. During my walking I have felt a desire to job a bit. I will make it a goal to run once a week. I will be starting small. I am not setting a length goal, or a time frame. I just want to do it. Let's see how it goes. Its hard to catch the road runner when I refuse to run. Hopefully I trade the magnet in and start beating up my shoes. +4 STA Stage 4: Monies I have begun reading "I will teach you to be rich" and I really am liking it. I have never really thought about investing, or really using my money to work for me. My extent of my money management in the past has been just knowing I have enough to pay my bills. For this goal I want to finish the book, and follow through with the 6 week program that is shown inside. +3 Wis As always I am looking forward to seeing how everyone else does this challenge.