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Hey everyone! This isn't my first time trying to jump in to the world of fitness, but this is the first time I've had a good reason to, and the first time I'm getting social about it. So I'm really excited to be here and excited to get to know everyone! I go by Evan in this little corner of the 'net. I'm a trans guy who recently started hormone replacement, and I want to start getting fit so I can achieve that androgynous body of my dreams (that's only the most shallow level of my Big Why, though!). Hormone therapy has really taught me, for the first time in my life, the value of small, slow changes. The changes are so slow that at times it feels excruciating, but they are happening. This has inspired me to ease into habits that, in other times of my life, I have dove into at full force, only to pull away a few weeks later. I'm already happy with the results, and my journey has only just begun. I'm going to be posting more details about what I'm planning to do over in the 4 Week Challenge forum. I'm stoked to get started!

Hello everyone! I've never been much of a fitness guy, but I recently graduated college and landed a job where I'm at a desk the majority of my time. I want to develop some healthy habits before getting used to only sitting all day. I've been looking around some other forums for fitness to try and get motivated, but this forum seems to spark the inner nerd necessary to motivate me. I'm a huge fan of video games and part of my problem is that I want to just go home and game after a long day of work. Maybe I'll be motivated to work by incorporating my nerd self into my fitness plans. The leveling, guilds, and challenges are all new to me so I'm trying to understand how they all work together. Are there any tips on getting the grasp of things? I see the current challenge has already started but am I able to just jump in it?

Hello! I'm Camila from Argentina. Exactly 4 weeks ago I started to change my life Today I've accomplished 28 days doing exercise every day. And I've picked up other good habits along the way. I've also lost 3.8kg during this time without really thinking about it, that motivates me so much. I guess the last hundred times failed because I was only focusing on losing weight. A couple days ago I decided I was ready to put more effort into that, the same day I started listening to Thomas Frank's podcast, and in the very first episode he mentioned Steve and Nerd Fitness. So I googled, found this website, read some stuff, subscribed! Found the post about intermittent fasting and tbh I've known about it for a while, and I had the same doubts Steve mentions he had. So between the post and the reasons why NF was founded, I was convinced to try it out. It's only been 5 days, but I'm feeling positive about it and haven't had much trouble skipping breakfast. Anyway, I thought my mom would be more excited about my 28 day achievement, but she wasn't very impressed /me shrugs That kinda motivated me to come to this community and stop being only a reader I still have a long way to go.

Hello All, I'm excited to part of the rebellion! Why I am here? I'm looking for my online parttyyy for fitness adventures and support TBH, I also want somewhere to record my fitness journey! I'm a 32 year old RN (right now very part time hospice studying for my IBCLC) and mom of a little bug (just turned one!). I led an active pregnancy and have maintained my activity levels somewhat in this last hectic year full of life changes and, to be honest, piles o' stress. I ran cross county and track in high school. I've done yoga for years but mostly for the mental/emotional benefits. I started lifting weights about three years ago and really enjoy it. I follow the monthly Strong by Bret (Contreras... yes, the king of bottoms! highly recommend) program. I'm a big fan of the at home workout as well and generally go to the gym 3x/week but have been skipping days lately. I'm 5'8, 138 pounds currently. Right now, I am up about 15 pounds from before I started lifting and was very thin and about 8 pounds up from where I was when I was more muscular. I'd like to get my muscle back and feel good in my body. I've been making a lot of changes to get my mind in a good place and I know going through my body also helps that too from past experience. I'm someone who really needs to sweat to get to a place to feel good. I used to have the goal of looking like a character of mine from Skyrim but don't know how realistic that is? My tangible quest: weight lift consistently w/ progressive overload. Increase my hip thrust by 20 pounds w/in a month (currently 3x 10 @ 135). Increase 3 rep max for squat to 145 over next month while mainting good form. Go on runs w/ my family x2/week. Diet wise, vegetarian w/ meat eating family so I'm always down to find meat recipes. I'd like to get more serious about meal prepping. Can't figure out my class? When I played D&D with my brother growing up I always wanted to be a Ranger/Bard but I am a nurse and nurturer... so my adult self= healer?? Non fitness interests: I play the harp (but not as much as I would like!), making at home beauty products, fantasy novels, LOTR, cooking, baking, deep history, cults, archeology, Russia, watching tiny home videos on youtube OH! AND we are building a small house ourselves right now! Not a tiny house because it won't move but the same size! My life goals right now are to live the hobbit life. I've decided my vision board is basically Hobbiton w/ a little Rivendell thrown in there for spice and hotnessss

Morning folks, D here, aka Melmoth. I am getting back into fitness after a decade of . . . not that. Since the beginning of the year, I have lost 50 lbs through keeping a food diary. Now that the weather is nicer here in Massachusetts, I've been going out for walks and hikes most days after work, and I just dusted off my gym membership to start weight training again the other day. Once upon a time, I went to the gym 3-5 days a week. Now, I have another 100lbs or so that I'd like to lose and (partially) replace with muscle. I am a large guy and still pretty strong, but disappointed at how much strength I have lost over the years and excited to gain it back.

Hello! I'm Miss Fortuosity. I'm a 30-ish mom of three, cosplayer, crafter of various things, and new rebel. Kinda. I did a search in Google assistant one day (for something vague and possibly not even fitness related), and the result it gave me was an article from nerd fitness. I kind of- well, I was shocked. Nerd Fitness? As in, fitness for NERDS like me? I signed up for the emails right away. Learned about the Paleo diet. Steve said it worked. I collected some underpants on it. My husband and I had a family meeting and we decided the whole family should do it. He bought a cookbook called everyday paleo. I've been stricter than he, and my kids still get dairy products, but it has made a DIFFERENCE. My son is better at focusing. My hubby is finally starting to shed fat. I had a baby in September. I'm now 10 pounds lighter than my pre-pregnancy weight. I've lost 30 pounds since January. This is the best site I've ever found to help me get back to where I'm healthy, and happy. 30 down, 40 to go. Thanks to God for throwing me that out of context search result on Google. Thanks to Steve, and his rebellion, for working so hard. I'm finally on my way!

I am new here to this whole community forum thing. I am Farmgirl and I am a stay at home homeschooling wife of six children. I do not really have any hobbies that I participate in on a regular basis. I do like to cook and try to find healthy, balanced, inexpensive meals that are tasty for my family. I like to read and garden some. I seem to have lost some of myself and my passions along the way. I am not sure about my specific goals though I have been working on them. I would like to say that my main goal is to have a healthier body with lean muscle that allows me to live the life I want and participate in the activities that I desire. My first quest is to loose 5 pounds and 5 inches in my waist and hips by April 30th. My second quest is to find one new activity and participate in it daily for 30 minutes, for 30 days. My third quest is to maintain my hypoglycemia diet for 30 days. I was diagnosed with hypoglycemia 3 years ago. I was instructed to eat 1 serving of protein and 1 serving of carbohydrate every 3 to 4 hours. I have become derailed eating more of things than I should and eating things I should not eat. These are my goals and hope that with the help of this community I can actually reach and maintain my goals. I want to be around to hang out with my grandchildren and not have heart disease, cancer and diabetes to contend with.

Hi All, My I am RNO, 40 yo and I joined the academy two weeks ago when I was at 93.5 Kg (206 lbs) at about an estimated 27-30% bodyfat. I live an awesome life and yet, beginning of this year I got sick with what I thought was the Nth flu of the season, but it turned into almost 6 weeks at home with burnout symptoms. I am currently recovering/preventing to get in really deep. Not that I am sour or anything, but I have seen what it can do to friends and I really don't want that to happen, so I have labeled the beginning of the year as my final warning. So, now body and mind get a lot more attention to get (and stay) in shape. I have experienced my fair share of motivation and its awesome, but when it fades and reality takes over again, I want to find a way to actually stick to the things that I know worked for me when I had the motivation, but get harder when that is gone. Part of that is signing up here and be somewhat public about it :-) My goal is to basically "get in shape". That means losing a lot of fat and be fit enough to play in the yard with my children. I used to love gymnastics when I was a little boy and it has recently sparkled my interest again. Unfortunately, even though I am very motivated, I simply lack the physical mobility/flexibility to do that stuff again. But I hope I will again in a while. Currently, I have lost about 6 to 7 lbs in the first two weeks and that is encouraging. I can start to see it as well, which is nice. I am aware that even though my normal meals were not extremely bad, I have a sweettooth and just mindlessly snacked all the time. That is currently the hardest part, noticing the cravings and them letting them go. Anyway, I hope that <85kg (about 185 lbs) @ 15-17% is a challenging but achievable goal for me and that I can start to do fun things with my body. I really enjoy bodyweight and gymnastics stuff. A friend of mine is great at rings and I want to be able to do that. But apart from weight/fat numbers, I just want to be able to do several push ups, pull ups and a handstand. Not sure how long it will take, but those are really measurements that I look at now that would make me very proud of myself. Just for reference, I have started with level 1 bodyweight exercises and I can do everything above what is mentioned in the exercices, but I cannot do knee push ups and that really pisses me off. I can do those elevated push ups against the kitchen counter, but lower than that is a challenge. Anyway, if you read this far one: amazing, thanks! I expect to check in regularly and call for help or help others :-) RNO

Hi Guys! My name is Kenzie, and this summer I am doing an Online Gym course for school. I know how weird that sounds, but that's beside the point. For this course, I am required to do 45 minutes of physical activity but cannot do the same routine every day. I have two problems with this: 1) Just last Thursday I found out I have severe iron deficiency anemia. I get tired after around 20 minutes, so I need suggestions for that. Also, if you guys have suggestions on things to eat that are high in Iron but low on Calcium and folic acid, that would be amazing. 2) I am very bad at thinking on the spot for ideas, and I need to turn ideas in very soon to the teacher. Please let me know any fun ideas you guys have! Thanks, Kenzie

Hey Everyone, Been exploring the boards, still very confused as to stats and assigning points and the like, is there a nice handy beginners guide somewhere? As I do archery, I tentatively put myself down as an Assassin (help from above, yo, sniper type) but in reality I'm a nurse so I'm not sure that is correct. I live in a very small town with very few resources for fitness and I work crazy hours which doesn't help. None the less, I need to do something so I am trying to figure out what I am and who I am. Why is there no healer class? ::grins: your clerics also need to be fit! I have access to a pool though not always energy to go (depression that I am currently dealing with with my physician and I am coming out of). I have a treadmill. I need to get back to using it. My love though, is archery. I would like to get into martial arts but nowhere locally runs on a decent schedule that is compatible with mine...3.30 in the afternoon? I can't just leave for an hour now can I? thoughts?

Hi friends! I'm new here and really excited to join a community of fitness-obsessed nerds like myself It was like a light switched on in my brain when I realized I could actually train myself to do the things my favorite movie/television/video game characters do instead of just sitting on my couch wishing I were that cool. It's been a long and ongoing journey of constant change and self-improvement, and I'm really proud of how far I've come. I feel like parts of me belong in each of the guilds but I picked the adventurer guild because I lost my first 50 lbs when I discovered my love of hiking, and adventuring outdoors is still one of the most peaceful and inspiring parts of my life. My current workout regime looks something like this... 5 days/week : lifting heavy ~40 min (I'm on week 2 of Ashley Horner's Charlie Mike program right now) 2 days/week : 1 hour bootcamp classes or other cardio conditioning 3 days/week : 45 min cardio (run or elliptical) *or* trail run I really enjoy working out - it has been more effective than any anti-depressant or talk therapy My main struggle is with nutrition (I am a sucker for sweets) so I've been working on maintaining a diet at 1400 cal and 50-60% protein. It's going well so far and the nutritional guidelines I'm following don't make me feel hungry, deprived or lacking energy. I just started eating meat again to help meet my protein goals. I really liked being a veg but it's hard to meet my goals that way, so I'm just trying to get responsibly sourced meat/eggs. STRENGTHS: - Healing/Herbal Lore - Lifting heavy things - Hiking/outdoor sports - Endurance WEAKNESSES: - Cookies, Doughnuts - Running - Charisma - Agility (mediocre, looking to improve) GOALS: - Improve my 1RMs by at least 10 lbs in 6 weeks (I picked this kind of arbitrarily but I think it's doable?) - Weight loss 2lbs/week (I don't usually condone numeric weight loss goals for anyone but I'm giving it a shot because I already have a substantial base of lean muscle mass and I'm trying to cut fat) - Meditate 3x/week for 7 minutes - Stretch every day - Foam roll at least once/week - Trail run or hike once a week (5+ miles) - All-around badassery I'm also a beginner climber so if any assassin friends have tips for n00bs, please share TIA my lovelies, looking forward to meeting everyone!

Hello All! It's funny how birthdays have you reflecting a lot more! Recently I can't stop thinking "Holy crap, it's already over half way through april, where does the time go?!" When I turned 30 two years ago, I wanted to make it a point to be a healthier me. It went well that year, until I started having too many irons in the fire! Here I am 2 years later and probably the heaviest I've ever been. I am happy to say that in my maturity since college I have acknowledged and accepted the fact that I will never be in the shape I was in HS & College, since as women, our bodies change so much as we age. My goal is to be the healthiest version NOW. Not then, but NOW. I want to be stronger, more flexible, and ENJOY activity again! Better eating and sleeping habits, because when they are on point - I feel great! I haven't had that for sometime now! By day I work as an architect and am currently in season coaching softball at a local college. A year or two ago I tired rock climbing outdoors and really enjoyed it - it was the first activity I didn't COMPARE myself to someone else during. I never had a climbing place close enough to really go and train that was convenient for my schedule/location - until NOW - in July there will be a climbing gym 20 min from home (yayyy!). Then, this past Friday I tried an Intro to Aerial Dance class at a new gym and loved it! I am excited to find two things that I could consider to be my "workout soulmates" In the last few years I've put on extra weight (20 lbs) since becoming part of a blended family, I have found myself putting everyone else first and have let myself become last in line. Lately, I've been realizing you cannot pour energy (the positive kind) from an empty well! It's time to get my energy and health back. Better food choices, moving everyday, get more sleep! I signed up for my second half marathon (first one being back in 2013) for September! I realized when I trained, not only did I lose weight, I found that running is a HUGE stress reliever for me! THIS time around I will be doing cross training in hopes to avoid injuries (last time I didn't do any CT and was out of training for 2 weeks due to my IT Band). I figured the training running & cross training can help me lose some weight so it'll be easier to lift myself up a walk AND silks! I'm excited to be apart of such a supportive community! Something I've been missing for a while!

Hi everybody! I am just joining up here, and working through the first week's challenges. I am not on FB, so I'm hoping I can dive into the community here! I'm in my mid 20's, and looking to get stronger to extend my adventuring years longer =) My full big-why is below. Glad to join you all! About 9 months ago, I began calorie counting and lost 35 lbs. I look a lot better, and my clothes fit well. Everyone comments on how good I look - my parents, my mother-in-law, colleagues. But the accomplishment is just that I was able to eat less. I’m not proud to tell them that I look lighter because I stopped eating so much pasta. I want my story to be “I look great and feel great because I am strong”. I want to be able to go on adventures without thinking twice about whether I can physically (and mentally!) do it. I fell in love with my husband because of his adventurous spirit. He was always trying something new, up for any challenge. One of the reasons I married him was because I wanted to have that kind of life - to create that kind of family for our future children. At first, I could keep up with everything. I was a college athlete, and in good enough shape. But I’m getting weaker - and I’m too young for that! We’re about to hit 5 years, and I’ve loved all of the new things we’ve done -- backpacking, longboarding, biking through Italy. I want to be able to keep adventuring. I need to have something in my life that is mine to control. I have a full time job, and am doing graduate school in the evenings. My vacation time belongs to my parents and my in-laws. I am feeling like a ping-pong ball, bouncing around and not getting to take a rest with things that truly are important to me. I am tired, stressed, and my body hurts nearly all the time. I need to take some time for myself, to build my mental and physical strength. “You can’t pour into others if your own cup is empty.”

Hey everybody! I'm Dorothy...a wife, stay at home mom of three (one in college, one in high school, one in middle school), working as administrative everything to my husband's and I landscape business and I started a blog last month to meet and encourage people on the wellness journey like me (spirit, soul, and body). As for this body thing, I'm an ok size, 5'10" 168 lbs, so my weight loss goal is only bout 18 lbs and to get rid of this small inner tube around my belly haha! I'm dedicated to moving at least 20 minutes a day (by coming here and being accountable - definitely ready for the next 4 week challenge); and eating as clean as I can with family members who are all picky (goal is mostly vegetarian for me; 1 meat meal a day). I'd love to hear your story and connect with you so we can both sing our victory song together I'm Feeling good already in taking this leap on the forum Peace and blessings!!

A wild Infinicca appears! Greetings and salutations, friends. My name is Infinicca, regenerating/respawning after several years off-site. I was formerly here under "Nicca", and was sort of a lurker/occasional contributor. In the time since, I've been up and down again. I had a bad illness which hospitalized me a couple of years ago, lost some weight, and then gained it all back and then some because I could eat again. I work from home and am also studying from home for my *gulp* law degree, and recently I've realized that I'm into the danger zone... I'm often tired, don't eat well, and sit in a chair for 12-14 hours/day. Something's gotta change. So after seeing the scale tip dangerously high one day, I decided to return to NF... and I joined Rising Heroes. I'm just a week in, and already feeling like I'm "doing" something (even though I've only just begun). I thought I'd add a 4-week challenge on to that for extra motivation, so here I am! GOALS: Lose 6 lbs. over these 4 weeks. (My long-term goal is to lose between 35-40.) Cut out mindless snacking. Exercise regularly. Wake up on time and with energy. HOW-TO: Lose: Exercise regularly (doubling up goals!). Cut out sugary drinks as able. My illness was gut-related and so I switched from coffee to Red Bull, and didn't give up the RB even when going back to coffee. (I say "as able" because I do get gut flare-ups on occasion which might prevent me drinking coffee for a time, so really I hope that I eventually won't need as much caffeine to function.) Log food intake and discover/edit habits. Cut out mindless snacking: Pre-portion midday snacks. I don't usually eat large meals and tend to "graze", especially working from home, so if I pre-portion I'll help avoid grabbing a handful of trail mix without thinking. Select healthier options that will keep me feeling fuller. That trail mix has a lot of added sugar. Drink more water. Log food intake (doubling up!). If bored (which is often when I snack), train myself to get up and do jumping jacks instead of reaching for something to eat. Exercise regularly: Follow NF Rising Heroes challenge of 3x/week full Basic Bodyweight Workout (incl. warm-up and cool-down). Walk at least 5x/week for 20+ mins/day. I need to be ready to walk at least 10,000 steps/day come April 16th. (I'm traveling, and there will be a lot of walking.) Make a schedule where I walk away from the computer/desk for at least half an hour and DO something. Wake up on time: Start going to bed at least 20 mins earlier. No more "just one more episode" Netflix nights. Stop spending hours reading until I pass out from eye exhaustion. (Example: I go to bed at 11:30, but fall asleep after 1:00 because I'm reading.) This can probably change if I go to bed even earlier and when I do start working out more, because I won't have energy to stay awake. Set an alarm and actually use it. Set multiple if necessary. Drink more water before bed. Wish me luck!

Hi all you inspiring people! I don’t usually join in on forums, but this seems like a great place to get support for my lifestyle change. I have three kids between 5 and 10 and am happily married to a wonderful man. I am 5’9”, 170 lbs, with a little more jiggle than I’d like. I am allergic to gyms (as an introvert, it takes a lot of energy to interact with people so I wouldn’t have any energy leftover to workout, Ha!). I ride my bicycle for transportation whenever feasible, but I am a cruiser, not a speeder. I discovered Steve’s bodyweight circuit a couple years ago and really liked it for the week or two before I lost my momentum and gave it up. I also like to spend 20 minutes or so on yoga and meditation in the mornings, but this happens sporadically these days. My main obstacle is perfectionism. If I don’t get up at 5:00am to workout or if I eat one bad meal, I feel defeated and give up entirely. For the last few days, I have been trying a new tack with a bit more compassion for myself. I have been doing bodyweight squats and incline pushups throughout the day, when I think of it. Today, I did 75 squats total, 30 incline pushups, and a 10 dumbbell rows on each arm. I really don’t know what the heck I am doing, but I am determined to figure it out this time. That’s why I joined the forums: talking to you all will help keep me accountable. I eat pretty well when I plan things out (I dig veggies) but am succeptible to getting cheap pizza for the family when it’s too late to make anything for dinner. My two, long-term goals are to slim down enough that pictures of myself don’t make me sad and to be able to do an unassisted pull-up. I even saved up and bought the bar a couple years ago before realizing I don’t even have the upper body strength to hang from it for more than a few seconds. We,, that’s my rant. Nice to meet you all!

Here is the list I have created for my character, I may even add more quests for no XP just to keep progression. But my main concern is becoming consistent.

Good morning! So I finally decided to commit to living a better life. This means keeping a cleaner house, creating meal plans that can feed two adults, and two toddlers while still packing big nutrition and enough calories to fuel our shenanigans, and completely restructuring how we think so as to be productive to our goals instead of undermining. I hope that in joining this community that I can get some advice from other like-minded folks. So my first questions for my fellow Rebels are as follows: 1.) As a half-time online college student and mother is it really possible to pull off something like this while still giving my children the attention they need and deserve? 2.)What are some sample meal plans that are healthful and simple enough to fit into a super busy life that are also desirable to the carnivorous hubby and picky kids? 3.) Has anyone else been able to regain their body after having two kids close together? and 4.) Does anyone feel comfortable sharing their struggles on this journey and how you've overcome them? (It doesn't have to be super detailed, I'm only asking to gain a sense of confidence to be able to surmount the challenges that are sure to come.) I know nothing worth having comes easy. I've been there, heck before my husband and I were married I was at the peak of my physical fitness, I was strong, at the lowest weight since middle school and I had confidence. While he still complements me and truly has a high opinion of me I have lost all of my confidence, that fire that drove me, everything I was before. This is mostly due to the depression but also because I've learned so much in the last four years about health and diet, and even things like organizations that I've found that the majority of what I had confidence in back then was a lie. I'm here not to mope about the past, or even to recapture it. It was a wonderful time in my life, I found my love, and found a deeper purpose as a wife and mother, don't get me wrong. It's just time to move forward, and be the best me from this point forward. More people depend on me now than they did back then so this beginning is very important and admittedly, I'm going to need a lot of support from a solid community. There it is, I admitted to needing help! There's one accomplishment already! Ready, set... Go! Let's get started!

- Rangercorps™ admission board: People, today we would like to welcome a new prospect of the Rangercorps™. Please introduce yourself: - Mr_Willes: Hello everyone my name is Mr_Willes - Rangercorps™ admission board: "Hello, Mr_Willes" - Mr_Willes: This is my first challenge here with you people - Rangercorps™ admission board: Very good to have you here newbie - Mr_Willes: I want to train for an obstacle course race in May and a beginners powerlifting meet in June - Rangercorps™ admission board: Those are very solid goals to work to - Mr_Willes: I need to lose some bodyfat and gain some extra endurance to be able to do the OCR - Rangercorps™ admission board: Seems like you need to have a cardio plan and need to watch your calorie intake - Mr_Willes: Exactly, but since i also want to do a PL meet in June i also need to make sure i don't lose muscle in the process, and even gain a little muscle during this process if possible - Rangercorps™ admission board: Well that's gonna be a very tough job balancing those 2 opposites. - Mr_Willes: Well the good thing is that my Wilks score for the PL meet will go up if i can manage to strip weight and keep my muscle - Rangercorps™ admission board: That's right but know that this will be a very hard process, what is your battleplan to achieve this? - Mr_Willes: I know, that's why i want to start my focus on growing my endurance and losing bodyfat at the same time - Rangercorps™ admission board: That would be a good place to start, can you be a bit more specific about how you want to achieve this? - Mr_Willes: Well first i need to get myself running, so i want to dedicate 2 days a week to a running workout. - Rangercorps™ admission board: Sounds like a good choice, do you have a plan for when it rains or when your motivation to go running isn't very high? - Mr_Willes: I don't want to set hard goals for the running, i will try to stick to a running plan, but if motivation is low i will be satisfied if i at least start running and just see how far i will get. - Rangercorps™ admission board: Okay, makes sense and for the lifting, what will you do if you lack motivation? - Mr_Willes: I usually use some sort of PWO, and the thing what that stuff is, you need to get moving after you had some, the stuff that's in there is pretty swanky - Rangercorps™ admission board: May i suggest using the same approach you have with running, at least start a workout and see how far you get. - Mr_Willes: I think that would completely line up with the way i want to do things, i like to follow the KISS principle, so 2 strategies for the same goals seems like a fit. - Rangercorps™ admission board: So we got the training part covered how about the eating part, you know, you can't outrun your fork. - Mr_Willes: Yeah i know and that's probably my biggest problem but i need to start small cause i need these habits ingrained cause i will be all over the place if i want to work on all of the things at the same time. - Rangercorps™ admission board: We know that, we call it "RangerBrain", and it's something that a lot of people here have to deal with. So what's the battleplan on the eating part. - Mr_Willes: I want to focus on keeping a bit under maintenance by about 10% which is 2000-10%=1800 KCAL, while trying to keep the protein as high as possible. - Rangercorps™ admission board: The high protein would be to prevent loss of muscle i presume? - Mr_Willes: That's right, and next to this main goals i will have 2 side goals, during working days i need to keep strict on lunch cause it so easily gets out of hand and on wednesday i want to do a Intermittent Fasting day, cause that would fit my schedule perfectly. - Rangercorps™ admission board: An Intermittent fasting day for someone who runs 2 days a week and lifts 2 days a week? - Mr_Willes: Yeah, my usual lifting days are Monday and Saturday, and my running days are Friday and Sunday, next to the Crossfit i do on Tuesday and Thursday, so to manage an even lower weekly kcal average i want to do an IF day on wednesday, but also because it just feels good. - Rangercorps™ admission board: Okay, so, 2 days of running, 2 days of lifting, 2 days of crossfit, one day of intermittent fasting, and a slight kcal deficit on a weekly base, DING DING DING, you are qualified to be a ranger, please proceed with your challenge, and good luck! - Mr_Willes: Thank you, but luck won't be needed I WILL DO THIS! - Rangercorps™ admission board: Ooh-rah Ranger! Train: Run 2 times a week (could use tips on a 2 day schedule) Lift 2 times a week Eat: KISS lunch, 5 out of 7 days a week KCAL <1800, 6 out of 7 days a week (focus on protein) IF-Wednesday, (only eat dinner) If i read the rules correctly we get 15 points to divide over these goals: STR - Strength / DEX - Dexterity / WIS - Wisdom / STA - Stamina / CHA -Charisma / CON - Constitution TRAIN Run: Max Score: 8 Earn: +3 STA +1 DEX Lift: Max Score: 8 Earn: +3 STR EAT: KCAL: Max Score: 24 Earn: +2 WIS, +1 DEX, +1 STA Lunch: Max Score: 20 Earn: +1 CHA, +1 CON IF: Max Score: 4 Earn: +1 CHA, +1 CON

Hello! My name is Seth Himebaugh. By day I am a sandwich delivery driver (in other words I spend my days grinding on repeatable quests that give me gold rather than exp), and by night I am a hip hop artist who wants to make a difference in the world, and I am going to start living out the adventures and honing the skills I've always wanted. I am going to be starting my first 4 week challenge tomorrow (so 5 Weeks for me because the challenge doesn't start for another week) I will post my challenge tonight after I finish a few quests in town!

I have lots of good reasons to go into the Navy: I want to see the world, I want to be able to call myself a veteran, I want to get an edge applying for federal jobs, and I want help paying for a masters of social work and to take spanish classes. I've been a retail pharmacy tech for 5 years and have grown to really, really, REALLY hate the field, mostly because of the poor pay and instability. Things will be running smoothly, then all of the sudden, I'll get cut to 10 hours a week and I have to job hop. I often work clopenings, so I get anywhere from only 2 to 12 hours a sleep in a night and I have a big belly because I live on fast food and comfort eat a lot. I've recently cut out sugary drinks from my orders, but I still have a fast-food diet because I never have the time or energy to cook. I'm 40 pounds overweight and am not sure where to start, but I know I need to meet all requirements for a medical waiver to even be considered for the military, especially a selective branch like the Navy or Air Force. Army isn't out of the question, but I am drawn to the Navy and Air Force first, and especially the Navy. My mother had me on ADHD medicine and antidepressants as a teenager, and I'm paranoid that if I lie about that, I'll be caught, but I also know I'll need approved for a waiver if I disclose that information about me. I'd really like to lose 40 pounds in 4 months, and be passing at least the minimums expected for Navy boot camp, but the better I can be, the better chance I'll have of getting a waiver. As for a class, I think either Ranger or Scout lends itself to the workouts I'll need to increase my strength and endurance, but moreso endurance. If there is any other information I left out, I'll be glad to fill you in if I ask. I'm glad to be here, and hopefully, I can get out of this career field I hate and into something better. (In case anybody is wondering, I am a man.)

Hi everyone! Long-time lurker here. I am currently a student studying in California. I weigh in at around 175 lbs and am 5'5". In the past, I've been really into kickboxing. As of late, however, I've returned to my third-grade roots by taking gymnastics classes! I'm super excited about that. I also have taken up geocaching, which I highly recommend for anyone looking for a new hobby. I've recently gotten into weightlifting (with the encouragement of my wrestler SO.) For cardio...I always think I'd like to be a runner, but the instant my feet hit the pavement, I change my mind. I am a total elliptical queen though - it's a great time to catch up on my Netflix shows! Plus, when the weather is nice, I can be coaxed out for a hike or roller-skating adventure. I think my biggest pitfalls may be eating. If abs are made in the kitchen, that explains why I don't have any. I will have to be more mindful of what I'm eating - bit of a snackoholic over here - and hold myself accountable. "Big Picture" goal: lose 20 lbs by the end of May (my birthday is the 24th). Obviously, it would be great if it happened more quickly, but as I am just getting into fitness and want to keep it off, I think this will be a good timeframe. S.M.A.R.T goals: Cardio 3x week - I may update this to 4x later depending on how this challenge goes, but I don't want to bite off more than I can chew right off the bat. This will be in the form of elliptical, roller-skating, hiking, or whatever comes my way. Maybe one day I will pick up running - I keep hearing about that Zombie Run app, and I'd like to give that a try. Track everything I eat - this will keep me accountable. No matter how embarrassing the binge, I need to pay attention to how I eat. Level Up Your Life goal: Journal 1-2x a week. I love journaling, but I never do it - just dump a ton of information once a month! I'd like to journal more regularly, so I'll keep the bar low and ease into it.

The beginning of my story is nothing new... I've been overweight since I was a kid. I was always told it's just baby weight and once you hit puberty it'll come right off. Puberty came and went and I only got heavier. It was always a confusing concept as I was a Varsity soccer player all through high school and college so it wasn't a lack of exercise that was the problem. I always knew my diet wasn't the best, but I just thought I could work off the pounds at the gym. Over the years I tried all the different diets including Paleo, but couldn't stick with them for long term. Jump forward to last year, I joined Peace Corps and am living abroad with no fast food options and walking a lot more than I ever have and I am losing weight for the first time. Luckily I am still in a "big city" so I have a lot more variety than others, but that also means I have more temptation to eat comfort foods like chocolate or drink soda to deal with the emotional stress. I found NF last year at the beginning of my service as I was trying to look up Paleo resources again and decided to give it a try. Though I have been losing weight here, it hasn't been through a lot of effort by me and I'm worried when I return home I won't have changed my mindset on healthy eating and end up gaining it all back. So that is why I am here doing these challenges to try and create long term change. Hoping this will be a good year for me. About me: 26 years old, 220 lbs, 5'9" Ravenclaw (secondary: Hufflepuff) Adrenaline junkie, Musical enthusiast, picky foodie/aspiring home chef I suffer from a serious case of wanderlust Favorite games: The Sims 2, Kingdom Hearts, Crash Bandicoot, Super Mario Brothers, Pokemon (I like the classics) Main Quest: Improve my Portuguese fluency by reading at least one article or chapter in Portuguese daily for the length of the challenge. Challenge Quests: 1. Do Yoga Warrior every other day 2. Reduce my bread consumption by restricting intake to only during breakfast 3. Reduce my liquid calories to only once during the weekends when a friend visits.

Good afternoon to all my fellow beginners! I made a stab at NF a year or so ago and allowed life to get in my way, so here I am again making another go at it with Challenge number one of 2018. I'm already facing a few personal challenges outside of the norm (work/kids/husband/etc). I have fibromyalgia, am dealing with an injured hand that is keeping me out of the weight room and in physical therapy, and have spent the latter half of 2017 and into this new year dealing with some sort of chronic hives issue - yippee So here I am again making another go at it, despite the adverse conditions, with Challenge Number One of 2018. Gogogogogo!!! Current Stats Level: 43 Ht: 5'11" Wt: 190lbs Quests for 2018: Lose 40lbs Quality time with DH Get out of debt Manage my stress/anxiety/depression Build my brand Four Week Challenge Round One: Begin C25K Training (Minimum of 3x/wk) Build a Workable Budget Meal Plan for Work Lunches and Dinner 5x/wk Double Cleanse Daily

Hey! My names Blethan, and unfortunely you've wandered into what is likely to be a sea of my ramblings. I was a NF member many moons ago, but unfortunately the real world hit me hard after graduating Uni, and things have started slip. So now I'm back! GOAL UPDATE 22.10.17: Look Good! Lose 8lbs. -I've calculated that I currently have a body fat percentage of 27%. I would like this to drop to 21 % (I'm pretty new to this, so let me know if this is ridiculous). With these percentages I'm currently carrying 37.5 lbs of fat and need to lose 8.3 lbs of fat to reach this goal. To do this I need to; -Eat healthy, cut down junk food, cake, over-eating -Get exercising, increase my cardio workouts -Start strength training Feel good! Get my sh*t together. To do this I need; -A system of scheduling that works for me -Daily reading / meditating -Keep my house clean and uncluttered. Get Proud, Productive and Creative! Create Portfolio -I want to create a storyboarding and concept art portfolio to further my career. I have a fair base of work behind me in animation, but I want to explore opportunities in a new direction. To do this I need to; -Complete storyboarding course -Create 2 storyboards (one short animation, one scenes from a longer script) -Complete x2 commissions a month I want to look good. I want to feel good. I want to be proud, productive and creative! So, read my ramblings, or not, or just say hi, or answer some of the random questions that I'm bound to ask, and I'll be very VERY grateful!