Search the Community

Very excited about this challenge... As you can see from the picture HERE: I have a bit of abdominal fat: I am a bit of a boozer and a party animal (although still a total nerd). Not only that I have skinny arms as I haven't worked out the past. My main quest is to reduce my body fat percentage and to become noticeably fitter in the process. As someone who has quit smoking, my cardiovascular efficiency is not where it should be. I want to be faster and stronger. Over the next six weeks this means I will do the following: I am scheduled to run a 10k in September. I want to be able to run a 10k in six weeks in under 55 minutes. I will do this by running at least 3-4k twice a week.I will eat 4 days a week of super healthy eating (low-GI, grain-light, protein-heavy meal days), and will record this by keeping a DAILY food diary.I will learn how to lift by following instructions on this site, and on the net, and develop a strength work-out that is manageable but challenging.My motivations for achieving this are explained in my main post HERE but to summarise: I am quitting smoking, and I don't want to gain weight. I am by no means disgusting, but I've let myself go in the last few years. When I was 18 (9 years ago) I cycled from Vienna, Austria; to Bratislava, Slovakia; and then to Budapest in Hungary in just over a week. On a terrible bike with only one gear. Now I get tired walking up the escalator sometimes! My life quest is to create budget as I am moving house, and I have just paid of my credit card by getting a low interest loan. So I want to make sure my finances are in order.. I will set a budget and see if I can stick to it for the month of August. LET THE REBELLION BEGIN!

Main Quest: To become the ripped, beast-woman I am on the inside. (think The Hulk... if happiness made him transform) Goals: Complete my three gym workouts per week. Eat primal every day. Walk, sprint, jog, hike or bike outside for at least 30 minutes every day. ​Life Quest: To put down my cell phone/turn off the computer and read from a book every night before bed. Why am I doing this? I need to learn to make myself a priority and appreciate myself.

Hello....looking for a place to chronicle my path and my struggles against gravity and genetics as I look to get back into shape again after a life-altering injury. I have always been a fairly athletic person and in decent shape. About two years ago, I totally destroyed my right knee playing basketball.... I tore the ACL. I tore the MCL. I tore my meniscus in two places. The first reconstructive surgery involved some hardware (screws and whatnot) and the removal of a hunk of my meniscus. I then rehabbed for two months so that I could have another surgery in order to clean out the scar tissue and try to get me closer to a "normal" range of motion. Over the next year, I went in for regular rehab......but I did nothing else.....and I got fat....(for me that is). At the start of 2012, I decided it was time to lose some weight...and boy did I....I lost over 50 pounds by July....yay right!?!? Welp, I didn't have the workout urge....so I just got skinny fat....lol Life got complicated and I gained it all back that fall and winter. Which brings us to 2013.....reboot. This year, I have been putting it all together. Weight training and have really gotten nutrition figured out in supporting my long-term goal: recomp. I have really been in the groove over the last 3 months and have shed a ton of fat and added some serious mass. I am looking forward to jumping into the fray in the challenges......I love having other to interact with, share knowledge....and most importantly....compete. Nothing steams my boiler like some good 'ol fashioned friendly competition. I am probably an old man by the standards of this site.....but I hope I can share what I have learned over the years in all of the things that worked for me.....and those that were horrible failures....lol....as you get to know me, you will see that I love doing experiments on myself.... In fact, a quick-reference for my personality type: - I love doing experiments......especially the kind that draw from multiple disciplines.....like how does my nutrition effect my strength and so forth - I am mildly obsessive about data.....I keep food spreadsheets, workout logs, etc.... - I like to help people. I have learned through trail and error many things over the years....and I like to share....namely help others. Anyhoo....sorry for the wall 'o text..... Hope to dialogue, share, learn....and of course.......fight the never ending war against gravity!!! Cheers, -Michael

Hi all, I'm Beki, I'm new & I'm flabby. I've managed to start the beginner strength training workout - keeping it realistic at 1 cycle this week so as to not overdo it. Baby steps onto the bus, Bob... I'm researching the Paleo, as I think it would be very good for me (my body doesn't seem to like sugar anyway), but that's going to be step 2, as I'm no cook & need to get my head around it. But soon... Anyway, looking forward to the journey - cuz those "before" pics I took yesterday aren't pretty! , Beki

Greetings and salutations! I stumbled across this site by way of a friend by way of a friend and am finding it awesome and exactly what I need! As for me, I am of the female variety, currently 39 years, and live in sunny Brisbane, Australia. I'm a big gamer type, RPGs mainly both video and tabletop. I'd love to be able to cosplay, but alas that's not a done thing when one isn't thin and hot. And I haven't been thin and/or fit since I was a child. So, I've recently started a weight loss program and have lost nearly 9 kilos in 9 weeks, which I'm pretty happy about, and which has dropped me back into double digits where I don't think I've been for about 10 years or so. However I'm finding the exercising side of things boring and difficult, so was looking for something else to do, and here we are! And from the information on the site I've started looking into Paleo, which looks good. I've already cut out all sugar and soft drink from my diet. The bread will be a hard one to let go of, though... My goals are to get back to about 65kg and a size 12-14 and basically just to be happy with myself and not be disgusted when I catch a glimpse in the mirror. Also to rock a Commander Shepard outfit So, hi and thanks!

Helloooooo It looks like these intro logs get read so I will do a little spiel I guess I am 'GirlIN' .. Its one of the three usernames I use all over the World Wide Web. I am currently 22years old, I am a born and bred Australian, lived on the east coast and central, including at Uluru I was active growing up, but got injured then gained alot of weight. I have lost the weight, but only got serious about exercise last year. I currently lift weights and play women's soccer. I recently started to focus on a primal diet. I'm not to sure how 'nerdy' I am lol but you can test me I guess! I love finding fitness communities but it can be a struggle to find nice ones (in my experience) I'm on Tumblr, Fitocracy, myfitnesspal kik etc if anyone is interested chatting / following in those places. My goal is just to be healthy and strong. I really recommend fitocracy to turn your real life workouts into Levelling up games, you can duel others and join groups. My username is GirlIN on there too, let me know of you join! Its free! (Unless you are a hero)

Hi! I'm CambriaGuy. I'm 23, live in Arizona, and have no Idea where to start with my fitness. I guess a back story comes in here? I recently started this job at an IT firm. I got to know this guy at work. One of those really friendly and charismatic types. Fantastic guy who is so fit it hurts to look at him. As for me I'm pretty introverted until you get talking about computers. I decided when I took this job to NOT be the overweight computer nerd who sits at his desk all day and never sees the sun. So I decided to take this coworkers offer up on a trip to the rock climbing gym. Now I thought I was in alright shape, not really fit but not overweight either. Holy. Crap. I made it up three climbs before I couldn't take anymore. Him though, he climbed those things like a lizard. It inspired me to start working towards that. So here I am. Unfortunately this guy was a temp and moved on so I no longer have any contact with him. I'm here to get advise from people on where to start. I've never taken a weight training class and the closest I've ever come to a Routine has been the awkward sessions at the gym. My goal (as of now) is to gain some muscle and definition. And ultimently I want to climb that wall like a boss. Haha After reading a bunch of articles and stories I feel like I should do more weights and strength training. But I have no idea what to do, how much, how many times, etc,etc. Any Suggestions?

Hey its Shaid and I am a teenage boy, this is my first 6 week challenge so if I stumble through it I apologize. My Current Stats are: I am 6 feet tall I weigh 265 pounds Bench: 215 Squat: 305 Hang Clean: 180 My Goals are: 1. Lose 10 pounds (I have put on a lot of weight recently and I would really like to start losing some of it) 2. Work out 4 days a week (I have a terrible habit of putting off workouts and then I will go a whole week without working out at all) 3. Cut down to only one serving of processed sugar a day (I have a nasty sweet tooth that I am trying to break) I only 3 goals for this time because I figured it would be better to focus then go too broad. Again this is my first time so any help would be great appreciated! (Thanks in advance if you do help)

I love this concept! My wife saw me signing up for a Real Life RPG and says to me, "You're such a nerd!" To which I reply (as always), "Whatever! Nerd marry-er. I have always been this way. You had a choice." This is my first challenge so any recommendation/criticism/help is welcome. Challenge #1: Perform 100 push up a day every day! Worth 4 STR. Current status: Doing 75 push ups a day. 15 reps 5xday A- Complete 100 push ups all 7 days of week 6 B- At least 75 push ups per day of week 6 C- At least 50 push ups per day of week 6 D- At least 25 push ups per day of week 6 F- No push ups Challenge #2: Hold plank position for 2 mins by week 6! Worth 2 STR and 2 STA Current status: Can hold for 45 secs. A- hold for 2 mins B- hold for 1 min 45 secs C- hold for 1 min 30 secs D- hold for 1 min F- hold less than 1 min Challenge #3: Complete 5K under 30 mins! Worth 2 STA and 2 DEX Current status: Best time 35 mins 35 secs A- finish under 30 min B- finish under 32 min C- finish under 35 min D- finish F- don't run Challenge #4: Play golf or at least go to driving range for 1 hour/ week! Worth 1 STR, 1 STA and 1 WIS A- Go six times B- Go four times C- Go three times D- Go once F- Don't go

I am very excited to start my first challenge! I'm a long time observer/reader of the site, first time active participant! I'm 27 yrs old female who really enjoys any sort of physical activity that is engaging - sports, hiking, games, etc. But working out by myself at the gym is so boring to me. Also, my work schedule (9am-7pm, 5-6 days a week!) really doesn't allow for me to have a good schedule regarding exercises and especially eating - even though i work at chiropractic/physical therapy office! Also, to make matters more complicated every time i start getting into a good rhythm, i tend to overdo it or something and injure myself. Past/current injuries - herniated discs in lower back, partially torn ACL in left knee! I've been using my work schedule and injuries as an excuse to not get back into shape, so here's my fresh start! Starting point: 5'6" 178 lbs Goal #1 - non-static exercising (mostly cardio) for 30 min, 4 days a week This can include biking, brisk walking, swimming, elliptical Grading: A: 4 days a week B: 3 days C: 2 days D: 1 days F: none in the week Goal #2 - Rehab knee/strength training 2-3 days a week; increase difficulty/weights every 2 weeks I need to progress through my PT/rehab for my knee and back. this will include progressing to the next stage every 2 weeks I really want to properly rehab my knee back so that i can actively PLAY again Grading: A: 3 days a week w/ progressive difficulty B: 2 days a week, progression [meaning i was consistent] C: 2 days a week w/ no progression D: 1 day a week, no progression F: none in the week Goal #3 - Do the Paleo diet The only changes I will make is no Tubers since i'm not working out too much, and limit the fruit intake for weight loss Grading: A: 35 - 42 days B: 25 - 34 days C: 15 - 25 days D: 7-14 F: less than 7 Goal #4 - limit TV to 15 hrs/wk Because of my work schedule, often when I get home I just want to veg in front of the tube. But then I end up just watching useless show, one after another, until I'm knocked out on the sofa. This gives me very little time to work on any of my other life goals.. which is far more important to me than tv or work! Grading: A: 15 or less hours B: 16 - 18 C: 19 - 21 D: 22 - 24 F: 25 or more I do have a slightly long lunch break (2 hrs) on some days so I should be able to get a 30 min workout in during the break. The Paleo diet will require more effort, especially since I'm always running late to work and have no time for breakfast! But, i think these goals are really achievable and i'm really excited to start!!

Well Hello there. My name is Seth Rue. I am a nerd. I am going to college for I.T. and Mathematics. I am 21 years old, 5'10" and severely over weight. I want to begin my walk towards a healthier lifestyle, and am using NF and a group of friends at home to make it happen. My main reason for this is because I already enjoy life as it is, but I miss out on a lot of the cool stuff that my friends do simply because I lack the ability to do it. So my thoughts are, think of all the wonderful adventures that are awaiting me out there that I can experience if only I take a little action. My task is not to lose a predetermined amount of weight, or fit into a certain size of clothes, though I think that will come. I simply wish to change my habits to ones that make me a healthier, happier person. I want to go on walks because nature is fun too look at. I want to cook food that is delicious and healthy. I want to ride a bike and feel the wind all around me. I want to be able to hang out with friends and finish the hike that we go on. I believe that I can Level up my life, and I hope that I can do it alongside of all of you.

I guess I should start by saying, "Hello Rebels!" And I look forward to working hard with all of you. I've been lurking around here for a couple months, and even tried out Paleo for a couple weeks! Needless to say, summer is here and it is time for me to get my ass in gear. I have no gym, so I'm relying on all my inner strength and all the terrain mother nature can provide me with. So here are my goals. 1) Run (at least) three miles without stopping. As of now, I can run 1 lonely mile. If I can make myself run every day, this should be an attainable goal. 2) Eat Well. I went on a binge after declaring my Paleo trial over and scarfed down all the grains I could find. While I'm not quite ready to get back up on that horse just yet, I'll keep baked goods out of my diet and stick to good 'ol rice and quinoa. 3) Find a job! This is my personal goal for this challenge and it began way before I even knew about the 6 week deal. I'm a college student home for the summer and I really need to get off my introverted butt and get out there. Need to start paying off loans, ya know? As much as I'd love to learn to how to lift, its not in the budget to get a gym membership or weights. So if any of you veterans have some homemade strength tips, I'd love to hear them! Push onward, brothers and sisters!

I've been out of the fitness game for a little while due to an injury and started back at the gym a month ago, but I'm trying to quit the machines and use free weights and my own body weight. I did my first set of deadlifts on Tuesday (today is Thursday). I was crazy sore yesterday, and I'm still pretty sore today, where squatting hurts. Tuesday I did three sets of 15 reps with a 45lb bar, then did 30 squats with a 15 lb bar. All the rest was pretty much upper body (which feels sore, but not horrific today). My question is this: If one is doing heavy lifting, especially deadlifts, how much time should one take between doing the exercise on another day? I've read conflicting information, so I wanted to see what you guys think. I'm just a lady that wants to get stronger. Also: Jumping jacks actually hurt. Not the pain sore, just the worked muscle sore.

Howdy friends! I am a TOTAL Noob here and I suppose thats not a bad thing. I will be participating in the upcoming 6 week challenge. A little about me. I am 24 years old, working full time as an IT Assistant, I have the best job and I love it I have a daughter she is 4 years old and a hubby who is on the fence about this whole exercise thing lol. He will come around after he sees me work; he usually does. I am graduating with a Batchelors in Computer Science next weekend(Go ME!) I am a Ranger, I love nature, swimming, hiking, running, skipping, you name it. I recently discovered bodyweight exercise, and i think i'm in love <3 there is something about using your own body for resistance and weight that makes me happy! I am also taking baby steps towards a Paleo Lifestyle. Starting with cutting out grains and soda. I have a serious soda addiction that needs to be put in check! I hope to make some new friends along the way! I am a positive person so I give good support to those who need it if they are willing to be my friend and support me as well

Today, I decided I was going to wake up and eat no grains, refined sugars, or dairy products. Easy enough to do with what I had readily available. Breakfast: Two free-range brown eggs cooked over easy in canola oil (couldn't find the olive oil at this time) Four mini sausage links. strawberries (yum!) 1/2 a cup fresh squeezed OJ. Lunch: 1/2 a salad with deli sliced ham with olive oil dressing. 2 bottles water. Snack: 1 child cup of sweet tea. Dinner: 4 strawberries half of 3/4 of a cup of lowcountry boil, sans corn and redskin potatoes. I drank the sweet tea because I got called into work pretty late in the afternoon, before dinner was ready. And I have this illness called "perpetual brokeness", meaning I had no money on either one of my cards. So to hold me off, I drank a small cup of sweet tea. Anyways. Yum.

Hi everyone! My name is Christina and I am a 28 year old stay at home mom. I recently stumbled upon this site while looking for Paleo blogs. I absolutely love everything about this website! I love the idea of the 6 week challenge and all of the ways that geek culture has been implemented into nutrition and workout routines. So a little bit about me: As I said, I'm 28 years old and a stay at home mom. I've been Paleo for a few months now (though I do eat cheese on occasion still so I guess I'm technically Primal) and it has been life changing. I lost almost all of the weight that I gained while pregnant with my youngest son (he just turned one) and my energy levels are through the roof (in spite of the fact that the 1 year old is teething and therefore not sleeping very well). The one thing that I have not been great at though, is working out. I'd love to tone up a little bit and I'd really like to start running and getting into yoga.

Hi guys, I'm Jamie, and if any of you are into video games and podcasting, I'm one of the hosts of Orange Lounge Radio at VoGnetwork. My birthday was last Friday, and I made myself a promise to forget weight loss, forget clothes I will never look good in, and forget judgment. I'm focusing on strength and letting everything else fall into place (though I am keeping measurements). Why not follow in the footsteps of my favorite strong female video game characters? I learned how to do a deadlift today with an Olympic weight bar. HOLY POO. Well, I did get through three sets of fifteen, so that's something new. I've been doing the beginner circuit from this site and am starting to add things on different days to keep in interesting and challenge myself. Any suggestions for the n00b here?

In the beginning there was no light. These beings were born in the darkness. Contained. Imprisoned. Downgraded from intelligent beings with such promise, into savage animals, easy for control. They were bred for work, and trained to destroy. Very few, if any at all, were known to escape this life. But in darkness, there will always be a hope. A flickering light. A light flickered that day and she saw it. One of the few who thought a little more. Who felt capable of more. Wanted more. It was beautiful, curious. She stalked towards the blinding light and tried to catch it. She did not notice if anyone followed. Focused, she ran towards it. What did it mean? She reached... Another world, a brighter world, materialized in front of her eyes. Scared, she shielded her eyes which were accustomed to the darkness. It took a moment but she summoned her courage to adjust to the new environment. Peaking, she instantly became mesmerized. Freedom, passion, diversity. Something she never experienced before. She wanted to learn everything, experience everything, and protect this new feeling. Though her darkness would always be engraved in her, she would try her best to become a better individual for this world. To protect it. Love it. And eventually, love herself... Born in a dark alley. Simple and tainted. Becoming a cat. Curious and independent. TechAlyCat's story begins... Ollo, everyone! This is my first 6WK Challenge and I'm PUMPED! I'm very excited to see how everything pans out and there's so much I want to accomplish, but its best to keep at 4 to guarantee getting them done. Here we go: Starting line: Weight- 165 Height- 5' 8" 1) Move to a different beat Improve Locomotion/FlexibilityDo a decent cartwheel I've been admiring Ido Portal lately and his ideas on natural movement, and its so lovely I want to be able to look that graceful! Parkour, dancing, gymnastics, and even climbing a tree all require a sort of precision and grace in movement that I've dreamed of since I was young. (Training specifics processing...) 2) Pick yourself up, gurl! Do 10 pushups (without breaking a sweat)1 good pull-up I'm doing mostly BW workouts so I want to keep getting stronger. And eventually climb a tree. That would make me the happiest in the world. 3) Hear the colors of the wind growling of your stomach Only eat when you're hungry, not craving foodKeep up avoiding sugar drinks As a techy, I'm not always near a kitchen or healthy food joint when I need to eat so I can't place "no fast food", "no desserts", or "keep to paleo diet" otherwise I'll probably skip a meal or two every day xD which I've done many times before. But I can definitely downgrade my eating. I know when I really need food, and when I'm eating to pass time. I also can read my body's 'healthy' cravings and 'mind' healthy cravings. So my body is pretty good at fat blocking food. And I've been avoiding sugary drinks for a while now and I'm just reminding myself to keep it up I've been eating even less since consuming only water and I avoided soda for a year during a volleyball so I know doing it again should be a breeze. (Measuring diet processing...) 4) The Schedule I am very determined to keep to my daily/weekly schedule because I know how it will benefit me in the long run. Daily Meditate Write in dream journal Workout Tidy/Clean Kitchen/VacuumWeekly Read a book Practice a skill 4x a week Wake-up 30 minutes earlier Then my bonus: De-cluttering my life. My friends and I are planning a garage sale, I'll post books on amazon, and donate many of my clothes. I also want to turn my room into the ultimate shrine/sanctuary and that would help if I have less rubbish. Plus, the less I have going on, the more flexible I am to live in the moment. WELL, I hope I made some sense in all of this. There's a lot more I need to explain I suppose but I wish to post this before midnight. Time to demolish this thing!

Hello, my name is Casey from Seattle WA and I just finished my first workout! I'm currently 235 and my short term goal is to lose 25 pounds by the end of July (thats in 4 months). I've decided to level up for 3 reasons Its getting harder to move since my gut is in the way I have a large family history of diabetes and need to get ahead of that and get healthy now while my blood is working for me We are having our second child in June and I need to be able to play with my children without wanting to die. You can also find me geocaching as GeoHueb. My first, and not last, question is, what are most folks doing on their non strength training day? My guess is running or some sort of cardio

Hey fellow humans, I'll share a little bit about me. I'm sure it's a lot like the rest of your stories, but here it goes... In Highschool, I played water polo and was a big muscular guy. 6' 2", 220 with 7% body fat. When I graduated I quit playing, but kept eating like I was playing. Got a back injury that kept me from exercising and 4 years later I woke up weighing 330 lbs and could barely move. I had 2 back surgeries, recovered and started the journey to better health. My first attempt was to simply try and go back to exercising the way I did in High School. I joined a water polo league that worked out for an hour, then scrimmaged for an hour, 4 nights a week. After 8 weeks, I had lost 1 lbs (I'm sure I had gained around 3-5 lbs of muscle and my cardio health was awesome again) but this was not nearly the result I was looking for. I went on Medifast (so difficult) and lost 40lbs in 46 days AND KEPT IT OFF. Then I just transitioned into eating less which resulted in another 20 lbs of fat loss, but then I plateaued. I stayed at 270 for a good 8 months with no major change up or down. I decided to get drastic, so I went on a crash HCG diet that resulted in 26 lbs of fat loss. GREAT! 244 for a couple weeks once I was off the diet. I got married in June of last year and since then I have gone back up (and over a couple times) the 270 plateau. I started eating a Paleo diet, but all it does is seem to keep me level. I'll do great for 3-4 weeks, then I'll have an event or birthday or holiday that will cause me to take in some carbs, and BAM! I've gained 6 lbs. Then I spend the next 3-4 weeks eating right in order to lose the 6 lbs, just to gain it back when I binge again. I've decided that although exercise is not the main way to lose weight, it's missing from my life. I'm hoping that it will be some sort of kick starter for my weight loss. I think my body just likes being 270 lbs. This is not an excuse, just an obstacle (but a really frustrating one!). I am a video and motion arts producer/director in LA so I sit behind a desk all day and have a 1.5 hour commute (both ways) so time is not on my side. I'm also an entrepreneur with more than 2 irons in the fire at any given time. I woke up this morning and did the Konami Code Workout for 5 minutes (6 sets with modified pull ups... did I mention I weigh a lot?) which is great, but I'm worried this might all be for nothing. So in short (sorry), my biggest struggle right now is finding the combination of diet and exercise that is going to work for me. Thanks for reading and comment if you like.

Okay, well I know it means pushing anything (and anyone) out of your path... but I mean it in a sense of pushing aside all the negativity that holds me back. Any negative people who just complain about everything and hold me down, and any negative problems I face in my day to day life.... I'm here to push everything negative behind me... fus ro dah!! Hi my name is BeccaG... I'm pretty new to all this, you know, health and fitness... hah the last time I lifted weights was in a womens weight class in high school. So here I am learning the beginners bodyweight workout, eating mostly paleo foods (my hubby and I are going 80:20), and just generally living a healthier lifestyle. As of the last time I weighed myself.... (maybe 2 weeks ago?? hubby and I dont keep a scale in the house.. no good could really come of it, theres one in the gym if we are really motivated to check ourselves) so last I checked I was 160lbs... pre-baby I was 120.. I would like to get to be around that size again.. but as long as I'm fit and healthy the number doesnt really bother me as much as having all these super awesome pants I cant fit into anymore... ranging from size 2- 13. sad panda. I am debating posting pics..... I have a horrible muffin top at the moment that makes me very sad. So that might not happen until I have an after pic I can say I'm proud of. lol I also cannot wait until the next challenge starts, I got into this a couple weeks too late, as of right now i'm eating as much paleo as I can... and doing the beginners bodyweight workout mon wed and fri before school.... I'm easing into it so I dont just give up. I do lead a fairly active lifestyle, I'm on my feet most of the day between hair school and my kiddo. Soo this is taking me out of my comfort zone a little, but I would absolutely love to make new friends and connections to help keep each other motivated!! Just add me

No, I don't have an amazingly awesome introduction like some of the kick-ass ones I've read already, and I can't zoom out enough to make this like a game quite yet (I'll get there... my background story for my half-orcishness is already written ;D)... but I'm really getting serious about this... and for me, getting serious is something to take note of. > SO LISTEN UP FOLKS! < Goals: Fitness: Perform the Beginner Body Weight Workout (BBWW) 2-3 times per week. a. Complete 3 BBWWs per week for all 6 weeks (total of 18 workouts) and gain the achievement “Fitness Achiever (Rank 1)†(yup, just like in WoW! They motivate me in-game, so I'm going to steal it for my life!). Awards +1 STR, +1 DEX, +1 CON, +1 CHA (for being that awesome) and earn an A. b. 17 to 12 workouts will award +1 STR, +1 DEX, +1 CON and earn a B c. Anything less than 12 will earn an F. Fitness: Hold a plank for 20 seconds (may be modified if 20 seconds is too easy) a. How? I will work my way up in my BBWWs from the recommended 15s to 20s by gradually adding a second per week. b. Wait, is this really going to be challenging? YES! :’( c. Holding a plank for 20 sec in the 1st, 2nd and 3rd circuits of the BBWW will award +1 STR, +2 STA and earn an A. d. Holding a plank for 20 sec in the 1st and 2nd circuits (but not the 3rd) will award +1 STR, +1 STA and earn a B. e. Holding it for 20 sec in just the 1st circuit will award +1 STR and earn a C. f. Anything else will be an F. Diet/Fitness: Avoid dairy (including cheese), grains and commercially processed foods from waking through at least 5pm (normal dinner time). Goal: 100% Paleo when I’m eating on my own. a. How? I will eat only veggies, fruit, lean meat and nuts at work (brought from home - if I forgot to bring anything, then I will make it a fasting day at work). b. At home I will make a conscious decision about everything I put in my mouth with a focus on staying as Paleo as possible. If I can possibly avoid it, don’t eat it! c. I will also document my diet on my thread to stay accountable. d. Awards: A/B/C for 2/3/4 meals non-Paleo at dinner. Automatic C if I eat non-Paleo at work (exclusion: Jan 21st for my b-day). Life Goal: To get back to my metal weaving roots and complete an average of 1 project per week (6 projects in total). I shall post pictures of the final products as proof (location of pictures to be determined [FB,Etsy,here,etc]). Here are the projects in random order: * Make something substantial out of the stainless square rings. (bracerlet, necklace focal, earrings, etc). * Complete an adult sized chainmail necktie (and have someone who isn't my husband model it) * Make something awesome from the purple Wal-Mart beads I’ve been avoiding using. * Make something for Lindsey. (SS2018 bracer? stretchy colorful bracelet?) * Complete at least 3 more ring size swatches (with label-tags). * Finish photographing my jewelry and complete the set-up of my Etsy store! (I know it’s not making anything, but this is chainmail-related enough to count.) a) Either I do this or I don't. Failure of any sort (except in the event of injury) will result in an F.And there you have it! Thanks for looking and have a nice day.

Okay, so I'm a cheerleader and a LARPer who wants to look good in both Lycra and leather armour! Having read Spezzy's transformation story, I've decided to start my own. I worked with a gym instructor last night to refine my lifting technique and create a programme, so that begins tomorrow (my muscles ache from all the crazy reps I did getting it right last night!). I will lift weights three times a week and do two good sessions of cardio (cheer practise). To be continued... Kalia x

All right, I am just getting started here and saw this first challenge of 2013 posted. So, why the heck not. No time like the present, right? Here are my goals: Go running 3 days/wk Exercise additional 3 days/wk Lose 15 lbs Get $1000 in Emergency FundStill figuring out how all this works, so that's all I've got for now. Ciao! ------ Edit ----- A little more detail now that I'm kinda sorta figuring out how this all works: Fit Goal 1: Go running 3 days/wk (STA +2, DEX +1) A: 17-18 B: 14-16 C: 11-13 D: 8-10 F: <8 Fit Goal 2: Exercise 3 days/wk (CON +2, STA +2, STR +2) A: 17-18 B: 14-16 C: 11-13 D: 8-10 F: <8 Fit Goal 3: Lose 15 lbs - starting out at 243.4 (CHA +2, CON +2) A: 13-15 lbs B: 10-12 lbs C: 7-9 lbs D: 2-6 lbs F: <2 lbs Life Goal Get $1000 in Emergency Fund (WIS +2) A: $1000 B: $800-$999 C: $600-$799 D: $300-$499 F: <$300

Hi, I'm Kalya and I'm enlisting in the rebellion. I just turned 35 recently, and have for some time now been wanting to take control of my weight problem as well as my health (being morbidly obease is part of my health problems) My co-workers have run biggest loser competitions at work in the past (I even won, one session of it), unfortunatly as soon as the group disbands, I tend to slowly fall back into a pattern, of not keeping it up, and start snowballing down the hill to weight gain again. I've attempted to goto the gym with friends, but unfortunatly getting to meet up with them is hard, schedules change, and since they aren't going, I end up not going. As a kid I always tended to play/execercise in a group (like karate), which is probably why I prefer going to work out with others. I was extremely active as a kid, until I got Osgood–Schlatter disease (aka both my knees were splitting apart). Take someone who could not sit still, and tell them they have to spend 3 months pretty much off their feet, (with the only exception being swimming), and that person tends to become a couch potatoe (since I was to young to goto the pool unsupervisied at the time) with the weight gain to match. Unfortunatly, I kept it on and added to it as I grew up afterwards. I think one of my biggest challenges is going to be my diet in this journey. I am an extremely picky eater with food allergy In fact, I have to redo all my allergy testing, so I can confirm what foods my attempt to take my life if I eat them, so I can make diet changes. If it's green (unless ice cream), I tend not to want to eat it. Fruits I don't mind eating, I just need to get in the habit of buying them more often. When I'm at home, I tend to eat lean chicken, or ground turkey for my meats, since I don't really know how to cook most red meats and I make brown rice instead of white, or whole grain pasta instead of the normal variety. These changes have stuck around from previous biggest loser competitions. I need to stop with the junk food and remember to take the lunch I cook for myself to work during the week. As for my nerd creds, there are too many to list, but some highlights are that I'm an avid RPG'er, both tabletop and video games. Sci/Fi fantasy fan, Whovian, Star Trek, Star Wars and LOTR fan to name a few. I also enjoy writing fiction. Nice meeting you all, Kalya