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Hi everyone, I'm new to the Druids - I'm 48, perimenopausal and 2 sizes bigger than I was 2 years ago. It won't shift, no matter what I do so I need to learn to accept my new size and focus on exercise and diet to make me healthier instead of obsessing about weight. I've a bit of a dodgy knee and a rotator cuff injury that puts lifting anything out of the picture for a few weeks. So, for the first challenge of the year I'm going to work on mindset, with the ultimate goal of being happy and healthy with my new size and shape. The Druids seemed like the right place to be for this month Quest 1 - Moving get to my Misfit tracker goal of 1000 points a day for 6 days out of 7. or - stretch every day for 5 minutes if I'm not up to walking. 25% for each full week achieved, STR 2, DEX 2, STA 2 Quest 2 - Mindfulness, 3.5% on stat bar every day I practice mindfulness in any situation (including eating) for at least 5 minutes a day. Quest 3 - Clean Eating sugar once a week, wheat twice, cheese 3 times, or drink my water app goal if I'm not up to cooking 25% on stat bar for every week I stick to this plan - no points if I have extra days of anything. CON3 Life Goal for January. 3.5% for each day I spend 5 minutes looking after myself somehow. CHA 3 I'm not going to weigh or measure myself, I'm not doing before photos because after photos that look much the same are demoralising. I've bought a size up in trousers and I'm going to learn to be happy with my size and work on my health instead of getting miserable because I can't lose weight or inches. Obstacles that need overcoming are: walking/running in the rain - I wear glasses and it's impossible to see when it rains. I need to sort out a hat.shoulder injury - it's loads better now but I can't lift my arm over my head yet - downward dog is a no no so most of the yoga I used to do is out of the question, I'm signed up to Instructor Live and I'll give pilates a go on there, being careful!work/friends/family - always come first, I need to be strict with myself and make sure I have 5 minutes at least to myself every daythe misfit is playing up and not tracking properly, so there might be a gap when I have no means of tracking Edited in week 2 when a horrible cold kicked in..... Back up plan for when I'm ill: Quest 1 - Stretching Do at least 5 minutes of stretching every day. 25% for each full week achieved, STR 2, DEX 2, STA 2 Quest 2 - Mindfulness, 3.5% on stat bar every day I practice mindfulness in any situation (including eating) for at least 5 minutes a day. Quest 3 - Drinking Water meeting the target on my water app daily 25% for each full week CON3 Life Goal for January. 3.5% for each day I spend 5 minutes looking after myself somehow. CHA 3

Steven Universe Challenge Steven Universe is about a group of Gemstone based beings who save the world, and notably ALL Gems are female (well technically they are a uni-gendered race that uses female pronouns ). GIRL POWER! The show has a couple of main themes: the power of compassion and the necessity of strong, trusting relationships. I love the show for the amazing characters, beautiful animation, fun and catchy songs, and hilarity ("my mind is the internet, I know every continuity mistake ever made on television"). Awesome characters I wasn't able to fit into this challenge include: Connie Maheswaren (nerd girl extraordinare turned sword fighter!), the whole Pizza family (especially Nana Pizza!), Buck Dewey, Sour Cream, Onion (yes he's Sour Cream's half-brother ) Ronaldo the consiracy theorist ("keep Beach City weird!"), Peridot, Lion (the only non-anthropomorphized animal I've ever seen in a cartoon), Lars and Sadie.... I could keep going but I won't Not all of the song videos display but I highly recommend watching them because 1. they're awesome and genuinely great songs and 2. because each song is linked to the challenge goal of the character who sings it Be Kind is the overarching goal, much like Steven’s approach to life. Compassion to all, including (especially) myself. Steven: “Be Wherever You Are†aka Self Care Steven is a sweet, kindhearted boy who shows compassion to everyone and loves himself. His Gem weapon is his shield, representing his desire to protect those he loves. Steven Tasks Greg Universe: “Have a Little Faith in Me†aka Creative Quests Greg may be the best character on Steven Universe. A former wanna-be rockstar who fell in love with a huge pink alien lady (seriously Rose Quartz is like 8 feet tall) and then raised his son on his own (Rose gave up her physical form to give birth to Steven.....). He's an amazing dad, he's super relaxed (for the most part) and: "When you're a one-man band you got to know do it all: lyrics, graphic design, forum moderation..." -Greg Universe “Don't focus so much on talent, Steven. Making art is all about communication. A piece of art is a conversation. Every choice you make, is a statement. Don't worry about labels, or conforming to a standard. Just be true to yourself, and people will appreciate your honesty.†-Dogcopter https://soundcloud.com/aivisura/steven-universe-wailing-stone?in=aivisura/sets/steven-universe Greg Tasks Amethyst: “On the Run†aka Food and Exercise Amethyst is the most intuitive and impulsive of the gems. From masquerading as a wrestler (Tiger Millionare is the best early episode IMO) to her obsession with food, Amethyst is the most human of the Gems since she was "born" and raised on Earth. https://soundcloud.com/jeff-liu/on-the-run-official-version Amethyst Tasks Pearl: “Strong in the Real Way†aka Exercise my Brain The brains of the Crystal Gems, Pearl is insecure but super smart. She's strong in her own way. She wasn't made to fight or even be the amazing technician she is but she trained herself to be useful to the team and become more than she was "programmed" to be. Pearl Tasks Garnet: “Stronger than You†aka Calm Voiced by Estelle (yes "American Boy" Estelle) Garnet is the leader of the Crystal Gems. She's strong, doesn't put up with anyone's shit, and she's supremely confident in herself and her abilities. But she also believes in her teammates just as much. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dDpCzvMmbSA Garnet Tasks More great songs: "What Can I Do"- Greg Universe Ft. Rose Quartz and the Crystal Gems "Do It For Her" -Pearl and Connie https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XpMSwgPKWd4 "Like a Comet" -Greg Universe (this song is so great and young Greg rocks it!) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=01-n-KVZta0 "Haven't You Noticed (I'm a Star)"- Sung by the amazing Olivia Olsen (aka Marceline from Adventure TIme) https://soundcloud.com/aivisura/steven-universe-havent-you-noticed-im-a-star-rebecca-sugar Types of Combos: Points will be accumulated by creating combos. I need to do 7 combos per week [dungeon explanation here] Beginner: Gem Glow = 1 thing from each list +500 points Basic: Bubble = 1 thing from each list + 3 extra from any list +800 points Intermediate: Amethyst's Whip = two things from each list OR Shapeshifting= one thing from each list and 5 from any list +1000 points Seasoned: Rose’s Sword = two things from each list + 3 extra from any list OR Laser Light Cannon= one from each list and 8 other items +1300 points Experienced: Healing Spit = 3 things from each list OR Pearl’s Spear= 2 things from every list + 5 things from any list OR Mr. Universe Shirt =1 thing from every list and 10 from any list +1500 points Advanced: Rose’s Shield = 3 things from each list + 3 extra from any list OR Greg's Van= 1 from each list and 12 from any list +1800 points Expert: Fusion = 4 things from each list OR Garnet’s Gauntlets= 3 things from each list and 5 from any list OR Quartizine Trio= 2 things from each list and 10 from any list OR Lion's Mane= 1 from each list and 20 from any list +2000 points Dungeons! ~UnDEr CoNSTrUcTiOn~ Goal of at least 7000 points per week, some days can/will be higher than others, every 300 extra points means I get a bag of Fry Bits. [still figuring out what the Fry Bits do] Dungeon 1: Roses Room (Week 1) Activate the door and enter Rose's Room in the Temple BOSS FIGHT: Mirror Gem/Ocean Gem (Week 2) Get enough points to release Lapis, then save the ocean! Dungeon 2: The Message (Week 3) Decode Lapis’s message BOSS FIGHT: The Return/ Jail Break (Week 4) Escape Space Jail Dungeon 3: Sworn to the Sword (Week 5) Learn to Sword fight BOSS FIGHT: Catch and Release (Week 6) Capture Peridot

Hi everyone! I have plateaued and I need help changing my workout routine. I currently do soccer once a week, cycling twice a week, and barre and yoga once a week. I want to substitute pilates for barre and add weight training into my routine but I have some questions. 1. Can I do pilates on Monday and weight training on Tuesday? I know your muscles need a rest between strength days but I thought that this might call for an exception as pilates works your muscles differently from traditional weight training. 2. [more specific] Can I do pilates on Monday and a metabolic conditioning class on Tuesday? The description of this class is: "This class centers on high intensity interval training and includes a mix of cardio, balance, coordination, core, strength, and sports condition exercises." Thank you!

So I've been lurking here like a lurking lurker. Thought it was about time. Background: Medical & health research by way of bio anthropology, chem, & emergency medicine. I have long since given up on trying to measure my health & fitness by my weight. My standards have become: endurance, in/cm, definition, clothing fit, general feeling of physical wellness. BMI is absolute bullshit for individuals. I am well aware that only a very small percent of a percent can lose- and keep- weight off. 'Health' is subjective. My goals: Clothes that do not bunch or rub the crotch out a week after I get them, to be able to run (ok, trot..) a mile with a 40lb pack, to lift myself and pack over a ledge of some kind, to not be out of breath after I walk up a flight of stairs. To do a complete thru-hike. To cosplay a strong and sexy character. To feel flexible and healthy. To be able to fit in an airline seat. Hx: My bloodwork is fine (ya, no thyroid condition, no diabeeetus), BP is great, no heart or other supposedly weight-related issues. I was fit and quite active until I got pregnant 16 years ago and somehow gained over 100lbs that just won't go away. I have never been a fad dieter or into supplements. Started trying to get fit (again..) after almost a year of not going to the gym (FT classes, FT work). I work 12+hr shifts on my feet doing around 3-6mi of walking each shift depending on how busy. I have L3-4 spinal lesions w bulging discs since I was 18, had nerve ablation about 1.5years ago...it's betterish (I still have to ice/heat/acetaminophen/ibuprofen every day, and a sleep aid often). I've gone through several fitne$$ trainers- they seem to have no fucking idea what to do with actual fat body mechanics, or how to modify. They stand there telling me what exercise to do while looking glazed-eyed and saying, 'just do what you can'. Ugh. Diet: Water, tea, wine- no pop, no coffee, no caffeine. Mostly unprocessed, homemade food. e.g. last night was steamed artichokes, steak, salad, wine. I tend to eat throughout the day, mostly steamed veggies, snacks are things like hummus & cucumbers, bean pate & water crackers, yogurt. I do have a fondness for savory things vs sweet. What I'm doing: I am alone in this. I've been trying to do the sprint-walk thing for the last 3 weeks- 1mi on treadmill and elliptical every other day. I have not noticed that I am gaining any time- it still takes me 22min to do a mile even if I extend my sprint times a little and shorten my walk times the same amount. I hate running, and I won't even attempt it until my knees and ankles can bear the strain. I do not hate pushups or planks etc, but again- I am unwilling to put too much strain on my joints until I've strengthened the supporting tissue. Current: 275lbs. I've lost no weight, no inches, none of it feels easier, my clothes are still way too tight. So here's the thing. It's full-on winter in northern WI, and all I have is a small Snap fitness center- no pool or group classes. I live in a small cabin- no room for a machine or workouts via video. I love being outdoors, I love the snow. I hate doing this alone. Online support only goes so far.

Hello all! I'm working on a lot of stuff and decided to start a battle log! I'm moving in the next month, so no challenge for me this next round. But I'll be back better than ever in 2016! I wanted to keep up the accountability and stay involved here, so here I am! A little bit about me: Growing up my main exercise was ballet and I did that for 12 years. Going into college that kinda all disappeared. The freshman 15 wasn't really a problem, but the sophomore 10 definitely happened (that's what happens when you give up and eat fries for most meals after your father passes away). In grad school I rediscovered how happy exercising made me, I picked up running and some strength training and joined the Ballet Club. After grad school I picked up pilates and yoga and continued ballet. I just started kettlebell training about a month ago, and it's a new love! With this move, I'm probably going back to my bodyweight roots since I won't have a gym or a job, but hey, lots of free time! I'm also losing my workout buddies, so I'll need the accountability more than ever! So in the name of accountability, here's my MFP. If you care to read that much, I've been on it for 2.5 years, ever since that grad school rediscovery of exercise. I'm debating not eating back my exercise calories and/or upping my daily activity level, but that will depend on what my routine becomes in the next few weeks. I'm still working on specific goals and challenges for myself, but I'm forseeing some form of crow pose, splits and side splits as definite goals, along with some weight loss and body weight work. I also need to do better measurement tracking. And of course I need to stay sane and act like an adult during this whole move thing. Once I figure all this out, I'll post again For now, 80's aerobics are the best.

GRAVITY FALLS THEMED CHALLENGE, YO! Format: week to week challenge goals (thanks deftona!) in categories of: NutritionCreativeLife GoalPreparationMaintenance Here's what I'm starting with. I'll see how the first week goes and then if I need to I can edit/ re-evaluate from there. Quest 1: Smile Dip Days in deficit! Action: Goal is for 6 days in deficit for the week Grading A= 6 days in deficit B=5 days in deficit C= 3-4 days in deficit D=1-3 days in deficit F= 0 days in deficit Quest 2: "Grunkle Stan, I’m an arts and crafts master. Why do you think I always have this glue gun stuck to my arm?†Action: A creative thing! Drawing, guitar, writing etc. 5x per week. Grading A= 5x per week B=4x per week C=3x per week D=2x per week F=0x per week Quest 3: The Bunker -Preparation Action: Prepare for the next day with a to-do list. OR 2 hour blocks 7x per week Listing my intentions/goals for the day seems to help. So I'm going.... Grading: A= 5-7 to do lists/ 2 hour blocks B-3-5 to do lists/ 2 hour blocks C=1-3 to do lists/2 hour blocks F= 0 to do lists/2 hour blocks Quest 4: Maintaining the Mystery Shack I've been slacking on meditation. And meditation is super important for my mental health. So I am re-dedicating myself to it, in a challenge goal. Action: morning meditation 7x per week Grading A= 5-7 morning meditations B-= 4-5 morning meditations C= 2-4 morning meditations D= 1-2 morning meditations F= 0 morning meditations Other ungraded stuff I will be doing: Gratitude: 7x per week Inspiration: 7x per week Exercise: same as usual, now with after meal walks! Really just wanted to use this gif Former Quests: Quest 2: Working at the Mystery Shack Action: job applications 2x per week Grading A= 2/2 B=1/2 F=0/2 Grade A since I got a job MOAR GRAVITY FALLS GIFS: AND I'M OUTTA HERE:

[WHITEWINEANDCATHAIR] ...BUILDS A BETTER CORE [+3 STR, +2 STA] For this challenge, I've decided to separate my core workouts from my yoga practice. I found that simply planning to get to the mat three times per week gave me every excuse in the world (it's hot, I'm tired, I'd rather stretch) to skip the Pilates and core strength exercises I would like to accomplish. I am challenging myself to three core workouts every week of this challenge. (Follow my Battle Log for details on the workouts.) A = 16 - 18 core workouts B = 14 - 15 core workouts C = 12 - 13 core workouts ...UPGRADES FLEX DRIVE [+3 DEX, +1 STA] Continuing my ongoing yoga practice, I've decided to try logging my sessions weekly, rather than daily. I've noticed a few other people doing it this way, and I'd like to mix it up for my challenge this time around. My goal is 2.5 hours per week, which is 15 minutes more than my current average. (Follow my Battle Log for details on my yoga practice.) A = 13 - 15 hours of yoga B = 10 -12 hours of yoga C = 8 - 10 hours of yoga ...REDUCES DISTRACTING BACKGROUND PROCESSES [+1 WIS, +1 CON] For the past several years, I've found myself in a bit of a brain fog. I feel as though I am constantly distracted by a thousand thoughts and ideas, and I've found it hard to read or even watch TV without wanting to go to something else almost constantly. I've started mediating with Headspace and really enjoy it so far. At the beginning of this challenge, I will be finishing up the Foundation series, and will move onto another program (likely Focus) for the rest of the six week. My goal is to meditate every day. A = 38 - 42 days of meditation B = 33 - 37 days of meditation C = 28 - 32 days of meditation ...INTRODUCES UNITASKING INTAKE VALVE [+1 WIS, +1 CON] As part of my quest to reduce multi-tasking and increase concentration, I would like to break myself of the habit of eating meals while watching TV or using the laptop. For the first three weeks, I will eat three mindful meals per week. During the second three weeks, it will increase to five mindful meals per week. A = 21 - 24 mindful meals B = 17 - 20 mindful meals C = 13 - 16 mindful meals ...INSTALLS TRANSLATION SOFTWARE [+2 CHA] Estas usando este software de traducción de forma incorrecta, por favor consulte el manual. I've had an on-again, off-again relationship with learning Spanish since high school. I currently work in a kitchen with a LOT of Spanish-speaking folks, and I feel bad that I really don't know more than the average Dora-watcher. I've been using Duolingo a bit this year, and hereby vow to earn at least 140xp per week during this challenge. A = 790 - 840xp B = 740 - 789xp C = 690 - 739xp GRADING: To pass and level up, I must get a C or better in each challenge. REWARD: Yoga Bolster. (Must pass with A's and B's.) Progress: Week One Week Two Week Three Mid-Challenge Summary Week Four Week Five Week Six FINAL REPORT

Words to live by : Inspired by the always awesome Shaarawy I am reformatting my quest by character. I think it will make a bit more sense this way. Also some of these are more like daily guidelines. Still figuring out how to make them actionable. Grading is on a do/do not basis. Quest: Finn/Fionna—think less, do more! Finn and Fionna are heroes who know who they are and what they want out of life. They avoid mental gymnastics. I strive to emulate their straight forward attitude and ability to deal with REAL problems. “ I don't need to feel like I'm waiting to be noticed. I know who I am and I'll know what I want if and when it ever comes along.†-Fionna, "Fionna and Cake" “I’m all about stupid!†-Finn, "The Real You" -Actionable step: Go for a morning walk, connect with my physical self -Goal: Stay in the moment, don’t overthink things. Actionable Step: Believe in myself because I am awesome! Decide at the beginning of every day, in writing, that it will be a good day and that I choose to believe in myself -Actionable Step: Weight training 2x a week, Pilates 2x a week, 1 rest day Quest: LSP—Love myself LSP is awesome. She is full of self confidence and sass. Goal: no physical or mental picking Goal: using food as self love but in a positive healthy way. showing myself I care about myself by making good food choices what this means: 3 meals a day/ no snacking primal/low carb (50-100 grams a day)one salad a day (visiting veggie village)food is fuel (no emotional eating) 3 cheat meals per week (thanks Snarkyfishguts for the inspiration)Savor my food- eat mindfullyhappy cooking time! Quest: Magic Man— some people are just jerks! For those who don't watch the show, Magic Man is a magic dude (well, duh) who is a huge jerk. In his first episode on the show teaches Finn that some people are just jerks. Then in a later episode it's revealed he was banished to Ooo because he "used to be cool" until the love of his life died and he become a bitter jerk who turned all of the water on Mars into hair (and when the Martians tried to drink it they went bald). (yes I watch this show way too much because I wrote that whole paragraph from memory) ANYWAYS, he could have come back to Mars "If you had just learned to care about living things again," but "Instead, you bummed around Ooo, acting like a jerk for 200 years." Goal: Accept that some people are just jerks and don’t let it bother me because I am awesome! And it is good that I care about other people(but not necessarily their opinions). Actionable steps: Practice letting go at any opportunity. Get mad? Let go. Accept what is. Quest: Marceline- Creative Outlet Marceline is a killer musician (heh) and I've always wanted to do music. I've sung for a long time but have always been too afraid of people judging my voice of my music. This is me taking back my creative space. Goal: Having a creative outlet. Balance the sad and the happy and create awesome art! Actionable Steps: This one is easier to measure because I have to do ONE creative thing per day. Doesn't matter how long or how much, just do SOMETHING. Write a sentence, practice guitar for one minute, paint, draw, ANYTHING. Try to get immersed in creating, let go of judgment and have fun! Quest: Jake the Dog- Eliminating Desire Jake is pretty much always relaxed and goes with the flow. During my first challenge I experienced this type of zen and it was amazing. I would like to get back to that place. I know I can. “What are you doing?†“Eliminating desire from my heart, it helps pass the time†-Finn and Jake, “Marceline’s Closet†“Sucking at something is the first step towards being sort of good at something†-Jake, “His Hero†“Listen to your melon heart!†-Jake, “The Tower†Goal:The Jake quest is about trusting my intuition, continuing with meditation, and letting myself be in the moment. Being okay with my journey as it happens. Letting go of trying to control everything and just being Goal: Each day is an experiment, approach the day without judgement or emotional baggage ​Actionable Steps:Daily meditation sessions, Daily journal using 2 hour blocks system. Actionable Steps: Have Fun!! Quest: Ice King - Embracing Sadness Ice King is probably the saddest character on Adventure Time. He is a portrait of depression and anxiety. I would like to try embracing the difficult parts of myself and feel comfortable with them. “That's right. M.M.S. Runs through all magic users.I hung out with scores of them, all displaying varying degrees of magic… Madness... And sadness. Studying these symptoms could lead me to their underlying cause, and then I'll control the forces that hold sway over Simon.†-Betty, “You Forgot Your Floaties†Goal: Embracing the sad. I want to embrace sadness that passes or even embrace my depression as a part of me and not try to “fix†being sad but just to let myself BE sad. This is not an everyday thing, this is only when sadness occurs naturally. Actionable steps: Really feeling sad when it naturally arises MORE GIFS:

HELLO. I'm Cody. Since I'm a first-time Druid, allow me to re-introduce myself. I started yoga about two years ago to offset the strain of my job as a baker. Yoga definitely soothes my sore muscles, but I'd hit a bit of a wall, as far as strength and stamina. I've since added Pilates and bodyweight exercises, and am starting to feel a lot better. My first challenge was designed to increase my strength and stamina by increasing my workout lengths, and by tracking my food to make sure I'm getting enough fuel. Currently, my challenge is similar, but I will not be pushing forward as much as I had expected, and will instead be working on maintaining the habits I had started to develop last time. While I passed my first challenge, I had enough of a lifestyle shakeup during those six weeks that I think now is a better time to focus on building a routine, rather than push myself to my limits. And so... Strength of the Bull, Grace of the Cat [+ 2 STR, + 2 DEX] Unlike my previous challenge, I will not be pushing myself for longer workouts this time around. I am still aiming for three sessions per week, but am giving myself a more lenient "45ish minutes" goal. My workouts consist mostly of yoga, with some Pilates and bodyweight strength training. Head over to my Battle Log for full recaps of my workouts. A = 16 - 18 sessions B = 14 - 15 sessions C = 12 - 13 sessions Feast of the Gods [+2 CON, + 2 STA] While tracking my food intake as well as my exercise, I had recently discovered that I am not eating enough to properly fuel my body through my physically-demanding job, my walk to/from work, and my workouts. I was especially lacking in protein. My goal is to pay closer attention to what I eat and make sure I'm giving my body what it needs on a daily basis. I'll be carrying over my goal from last time, which was 70g of protein per day. I'd like to push the number closer to 100g, but it was incredibly difficult last time around, so I am grading on the bare-minimum for now. My non-graded goal is to also get around 2,600 calories per day. A = 38 - 42 days B = 33 - 37 days C = 28 - 32 days Call of the Pack [+ 3 CHA] I have recently found myself living alone, and don't have many (any) friends outside of the internet. Normally, I don't mind having work friends, internet friends, and my partner... but, remove the last one and, well... My goal is to get out and do something among the people at least once per week. I have recently started to volunteer at the local food bank's community kitchen, and hope to continue each week. I would also like to try to get to a yoga class a few times during this 6WC, and find a book club to join. A = 6 or more outings B = 4 or 5 outings C = 2 or 3 outings Breaking the Spell [+ 2 CON, + 2 WIS] While I would like to keep my original goal of meeting or exceeding my Goodreads challenge during this 6WC, I have realized time and time again that the biggest issue I have with not doing the things I want to do (reading, baking, crafting) is that I tend to scroll the internet for ages doing absolutely nothing. I would like to put a stop to that. (Plus, I'm re-reading Harry Potter right now and "challenging" myself to finish 3 - 6 seems a little indulgent.) I've installed an internet tracker, and I will be limiting myself to one hour of non-productive internet time per day. Non-productive internet time includes, but is not limited to; Tumblr, IMDB, Cracked, Facebook, link bait, endlessly checking in on and refreshing NerdFitness, Googling random thoughts I have while reading or cooking, that thing where I read reviews of books and movies to see if anyone agrees with me, looking up fanfiction just to see if a genre exists (it does,) planning vacations I do not intend to take within the next year, reading comments on news articles just to find someone who is wrong, internet stalking the guy who works at the pet food store before remembering that LinkedIn logs visitors, determining how much it would cost to replace the Lego Pirates sets from my childhood, and consulting Dr. Google about every sensation in my body. A = 38 - 42 days B = 33 - 37 days C = 28 - 32 days Grading: In order to "pass" this level, I need to get a C or higher on each of my goals. Reward: I Love Me mug. Because I Love Me. (Must pass with A's and B's.) Progress: Week One Week Two Week Three Mid-Challenge Week Four Week Five Week Six FINAL REPORT

Ah yes, a brand shiny new challenge smack in the middle of summer. BRING IT. Welcome friends and fellow rebels! As with any Shaarawy Style Challenge, through 2015 I’m theming each one with something that is nerdy as well as near and dear to my heart - something that lies at the core of my personal geekdom. I’ve done things like Sailor Moon, Final Fantasy, and recently Harry Potter, but I’m stoked to jump into a challenge featuring perhaps my favorite cyberpunk movie trilogy ever... I adore The Matrix. Neo-era Keanu Reeves is my Personal Dreamboat . The visual style and effects of this movie are something I can watch over and over again (and I have), and I’m a sucker for the cyberpunk style. (Fun fact: In 2003 I commissioned a semi-variant replica of Neo’s coat. I still have it and wear it.) The story is great and filled with symbolism and meaning, the fight scenes are pretty universally bombastic, and the soundtrack is filled with stuff like Juno Reactor and Rage Against the Machine... yup. And The Animatrix is just the icing on the cake with its different stories (and backstories!) and art styles. Yup, lots of joy all around. I'm ready to break free from some things that have been holding me back in my journey, mentally and physically. So, let’s take the red pill, and get into this rabbit hole. Quest 1 - Neo (STR 3, STA 2) “Because I don't like the idea that I'm not in control of my life.†One of the many underlying themes of the Matrix was control - who is really in control? Is fate a thing, or do we really make our own destiny? Unlike the movie, where people are controlled by CRAZY MACHINES (seriously crazy), I find my weightlifting progression has given me a huge sense of control over my body and my life. Neo ain’t taking no shit from no robots, and I’m ready to fight my own iron battles. I’ve worked hard enough to be able to progress to StrongLifts, and for 6 weeks I’ll follow the program - smartly and carefully - to the best of my ability to see how I fare. This will require three planned gym days a week with little room for schedule shuffling or sleeping in, so I’ve got to be ready. A - Three SL circuits done per week. B - Two SL circuits done per week. F - You done screwed up. Quest 2 - Agent Smith (DEX 2, WIS 1) “Nothing this weak is meant to survive.†The Agent turned virus was originally tasked with keeping order within the Matrix, and thusly was programmed to have AWESOME ABILITIES like super strength, speed, and dexterity. (You know, that dodging bullets thing.) I need to start protecting myself as I start lifting more and more weight, a fact that became glaringly clear to me a few weeks ago when I sustained a minor back injury while doing squats. I’m going to supplement my workouts with some exercises to strengthen my upper/lower back and core - yoga, stretches, and pilates. Most of it should take 20-30 minutes tops, so I’ll be getting serious about this and doing it 3 times a week. The prospect of injury and having to be sidelined because of my inability to prepare is a thing that’s NOT going to happen... and maybe I’ll be able to dodge bullets once I’m done. A - Back & core strengthening done 3 times a week B - Back & core strengthening done 2 times a week. C - Back & core strengthening done 1 time a week. Quest 3 - Morpheus (WIS 2, CHA 2) “But I can only show you the door. You're the one that has to walk through it.†Yeah, see that door? The one that leads OUTSIDE?? Open it and get your ass out there. Morpheus is a wise dude, and he knows what I’ve been lacking lately. The ability to open my eyes, step outside, and explore stuff for myself. Springtime is in full swing here in the south, and I need to make it a point to enjoy the weather before the 500 degree days of heat and humidity hit. This is a pass or fail quest, as each week I’ll make it a point to get outside for a day to exercise. Explore a new park, go for a walk, do some yoga on the porch, maybe even CLIMB A TREE?! The possibilities are limitless. A - Outside activity done once a week. F - You done screwed up. Life Quest - The Merovingian (CON 3) “Yes, of course. Who has time? Who has time? But then if we never *take* time, how can we have time?†Ah yes, the Merovingian, the renegade exiled douche of the Matrix. (Well, one of the douches.) He’s not Redpill or machine, and he plays by his own rules, doing whatever he needs to do to prosper within the system. He’s not a prominent character but he’s one of my favorites, probably because of his anarchist ways... This quest is about slowing things down and relaxing, taking care of myself so that I can prosper in MY system. Things are getting busy as summer approaches - all good and fun things, of course, but I have a tendency to get overloaded and eventually suffer because of it. And often if I -do- have the time, I waste it by getting caught up on the internet, browsing Facebook, or forums, or just wasting my time. This happens a lot - I don’t want to do that anymore and I need to start getting more mindful about my choices. Each week I’ll carve out some time just for myself, after work or on weekends, to relax, meditate, read, or sew - things that are fun and restorative for me to keep me going, and keep you guys posted on my adventures! A - 4+ hours of strict downtime weekly B - 3 hours of strict downtime weekly C - 2 hours of strict downtime weekly I'm ready to start June off with a bang, because summertime does not equal slouch time! Rebels, let us craft our own destinies!

Hello Druids! This is my second challenge but my first as part of a guild. This is part two of my journey learning how to take care of myself and well... care about myself. I guess it's a journey in learning self compassion. I learned in my last challenge that happiness is built from the inside out so I'm focused on re-inforcing my interior scaffolding. I’m hesitating on grading some these because self care should be its own reward. I won’t put a time limit or value judgement on most of these. What matters is my consistent and persistent effort. Some of parts of the quests are maintenance goals from the last challenge. As ever my primary goal is to become the person I want to be, one baby step at a time. I have listed some lesson objectives for each activity next to it, though of course there will be many more unplanned lessons throughout the challenge. Grading will be done as a percentage however the only failing grade is a zero, so if I do 50% that’s still a C because something is better than nothing. Going into this challenge I will shoot for 100% because it is possible but I do not expect myself to be perfect. Perfection is the enemy of progress. Quest 1: Mind Gratitude statements: letting of of the negative by focusing on the positive (New) total possible points: 42 Daily Meditation: total possible points: 42 Walk to Mordor: Miles from walking and running added weekly total possible points: 6 Quest 2: Body Overall Challenge Goals: +Maintaining previous challenge exercise schedule +1 more weight training session per week +Mindful Eating (Continued from last challenge) +Water (Continued from last challenge) +Daily Shower (New) Exercise activity every day Water Goal: 2L per day Grading : X/84L total points: 42 (fractional points awarded for this challenge) Maintain mindful eating Continue mindful eating, especially mindful of sugar. Using MFP to track my calories. Reporting food in my challenge thread every day. This was not an official part of the last challenge, but it helped a lot to clean up my diet. My diet is focused on whole foods, categories to be mindful are fruits, nuts and cheeses. I’m going with 1700 calories a day, revised based on my activity levels. So 11,900 for the week Grading: X/71,400 minus one letter grade for every 500 calories over total goal (so I have a buffer) total points: 42 (fractional points awarded for this challenge, -.25 points for every 100 calories over goal) Hygiene (New) Shower daily. This is a symptom of my depression. Showering (sadly) needs to be part of my self-care routine. I have to make the time for myself. total possible points: 42 Quest 3: Soul Chocolate Bar Challenge: One bar of my favorite chocolate bar (cadbury milk w/ caramel) spread over six weeks. I used to eat two of these in one sitting so one chocolate bar has to last the whole challenge. At a pace of approx. 3 squares per week total possible points: 6 Daily Inspiration: This is very centering. I started it informally last challenge and I would like to continue. total possible points: 42 No weed It’s aggravating my anxiety (New) total possible points: 42 Reading every day total possible points: 42 Total possible points for challenge: 402 Actual points total: ????? Life Quest: -POSITIVITY WALL -Creative Writing 3x per week, a sentence is fine. Progress is progress -Get ready for school- letter of intent Dr’s letters Dr’s paperwork beanie’s harness Beanie’s carrier

ABOUT ME: I'm Cody. I started yoga about two years ago to offset the strain of my job as a baker. Yoga definitely soothes my sore muscles, but I've hit a bit of a wall, as far as strength and stamina. I've since added Pilates and bodyweight exercises, and am starting to see a change. My goal is to continue to improve my strength and stamina by increasing the length of my workouts. Recently, I've begun tracking my food intake in order to see if I've been fueling my body appropriately, and it turns out I eat very little protein. I think after being vegetarian for nearly ten years, the moment I started eating meat again, I assumed my intake was "good enough." Turns out that I actually eat very little meat, and have almost completely stopped eating good vegetarian proteins. QUEST: To improve strength and stamina. OBJECTIVES: Increase length of workouts to 45 minutes for the first three weeks, and to 50 minutes for the last three. [sTA, STR] Currently, I am working out around 3x per week, at 40 minutes each. I will need to complete nine workouts each half of the challenge at the given length of time. Final: 13/18 workouts complete. A = 16 - 18 B = 13 - 15 C = 10 - 12 Eat at least 70 grams of protein per day. [WIS, CON] At first, this goal will be met with Clif Bars and Bolthouse drinks, until I find the right "real food" breakfasts and after-work snacks for myself. I will be tracking with SparkPeople (unless someone has a better tracker to suggest.) MyFitnessPal. (MyFitnessPal suggests that I should shoot for 135 grams of protein per day, but I'm taking the baby-steps approach.) Final: 34/42 days complete. A = 37 - 42 B = 31 - 36 C = 25 - 30 SIDE QUEST: Keep up with or exceed my Goodreads.com reading goal. Read at least three books during the six week challenge. [WIS] Final: 4/3 books read. A = 3+ B = 2 C = 1 MOTIVATION: To have the energy to both work and play. REWARD: oGorgeous Bow My Gawd! yoga bag. My boyfriend offered to buy me new gear as a reward. This was my choice. Though I already purchased it for fear of it selling out, it doesn't come out of the package until I finish a challenge with all A's and B's. MINIS: Mini 1: SMART Choices [+1 WIS]Mini 2: Making Friends [+1 CHA]Mini 3: The Library [+1 WIS]MID-CHALLENGE UPDATEMini 5: The Cafeteria [+1 CON]

So the rock has gotten moving and is planning next steps....placeholder Brainstorming some ideas for goals: - Sleep more (bed before a certain time) - A daily exercise goal - A stretching goal - A housekeeping goal (i'm very bad with the organizing) - Self-care goal - Cooking/Food goal - Meditation goal That seems like a lot to undertake at one time.

Goals for this challenge, building on the foundation from the last couple challenges. Keep up the exercise! Aiming for at least 5 days a week. Plan includes kettlebells, pilates, biking, and whatever else I feel like throwing in there. Just signed up for AcaciaTV because I got a discount through another site I belong to, so lots of exercise videos available whenever I want. We'll see if I keep it past the 10-day free trial, but it seems like it could be a cool resource. (Edit: I've decided it's worth it.) Bonus points for meeting my daily step goal (8000/day). If I can meet the goal every day for a week, I will improve my score for that week by a full letter grade. Grading: 5 days - A; 4 days - B; 3 days - C; 2 days - D; 1 day or less - F Eat better! Working on improving my diet, and I really want to give paleo another go. Will be following the "plan" in Real Life Paleo (awesome...I hope...cookbook I just bought), so will starting as paleo-ish and hopefully improving from there. Grading: Since the plan for this is going to vary by week, as I work on the transition and adjust the plan based on how things are going, I think I'm just going to have a pass/fail option for this one. The goal for week 1 is 3 meals from the cookbook and avoiding gluten containing foods, aside from using up the stuff we already have. Clean the house! My family has been sick for way too long, so I think the house needs a thorough deep-clean. I will hopefully get most of that part done before the challenge officially starts (yeah right...but I'm gonna try!), and then I want to transition into doing a little bit of cleaning every day to keep the house picked up and nice. That's really my biggest failing right now...no regular routine to keep everything cleaned once I get it there. I think number one priority will be to load the dishwasher every evening before bed. And number 2 will be getting clean laundry folded and put away within 2 days of the dryer finishing or before the next load goes in there, whichever is sooner. Grading: If I can have the house completely cleaned by the end of the second week of the challenge, without letting the rooms already done go backwards, I will give myself an A to be factored into the final score. If that does not happen, I'll see how close to that goal I am and assign a grade that seems appropriate. For keeping the house cleaned up (weeks 3-6), scoring will work like this: start with an A for the week. Each day the dishwasher does not get loaded before bed and/or the laundry sits for longer than stated above will subtract half a letter grade from that week's score. (Edit: updated with grading)

Hello all, So... this will be my second time writing this out due to fail-y internet. WHY INTERNET WHY?! Sorry, needed to get that out. This is 6 week challenge number 2 for me, after not really at all completing my first one. The problem with my first one is I set myself some hefty goals at a time in my life when I didn't really have any extra available time for them. I'm still busy at the moment, so I've set myself goals this time around that are extending things I'm already doing (rather than adding in brand new stuff). My priorities at the moment and for at least the next few months are eating healthy, learning about pilates, and writing the second draft of my play. My goals are set up to reflect these. Goal the First: Healthy, Paleo, Filling Breakfast - 6 days a week I've been making a big effort with breakfast for a while now, but it's time to be structured about it and let it just be 'how I eat breakfast now', rather than 'I have to make myself special breakfast'. Grades A = 6 healthy brekkies/week B = 5 healthy brekkies/week C = 4 healthy brekkies/week D = 3 healthy brekkies/week FAIL = 2 healthy brekkies/week (or less) Goal the Second: Attend Pilates Class - 2 days a week I signed up with a yoga/pilates studio on a gnarly membership that means I can go nearly whenever I want. Yay! Trying to focus on taking the Level 1 pilates classes and build up some knowledge and strength, but this can help me build consistency in my attendance. Grades A = 2 classes/week B = 1 class/week FAIL = 0 classes/week Goal the Third: Pilates at Home - practice 3 times a week at home For days when my schedule doesn't allow me to attend class, and so that I'm being consistent (a 3 day no pilates gap will probably mean I lose whatever strength/knowledge I gained in the last class). Grades A = 3 sessions/week B = 2 sessions/week C = 1 session/week FAIL = 0 sessions/week SIDE QUEST: Writing my play - 40 minutes, 5 days a week I'm not very good at making sure I write regularly, so my stamina is pretty bad. This side quest will mean I build up my stamina while also working towards that second draft I mentioned earlier (and probably make the writing of that draft a much more pleasant experience because I won't be stressing a week out from deadline...) Grades A = 5 days/week B = 4 days/week C = 3 days/week D = 2 days/week FAIL = 1 day/week (or less) Ok. Well I better get on with it as now that I've written it down it's something I should do. I've made myself a little chart to put up on my wall and record my progress, and I'm aiming to update on here at the end of each week with my marks and any thoughts on how it's all been going. Looking forward to seeing what everyone else is up to and being a part of NF's excellent solidarity. Go team! - SconeMaker

Hey guys, I'm Charly, 26 years old and living in the UK. I'm a girl, and I work as a chef. I've found myself here because I love achievements, levelling up, and having goals to beat. Otherwise I get really bored of exercising especially when results don't happen overnight. Eating healthy and being a chef don't always go hand in hand, I have so many delicious ingredients to work with and it's difficult to choose the right ones, and not just make cakes for myself to eat all the time! I currently do yoga, body balance and pilates, and chuck in a tiny bit of weight lifting on the side (which I'm hoping to improve on...) for me, exercise class is the easy part because I can see my gym from my house - it's pretty good motivation whenever I say I can't be bothered, but food is definitely my downfall. I either cook unhealthily, or I'm so tired after work that I just microwave some junk... Not good. But yes, that's me! Nice to meet you all and looking forward to getting involved in the forum some more Charly

Compared to the end of last year, the start of this year was awesome. I am very excited to keep going with the momentum I've got. What I did last challenge went pretty well, so I'm going to just add a small bit to that. Pre-challenge week: 5-6 days doing 15 minutes of yoga/day. As of today, I'm 3 out of 4 on this, so way on track. This is important, to make sure I keep the habit I'm building going. The challenge: Exercise 5 days/week, for a minimum of 30 minutes. Bonus points for 6+ days/week or any day I exercise and get at least 8000 steps. A - 5 days. B - 4 days. C - 3 days. D - 2 days. F - 1 or fewer days. The plan: Week 1, do the 5 Day Fit pilates video. Bonus day is pilates with the mini ball. Week 2, do my kettlebell video. It's got 3 workouts, and is intended for you to go through it twice in a week doing one workout per day. So, bonus day is completing the second time through the video. Weeks 3-6: repeat weeks 1 & 2. Edit: I completely forgot I have dance class now! That happens on Fridays, so, I guess I'm actually shooting for 6 days/week of exercise, since trying to do the videos on dance night is too much. I think, though, to leave myself a bit of wiggle room, I'm going to leave the scoring the same. Food: I'm not really setting a food goal this time, but I am still working on eating better. Also, it just so happens that Lent aligns almost perfectly with this challenge, and I have decided to give up sugar this year. By which I mean, all added sugar. Naturally sweet stuff or adding fruit does not count. Adding honey does. So, that's going to be more than enough challenge. On Monday, I will post starting pics and record measurements. At the end, I'll post results pics and +/- to the measurements. Further edit: success with the kettlebell part of the plan = +1 str. success with the pilates part of the plan = +1 dex. Success with no sugar = +1 wis

WELCOME, friends, to my 4th (whoa~) challenge! For 2015 I’m theming each of my challenges around something that’s influenced my nerd-life in a big way, be it video game, movie, book, etc. My last challenge was Final Fantasy themed! *victory theme* This month, I’m getting magical. For this challenge I’m guild-hopping from Ranger to Druid, and I’m REALLY excited to be here! I love everything the Druid encompasses (it may also be my favorite world of warcraft class ever), and while I’m already a pretty mindful and spiritual person, there are some pretty big things I need to work on. So, here we go~ Quest 1: In The Name of Flexibility! (+4 DEX) Yup, that’s Rei laughing at how poor my leg mobility is. My hamstrings are SAD, yo. They’ve always been fairly pitiful but I’ve been a desk jockey for the past 3~ years, and the further I take my workouts, the more I’m finding that my mobility is just junk-ola. To remedy this, I’m going to incorporate some hamstring stretches to my routine. EVERY DAY. No excuses. These aren’t super time consuming, or tedious, and I can do a lot of them practically anywhere so there really is no excuse. I’m going to base my stretching off of these two videos: A: Stretching every. Dang. Day. B: Stretching 6 or more days a week. F: 5 or less days a week. Total fail, because, come on now. Quest 2: Senshi Battle Ready! (+2 DEX, +2STR) Fighting the Dark Kingdom takes a lot of flexibility! You can’t just stand there like a brick and shout at people. (Well, I think Usagi tried this right off the bat, but it didn’t work very well...) As much as I enjoy my strength training I’m realizing I need to start getting more flexible again. I used to do a lot of yoga and it’s so great for both mind AND body that I feel myself being pulled towards needing more of that right now. I’m really looking forward to working it into my current fitness regime! (And besides, being in a better headspace will help me power through the rest of these winter days...) I do barre/pilates twice a week as well, and I still want to leave wiggle room for other endeavors (running! lifting! etc!) so my grading will be as follows: A: Yoga 3 times a week. B: Yoga 2 times a week. F: Yoga only once a week. Quest 3: Too Many Buns... (+2CON, +3WIS) I’m actually pulling a repeat of my last challenge, where I had a quest each to limit my consumption of beer and cheat meals. I’m happily on track with less beer in my life, but I feel my cheat meals could still use a closer eye for one more go around, especially as it continues to be frigid outside and I think about pizza more often than I should. A: One cheat meal per week. B: Two cheat meals per week. F: Three+ cheat meals per week. (Barf.) Life Quest: Silver Millenium Stories (+2 CHA) I really love writing and being creative, but I just don’t have the time for large endeavors (as I discovered during NaNoWriMo). My life quest will be to choose a theme each week (using this list) and write a semi-drabble -- 100 to 200 words -- with a pair of characters I’ve been tooling around with for a while. (And will introduce later.) A: Write once every week. B: Write once for at least 5 weeks. F: Write once for 4 or less weeks. OF COURSE it wouldn't be a Proper Shaarawy Challenge without a bonus challenge (because since when is anything easy??) - I'll be traveling for AT LEAST two of the weekends during this challenge (actually, the more I think of it, possibly THREE) so I'm going to have to get real clever with my time management and proper food intake (read: avoiding bad meals)... All of the places I'm going are for different reasons but totally wonderful (Charleston SC, for a soccer tournament; Orlando FL, for a military retirement, and Asheville NC, for a limited beer release!) but of course travel always throws a wrench in any routine or plans... But... I GOT THIS! I've decided that if I manage to pull out all the stops and get all A's on this challenge, I'm going to reward myself with some new fitness gear! I REALLY need some new shorts and better workout shirts that aren't ActivateApparel tanks (heheh~), and (hopefully) spring will be here soon.... right? I know I can make this happen! GO TEAM!!!

Main Quest Set A Foundation For Diet And Exercise - One I Can Follow. Establish three healthy routines. Sub Quests One diet, one exercise, one body. I. 3x/week: Forty minutes of pilates in the morning with Lisa. II. 3x/week : Beginner Body Weight Workout (increase circuits when possible). III. 6x/week : Breakfast. Eat it. And NOT a scone or croissant. Oatmeal, cereal, fruit - I will look for more options. IV. BBBBonnnusssss! : Hour at gym in morning on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Life Quest Embroider two new pieces - spend time quietly away from screen. Finish learning Gia Il Sole Dal Gange and moving sound to the back hollow. Motivation I've started making changes, but I want to solidify these habits and add a new one (breakfast). Progress Will come as it comes, in the battle log and here. I will be updating the log every day, with a check-in each week here.

My primary quest for this challenge is simple: Exercise daily for 6 weeks without injuring myself. I have a tendency to get carried away with goal-setting, refusing to back down once I've declared a target, so this time I'm not going to set any quantitative objective other than "do something towards the quest every day." The exercise could be yoga, t'ai chi, Pilates, aerobics, or low-intensity weight training, as long as it can be done without causing undue distress to joints and muscles. (+WIS, +STA, +CON, perhaps +STR depending on what exercises I opt for) Sub-quest #1: Sign up for beginners' Pilates class and learn the basics. (+STR, +DEX, +STA) Sub-quest #2: Establish a daily meditation practice. (+WIS) Side quest: Read! I have a number of partially-read books occupying prime real estate on my desk, including A Guide to the Good Life by William B. Irvine, a book about Stoicism. The contents would do a lot more good in my brain, so I'm going to strive to read every day. I was about to quantify the amount of reading, but caught myself just in time. (+WIS)

Instead we have to respawn right at the beginning. Or, in my case, further back than I was before. Losechester. I gained 20lbs instead of losing any, didn't get any healthier, and probably dug myself deeper. So, here I am again. Trying to fix whatever in me it is that's so broken. I've been making some lifestyle changes which so far involve a. buying a blender and drinking a lot more smoothies. b. cutting way back on eating bread - one or two pieces a week now as opposed to every day. c. drinking way less than I was. I was spending Thurs-Sun drinking beer and now...I'm not. d. Pilates several times a week. I started with one day a week, then two, then three - this week I'm doing four. I genuinely like Pilates, and it's helping my back. My back is a total disaster area. Since I have zero fitness or strength that's not helping, and having muscle knots that push into my arteries and make bloodflow a sometimes thing, it's actually been pretty good for me. I'm enjoying it, which I was not expecting. Doing those four things helped me lose 10 of those 20lbs in a week, but then it just...stopped again. So I'm stalled out worse off than I was before and I'm putting off weighing myself again as long as humanly possible because I'm only going to get angry and discouraged. I tried doing the zombies, run! app and that...didn't go so well. I get asthma when I run and for some reason i thought going for a run in the cold would be a smart thing to do. I wheezed for two hours afterwards and I'm pretty sure that anything that causes wheezing like that is, in the long run (and in the short run) not very good for me. I'll have to find some other way to get my cardio in because I'm not playing the "can you breathe now" game. I also stopped taking my anti-depressants, which is probably a bonehead move but I'm full of those. I'm now less apathetic, but I'm also more likely to spend an afternoon lying in bed crying, or having little fits of self-directed rage the likes I haven't seen since highschool. I guess you win some and you lose some. Eventually I'll go talk to my doctor, but frankly, I think she's kind of stupid and I'm not fond of her. I don't know. I'm so sick of myself. I've hated my body all my life. It's never done what I want it to, it's broken in half a dozen ways, and I deeply resent not being able to trade out. Thinking about it like a substandard vehicle instead of part of me isn't helpful, I know, but I've never been connected to it, or fond of it. Not sure what I should be focusing on since I don't have any goals. I just want things to be better and that sort of half-assed goal-making never got anyone anywhere.

Happy New Year everyone! And nice to meet you, other Adventurers! This is my second challenge with the Rebellion and my first challenge with the Adventurers. I'm going to start with some fun victories that happened over the break (phew, I missed you guys.) I learned how to crochet with me mum and sis! My first scarf is a little big... but I like it! *clearly I am not up to date on how to share images on forums (this is the first forum I've joined since like 2004) so I apologize if I'm sloppy. Any criticism is welcome. I started a battle log spreadsheet! I established a fitness routine! It's very basic but it's just something that I can add to. The routine looks like this: 30 minutes of walking 3 days a week 2 days of a yoga routine 2 days of rest To do daily: walk for 15 minutes and stretch for 10. Clearly, according to my spreadsheet, I didn't follow through, but I have been walking/stretching more often than usual and I've been doing it at the same time every day (mornings). Anyway, it's just a base routine and I feel like I have that out of the way and am no longer so LOST IN THE WOOOODS!!! *creepy sounds**cue musical* (guys, that movie was good, go see it!) Second Challenge Challenge: Add strength training into my routine. Quest 1: Quantity! (More like consistency) Follow my fitness routine but ADD 2 days Pilates. I know that 3 + 2 + 2 + 2 equals nine and not seven but the point is for some of those days to overlap, like walk and yoga on the same day sometimes. Quest 2: Quality! Follow guidelines for a quality fitness session: 5 min warmup, 5 min stretch, and exercise with heart rate under 137.2 for at least 20 min, 5 min cool down and stretch. Eat before (like an hour before) and after (just a snack). (I know some of these guidelines don't sound like quality, i.e. the heart rate part, but that's a doctor prescribed thing so yeah just ignore that.) Quest 3: Adventure! Try out at least one of the forms of exercise that I haven't truly explored yet. Here I'm talking about swimming. I'm too embarrassed to go swimming. But.... I think it would be good if I tried that out. Life Quest: Study! I have two CLEP exams coming up at the end of February. If I pass, then I get to graduate from my lovely community college (GO VIKINGS!) in May. Whoop! My goal here is to start with 9 hours of study a week for each CLEP test and if after two weeks I can pass all the practice tests in the curriculum up to that point, then I can lower it down to 6 hours a week per subject. Oh, I'm studying American Government and French Language. If you were interested. Motivation: *sigh* What can I say about motivation? Here's the long term issue: I want to be able to live on my own and take care of myself. That hasn't been the case recently. Putting Christmas decorations away yesterday, I needed to ask someone to lift the boxes for me. It's that kind of thing. I'm moving away in August to complete my Bachelor's degree (GO BOBCATS!) and I would like to be healthy enough to see my degree through. I CHOOSE YOU!! ... to answer a question. Here's my challenge for everyone who reads this (including myself.) Next challenge I will add the TEN PERCENT RULE to my guidelines, i.e. I aim to improve in some way by 10% each week so that I am getting stronger and stronger. The Question: Have you done this yourself, how, and what did you find most effective? I'm trying to wrap my mind around applying the ten percent rule to Yoga and Pilates but I haven't figured it out yet. Peace out, PA

Hey, I'm Soozle, I'm 33 yrs old, 5' 7" and a (UK) size 12. I'm not really that fussed about losing any weight, so have no idea about my weight/BMI. Instead, I want to feel healthier and more comfortable in myself. The last couple of years have been difficult, and I feel like i'm stuck in a rut which I need to get out of. I have a sedentary lifestyle (not much exercise other than walking to/from work - about 1.5 mile round trip), a mentally unfulfilling job, and most of my friends are scattered across the country. Don't get me wrong, there are lots of positives in my life and things are better than they were this time last year, but I'm still not particularly, so I need to do something about it. Main Quest: Next New Year's Eve, to be able to look back through 2015 and be proud of all the positive changes I've made to my life, and to have lost this uncomfortable feeling that life is just passing me by. Goal 1: To be able to run 5k. I've picked 5k out of thin air because if I'm enjoying it I can start signing up for some organised runs and feel confident enough to maybe join the local running club. I'm unfit, asthmatic and prone to colds/chest infections, so -having looked at some of the C25K programs which take nine weeks - I'm giving myself a bit of flexibility in the grades. For training, I'm aiming to run three times a week during this challenge. A = can run 5k, B = can't quite do 5k but can do the last workout for week six of C25K, F= anything less Goal 2: No more biscuits/chocolate at work I'm currently doing a tedious job which involves the whole team killing time while we wait for the management to decide what is happening to our jobs in the new organisation structure. Time passes slowly. We have a biscuit tin. I don't comfort eat, but I do boredom eat. No more. If someone brings in treats for a proper event (like a birthday, new job etc) then I may have a small treat, but there will be no more snacking on biscuits or chocolate at work to kill time. A = 0, B = 4 biscuits/chocolates at work during the six weeks, F = more than 4 Goal 3: Variety of exercise - two non running workouts a week I want to mix up the exercise types as I think that is more beneficial than just pounding away on the treadmill. I've enjoyed yoga and basic martial arts in the past. I fancy doing some pilates as I have no core strength and I can do this at home using workouts on the internet, without spending any money. However, I'm going to be flexible about this as the whole thing is for this goal is about variety. I'm aiming to do two workouts each week that are not running, and take 20 - 30 min. A = two per week for all six weeks, B = two per week for five of the weeks, F = less Life Quest: Learn Poi I've seen people doing poi, it looks cool. I want to learn how to do it. Breathe! That's the end of this post (almost). Apologies for going on, being concise is not a speciality of mine. If anyone has managed to read all the way down, then thank you and best of luck to everybody with their challenges too.

Oh thank god for the respawn point! I'ts been a year ... or more ... I was even scared to log back in again. But well, it cannot be helped, and I am going to need you guys if I am ever going to get my *!$%t together aren't I? So yes, here I am, most literally back where I started and only slightly worse. Last August, I moved back to Germany from the UK with my family, I changed careers (new job - yay!) and only now do I have enough time to get my head above the water (barely). I have gained 3 kgs in the process ... which puts me at 76kgs now, definitely overweight now and no longer in the Oh-but-I-still-am-a-healthy-BMI-(barely) range. What went wrong? Stress is the big issue, definitely, and the alcohol that goes with (cheeky glass of red every night to take the edge of? Yes please). So this is what's going to have to change and it's an easy one as everybody and their auntie is having a dry January anyway right? Next, diet. I cannot do carbs because I pile on the pounds if I do, so it's going to have to be low-carb paleo. I need to lose at least 20lbs (30 would be better but that sounds a bit daunting). So at least I know what to do. My big poblem is treating myself. Money is still an issue and will be for another couple of years, so I must not fall into the trap of using food as a reward ("I so deserve this raisin and custard pastry... and it's only one Euro!"). It's not like I don't have a long list of little things I need and want in the 10€ range (like, new workout top, new towel for the sauna, new stainless steel lunchbox, new thermos coffee mug etc), but every time I get something for myself I feel like I'm splurging (yeah I know this is a mum thing). So, I'm going to save up my raisin custard pastry money and splash out on something sensible every week. That said, if I do go dry, that wine I'm not having is probably a tenner a week. I have gotten a lot better at planning since we moved because I now have to get up before 5am every morning and catch the train at 6am. So I have the kids' lunch boxes ready every night (except for the sandwiches because I don't want them to go stale); only thing, I need to fix one for myself as well. Sleep is a big one too. I usually do about 7 hours and I'm an early riser, but one of these days I slept for 10 hours and I woke up feeling amazing. So I think there is room for improvement. I have signed up for another half (in March) and have completed the first week of training (*looks chuffed*). The plan has 4 running days and two strength training days a week. I have lost quite a bit of speed over the past year but I guess it could be worse. Good thing about my weird hours is I have no trouble fitting the training in. I know that cardio doesn't do much good for me in terms of weight loss. Still, I love running and I don't want to let it go. Plus I love training for an event and ticking off the trainings I have done ... yep. Another good thing is that I found out my health insurance is willing to pay for a Pilates course for me and this takes place (wait for it): next door: yay! Also, I there is a bouldering place about 10 mins from where I live and I have been taking the kids there - they love it. tl;dr relaxation without alcohol (dry January and beyond)treating myself with nice things instead of food (from list, one item a week)prepare paleo lunch box the night beforesauna with best friend once a weekPilates course once a weekhalf marathon training continueshealthy family hobbies So, no I'm going to have a bit of a look around and see what has changed ... Sorry for the long post! Happy to be back!

I'm back! I was a Scout briefly last year. Before spraining my right ankle and my left foot last July, I had been training to run my first 5K in September. Well, I migrated to the Assassins after that, and did achieve my first 5K this past June. My goals were to run without stopping, no matter how slow, and to finish in under 45 minutes. I finished in 43:01, and I never stopped chugging along. I consider myself somewhere between a Scout and an Assassin, a combination that I like to call Bounty Hunter Class. But since my focus right now is on running - I signed up for 3 more 5Ks to run between now and December - I finally decided today that I'd spend some time on the Scout side of my split personality. Main Quest - To weigh what I did back in High School when everyone made me believe I was fat. I have four goals for this challenge, one of them being a Life Goal. They go like this: Clean : Harder Eat : Better Run : Faster Get : Stronger Clean Harder - I will set a timer and clean for 15 minutes minimum, three days per week. The theory is that I can actually get a lot done in 15 minutes, and that once I get started I'm more likely to go for longer than 15. CHA +3 Grading based on 18 possible cleaning days. Eat Better - My goal here is to eat more fruits and veggies. I'd like to do 4 per day, but considering my current track record I'm going to set 3+ daily as the goal. I believe I can do at least 3 and will always try to do more. CON + 2, WIS +2 Grading on 42 days worth of eating. Run Faster - I have a new app called 5K Forever which is supposed to train me to run faster. I'm starting week 2 of the 8 week course this week, so the plan is to not miss any runs, of which there are 3 weekly. STA +3 Grading differently on this since it's critical I not miss. A = 17-18 runs, B = 15-16 runs, C = 14 runs, D = 13 runs, F = 12 or fewer runs. Get Stronger - I have had a crappy success rate sticking with any kind of strength program I've ever started. I tried Yoga for my last challenge and didn't mind it so much, so I now I'm going to try Pilates 3 days a week, which is supposed to be good for strength and flexibility. STR +2, DEX +2 Grading again based on 18 days of 'pilots'. Now I gotta get to bed. Tomorrow I'll start making charts to track all of this stuff. At least today I got my fruits and veggies in, so I'm off to good start.