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So ... there were work parties ... and then family celebrations ... and then a mini-vacation ... And yeah, I've eaten enough carbs for a boys' football team over the last week. I'm not even going to weigh myself because I'm sure I've gained at least a couple of pounds back. Tonight I review (and revise, if needed) my goals, and tomorrow I start again. I've got this.

Hey Everyone! My name is Scott and today I am respawning. I used to be 280 lbs, got down to 240, and then life got in the way. It shattered my routine and the good habits I had going, and now put me over where I started before. It didn't happen overnight, and I'm not expecting to get my routine back overnight either, but I did it once, and know that I can do it again! Interestingly enough, a lot of this drive came from Pokemon Go. I didn't like that I had to sit and rest after short distances, and that I couldn't walk as far as I used to. It really got my mind back into it, enough to pick up my copy of "Level Up Your Life" and read through it. And with the quest reset, it feels like it was just meant to be.

I am Arcelas, defender of all that is pixelated. At least, I used to be. Arcelas was the first character name I created for WoW all the way back to Vanilla. I mighty warrior with a will of steel and pants of twill. Death was something I was well acquainted with. Whether I was falling off something or being hunted by boars, I died so often I decided to fight naked, so my repair cost would be negligible. And that's where I am today. Fighting naked. I am Bi-polar and Manic with PTSD and anxiety disorders. When I started this grand Nerd adventure, I was 276 lbs. I am the jump-right-in-with-both-feet-head-first sort of guy. So I went cold turkey. In fact I think I mainly ate turkey for the first few weeks. Progress! I felt better, I looked better, and I needed suspenders to keep my pants around my shrinking waist. I now am 285 lbs. With almost no energy. To be honest, I do not know what to do to start again. Help me please?

So here I am again after a catastrophic failure some months ago. Then I figured I would be fine without the accountability of posting here - that did not go so well. Without further delay, here are my challenges for this particular 4 week challenge; Fitness Goals: 1 - Walking - At least 1.5 miles per day on ALL weekdays. Seems like a lot, but I go out at lunchtime to get away from my desk. I've already been doing this for a couple of weeks and have developed some quite pretty and scenic routes around where I work so this shouldn't be too much of a problem. 2 - Weights - Every other day, complete the workout from my previous challenge thread. It's a whole body workout with weights. I will track down the details and add them to the thread before I do the workout tomorrow. Diet Goals: 1 - Less Alcohol - Alcohol ONLY to be consumed on Friday and Saturday nights. No excuses. Not even "Well you HAVE to have red wine with a steak, it's the law". NO EXCUSES. 2 - Better snacks - Cut out the sugary/fatty/nasty snacks. Seriously, Sainsburys have just added an American section with Throwback Nerds, Gobstoppers etc. I have not been able to find these in the UK for a while, and the discovery of them has turned out to be a BAD THING. My actual meals tend to be healthy anyway. Lifestyle Goals: 1 - Plucking Strum - On the off days from fitness goal number 2, proper guitar practice. PROPER guitar practice. I started using Justin Sandercoe's site (www.justinguitar.com) a while ago. Did really well with it, got to F chord, couldn't do it. Gave up. Rubbish. Not this time though - oh no. Bring on the finger pain! So here goes. I'll check in at least every other day.

What's up, nerds? I completed a challenge back in May and disappeared from these forums after that. I kept my powerlifting training going and all was going well until early last week when I came down with the stomach bug. I only started eating normally today, getting about 2700 calories. I usually get around 3000 or more, but for the past few days I was getting less than 2000. I lost 6lbs and haven't been able to train. I'm looking forward to getting back to training tomorrow. I'll be chronicling my training and nutrition in my battle log and will likely join in the next challenge. I'm interested to see how much strength I've lost. I'll be going for 5X5's on bench and squat tomorrow and will choose the weight based on how the warm ups feel. I was freaking out about losing progress due to the illness, but now I'm confident that I'll gain any losses back quickly now that I can eat and train again.

Hi all. I'm rising from the ashes of my fitness journey & sloughing off the dust & dirt from my epic fail. What went wrong: A death in the family after a long illness No will = greedy people = family drama School changing webhosts = I need to be done by October or take all my tests over again as the grades won't migrate to the new forum=stress! New job + reactions to chemicals at said job = migraines + insomnia on & off for a month & a half. Breathe.... Start again. This time will be better. Plan to be posted in Battle Log forum. Stay tuned!

Hello there! This is my second respawn point. I started last January 2016 and didn't get to complete any challenge!!! And I never thought the 4WC is the basis on leveling up! Whatt?!?! And so, here I am, ready to join this June 4WC. I am aiming to be a Ranger but since I'm still in my fetus stage I will post my challenge in the Rebel Forums. Is it okay with you guys? LVL 1 REBEL 4WC DIET GOALS Accomplish LVL 1 and LVL 2 of NFD (Nerd Fitness Diet) Frequency - everyday LVL 1: Have a food journal. Track your food. LVL 2: Avoid sugary drinks (juice, gatorade, soda, alcohol, ...) FITNESS GOALS Accomplish LVL 1 Bodyweight Workout Frequency - 4x a week Schedules: 1A - June 12, 16, 20, 24, 28, July 2, 6 1B - June 14, 18, 22, 26, 30, July 4 LEVEL UP YOUR LIFE GOAL Complete thesis paper. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- My food journal will be on MyFitnessPal. To track my progress in avoiding sugary drinks, I'm using a habit tracker on my phone. Maybe I'm gonna share a screenshot after this challenge. I already accomplished a workout yesterday although it's not part of the 4WC, but I tasted the difficulty of the workouts. It's hard, but not impossible. Well, my level up goal is I think would be the most difficult. I graduated three months ago but still didn't complete our thesis paper. Always procrastinating!!! WTH!!! So, I really need to finish it so that I could move on to the next chapter of my life. LOOK FORWARD TO MY UPDATES!!!

"Wh....who are you? Or what?" Flat on his back the Orc slowly opened his eyes to see an unfamiliar shape looming over him. "I'm a save point. THE save point. THE FABLED SAVE POINT. Ahem. Sorry about that. Boy, you sure could have used one of me on your last journey!" "B-b-but.....I don't even know what happened." "Well the way I see it, you went off like a bat out of hell. It seemed like you were doing so well. But you burnt out." The save point almost seemed to be gloating. "Yeah, maybe, but....." Conflicting emotions ran through the Orc. Fear, anger, even shame. He couldn't describe the way he felt. "No buts or maybes here buddy. Now I'm only allowed to save your progress. And you can't do that. This ain't no Final Fantasy. This journey is more like Contra." The Orc's eyes lit up. "Does that mean..." "No." The save point cut in. "No cheats either." The Orc was getting fed up with the save point by now. He raised a large green fist above the save point. "Hey, no need for that. I am allowed to give you one piece of advice though. It's time to start again!" Hey everyone. I think the above little scene gives everyone a pretty good idea of what happened the last time I was here. But as a new challenge is starting this Sunday I have decided it is time to start again. I am going to ease myself in a little more gently this time, and I'm not starting entirely from scratch. I will link my new challenge thread once I get to posting it.

“The sheep generally do not like the Sheepdog. He looks a lot like the wolf. He has fangs and the capacity for violence. The difference, though, is that the Sheepdog must not, cannot and will not ever harm the sheep. Still, the Sheepdog disturbs the sheep. He is a constant reminder that there are wolves in the land. They would prefer that he didn’t tell them where to go, or give them traffic tickets, or stand at the ready in our airports in camouflage fatigues holding an M-16. The sheep would much rather have the Sheepdog cash in his fangs, spray paint himself white, and go, “Baa”…Until the wolf shows up. Then the entire flock tries desperately to hide behind one lonely Sheepdog.” - Lt. Col Dave Grossman I like to think of myself as a sheepdog. Maybe not the most skilled or the most experienced-but a sheepdog nonetheless. I’m slowly but surely paying off my Mossberg MMR AR-15 and at the same time, upgrading my EDC (everyday carry) as well as solidifying my GHB (go-home bag) or Go-Bag. I’m becoming more aware of the world around me. It’s something I’ve always been good at doing, but concentrating on the wrong things up until this point. It’s time to put my paranoia to good use :). Mossberg MMR Tactical AR-15. Not mine. I’m back and recharged for this next 4WC!! My falloff was weird for me. I was so busy and when I had a little time for NF, I didn’t take advantage of it. Shame on me cuz I miss you guys and gals! I’ve been severely hooked on listening to The Remaining books on Audible and I’m currently on book #4. The series has been just plain kickass and edge of your seat goodness that it’s put some heavy inspiration on me. I want to give @WorldSparrow a big shout out for turning me onto these books! I’ve always been somewhat of a prepper, but reading these books has, in a weird way, opened up my eyes to more realer possibilities AND having 3 little boys and my lovely wife concretes it for me. I have to be aware to protect them. I also have to be able to protect myself. This challenge is about getting me back on track and building up a body and a mindset that can defend my family and the flock of sheep out there. I need some accountability right now... probably in the worst of ways lol. My shoulder is OK and I still need a visit to the specialist as I’ve tried to do my own thing and strengthen my shoulder… but it’s not working as well as I would have liked. I haven’t tried swimming yet, but I want to see if that puts too much rotation on my shoulder. Swimming is low impact and can be massaging and therapeutic, so I’m hoping I can get a little of that! I’m eating good though and getting ready to start some hardcore rucking :). Work is still busy as hell and we’re prepping for a move to another building on July 8th. PLUS, my own move to our new apartment the weekend of the 4th. Busy busy :). I’ve fallen off the writing game, but I’ve learned something. Actually, I learned it on my respawn Division themed challenge- Just fucking write. Don’t worry about making it perfect. Just write. This is some advice I’m taking from D.J. Molles, author extraordinaire of The Remaining series. In four years, he produced 6 books. That’s impressive! So, that is what I will do. Just write. No timelines, no rush, no worries :). First things first-let’s give you guys a little insight to my current EDC. I will also take you through a stroll of my Go-Bag (via video) and what I would like to add to that to upgrade it to “Survivor” status. And by “upgrading” my arsenal, I mean EARNING each and every item as rewards for completing various tasks throughout the day/week/challenge. Not my EDC-but I thought it looked cool with the pistol and Texas keychain ;). I will take a picture of my current EDC once I get my Skeletool and Bit extension in this week. Current EDC Winchester Parfive Drop Point Knife Leatherman Skeletool Leatherman 40-Bit set (attachments for Skeletool) Leatherman Bit Driver Extension ThruNite Ti3 EDC Cree XP Flashlight Bic Lighter x2 2007 Honda Pilot keys Leather bound notebook (from Target) Zebra Stainless Steel Ballpoint Retractable Pen Trident Mint Bliss gum Walgreen brand eye drops iPhone 6+ w/ FDE Magpul Case Recycled Firefighter Combat Boot "Seargant" money clip wallet-Desert Tan & Multicam (shoutout to Captain Lee Harden) 21-oz Hydro Flask-Classic Stainless 5.11 Recon hat (usually worn backwards) Current Go-Bag Change of clothes 1x extra socks and underwear 2x extra headbands 3x protein bar (Epic bars-Turkey, Chicken and Bison) 1x extra water bottler LifeStraw 50ft of 1-inch webbed tubing (from my slackline) Gerber Survival Knife Swimming gear-jammers and goggles Gorilla Tape 1x carabiner (basic-need sturdier ones) Go-Bag Wish List First Aid Utility Pouch MOLLE attachment Ever Ready First Aid Israeli Bandage First Aid Kit w/ Quick Clot SAM rolled splint Trauma shears Paint Respirator Gas/Liquid Siphon Mechanix Wear Tactical Glove-Coyote Nite Ize S-biner Extra Socks New Hydration Bladder Right now, I have a few of the weighted bean bags from my weight vest in my bag with all the gear listed and it’s probably sitting around 25-30#. As I add stuff, I’ll more than likely take out the bean bags because the extra gear should help weigh my bag down and I’ll need the pocket they are stored in lol. I haven’t added a hydration system in the back yet, so that will weigh a good amount as well. Goals this 4WC: Go see the shoulder specialist Ruck a total of 25 miles this challenge Sprints Sleep better Move better (via Uncaged Man workout program) Paintball Prep for both moves- Work and Home It’s good to be back everyone! Since I’m not overburdening myself with PvP’s and such, I will get back to being the supportive badass I usually am. Let’s rock this 4WC!!! Wolf

Hello fellow Rangers. After spending a month or two as a victim of the conservation of momentum (a body a rest tends to remain at rest LOL), I am back. I started losing momentum towards the end of the March challenge, started off April slow and never really got going, May never even got a challenge up.... However, in May I did get my momentum rolling again. So, as a respawn I am going to keep things fairly simple this challenge. My goals are as follows: -3 lift days per week (Using StrongLifts 5x5) -3 run days per week (Using C25K-currently getting ready to start week 4) -Get my stride length properly calibrated in my new Fitbit and then begin tracking a Walk to Mordor (Need to make sure my distance measure is accurate before I begin tracking a long Walk like that. -Sleep. I need to get more and better sleep (should actually be doing that now, but I woke up and jumped on NF before trying to go back to sleep--probably a mistake there LOL).

Tiggs86 OneFootInFrontOfTheOther Hello everyone it's been awhile since I've been here. The end of April my dad unexpectedly passed away. I've spent the last 6+ weeks eating crap comfort foods and watching WAY more TV than ever. I've nearly lost all of the progress I had made, my clothes are getting tight again, I don't like the way I feel, and want to change all that around. I recently discovered my workplace gym offers wellness coaching that can focus on any aspect of wellness such as physical, nutritional, social, emotional, financial etc. I met for the consult on Saturday and was put on a waitlist to start coaching to help me keep motivated. I met for a small group placement consult this morning for small group training. This consists of groups of 2-4 people meeting with a trainer once per week for 6 weeks and is a free service offered by my gym (I wish I would have known about it when I started a year ago!!). Anyway the group I was placed with only had one time available that would work with my work schedule and my traveling home every weekend I am able to, and it starts at 5am. Lord help me, that is early! The training starts 6/24 and the wellness coach at my consult recommended I take some basics classes to learn equipment I am unfamiliar with before I start training. Goal #1 (this is split for before and after small group training starts) part 1 a:Go to three basics classes before start of training b: Complete NF bodyweight workout twice per week until start of training. c: Use stair master twice per week until group training. In August I will be going on a camping trip along the north shore of Minnesota for my 30th birthday. Part of the trip is to see Devil's Kettle, there are about 200 stairs to climb to see it. part 2: Small group training once per week, two additional workouts each week Goal #2 Go for one hike per week. Goal #3 No fast food Goal #4 Study for continence certification exam I'll have time to study between waiting between training and start of work and waiting for the bus.

So, this is my daily battle log. Knowing myself it won't be daily but I'm going to start with weekly posts and slowly work up. A little over a month ago I moved from Sonoma county to LA county, about 450 miles. I left my home town, all my family and friends including my boyfriends and best friend/ platonic life partner. My job transferred me down here at my request, so that is one constant. I live alone, which is a first for me. The purpose of this drastic measure is to start focusing on well overdue personal growth. This is my year away from distractions, familiar places, obligations and the environment that encourages my unhealthy habits. I joined the NF academy 18 mo ago. It worked well for a few months, then I dropped off and undid most of it. I'm back to building healthy habits but this time I'm focusing on changes in my lifestyle rather than weight/size of my body. In addition to my diet and exercise goals, I have a lot of self improvement that is a priority so they will most likely be featured in this thread. My current level: 201 lb (weighed at the doctor because I don't have a scale and will not weigh myself regularly) I eat at the NF diet level 5 mostly. I want to be solidly in the level 6 category by the end of July. I do yoga 2-3 times a week. I want to add strength training once or twice a week. I have a pull up bar but I am having trouble mounting it. I'm in a studio apt and the bathroom door is too small and is the only door in the place. Add to that I have plaster and lathe walls. I'm working on a way to mount it that will do the least amount of damage. I can be a bit of a homebody if I don't push myself. I like adventures but sometimes I let inertia keep me on the couch. Another goal is to get out more. I'll check in next week with update on progress and struggles.

Ha! What are the odds? I was going to challenge myself to a nice, cosy, solo adventure using my character sheet, and just happened to be planning to start it tomorrow. My boyfriend has just joined the rebellion and in solidarity (and because I've been needing a refresher anyway) I'm respawning from scratch. That's right - my stats are going back down to big fat zeroes. And that's pretty representative of how my health has been - until a week or two ago I was the heaviest I've ever been. Scary... it kinda snuck up on me. My big why: I want to be the most evolved version of myself. I used to base my big whys on appearance or feelings, but I think this one actually encompasses it. Like a pokemon, or a superhero, or something, I want to push myself to be as strong, as healthy, and as awesome as possible. Evolution doesn't happen overnight but bit by bit with slight mutations - as I add new habits, I'll mutate into the badass I think I am on the inside. Cleaning out the batcave has seen my mom and I get rid of all sugary food in the house. I've also held back on restocking the diet sodas in the fridge. I've been trying to drink only water, and I've been cooking all my meals mostly because I'm house sitting, home alone, in the middle of nowhere and I am still a bit scared of driving in this country (Mauritius) so I only really venture out when I run out of vegetables or feel like swimming in the ocean. Since my parents left last Saturday I have had only ONE meal I didn't cook myself! That's amazing; I was, previously, ordering takeout for lunch and dinner every day. Hence being the biggest I've ever been. I've also hired a personal trainer who comes to my house every week, makes me sweat buckets and pushes me further than I think I can go, and then I repeat the workout I do with him two more times before the next session. So, being a lowly level 0 once again, I'm focusing just on three goals: 1. Eat only food I cook myself. This will save me money and stop me from going to restaurants. It's also a fun challenge to make them as low carb as possible - I've recently discovered zoodles and am in love with them. 2. Work out 3 times a week, including the personal trainer session. The workouts include a lot of strength training, because I want to learn how to do it on my own with good form. We also do a lot of composite movements and bodyweight training. I also walk the dog every day (or rather, he walks me). 3. Read for at least 3 hrs a day. I review books over on my blog, and I've got such a massive backlog of books that they keep expiring, which means I have to buy them. So I'm trying to get through the 10 overdue books as quickly as possible, and then I need to get through all the non-expiring self-published books that nice authors have sent me. Eish. So, I absolutely HAVE to increase my reading time. No more TV! Oh, and although these goals are pretty basic, I definitely class myself as an adventurer because I love scuba diving, geocaching, and trying out new kinds of exercise. Next month I'll be heading to Dallas to visit my boyfriend where I aim to try as many new things as possible, including a burlesque class, a human-sized maze, a marching band show, and more. Here are some photos of previous adventures: In August I'm moving to China! Currently learning Mandarin in preparation. This is where I'll be living: Nerd stuff: I am a whovian, cross-stitcher, book worm, former mathlete, casual gamer and scifi nut. I like science, history and gadgetry. I'm in the academy, and am too active for my own good in the women's fb group. And this is the me I want to get back to (but with less mud): Allons-y! Additionally, I'm joining Sylvaa in the #LoveMe challenge.

In a place far, far away... Called Canada... It's been a really long time and I'm really really sad right now, so this probably won't be as much fun as it has been in the past. Here goes: I'm going on year 4... I think... of knowing about NF. I instantly loved it, obsessed the hell out of it, but most importantly it inspired me to get off my fat but and do something with my knowledge. 2 years after that fateful first article-read, I had lost more than 40 lbs and counting, had the jeans I wanted to fit so badly be baggy on me, and just generally feeling good about myself. Full of energy and hope and what-have-you. I even started gradually cutting dairy and gluten from my diet, though I had originally said I could never go paleo. There's a kicker there, but more on that later. This past year has been rough, to put it mildly. A lot of rules and routiens I had in place were bothered or became outright impossible. MY BATCAVE WAS INFILTRATED and the invader trashed the place. Seriously, I work in a hotel kitchen where 85% of my time is spent surrounded by food I shouldn't eat for various reasons. Reason #1: It's bad for you. Obvious, deep fried, salty greasy stuff that basically inflates you like a balloon when you're not watching while at the same time tearing you down to a deep, dark hole Reason #2: Not hungry. Imagine Steve working in a goldfish factory. Not hungry, but stupid tempting anyway Reason #3: Allergies and Sensitivities Remember that kicker I mentioned earlier? Get ready. Alright, so working in a kitchen is hard on ye-old willpower reserves, but that's not an excuse. I did fine for a whole year. What's changed then? I have lactose intolerance and a possible gluten sensitivity I still need checked. Not really new knowledge, but something that's been eating at me hard enough to matter. It's one thing to choose to give up something that you've had on a regular basis up until now, and quite another to have adverse physical and mental side-effects unless you give up said something(s) My mentality is a little screwy, and I'm all frayed up at the edges. Emotional, easily set off... Feels like I'm trying to get into Hyrule Castle with only 5 Sage Medallions. Running screaming into a pit of lava repeatedly until GAME OVER isn't appealing in the slightest. I found myself turning back to my old coping methods after so many months of floundering: Reading, long walks, Zelda, Harry Potter, and NF. Realized I needed to start up my exercise games again and tidy up my diet. Thus I begin anew, rebuilding what was broken so that it is stronger. If it fails the test of time, I'll know what to do. Damn you, Deadpool! I don't care how delicious your chimichangas are, they're for super special occasions ONLY!

Back to Basics Under the spoiler: Reflective Blurb and Previous Challenge Recap My last challenge was pretty tough, littered with issues outside my control and obstacles I was not expecting to deal with. I lost quite a few of my habits and am having a hard time getting back into the game. It is quite frustrating - it feels like I was thrown all the way back to the beginning of the game instead of the last checkpoint. Of course, this is not entirely true. I have numbers to prove it, after all, but it still really feels that way. Anyhow, the good part is that, much like games, going down the same route again in life means you already know it and are aware of the difficulties pitfalls, and in the spirit of viewing failure not a failure, but as an experience I can learn from, I will try and use that to my advantage. And for this challenge; that means going back to basics: Challenge Goal: Re-acquire those habits it took me so much effort to build. Goal 1: Do a modified Reddit Recommended Routine 3 times a week. Modification: Swap Bodyline Drills with this core routine 2 times a week:http://strengthrunning.com/2012/01/the-standard-core-routine-video-demonstration/ Goal 2: Go swimming at least 2 times a week, for a minimum of 40 minutes per workout and 600m total distance. Goal 3: Lose weight by eating under 1400 calories. Important: Leave room for modification in case this is too little calories. Life Quest: Still working on this one. I know more or less what I want to achieve, which is better goal/task prioritization, but I am not yet sure how to structure it. That is all. Let the challenge begin!

Hi everBODY. I'm Jade Pint and I'm not all that new to NerdFitness but I am still learning my way around the academy. I've just been kind of lurking in the background for a while. I'm a 31 year old mom of 3, who is a giant child and likes to watch cartoons (MLP FTW). I used to lift regularly but I quit back in late Feb to mid March?? when I injured my shoulder, tearing my bicep tendon and spraining my rotator cuff. I'm angry with myself for letting things get as bad as they have. Since my PT told me no lifting at all, I used that as an excuse to eat...and eat...I had only gained about 10 pounds but my muscle quality has clearly gone down considerably and my size has increased quite a bit. I'm ready to start moving my aft again. So, NF to the rescue. I have big dreams that I would love to accomplish someday (preferably sooner than later) but for now, I'll just take baby steps and work on my food intake and inactivity. I am an eater. I eat when I'm stressed and I eat when I'm bored. I am not eating absentmindedly either. I know full well what I'm doing. I weigh the consequences, realize that it's a huge step back from what I want, then I eat it anyways cuz food. I want to get back to tracking my macros and meal prepping to keep me from just stuffing whatever into my face. Anywho, this isn't an All About Me or anything but it's my starter goals for getting back to my fit life!

Here I go again on my own. Going down the only road I've ever known... Every time I start from the beginning, I pick up more than before. Just a bit more sinks in and stays. I have the opportunity to start over and to have no obstacles except myself, for 7 weeks! I know that I am my own biggest challenge, but having nothing to add to it will help out a whole lot. Here's the plan: I have reset all my academy quests. I will actively be working on one quest (at least) a day. I'm going to hop right in and go for 6 workouts and 1 rest day each week. I still need to review the new workout paths, but I'm looking for barbell work to go with my new squat rack in the basement. I'm dreading my new starting pictures, but I need to acknowledged where I am now. So, here we go!

"A vampire can be of any evil alignment, and if its alignment was not evil in life it becomes so in undeath. A vampire retains all the abilities it had in life, plus it gains the ability to drain life energy, and to dominate other creatures with its gaze." And so, even though our hero had twice fought hard and had twice prevailed against the forces that had beset him, he found himself once again drained of the victory he'd previously enjoyed and was now back where he had started. I just got back from a game convention. It was a great time, with great people, but I noticed two things there that disturbed me. One, a LOT of my fellow convention goers seemed to be overweight; and two, I may be in that camp myself. In the past, I've gotten myself down to a healthy and happy target weight and (more importantly for me) down to a waist and belly size that I like. I did it three years ago. I did it again last year. And each time I've let myself slip back into the habits that get me further from the way I want to look and feel. So I'm back on the path to fitness. I don't have far to go, really. 10 lbs to look good, 15 lbs to really be where I want to be. That's easy enough. Each time I've done this in the past, it was after I'd spent time with Nerd Fitness - the blog, the forums, etc. So I'm back and ready to do this again, this time (I hope) for good. Thanks for always being here when I've needed you.

So I posted in the respawn a month or 3 ago. But here I am again, and this time...I'm serious. (I think). So I live in manhattan now. There is food everywhere, and food is very convenient. Correction, bad food is very convenient. I don't cook, but I am going to start trying. I am basically a complete cooking newbie. So I am gonna try to find some EASY recipes around to try to get on the right track. I am not very active. However, I do walk a lot. I live in NY, so its hard to get around that. But I need to find some sort of goal-oriented exercise. So My goal starting today is to.... Track my food on my phone for 7 days (Academy quest). Try out a class or gym in the area at least twice this week. Try two recipes this week. Only have drinks twice this week. I am starting out slow so I can actually complete something. Any tips and tricks let me know!!!

Carpinus woke in the deep dark forest of the fixed mindset for the final time. "Stuff this," she thought, "I can change, dammit. There are other forests, other trees, other places, fields and rivers. I'm not stuck here, however hard it might be to get out: however comfortable the darkness I'm used to is, compared to the unknown light. I'm scared, but scared is better than deadened." And she got up. Goal 1: Mindset Self-compassion has to come first, or nothing else will stick. Short, self-compassion meditations, 3 times a week. Goal 2: Fitness The journey to fitness starts with a single squat. NF Academy Bodyweight level 1 workouts twice a week. Goal 3: Work Finishing's as important as starting. Distractions abound. Finish draft 0 of current writing project.

*Peeks out* *Waves Timidly.* Hi. Disclaimer: I'm actually pretty shy. It took me forever to figure out that was why I have a hard time posting on the forums. I don't act shy anymore - Rebels who have met me out in the IRL will probably be surprised to hear that. It's just that I was trained as a kid to be outgoing, and have always been afraid that being reserved in public would be viewed as being rude. But I never really got comfortable with being vocal. So it might take me a while to get used to posting regularly (or not take at all). Anyways, here goes nothing. From the Rebellion's Respawn Guide, there are four key components to a respawn. I'm going to take my respawning cues from there. First, Be Selfish. Our Fearless Leader says to dedicate yourself to health for the next two weeks, as much as possible. That might prove difficult for me, because I'm trying to save up leave so that I can take an EMT class in July. This means I'm working at least 8 hours of overtime a week as "compensatory time." I'm also a member of a distance sailing team that's gearing up for its first official race. But short of scaling back on work, I should be able to make healthier choices, especially if I decide that I won't take on any social commitments and use the time for recovery instead. Second, Use Buffs. In the Rebellion's Buff Guide, they come in different flavors: mercenaries, potions, armor upgrades, group improvements, weapons upgrades, ect.) In case you're wondering, that's you guys (Allies). I'm planning on updating here, unless a topic is too sensitive (read: "before" pictures), in which case I'll post on the Women's Facebook page. I'm hoping the added accountability will help me stay on track. I'm also going to equip some potions. Namely, I'm going to start carrying my two liter-sized bottles of water. I can fill them up with water or (herbal!) tea in the morning, and no matter where I go I'll have a day's worth of hydration with me. I'm actually going to reverse one aspect of the Guide - instead of improving my inventory, I'm going to do an inventory dump. As I notice things I don't need anymore, I'm going to put them aside to be returned or donated. With less clutter in the way, I'll be able to focus more on my health. Third, Attack the Problem Differently. You'll notice this time around, there are no superhero analogies. It turns out that comparing myself to my fictional heroes got really toxic for me, so I'm not going anywhere near that for now. This challenge, and likely my next few challenges, won't be themed. I'm still trying to figure out who I am. So my new attack vector is to be open and honest with you guys and with myself. And finally, Pick ONE Thing, and Get Started. Since Steve lists the Academy as a structured way to respawn, I'll start by working through some of the quests there. I'm going to start working on the Mindset coursework tonight. *Whew*, ok, bye.

So.. Started a respawn thread not to long ago and after searching for my old Daily Battle log (for about 10 minutes) and not finding it here I am to start again! I will probably adapt the form of this many times until I find something like I like, bear with me. Today: 6/4/16 I am still sore from my first TRX work out two days ago and planting the family garden yesterday. Have been struggling with just a general feeling of being sick. Headaches, nausea, and just some general stomach discomfort. I am tired of always feeling this way. I know that a lot of it would be helped with a good change in diet and exercise habits (As I eat some pizza rolls and contemplate what else I will be buying for lunch/dinner tonight at work). I am also sure that I am stressed out. For all of you to know - I will be a first time dad in 11 days or less. The wife and I have a scheduled C-Section on June 15th. C-Section because the baby is big - 8lbs 13 oz was the estimated weight which could be off 1 lb on either side. Current level of fitness: Is there a -2? If this were DnD I would be sitting at a minimum -2 to all stats physical. Stairs are the devil; and that is one flight of them on my way to my car at work. I haven't touched a scale in so long that I don't remember how long it has been, we don't even own one at our house. It is safe to say however that I am a minimum 240 lbs. on a 5'10 frame. I MIGHT be able to fight my way out of a wet paper bag, but it would leave me winded at the end. On a positive note - even though TRX kicked my butt and I only did 45 minutes of it, thats 45 minutes more of exercise than I had done for months before. I enjoyed the trainer and my brother MAY be able to help keep me accountable on going to TRX more frequently, at least until I can get into a routine with it. However I am trying to wrap my mind around how I am going to go to TRX once the kid (Its a boy, and Landon is his name for anyone who is wondering) finally comes. Future goals: This is where I struggle.. I don't really have goals in mind. I have things I know I want, but not a set plan or range for how to achieve them: I want to lose some weight, I want to learn how to cook and then follow through and DO it, I want to get better about mowing the yard so my neighbors don't come murder my family in our sleep, (Jokes on them, I'm building a forest and putting spike pits in thanks to the dogs digging the back yard into a minefield). I want to quit feeling like crap every day. I want to get 'in shape'. As a caveat to the 'in shape' comment. I currently work as a dispatcher for a private security company but I am working on becoming an officer instead. With that in mind I would like to feel like I can take care of myself if emergency situations arise. So.. IF you have managed to read my wall of text and have insights or comments, please feel free to leave them here for me.

Hello everyone! It's been a long time since I've been around these parts... you have my apologies. At the end of 2014 I started getting more and more to do at my job and as I got more and more stressed out there I found myself checking less emails and coming onto the forums here less and less until I just hid away from everything. Slowly over the past year (and a half almost) I've been letting my fitness slide more and just coming home to veg out in front of the TV. I wanted to come back here with you guys but always shied away from it. UNTIL NOW! Now I am vowing to stop my slow slide into the pasty, podgy world of the unfit and clamber back up the slope to where I once was before! I want to turn from Poliwag to Poliwrath! Let's do this! Quest #1: Eat within calorie limits and try for 80% or more as paleo (+1 CON +1 CHA +1 WIS) The 80% paleo has always worked well in the past, especially using the all-powerful NON-PALEO TOKENS (to be said in the booming voice of a god from on high in sparkly clouds). Basically, for every meal that I eat that isn't paleo I use a Non-Paleo Token (NPT) and given that I eat approximately 2 meals a day (I hardly ever have breakfast) that means over this four week challenge I get ~11 tokens to use. And I figured out my TDEE is about 2,400 for maintenance (actually more than I thought as I'm a relatively small guy) but I'm carrying a bit of fat around with me too so my MINIMUM calorie intake is about 1,200 so that's quite a bit of fat to burn... As that's the absolute minimum I'm going to go down to 1,500-1750 and see how that does me for this challenge. That should mean I lose 1.5-2lbs a week. Which is a brilliant amount to be losing if I can keep it up! Quest #2: Run 2+ times per week (+1 CON +1 STA) I used to run a lot, and it used to be one of my favourite ways to spend a summer evening. Running out of town and through the fields as the sunset turns them gold was a wonderful way to wind down. I did a half marathon at the end of last year and almost haven't run since. With the ruins of a castle nearby (just over 2 miles from my flat) I did run to the castle and back and it's about time I started doing that again. And I also have some squash games planned with a friend so those can take the place of a run although it would be best to do the running as well. Quest #3: Strength Training 2+ times per week (+2 STR +1 DEX) One of my favourite things about being an Assassin is being able to control your own weight, and I remember I was so chuffed when my Assassin training helped me to do my first pull up... which I can't do anymore! So my mini-goal here is to be able to do a pull up again! I’m umming and erring about whether to include HIIT/sprint training in with this quest - not least because this is me jumping straight back into things and adding in sprints may be too much. Quest #4: Complete a Life Quest at least 5 days a week (+1 WIS +1 CHA) With this one I wasn't really sure how to distil down doing something productive in terms of career/life goals into one quest... So what I have decided is that I will have a list of 'Life Quests' and that I must do at least one of those things to tick this off. Here they are: Write at least 500 words (or do an hour of story planning) Apply for a new job Practice proofreading Do an exercise in my copy-editing course Do an hour's work on the anthology and/or another book to publish Write a book review for the BFS (and/or Fantasy Faction if they'll have me) Read and critique a story on my online writing group I see that character stats are still an option although not mandatory so I will be using them as that was one of the best ways to motivate myself. I know it used to be 15 points per challenge, but that was for a 6 week challenge so I'm going to decrease it down to 10 points up for grabs this challenge. (But 15 points for my new level 1) As I'm obviously not at the same level I was before I'm going to be hitting the reset button and having my previous level as a high score and aiming to beat it. Current Level: STR: 2 | DEX: 2 | STA: 2 | CON: 3 | WIS: 3 | CHA: 3 Right... sorry, that went on a bit didn’t it... Let's do it!

Place to regroup and recuperate between challenges, also character sheet. Character Sheet Kohl Female, Were-Panda 163 cm/ 5'4" Class: ? 'Look good in a dress and can hunt you down' is a perfectly valid body goal. Flexibility, agility, a bit of endurance; can climb, can stalk, can sprint. (For now?) not going to gym, just using my house/living space and things here. Bodyweight/ dance/ light cardio. Largely primal/ paleo, with occasional eating out and (most often neolithic) baking. Starting - June 1st, 2016: Unfit, barely moving, weak back, squishy, 62.1 kg (136.9 lbs) Goal: Joining a dance studio, can climb, maybe not being murdered if to visit a crossfit gym, not/less squishy, move freely and lightly and can legit pounce, anywhere 2.5 kg below/above 50 kg (110.2 lbs) Objective I: Finish first NF challenge and join a guild. Current state: N/A Mission Listing Prologue & Introduction: Gearing Up Mission I: Scavenge Run

So I am respawning. I moved to Manhattan and I tell you it has put the pounds on me. I don't have a scale, so I don't know how bad the damage is. But I have started a daily battle log again. Any tips on how to make my respawn successful? I am trying to cook, make good decisions. I bought some yoga sessions. I'm almost using the battle log as a journal type deal. I have been keeping a food log. I eat out a lot because I live in New York now and there is so much food here. Cooking is actually pretty tough in this tiny kitchen. I also don't have a lot of cooking supplies since I moved here and sold my my stuff back home. Any tips on how to stay healthy and on track in a big city? Thanks everyone