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JoeBlend – Lv 2 Simian RangerMain Quest:I will unlock my simian beast mode, dropping fat, gaining muscle, doing things I've never done before, and taking tangible steps toward a career in the IT world. Training Quests: 1. I will strength train three days per week, following Jason Blaha's ICF 3x5 strength/bodybuildingprogram. Reward: STR+2, STA+2 A: 16+ days B: 14-15 days C: 12-13 days D: 10-11 days 2. 3 days a week, on non-strength days, I will walk or run at least 2 miles beyond my usual 0.8 mile walk to and from the Dudes' school. Reward: STA+3, DEX+2 A: 16+ days B: 14-15 days C: 12-13 days D: 10-11 days 3. I will photograph each meal (starting 1/6/15 as I just decided to do the challenge a few minutes ago) before eating, to give myself a better idea of what's going into my body, and to help remind me to make better decisions. Reward: WIS+2, CON+1 A: 37+ days B: 33-36 days C: 29-32 days D: 25-28 days Side Quest:1. I need to complete an industry certification to move forward with my educational goals, so I will study for, and schedule the test for the MCTS 70-680 certification by 2/15/15. Reward: WIS+3 This one is pass/fail. If the test has been scheduled by the end of the day on 2/15/15, I get an A. If I haven't scheduled the test because I don't feel ready or for any other reason, I get an F.

Hidyhoooo FINALLY, university preparation is over. I don't stress anymore, I have my interview invitations (MIT, Stanford AND Princeton ermahgerddddddd) and all kind of testing is over!!! FINALLY, I have time to go to the gym again (seriously, 30 mins was too much of a 'waste of time', since I had like 1514684 school assignments too >< ), so let's get back to it!! I took my before pictures, measurements etc and am now fully ready to commit myself again.I went to the doctor a few weeks back for my neverending headaches and cramps and lack of energy and after a few blood tests I git diagnosed with gluten and cow milk intolerance, hah! Guess that paleo lifestyle is going to be my thing after all. My battle plan: workout 5 (or more) times a week, including a spinning class on Sunday, active rest day on Mondays (I have harp class ^^), yoga class on Tuesdays, weight lifting on Wednesdays, spinning again on Thursdays (or running, whichever one suits me), bodyweight training on Fridays, more bodyweight (and yoga!) on Saturdays! Concerning food, I'll stick with a daily calorie-limit and try to hit my 90g of protein/day goal along with a max of 100g of carbs/day. My fat intake should be moderate (around 50g?), but I am not exactly sure how much I need. GOALS IN CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER 1. Complete 1 week of doing all the workouts mentioned above 2. Run that 5k again 3. Complete 3 weeks of following a paleo lifestyle 4. Squat your own bodyweight ( ~ 65 kg) this one's funnny cause as I lose weight I'll have to lift lighter stuff haha 5. Take 'progress pictures' after 1 month (25 february) 6. Run 10k 7. Do 50 push-ups consecutively More to follow for sure! If you have any tips and tricks or just feel like you need to give me more courage to start ''MISSION BLACK WIDOW'' (yea she fucking sexy I wanna be like her haha), don't hesitate to do so Lots of love but also lots of peanut butter

It's been a while since I have posted. I briefly started following Nerd Fitness last October and joined a 6 week challenge as a level 1 rebel. Everything started off very well, I lost 4 pounds and was feeling good. Shortly after, my wife and I moved to a new apartment and our lives became pretty hectic for a few weeks. Needless to say, I didn't finish the 6 week challenge. Shortly after moving the holidays came around and everything went downhill from there. I gained back the 4 pounds I lost, plus a few more. All of my clothes are getting tight and it drives me crazy! It's like as soon as I start losing a few pounds I feel like I did well and my mind gives up on my body. It's time for that to stop. My big problem I think is that I never tell anyone about my plans to get healthy. My plan is to start posting to the rebellion each day with my progress to keep me honest and hopefully stick with it. If I need to tell someone how I did each day maybe i will stick with it. If I'm the only one that knows I gave up it's easy to hide it. I want to get back down to 200 lbs. and keep up with the goals I set during the 6 week challenge. I have posted my 2 starting goals for the week below, and my mission is to update this post every day with how I did. Wish me luck! 1. Drink no more than 1 pop every other day 2. Stay under my calorie limit on My Fitness Pal (2050 calories) Next week I plan to add some workouts to my goals to keep the momentum moving forward. Let's Do This!

I am in need of some desperate help to be held accountable. I need to make these changes stick this year. So here is what I have come up with for a challenge: 1) Get your butt moving This means that everyday I will will get up and move continuously for a minimum of 30 minutes. It can be mall walking, walking outside, doing some sort of beginning running program or walking in place. I need to break out in a sweat, no matter the activity. 2) Get your body stronger This means that three times per week I will be doing some bodyweight exercises. I will follow the beginner body weight workout, minus the walking lunges (I HATE lunges). I will start out with only doing one circuit per day workout and add as I go am successful from there, but by the end of the 6 weeks, I want to be able to do 3 circuits three times per week. 3) Get your stuff logged Since I am on a weight loss pill, I need to make sure that I am logging all of my food, which I am pretty good at, but I haven't been logging everything that I am drinking. Nor have I been getting enought plain water in, so I am going to make sure I focus on that again. I hate logging but I have seen that when I don't, I make poor choices and eat way to much, so I have to make sure I am doing it. 4) Get your veggies and fruits in I need to work on increasing this per doctor. So, I am going to work on adding 1 serving of fruit or veggies per day. I am not sure if I want to have it be pass/fail or if there will actually be grading involved. I will post about that later. But there it is - my plan for the next 6 weeks. If you read this and don't see me post daily on all 4 of these goals, please harass me. Send me a msg, post on the thread, post on my battle log(where all of this is posted also), come to chat and bug me, email me(if you have my email), call/text me(if you have my phone number), just do something to force me to be honest about what I am doing and helping to hold me accountable. Also, if you have any other suggestions as to how to help me stay accountable, it would be greatly appreciated.

So after a few weeks of going hard with a workout/diet plan I completely stopped. Just threw the car in reverse at 80 mph. as a result I am now twenty pounds heavier that I have ever been. I finally topped out at 260 lbs, I am 5'6" suffice it to say I needed to do something. I have been in a low place for a long time. My depression was getting the best of me, I was eating shit, I wasn't exercising, and my life was in a spiral. I started to get better but there was something missing in my life. One day while online I started talking to this amazing guy. We kept talking, and kept talking and started to date casually for a few weeks. I had never felt better. He's a fitness instructor. He helped me find confidence in myself that I had long forgotten. I started doing these classes that I would never have thought to do, Zumba, Piloxing, cardio kickboxing. He teaches all those classes and wanted me to come because they would help me feeling better about myself. He was right and now I feel great! We are officially a couple and I couldn't be happier. I still have a long way to go and a lot of ground to recover but I feel good about the journey. I am not only looking to make myself better for me but to also be a better person for him. I started a battle log so I have some accountability here at NF. I am also counting my calories, taking classes twice a week, and doing heavy lifting three times a week. I'd say to wish me luck but I don't need it, I have my family who loves me, friends who are great, and the best boyfriend ever. For the first time ever I am happy and excited to respawn. Battle Log: http://rebellion.nerdfitness.com/index.php?/topic/59640-strength-training-a-year-in-health-2015/

I am new to this whole Quest/ challenge But I am giving it a go! 2015 is my year. I am a desk working by day and a massage therapy student by night. I am currently at 250-255lbs. At my heaviest I was 275-280. I lost about 35 lbs and have since put back some of that weight. Due to bad habits,emotional eating along with stress a sick family member . Weight loss is a big goal of mine and many good things are happening in my life it is now or never so I am going all in. I have all my chips on the table and I am DOING this. Main Quest Lose weight I am currently at 250 - 255 lbs and would like to lose 25lbs by the end of April. My main goal is to weigh 175lbs or less. I know it will be hard work but I can do it! Life Goals: Fit in to wedding dress and look fabulous (it may be a while but still) Skydive and not have to pay extra because of my weight Challenge goals/ quests Change diet to cut out the unhealthy things and focus on delicious healthy food. January 2015 I will be doing a Whole 30 and after the month is over I would like to keep eating paleo. Fast food is not my friend.It doesn't even taste good. A = Whole30 compliant with no slip ups B= 1 meal a week not compliant C= 2 -3 meals not compliant D = 4+ meals F= Any whole day not eating paleo or whole30. Do the Level one Dumbbell workout or Body weight level 2 workout 3 times a week A= 3 workouts completed every week B= Workouts started but not competed C= Skip a workout D= Skip two workouts F= skip 3 workouts Move while I am at work set alarms and walk around during the day instead of sitting at the desk all day. Take stairs instead of the elevator. Its only 6 floors. Jes!

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!

Main Quest To do one full pushup, to lose the 10lbs I gained in the last 6 months, to de-stress and enjoy working out again, to stop wolfing down food. Mini-Goals to get me there! Complete 3x a week strength training (MWF) Training Day 1 contains squat variations, horizontal push (bench press), horizontal pull (rows of any variety), back extensions, and glute/hip work, core work (bird dogs) Training Day 2 contains deadlift variations, vertical push (ohp or arnold press), vertical pull (pulldown), back extensions, and calf/accessory work, core work (planks) Alternate days each week. I’ve been doing this for the last month now, so it shouldn’t be to difficult to keep up as it’s a pretty flexible schedule. This includes upper body strength and lower body strength so I get stronger in general, but also focuses on some upper body movements to help build up my back, chest, and arms. Complete AMRAP stair pushups 5x a week (this could be all weekdays with weekends off) The point here is to grease the groove. I can use the stairs in my house while the cats are eating their breakfast, keeping track of reps. Not sure when would be a good time to move down to a lower stair. Some progressions say when I can do 30 in a set… That seems like a lot. Eat Mindfully I tend to zone out and just eat but I find that if I focus on eating, I tend to eat less and actually enjoy my food. Anyone do that thing where they’re really excited to eat something, like hot chocolate, and then suddenly it’s gone and you think, what happened, where did it go? That’s me. I’m going to count this by days. If I remembered to stop during a meal, chew my food, and enjoy the flavors even if it only lasted a minute before I got distracted again, that counts. The point here is not to focus on every single bite, but remind myself to slow down and pause during a meal. Hopefully, over time, this will become a habit and I will naturally pause during meals and enjoy my food. Bonus side effect: hopefully if I’m eating something mediocre, I’ll stop and realize it, and then toss it. I shouldn’t eat something “meh†just because it’s there. Side Quest I’m a hater, and the person I hate the most on is myself. “Why are you doing this? It’s never worked before. Why do you even try?†Ouch. It’s even gotten to the point where that jerk inside me has said things like, “you should just kill yourself.†So I’m going to work on this in reverse because not only do I hate on myself, but I hate on other people. That coworker who used to be a bigger girl and now is a crossfit beast? She must be starving herself. False, but that’s what the hater wants to believe because it means having the strength I want isn't based on hard work. I think the key to stop hating on myself so much is to start on the outside and work inward. I need to be more accepting and less judgemental of people, whether they’re succeeding in their pursuits or a negative force in my life. Also, I need to stop engaging in office gossip. During some shifts, I'd sit with a coworker and just bitch about other coworkers. This is healthy for venting purposes, but eventually it becomes unhealthy and doesn't actually solve anything. And contributes to already plummeting morale. TL;DNR Strength train 3xweek Grease the groove on AMRAP stair pushups 5xweek Pause during 1 meal every day to enjoy the food Stop hating on others and their successes or failures

Hey NF gang! I'm in sore need of a respawn. This fall has been really terrible for me in terms of diet. I'm not sure exactly what caused it, but I looked at my food journal tonight and realized that I've been eating considerably worse than I was this time last year. Pretty sure things are supposed to be moving in the opposite direction! This wasn't caused by any particular life setback, but I've just been finding myself slipping back into old habits and making unhealthy choices. I think that part of the problem is that I've been going it alone. I did my first 6-week challenge over the summer and it was great! I hit a few setbacks and fell on my face at the very end, but I went nearly 6 weeks eating and living healthier than I ever thought I could! Then after that I stopped frequenting the forums and decided to set goals on my own and try to fight them privately. I can't remember exactly why I thought that was a good idea, but it wasn't. I posted in the respawn point in November and got some good encouragement from fellow rebels, but never committed to updating or staying accountable on my goals. I made my respawn topic, got all pumped, and then let it fizzle out. Anyway, I know that I need a kick in the pants to get out of the current rut I'm in. I'm planning to move out of my parents house in a few weeks which will probably make diet easier - since I'll have control over what food is around me - but I know I still need some support and accountability to stay moving in the right direction. I'm happy that a new 6-week challenge is starting soon. I intend to jump in with both feet, but this time I'll be providing updates. I'm hoping I've learned my lesson about trying to do it all by myself.

I always hated rezzing from the graveyard. The loss in durability, et cetera, made it where basically, if you rez at the Spirit Healer, you may as well just hearth right there and get your stuff fixed and then have to run all the way back where you were.... But that's what I'm doing. I'm rezzing at the graveyard and Hearthing, because basically, I have to start all. Flipping. Over. Back to modified Primal. Back to walking so I can get up enough gumption to start my Zombies, Run! over. Back to trying to figure out whether bodyweight or my Total Gym is better for me on any given day. I hate this. But I hate being 252 pounds even more. *sigh* On a good note, I am looking around, checking the AH for new gear -- picked up a George Foreman grill and a food processor for a lovely pair of prices at the after Christmas sales, and I've ordered DDP Yoga. Didn't see the steamer I wanted, but that's okay, too. I'll order it from Amazon if I have to. And the new house has a built-in microwave above the stove, so that's a plus. Though I will have to play with the cooking times on those frozen veggies...tonight's were -- wilted. To say the least. No idea what I'll do for the challenge -- I may sit this first one out, just to try to get things on track without pressure. So, time to hearth. *green light surrounds me as my hands kind of wave around, then pop out of sight*

double post

*GASP!!!* The last 6 months of my time in Korea were one looooooong backslide, and the remaining months of 2014 were the coup de grâce. It began with skipping workouts and stacking Coors cans, and has culminated in an uncomfortably tight fit to my running pants. BUT! I am finally settled in and completely out of excuses (including holidays, yay! I hate holidays) so it is time to officially turn the game back on and get grinding. Thanks gods for 6WC, amiright? So begins the interesting part of the saga....

I am a bit late on this one...but I am here and ready to jump into it! I am psyched and ready to learn how the quests work, and of course to make some changes! I started on this site a while ago, but fell off the wagon...So I am, really, still very new and figuring this all out! Main quest: To lose weight and build muscle Missions: 1 – Walk at lunch at least 4 times per week 2 – Do cardio at least 3 times per week and strength at least three times per week 3 – Create, get into, and stay in the habit of logging every meal, and by the end of this challenge I will be drinking 100 oz of water a day. Life Quest I want to be happy with my body and the progress I have made along my journeys Why am I here? (motivation) My motivation is that I want to be healthier and confidant. My family has a history of diabetes and I want to get fit and lose weight to try and avoid this myself. I also want to feel good in my clothes, and in my own skin; I believe building strength and fitness will help me with my confidence.

http://rebellion.nerdfitness.com/index.php?/topic/58167-gryphons-jan-2015-6-week-challenge/

I'm a game player and a nerd rader.. Got profile with spill of intention I do it for a bit and then.. Energy bar to low...mee alto bar to low.. No potions no ummph.. So I'm going to respawn.. New year better me, I'm going to Auto Save so when I die and I'm going to a lot I've learnt that so fare from the years I've read and tried but never committed and plunged in to NERDS FITNESS.. I'm going to re spawn from my saved and try something new, different change my attac not stop and ignore it and go hell ive done nothing for how long.

As of Dec 14' I've been working out for a whole year! Which for me is a big deal considering I have been trying and failing at staying motivate My whole life. Well this was my big battle against The Holidays. And I honestly thought I'd combat cookies and cake and all the food like a champ, and obviously because I'm here writing this i didn't. I noticed my pants are tighter and I feel like crap. And today I needed encouragement from somewhere. So I looked through My fitness emails hoping to find something and I scrolled across Nerd Fitness about Respawning, THANK YOU! Ever since my husband got into town on the 6th I've worked out once [today is Dec 29]. I've been working long days and rushing home to see My husband in stead of the gym. He's only in town till January 12th then he leaves back to Sweden. so I figured even though I particularly don't want to skip the gym that spending time with him is more important, Which it is. But I feel like crap And to need to get my butt back on it, and I AM! I actually start my 15 day vacation on New Years day so I'll have plenty of non working time to get back into it. Also, I promise that tonight I'm going to go for a jog after work, I PROMISE! I have to now. Working out after my commute home is the hardest thing for me, but I promise. And today I made the decision to eat better, even before I saw the email. So the Nerd fitness email was what I needed to get this going. So there, I have no idea how much weight I've gained, maybe that's a good thing, but I'm here saying I'm getting back to the swing of things as of today. ^___^Lausst <3333 P.s. it's crazy how much this small or big weight gain has gotten to me. Just sitting here I feel like a monster trying to sit in my jeans.

For only three days, I've been so grateful to have joined Nerd Fitness. But I never fully acknowledged the reason why I chose to do so (finally). It is because of the fact that this community seems so open, especially when it comes to going from unhealthy to confident and thriving. I gave an introduction to myself here (Don't Slay This Dragon…), voiced my exercise woes (over here Fail To Plan, Planning to F…_) and am coming to terms to with my current 'diet' (Former Vegan Considering Paleo). But over here, I just want to share with you the tipping point I came to which brought me here in this section. When the article about Respawning was first written, I thought it was the best post to have ever been made on this site. For so long, I rejoiced in the creation of a community that not only likes the same 'nerdy' things as I do, but also enjoys working out and staying healthy? Inconceivable! But why did I not join? It is because I assumed my then methods of eating, exercising, heck, even THINKING, were right for me. I ignored the important aspect of health- that everything begins and ends with your mind, and whether or not you choose to become the puppet or the puppeteer to your thoughts. With the mental aspect starting to strengthen, I then challenged my habits. As a vegan, I did question my own morality, but I also questioned the actions of those who abide by the lifestyle that veganism promotes. I was insulted for even considering going back to eating meat, even though it was for my health. I was tired of mainstream bloggers/celebrities/nutritionists/doctors etc telling me I was not doing a good enough job as a vegan. I was tired of my digestion going out of whack as a result of it. I was also tired of finding micro results on an otherwise macro fitness routine. I was lifting weights for seventy minutes. I did not see any improvements from the high reps. I stopped doing cardio, sure, but as a result, I lost a lot of agility and stamina. I was tired from lifting weights constantly, that it started to affect my posture/spine; my yoga instructor, thankfully, pulled me right out of that, and helped me to fix it ASAP (I have my youth and natural flexibility to thank on that part). Already, I am starting to find subtle improvements. I am getting close to making animal proteins a regular part of my diet. I am getting better at handling my digestion, and while it still needs some help, it has improved. I am also getting in the habit of loving myself more. I came from a past of abuse from a parent who did not see the beauty in me. The rest of my family does not know how to find my beauty as well- because my bone structore is small, and in the past I was once very sick, they think that sickness may have stunted my growth (I am 20 and could pass for your 10 year old sister), even though none of my doctors have declared this. Still, it hurts everyday to see your family look at your sibling, who is younger and taller and more developed than you, and feel not so beautiful. But on the other hand, that hurt quickly turns into an even greater sense of self love. I've realized that they are just missing out on appreciating a very unique person. I call myself a 'dragon'- it is my spirit animal, the one creature I have loved and respected for as long as I can remember. When I look in the mirror, I like to think that the person looking at me is a sort human-dragon hybrid. There's my face, strong, determined, and peaceful. My words are like fire. I have the confidence and lust for life to enable me to fly. My skin is covered with the scales that are thick enough to ward off the lowly voices and opinions of those who strive to bring me down. That's why I came to Nerd Fitness. To unleash my inner Dragon, and 'fulfill my destiny' (cue classic Clash of the Titans theme). And I also want to help inspire others around me. I have a ton of levels to complete in life, and already, I have finished one of them. And that is to be a part of something bigger and greater than myself. Thank you for welcoming me into this community.

Hello peeps I'm working on my respawn.... Several years ago I got my arse in gear; lost nearly 90 pounds, endurance up, started lifting and so forth. Kept it up for nearly 2 years, then it all collapsed underneath me. No matter how much I lost, my pain didn't get better, rather it got increasingly worse. Oh yes and let me add that I've had a spinal fusion (@ age 11/12). Then add on that I couldn't get the weight to go any further down (i could go stat happy, but yeah.... if you want them, ask). Finally one day @ the gym I got the MOTHER of all Headaches. Turns out I got a exertion headache and lifting became hard. Worked thru it and then got several injuries right behind each other. Couldn't lift, could barely move. I fell off the fence and hit the ground hard, like earth shattering hard. Work overload, high stress levels, too injured to work out, the "old" diet was hurting rather than helping and yeah.... The year passes and 40 pounds are back. Going to doctors didn't help - the first ones just wanted me on pills (Nope) and the only one to listen basically told me EVERYTHING I had done/had learned was WRONG (including lifting - Why would you lift, that's for men 0-0. Cut the fat, not the sugar. Low carb is BAD. And you should be doing 1hr of cardo a day, no strength training [because of fusion]). One high point - the fool did find out my Vitamin D level was non-existent. Bad point - put me on a diuretic for my blood pressure. (This is making it very hard to work out - I've gotten badly dehydrated trying to hit the gym like I used to - which lead me to being sick and avoiding the gym to recover). But I want to get back at things.... I want to get back into lifting (i really enjoyed it), i want to get my endurance back up. I just can't find those damn HP potions, my poor broken body may not be up to what my mind wants.

OK, after being absent for some time, I´m back for the last 12 days of this challenge. Sticking to the KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid)-principle, I will have two simple focuses: 1. Eat well 2. Exercise Nuff said! Will keep track on some of you guys as well

Oof ...between the holiday and a family member passing away after battling cancer and traveling for work, any and all progress has halted since Halloween-ish. Since May, the husband and I started lifting heavy 3x a week with karate (Shotokan) one night a week. We had ourselves eating home-cooked healthier stuff nearly each night of the week, then BOOM! Hardly home long enough to let our dog out, let alone cook, eat and lift. So, I'll take this respawn point! Thankfully, I have a goal that's close enough to help me stay focused (hopefully) through the next two weeks, since I've got a belt test for karate on Dec. 14.

Hey there NerdFitness community! So I initially joined the NF Boards a little over a year ago. I actually lost 30 pounds by changing my diet, exercising more, and generally being way more conscious about what I was doing with my body. Then, of course, I got comfortable. I ended up missing exercise sessions, I ended up staying on the couch instead of lifting weights while watching my shows. Instead of eating vegetables and making some sweet stir-fry, I ordered pizza. (My glob were those pizzas incredible though!) The last two weeks have seen a TON of transitions for me. I had been on the NerdFitness e-mail list for a while and the last bunch of blog posts didn’t inspire me, until today… I am a VERY active person in Chicago. I am on the board for a very popular comedy festival, I run my own YouTube channel, I work 50 hours a week, and I also love Dragon Age (That is like another full-time job!). I’m the heaviest I’ve ever been (220lbs) and want to get back down to 185 where I felt comfortable and happy with myself. This is the day I respawn. I am excited to have your support, and to support others. Let's do this!

There we goooooooo again. Cheat days really don't work for me. I just can't say 'just one' and I ended up stuffing myself with alll these carby foods... If I could actually see myself doing that I'd probably be grossed out. Any way, it might just be a psychological thing. Family problems and stress are both increasing, as is the exam pressure and the application deadline for uni is coming closer... I worked so so hard to find balance in my life, worked so long to slowly build it all up and BAM, for some reason every time something goes remotely wrong I end up failing terribly. Better tomorrow? Hope so. My last exam is in 2 days so I hope I'll feel better after that, for starters! My working out schedule is still on point though just the damn food....

School has always been my main priority. Two days ago, I turned in my last college assignment. I feel I finally have the power to craft my lifestyle to where I can make money, start my personal business, excersize and cook the way I want. Tomorrow morning, my brother and I are going to start running together. This is the beginning of ninja awesomeness.

My new goals to achieve Level 2 now that I've respawned: 1. Run 2-3 times a week. 2. Get enough sleep that I feel rested each morning. 3. Cook a proper meal once a week.

Long backstory short: I was 500.5lbs in October of 2012. NF and some of the people I met here really helped me get on the right track and stay there. By July of this year I had lost 148lbs and was down to 352. My wife and I split in July and I fell off the fitness bandwagon. Hard. By Thanksgiving I was back up to 396. Have spent the last few weeks eating a ketogenic diet and lifting 3x/week and was 378 this morning. I'm back on track and ready to burn another 100lbs of fat and get STRONG. I will be starting a workout log with more details as to what I've gone through and what I'm doing on a daily basis and will post the link. Would love whatever support I can get and will happily return it! Hope everyone has a good weekend!