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BODY I just realized how out-of-shape I am when I was out of breath I was while I was cutting weeds in the yard. I almost passed out from the heat after mowing the lawn the other day, and I have to deal with what reminds me of the beginnings of an asthma attack from my youth. This is bad. I also recently did blood tests, and I have a horrendous cholesterol profile (high LDL, low HDL), high liver enzymes, terrible kidney health, constant borderline hypertension, and total Testosterone of like 300. Though it's tempting to "hack" my T levels to get teh gainz, I'm thinking the best way would be to get healthy first. I just need to let go of my ego, disassociate, and assess and coach myself as I would as a new person I'm working with. Client Profile: Male, 33, married, sedentary, former athlete, has not exercised at all in 4 months, has access to kettlebells,and a nearby gym. Medicated for major depression, currently unemployed and highly stressed (which leads to entire days of productivity shutdowns). Mostly eats takeout, has substituted diet sodas instead of regular. Takes daily vitamins and meds 99% of the time. First steps: Exercise: Tracy Reifkind's 15 to 20-minute swing workout twice a week, after a quick priming warm-up and hip + shoulder + t spine mobility. Nutrition: Eat a serving of vegetables each day. MIND I scheduled a Technical Admissions Assessment for a coding bootcamp two weeks from now, so the pressure's on. I think if I total 40 hours I'll be as ready as I can be for it, so a little over 3 hours a day starting today would be reasonable, though I tend to get in the zone sometimes. So the Program Minimum: Swing twice a week One serving of veg 3 hours of coding ======================================================================================================================================= 13 JUL, Mon - 2h 47m 14 JUL, Tue - 1h 21m, veggies, workout 15 JUL, Wed - veggies 16 JUL, Thu - veggies 17 JUL, Fri - veggies 18 JUL, Sat - veggies 19 JUL, Sun 20 JUL, Mon - workout 21 JUL, Tue - veggies, coding 22 JUL, Wed - veggies, coding 23 JUL, Thu - veggies, coding 24 JUL, Fri - veggies 25 JUL, Sat - veggies

I know. Long time no see. *sigh* The tl;dr version is that I've spent the last 1.5 years not working out much aside from tons of walking, gaining weight (not the good kind), and feeling fatigued. Also, the whole family has been in a funk. So, thanks to covid and my husband getting 100% telecommute, we moved across the country 1.5 weeks ago. Our pod full of stuff arrives tomorrow! I'm hoping that a new location means a new start and a new lease on life. I'm also excited about the new Dune movies coming out. I'm a huge fan of the books and loved the Dune and Children of Dune miniseries that came out 20-ish years ago. I also literally moved from the swamp to the desert, so the loose theme seemed fitting. Goals: 1. Earn 14 fitness points for each of strength, cardio, and stretching. Right now, I have a garage that will soon house my weights, rings, a mini climbing wall, and a silks rig (I already have the silks set up!). I also have a 8' deep, maybe 40' long backyard pool. Since I want to keep things light and easy, the requirements won't be huge for this. I get 1 strength point for every 10 minutes of silks, rings, or weights, 1 stretching point for every 10 minutes of yoga, and 1 cardio point for every 1 mile walk or every swimming session. 2 (tied to point 1) "But it's a dry heat..." Most summer days, it reaches 100+ degrees. I can't let that prevent me from working out. So, the plan is to work with the weather rather than against it. I need to make outdoor, non-swimming workouts happen before 9 am or after 5 pm. Or I need to suck it up and deal with the heat. I'm not allowed to laze around in the mornings, decide it's too hot, and then after 5 pm decide that I'm too tired to bother with a workout. +1 point per day of compliance 3. Be mindful of the water - The goal is to take water with me everywhere and make a point of drinking a lot of water. Hydration is going to be trickier here, and drinking enough water will also help with some of the binge eating. +1 point per day of compliance 4. Wear my stillsuit - This one has two parts. (a) Check the UV index and put on sunscreen if I'm going outside and it's over a 3. (b) wear a cloth mask whenever I'm going to be out in public. +1 point per day of compliance. Bonus: Have fun exploring - Yay for this one! The whole family reached a point where we were bored with everything in the area and even within a weekend trip from our old house. Now, we have tons of new places to explore, and we're about a 10 minute drive from a couple different national forests with great hiking trails, a 40 minute drive from a mountain summit that is 20 degrees cooler and has great rock scrambling, and a 2 hour drive from some lakes that actually have good scuba. We're also 15 minutes from a climbing gym. So, there will be tons of exploring to do both now and after covid has died down a bit.

It's a bit of a late start, but I'm here. I participated a few years back, but life got in the way and I stopped. I got sick. Thought I was getting better. Wasn't. Now I'm even worse off. Long story short: I suffer from iron deficient anemia. Last year I had to get IV iron to try to get me to reasonable levels. Turns out I'm allergic to IV iron. However, before the allergy showed itself we did manages to get enough iron into my system to put me at the lowest part of normal. Even with the iron in my system the side effects of low iron remained, depression, constant exhaustion, memory loss, etc. About 3 weeks ago my doctor determined that once again my iron levels were too low and that I needed to go back on IV iron, but a different type (there are three kinds). Thursday before last I had my first treatment. It went okay. I was still exhausted and depressed, but I didn't constantly feel like shit. So an improvement. Last Thursday I went for round two. We had a few issues. I got overheated as in my skin felt normal to the touch, but I felt as if I were suffering from a really bad sunburn and couldn't cool off. The doctor there determined it was likely a reaction to the steroid. She said that it's a common side effect. That night however, things got bad. Even though all I was doing was watching tv my blood pressure shot up to 167/85 and my pulse was at 140 beats per minute. I went to the ER. The doctor there wasn't particularly helpful. He ran a blood test. I sat for an hour waiting for the results. He gave me a xanax. I sat for two hours waiting for results. He gave me tylenol, told me he couldn't find anything wrong and as my blood pressure was at 145/84 with a pulse of 108 bpm he sent me home with instructions to see my doctor. All weekend my blood pressure and pulse was high. I have an appointment with my GP today to see what she can do. I didn't do anything all weekend and yet my heart was constantly pounding. It literally hurts from all the beating. I started planning out my will just in case. That was my wake up call. If I don't do something now I'm going to be dead soon. So hear I am. My goal for now is simple. Eat healthy. Stay calm so my heart doesn't burst out my chest. I'm already on blood pressure meds, but I suspect my doctor will up them at the appointment today. I don't know what else she will do. Hopefully she can find something that will help. My goals: 1. Eat healthier - no soda (I don't need the caffeine) and limit the junk food. 2. Food log - make a post about what I eat. Write it all down. Even the junk food. I know it's not something I can give up cold turkey as I comfort eat. All weekend I've wanted to do nothing but binge on junk food. I've managed to keep it down to one soda a day and a couple of cookies instead of 3 or 4 sodas and the whole pack of cookies. As we don't have any more soda it should no longer be an issue. 3. Relax - try not to do things that are stressful until my heart is better. Which means I can't really do much cleaning/grocery shopping/etc. And when I do these things I have to make myself rest afterwards instead of trying to push on to the next thing. Even more difficult though is mental stress. My depression makes me sad and I start to cry. This makes me upset which makes my heart beat faster. Which makes me sad and stresses me out. And so the cycle continues. Long Term Goal: Iron. Get my iron up to normal person levels. I have 6 more treatments scheduled. Hopefully they all go well with no more side effects.

I used to compete at a decent level in powerlifting. After piddling around for the last decade or so and not really training, I have actually taken advantage of the quarantine, working out at home on a regular basis again. I have been a member of this site for a few years now, but have not fully utilized it. I'm hoping to change that now as I pursue consistency. With all that said, I have been putting weekly updates up on my personal blog. https://iamweez.com/category/fitness/ Follow along with me, please. I train alone. I don't mind that so much. But community goes a long way. I have been lucky to be a part of a couple of pretty good powerlifting teams in the past, and miss that some days.

So uh, man... lots of stuff happened last time and kind of threw me off. Basically it all comes back to a Sinus cyst I had to get surgically removed. Lots of limits, I couldn't even blow my nose for almost 2 weeks. Couldn't lift more than 15 lbs, no straining allowed, no breathing through nose, it was... a lot. I started back at work but I noticed that 2 weeks of being able to do p much nothin has not had a great effect on my str and sta stats. I feel like I got hit with an ability drain effect. So here we go in an effort to get back into shape! I'll be p much using the same rubric as last round. Starting Stats Age: 30 Height:5'4" Weight:222# The Goals: Log Foods Daily! I don't really know how many calories I should be eating anymore, but I definitely need to get back in the habit of keeping track! I'm on MyFitnessPal, my username is RoachRex! 7 days- A 6 days - B 5 days - C 4 days - D 3 or less - F Meal Prep! My goal is every week, to prep my meals for the entire week. I'm honestly A-ok with eating the same thing every day, I even was into Soylent for a while (but it messed with my gut too much). Honestly, the reason I eat junk is out of convenience. So if I can batch-cook and make all my meals in advance? Ain't nothing more convenient than that! 5 weeks - A 4 weeks - B 3 weeks - C 1-2 weeks - D 0 weeks - F Exercise 3xwk!! My plan is to do bodyweight training 3x a week. I'll incorporate things into my off days when I can but I'm not gonna stress too hard about it. 3x a week is more important. pass or fail Save up! I am planning to move in just a couple months and i need to save up for moving costs. Luckily I have a place to go already my main barrier is saving up. (I also need to find a job before I move but that's in process.) I certainly expect the meal prepping to come in handy here though! $1000 - A $800 - B $600 - C $400 - D $0 - F

Hey guys! I think it's about 3 years since my last ill-fated attempt at a challenge. But I shall embrace the spirit of resurrection embodied by this 10 Year Anniversary Challenge. I've been back on the fitness train, and the NF forums, for about a month or so, and it's going pretty well so far. I'm doing the things I want to do, and seeing the changes I want to see. So, the challenge is mostly going to be maintaining that momentum as I return to work in a few weeks. Looking back over the past decade... I'm in a very very different place. 10 years ago I was 28 and in my second year of specialist training. I was quite miserable and some point in 2010 I had my first stint on antidepressants. I was dancing once a week but otherwise not getting a lot of exercise, being pretty much consumed with work - that year I was regularly doing 100hr+ fortnights, with a lot of 14-hr days and night shifts thrown into the mix. My diet was terrible, we ate truckloads of takeaway - our local Indian takeaway literally sent us a Christmas card!!! Every lunch was from the hospital caf. (And I'm sure you know how bad those places are!!!). Even my "healthy" meals were basically carbs, carbs, and more carbs. Toast or cereal for breakfast, pastas and curries etc for lunch and dinner. I was also a total computer game junkie. In the intervening 10 years, I have finished my training and am now a consultant gynaecologist in a great private practice. I have control (to some extent) over what work I do and when I do it. I have wonderful colleagues. Haven't needed antidepressants since I left the hospital. I got a Masters degree last year. I have three gorgeous children, who are 8 (as of yesterday), 5 (as of today), and 5 months old. With each pregnancy and birth, my physical condition has taken a massive battering. But I am done having babies now. I have a diagnosed gluten allergy (not actually Coeliac but the same antibodies, and my brother is Coeliac, so in that vein I guess) and so for 2 years now have followed a strictly gluten-free diet, which eliminates about 90% of takeaway options (and dramatically improves my bowel function!). And for planet reasons I have recently transitioned to a low-meat diet. (Currently pescatarian, with aspirations of progressing to vegetarian. No plans to go vegan, I'd find it really restrictive when combined with the gluten avoidance). My nutrition is really pretty good - protein at almost every meal, minimally processed, lowish carb, loads of vegetables, only 1-2 meals/week are not prepared by myself or my husband. We have chickens in the backyard for our eggs, and a vegetable garden (which has produced bugger-all this year due to the bushfire smoke). Coffee is now black. I find that I function better if I snack mid-morning and mid-afternoon, and that's generally fruit or nuts. My biggest dietary problem is alcohol; I never get drunk, but I do drink most days, and I'd prefer not to. I certainly don't intend to go teetotal, got enough of that during pregnancy! But I'd like a few more alcohol-free days each week. Despite my diet being pretty much what I'd want... I'm still fat. Because I haven't exercised in two years (basically since I started trying for this last baby). And for me, exercise is ALWAYS the linchpin for my physical and mental health. So my goals this challenge will be largely based around exercise. It's the big change I need to consolidate. I finish maternity leave and go back to work on March 2nd so it'll be a big challenge to keep that physical activity rolling. Nutritionally I just want to focus on logging my intake, and limiting alcohol. As for life in general... Honestly, in the last 12 months I have basically achieved everything that I had as a long-term career goal. I want to take some time to enjoy that. Building my practice will certainly be a new challenge, but not the sort that lends itself to SMART goals! Some Domestic Rangering, on the other hand, is certainly in order. There are some things I've been procrastinating on so I'd best pop them in here to make my lazy butt do them! Fitness Goals: 1. Strength training at least 2x/wk (preferably 3, but Life has a habit of getting in the way, and this isn't a short term habit we're looking at here - my activity has to fit within the demands of a two-doctor, three-child family.) 2. Some other movement-focused activity at least 1x/wk (eg BodyJam, Sh'Bam, Yoga, hiking). Can accept third strength workout in this category. 3. Increase the difficulty of my strength workouts according to my longstanding self-imposed rules (All prescribed sets and reps completed in two consecutive workouts = mandatory increase in weight next time. Exceptions apply to activities which I know trigger my back, eg Pallof press, which past experience has taught me needs to go up very slowly!) Nutritional Goals: 1. >= 3 alcohol-free days per week. 2. Daily log of all food and caloric drinks consumed (Not going to log my coffee intake. It's embarrassingly high. I'm aware of this, and will reduce once the baby starts sleeping through!) - Criterion for success = 5/7 complete accurate days per week. Crafting Goals: 1. Finish my Rose Coloured Glasses socks. 2. Block at least TWO of the three projects currently sitting at 99% in my Ravelry notebook, which are done and just awaiting blocking! 3. One of these blocked projects must be my Annis, because I wish to wear it. 4. Work on the "Love Is..." mystery knit along (once it is released) at least 3 times per week. Hopefully this will be in my nice pleasant 5.30-6am radio listening time. Career Goals: 1. Spend at least one hour reading journal articles per week. Document what I've been reading, when and where in my Battle Log. I'm out of the habit and need to be back into it. 2. Arrange time off work to attend at least one conference this year. Preferably two - one fertility, one general gynae. Domestic Rangering Goals: 1. By the end of this challenge, COMPLETE CLEAN of Miss 8's bedroom, including a Wardrobe Purge 2. By the end of this challenge, the Shelf Of Doom in my wardrobe will have been cleared, cleaned, and reordered. Photos required. 3. By the end of this challenge, the floor of my wardrobe will have been cleared, cleaned, and reordered. Photos required. 4. I will count the challenge as nominally successful if two out of the above three are complete. Each of those tasks is actually pretty freaking huge, and I do have a very small human to look after. Sheesh. That is a lot of goals. But many of them are big-ticket one-shots so it's actually a manageable number of habit-building goals I think. Here's to gains that I can finally keep.

So... uhm... Life went kinda bonkers for a while there. I was resettling slowly into routines, getting stuff done, then... ...poof. OT nonstop for a while, long story very short there were some personnel changes at my job and I was at first, training a new person to work with me, then doing most of the work period because... people, then became the only person in my position so trying to plan for things outside of work basically became impossible. Fast forward to now - I have a new person in the lab with me, who is so far doing fantastic, and while he's still in training now I'm starting to be able to take a step back and breathe again, I've been able to use my bullet journal again for things beyond just "write this down because otherwise it will get forgotten in 3 months when you have a moment to think again and look back." I'm able to plan ahead, at least a bit, cook meals (Mom got me an Instant Pot for Christmas that's been helping with that a lot!) and overall start working towards general self improvement instead of just having to double down on work itself. Don't get me wrong, the paycecks have been nice, but I have other priorities that I need to start looking after. I won't hop into the middle of this current challenge, but I think I should be able to hop into the next one. I do think I'm going to have at least my first challenge spread between 2-3 5 week spreads though, because I'm going to be picking myself off the ground floor. Again. But hopefully things won't go as pear-shaped this time, and even if things start to derail I'll be able to readjust and continue rather than having to drop everything for what, 7 months again?

Hey there. I'm ShadowSilk. So I've been in and out of the Rebellion off and on several times. This isn't a "New Year, New YOU!" type thing, this is coming back to the hideout with little to show in my pouch but grim determination to get back to where I once was. I've given over my tools of the trade, my daggers, darts, and boot knives, to a friend; she'll hold them for me until I'm truly ShadowSilk again. I need accountability. I really do. So if you read this, and I amuse you, please head up to my Battle Log -- it's called Regaining My Self and My Tools. Thanks. I appreciate it. For this challenge, I will: FITNESS GOALS 1. Get back on track with MFP 2. Walk at least 20 consecutive minutes four times a week 3. Get and hook up a new DVD player so I can start using my friggin' DDPY DVDs again, at least 3 times a week I can't find the replacement DVD I ordered from DDPY to replace the very 1st DVD, and I promise y'all I can't do the second DVD. AT ALL. And Dally doesn't put entire workouts on YouTube. New plan; beginner's yoga/pilates workouts from YouTube at least 3 times a week. 4. Use my Total Gym at least three times a week PERSONAL GOALS 1. Finish the hat I'm knitting for my husband 2. Order and read UnF*ck Your Life 3. Reread, slowly, & possibly journal about or work through, one chapter a day of You Are A BadAss 4. Meet my deadlines 5. Keep journaling, do my Morning Pages, and my written affirmations 6. Get out of the house to do something I like at least once a week CURRENT ASSESSMENT 1. 234 lbs (Not horrible for me! I was all the way up to 260 last year at this time!) 2. Flexibility (What's that?) is horrible 3. Strength is horrible 4. I'll be 43 in three months 5. Really going through a period of rediscovery and am enjoying it.

So I've been away from the forums for awhile...life & all that. I have been exercising (just started a plank challenge); but feel the need once again for a sense of community that I've only ever found in these forums. So I'm back & gearing up for the next challenge.

REALLY fell off the wagon this summer when it came to food in general.... But today and every day is a new day to do it right... I have faith.... I will be worthy of Thor's Hammer yet!

[Respawn sound and visual effects go here] Greetings fellow interwebs dwellers, I have returned to have a crack at this again! The plan is to finish it this time though and not just fall off the map again, I also feel much better prepared for this attempt. Backstory: Having done martial arts on and off for many years and discovering crossfit several years ago I have proven myself to be consistently inconsistent with fitness regimes. More recently this year I have actually been consistent with crossfit for 6 months now smashing PRs. Also back on the martial arts training for 5 months consistently, even with a tag (stripe) grading done after being back for about a month. Currently starting down the possibility of going for my next belt (the trendy black one) early November which is where this challenge comes in perfectly timed! Pushups have always been a weak point for me and I need to be able to do 100 of them unbroken at the start of said grading followed by many more in less amounts at a time at random intervals (I think you can all see where this is heading now). Overall Campaign: Lose body fat & build muscle through gradual permanent changes. Level up goal: Level up my belt to black. Support Mission 1: Train pushups 3x per week stopping 1 short of failure with an end goal of 100. I have just recovered from an injury preventing me from basically doing them at all, so my initial rep count will likely be low. I'm hoping it won't take long to build it up though. Stopping 1 short of failure because I'm not a fan of faceplanting.... How unadventurous, I know.... This supports the Campaign by building strength in my arms specifically (possibly mentally too?) Support Mission 2: Run 5km once per week. 6 months ago the thought of running 5m made me exhausted, a week ago I did my first 5km run with a time of 38:04 with hills involved..... long hills.... I feel this will help my endurance for the grading while working at the Campaign goal of losing body fat. Support Mission 3: Track my nutrition. This is somewhere I fall over constantly, I just kind of lose interest/motivation to enter everything into MFP. However, from previous experience it is a great way to minimise eating junk because I don't want to make a record of the fact I ate junk! Supports the Campaign by ensuring the right stuff is going in to help the other 2 support missions. I plan to do these things on top of my already established crossfit and martial arts schedule, I may even do the pushups or runs at those training sessions depending how I am going for time. Time is my enemy being a shift worker with forward rotating shifts (day, arvo and night shifts included every week). Finishing on time is a rarity for me too. I will try to post updates every day or at least every other day depending what shifts I'm doing. The challenge starts on day 1 of 3 night shifts for me so that could be my first hurdle to overcome. Anywho, I've rambled on enough for now.

I can’t seem to find my old posts. Probably archived because it’s been so long since I have posted. Even when I did, it was just a series of half ass posts saying “here I am again, but I’m series this time!” Smh. That should tell you how the last year of my life has been. A series of rocky, unproductive garbage days.  I would lose a little weight, then gain it, then feel good, then like shit. You know the story. Im just here to publicly say that I’m back. I’m so tired of feeling terrible, and waking up every day knowing I wasted the last. SUPER done with it. The next couple of weeks weeks will be all about getting my mindset right. I need to make my heath, mental and physical, a priority again. Then, ITS ON. I’ll keep you updated. Ben

A year ago my husband and I were training to climb to Everest Base Camp. My husband was 70 and I was 61. Training was rigorous. Then I fell at work. I slid face first onto an outside porch and the crown of my head hit an exterior wall so hard it intented it. Concussion yes, TBI absolutely. A year of minimal exercise. Dreams postponed. Now at 62 and a whole lot of work my brain is functional but my body squishy and weak. I still want to climb. I still want to be healthy, trim, and energetic. Now my Everest is metaphorical and ok, maybe next spring real. My major quest is by the end of 90 days: I. Resistance training 3x a week and doing cardio @ 85% of HR 3x a week for 45 minutes at a clip and yoga 1x a week. 2. meditating 4x a week. 3. writing 5x a week 4. have travelled to Europe in September and Oregon in October. 5. Completed my 12 week memory course I've broken my 90 day goals into 3 30 day smaller quests, so for this challenge- 1. Walk 6 days a week and 3 of those time do a HIIT walk. 2. Experiment with different forms of meditation, one type each week. At least 3x . 3. Write 3x a week 4. plan trips 5. Follow the memory course - practice 6x a week. I hope I'm doing this right.

Greetings Assassins, After 2-3 missed challenges, with my last challenge being terrible (no tracking or posting on the challenge) i feel ready to respawn and better my life again. Since its a respawn i'm going to "try" and keep it simple. Fitness Workout in the gym at least twice a week; Going to alternate Full Body workouts. I have one day that has Overhead Press, Chin-ups and Front Squats and another day that has Dips, Deadlifts and BW Squats (which im going to progress to Pistol Squats) Every morning "30 Days of Yoga" by Darebee; I used to do #5 Minute Flow but i either skip or only end up doing a few stretches. This program from Darebee has movements and hold times ready and it easier to follow than thinking of something to do on the spot. Nutrition Eat mostly home made food; Except for Currant Buns that i take to work i will eat mostly home made food. So i will make a dinner meal and snacks. And before the challenge starts look into a nice smoothie recipe. NO ORDERING FAST FOOD; Lately its been happening too much, its costing me a bunch of money if i count it all up and its not that healthy to eat since i go for fatty food most of the time. Hobby Finish a game on 100%; I like hunting for Achievements/Trophies and completing games, for this challenge i'm going to try and finish Rayman Origins on 100% (only have 2 achievements left on it). If i do good on this challenge i'm going to get a gaming/anime t-shirt. Just need to think of what kind of shirt Thats it, i'm ready to start and get this challenge going.

Look who decided to show her face again. *bullies laughing evilly and cracking their knuckles* (jk) So long story short, I got wracked with guilt the other day because my dad kept falling and we couldn't get him up and I am like the most useless thing ever when it comes to strength and stuff. My dad is in a wheelchair now but still stands up to do some things like putting on a belt (I'm going to convince him to switch to suspenders) or going to the bathroom or switching between chairs. But he still falls and we're powerless to help him and too stubborn to call for help (because we'll end up relying on it and calling for help multiple times every day and things won't get better and that can very easily breed resentment which we don't want). So I'm back here to get strong. Because my mom won't do it so I have to. The goal is to complete a bodyweight circuit three times a week, ideally MWF, with progressive overload. I'll be tracking exercise type/variation and number of reps. I'm starting with mastering the NF beginner bodyweight circuit (with NF beginner dynamic warm-up and some stretching to cool down) but I'd like some ideas on how to vary the routine some so I don't get bored (which is something I'm very prone to). I have access to a gym but I'd rather not use it for this challenge as I haven't paid for the membership. I have three sets of dumbbells (3 lb, 5 lb, 10 lb) and a fat kitty who is willing to be used as a small barbell in exchange for cuddles and food. Additionally, I need to keep track of nutrition and how much I eat so I can make sure I'm eating enough to sustain this level of activity. I tend to undereat in general and also my sweet tooth is a bit out of control lately (I am a sucker for anything with rainbow sprinkles). I'm not worried about my weight at this time (although I'd like to stay the same pants size - ugh clothes shopping). I already have a food log (I use this to track what foods might be triggering my IBS-like symptoms) but I'd like to be more specific and also I'm lazy. ClarinetFest 2019 is at the end of July, plus two concerts around it, and my playing chops are not up to speed. Practice clarinet 2.5 hours this week (add 30 minutes for each of the following weeks). Finally, I need to read more. My 2019 reading list looks like it will soon be graduating to my 2020 reading list. Read 500 pages of leisure reading (i.e. textbook reading doesn't count). I may or may not theme this challenge. I could bring back Steven Universe or do something themed toward the fanfic I'm supposed to be co-authoring (but then I'd be spoiling~!). And I'll put up a spreadsheet soonish.

Hello friends... my name is Katrin [cut-reen]. I go by Morag around here, and Katrin Morag almost everywhere else. I have been around these forums since April 2016 (2015?). Last challenge was the first challenge in all that time that I missed entirely. I am a 35 year old mother of two lovely boys, ages 8 and 15. We live in Kiel, Northern Germany. I weigh in at 97kg, which is a problem, but it's currently so far down the list of priorities, that I don't even have time to worry about it. My husband of 16 years is in the process of moving out. Actually he is almost entirely moved out, but the books and boardgames we collected over the decade-and-a-half of marriage, which turns out neither of us wants to keep, are a forest in my entryhall/diningroom. I am still in therapy. This break week is the last week of school before 6 weeks of summerbreak. I have a PILE of paperwork to do to get all the running costs to be send to my name and run through my bank account. And just a "minor aside" I need to find a job, so that I can indeed continue to rent our apartment, our home. I started sorting out my bedroom and library first, cant pour from an empty pitcher, and it is almost done. I have a tendency to make a floordrobe. I can't get myself to put worn-but-still-fine clothes back into the wardrobe. To keep that in check I have plans to build a kind of coat rack / silent butler in my bedroom. The space is there, I just need wood. I moved some furniture around, now I am finally sleeping under the windows again and the former space where the bed had been is a library reading corner. Which BabyBoy and I have been using quite a lot already. Next: livingroom. Still to be unearthed from all the clutter, need to decide if I keep the coffee table or get the other one out of the hall closet. Besides being able to walk through the room again would be nice. I dream of vacuuming. Second week of summer break, Wed 10th through Sun 14th, the kids and I will be out for a much needed camping break. Hubby and I never went camping with the kids. It's not so expensive. And the kids and I deserve a treat after all this bullshit. Hubby and I are in a weird place. He doesn't want to break up with me, but he doesn't want to continue living here either. I thought I knew what I wanted. I am not entirely sure any more, beyond "the apartment sorted" and "all this chaos out of my living area". The kids are stressed, confused. Yesterday hubby was here most of the day, putting things on ebay and taking boxes/bags to his place. Afterward the elder kid asked me, why Papa doesn't sleep here any more (because he's moved out). And BabyBoy has been sleeping in my bed for an entire week now. They suffer, but it will be better once the living arrangements don't resemble a garbage pile any more. I have plans for living room and entryhall/dining room. Both need a few things which I can't budget for yet, might not even be able to this challenge, but the kids are very brave and we will be okay. I am FLYing, have been for a while. My energy levels are iffy during shark week, but that's almost over now, and I am starting to get back into things. BabyBoy made a list for himself too, things he wants to do every day, tick off... it's cool. I gotta get the three of us moving. I have a lot on my list for the week, and I WILL make a dent in it today, so that I get a good solid start. Life is different than Hubby and I had planned, different than I had worked towards for the last 16 years. But maybe I get less compromises and more what I myself want afterall now... time to see what is possible.

It's a story as old as time... Respawning! I am starting this challenge a little late, so I will use it to build up good tools and habits, so I can be at 100% for the next challenge! I am really working on myself right now, focusing on building out a better person both at work and in my personal life, and while learning about growth mindset, realized that I had gone into a place where I had neglected my body, and moved back to thinking that "nothing could be changed, I will stay this shape forever, this is my destiny". But how can I hope to change my mental habits and think I cannot change my physical aspect as well? So, I am trying again! I will start slow, build habits, focus on not being miserable, doing thing for ME and having an actually inspirational goal, not something I think I may be able to achieve but not really want. So for this time, I am deeply focusing on myself and thinking about what I REALLY WANT, versus what I hide myself behind. 3 goals for these 2 weeks to prep (goals 1 are for week 3, to be done by May 12th and goals 2 by the end of the challenge!). 1- Get inspired - really think about what I want to look like. The styles I like (not the styles I have to wear because of my body shape), the clothes I always wanted to wear. Also think about makeup, hair and nails, which I can start doing immediately! ---> Goal 1: identify styles I like in magazines - cut out 5-7 pictures ---> Goal 2: find pictures of people I like and want to emulate - cut out and put on the walls 2-3 pictures 2- Establish habits - for nutrition and for moving. I've let my diet go, to the point that my diet is now "whatever I want to eat". Let me tell you, I want to eat chocolate more often than vegetables. So this is where I start watching meal-prep videos and how to swap carbs-heavy meals with healthier (but still happy) alternatives. ---> Goal 1: Re-balance diet: go back to eating from noon (1145) to 10pm, and eat vegetables and/or fruits with every meal ---> Goal 2: start meal prepping again, in order to eat outside less and facilitate goal 1 3- Track things and adjust, in order to stay happy - The best indicator of me actually investing in myself is the time I dedicate to thinking about it and tracking to make sure I actually do the things, but don't get too crazy. And I know that if I start slow and build momentum, I will continue and actually get to a great place. 4 years ago I was eating paleo and mostly carb-free. This seems far away from an all choco diet, but I can slowly go back to it. I KNOW I CAN. ---> Goal 1: track all that I eat and my workouts in a Google spreadsheet (the sheet is built!) ---> Goal 2: Establish goals for eating (using Weight Watchers Points) and for exercising (keeping in mind all of the things that Staci told me AND my preferences) Let's start our journey again - this time I am bringing with me a positive spirit and a desire to celebrate small wins. Let's go!

Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.” While this quote is widely attributed to Winston Churchill, there's some who argue it's true source. I'm off topic, please pay no heed to my ramblings. It's easy for me to lose track sometimes... Ok, ok all the time. I've been on this site for sometime. During that time I've never followed through any of my side quests to complete my end game quest. It's not entirely uncommon for me to begin anything and sprint right into the field of battle, if you will, and for some time I will excel, push through the gruel and sweat and then I'll lose that initial momentum. This is so true to the point, I really feel that at this point...it's almost damned near inevitable that is what I will do in anything I do. This isn't where I pictured myself at thirty-two years old. I'm not trying to be pessimistic, throw a pity party or be ungrateful for my many, many blessings in my life the Gods have given me. As such, there are many things in my life that I am the one responsible for the fruits they bare. I lost track again.. I think, em, maybe not? I'm thirty-two, overweight, overcome with stress, depression (But wait, there's more!) and anxiety whilst being generally unhappy with where I am in life. I adore my beautiful fiancee, our handsome wee lad and even our aggravating but sweet Shorkie, Gypsy...it's everything else in my life I'm unhappy with and these things are and have been bleeding into those wondrous blessings that is my family. Now that I've either got your attention or lost it (The latter is irrelevant, moving on ha), my name is Drew, and my nickname is Redbeard. Besides being thirty-two and overweight, I'm a gamer, an author, an oughta-be musician and last but most certainly not least a follower of the Anglo-Saxon/Nordic Heathenry and Asatru faith. I also am rather interested in many other beliefs, pantheon's, mythos and Core Shamanism as well those exclusively not separate to their parent faiths. This is my time, I'm nearly middle aged according to the general consensus, and if I don't change these negative things I dislike about myself, I may never be able to.

Hello all! It's been about a year or more since I've been here but I thought this would be a great place to keep track of my workouts and food again. Also for the first time ever, I will be finding an accountability buddy. I'm going to ask a friend of mine IRL right after writing this post. I am a 23 year old Female and I weigh about 142lbs. My goal is not really weight loss as much as is increasing my strength. I nearly pulled my back out moving something that has been usually very easy in the past for me to move at work and I can barely carry two jugs of milk in my hands anymore (I used to be able to do 3). Also I'm tired of my arms being squishy. My plan to start off with is to do a basic workout 3 times a week for 3 months and increase the amount of reps I do by one with every workout. Currently my workout consists of: Push-ups Roman dead-lifts (no dumbbells) Step-ups Squats Lunges I also want to eat healthier than I have lately and want to start by eating at least 1 serving of vegetables a day. I will be recording my progress in my battle log and hope you can support me on my journey!

So here I go again. Wow, it's been a long time. I'll summarize some major life changes: Getting close to a one year anniversary with my girlfriend! Over a year at my IT job Been off my medicine (depression, anxiety) for over a year So now that the good is out of the way, on to the less good. I got really out of shape again. After a photography-related accident, (fell off a cliff) I could not walk for 6 months. Needless to say, health and mental outlook suffered. I've been walking again since January, so time to respawn, reload, and destroy this challenge. 2019 Master Quests Lose 63 lbs. Eat Better Be Active Get Out of Debt Review/reduce spending Organize debts Contact creditors regarding settlements Become Much Better At Magic Education Practice Become A Much Better Vocalist Education Practice Perform a magic show Practice favorite effects till perfect Build a cohesive routine Research volunteer opportunities Build my photography business Do a few TFP photo shoots to build buzz Consistent marketing Prospective client engagement Whew! That's a lot of quests! I should probably just buy a quart of pralines and cream, a 2 liter of mountain dew and watch 14 hours of youtube videos right? #$CK NO! Let's break this *$%^ down into manageable pieces: S.M.A.R.T. Goals: Drink no more than one 21 once soda a week during the challenge (date night, movie, etc) Maintain 90% or better daily calorie goals Hit 5000 steps a day (average) Perform magic set for one open mic night

Hey everyone! Welcome to the first challenge for the artist formerly known as Wolfpool!! SheriffWolfpool is more akin to the life I've been living over the last 7-8 months (and it's my Xbox gamer tag name too ) so it only made sense to change it. Life for me has been....busy to say the least. My wife, the lovely Mrs. @PrincessMononoke, is only a mere 2 months away from giving birth to our 6th child! And before you say anything....Yes, I understand what causes kids... and I LIKE IT. We are very excited to meet our little one but we don't know the gender yet-we won't find out until birth. It's funny how this drives some people bonkers, lol! My guess is a girl, but maybe that's cuz I want a girl? I'll be just as excited if we have a boy, though. Shoot, we already have 4 of them lol. What's one more? . The names we have picked out are: Girl: Beatrix Viola aka Trixie Boy: Phineas Ryan aka Phin And if you've known me for any length of time, you know my love for unique names. My 4 boys are: Racer, Declan, Orin and Jamison. I'm a long time NF vet and have been a Rebel since 2012. Loooooooong time! September of this year will be my 7th Nerdversary lol. I've had a lot of ups and down over these last 7 years but I haven't lost sight of who I am and what I'd like to become. Mostly, I just want to be a great dad and husband and continue to lead my family along the narrow path God has set out for us. But, I also want to be fit and limited by very few things. I'd like to think I've grown wiser over the years and have a better understanding of "how to do things", but every day brings a new challenge and every day I'll be ready. I want to start as basic as possible. This means: no fluff and no overdoing it. I tend to have this innate desire to make my challenges "shiny" and chalked full of pics, gifs and everything else in between. Oh, don't worry, there will still be all that...just with less intensity. And, speaking of intensity...that is my goal: INTENSITY + CONSISTENCY = RESULTS! This simple formula is the key to all my diet and fitness goals. Actually, this could be the formula for life goals as well! However, just because the formula is simple doesn't mean the implementation is. You can be intense in your workouts...but if you're not consistent, then the intensity is wasted. If you're consistent but don't ever push yourself, then the consistency is wasted. This has been me...basically since I injured myself in 2016. I'm tired of it, honestly. I'm tired of being inconsistent. THE PLAN CONSISTENTLY workout 4x a week. Focus on: Ground Based Compound Movements (i.e deadlifts, power clean, power snatch) Unilateral Training (i.e one arm press, one arm row, pistol squats) Calisthenics (i.e pull-ups, static holds such as handstands, push-ups) Isometric Training (tension) Training vs Exercise TRACK all workouts. Log EVERYTHING. DRINK a metric ton of water MOAR emphasis on sleep Total Stat Points to Earn: +4 STR +3 DEX +3 END +2 CON +2 WIS +1 CHA I'll still dabble in other things, but I want his RESPAWN challenge to focus solely on getting back into shape. I'm hoping that by focusing on one primary goal that I can also focus on other's threads. I want to be there to support you guys and gals like you've always supported me . #StrongAlone #StrongerTogether Wolf

Hej team, I'm Bonaventa and I'm respawning with my first challenge ever. To make things more interesting I have an exceptionally crazy work week ahead and a long weekend away at the start of it. I choose to see this start as a good challenge to get out if my own way and jump start this new season of my life. I am a NF member for about 3 years now and have improved a lot since then. Less sugar by a lot, regular exercise is a thing in my life and my mindset has shifted a ton. Last year was a hurricane of events and I have been struggeling to maintain... everything. Weight-wise I maintained my level but in a quite unhealthy way. So this has to stop. Game plan: Up my EAT by going to the gym twice a week instead of once and make two Wednesday yoga classes a month in addition to the weekly Monday class. Up the NEAT by going for a walk every lunch break and play more with cats. Eat a proper dinner. Actually take the time and cook something nice for myself. Limit the sugar intake at work by drinking more. Aim to drink one kettle before lunch and one after (~3litres together). Go to sleep by half past ten the latest during work days. If possible, take make up off and put night cream on. I think that's enough goals to focus on for now. Let's see how this goes next week with all the meetings and expo prep to do before taking days off but I'm positive! #babysteps

I used to have a different log, but it's been so long that I literally don't remember what I called it. Since I'm restarting everything else, I might as well restart this too. I'm in Alaska. I'm 31 years old. I'm about to graduate university with a degree in Elementary Education (because nothing gets steps in like chasing first-graders.) I've got a pretty stocky build - being the type to put on both muscle and fat easily. So.....that's the brief. Motivation / Perseverance is a tricky thing for me. I have some fitness goals, but nothing dire will happen if I don't achieve them - and without that sense of impending doom, I don't especially care about keeping to personal commitments. Nobody is affected but myself. I'm not loot-oriented (well, I am, but being in charge of my own loot...hasn't worked.) I'm very mildly vanity-oriented. Which is where the respawn comes in. Since I graduate in 8 weeks, and photos are inevitable, I've set myself an 8-week goal of dropping 12 lbs. That'll get me to 165 lbs. There's a midpoint goal (in 5 weeks) of participating in the Fairbanks Beat Beethoven Run - where people who run a 5k in 31 min or less get a free ticket to any one performance by the Fairbanks Symphony. I don't do much running or cardio, other than as a warm-up, but I do love the symphony here. So I'm researching how to best train for that. That's where I'm at. I've got the goals, I've got the little paper calendar with stickers to track days I work out and weekly weigh-ins to check progress. If all goes well, my graduation photos will look like something I'll actually want to share.

It has been a year and few weeks since last I visited. A lot has happened since then. One major move from the Rockies to New England and a massive change in career and lifestyle. What drove me here? What else but a job my husband took. It's been an interesting, albeit stressful, year, gaining 40 pounds along the way. I finally got back to some semblance of eating healthier in November. It's been going great and I have lost 21 pounds by eating a ketosis diet! Yaay me! I'm here again to take the next step as I have plateaued so I'm looking for motivation, success stories and an exercise plan to regularly follow as much as I can given my wacky work schedule as an assistant volleyball coach. Outside of tossing balls in the gym, I've been pretty sedentary. Time to get off my lazy butt and work out regularly and get to that next mile stone --- another 20 pounds. Eating is nailed down. Somehow, I managed to dig deep and work through most of the rough mental days that would have ordinarily led me to eating fast food, ice cream, and mindless snacking. I haven't been perfect. A snack here and there, a meal, a whole day, a whole week even, but always managing to reel in the mindless gnashing and getting back on track sooner, and for much longer than in the past. I'd say 80% of the time I've been right on target. I finally found that discipline I needed. It's not easy. It's a constant battle, and I know now it will never ever go away. It is a demon that lurks just beneath the surface and I have to fight it always. Part of this shift was a mental resignation to accept the process of what it takes to lose weight, to know my goal, but to focus on the present. One big motivation was looking at the scale everyday. On a ketosis diet, the weight melts off. It is amazing how much weight you see falling off your body in the first week, sometimes two weeks! 8-15 pounds sometimes! Once the initial 'cleansing' passes, the weight levels off to a more normal level 1-2 pounds a week what I think is actual fat loss. Those first two weeks are critical to keep the motivation going, at least for me. Instant gratification that I'm losing weight!! I ramble.... Time to start exercising. One of the perks of working for a university is free access to the weight room, and exercise classes. Time to take advantage of this benefit. I've signed up, I only need to show up. First week Complete at least 2 body weight sets four times a week Morning yoga daily complete one spinning class First 2 body weight sets completed tonight. woohoo! Next Yoga in the morning Tuesday morning spin class Check out my actual journal for progress should you be interested.

Hi, I'm Waanie, and was active here a looooong time ago (5 years is long ago, right? ). The rebellion helped me get out of depression and to get my life on track again, to a point where I became too busy for it ^^. Currently I'm low on energy again, so I have plenty of time and not a lot to do. Because of my fond memories of this place, I decided to start here again. Now, I know that we're technically halfway a challenge. However, I wanted to start now and not wait in order to set a baseline for future challenges. Long term goal: get energetic again I know, it is very non-S.M.A.R.T., but hey, what works that works. In time, I want to enjoy the things in my life again, and that is very strongly correlated to the amount of energy I have. Normally, I want to do so many things and learn so many things, but currently everything is just "meh". Challenge goals: 1. Walk at least 25km per week Spring is starting, so going outside is nice and healthy. I will use Pokemon Go to track my distance and use it also for some accountability. 2. Do yoga at least 4 times per week All the walking, sitting and just existing wreaks havoc on my hips if I don't do anything about it. I could try to sit on the couch less, but instead I prefer a "positive" goal like yoga to keep me limber. I usually follow along on youtube, so that I don't have to think too much. 3. Stretch and/or foam roll calves every evening The restless legs are real! If I don't want cold, restless feet at night, I need to somehow get rid of the tension in my calves. That's it! Happy challenge .