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So here we are, after an absence of years, I have come home to where most of it began. Since last treading these boards, we have had success and failure, death and new life, summer, winter, autumn and spring, lost religion found a new one, and just recently cut people from my life who although family were extremely toxic. I am back in here to find my motivation, my mojo, my tribe. I have signed up for my 3rd novice powerlifting meet and need to find some like minded people, as there is no one remotely close in physical proximity that lifts like I did/do/want to. To new beginnings and finding old acquaintences! G'day and Cheers

ShadowSilk's goals for this Challenge: 1. Stick to the MFP plan 2. Walk for 20 minutes a day, five days a week 3. Do the strength training plan Shaar made for me 3x a week 4. Get back to knitting. I like knitting. 5. Write 500 to 1,000 words a week on any one of my multiple sundry projects -- it doesn't matter whether it's OW or FF, just WRITE. 6. Do my affirmations EVERY. SINGLE. DAY.

Ummmmmm ..... sooooooo ..... last challenge is over??? I kinda lost 11 days there while I was away, aaaaaaaand forgot that challenge was one of the reasons I was keeping (slack ass as it were) contact with my friends. This cycle looks to be little better galavanting-wize. I'm theoretically off to Abu Dhabi next week (leave it to DH's job to approve travel at the very last minute possible), and Challenge ends the day after I get back from DH's first real vacation since the move - in Sri Lanka. So. Probably won't be starting any lofty fitness plans this cycle. Will continue to Keto to the best of my abilities. Hoping to post a 'what i eat in a day' video this month ... super meant to for all my keto newb friends last month but flaked. Will continue to take pupper for her walks as long as the weather holds out. Will continue with my socialization so I don't goes crazy. Will continue to keep minimalism in mind as I spend more time than I'd like cruising the malls. Will continue to do what I can to try and yank DH out of his self pity/adjusting to a new location spin. Will formulate a plan that is going to cost a little money and not be as convenient as I want it to be re: fitness going forward. I'm going to have to compromise and I DON'T WANT TO. But, self-motivation is absolutely not happening if this past ... ummmm ... year? Two years? has taught me anything. I don't has it without that carrot of race bling to dangle in front of myself. I'm currently trying to wrap my brain around committing 4 weeks to a personal trainer - and paying for that. Don't Wanna. Friends Love Him. He Will Come To My Building. WHINE. NOPE, STILL WHINING. CONTINUED WHINING

Whoa! What? Who is this rebel tucking her tail and returning to the rebellion? Oh, it's Angela The Geek! Holy crap, guys... It's been like a really, really long time. It's been over a year since I started and didn't finish a challenge. Well, I'm back! And lots of stuff has happened in the time that I've been gone. Where to start... 1. I spent most of 2016 going in and out of the Emergency Room and Hospital. I went to the ER over 25 times in 2016, and added a few more times in 2017 to get up to a whopping 32 ER visits. It impacted my training for weightlifting, my work, and my personal life tremendously Basically what was happening is that I would get an intense pain in my stomach that would cause me to start vomiting, and then I couldn't stop. I would vomit 4-5 times per hour and dry heave when there was nothing left in me to throw up. When I eventually got to the ER, it was like starting over every time. The only thing that stopped the vomiting episodes was really heavy IV drugs, but they were always reluctant to give them to me, so they would give me everything else and I would spend hours suffering, before they finally gave in and gave me the good stuff. Sometimes they refused and sent me home anyway, then I would be back in less than 12 hours, and the whole process would start again until they gave me the right meds. My first diagnosis was Cyclic Vomiting Syndrome, which isn't actually an illness, but a symptom of something else going on. It took seeing a GI specialist, then a Neurologist to determine that I have Abdominal Migraines. They are as terrible as they sound. Luckily, the neurologist prescribed a daily anti-migraine med this year, and I haven't been to the ER since February! 2. In the middle of all of that going on, I had surgery in July to correct De Quervain's tenosynovitis in my left wrist. That put me out of training for 6 months. 3. Finally got back to training full time for weightlifting and then started having issues with sciatica. Spent a few months trying to work through the pain, then finally went to the doctor and got an MRI on my back. Turns out I've re-herniated my lowest disc and now it's pinching my sciatic nerve. Apparently, it's not supposed to look like this: SOOOOOOOO where does this leave me??? Getting back surgery at 35 years old. I'm scheduled to get surgery on July 26. Looks like it will be a 4-6 week recovery and then I'll hopefully be able to very slowly get back under a barbell. In the meantime, I'll be doing some swimming to try to not get too out of shape. MY CHALLENGE GOALS 1. Finish classes before surgery I am almost done with school! This semester I have three classes, and I've finished one so far. My term ends August 31, but I would like to get the other two classes done before my surgery. I have a study plan that sets me up to do this, I just gotta stick to it. 2. Stop eating like a weightlifter while I'm not lifting This one hurts my ego the most. I've spent the past 5ish years getting stronger by eating more. Now I'm doing nothing and still eating a lot. Gotta knock that off. This will be achieved by logging my food at least 5 days per week, and attempting to stick to my macros. Since I'm not training, I'm trying to eat lower carb, so that's what I will be focusing on. 3. Full recovery from surgery This is the most important goal. I probably won't be 100% recovered by the end of the challenge, but will be almost there. I'm going to be off work for at least 4 weeks, which means I have no excuses to not do my recovery PT and swimming. Recovery PT will be 7 days a week, swimming will be 3-4 days per week. This requires me to actually leave the house and go to the pool, which will be important to keep up my spirits while I'm stuck at home for a month. I am very much a homebody and would stay home 24/7 if I didn't force myself to leave the house. So, there it is. Short and simple. It has to be though, because I don't want to start another challenge and not finish it. I'm notorious for that. I'm SO SO SO SO happy to be back. I really need the support of my nerds to get me through this challenging time and to help me start back from square one with my lifting. I love you guys!

I'm not looking or feeling so good right now. I'll have to fight may way through this. - WhiteHairedWolf I totally could have completed my first challenge, which I attempted back in January, but I didn't. That was then, this is now. Meal planning - stick to a healthier diet for the entirety of the challenge, with planned meals for work and healthier snacks. Scoring: Two cheat meals or less per week = 100xp; Three = 70xp; Four = 50xp. Exercise - do more than four rowing sessions of 20m each per week for the entirety of the challenge. Scoring: More than four = 100xp; four = 90xp; two to three = 70xp; one = 50xp. Alcohol - drink less of it! Stick to wine or rye bourbon for the entirety of the challenge. Scoring: four wine/whiskey servings or less per week = 100xp; five to six = 70xp. Spend 20m cleaning or otherwise prepping for our move every day of the challenge. Scoring: seven days = 100xp; five to six = 70xp; three to four = 50xp. Since I'll be scoring this challenge weekly, there will be a total of 1600xp possible with 400xp per week. As long as I get above 1000xp total, I'll consider this challenge completed! I'm just getting started again, after all.

Three years ago I came to this place, I was aspiring monk, struggling with my diet and unable to keep training routine. And so my adventure with this place begun, you guys gave me amazing support and I was slowly making progress. My biggest motivation was my best friend and loyal companion - Zorion. Everything was going fine, I was reaching my goals, I was proud of myself and the progress I made. And then Zorion died. He died suddenly, when he was running in my garden he suddenly yelped and fall down. By the time I reached him, he was gone. He was only two years old, always healthy and full of energy. We were meant to become search and rescue team, as I was training him since he was little puppy. I was working at home, so he would follow me everywhere, always ready to assist. It came out that he had serious heart condition, he was supposed to live 6 month, veterinarian said, shocked that with such heart he did not only lived so long but never showed any weakness. We were always together and suddenly he was gone. After I lost Zorion I lost not only my motivation but any will to live. These were dark times. I don't remember much, I was barely eating and could not sleep. I would just lay in my bed crying or just staring at ceiling. I was not talking to anybody, not working, just locked myself in my house with Zorions ashes in small wooden coffin. But as time passed I realized that no matter how much I cry he will not come back and whimpering in my bed is not a way to honour memory of such amazing, loyal dog. So i got up and started slowly getting back to life. I was so weak that I basically had to start over. But I did it. After some time I regained myself enough to start setting goals and train again. But since I was struggling to set and keep my goals again I remembered this place and all support you gave me. It worked last time so I think we will help each other again. So, after three years of absence I'm back and respawning here. And I have helper.

Sigh... I have been away from the forums for quite awhile now... and tried to return several times already. I had my son in February and I have really struggled so far to do much of anything other than caring for a baby, the occasional walks or hikes, and some dog training. Kiddo is 6 months now, and I'm really trying hard to get diet back in order and I'm going to start using the gym daycare to start lifting again. Lifted today for the first time in probably closing in on a year. Pregnancy was really exhausting for me and I didn't manage to keep up lifting as I had always intended. It was humbling to say the least, and frankly a bit depressing. I gained 60 lbs and while I lost 30 effortlessly in the first couple weeks postpartum I have lost nothing since. But its time to start working back towards my goals. Goal #1 Eat Better Paleo was once really really good for me. When I first started to really overhaul my diet, I was pretty strictly paleo and it really worked for me. I felt good, and I was getting stronger at the same time. Though my nutritional needs are different now while I'm breast feeding, I do need to be focused on eating somewhat higher protein and fat, and less sugar. I'm not really restricting carbs, but they need to be from fruit and not ice cream. It's a process and I'm also not going to beat myself up if something happens and the plan has a hiccup. Goal #2 Starting Lifting Again I'm basically back at square one, which sucks. BUT, I suppose I am actually better than square one as this time I know where to start and what it is I have as long term goals. I need to be lifting (though right now, some things are actually just body weight) at least twice a week in order to start building strength again. Goal #3 Get Some Me Time Me time is SUPER hard to come by these days. Granted, I knew this going into motherhood, but dang... it's harder to deal with than I realized. Thankfully, my hubby is supportive, but I still need to take the initiative to do something for me once in awhile. Once a week, I need to do something specific for my own mental health... be that getting a massage, going shopping alone, etc. TL;DR Eat Paleoish, Lift 2x weekly, 1 "me" thing weekly

Hi guys! When I was in my first year in grad school 2013, I started challenges and lost a good 20 pounds. However, between the stresses of school, family, back injuries and dealing with anxiety, I got thrown off track. Boo. But now I'm back! And I'm trying to let it stick for real this time. So let's go! Diet Log my food intake every day using My Fitness Pal (I'm jazzyrags if you want to follow me there )http://www.myfitnesspal.com/profile/jazzyrag Eat dinner before 6pm 5 times a week Fitness Walk 30 minutes a day 30 minutes of cardio 5 days a week Level Up My Life 5 minutes of meditation/prayer daily. Thing is, when I start, I'm all in. But when I get stressed, depressed, or my anxiety sets in all my momentum comes to a screeching halt. Hoping that meditation will help that, if you have any suggestions please let me know!

Okay, the bitch is back...seriously this time! Last challenge I moved on day one, in an RV that shall forever be known as "The Money Pit", back to where I have always considered to be "home", but unfortunately the location we originally found came with it's own game of "fireworks or gunshots?" so we had to find somewhere else to park, which is not as easy as it sounds if you need it long term! I also had to find a job, figure out bills with all the unexpected expenses that have come up in the last month, and not kill my wife in the process (which is the real challenge for me right now!) I also didn't have my own internet access so needless to say I wasn't on here much...I need to get back on track because my entire life has pretty much gone to hell, especially this last month, but the prior 3 certainly lead up to it as well... Some positive things... We did find a place to park the RV long term I have my own internet access now I did finish my course! All that's left now is to take the CDM exam I have a job, just need to get my background check back and I can start...oddly enough, it's the only position I applied and got an interview for that was Dietary Management, all the rest were accounting positions...they are even going to pay for me to take the exam, which is 399.00 Not much more can go wrong with TMP, I don't want to say that too loud though, or it may decide to prove me wrong (in which case I give up and am getting an apartment!) Bad news, my laptop went kaput and I have to share with the wife now *sighs, not that she uses it much, but I prefered my own settings and layout...oh well, better than nothing Goals...I need goals...I'm so all over the place right now...it's been so long since I haven't been doing some sort of 'homework' I don't even know where to begin... I live in an RV, I don't have the funds just yet to join a gym, no room for equipment, I do have my kettlebells though, need to work on finding something I can do in my limited space, I need to get out and move more instead of sitting around and then taking out my aggravation on those around me, I need to study for the CDM exam so I'm ready...overall I need to figure out a routine that works for me and I can live with in this new venture. Movement and strength training...figure out what works with what I have Participate in the mini's! Find a routine that works for me...this is also going to include a social aspect since I want to be involved with some of the things that I used to do before, like Holiday Helpers and Pride Unofficial part of my challenge is remember to update here and check in with those I am following...I miss that, it got rather difficult with my wife and her "I just want to be included in every aspect of your life" that was driving me crazy and smothering me...I didn't really feel like I could freely express myself and still not sure how to deal with that...hopefully it will be better once I get back to work...

I am... Back? ... Yeah! I am back. =D Gods i have been bad. Last challenge I attempted was July? Things got... hectic. Death int he family, life blew up. Things getting crazy... So starting over.. again, 1 goal at a time. Well, Let's rename that to habit. 1 Habit at a time. I am gonna start with food. I am bad with food. Need to get better with food. SO! With that said, my habit to build: I will eat only 7 pieces of hardcandy a day. I purchased two bags of caramels to stash in my drawer at work for those I want to suck on something for the sake of it. And I would eat a ton of them in a short period of time... Daily. Well, three or four within an hour every three hours or so. Most days. So my goal now. I work 8AM to 5PM with an hour lunch. So that leaves me with 8 hours around lunch, of those 8 hours I am never hungry before 9AM, just don't ever want to eat... I drink coffee, that's it usually. So from 9 to 5 I am going to allow one piece of candy an hour. If I eat more than that one piece of candy an hour I cannot go over my 7 pieces a day.

Well, I guess it's confession time~ (It's going to be a long one as I'm going to be sorting out everything as I type it here...my mind's been going in circles lately, I swear) Almost a whole year ago I joined the Academy and was so thrilled to be a part of this community. I found a trail by my apartment and started running. On days I didn't run I made sure to get outside and walk - either on the running trail or just around the neighborhood. Occasionally a friend joined me on my run or I worked out with a few friends at the gym and I even started learning some self defense. Things were awesome. I had energy, I felt attractive, I felt powerful, I felt the best I ever had physically, mentally, and emotionally. I was so proud of myself because it wasn't "working out", it truly felt like it had become my lifestyle. But then 3 things went wrong all at the same time: winter, obtaining a third job, and guy troubles. (I won't be going into everything in major detail...just the drive by version to keep it all simple.) The stress of all three really threw me, and I still feel like I'm in recovery mode. I still worked out in my basement during the snow storms, but eventually that dwindled to a halt when I picked up a new job to help pay the bills, and then any hope of getting back into my routine was shattered when I started talking to my guy friend more and more and ended up spending the little bits of free time I had with him. That last part might not sound completely terrible, except that working out for myself became working out for him because I wanted to continue to impress him, as he was very physically fit and worked out a lot himself. Worst Idea Ever. It turned what I loved into a chore. And when it finally warmed up enough to go run again, I didn't go out because I was still spending my time with him (you may ask, why didn't you both just run together? well...we live across the country from each other, and the situation was really complicated and probably unhealthy to begin with). And on top of all that, I come home from work and feel exhausted because it's all I ever feel like I do anymore. So what's the plan? What am I going to do to fix this? Time management is my true nemesis here. And choosing priorities. At least, that's what I think this all boils down to. I can't ditch a job yet as finances aren't allowing me to. I desperately want to and as soon as I can, I will. My main job is stressful though (it's totally destroying my confidence), and I am on the hunt for something better. I'm hoping I'll find one that is a better fit for me and that it'll allow me to drop one of my extra jobs. Winter is going to be here once again and at least this time I will be battling it knowing what problems I already face than getting blindsided by a bunch tossed at me all at once. Last weekend I started doing small workouts every day to get myself back into the mindset of training. Some days I do a workout DVD, other days I only take a minute to do as many push ups as I can before I tire out. I'm just trying to do something, anything, each day. With each day, I've found myself to be getting a little bit stronger again and I know as I keep this up, I'll be back to where I was before when I was on top of my game. I try to remind myself that working out is for me and me only (if what I do happens to impress someone, cool, but I'm not going to make that be my reason for why I work out), and I use the time during my cool downs to reflect about what I have accomplished, despite my 6 month hiatus. I don't talk to the guy as much anymore (hardly at all, really, and probably for the best), because I'm recognizing that right now, with my limited time, I need to use that time for myself. I've started to feel better now that I've been doing something each day. My energy is starting to pick up again, and I'm finding that the small exercises helps me battle the other stresses in my life. I used to keep a log on here every day when I first started working out last year, and maybe I should try that again, if at least a once a week check in. No one has to read it, but by knowing someone might, it may help keep me accountable. I feel like this was all one big ramble, but it's something I didn't really know how to express or to who I could even say it all to. I feel kind of silly even writing all of this, but I think it helped, even to just clear my head for a moment and to try to get things sorted out.

Like a Phoenix, I'm reborn from the ashes. Respawn I will rise above & succeed. Life will not conquer me. I...will conquer it.

Hi everyone! I'm Kerry, as you can probably figure out from my super clever display name. I am a full time working mom with a toddler and infant. I finally want to get back into a great fitness and overall health routine. In the past I have had success with body weight exercises, interval training, yoga, and a few Beachbody workout videos. I'm following along with the daily emails from Steve and did my first actual strength workout for the first time in what feels like years. I'm thinking of slowly getting back on track, focusing on portion control, and exercising when I can. I'm leaning towards the assassins or the Druids but not sure yet. I'm already thankful for this program and venue for support.

Hello all I'm back Loki is back after several months of injury and rehab. I pulled a muscle in my shoulder and pinched a nerve in my neck. I've been laying low and recuperating. But Now i'm back and ready to get back to winning at the game of life Currently I'm still working on strengthening my shoulders and core. I'm inspired to return to the forms after attending Steve's CA meeting up in So Cal at Tempest Academy. I really want to continue with Parktour and in order to do that I have to keep getting stronger. So I'm 100% loaded up and ready to play Ready Player One? Y N HELLZ YEAH!

Well, I ended up having to have two surgeries in order to finish removing the cancer that has plagued me but now I am back on! I am going to pin the rebellion and look, seek, ask for motivation and encouragement. I am almost at my heaviest again, Almost 2 years ago I was at my fittest (thanks timehop). I know I cant control cancer and things, but its discouraging. I am going to go back and read emails. Prepare better paleo centric meals. I will get there. just.. Have to start. I started more cardio the other day, (Monday) and felt great, completed some yesterday as well. Today is more weight training but I may throw in some more cardio.

Coin after coin was dropped into that machine. Why play a game repetitively only to get stuck in the same place yet again? Low ammo, low health and mana, the enemy smirking at me, gap-toothed and cock sure that it will beat me yet again. Continue? 5...4...3... One hand is fidgeting with the quarter, the other is resting near the joystick. I've spent unknown hours standing here, staring at this screen. I've memorized the minion patterns and can hum the theme song backwards now. Is it worth it? Continue? 2...1... The quarter falls with a clink-clatter. My mind replays the run that didn't quite make it. Recounting how much ammo and mana I've got still. Perhaps this time, I'll try a different route to best the enemy. *In a nutshell, I stopped. Just stopped. I ate semi-healthy things and didn't work out at all. Then I saw an image that woke up all of my slumbering creativity and re-sparked my nerd love. Cosplay. I miss it so much. I loved dressing up and even the challenge of getting the outfit just so. I want to feel that again. But more than that, I want to feel like myself again. Happy, Confident and Healthy. So, here's to research, and food prep. Here's to getting up to do that morning wake-up jog and just one more Set. Here's to being stronger than a F$%%$^! bag of chocolate or ice cream. Right here. Here is to me not deleting my persona on Nerd Fitness entirely. To a NewMe. Even more than this, here is to a New You. Stay strong Nerds. The Force is with you. Always.

This challenge ends during my next convention, so it lines up pretty perfectly with some of my goals to get back in shape and make progress on costumes. Here we go. Let's do this. For real this time... cause something has to work, eventually, right? Dauntless – I Am Brave We believe in ordinary acts of bravery; the courage to drive one person to stand up for another. I am going to be less hard on myself. I always say I will do “x†program for this challenge. I’m getting a little workout ADD, so I want to just say that I will workout 30 minutes or more 5x a week. It can be biking, yoga, running, one of my many home programs, WHATEVER. My goal is to work toward doing push-ups on my toes, so I will try to incorporate push-ups every day, but the focus will really be on just MOVING 5x a week and increasing my strength. Candor – I Am Honest Truth makes us transparent. Truth makes us strong. I’ve been unwise with money this year. I’ve paid off my credit cards only to hike them back up again. I have $1,500 to pay off and I need to pay it off fast. I want to be done with credit cards because it is becoming more and more obvious to me that I can’t use them responsibly. They make it too easy to spend money I don’t have because it doesn’t seem tangible. Money isn’t a thing anymore, it’s the swipe of a card and a worry for tomorrow. As I try to get more into the mindset of setting myself up to start a family, this can’t be the case anymore. My goal is to pay my debt down by half by the end of this challenge. That’s $750 between three cards. I can do that. If I do more, great… but the goal should be realistic and attainable, so we’re starting with just half. Erudite – I Am Intelligent Knowledge is the only logical solution to the problem of conflict. I know that I need to slow down my social life and focus on getting ‘me’ things done 3x a week. I will have two tasks under this category and every time I work on either of them, I will count it as a success. I want to make progress on my cousin’s baby blanket (knitting). I want to complete my Princess Bubblegum gown in time for MetaCon on September 4th. These things are stimulation for ME. It’s me time, and time for my brain to recoup and regenerate without feeling like I’m being pulled in 100 directions to do other things. Amity – I Am Peaceful Trust, Self-Sufficiency, Kindness, Forgiveness, Involvement. This portion of my challenge will explore yoga and stretching 5x a week. Let’s be honest. I am not flexible – especially in my hips. It may sound crazy but sometime in the next 18ish months, I’d like to think I’ll be squeezing a tiny human out of there, so it’s time to suck it up and work on the hips and hammies. I plan to combat this by working through stretches that prepare the body for doing splits. I have several places of reference for making my hammie and hips more flexible: http://www.popsugar.com/fitness/How-Do-Splits-3551904#photo-3552999 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qZTGgEWPbLk And Cheech’s famous Hip Openers http://rebellion.nerdfitness.com/index.php?/topic/50130-side-quest-3-put-your-hips-into-it/ http://www.yogajournal.com/article/practice-section/hip-enough/ Abnegation – I Am Selfless I will become my undoing if I become my obsession. This is going to be a stretch, but for Abnegation, I am going to be selfless by treating my body like a sanctuary again. I’ve gotten back into processed foods, lots of coffee, and quick meals out, but I need to practice more discipline or I will be my own undoing. For this challenge, I am allowed ONE meal out per week and ONE cup of coffee a day. If I don’t use it, it doesn’t pile up. If I don’t use it, it’s gone. This, in theory, will stop me from stockpiling them to have one week where I just slack off and eat out every day.

So this is actually a restart, I did challenges previously, but never quite completed them, so this is a reboot, Ohlemontine 2.0, complete with support. That's right, I've conned persuaded my boyfriend to join me on a 6 week challenge and see how it goes. Hurray! So I did the math recently, and my 10 year reunion will be coming up soon. This is dreadful news, considering I am so much heavier, and have done almost nothing with my life since highschool. Not even college, I went for one year and ran out of money... >_< So the overarching goal for the next 2 years will be to lose 100 lbs, which will bring me back to the weight I was when I got back from my first year of college. In getting to this weight loss goal I hope to make other transformations that will add up to a healthier, stronger, more confident, more peaceful and content person, strong in faith and smoking hot in body xDD This goals specific goal is to lose 5% bodyweight. At a starting weight of 260, that comes out to 13 lbs In order to complete this goal I will be focusing on 3 objectives, and once completed this will add 3 achievements to my status The first Achievement I am looking to unlock is... drumroll please... Aiya Rainy Day Special: Mega Beef Bowl I plan to eat a Mostly Paleo diet. While full Paleo is not feasible with the limited grocery budget and the 2 males in the apartment who will not make that transition without a major fight, I will attempt to be as paleo as possible, with only the occasional condiment or side dish that may not make the paleo mark. I'm grading this on a percentage scale, and anything less than a 80% Paleo for the day will be a fail. I also plan to snack healthier, and smaller snacks, preferably of the vegetable or fruit persuasion. And will be drinking at least 100 oz of water/green tea each day. These are all goals I have been slowly incorporating into my everyday routine for awhile now, so I do not feel working on all three parts of this goal at once will be taking on too much. Second Achievement: Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger For the second achievement I will be working on getting fit. I will be getting active at least 30 minutes every day. Activities will include Yoga, Kpop Dancing, Bodyweight workouts, biking, and playing (Actively) with my son. This is a pass/fail, either I do it, or not type of grade. Last, but certainly not least, is the Achievement : The CircleMaker In which I will be strengthening my faith, and spiritual walk. This will be done by spending at least 30 minutes on my spiritual walk. Reading the bible, studying devotionals, prayer, praise and meditation will be the tools used to help accomplish this goal. This is another pass/fail type of grade As for a life quest, this achievement will be called Cleaning House- Literally I will be working on keeping the kitchen clean. The kitchen will need to be clean at least 5 of the 7 days of the week to pass this challenge. Will need to have dishes done, counters/stove washed, floors swept, and dinner taken care of before going to bed. So that's it, the whole story... oh... well i guess I suppose I'll have to update daily. So look out for those... thanks

Hello everyone! My name is Carter and I am a 33 year old woman living in St. Augustine, FL. I say 'woman' as it's my birth gender, but I associate with the male gender, so there's that. I usually call myself a guy/man, etc. BUT, with that out of the way - I am glad to be here! Nice to meet everyone. I have always been a long-time athlete. From a very early age I have ALWAYS worked out, been active, eaten well, etc. I actually have taken it too far in my youth and was not only anorexic, but an exercise bulimic. I have since gotten back to weight and found a healthy balance of diet and exercise. I have always been a swimmer, a runner, a surfer, a weight lifter, but I just seem to 'not care' anymore. As soon as I turned 30 - it hit me like a ton of bricks. I'm Lazy now. And I enjoy sleeping until the late afternoon/early evening. Waking up, showering, eating and doing nothing. It's the total opposite of how I have been my entire life. I want to change it and get back to working out, doing water sports (like kitesurfing, etc.) but I am ALWAYS hungry and have absolutely 0 energy. What is happening to me? I used to be a Scout who became a Warrior and now I am looking to turn myself into a Ranger. Any advice? Encouragement? Words of Wisdom? Please help a comrade in arms. Thanks.

Hello again - I joined this site several months ago, then kinda fell off. National Respawn Day is appropriate because that is what I need to do! I am back again, and continuing my journey, determined more than ever to finish! I will introduce myself again, because it's been so long. My name is Suzi, and I am 38 with just under 100 lbs to lose. I haven't fallen completely off the wagon since I joined but i definitely need a kick in the butt! I am giving myself that kick today, and hopefully I can start over my first quest, which I started on here, then wasn't able to complete. I am looking to lose fat and build muscle. I did start working wtih a personal trainer (who will also kick my butt) but lingering illness (gone now thank goodness) kept me from building any kind of regular routine. I am back and ready!

Gah. I'm not sure what to say here, but I know that I need something to keep me accountable. Urgh. Allons-y! I'm a newb. I have tons of knowledge, and know things in theory, but when it comes to practice, I suck. Hard. I lose motivation far too easily, and when things hurt, I don't do it. I've been taught not to do stuff that hurts, since I have chronic pain, but that's not helping me at all. So, I'm going to try to work through it this time, finally. Right now I want to focus on my diet, and do some easy exercise, but eventually will start going to the gym again. Here's my start. Here's today. Almost 23 years old, 5'8", 317 pounds. When I tell people this, they seem genuinely surprised, so hopefully that means I carry it as well as I'm told. But no matter how not-fat I look, I am. And I'm tired of it. I'm making changes. So I have a few goals. Some may be my 6-week challenges, others may be a month-long thing, but these are some of my most immediate things to work on and build habits for, in no certain order: Lose 30 pounds by 12/21/14Get to bed with no distractions by 11PM on weekdaysEat a healthy breakfast each weekdayTake a walk at lunch each weekdayI have a couple short-term life goals, too: Pay $200.00 to my medical debtSave $500.00 for a school trip in DecemberPut $300.00 a month into savings account (and don't spend it!)I'm hoping that by taking care of myself, I can eventually stop hurting my damn self (not self-harm, just general health weakness/dumbassery) and get out from under my medical debt. I want to eventually be under 200 pounds, because I am tall and have a big frame (wide shoulders, hips, ribcage, the whole thing). I worry that my "ideal weight" is under 180, which seems far too thin, but I want to eventually get myself (and maintain!) a weight between 175-190. But first, I want to lose 30 pounds and get fitter by my trip to Chicago in December (which actually won't be til the 26th, but holidays SUCK). So, yeah. This is my new beginning. Lunch time, good time for a walk!

Hey y'all, So I am a super-stressed out, incredibly busy college student and I want to break the cycle of my current unhealthy habits before I graduate (roughly a year-ish from now). I need serious help. With everything. Workouts, nutrition, motivation, all of it. Any and all help would be supremely awesome. Here's a bit of a breakdown- Workouts I like Lifting thingsDoing things that have a practical applicationI don't like RunningGoing to the gym (because the super-skinny girls do horrible things to my psychological state and the buff guys in the weight room intimidate me) Nutrition If I can make a lot of it and eat it through the week, that's awesomeI hate the idea that "I should never feel full"I have to be budget conscious I fall off the wagon when my life gets crazy and can't eat right for a several daysMotivation I get the most discouraged when I do something for over a month and don't see/ feel any differentNone of my friends are starting from square one like me. They're either already super-fit or aren't doing anything on the fitness frontI hate going it alone, but that often feels like my only option. So what do y'all think? Can someone help me out? Should I get my butt over to the academy? How can I set this up so I don't fail again? Seriously, I'm sick of starting and then failing. I'm willing to do something different. I want to do something different. I just need someone to help me set it up so I don't fail.

Hey there to anyone who might be reading this I have just eating another cheese sandwich that I didnt need (I wont even go into the rest of today's eating...), and I know I have to do something about my health before its too late. I'm a 30 year old woman, I work long hours (shift work), I used to be into running for a few years but have completely gone off the boil and am struggling to get any exercise in. I also used to be almost TOO healthy in that I made the mistake of under-eating, over exercising, and burning out. I shook that off, but now it;s gone the other way. I've gained weight, which is bugging me, but not as much as how I feel. I ache. I am tired all the time. I am stressed. I feel weak. I have started binge eating most evenings - I wont go into detail but my gosh, I eat a lot of rubbish. I dont know who I am anymore. I feel as though I am walking down a really bad path, health-wise. I have tried to get myself out of this countless times in the last year, but each time I get all motivated, eat better, try some fitness, I fall off the wagon big style (usually within 2 to 3 days if I'm lucky). I'm actually about to go to bed but I feel like I want to shout out to someone who might be able to understand what I am going through so I can latch onto some words of encouragement and turn a corner. I basically have nobody in the 'real world' I can talk to about wanting to change my lifestyle and become better. Family and friends just wont understand, and although I know ultimately it is MY CHOICE, I do feel that they purposely try to sabotage my attempts at levelling up my life. I think they mean well (they think I am 'depriving' myself or being too hard on myself because I dont feel I am the best I can be), but it really messes with my head. I cant expect them to support me on this, not until I am feeling much better, and then perhaps they will see the benefit and even join me on this path. So, I wonder if there is anyone out there who can give me a shout out, and even an idea for breakfast! That way when I wake up in the morning and check back on here, I might get reminded of this little spark I feel right now and I'll continue the right way all the way to work...and maybe while I'm there I'll keep the spark going. Then when I get back tomorrow night I'll feel a bit braver to open up a bit more, tell people a bit more about myself, my progress and hopefully help others along the way too. I've never tried this before (the forum, or even asking for help to do this), so forgove me if this post isnt the most exciting. It's just honest, and I am in a really sad place right now, trying to fight back thank you in advance, lovely people x

"The Man in Black fled across the desert, and the Gunslinger followed." - The Gunslinger by Stephen King [Work in Progress, would like to expand on this theme, add pics, etc...] I am starting over. I had attempted a few challenges before...even succeeded at a couple, but fell off the last two and then didn't even try for awhile. Once upon a time, I was in decent shape despite being overweight still. I don't remember how much I weighed, but I looked good in pictures for the most part. Now...not so much. Getting older, 32 now, I can feel the wear and tear on my body from being this overweight. Add in high blood pressure, getting cases of gout, and some injuries...and it's hitting me more than just needing to get in shape...it's about improving myself/my life. After being away for so long, both in challenges and being in better health, I need to start over...start fresh...so here I am in Rebels Like Roland's quest to the Dark Tower, I have a long way to go...and not an easy one. Main Quest: Ascend the Tower Work out at least 3-4 times a week - Workouts will consist of mixing up days of hearty cardio and strength training. ​​ ​Cardio - 30min on Elliptical at good pace for Cardio with 30min brisk walk on treadmill Strength - mix of different arm/upper body workouts with mostly free weights, only machine will be the assisted pull up machine Notes: I know treadmill would be better, but had a small knee injury a little while back and should probably take it easy on it until some weight comes off...same with doing much leg strength workouts. Will work them in future challenges. Maintain Healthy Diet Breakfast - try to eat something healthy and small, i.e. fruit, every day Lunch and Dinner - at least 6 lunches/ 6 dinner a week to be veggies/fruit and protein, 1 "semi-freebie lunch/dinner" Beer - Limit 2 pints (36 oz) a week, but will try for none. I have an beer event on Feb 7th that will be a lot of beer, am a home brewer, working on my certified beer server certification, and I have my own bar in my garage as a social setting for friends, I cannot give it up completely. But I can definitely cut back. The beer event will need to have sometime of counter-balance to have a shot at an A. Maybe some weeks of 7 healthy days, no beer weeks to save up for it, extra workouts/activities Snacks/Sweets - No more than 1 per week, minimal amount, i.e. small bag of gummi bears. Will strive for 0 though. Do at least 1 physical activity per week - hiking, kayaking, riding a bike, bowling, etc...just something to get out and not be a lazy couch potato. An extra workout/cardio day can suffice if nothing else is present. Life Quest: Cleaning the Tower This will take on two stages: physical and financial. Physical - Keep my house and bar clean. Single living out along the coast far enough away from friends makes me lazy in keeping my place clean. This needs to stop and I need to keep better care...who knows when I'll have someone coming over without much notice. Dishes - to be done regularly, not more letting them sit in the sink for days Take out the trash - food trash wasn't really a problem, but boxes from Amazon and stuff compiled. Laundry - stop waiting until necessary to do so. I have a washer/dryer in my condo, should be done once washer is full Clothes in dresser or hung up. Again, single bachelor living had clothes hung on chairs or over the couch. Time to be an "adult" haha Financial - Xmas gifts, new tires on my car, property tax payment, etc...need to pay these off and reduce CC balance. Reduce unnecessary expenses and pay off as much as the CC balance as I can Be a smarter and healthier shopper. Need to find ways to reduce grocery costs and eating out costs. Luckily eating out less will help and not buying crap food will too. Motivation: Self-Improvement I've been given signs that I cannot continue the path I have been going down...the extra weight is having physical ramifications to my health. It is also affecting me mentally in that I am often doubt myself and my what I am doing with my life...and while losing weight will not solve all of this issue, it should help. I think I need to get in a better physical shape and then start working internally. Grading: A - Workout 3-4 times a week, eat healthy 6 days a week with breakfast everyday, 1 physical activity per week - beer/snacks allowance maintained B - Miss 3 workouts, eat healthy 5 days a week, beer/snacks maintained C - Miss 5 workouts, eat healthy 4 days a week, 1 extra allowance of beer/snacks D - Miss 6 workouts, eat healthy 4 days a week, 2 extra allowances of beer/snacks F - Miss more than 6 workouts, eat healthy 3 days a week or less, more than 2 allowances of beer/snacks Bonus - If I do not take any snacks/sweets, and net less than 192 oz of beer (32oz x 6 weeks) including the beer event (which I will approximate the amount of ounces). If this is achieved, I will treat myself to a nice Nerd Fitness t-shirt! Notes: if anyone in the SF Bar area wants to get together for activities to help stay active, I am more than happy to meet up.