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Sorry for being MIA, work took away our wifi because planning a switch over before actually doing it totally makes sense. I finally got it back yesterday. Also, went to the chiro, had 3 adjustments, started icing my back/hips/shoulder every night, and I started a strict (as in I actually do it) warm-up routine. Those three things have made a good improvement, but I am still babying the arm as much as possible. Last challenge kind of became a mess because as much as I hate to admit it, if I don't see crazy awesome results (which normally isn't a great sign in the long run) I get antsy and change things up too fast. Part 2 is going to change that, or at least curb it a bit. FEB MEASUREMENTS GO HERE AT SOME POINT: Current weight: 187.8 Goals will basically be the same with a bit more detail... Goal 1: I Will Embrace My New Hellish Workouts While I do eventually need to focus on LISS at some point I had started going to the gym more often last month. I now do M/W/F with the trainer, and at least 1 other day Thur or Sat with a friend. So Sunday I will be adding a walk with the hyper pup or yoga, and Tue I am leaving free so I have a day that I know I can be a lazy ass if I really want to. -Go through the 10 min pre workout warmup every damn day and ice after workouts to continue to heal. Goal 2: Meal Prep That Shit I had breakfast prep down almost the entire challenge last go around, I am going to keep up with that and add a minimum of 4 prepped lunches for the week. Also, I will follow my nutritionist plan for ALL FOUR DAMN WEEKS... instead of becoming impatient and going keto for a week and a half until my digestion said NOPE. Goal 3: Drink the Damn Water I did really well with this at first but it kind of fell by the wayside as the challenge went on. I will be using my notebook to keep everything tracked so that doesn't happen again. Goal 4: Make Myself Feel Pretty Damnit! I bought 4 blow dry bar sessions when I went yesterday before my date night, I will use those up randomly this month and try to at least put some damn eyeliner on. I will also continue to show off my awesome matching legging/converse collection on IG as well as take at least one video of a lift. Life Goal 1: Attack some spring cleaning early. - Dresser cleaned out and things tossed or donated - Start Craigslisting things that we can sell - Finally put up the curtains in the guest room - Clean out closets - Properly put away the christmas tree that my boyfriend just threw in the guest room... - Get rid of the extra crap in the gaming/dog room and make it more homey feeling (put up those damn curtains too...) Life Goal 2: Take the leap and order the damn shirts for my and my friends business, also get quotes on printing once they are ordered.

Another challenge, another chance to conquer. Let's do this! I'm super stoked for this challenge! I'll be doing a five-week challenge this time around, but I will be evaluating me quests on a week by week basis and edit, change, swap, or remove any quests as necessary MAIN QUEST Land a new job and get fit doing it WEEK 0 QUESTS QUEST ONE: badland training (WEEK 0) alternate between strength training and running in the mornings and do x4 per week (I'll be using the superhero app from six to start for strength and a C25K app for running) QUEST TWO: saving food rations (WEEK 0) meal prep breakfast, snacks, and dinners (lunch will be dinner leftovers) find out the family's schedule so meal portions are enough find recipes for meal prepping hunt down the food cook the food QUEST THREE: bunkering down (WEEK 0) read a book +30 minutes before bed/ go to bed before 11 pm and wake up early/ get+7 hrs of sleep LEVEL UP YOUR LIFE QUEST: badland bounty hunting (WEEK 0) sit down after morning routine and send out at least 3 applications WEEK 1 QUESTS QUEST ONE: badland training (WEEK 1) alternate between strength training and yoga in the mornings and do x4 per week superhero app from six to start for strength and a youtube yoga videos) QUEST TWO: saving food rations (WEEK 1) Count calories and input water into MFP at least x5 per week QUEST THREE: bunkering down (WEEK 1) Shut off all electronics before 10:30 pm, read a book +30 minutes before bed/ go to bed before 11 pm and wake up early/ get+7 hrs of sleep LEVEL UP YOUR LIFE QUEST: badland bounty hunting (WEEK 1) sit down after morning routine and send out at least 3 applications

While the title of this post may seem like petty clickbait (...okay maybe it is), it is the perfect description of my current strength training routine. Okay, I suppose I can give at least a bit of context. You see, while I struggle climbing a few flights of stairs without being winded, I am very strong. Even as a squishy nerd girl in high school I could easily bench press 80+ pounds with no training. I was just raised with archery and other activities that optimised my upper body strength. This has, in turn, meant that it became a marketable skill in my many adventures into the workforce. Here we come to my current job: as a cashier turned early morning stock worker at the local PetSmart. I never knew pain until I was formally introduced to clumping clay cat litter. Unlike nice weights in gyms, with their sturdy bars and such, even 40 lb floppy dead weight bags of litter become a pain to lift. It folds over and pinches arm skin, and it is just generally gravitationally cruel. On top of that, one haso hoist these massive bags of literal SHIT SAND onto shelves that some monster of a store planner designed. Seriously, why do they put the heaviest shit up high? Are they aiming to crush the tiny little old cat ladies that are too stubborn to ask for help? Don't even get me started on boxed litter. While not being as heavy and cumbersome as a dead body, like the bagged litter is, boxed litter often is stacked precariously on the pallets, with the flimsier, weaker boxes predictably on the bottom. Trust me when I say that there have been a few instances of adrenaline-fueled superhero strength caused by imminent death via a cat's toilet utilities. And I do this in various stages of repetition for 8 hours. Non-stop. Anyways, the point is that in the evenings (the evenings being my dedicated workout time), there is no way in hell I am doing anything with my arms. I refuse. I make my living getting biceps that even Alex Louise Armstrong would be proud of. If there are never any posts on strength training, this is why. TL;DR: Poop sand is heavy.

Salutations, brothers and sisters of IRON! This is my first post and challenge EVER and I hope that getting to know y'all is just as wonderful as I'm thinking My name is Nilton and I'm from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. For more than 10 years I have battled against obesity and eating disorders, and I'm now on my way to a full, happy, strong and powerful life through weight loss and strength training / lifting. I'm still a beginner in the gym, altough it's not my first time. As of November past I weighed 130kg (I don't know how to use pounds, sorry haha) and just now am entering the 115kg mark, which is very fullfilling and awesome to me. I measure 1,70m of height and my ideal/wanted weight is 75~80kg with plenty of rock hard muscles. So let's compare (Pic from last November - 125~127kg) And this is how I am now, a pic from last night (116kg): The holidays were a mess, I let my compulsion run wild, so there were limited results from me. That's why this challenge rises. LET'S GO: FIRST CHALLENGE = REACH 110KG BY FEBRUARY 8TH I'm following a couple of unorthodox protocols for weight loss, but you guys probably do them too, if not, questions are welcome, ok? I'm on a ketogenic diet (low carbs and high good quality fats, very similar to the Paleo one, but more focused on staying on ketosis through the rewiring of energy gathering, from fats instead of carbs) as of two weeks and feeling GREAT. I also do an daily intermittent fasting of 16 hours, which has helped a LOT with compulsion and appetite in general. I eat less now, have a lower appetite and can control my feeding better than before (it was like a starving Hellhound, I believe). Also I feel more energized in the morning, my coffee addiction has diminished drasticaly (altough I still have to wake up to a hot cup hehe) and my overall strength / condition has improved. My plan is to keep this strategy as my body seems to have adapted awesomely to it, and I'm loosing 0.5kg almost daily. Also, I am starting to supplement next week so my gains are not put back because of the diet. It does it's job of burning fat very well, but I also need more protein, vitamins and aminoacids for muscle growth, and some good quality complex carbs. As I go, I'll begin cycling the keto and the paleo diets for optimal nutrition. Strengthen my shoulders - I can already feel the toll of the other exercises on my shoulders, as most people who start training do. So I need stabilization, stretching and strength exercises to fortify my shoulders and prevent a lesion. I'm preparing that and would love to have some help with it! Keep on the ketogenic diet and achieve optimum ketosis - I need to do my bloodwork! Keep on doing intermittent fasting and start adding a 24 hours fast each week Take my measurements on the 22nd Start suplementing with Whey, Creatine and BCAA I want to be effin' ripped. That's it. I want big, powerful muscles and a great body definition, that's my dream, or at least get close to that and keep going until I reach it. I know 8 months is a short period of time to recover from obesity, but I'm here to CHALLENGE myself, not conform. I hope you guyses help will make that easier e funnier Also I would like to say I'm 100% clean of any kind of hormone altering drug. I don't believe those can help me other than being a crutch. Addictive personality! My intention is to keep this as a diary/journal of sorts, so feel free to follow; I don't promise to write every single day, but at least twice or three times a week. That's it for now! Thank you all very much for your time. Talk to you soon!

Hiya fellow rebels! After KICKING MAJOR BUTT in a Tug of War competition I learned that one of my biggest hurdles to better health fitness was that I hate cardio. I failed every attempt at a regular exercise regime in less than two weeks because I was focusing on cardio, not strength training. I want to beat my results from last year (SemiFinals or better! YESSS LETS DO THIS) and eventually cosplay as a badazz Lady Gaston at a Con.. or Evil Lyn from the Masters of the Universe (because I'm a not-so-secret-aging-Goth-Nerd) I hate putting myself out there like this because I am generally a very independent person, good at starting things but not finishing them, who was born with a very tragic patience-deficiency. (I'd like everything done yesterday, thanks.) Baby steps are kind of my Kryptonite but I joined the first challenge this year to help build systems to keep my Quests in focus and help them be successful. My Quests are: Get Stronger, Prioritize Family Time, and Level Up the Bizz. My Challenges are: I've got a lot on my plate and I need all of the accountability to bring my goals from a spreadsheet into real life. I'm a mom with a more-than-full-time-job at an IT company, a long commute, plus a side hustle creating art. I spend all of my free time in the evening (after KidSith has gone to bed) working on my business so I can do that full time, painting or writing. My creative time keeps me sane but now I am also building it into a business, which leaves little time for anything else in my already full day. I find excuses to save time/be more productive (eating out, skipping sleep, working through lunch, drinking all the coffee/energy drinks) and my health and quality family time have been sacrificed. My 2nd biggest realization (1st= loving strength training) from the last year is that I'm just no good at being a lone wolf. This is where you come in! (Hiya!) I joined NerdFitness to get the community and support that I've been missing that will help me overcome my challenges. HELP ME REBELS YOU'RE MY ONLY HOPE! Just kidding, that's too much pressure, but feel free to join in and leave me a reply to keep me motivated.

Jason Bourne is very strong so Quest 1 is: Strength training 2x/wk. STR +3 He also speaks multiple languages so Quest 2 is: Spanish 6 days/wk. CHR +3 He can travel long distances on foot so Quest 3 is: Walk at least 1 mile/day. STA +3 He has a lot of stamina so Quest 4 is: Cardio 2-3x/wk. STA +3 He knows first aid/healing so Quest 5 is: Anatomy 3x/wk for 30 min. (Minimum) WIS +2 And Materia Medica class. WIS +1

So new year, new goals. The big thing looming which I have been looking forward to for a long time and was one of the main reasons I started my fitness journey is a Spartan Race. I intend on running in the Boston Sprint race in the middle of June. That means that I have 6 months to get into fighting shape for that event. In order to do that, I have 4 overarching goals that will continue up to the Spartan and beyond likely. Drop weight, definitely below 300lbs for race, stretch goal of 280lbs Continue strength training specifically upper body and core Learn to run - minimum 5k distance, stretch is 10k Don't get injured The next few series of challenges will be smaller sub-goals that will contribute to the greater cause hence the part 1 of this challenge. For this current part challenge, I am going to make strides towards all of these 4 main goals with a setup that has them as sections my challenge goals will fall under. Weight/Food Track, track and track again - Track 7 days per week - I seriously do so much better when I track everything. When I only do like 5/7 days in a week, I am not mindful enough on those brake days and end up just putting back 5000 calorie days like they are nothing and ruining progress. No skipping out on little snacks here and there. Everything that goes in my mouth goes in the tracker. Hail Hydrate - Drink 100oz of water per day - Staying hydrated helps me cut down on cravings and hunger. I cover this most work days with my 40oz nalgene at my desk. I easily drink three of those per day when working. But looking at weekends, not sure I had more than one or two glasses of water per day over the weekend. Need to change that. Strength Training Keep Calm and Lift On - Keep up current strength work - Two times per week FIT classes with the bench press and deadlift focuses. Use weekend sessions for overhead, squat, and other supplemental exercises and conditioning. Up and Up - Integrate more upper body work - Looking to increase upper body strength with certain movements that I am not currently comfortable with. Things like pull-up and dip progression as well as grip strength will need improvement if I have any shot at doing things like monkey bars or rope climbs. Not sure how to really grade this yet. Abzzz - Do core work 3 times per week - Looking to build up some core strength more than what I get from squats or other main lifts. Adding in some small ab sessions at the end of workouts or at home on rest days will suffice for now as supplemental work. Running C25K - Do C25K 3 times per week - Feel like a good intermediate goal for Spartan would be a 5K race. There is a race near St Pattys Day that I am leaning towards doing. Starting C25K now would be a good prelude to that. In the balance of training...I would sacrifice a lifting day for a run for this challenge...gasp! Injury Prevention They See Me Rollin' - Foam Roll 3 times per week - Foam rolling seems to significantly help out with knee soreness. Interesting discovery is that tight hips may be a culprit to the knee pain. Trying to change a bit of the focus to hip flexors and glutes to see if I can work out those spots to relieve some knee stress. Sup? - Take supplements every day - Currently stacking Glucosamine to help with joints, Max Adrenal for hormonal support, and Max Capacity for focus and strength boost. Previously max capacity was just a preworkout but going to go with that as a daily from now on as the focus is helpful regardless of the gym. Working with an expert with range of supplements, she recommended that as it continually builds over time so the occasional preworkout usage does not ever reach top potential. Hope you all join along for this journey. Its going to be quite the trip...Sparta is approximately 4700 miles from my front door so its going to take a while...buckle up!

Starting up a battle log to keep track of all my workouts. Longer workouts really increase the size of my challenge thread posts so going to try this method out!

Well, my fellow Rangers, I think my title says it all. I'm trying to find some consistency as far as my workouts go and I feel like I'm just in a holding at my office. While I generally like my job, I'm feeling very done with working at my current firm. I've been here 10 years and I've hit the ceiling as far as upward mobility - unless I stage a coup (not likely). The good news is that my best friend wants to hire me! We work very well together (same industry) and push each other - playing devil's advocate and such. The bad news, I have to wait until have the 1st of the year - thus I am treading water in my current job. As a result of my job, my anxiety has flared up quite badly and I'm not sleeping super well. And when I don't sleep super well, that means that I then don't want to get up and workout the next morning. And it's a vicious cycle. So, I'm going to keep things simple. Goal 1: 2 strength workouts a week Goal 2: 2 cardio workouts a week (even if it just means a 20 minute walk) Goal 3: Meditate every day. 3 days a week. (Every day was setting myself up for failure). Goal 4: Complete one of my Epic Quest Challenges (read 75 books in one year)! Well, here's to leaving 2016 behind!

This challenge is going to be sweet and simple. Welcome! Looking at my Withings scale app, I have put on 15.9 pounds in the last 5 months, but really the last 3 have been the killers. Back in August, I was dropping in the single digit 300s with a low of 308lbs. Now my weight has crept back up into the 320s with a high of 328lbs. Clothes are starting to tighten again and I am pushing closer and closer to numbers I never want to see again. I really want to do a Spartan Race or GoRuck event in the Spring or Summer and weight is playing a big factor in my preparation for either of those events. Time to reverse this trend and start bringing that weight back down. The overall goal for this challenge is to cut that increase over the last few months in half which means an 8lb cut over the 5 weeks. At my body size, that should be perfectly reasonable and will bring me back down into the 3-teens range and I have a stretch goal of returning to 310lbs. Forgot to weight in this morning with my rush to work so will update this with starting values tomorrow. Last challenge, I spent some time getting off of a strict diet template and getting back into logging my foods. It was not be best effort at this and I intend to right that this challenge with set goals and numbers that I played around in the past. For this challenge the goal is to eat an average of 2600 calories a day. That should be a significant cut from what I estimate as maintenance(3100-3200). I think having this as an average will be a little more flexible as I can adjust as needed especially around special events and weekend social stuff. Luckily the next few weeks leading up to Christmas seem to be pretty calm. Also, my eating goes much better when I meal prep on the weekends. Much less likely to grab junk if I have brought good stuff with me. This is a fair warning: prepare yourselves for some serious food porn and meal prep on here/instagram. I will also share recipes upon request when I have them...most of the time I wing it so I can give a best guess. Workouts have been solid so there wont be much change from the past few challenges. Try to get in twice during the week for crossfit/bootcamp style workouts and then a few added sessions on the weekends when free. Not going to track this as closely this challenge because I have confidence that this is not an issue but will update workouts here still(maybe a battle log to clean up everything). Simplifying this goal to being active 4 days a week so if I only get in to lift twice then I need to do something else to stay active(ski season is upon us now so there will be an increasing amount of that coming up). So without further ado, here come the checkboxes! Food ☐☐☐☐☐☐☐ Zero Week MFP Tracking - Avg Cals: 0/2600 ☐☐☐☐☐☐☐ Week 1 MFP Tracking - Avg Cals: 0/2600 ☐☐☐☐☐☐☐ Week 2 MFP Tracking - Avg Cals: 0/2600 ☐☐☐☐☐☐☐ Week 3 MFP Tracking - Avg Cals: 0/2600 ☐☐☐☐☐☐☐ Week 4 MFP Tracking - Avg Cals: 0/2600 ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ Batch Prep Each Week Weight ☐ Net Loss Zero Week ☐ Net Loss Week One ☐ Net Loss Week Two ☐ Net Loss Week Three ☐ Net Loss Week Four Fitness ☐☐☐☐ Zero Week Activity ☐☐☐☐ Week One Activity ☐☐☐☐ Week Two Activity ☐☐☐☐ Week Three Activity ☐☐☐☐ Week Four Activity

Guys, I'd appreciate some advice. A couple of months ago I somehow (still don't know how, but I blame those one-legged Romanian deadlifts) managed to put my back out. I woke up one morning unable to stand up straight or walk without pain. The doctor declared this to be sciatica and prescribed plenty of rest and some strong painkillers/anti-inflammatories. I was upright and walking again in a couple of weeks, albeit slowly and not too far, and eventually I've been able to start running again. I'm taking it slow and I'm nowhere near the 5km I used to do every week, but I'm building up. The main aim is "Don't Injure My Back Again". It aches a little these days but I have mobility and it doesn't hurt like it did. I think my muscles need to build themselves up again. I have a couple of questions that I'd appreciate some advice on. Is this a good idea? My heart says yes, and I do want to get some more running in before winter seriously sets in, but would I be better with walking until my back recovers fully? Or is running the best way to build back up? These back problems also scotched my bodyweight routines (I haven't dared try a push-up since). I'd like to start introducing some back strengthening exercises but I don't want to push too hard and injure myself. Which ones would you recommend? I was thinking of starting with squats and then perhaps easing back into push-ups with wall/knee variants. Thanks all!

I've been at NF for 20 weeks. I've logged my food every day, levelled from Academy workouts L1 to L2, and I've made very small changes, moved backwards in eating and haven't dared take a progress shot since week 12. In short, it's National Novel Writing Month on Nov 1st, and my only real aim is not to give up on everything 'fitness-related' while I crank out words. KISS: or WMMW, as it turns out... :: Workout 7x a fortnight :: Mindful eating via questioning if I really want this :: Meditate once a week :: Write fiction The aim is to write (on average) 1,667 words a day. Hoping to catch up at weekends. I've also had to book an eye test because I'm experiencing horrific tension headaches which impact everything I do. Trying to check eyes and teeth before speaking to a doctor.

So. October has been a complete washout for me. I've been sick (ugh), over-scheduled (not new) and generally behind on everything. I've been skipping workouts and except for this past weekend haven't run since September (sort of intentionally since I want my ankles to finally heal, but not really). Mostly I've just been isolating myself, which is a bad sign generally and in my case is like Step 1 to reverting to Old Eric, who exists, but only in flashbacks. Some of those flashbacks are kind of awesome, but mostly they just involve the not-so-mysterious whereabouts of entire bags of Tostitos. I don't want Current Eric, who has moments of badassery, to pull a Hermit Luke Skywalker and just up and disappear. Until last week I even needed a haircut just about this badly. One of us is not going to just sit around, boo-hooing, and fade into legend. It's taken me a couple (several) weeks to realize that this is where I am, and do something about it, but I've managed to realize it and begin to do something about it before someone had to create a clumsy plot device to find me. Pictured. Now what? Now we get back to what works. Also pictured. Back to Basics I've been trying to pinpoint when I felt like my best self, because THAT is who I want to be. I've been there twice recently: first, right before my first Spartan Super in Vegas in April of 2015, and again at the Spartan Super in Burnet, TX in April of 2016. Both times, I was rigorous in tracking my calories and my food macros, I was making nearly every workout, and I was running regularly. It's not a secret formula. It works. I am my best self when I am following my plan and setting myself up for success. My gym has changed, significantly, since then, but that doesn't mean that I can make excuses. Goal: Macros Here's the deal for the foreseeable future: 1850-2250 calories per day 125-150 grams protein 35+ grams fiber <2500 grams sodium Everything gets tracked and reported here. Goal: Strength Training Here's the deal for the next Crossfit-style class Monday Heavy lifting Tuesday, Thursday HIIT Friday Boot camp Saturday I can deviate on Saturday if I have a race or if the North Star Spartans are sponsoring a workout, but that's it. Everything gets tracked and reported here. Goal: Run, Dammit Here's the deal for November: Run Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday. I have a half-marathon training plan that I paid for. Use it. Follow it. Each week's plan gets posted here for public viewing and public accountability on Sunday. Every day gets tracked and reported here. Oh, and I'm doing back-to-back days of the Spartan Beast in South Carolina this weekend (Day -1 and Day 0 of this challenge) to put me within one finish of my 5x trifecta for 2016. Yeah, I know, one Spartan Race at a time has frequently been my entire challenge goal in the past, and this weekend I'm doing two Beast races, but I've managed to evolve over the past couple years into something that Old Me wouldn't recognize, and this neither one of the toughest nor longest courses on Spartan's circuit. Also, due to my current level of training, it'll be more like a fun run on Saturday and then a nice long hike on Sunday when I guide my GF through the course to earn her first Spartan Beast finisher and Piece #2 of her first Trifecta. I'm back, Rebels.

I'm not new to NerdFitness, but I am new to the forums. Back in May, I started taking pole dancing classes, which remind me of how much I actually like being active when I find something I enjoy. After pole dancing for about four months, I realized I actually want to look like I pole dance. So yeah, I'm vain. But this motivation works for me. I have about 74 lbs to lose, and at 2 lbs a week, if I don't plateau, or gain any weight *fingers crossed* I can have that off by my birthday next July. Current habit changes I'm working on are only drinking water, going to pole classes four times a week (not that hard, I love it, just have to fit it in with my work/family obligations), and cutting out carbs for one meal a day. The last three weeks I've been pretty good about water, I only lapse about once a week, which I'm taking as a victory. The hard part is the carbs, because I eat every meal with people, and they ALL comment anytime they notice me eating something "abnormal," or just slightly different than I normally would, and it sort of puts me off it because it draws attention. I know I just need to get over it, but I'm such a socially awkward introvert, that for me, that's a lot harder than it sounds.

After a bit of a hiatus, the Slayer is back! I'm a little frustrated because I'd made some great progress, and then I started law school and fell back on some old unhealthy habits I thought I'd slain along the way... Unfortunately, the undead don't like staying dead, so here we are again. The story goes that I've been staying up way too late, buying way too much food from vending machines between classes, and generally neglecting keeping myself grounded. I've been getting moving a lot because I've been dancing a couple of times a week, but I'd like to be working on getting stronger so, you know, I can actually get better at the dancing. And slaying. The goals: 1. Eat four home-cooked meals a week. I usually get lunches on campus (mostly for free), but for four meals a week, lunch or dinner, I need to eat meals I've cooked at home. Baby steps. I'm not counting breakfast. BONUS: avoid paying for unhealthy food. 2. Strength train once a week. I'm already doing yoga once a week, so this'll bring me up to 2. I'm tempted to say twice a week, but I think starting smaller is probably better right now. 3. Go to bed before midnight every night that I'm home that early. Because this 2AM business is a little much. 4. Meditate for 10 minutes every day, ideally in the morning. Slayer needs some mental quiet. Those are the goals! I'm starting tomorrow since I didn't hop on here until tonight. I'll let you all know how it goes.

Seeing as how Calanthia is new around these parts, she figures that she owes you a little intro: At 4'11" and over 165 lbs, I have always been a very typical hobbit, short and round. I enjoyed the comforts of home far more than the rush of adventure and the feeling of my feet on a path. I was married at the young age of 20, still practically a child in hobbit-years, and now three years later, I feel I have done nothing of importance in my life. I went to school to teach science to adolescent hobbits, but have never been hired as a teacher because no one wants to hire a hobbit that has to move every year for her husband, who is amazingly attending Healer-school and serving in the Shire border guard at the same time. I was an athlete when I was young(er), however the years had been hard on me, both physically and emotionally. A combination of discouragement, years of comparing myself to my successful and ambitious husband, and general lack of motivation had contributed to feelings of inadequacy, numbness, and what my husband calls "the blues," though at times I fear it is something more. But all of that is going to change. I began my adventure in November of last year, and since then I have been wandering from place to place, hoping to find somewhere that I fit in, somewhere that I belong. I've had some brief visits with the Assassins, Scouts, and the Druids, but nothing ever really felt like home. For the past several months I even took to the wilds, wandering without direction and without companions, until today when I happened to stumble upon Ye Olde Ranger Guildhall. Inside was a Ranger, and when he spoke to the crowd within the hall I felt an awakening of the bravery and wanderlust that started me on my journey nearly a year ago. This is where my story begins... May your roads go ever on and on, ~Cal As Calanthia Cobbin's alter-ego, and the only one of us who has access to technology (they don't have internet in the woods of Middle Earth), I will be her anonymous typist. She is currently working on her challenge goals, and once she relays those to me I will post them here ASAP Thank you all for listening, and I truly hope that you will love Calanthia as I have grown to love her! Challenge Goals Week 1-3 Recap Week 4 Recap Challenge Recap!

I'm getting back up on my feet with His strength, to fight another day. You raise me up... to live / fight on...

Hey everyone I'm here with more questions....I hope that's okay. I am doing the C25K where you run 3 times a week. I'm wondering about strength training for the other 2-3 days. Should I focus on just one or can I do both throughout the week? -What all does strength training involve, or what should it involve weights wise? -What kind of workouts do I do as a beginner? I know there are "back days" and "leg days" and such but how do I cycle through those? -Can I build muscle at home? Without going to the gym? if I am dedicated enough? -If the answer is yes to above, what kind of equipment do I need? -What's the cheapest way to create a home gym atmosphere? (I'm not above using milk cartons filled with water or canned goods if it gets the job done ) To get an idea fitness wise where I am. I can run 3-4 miles. I can do about 5 solid pushups keeping good form...haha yep that's it. I have noodles for arms. Squats kill my knees but if they work I'll do them. I also just purchased "Level Up Your Life" from amazon. Should be here tomorrow. Are there tips in the book as far as strength training goes? Or is it mainly about the character building and diet? Sorry for the gazillion questions! I am so confused and completely lost (aka such a noob) when it comes to the workout side of things and how to build a routine that will help me be successful. If there is even a website/book/article that you can suggest too...I'm taking all ideas here! Thanks for reading all this and for your wonderful help!

Hey! I took a short break but now I'm back to crush some goals. I recently started the Keto diet (I hate that it's called a diet since it's much more than that) and while I dreaded having to give up my bread and pasta, things are going well for me. I've been making simple meals and haven't cheated once! It's only been two weeks but so far I'm down 7lbs and I feel great. What I like about this way of eating is it is totally something I can do long time. Even if I do decide to have something that has a large number of carbs, I can jump back on the Keto train the next day and keep going. Anyway, here are my goals for this challenge -- 1. Exercise at least 3x/wk -- I am going to be starting a Kettle Bell program and will be running also. 2. 100oz. water per day -- I've been doing pretty good at getting my water in but really need to focus on meeting my goals. 3. Stay within my Keto macros -- I have my numbers set in MFP so it's easy to keep track. 4. Meet StepBet numbers -- StepBet is like DietBet but for steps (lol, duh right?) I have to reach, 9,277 4x/wk, and 12,913 2x/wk. I get one rest day. Those are my goals for now and I may add a couple more.

I'm going to keep this one short and sweet. Reset button on and I need something to keep me motivated after losing my main day job. Diet/Fitness: 1. Eat 1 salad every day. 2. Go to the gym every week on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. 3. Complete the Nerd Fitness Flexibility Challenge. Life: 1. Book 2 shows as a mentalist. I'm actually closer than I've been to getting under 200 since college. I really want to break through the plateau. Right now, I'm hovering between 203 and 209 from day to day.

This is my 3rd challenge since joining. I thought I was a monk at the beginning, but throughout the discussions in the first two challenges, and the mini-challenge here at the Guild, I've found my place. I used to play Ragnarok Online (across 3 servers until the last one shut down), so that tends to be my personal go-to for metaphors. I reached level 98 Assassin-Cross on 2 of those 3 servers. So here goes my 3rd challenge goals: I’ve spent 10 weeks in HiddenTemple, and now I’ve picked my class. From Novice to Thief, I’m on the journey to become an Assassin. I’m giving up Prontera Fields, I traversed the MorrocDesert to find the Guild, and now I’m moving over to Payon to gather XP. I’ve seen no changes in weight or measurements, and I wonder if I’m not eating enough overall to build muscle, although I have improved slightly on my workouts. So here goes for challenge #3. As I can’t lose the momentum, I make my challenges 5-weeks-long. 5-Week Challenge (Assassin: Weeks 9-14): I - Strength: 7x a fortnight - NFA Modified Level 1: A - Full squats instead of assisted. Knee press ups instead of elevated. One-arm Dumbell Row instead of bodyweight. Add 12s one leg balance in middle set. Add 5 alternate lunges at end. - NFA Modified Level 1: B - Inch worms instead of wall walks. One leg balance for 12s not 5. Add 3 capoeria gingas at end. I - Balance: 1x a week, 5-mins - Complete Capoeira Ginga, Kata, Shivanata, Dance or Yoga, Extra NF Challenge [Boss or Mini-Challenge] III Energy: 5x a week - Include protein with 2 meals a day - Cut down to 2 ‘unhealthy snacks’ per day - Use sugar content to gauge ‘healthier’ decisions - Morning Routine: 1 minute Metta practise & Sip Water - Evening Routine: 3 Breaths Druid Exercise, Complete Gratitude/Positive Data Log Here goes nothing!

Our Valkyrie is getting somewhere! Last challenge was not all rosy due to a biz trip to China which threw me off course, but post biz-trip I was compensating for bad eating in China and working out extra and it was great!!! So happy happy Challenge!!! So let's continue on the same path! I can already see results - some on the scale, some in my energy level, some in letting go (thank you meditation). For this month, I want to have a more balanced approach to working out BUT with a Twist! And I'd like to focus on studying again - but in a realistic way, not the "go study for 10 hours now or die ok then I'll die" approach I took before. After all Valkyries too have to learn to crawl before walking and running to kill Giants!! Goals for this Challenge: 1- Get STRONGER 2- Get LEANER 3- Get RESTED 4- Get CALMER 5- Get SMARTER 6- Vainquish these obstacles which I never get to do even if they are small This challenge will have both tasks with points allocated and tasks which will be Pass/Fail (since they have been on my challenges for like 3 months now!!) DESTROY. OBSTACLES. ON. PATH. More details later! (Also I could never be skinny for the life of me...)

Hello Fellow Rangers! Just sticking this here as a bookmark. I feel like my last challenge was good but there's plenty of room to build on!

So I've been watching the Spideyfit YouTube channel lately... What's not to love about a Spider-Man cosplayer who does fitness videos? In the below video Spideyfit states there are 3 important skillsets needed to become your own superhero. Strength, flexibility, and endurance. So I'll be basing my fitness quests on these principles. The focus this time around will be on maintaining existing habits and plans, while also building new ones. Quest 1: Strength Using the Start Bodyweight routine customisation page, I've developed a push/pull split workout plan. The quest here is basically to stick with the plan throughout the challenge and report at the end how well it has worked after 5 weeks. Quest 2: Flexibility Every day I will spend at least 5 minutes working on stretching and/or mobility. Trouble areas to focus on - Hamstrings, hips, lower back. Quest 3: Endurance (modified) Go for a Ruck or long walk at least twice a week. Quest 4 (life quest): Perform at least one act of meaningful adulting every day. Bonus Quests Share the awesome - Weekly highlight reel edition! As always, I'll be posting a weekly highlight reel of all the awesome things that have happened during the past week. The point of this is basically to help me keep a positive mindset by focussing on the good things that have happened rather than the bad. Assassin's Guild Minichallenge Use this thread to keep track of my contribution to the mini. Should hopefully motivate me to keep contributing.

LET'S KICK SOME ASS!!! It has been a fun return so far! Returning to working out and Muay Thai has been great. Tracking is...well it's tracking and I do need to figure out tweaks to my diet, but having that habit again is great! Also doing art again! My muse has returned!! The last challenge just kicked so much ass so I wanted to make sure I kept the awesome train going! As most of you may remembered, I first sought out my NerdFitness training about...one over a year and half ago and brought myself to this gym in my introductory From Lurker to (Newb) Rebel! thread before moving onwards in detailing more of my training for various boughts and challenges I would do in BlackTezca's Daily Battle Towards Feline Greatness. In there I have logged my many victories over my honorable challenges (as well as one crushing defeating) include my comeback fight with my latest challenge BlackTezca's 12(.5)th Trial: An Artsy Geeky Amazon Must Choose Between Mercy...or GENOCIDE!. And now it's time to face my NEXT CHALLENGER!!! For this challenge I have chosen a long running anime for my theme. A boxing anime called Hajime no Ippo that seems well suited to my chosen martial art (we went over Boxing Techniques and movement Wednesday) and a very awesome character study. Though gifs maybe hard to come by, I'll do my best to show this show off with this challenge! Not only does this show match up with my main goal, but so do my quests! My quest to get my strength back, my Muay Thai and kickboxing going, my artistic muse kicking, and also to honor those who may have returned from the battlefront but did not fully come back home...this quest is... My Main Quest to be as POWERFUL and BATTLE READY as Wonder Woman Lets' move onward to the quests! This is gonna be a bit of a hard challenge than last time, mostly cause I'm trying to set stricter ground rules on what I had built up before. Gonna be a bit of a pain, but hey...a challenge isn't suppose to be easy! It's suppose to LEVEL ME UP! Ichiro Miyata has the technique and the diligence but needs to work on that glass jaw! Details: Miyata is an awesome boxer with great technique on footwork and famous for his counters, however he is not the strongest puncher (thus why he utilizes his opponents strength against them through counters) and is infamous for his glaw jaw. A trait inherited from his dad. I myself need to get stronger like he does and thus will be doing strength training 3 times a week. This could be a leg day and arm day then a combo, or combo all three times (squats, deadlifts, benchpress, overhead press for at least 2 sets of 8). We'll see. Contingencies: Sickness and travel pretty much. However considering the flexibility here, I should be able to do something! Walking, yoga, etc! Tracking: I'll be tracking the workouts using MyFitnessPal ( username BlackTezca ) and this lovely thread will be updated as well. Grading: A for strength training 3 times a week - 25 pts ( 2 Sta 2 Str ) B for strength training 2 times a week - 20 pts ( 1 Sta 2 Str ) C for strength training 1 times a week - 15 pts ( 1 Str ) F for all else Ippo Makunouchi keeps up his passion and training for boxing! Details: Let's up the ante and train more like Ippo! Twice a week for kickboxing and/or Muay Thai! I have an Shirt Promotion ceremony Sunday which will help dictate which classes I can go to (all of them should be the answer. Except for sparring and NOT because of the shirt but for...other reasons). Contingencies: Sickness, vacation and any nausea from clone habitat building. Should be all right though now that the first trimester is over! We'll see! Tracking: I'll be tracking the workouts using MyFitnessPal ( username BlackTezca ) and this lovely thread will be updated as well. Grading: A for Kickboxing/Muay Thai twice a week! - 15 pt ( 1 Sta 1 Dex) B for Kickboxing/Muay Thai once a week! - 10 pt ( 1 Dex) F for all else Masaru Aoki is a great chef who makes great food which I need to eat! Details: So Aoki is an...interesting boxer, but a very good cook who also makes delicious food. While I don't make delicious foods, I eat a lot of delicious foods and now I need to go back to getting my protein game on! So hoping to eat over 100 grams of protein again for the added strength training! Contingencies: Phone does like my myfitnesspal anymore. However, I can still track with a tablet and my computer. As well trust my trust memory!Tracking: I'll be tracking the workouts using MyFitnessPal ( username BlackTezca ) and this lovely thread will be updated as well (with total calories and some food descriptions. Good and bad).Grading: A > 100 grams of protein goodness 6 to 7 days a week - 20 exp ( 1 Cha 2 Con )B > 100 grams of protein goodness 4 to 5 days a week - 15 exp ( 1 Cha 1 Con ) C > 100 grams of protein goodness 2 to 3 days a week - 10 exp ( 1 Cha ) F for all else Masahiko Umezawa is finding his own identity and making art his dream! Details: Umezawa grew up A LOT since his high school days; going from bullying Ippo to being his biggest fan, to his best friend, and finally finding his own dream of being a manga artist. I need to keep my own art up and it's almost NaNoWriMo, so I need to get back to working on my story! Expect not just art but also more character descriptions coming up too! Contingencies: Busy weeks and weekends and friends visiting during labor day. However I have been making time for both model painting and my drawing so this should not be an issue :D.Tracking: I have an art Tumblr and I also have DeviantArt (WATCH ME FOR ACCOUNTABILITY). I shall use those and this thread to keep track. Grading: A for at least 30 minutes 4 to 5 days a week - 20 exp ( 2 Wis 1 Cha )B for at least 30 minutes 2 to 3 days a week - 15 exp ( 1 Wis 1 Cha) F for all else Ryo Mashiba has the longest arms in Japan and has grown up too hard and too fast... Details: One of my friends nominated me for the 22 push ups for 22 days challenge. This challenge is known as 22Kill and is to honor our veterans and raise awareness of veteran suicide. I am a proud military brat and my father, brother, uncles, and grandfather are all veterans and each one has had their challenges from the wars they each served in. Sadly our veterans don't get the support they need once they return home; some of them come home with demons that they sometimes don't escape from and battles they don't win against. I'm doing this challenge not just for my family who I am grateful to still have in my life, but for those families who have lost their loved ones and honoring those who still serve in hopes they finally can get the support they need and that they deserve. I'm not gonna 'tag' or challenge anyone for this, but if someone else wanted to join in, that would be awesome :D. Contingencies: Need to remember to do this. 22 push ups is not a lot, but ugh pregnancy brain and tiredness. Also illness. Hope not to get sick.Tracking: Tracking to be done here mostly as well as MyFitnessPal ( username BlackTezca ) under individual exercise reps!Grading: A for 22 push ups 20 to 22 days of challenge - 20 exp ( 1 Wis 2 Str )B for 22 push ups 18 to 19 days of challenge - 15 exp ( 2 Str ) C for 22 push ups 15 to 17 days of challenge - 10 exp ( 1 Str ) F for all else The challenge is set up and I'm ready to go SMASH MY FIST INTO IT! Below is a 'fitness' photo; though some things are getting a bit bigger, I like to point out my arms are one of those things :D. <Photo TBD> Got a photo up and I'm planning on making it slideshow...in fact I may post it as a slideshow gif once I have the preferred photo. It show my state as I get into the ring with this challenge. I'm quite excited to still be here and get my ass into gear and beating this challenge will definitely show that I am here to stay...for now. Until later in the third trimester maybe. Until then, lets' fight on!!