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Hi, everybody! After 6 challenges, I am finally starting a battle log to have somewhere to log in between challenges. I really like the challenge format, so I will almost certainly go back to that, but I have come to rely on my interactions here on NF, and this seems like a reasonable alternative. I am in week 4 of SL. Loving it. So...Today's workout: (Everything is in pounds) Squats: 2 x 5 @ BW 2 x 5 @ 45 5 x 5 @ 90 OHP: 2 x 5 @ 45 2 x 5 @ 65 DL: 1 x 5 RDL @ 45 only 1 b/c I forgot. So after loading the bar, I ran over and grabbed an empty, but felt greedy (even though by that point no one else was lifting barbells), so I just did the one set. 1 x 5 @ 115 Hang for time (Which I am now calling "Dead Hang" because it sounds waaaaaaaaaaaaaay cooler) Dead Hang: 1 @ 40 seconds 1 @ 35 seconds 1 @ 39 seconds My best effort, by far! Probably because we got to talking after the 2nd set, so I had a much longer break than my usual 90 seconds - might have been 4 minutes. Perhaps a lesson there... Thoughts: OHP: Oh, so THAT'S what everyone means when they say their set was "grindy". Uh-huh. Don't OHP again until Monday; not switching to microplates until I fail 3 workouts in a row, and I did not fail today! I'm hoping that I have more in reserve, and that I am just learning how to work hard, but I will switch to microplates as soon as I need to - not too much ego about it, here. They are just so darn fun!DL. Felt the entire body on these, today. Felt awesome! Maybe the weight is getting heavy enough so that I need to work harder? I don't know, but it was very satisfying. Squat: Starting to really feel the weight. The first set was heavy. The entire fourth set was tough, and the fifth rep of the fifth set was tough. I never felt like I was going to fail. Just felt heavy. And slow. Squat: Probably time to practice bailing out of a lift. The dudes at the gym need a good laugh, why not. I squat in a cage, so while I technically could have the husband spot me from behind, it seems far, far safer (plus will look less obscene to the rest of the lifters in our teeny tiny gym) to just bail onto the safeties if I need to. Anyone have a good video tutorial on how to bail out of a squat? Had very poor sleep (both quality and quantity) last night - that may account for any or all of the comments above. tl;dr - Hi. I lifted some stuff today. Gonna keep doing it.

Last NF Challenge of 2016 - - I am a SUPERHERO I’ve been thinking (dangerous I know!) and I have decided that I don’t need to become anyone other than myself. I will always keep Black Widow as a role model for many reasons, but there are so many other superheros that have admirable traits and are inspiring. Yet not any one of them are me so I think I will be come my own SUPERHERO! What does it mean to be a superhero? I asked my family what they thought a superhero was and this is what they came up with: From the kids - Strong, smart, agile, loyal, protective, fit, bulletproof and â€I'm Batmanâ€From the hubby - put lives at risk to save others and self sacrificing (it is important to separate these because his answer are very telling of his mindset)What I think – Smart, positive, strong & agile, problem solving, never quitting and fighting for what they believe in. I will find motivation within me. I have so many things I want to accomplish and who knows what will come up tomorrow that I might want to try. Right now that bucket list has many things on it and I don’t imaging the list will get shorter anytime soon as I am always adding to it. As of right now I am still registered for a half-marathon on Feb 21, 2016. I don’t know if this is possible as I am healing up from foot surgery on October 5th, but rehab and running will be a focus for the next few months. And then rucking – OMG I think this might be my thing!!! Also lifting heavy things and skiing and hiking and tennis and volleyball and archery and…. I think you get the picture. As always my children and hubby are the largest source of external motivation for me. I want my girls to be happy, healthy and successful so I need to be the best example that I can be for them. I will support them in most any endeavor, cheer for them, be there when they are down/struggling and in general be the best parent they need (not the parent they want.) A successful parent raises their children to be successful adults!!! As for my hubby; well look at his superhero trait suggestions above! There is not much I can do other than encourage him to take better care of himself while helping to minimize his guilt. I don’t know why taking the time to take care of him self causes such guilt, but it does… Both the kids and the hubby are considering attending Ju-Jitsu classes and I will encourage them all!!! I am starting this challenge on October 26th (week 0) and I’ll end it on December 22nd (week 7.5) because I want to do as much as I possibly can before we leave on Christmas vacation. It’s a vacation where I want to play hard and enjoy the beach as much as possible. So 8 weeks and two days it is for me!!! Goals are in alignment with superhero traits but as simple as possible to ensure success! · Superheros are strong, agile and fit: I need to get back to regular exercise! o Lifting – I will get back to the Stronglifts program but with a quicky-lifty bent. I’ll do the lifts but I won’t rest as long because who has that much time and a life!?!?!? I will take baby steps because I’m starting over with the bare bars. And for Christmas I am asking for a personal training session with some Olympic weightlifting coaches that I just found here in town!!! § Stronglifts 2-3 times per week § Daily body weight stuff in my office for 10 minutes, twice a day, 4-5 days per week: pushups, squats and abs o Walking/running – I’m starting this challenge in my walking boot so this will have to be a progressive goal. My goal is to make progress from walking initially to running and hiking at the end of this challenge. I will of course listen to my doctors and I reserve the right to make any changes here as needed. Goal is 30+ minutes 3-4 times a week § In the boot: 30 minutes on the recumbent elliptical § Walking: outdoor or on treadmill – § Running: when allowed § Hiking: when the weather allows o Yoga/stretching/physical therapy/foam rolling - This is an as needed task that will be better defined after seeing a physical therapists. That being said I want to get back into the habit of yoga § Physical therapy – as needed § Yoga – once a week o Skiing – once we get an active ski season going on (opening day is tentatively scheduled for Nov 27) skiing can replace wither a lifting or running workout (but only one or the other) · A superhero has lots of energy to fight the forces of evil: Food is very important to me. My food choices can make or break a challenge. I thought I was eating OK and I hate to log every bite that I eat. Despite this I experimented with MFP recently and it was a revelation. I need to keep track of my food as a tool to keep my macros on track. So I keep tracking on MFP will aim for: o 1500-1700 calories per day o low carbs (below 100g always, aiming for 50g per day) o at least 100g protein per day but more is better o what ever else in fat. o I reserve the right to adjust if needed o I will take Thanksgiving Day off from tracking and guilt! · A superhero is a smart problem-solving machine! Sleep is one of the most important things that I can do to help keep my mind sharp, stay productive and maintain a positive outlook on life. So this one is simple: o If I go to work the next morning bedtime is 10:30pm o If I get to sleep in tomorrow bedtime is 11:00pm · A superhero always takes care of the things that they believe in. I believe in myself and my family. So to best do all of the above to take care of myself and my family one key is to keep stress to a minimum, therefore I will do the following: o Get x-mas done early – by Thanksgiving (before if possible!) o Pack early – 90% done over the Thanksgiving weekend with a list of the last minute packing so I don’t forget something important. (I pack for me and the girls) o Take time for me – I’d like to do a girls night out with friends and take the time for a mani-pedi before my vacation o Stop reading crap – I’ll read only the good stuff and the overall amount of reading will be reduced. o Take time to spend with each member of my family 1-on-1 – This translates into the plan for at least one 2-4 hour “date†with each member of my family at least once in the next 8 weeks · BONUS Superhero action: o Superheros are good examples for others to follow (usually) and they help when they can. I will be a superhero for my hubby. He needs the support when it comes to sleep, exercise and eating healthy. o A superhero makes things therefore I will make things § Clutches (gifts for a cruise summer 2016) § Cross body bags (gifts for my girls and nieces on that cruise) § Pillows for the outside furniture o A superhero is clean?!?!? § My craft room is a mess, so I'll clean it § Decluttering and selling items will happen in a random fashion That looks like a lot but it really is the basics: exercise, food, sleep and family I need a superhero name, or do I? Maybe I’ll just traverse the challenge and my superhero name will arise…

Like any journey there is preparation. This is what this post is, soon the journey will begin for real. I am currently gathering the equipment I will need and mentally preparing myself for what will come. I will step on ground both familiar and new...but will push myself further and harder than I have before. There is a need to move away from the old me and find the new me that wants to be released. I want to participate in activities that are only viewed from the outside, taking on challenging adventure races (Spartan Race, Tough Mudder...) return one day to the Krav Maga classes that I once loved, but no longer would be able to keep up with. A new dawn will rise soon.

They see you as small and helpless;They see you as just a childSurprise when they find out that a warrior will soon run wildPrepare for your greatest moments;Prepare for your finest hourThe dream that you've always dreamed is suddenly about to flower MAIN QUEST: Prepare for the future! 2016 is going to be a crazy busy year in my professional life and I still want to accomplish a lot in my personal life, including becoming a true Triple Threat (be an acting/singing/dancing MASTER) and completing a sprint triathlon, all the while not backsliding on any of the progress I’ve made since starting my fitness journey. It's a lot to handle, but a future huntress needs to prepare to be prepared! QUEST 1: PRACTICE OUTSIDE OF CLASS [+3 DEX, +2 CHA] This quest that has Jaune written all over it: he goes to Beacon under false pretenses and has to work doubly hard outside of his classes just to keep up (though often with Pyrrha pushing him to do so). That said, he’s also an incredible dancer, as are the rest of Team JNPR. For me, I came into the acting game later in life than most people, and I have a lot of catching up to do especially in the dancing department (since I’m all about the musical theatre), which means I need to work on dancing outside of class so that I can be just as castable as anyone else. So, twice a week, I will work on my personal trouble spots from jazz and/or tap class on my own time. It will not have to be all at once if my schedule does not permit it, as long as each skill/move is touched upon on two separate days of the week. A = 2x/week | C = 1x/week | F = zilch Prerequisite: Attend a jazz or tap class. Caveats: Prerequisite is waived if I cannot get to a class due to scheduling conflicts, inclement weather, or health reasons. If I get injured, this quest will be replaced with a conditioning quest to encourage a speedy recovery, details to be determined if this happens. Bonus Opportunity! I can earn an extra $15 towards Japan spending money for every session I spend focusing on Latin-based dancing in order to prepare for Evita auditions/callbacks. QUEST 2: FIGHT OR FLIGHT [+2 STA] Sometimes, a huntress just needs to know when to run. Or swim. Or take some other mode of transportation out of a sticky situation, like, say, a bicycle if it happens to be available. And hey, sometimes, you just need to be adept at these things just to know how to survive when fighting Grimms. Since one of my big 2016 goals is to complete a sprint triathlon, and since biking and swimming are areas I’ve never really focused on, I need to start working on them now. So, twice a week, I will swim, bike, and/or run, BUT at least one of the sessions MUST be either swimming or biking. If I only run, I get docked a letter grade since I’m already a strong runner. Yes, races will count for running. A = 2x/week (swim/bike at least once) | B = 2x/week (running only) | C = 1x/week (swim/bike) | D = 1x/week (running only) | F = zilch Prerequisite: None. Caveats: If I get injured, hopefully I can still do one of these sports depending upon the injury, but if not, I will adjust accordingly or get a bye for the duration of the injury. If I get sick, I get a bye for the duration of the illness. Bonus Opportunities! I can earn an extra $50 if I manage to do all three sports during the course of the week. Also, if I bike outside on a real bike instead of a stationary bike, I will earn an extra $15 bonus for Japan. QUEST 3: EPIC FOOD BATTLE [+2 CON, +1 WIS] While Team RWBY and Team JNPR know how to fight the most epic food fight in the history of ever, that’s not quite what I mean with this quest. Rather, it’s the holiday season, and I have an extreme weakness for all of the foods this time of year (but let’s be fair: who doesn’t?). Now, I don’t want to restrict myself by any means, and so I have three situations in which to approach the temptation of yummy desserts and sweets so that I take everything in moderation: PARTIES: If a small plate is available, I am allowed only as many sweets/desserts that can fit on the plate without piling. Otherwise, I am only allowed to fill half the plate. THANKSGIVING/MOM’S BIRTHDAY: Bye. While I don’t tend to go crazy for these occasions, often just limiting myself to just one slice of pie or cake, I’m also giving myself permission not to worry about it, either. ALL ELSE (date nights, social outings, someone brings treats to work, etc): I am allowed the treat only if it fits within my macros/calories (i.e., I meet my protein minimum AND/OR it’s within my allowed caloric range) A = Followed the criteria | F = Did not follow the criteria Prerequisite: Calories must be logged every day. Caveats: If I break the rules, I must eat completely clean during the next 24 hours in order to not fail the quest, and I am only allowed this out once a week. Also, the prerequisite is waived on Thanksgiving. Bonus Opportunities! I can earn $10 per day that I eat at least 95g of protein (my estimated lean mass being 95lb). If my average weekly calorie count is within 50 of my current estimated maintenance, I will earn $25 extra for the week. LIFE QUEST 1: DON’T STOP, JUST SLOW DOWN [+1 CON] Blake and I have this tendency of overworking ourselves and not getting the rest we need. While I tend to busy myself with things I enjoy versus, say, trying to stop villains from succeeding in their goals, I still need to take some time to myself and just relax. So, 5x/week, I will dedicate at least 30 minutes at home to doing nothing. What this means is for 30 minutes a day, I’m not on my cell phone (unless I’m listening to music, and this music cannot be anything I’m working on for auditions and what not, or I’m doing guided meditations), I’m not on the computer (unless, again, I’m doing guided meditations), and I’m not doing any work at all whatsoever. If tea is required to help me relax, tea is allowed. It’s about stilling my mind, letting go of my obligations and stress, and just relaxing. A = 5x/week | B = 4x/week | C = 2-3x/week | D = 1x/week | F = zilch Prerequisite: None. Caveats: Watching a movie or TV show or Netflix can count as long as I’m doing literally nothing else (not even eating dinner) but watching. Ideally, I’d rather not have to count it, but just sitting down and watching something can be enough of a chore for me because I feel like I ought to be doing something, anything else. ;;; Bonus Opportunity? Nope. I think having one would defeat the purpose. LIFE QUEST 2: DICHOTOMY OF REN AND NORA [+2 WIS, +2 CHA] Ren and Nora are polar opposites and yet they’re best friends. Ren is the studious, mature, adulting type, and Nora is the fun-loving, hyper type, and they balance each other out perfectly. Because I do need to adult better, but also since I don’t want to risk giving up the things I love, I decided to do a grab bag redux for my life quest with the intention of maintaining a semblance of balance. So below are the rules of this little grab-bag mini: Each task is worth 5 points. Most tasks have an attached bonus. This is my ideal, If-I-had-Hermione’s-Time-Turner-Or-At-The-Very-Least-A-Clone way of living. Obviously, it’s crazy to expect to get more than one of these bonuses in any given week, but hey, that’s why it’s a bonus! No penalties, no stress if I don't accomplish them. And if I do, permission to pull from my savings account for Japan! My minimum goal is 400 points by the end of the challenge. This is basically saying that I’ll complete two tasks every day with some leeway in case of Life, the Universe, and Everything. Since the idea is balance, my adulting and my extracurricular tasks need to be as close to 50/50 as possible by the end of the challenge. With a 400 point goal, that means 200 points need to be for adulting and 200 points need to be for fun. Bonus opportunities will be available if one category skyrockets past the other, but ideally I shouldn’t need it. Grading will be based on a percentage scale of how much of the goal points I earned (with a boost if I need to increase the minimum) and how close to 50/50 I balance out adulting and extracurricular. Prerequisite: Budget must be updated by Monday morning. Caveats: None. Bonus Opportunity! I can earn $50 towards Japan for every increase in the goal I need to do. See each individual task for other possible bonuses. IN SUMMARY: Work on dance basics 2x/week Swim or bike or run 2x/week Follow holiday-food eating criteria Relax for 30min 5x/week Grab bag!WEEKLY RECAPS Day Zero | Week One | Week Two | Week Three | Week Four | Week Five | Week Six | Challenge Complete! REWARDS (non-stacking) I'll be going to Japan at the end of December through mid-January, and Japan is expensive, so this is the money I'm going to allow myself to withdraw from personal savings. Non-stacking, because let's not go insane here! This is the money for food and shopping and sightseeing adventures. I'm already budgeting for travel and hotel costs. This will be on top of the money I allot myself via bonus money in the above quests. A-average = $500 towards Japan spending money B-average = $400 towards Japan spending money C-average = $300 towards Japan spending money Starting Measurements Waist @ narrowest: 27" Waist @ navel: 30.25" Hips: 37.5" Thigh: 21.75" Calf: 14.25" Est bf%: 21.5% Weight: 121.8lb

BITTEROYSTER! Your very own Pokemon legend is about to unfold! A world of dreams and adventures with POKEMON awaits! Let's go! 1 - Strength Training 3xWeek Tuesday: Body Pump Thursday + Saturday: Stronglifts at home 2 - Go to the Gym 3xWeek The Pump session counts. The other two can be swimming, aqua aerobics or other classes. Hoping to try some new cardio classes and take another crack at Body Balance. 3x per week means good value on my membership, 2x is still better than single-entry. 3 - Ranger it Up Outside 2xWeek I'll pick from these options: BushwalkingRucking (city or nature)Swimming (beach)Planned 10km walk I never got around toGardeningRunningRuck to the park and climb Motivation Achieve a foundation of fitness before starting a martial art next year (and be able to do other cool stuff like pack hiking). This is going to be a lot per week (7 things since Pump counts for both #1 and #2). I thought about cutting back, but the outside stuff can be simple and worked into my routine by rucking to the shops a suburb over. Unweighted light exercise will give my body time to recover but still put a strain on my time and organisation, so I'll see how I go. I'll also be working the themes of each badge into some of the outside challenges, for 1 or 2 badges per week. Progress Week 1 Badges: Strength: 3/3 Gym: 3/3 (Aqua, Zumba, Pump) Outside: 3/2 (Hiking, rucking, gardening) Rucking: 2.8km Week 2 Badges: Strength: 3/3 Gym: 3/3 (Body Balance, swimming, Pump) Outside: 2/2 (swimming, rucking) Rucking: 7.68km Week 3 Badges: Strength: 2/3 Gym: 1/3 (TBW) Outside: 3/2 (Urban rucking, bush rucking x2) Rucking: 12.79km Week 4 Badges: Strength: 3/3 Gym: 3/3 (Body Pump, Body Balance, RuckFit WOD) Outside: 3/2 (Swimming, gardening, urban rucking) Rucking: 13.35km Week 5 Badges: Strength: 3/3 Gym: 1/3 (Body Pump) Outside: 2/2 (Bush rucking, gardening) Rucking: 5.32km Week 6 Badges: Strength: 3/3 Gym: 1/3 Outside: 2/2 (Bush rucking, gardening) Rucking: 15.1km

Firefox crashed and I lost my original post - so here's a quick rewrite of my third challenge. Goal 1: Beginning Stronglifts 5x5 - My first couple of challenges were building to this point. I've been going to the gym twice a week to make myself more comfortable in that environment, and less self conscious about my novice level around the folks that clearly have more experience. During the last challenge I practiced the Stronglifts workouts using just the bar during every other gym session. Now I'm going to step it up to three times a week, doing a Stronglifts session every time I'm at the gym. I will be tracking this using the Stronglifts app. Stat points available to earn: 4 STR Goal 2: Nerve flossing - For as long as I can remember I haven't been able to touch my toes because of a pain behind my knees when stretching, and I've always been told it's because my hamstrings are too tight. I can barely keep them extended straight when sitting upright on the floor. Even several months of stretching before martial arts classes only barely helped. Eventually I realized that my hamstrings were not the part of my leg that hurt when I was stretching, so I started dong some digging on the web. As far as I can tell it's a tight, or impacted, or trapped nerve in the posterior knee in both legs. I'm guessing the sciatic nerve (though I don't think I have sciatica). So this is pretty much an experiment to see if some nerve flossing routines can help alleviate that pain, with the future goal of working on my overall flexibility. These are the two nerve flossing exercises I will practice: I will set reminders on my phone to complete a set of each twice a day. Has anyone ever done this before, and if so did it help? If you have questions about this or suggestions I'd like to hear them! I'm not entirely sure how to evaluate whether or not this was successful, as it's self diagnosis and might not be dealing with the actual problem at all. So for this goal I'll measure whether or not I complete the process, rather than any gains in flexibility. Stat points available to earn: 4 DEX Goal 3: Hydrate - I will drink a liter of water first thing in the morning to help wake up and stay hydrated. I pretty much only drink water, coffee, and tea. But lately water has been the least of those, and I'd like it to be my main drink of choice. Stat points available to earn: 4 CON Goal 4: Read - I have six books to finish before the challenge is up, some of which have been lent to me. I'd like to return them before the year is out. This shouldn't be too difficult, especially if I maintain at least one book every week. Stat points available to earn: 3 WIS I'm also on the Green Team for the mini challenges, so I'll be participating in those when I can during the six weeks. Stay on target!

After taking the last challenge and a half off I've pretty much destroyed all the progress I had made. So this challenge will be all about getting back at it. Sorry doodlies, I won't be doing any dancing. I'm going to shoot for three main goals. Strength, endurance, and being an adult. Strength: Since I fell off the wagon with lifting I am starting over with stronglifts 3x/week Endurance: I'm starting a C25K on the days I don't lift 3x/week, and the working on some muscular endurance with some good ol' Military bodyweight training. Depending on the weather as we go into this season I may try to throw in some rucking as well. Be and adult: I'm going to set aside at least 10 minutes every day to clean up my room and keep it clean/organized. I'm going to practice German a little every day. I won't play games on my phone or watch movies until I have done these two things as they are my biggest time wasters.

November is always a difficult month for me. This year I'm taking on more responsibility at work, trying to finish my masters degree, and planning my wedding, on top of the usual November difficulties. Luckily, if I can make it to Thanksgiving, it will be pretty smooth sailing. So, getting through this reminds me of getting through a ... Dungeon! Quest 1: Keep my health bar up (+3 CON, +1 WIS) In order to make it through the dungeon, I am going to have to watch my health bar. I have to keep up the heals, because if I let my health get too low, I'm a goner. For this quest, I will take my meds every day, + a multivitamin. Week 1 and 2: +1 CON Week 3 and 4: +1 CON Week 5: +1 WIS Week 6: +1 CON Quest 2: The grind (+2 DEX, +4 STR) As tempting as it is when you're tired and your party is flagging to pass monsters by, the only way to be successful in the game is to keep leveling up. For this quest, I am going to build my strength by going to the gym at least 3 times a week (gymnastics or regular gym). Week 1: +1 DEX Week 2: +1 DEX Week 3: +1 STR Week 4: +1 STR Week 5: +1 STR Week 6: +1 STR Quest 3: Saving the game (+1 STA) Everyone knows that if you go too long without saving, you're bound to regret it sooner or later. For this quest, I will record my food intake in myfitnesspal at least 5 times each week. Quest 4: Treasure Hunter (+2 WIS, +1 STA, +1 CHA) I'm not usually a completionist like some people I know, but I do have a few treasures in this dungeon I really want to pick up along the way. READ plans +1 WIS Report Cards +1 WIS APTT Conferences +1 CHA Action Research class +1 STA At the end of the challenge, I will have an additional: +4 STR | +2 DEX | +2 STA | +3 CON | + 3 WIS | + 1 CHA I plan to post photos. If I can manage it, I will try to do that after work today.

I really do need to drop some body fat but calorie counting and eating in a deficit just isn't working for me on a whole right now. I think it's best kept to shorter periods such as one challenge instead of across multiple challenges. You know, for personal sanity sake. So this challenge I'm switching it up and I'm going to have FUN and participate in self care or "boosters". I'm going to lift weights, and eat to support it. And instead of trying to decrease consumption I'm going to focus on increasing activity. I'll reexamine my calorie deficit options in January. Goal one: Strength Strength train 3 times a week For now I'll stick with StrongLifts, but I might modify soon and change one of my days to a barbell complex or some form of strength training intervals. Goal two: increase steps Current week day average: 3,073 Current weekend average: 6,565 Goal week day average: 4,000 Goal weekend average: 8,000 My job is incredibly sedentary and I have a long car commute. Weekday increases are going to take some serious effort on my part. I'll need to do some trial and error to figure out what it takes to get my steps up to 4,000. Weekends I think should be easier. I really just need to stop being lazy, and add in a walk. Goal three: Physical Booster vitamins - take em track sleep - what is tracked is improved Life Quest: Emotional Booster Craft or work on a project weekly. Something fun and rewarding. Side quest Get bedroom under control/finish KonMari of the clothes

A little bit about me, courtesy of Mini #1: I'm Yvonne, I'm 29 years old and live in the outskirts of Washington DC known as Northern Virginia. I'm married to an amazing nerdy guy who likes to push me to go biking and work out even when I don't wanna, and who and eats all my hippy paleo food without complaint. We have two twin ginger cats - Fred and George - and are thinking about adding a small human to our family within the next year or two, which is part of my motivation to get healthy. I went to a small college out in Illinois called Knox College where I majored in Computer Science, and now I work at a small company as a front end website developer. I love doing community theater; I'm currently in show for young audiences (Puss in Boots) and a charity performance parody of the X-Files, and I perform in and direct an improv troupe. 2 Truths and 1 Lie (feel free to guess in the comments!): I still have one of my baby teethI met my husband during a road trip from Chicago to New YorkI am terrified of chickens and will freak out if I'm anywhere near one It’s September and that means school is back in session at Hogwarts! Main Quest: Lose weight, be a smoking hot Wizard. Motivation: This is my last full challenge before I leave for The Wizarding World of Harry Potter in November. I’ll be spending a week between there and Disneyworld and I want to dress up, DisneyBound, take tons of pictures, and enjoy these memories without having negative body image holding me down. My goal is be at 150lbs by the time we leave. As of now, I have 8 weeks and about 9lbs to lose, so the pressure is on! In order to achieve my main quest, I’m enrolling in four classes this term at Hogwarts: Potions: 100% Primal Diet (CON 3, WIS 1) Recipe for a perfect potion: No grains, legumes, or added sugarNo more than 3 servings of dairy a weekNo more than 2 compliant alcoholic beverages per weekNo more than 1 starchy vegetable per dayThis is a Pass/Fail only class! Flying: Bike 100 miles (STA 3, DEX 1) Proper flying technique can only be achieved through practice! Throughout the term, students will log 100 miles on thier broom bicycle. Outstanding: 100 miles! Exceeds Expectations: 75+ miles Acceptable: 60+ miles Dreadful: 40+ miles Troll: Less than 40 miles Transfiguration: Follow the Stronglifts 5x5 Program (STR 3, STA 1) The art of turning something into something else – in this case, fat into muscle! Follow the Stronglifts 5x5 regimen to increase muscle and burn fat. This class should be attended 3 times a week. Outstanding: 18 sessions Exceeds Expectations: 15 sessions Acceptable: 12 sessions Dreadful: 6 sessions Troll: Less than 6 sessions Charms: Downsize 25% of clothing (CHA 2) This class will be focused on Banishing and Mending charms: over the course of the term, students should successfully banish 25% of their wardrobe and practice mending charms when needed. For a passing OWL, every item of clothing must be evaluated, 25% of clothing will be donated, and no items requiring mending will remain. A revision schedule of clothing areas to work on has been provided below the cut: Outstanding: All 5 areas cleared Exceeds Expectations: 4 areas cleared Acceptable: 3 areas cleared Dreadful: 2 areas cleared Troll: 0 - 1 areas cleared Charms Extra Credit: Put together one Disney/Hogwarts Bounding outfit per week - take a photo and share with the class! (CHA 1)

So last challenge I tried to go hard. And I hurt my back (freaking walking on a treadmill of all things! wtf). The recovery has been quite a few weeks in the making and it's really disheartening, but I'm feeling 95% better. I'll need the rest of this week to really get all the way there, and I'll have to deload when I start up again, but I'm ready to tackle what I tried to tackle last challenge. Just gotta be more careful with my incline work. I'm pretty sad as I can already feel how much strength I've lost and I am feeling kinda slouchy and blah. I can't wait to get back into this stuff and give my body the boost it wants. So yeah, I'm literally just copying and pasting the last challenge because Buffy gifs never get old even if they're the same. The only thing I'm changing is I'm going to run once a week and do hiking conditioning once a week, instead of running 2x/week AND doing the hiking conditioning. Maybe that was a bit too much for me. I'm also removing the sleep goal because I have a hard time tracking it with how weird my schedule's been lately. I'll add it back in if I start feeling wonky though. Basically I'm moving this challenge to just focus on the physical stuffs for now. Also CAMP THIS CHALLENGE AHHHHHH!!!!!!!! So excited. As a side quest for myself I've gotta go introduce myself on the facebook page. I don't get FB at work and hate going on my computer at home so I've been seriously slacking on it. I do occasionally "like" random posts but I've got to go introduce myself before it's too late! So without further ado, a non gratuitous straight up copy and paste of the last challenge. DEAL WITH IT. -------------------- I've been rewatching through Buffy lately. With my little sister, who has never seen it. She doesn't know *any* of the major plot points and it's really awesome to kind of be watching one of my favourite shows of all time through new eyes. I've always loved the show for the Joss Whedon geniusness. The character development, the campiness, the witty dialogue. But I forgot how much the female characters are all just so strong. Not just Buffy, but her mom, Willow, the women vampires, Glory, Anya. Just so much awesome. And since I'm newly inspired by the show, I figure I'll just use the inspiration to get me going! Mission One. Strength. So I thought about not including this and doing something else here, since I have been consistent with Stronglifts even when it's not an actual goal. But since I'm upping my training this challenge, I don't want to not put this here and have me slack on it. I also am expecting to slow down with the newbie gains soon, and I don't want that to let that affect my motivation. So here it is. Stronglifts, 3x/week. 5x5. Do itttt. Mission Two. Speed & Endurance. Here's where I'm really upping my game. All the other stuff I've been more or less doing anyway. So I want to run 1x/week and then once a week either go on a hike or do incline treadmill work. Mission Three. Flexibility Need to be limber for all those high kicks! And also IRL to get up those big scrambles! Yoga 5x/week. I do this most mornings anyway. Life Quest. Focus. I've been slacking on the meditation. I think I didn't like the exact technique I was doing. Back to focusing on the breath... how I fell in love with it in the first place. Meditate 5x/week. ----------------------- So this all might seem like a lot, but I've really been doing most of it most of the time already, before I injured my back. I'm just putting it all together here and making it a priority.Time to focus and go kick major butttt

So.... I'm back "on" with working out after months of "off", which is just a regular cycle that switches back and forth every few months, whatever. Happened to wander into the forums due to a notification on a thread that will never die, and saw all these new challenge posts. Keep it simple: Workout Goal: Workout 3 times a week. ideally weightlifting (hello, Warriors!) but honestly? I'll take whatever I can do. Back on Stronglifts after literally 3 months off, so working my way back up from the bottom. Like literally - over 50% deload on everything puts me back on the bar except for squats and deads.Does that mean I get to sing that Drake song at the end of the challenge?Ultimate Frisbee should be happening twice a week most weeks (Tuesday pick-up, Sunday rec league), so that counts if it needs to.Kickball will be happening on Thursdays. Lol. Doesn't count.Life Goal: 2 hours per week of education Ideally a Coursera or Edx course.Currently signed up for: Coursera - Marketing in a Digital World and EdX - The Science of Everyday ThinkingBoth are self-paced, so low pressure, and sound interesting enough to ease back into the learning thing, which I haven't done in a whileCodeAcademy also works - am learning html and css for work anyway, so that'll be good to get better.Could also be sign language via ASL UniversityCan be broken into any size chunks -2 hours once, 1 hour twice, .5 hour 4 times, whatevs. Just need to get back into the habit after 2 months of running my mouth. THAT'S IT, FOLKS. Oh, and un-measurable but worth mentioning: Keep calendar updated, even with just potential activities, and use it. Both work and personal calendars. Because telling people, "whoops" really sucks. Not going to try to quantify it (b/c how?), so it doesn't bear weight in the success of this challenge I have a ton of other things I should probably include, but keeping it simple. No weigh-ins, no measurements, no 3 goals + life goal, I can't keep on top of all that right now. And if anyone remembers me from before, and remember all my "I need a new job" whining from before, at least the reason why I stopped working out in the spring was because of an intensifying job search... which paid off, and life has been so much better since May! Seriously, stress levels are cut in half, I don't dread work, and life is happy. Amazing.

Reporting in with a thread for people who are starting with or are beginners in the world of weightlifting. Typical programs that are followed: Mark Rippetoe's: Starting Strength Mehdi's: Stronglifts Exit: stage right!

I have been doing stronglift 5x5 on and off for a year or so. I am a 5'5" female 160# and I am in my 40's and a healthy active person. I lift occasionally. I was fairly consistant and worked my way up to 150# squat and 175# deadlift. Then I was having shoulder issues and stopped for 6+ months. I just started back once a week lifting (SL5x5) and 20 minutes running (learning chi running) twice a week. Easy pace focused on form not trying to push myself. Shoes are tight, like my feet are swelling and when I bend my knees it feels like a tight, like there is swelling there as well. Any suggestions for dealing with the swelling?

Boss Battle: Tequatl the Sunless It's time for Achaedia to pack up and leave the oasis and continue on her journey. Resigned, she makes her way up the hill and over the first rise, when there, in the valley below, blocking her path, there it is: The fearsome Tequatl, minion of the undead dragon Zhaitan! Tequatl has hardened scales that can create a massive defense if someone doesn't work hard to keep them down. Achaedia takes her place at one of the turrets, hoping that she can blast them enough times to wear through their defenses and allow the fighters close to the dragon to take him down... The Battle: Weekly Benchmarks & Bonuses: Week One: 500 Points (+1 STR) Bonus: Cleaned Every Day (+1 CHA) Week Two: 500 Points (+1 STA) Bonus: Classroom Prepared (+1 WIS) Week Three: 400 Points (+1 STA) Bonus: Lesson Plans Prepared (+1 WIS) Week Four: 400 Points (+2 STR) Bonus: Worked Out Three Times (+1 STR) Week Five: 300 Points (+2 DEX) Bonus: Ate Breakfast Every Weekday (+1 CHA) Week Six: 300 Points (+2 STA) Bonus: Attended 3 Gymnastics Classes (+1 DEX) Standing Bonus (From My First Challenge): 1 unassisted chin-up or muscle-up = +5 STR Max Stat Totals: +4 STR, +3 DEX, +4 STA, +0 CON, +2 WIS, +2 CHA

Hello there peoples! I actually didn't realize that the challenge had started! LOL I've found that my time management has been sucking lately, so i'm going to try simplifying things this challenge. Three priorities: sleep, exercise, and work. Since eating and exercise are input and output i'll tie my diet into that category. Sleep I have been routinely been going to bed at or a little before 12. Almost every other day, i've been going to bed at roughly 11:30. I have an alarm set at 9:30 PM to tell me to wrap up anything i'm doing so that I can get to bed at a reasonable time. Truthfully, i've been ignoring it. So, this challenge i'm going to say that my optimal bed time is between 10 and 11. My goal for sleep is then going to wrap everything up and be off the computer before 11 comes around. Realistically, I have nights where sleep isn't my priority. Occasionally, i'll have nights were i'm in charge of merging updates on my main project or fixing a horrible bug which requires me to stay up later than I should. On those kinds of nights, sleep can wait; otherwise, I need to make sleep a priority. - If at all possible, get off the computer before 11 and get to bed at a reasonable time. Exercise I'm going to try to continue StrongLifts to the best of my ability, three times a week. In addition to SL i'm going to aim for doing some Aam Ka Jutsu training on my off days. I think that perhaps my OHP form has been lacking, since on last Friday I pissed off my left wrist somehow. Due to my wrist hurting when I rotated it, I skipped going to the gym on Monday. Instead I got the family to do a session entirely with kicks, so that I could let my wrist calm down. Yesterday, I went to the gym like normal and absolutely annihilated my squats. The only issue I had was with my barbell rows, which are a bit too heavy for me to pull all the way to my chest. Most of the reps I'm able to get to about 3/4 the way, but the rest are only a little over half. I may end up reducing the weight, since it's compromising my form. I'll give myself another chance with it though. Food wise, i'm going to keep doing what i'm doing. I've been trying to eat good nutrient full meals, and occasionally eating out (while still attempting to eat healthier stuff). Last week I celebrated my b-day, so there was a mix of eating out and eating at home roughly every day. I'm back to it this week and i've only eaten out twice. One was me being lazy and eating out with the family, and the other was work related. I think I made good choices on the latter though. I've started experimenting with eating out. Several restaurants have been making me feel unusual recently. Interestingly, when I don't drink any soda (I usually drink Sprite/Sierra Mist, as that's what I used to get off of caffeinated beverages) I don't have any stomach problems. So, this weekend i'm going to put my hypothesis to the test, i'm going to go to a restaurant that I had to stop going to because I felt really sick each time I ate from there. The one common factor is the soda that I drink. I'll let ya'll know. - StrongLifts 5x5 three days a week (M/W/F) - Aam Ka Jutsu twice a week (T/TH) Current SL Stats (lbs): - Squat: 115 - Bench: 80 - OHP: 65 5/5/5/4/5 - Row: 100 5/5/4/5/5 - Deadlift: 155 Work I'm planning for the long term and attempting to flesh out my portfolio while I still have time. School is starting back up so I'm going to have to balance school and working on my various projects (and my other priorities). Some of which have amazing potential for me to get a foot in the door in the software engineering world. In fact, I actually finished a project and its super cool! It solves puzzles!

I've been rewatching through Buffy lately. With my little sister, who has never seen it. She doesn't know *any* of the major plot points and it's really awesome to kind of be watching one of my favourite shows of all time through new eyes. I've always loved the show for the Joss Whedon geniusness. The character development, the campiness, the witty dialogue. But I forgot how much the female characters are all just so strong. Not just Buffy, but her mom, Willow, the women vampires, Glory, Anya. Just so much awesome. And since I'm newly inspired by the show, I figure I'll just use the inspiration to get me going! "From here on, you are gonna see a drastic distraction reduction. 'Drastic distraction reduction.' Try saying that ten times fast." - Buffy So the last few challenges have gone well, but I've had so much going on at some point in most of them I've had to either change my goals or just kind of not do well for a week. This is the first 6 weeks in a while I have aboslutley nothing major going on. So I'm going to use this opportunity to GO HARD. I'm going to up my training and focus focus focus while I can, before things get nuts again in the fall. So commence the slayer themed challenge, where I work on everything a slayer needs... which also happens to coincide with what I need to do for my epic quests of all the hiking and mountain climbing...which I really want to start focusing my training on. Mission One. Strength. So I thought about not including this and doing something else here, since I have been consistent with Stronglifts even when it's not an actual goal. But since I'm upping my training this challenge, I don't want to not put this here and have me slack on it. I also am expecting to slow down with the newbie gains soon, and I don't want that to let that affect my motivation. So here it is. Stronglifts, 3x/week. 5x5. Do itttt. Mission Two. Speed & Endurance. Here's where I'm really upping my game. All the other stuff I've been more or less doing anyway. So I want to run 2x/week and then once a week either go on a hike or if I can't use the incline on the treadmill to walk at like a 30% incline, or use the stair master depending on my mood. Do this for at least 40 minutes. Mission Three. Flexibility Need to be limber for all those high kicks! And also IRL to get up those big scrambles! Yoga 5x/week. I do this most mornings anyway. Life Quest. Focus. I've been slacking on the meditation. I think I didn't like the exact technique I was doing. Back to focusing on the breath... how I fell in love with it in the first place. Meditate 5x/week. Also I have been sleeping so poorly lately. This needs fixing especially if I'm going to be going as hard as I plan the next 6 weeks. Be in bed at in time to get at least 7 hours of sleep every night. I have insomnia kind of regularly so I'm just going to grade when I go to bed, not how much sleep I actually get since that's not in my control. My hard working body needs sleep! Food Quest: Eat For Fuel. I learned last challenge that I've got to go shopping over the weekend in order to succeed. That's the hard part, but once I do it success is almost guaranteed. So. I will go shopping every week on Sunday. That's the goal. And hopefully everything else will fall out. ----------------------- So this all might seem like a lot, but I've really been doing most of it most of the time already. I'm just putting it all together here and making it a priority.Time to focus and go kick major butttt ----------------------- So I hurt myself this challenge and switched my goals up towards the end. The above goals will be re-attempted next challenge. Recovery goals are here.

Ah yes, a brand shiny new challenge smack in the middle of summer. BRING IT. Welcome friends and fellow rebels! As with any Shaarawy Style Challenge, through 2015 I’m theming each one with something that is nerdy as well as near and dear to my heart - something that lies at the core of my personal geekdom. I’ve done things like Sailor Moon, Final Fantasy, and recently Harry Potter, but I’m stoked to jump into a challenge featuring perhaps my favorite cyberpunk movie trilogy ever... I adore The Matrix. Neo-era Keanu Reeves is my Personal Dreamboat . The visual style and effects of this movie are something I can watch over and over again (and I have), and I’m a sucker for the cyberpunk style. (Fun fact: In 2003 I commissioned a semi-variant replica of Neo’s coat. I still have it and wear it.) The story is great and filled with symbolism and meaning, the fight scenes are pretty universally bombastic, and the soundtrack is filled with stuff like Juno Reactor and Rage Against the Machine... yup. And The Animatrix is just the icing on the cake with its different stories (and backstories!) and art styles. Yup, lots of joy all around. I'm ready to break free from some things that have been holding me back in my journey, mentally and physically. So, let’s take the red pill, and get into this rabbit hole. Quest 1 - Neo (STR 3, STA 2) “Because I don't like the idea that I'm not in control of my life.†One of the many underlying themes of the Matrix was control - who is really in control? Is fate a thing, or do we really make our own destiny? Unlike the movie, where people are controlled by CRAZY MACHINES (seriously crazy), I find my weightlifting progression has given me a huge sense of control over my body and my life. Neo ain’t taking no shit from no robots, and I’m ready to fight my own iron battles. I’ve worked hard enough to be able to progress to StrongLifts, and for 6 weeks I’ll follow the program - smartly and carefully - to the best of my ability to see how I fare. This will require three planned gym days a week with little room for schedule shuffling or sleeping in, so I’ve got to be ready. A - Three SL circuits done per week. B - Two SL circuits done per week. F - You done screwed up. Quest 2 - Agent Smith (DEX 2, WIS 1) “Nothing this weak is meant to survive.†The Agent turned virus was originally tasked with keeping order within the Matrix, and thusly was programmed to have AWESOME ABILITIES like super strength, speed, and dexterity. (You know, that dodging bullets thing.) I need to start protecting myself as I start lifting more and more weight, a fact that became glaringly clear to me a few weeks ago when I sustained a minor back injury while doing squats. I’m going to supplement my workouts with some exercises to strengthen my upper/lower back and core - yoga, stretches, and pilates. Most of it should take 20-30 minutes tops, so I’ll be getting serious about this and doing it 3 times a week. The prospect of injury and having to be sidelined because of my inability to prepare is a thing that’s NOT going to happen... and maybe I’ll be able to dodge bullets once I’m done. A - Back & core strengthening done 3 times a week B - Back & core strengthening done 2 times a week. C - Back & core strengthening done 1 time a week. Quest 3 - Morpheus (WIS 2, CHA 2) “But I can only show you the door. You're the one that has to walk through it.†Yeah, see that door? The one that leads OUTSIDE?? Open it and get your ass out there. Morpheus is a wise dude, and he knows what I’ve been lacking lately. The ability to open my eyes, step outside, and explore stuff for myself. Springtime is in full swing here in the south, and I need to make it a point to enjoy the weather before the 500 degree days of heat and humidity hit. This is a pass or fail quest, as each week I’ll make it a point to get outside for a day to exercise. Explore a new park, go for a walk, do some yoga on the porch, maybe even CLIMB A TREE?! The possibilities are limitless. A - Outside activity done once a week. F - You done screwed up. Life Quest - The Merovingian (CON 3) “Yes, of course. Who has time? Who has time? But then if we never *take* time, how can we have time?†Ah yes, the Merovingian, the renegade exiled douche of the Matrix. (Well, one of the douches.) He’s not Redpill or machine, and he plays by his own rules, doing whatever he needs to do to prosper within the system. He’s not a prominent character but he’s one of my favorites, probably because of his anarchist ways... This quest is about slowing things down and relaxing, taking care of myself so that I can prosper in MY system. Things are getting busy as summer approaches - all good and fun things, of course, but I have a tendency to get overloaded and eventually suffer because of it. And often if I -do- have the time, I waste it by getting caught up on the internet, browsing Facebook, or forums, or just wasting my time. This happens a lot - I don’t want to do that anymore and I need to start getting more mindful about my choices. Each week I’ll carve out some time just for myself, after work or on weekends, to relax, meditate, read, or sew - things that are fun and restorative for me to keep me going, and keep you guys posted on my adventures! A - 4+ hours of strict downtime weekly B - 3 hours of strict downtime weekly C - 2 hours of strict downtime weekly I'm ready to start June off with a bang, because summertime does not equal slouch time! Rebels, let us craft our own destinies!

Obligatory Pre-Challenge Brain-Stuffs: I've had a lot of success over my past few challenges, my last one was a bit of a let down because life threw stuff at me but I still managed to overall improve myself I think. However, while I've seen vast improvements with my health, strength and flexibility, I feel like I haven't been seeing much progress looks wise. And while most of my brain is like who cares you're stronger and awesomer, there's that part of me that is like... but summer is coming (here?) and I'd really like to rock out a bathing suit and not feel super self conscious. I know this is due to my eating. I know I can't outrun my plate. This has been the hugest struggle for me since I started my fitness journey, what I don't do well at more often than not during challenges, and what sets off a domino effect of not hitting my goals. One bad meal can easily turn into skipping a work out in my world, and as many awesome habits I've set through this challenge format eating well is just not one of them. I've tried counting calories, counting macros, counting nothing but eating things that are obviously healthy, I just haven't had the motivation. I think it's because in the past I focus on other habits at the same time. But now I've got my workout habits set basically in stone and I can nix all those other goals that I'll do anyway and this challenge I am going to be 100% focused on what I put into my body. And it's going to be boring. How boring you ask? Let's see. tldr: Raxie needs to eat moar better. Mission 1: Home Cooking I will prepare 6 dinners a week for myself. Only one night of ordering out allowed. Each of these dinners will be made of up of: -1 or more protein -1 or more whole grain or potato -1 or more green veggie side (avocado does not count here, but is a welcome addition to any meal) -NO DAIRY. Dairy makes the tummy have the owies. Grading: +4 CON max. % of weeks met awarded. Mission 2: Salad I will eat a salad every day. EVERY. FREAKIN'. DAY. This can be a side salad if neccessary. Grading: +4 CON max. % of weeks met awarded. Mission 3: Alcohol That's right, kids. Raxie is not going to drink alcohol AT ALL this entire challenge. I have a feeling this actually going to be way easier than putting limits on what I actually drink which has been super difficult for me in social situations in the past. This way I can just hang out with friends and tell them I'm not drinking straight up, instead of having a couple and then trying to convince myself to not or explain why I've switched to water "so early". As a note, this isn't meant to be me giving up alcohol forever, just kind of a detox to my system in this area. Grading: +4 WIS max. % of weeks met awarded. Diet Quest: Snacks So all my missions are diet related anyway, but here's another. Try a new snack each week that will help curb my cheese craving. I think this is a huge problem in my prior attempts, I just told myself I'd have to suck it up during my cravings. This time I will be prepared! Each week I will buy or create a snack that has cheese-like properties to help pre-emptively curb my cheese addiction. Will most likely be mostly nut-type-things. I will post here each week on how well the snack helped (or didn't) in curbing my cravings. If I find something I like I still want to try something new each week so I can have an arsenal of snacks that work by the end of this challenge. Grading: +2 WIS max. % of weeks met awarded. Life Side Quest: Water I've been slacking on the water intake since I rocked out a water challenge 2 challenges ago. Time to start tracking this again and get a handle on it once more. Goal: 100oz/day. Grading: +1 CON max. % of weeks met awarded. Mini Quests: Bye-Weeks Challenge: Quest One: I have been working on crow for the past challenge and a half and I got it at the end of the last one, and now I'm interested in headstands. I know I can do a tripod for a millisecond but I want to work on it some more! I've never really worked on it before though and it hasn't gone along with any of my goals, so I'm gonna try to see what I can do tripod-wise 2 or 3 times before the next challenge. Quest Two: I fell behind on my Zombies, Run! 5K training last challenge and I was hoping to be ~halfway through it by now. I'm going to start over with it, but instead of waiting for the beginning of the next challenge I am going to get week 1 out of the way and do 3 runs next week. Quest Three: Go see a movie! The boyfriend and I LOVE see movies in theatres and we only do it about twice a year, there are a few things playing right now I know we both want to see. So I should make this happen. Oh and also give myself a bath day with a face and hair mask. I try to do this every 4-6 weeks and it's been like 3 months. So two things for quest three. Because yay happies! Ranger Optional Mini Challenge Feats: Endurance Feat - Run/walk drills from Zombies, Run 5K training 2x/weekStrength Feat - OHP 1x50+ lb (right now I'm at 47.5lb) Speed Feat - Hold tripod stand for 10 seconds Combat Feat - Go on a *good* hike with some significant elevation gains. Healing Feat - Meditate 6x/week Rescue Zombie: And I'll also be following along with AlienJenn's Zombie mini challenge too, because why not? Alibi: The last week of this challenge I will be going on vacation with the bf to Alaska, so this challenge will only be 5 weeks long for me. I think I am actually going to start tomorrow (Tuesday) for this so I've still got 6 weeks to form a good habit of need eating like poop.

Challenge 04: Achaedia Does the Bare Minimum inspired by this. Achaedia crested the hill and looked out at the vista that lay before her. Glittering white sand, soft palm trees waving gently in the breeze, and beyond that: a brilliant aquamarine ocean. This would be a good place to rest, and not a moment too soon. The past months of mastering wind and water, enduring trial after trial, all had taken their toll. A measure of recovery was in order. She looked at the sky. The shadow of the dragon was faint, but there. It never entirely left. Still, surely a few weeks of rest wouldn't be remiss... 01. Achaedia moves to the beat. For this challenge, I will move every day. Whether I am using my rainy day flowchart, hitting the gym for some stronglifts, or going to gymnastics class, I will do at least something every day. A (+2 STR, +2 STA) - Something done 6+ Days/week B (+2 STR, +1 STA) - Something done 5+ days a week C (+2 STR) - Something done 4+ days/week D (+1 STR) - Something done 3+ days a week 02. Achaedia eats all the things. The first 4 weeks of this challenge, I will still be working. My plan is to pack lunch on the days I am working, both so that I will stay at work after the kids leave and get things, done, and so that I am eating well for at least that one meal (although frankly, breakfast is easy for me, so then it's just dinner that's full of danger). Weeks 1-4: 4+ packed lunches, eaten at work Weeks 5-6 are my weeks off! So because there will be no going to work, I am going to simply require that I track what I eat, and that I make thoughtful choices. For this one I will just give myself a score from 1-10 at the end of each day. A (+2 CON, +1 WIS) - All 4 weeks 1-4 passed; self-assessment score of 8+ B (+2 CON) - 3+ weeks 1-4 passed; self-assessment score of 7+ C (+1 CON) - 2+ weeks 1-4 passed; self-assessment score of 6+ 03. Achaedia gets some R&R. Two things I could do to make myself healthier would be to drink water, and to get at least 7 hours of sleep a night. Because it's about to be summer, I don't think sleep is the more immediate need. So I am going to focus on the hydration part, with a couple of bonus tasks. Bonus Task 1: Put up blackout curtains. +1 WIS. My bedroom has an east-facing window. This is going to become a bad thing very shortly. Enough said. Bonus Task 2: Iron Lady. +2 STR. Every time I go to the doctor, my blood iron levels are lower. So if I take my multivitamin 80% of days, I will be awarded these stat points. Main task: Hydration. +3 CON. I really don't drink a lot of water now (I have a weird aversion to water in a lot of situations :/) so this task will be graduated thusly. Week 1 - 20 oz/day Week 2 - 30 oz/day Week 3 - 40 oz/day Week 4 - 50 oz/day Week 5 - 60 oz/day Week 6 - 60 oz/day A week will be considered "passed" if I make my water goal at least 5 days. A (+3 CON) - 5 or 6 weeks passed B (+2 CON) - 4 weeks passed C (+1 CON) - 3 weeks passed 04. Achaedia combs the beach. I know that this is very important to me, but I don't know how to do it in a way that will help me build a habit while at the same time not setting me up for failure. So this time I am going to try to clean at least something every day. Throwing things away counts. Cleaning pee off the carpet counts. Doing a load of laundry counts. Surely I can do at least something every day, right? A (+2 CHA) - Something cleaned 80% of days or more C (+1 CHA) - Something cleaned 60-80% of days Pull-Up Challenge! If I manage to pull up my own body weight without assistance at some point during this challenge, I will be awarded an extra +4 STR, taken from my very first challenge! It's going to happen at some point! Maybe it will be during this challenge! Measurements & Photos: starting weight | 160.2 lbs dress size | 10 pants size | 12 shirt size | L chest | 39.5" waist | 33" hips | 43.5" arms L | 11" R | 11.5" thighs L | 23.5" R | 23.5" calves L | 12.75" R | 12.5" before photos Challenge tracking: There are a lot of things to track this time, so I will be using this form to record my progress

Introduction: I’m a 36 year old fat bloke, I have always been the bigger chap (apart from primary school when I was 4/5 years old and I was sent to the doctor as they thought I was malnourished…boy did I get them back!), this helped when playing American Football (O & D linesmen, it was a very small team at the time)but not much good for anything else. After I joined my current employer (8 years ago) I became quite sedentary and I ballooned even more. I have over the years started loads of things to change this but I always ended up falling off the wagon (and hasn’t exactly gone as smoothly since I joined here!), each challenge I have learnt a lesson either on activity or about myself or just a mental thing, so each has shown some form of improvement if not in the ones I had planned! This will be my fourth challenge, the second and third didn't go so well and this is what I need to get over. An old problem flared up and then I was out of my own environment, I need to become more resilient to my plans not going as they should but still staying on target. Main Quest: To become a healthier fitter individual by improving my diet and fitness. This would be measured in an increase in capability (which can be measured in Stronglifts capabilities (which im starting over), distances covered on cardio days (mixture of rowing, cycling, treadmill (10mins each on a workout) and cross trainer (30mins session) ) increase in bodyweight exercises achieved and repeations achieved, using the Crossfit Thames standard sheets to aim for (with intermittent testing) and decrease in body fat and other measured body sizes. Quest 1: To work out for a minimum of 30mins 7 days a week working towards Crossfit minimums: Mon, Wed and Friday will be Stronglifts days and Tue and Thur will be cardio days. Where I am unable to achieve any of the above and weekends I will focus on kettlebells, bodyweight and bike work at home. Measurement: 100% = 42 days Reward: 100% = +2 STA, +2 STR Quest 2: Weekend Yoga sessions to improve flexibility on either a Saturday or Sunday (using DDPs YRG dvds) Measurement: 100% = 6 days Reward: 100% = 2 Dex Quest 3: Will follow a 5/2 plan, it worked for me before, im sure I can do it again, will also keep non fast days to a max of 2000cals Measurement: 100% = 42 days of sticking to 2000 or 600 Reward: 100% = 2 Con Life Quest: Im not going to follow my life quest at the moment, I think with changes at work and the physical things I want to achieve I am making some big changes as it is without trying to force another, so going to give myself a break on this one! Motivation: I really need to improve my health, my dad has recently been diagnosed with pre-diabetes we have both had High blood pressure in the past and we are too similar to not worry about the same issues affecting the other or our own returning, plus I haven’t really felt that I have achieved much and as the local Spartan Race and Tough Mudder are happening in the next two months (both over the course of this challenge) I want to be race ready for both next year!!! My boss battles will be booked as soon as possible to make sure I can’t turn back form it!!! Current weigh in (taken Sunday morning) - 131.6kg - 290lbs - 20st 10lbs - 71.4%bf

It's me again! The people who have been following me last challenge know I didn't complete it. In fact I disappeared, going into full blown hiding. Which I am really good at! And although I am quite proud of that assassin skill, it is important not to hide from fellow assassins! So that's why I'm coming out of hiding again, and making sure I will stay out of hiding for the duration of this challenge! Uhhh... Nope still hiding... Wait I know how to unhide... I can do this! Close enough? I suppose so... So right, yeah, goals! Not too many this time, I wanted to do a bazillion things. Because I'm great at planning intricately busy things. And then the 'doing it' part comes along and I feel like meh.... So! Not too many goals this time. Just two. WOOOOO JUMP RIGHT INTO THE GOALS Goal 1: GMB Focused Flexibility (and any extra work I want to do ) DAILY Goal 2: Wrist Warmup + Frogger (at least 3 times a week) Video link for the wrist warmup: https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=235&v=mSZWSQSSEjE Page link for GMB frogger practice: http://gmb.io/frogger-handstand/ During the challenge I will still be doing Stronglifts, which I definitely still am in love with! So you might get updates of that. I will also keep doing hiking training, because I just need to. And and and I will also do some hooping! But the good thing is, I don't have to update on those, and I don't have to do them. But I can! Things are more fun when you don't have to do them right? HIGH FIVE! LETS DO THIS! Pssst and a little bit of motivation for everyone!

Hello and welcome to another installment of the Kyliewyotie show. In this episode you will watch as Kyliewyotie learns to better manage his time, prepare for the addition to the family, lose weight, all while getting stronger! Insert obligatory gif here Goal 1: Manage my time better. I have been good about forcing myself to do my workouts, but lately I have been getting home from work late, taking care of the dogs later, and working out even later, leaving dinner and bedtime for really late. And leaving no time for chores, fun, or other needed activities. I have decided to try and adjust my life schedule to allow for more effective use of my time. I im the process of wokring into a promotion at work, which means even more hours at work, and with a baby on the way I know this current path is not sustainable. Something needs to change and this is my plan. A. Work out in the mornings, this means getting up at 5 am but means that when work is over I am free for other activities. I have taken my normal work out and spread it over 5 days instead of 3, so I won't be cutting anything out, but makes everydays work about 45 mins long. My wife (Heathbar) will be joining me for 3 days in the morning. Were collaborating. B.Use work and walking the dogs to get my needed steps in, aiming for 10.5k. Instead of planning walks while watching videos in the park. C. Fully commit to using my electronic planner, I do so for work, but planning out my chores, and other activities at home will allow me to better use my time. D. Continue to do my wizerscices, getting in bonus exercises is a win all around. Goal 2: Lose Weight Lets keep it simple and say I will lose 6 lbs, that is one lb a week. Starting point to be determined tomorrow morning. My plan of action is to track calories using Myfitness pal, and come in under 2k calories with the allowance of one cheat day. I am collaborating with the Heathbar on goal also. Goal 3: Get Stronger I have been doing the morning workouts for just over a week now, and well its kinda sucks. In all honesty I got really into increasing numbers, and my workouts were were becoming so strenuous, that I just couldn't do them first thing in the morning. So I made the decision to drop 25% and rebuild my lifts. I will post my new starting points and I will aim for a 10% increase, since last time 5% came fairly easy. I am still rocking my body weight routine as well and I may adjust my exercises for more difficult varieties. I will see how that goes through the challenge. My wife is doing the body weight stuff with me and I am solo on my stronglifts. Life Goal: Prepare for Baby Makayla The main goal here is to swap our office (fancy sounding video game room) into a nursery. My wife is awesome, and agreed to a star wars themed room, so that great! It will require a lot of demo and most likely a bunch of drywall work. Flooring will also need to be swapped, paint, trim, etc. the list is pretty long and may not be finished in 6 weeks, but it will have to be done in the next 3-4 months to hit a deadline I am unable to move. Pics before after and during should be expected. I will also be having a baby shower soon, and my wife has told me I need to go pick out baby stuffs with her. So I need to make that happen as well. TL;DR: 1. Not enough time, find more 2. Fight the fat kid, fight dirty if needed 3. lift moar weight 4. baby coming, OMG preps need doing I'm super stoked to be part of NF again. It really helps me to keep my fitness and nutrition in mind while life keeps plotting along.

Hi Rebels Since its a few weeks to the start of the next 6 Week Challenge, I thought I'd get started on a log early and get good habits going. The plan is to post each morning about the day before. A bit about me... I'm 33, married with a 4 month old son. I'm 6'1", and I was built like a rake when I was 17 or 18, but 15 years of comfortable office work has meant a gradual weight gain. I hit 100kg this year, and along with the 38" waist trousers and XL shirts I need now, that was enough to make me want to make changes... I don't want to be a fat dad, I'd like to be able to do plenty of running around with my son as he grows up. The Journey So Far... I started calorie counting about 9 weeks ago, and it's worked well so far. I've made changes slowly, first cutting the bulk of the crap out, then adding more fruit and protein in the last couple of weeks. The thing that's really impressed me is that the more I clean up my diet, the less I miss the sweets and chocolate. I'm still allowing myself a treat now and again, but it's down to one or two a week instead of a day. Doing calorie counting, along with plenty of walking, has got 4.5kg off so far. Averaging 0.5kg a week, which is bang on target. This is me on the day I registered for Nerd Fitness - putting them up here for future reference and accountability What comes next? With the diet on its way, fitness is up next. I'd decided to focus on strength training with free weights, and found the Stronglifts 5x5 workout, before I found NerdFitness. It's great to find a community where lifting is regarded as a good way towards general fitness, and especially great that it's a community of nerds The bad news is that, having not done any barbell (or any other sort of strength) work before, 5 sets of 5 reps was too much for me the first time I tried... I managed all of workout A, but was crippled for 2 days afterwards. I've backed off to 3 sets of 5 with the starting weights, which I'll then increase to 4 sets next week, before starting with the 5x5 proper the following. Hopefully the couple of weeks ramp up will give my body time to adjust and the pain won't be so bad... At the moment, my gym time also includes some interval training on the treadmill... I'll keep this up for as long as I can while still keeping my total workout (including warm up and stretches at the end) to about an hour, since my workouts are a long lunch break for me. Goals Long term, I'm aiming to get my weight to 85kg. I'm not setting any goals on the lifting side other than an immediate one to get up to doing 5x5 sets and to stick at it once I start, since I don't really know how I'll take to it. I think that's enough as an intro, I'll add some reflections on today when I post tomorrow.

Hi guys; I'm female, 37yo, 5'4", 126 lbs. I just put together a new routine for myself, and I'm pretty happy with it so far. I wanted to share it in order to get feedback and ideas in case I find the need for tweaking things as I go along. My overall fitness goals are to: - gain strength - gain power - improve functional strength skills (i.e. get better at balancing, keeping back straight, etc.) I've been lifting weights since about September 2012. I started with NROL For Women, and when I was finished I was keen to try something a little simpler and more focused on basic progression, so I started SL5x5. Not long after I started, I had to bail due to brachial plexopathy issues (left arm was palsied for several months -- it's not clear how much weightlifting contributed to this). I learned I've got a fun (!) and interesting (!) hereditary neuropathy, and basically, it's super easy for me to get nerve damage. I was warned by one doc to avoid lifting weights, but my neurologist encouraged me to 'do it sensibly'. I spent about the last year just kind of flailing around at the gym, doing this and that, trying to figure out how to get a routine going that I can flexibly alter in case of nerve issues, and it was not very satisfying. But after some reading and experimentation, I think I have a plan that suits me and will allow me to progress. Here are some of my specific constraints: I need more recovery time than typical, so I've been aiming for 1-2 sessions per week, rather than 2-3. I'm being extra cautious with neck/shoulder/hand stress, since that's where I've had most of my symptoms. For that reason, I'm mostly sticking to body weight stuff for upper body work right now (I have plenty of room to make progress there). I am trying to avoid spending too long (or being too repetitive) in positions that can compress nerves (such as elbow planks). Anyway, here's the workout. Warmup: about 20 minutes of yoga and functional stretching. Workout A: Deadlift (4 sets of 1) alternating with Pushups (4 sets of 5) Box Jumps (2 sets of 5-8) Negative Pullups (2 sets of 5-8) alternating with Pistol Squat to box (2 sets of 5-8) Workout B: Low Back Squat alternating with Inverted Row (4 sets of 5, both) Power Cleans (2 sets of 5-8) Pike Pushups (2 sets of 5-8) alternating with Reverse Lunges (2 sets of 5-8) I feel safe progressively loading the deadlift and squat in a linear fashion similar to most newbie programs (although the low back squat is new to me -- I was doing a high back squat, and worried about the bar resting on my traps with too much weight. I think the low position will work better). Pushups and inverted rows may be swapped out with dumbbell presses and rows when progressive loading through variations gets too hard. I've been scared to try cleans, because of my shoulder issues, but it would be a really useful functional lift for me to apply in a lot of work situations. So I am starting light with them, and will scale up slowly. So far I've done 2 of each workout (A and , and I like what I am feeling. Any thoughts?