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Happy First Day of AUTUMN! (North Hemisphere - Happy First Day of Spring to ya'll Southerners!). So life has me starting a new job! I finished my Internship (basically cried in the end with people not wanting to see me go). Trying a job in Security (because Money... it pays more than any Janitorial job, but will have to stay grounded). My mom and step-dad getting married on October 9th, we moving out of the apartment by Halloween. A great time to make new habits as life goes into chaos... but a calm can be seen for the Holidays (honestly see myself working on the Holidays this year... because Overtime!) I have been LOVING NF Prime, (the Journey App) and had a realization of what are "baby steps." Small goals you can keep up for the next 3 years even on shitty days.... I have taken a weight off myself because I remind myself daily. My small things now will help make the best step better. I actually think I'm in the right mindset to back at getting NF Coaching, but this year instead of buying a couple months I want to save up for the whole subscription. So seeing if I can keep up the momentum for myself and see how that goes, as I save up. The only issue I have with NF's Journey App, is the continuing habits after the quest. So why I'm here, to help keep the momentum up. Currently my character is at level 28 after 1 month and half. I've decided to not step on the scale until Halloween, just to check in. Small changes make small changes.... The Scale only says so much. Now to the habits. Nutrition Habits I feel I have: Intentional eating is coming out, not a burden more of coming out when I eat food I know I want to sit down and enjoy (and gives my bedroom and car a break from the crumbs. Intentional on Drinking Calories...(Finally accepted Diet Drinks when I do want Soda, or intentional at home cold brew with cream at home). Idk if the weight is falling off, but I've made it a goal some days just to drink zero calories (or order Small... and noticing how big they are). Read Labels for Calories and Serving Size... Been intrigued by how this shifts how much I eat when I acknowledge both... Habits I will Be Working on! Meditation - Been working on this one for awhile, right now it just involves me turning on a chanting video that has me get out of my head before falling asleep (just listening to it, grounds me like crazy where I have listened to the whole hour without realizing_ NF Planning A Meal- Planning out Meals the Next Day NF No 2 in a Row - Enjoy my treat/rest, make the next option better! NF Walk - I'm at 7 mins currently (found a lap in the front of my house that works perfectly for this in the morning). Morning Routine After Walk - Making the goal to work out in the morning, so first a walk than breakfast/shower/getting life together (I work at 3 pm - 11 pm now). NF Dailies - A daily goal that the NF Journey gives will note here if I did it. YNAB - Check in on my budget transitions, bonus when I reconcile! Side Quest - Post daily, work on Konmaring my room (still working on this...) Yesterday's Results/Template: 9/21/2021 NF Walk (7 mins) Done after work Morning Routine after Walk - Went to On the Job Training for 7-3, was presentable (can see why this shift would be appealing but meh). NF Plan Tomorrow's Meal (Breakfast and Lunch was planned and made) NF "No 2 in a Row": (didn't start) NF Daily Was "plan a meal", I planned out a Dairy Queen run when I couldn't say no to mom before driving out there (and ate it at the table when I got home). Post daily! Konmarie? No... just not a day. Now trying not to eat more than 1 serving of cookies... if I'm hungry I'll batch cook

So I've been on hiatus for most of a year for a variety of reasons (good and bad). But it's time for a respawn, so I'm reaching out again to the support networks I have (the forums here, Connect on the WeightWatchers app, etc) to try and maintain accountability and get regular feedback on things. Yet to do: re-write my Life at Level 50 mission statement/goals (Work changed, and with it, the driving need to drown my frustrations in food and shopping). The previous battle log is here, if anyone wants to visit the unpleasant swamp of the past: https://rebellion.nerdfitness.com/index.php?/topic/83812-tokidoki-kittys-daily-log/ Going forward: - If not a daily log, at least a weekly one - Revisit and refine my goals regularly (and set them up in smaller, manageable pieces) - Improve my productivity habits / reduce my procrastination habits -- this goes for both work and home. - Address, treat/mitigate my physical pains (through diet, exercise, etc). - Financial success (large savings account) and freedom (no more credit card debt/recurring balance carryovers) - I want to go to Japan and spend a lot of time on experiences and shopping for tea and kimono equipment that I can't get in the States. Need money to do that. :/

Wow, what a journey we have been on, Dear Readers. The process all began in 2015, but we never know it at the time. I realized I was on some sort of soul journey in mid-2016, then really ramped up through 2017. By the beginning of the year in 2018, I had a name for this path. I can confirm: the past two years have been crucible-level intense. The name "nightmare of the soul" is apt. I even got cocky this time last year, celebrating my new vantage point. I think I might have even said something along the lines of: FOR THE RECORD: DO NOT DO THIS. This was ill-advised. Confession: I kept this attitude through most of the crap that came my way all last year. I don't think the attitude can be beaten out of me, because this year the Universe gave me every reason and opportunity to quit. It would have been easier, for certain, to stop. To take my wounds and call it all a good fight, but over. No. This new land will be mine, and yet I have no idea what it is or what it will look like. For all I know, it's a barren potato field that not even sheep will graze in. I have this vision of cresting a ridge only to see this notice tacked to a tree: There were brilliant moments this year. Real watershed events one after the other (full list) January I wrote a song it went in a tv movie! February I went to a philosophy rave; I went to a Philosophy group; I got a Fellowship to do philosophy all the time; I had a head injury that crippled me; and even through the sidewaysness of it all: the legal situation is a protracted mess that doesn't seem to get better the healing of the head injury is so slow I don't even recognize what I was before intellectually I still can't drive I haven't been to the gym since September. I managed to find my way through by feeling for the next centered thing: I founded a local Philosophy Roundtable I signed up people to vote, raised the roof, amplified messages for causes using my digital life to be active when I had no voice or mobility physically. I am the lead for Philosophers for Sustainability's Public Philosophy team I am a member of the Philosophers for Sustainability Outreach & Social Media team I developed a topic and presented it at a national-level (international?) conference I am presenting a piece on Authenticity, Connectedness, and Hope at the APAPhil Division Conference in Chicago (any Chicago Nerds who want to join the 5e D&D game that is going to happen, or who want to meet RealLivePhilosophers™ drop me a line! It's at the Palmer House Feb 26-29. I'll be in town on March 1, too, mostly because I want to see the Art Institute and because I present on Saturday afternoon, so I wanted extra recovery time). I took my writing to the Thesis Level, and my advisor now refers to it as The Book. I developed the conference presentation into a structure for a book and am working on the proposal and article for submission (see #Goals2020). And now we are here. 2020. I'm not certain how this last part of the Hero's Journey will play out, but I know I'm capable and up for the challenges, whatever they might happen to be. There's a cool lunar eclipse that just happened with the December new moon, and a solar eclipse that is happening at the new moon in January. This challenge is "between the eclipses," so to speak, and I think that has some nice poetry to it. I know that there is a lot of possibility and potential swirling about -- sort of a liquid electricity looking for a channel of expression as it seeks the ground. I think that any number of opportunities await; I have the chance to bring my new sense of self (attitude is everything!) to focus and claim my path forward. I am grateful that you have been part of this with me. I have no idea what I will grasp from the air. Have you guys read the Kingkiller series (by Patrick Rothfuss, first is Name of the Wind) yet? This feels like the moment in the second book, The Wise Man's Fear, when our hero has to go through the willow tree to get the Thing at the center. In ways, it's almost like starting all over again. Thanks for being part of my Fellowship. I can't wait to see what we get up to.

Hi! I'm Fedaykin, 25 yo female who loves to read, drink tea, dream and I'm currently interested in zero waste and minimalism. I've followed Nerd Fitness since I read the article on parkour but never stopped collecting underpants and started actually doing anything about changing my life. My reason for finally jumping in is a trio of events: I got promoted (yay, guest service team leader!), I caught and recovered from mono, and I realized that my life consists of working, sleeping, and sitting on my butt reading. My quest for this challenge is to build healthy habits. I will... Track what I eat every day. I want to see what I'm doing with my diet before I change it. Drink at least 60 oz of water a day (not including my daily tea). I constantly feel dehydrated and I know this is contributing to my lack of motivation to do anything. Exercise 5 days a week. Walk, run, bike, bodyweight exercises, anything beyond what I already do. I live close to a paved walking/biking trail, so as it becomes spring in the beautiful Pacific Northwest, I want to utilize this resource. Floss every night. I currently don't floss and it's a source of personal disappointment for me. Wish me luck! I plan to update at least twice a week.

I love tea. I love to sample all the different kinds, I love to mix and match the loose-leaf teas, I love the smell, the warmth, the flavour. Tea is awesome. Tea is calming. Since I'm hoping to use the calming benefits of tea to help me this challenge, and since I have other calming elements scattered throughout this challenge then I think tea shall be my theme. Well, tea and cats. The cat gifs are addicting. >.> You cat people have won me over. Tea before Treats I may have a snack whenever I please - I just must have a cup of tea first. What do I hope this will accomplish? First: to make sure I'm not snacking when I'm actually thirsty. Second: to make myself a little more full before snacking so I will not have as much. Third: to give myself a chance to change my mind if I don't actually want the snack. And fourth: to replace the snacking habit with the superior tea one when I'm not really hungry. Grading: A = snacks had, B = intentions to eat snacks that tea mitigated, C = snacks with teas before hand, D = teas that prevented snacking; (C+D) / (A+ - I know this sounds complicated, but it should be easy enough to track with my next goal. What do Death Knights eat? I will track everything that goes in my face for the next four weeks. No judgments, no trying to change things, just information gathering. What do I hope this will accomplish? Hopefully it will inform future food goals and maybe even allow me to make food issues to things like acne, and stomach pain. If nothing else I will learn a little bit about myself. Grading: daysTracked/28 Catlike flexibility, Death Knight strength Continue the BBWW 3 times a week. Add Yoga once a week. Even 10 minutes counts, I just need to do it. I learned last challenge that I don't really enjoy running, but I did enjoy when I finished the BBWW with a short stretch yoga routine (3 mins). I would love to add more ease to my week so instead of running, let's try making one extra yoga session instead. What do I hope this will accomplish? awesomeness++, strength++, recovery++ Grading: bbwwDoneInWeek/3 - average of 4 weeks, worth 75% of grade; yogaSessionDoneInWeek/1 - average of 4 weeks, worth 25% of grade; Contemplate the Word Read scripture and meditate on a key theme or verse from the reading daily. Attempt to find a consistent time to do this, but it isn't part of the grading. What do I hope this will accomplish? Meditating on God's word should bring better clarity and draw me closer to him, mediating should help me clear my mental fog. Grading: (readingDays + mediationDays)/56 Bonus: Eat like a cat Eat a can of sardines. They've been following me around (literally in my purse), and sitting on my desk staring at me. The aversion to bones should not stop a true rebel, plus they are good for you, and ... *stares at tin of fish in fear* What do I hope this will accomplish? I break a food fear and open new doors of cooking. Grading: The fishies get nommed (pass) or they don't (fail)

So I just tried something most of you might turn your nose up just thinking about it. I just put a spoonful of apple cider vinegar in my green tea. Before you think I'm the grossest person ever, hear me out. I actually like ACV. I eat it with my salads, especially power greens like spinach or kale. For a few days now, I've been drinking a glass of water mixed with 1 tbsp of ACV and just a bit of maple syrup to taste. But I read about making green tea with honey and a spoonful of ACV, and it's actually not bad. It gives the green tea a tart taste that may put off those who don't care for vinegar, but it's not enough to put me off. Plus, a search for "apple cider vinegar benefits" will yield many results that essentially say some of the same things: high acetic acid, low calories, kills bad bacteria while strengthening gut bacteria, reduces blood sugar, helps you feel full, lowers cholesterol, and has been linked to a lot of (less-researched) other health benefits like whiter teeth, a sore throat remedy, cancer-fighter, upset tummy soother, hiccup curer, indigestion easer, stuffy nose clearer, bad breath reliever, and even a bruise vanisher. I just know I think it tastes good, and most research does show that it has legit benefits. Just don't drink it straight.

I'm intimidated by the forum change, so this challenge is all about just coming here every day, trying to follow threads, and posting in my own thread.

Hello Assassins, I'm back!!! Well, actually... I'm in Uganda... But I think I've emerged from my recent rage stress spiral. Also, my internet access is surprisingly good (except apparently, I'm unable to post gifs.... Grrrrrr)? So, it's time to resume my badassery... And who better to learn from than the Dragon of the West? Uncle Iroh and his wisdom will be my guide! Main Quest - Resilient and Radiant "No! Zuko! You must never give into despair. Allow yourself to slip down that road and you surrender to your lowest instincts. In the darkest times, hope is something you give yourself. That is the meaning of inner strength." I'll talk more about this during the challenge, but my mental strength and spiritual health are my focus. My healthy choices will continue to rebuild me into the awesome badass woman that I am meant to be. "You can't always see the light at the end of the tunnel, but if you keep moving, you will come to a better place." Moving - enjoy some type of movement every day for at least two minutes "A man needs his rest." Rest - electronics off for 60 minutes before bed "Sick of tea? That's like being sick of breathing." Tea and Breathing - tea is an opportunity to mindfully enjoy one of my favorite things

I am rebelling against the current class system by being an innkeeper. I'm also rebelling against having physical fitness goals in favor of having my environment be fit. (Hey, a decent couple hours of housework are about all I can handle right now.) A lot of my goals will seem familiar because they are, but I don't think it's too unreasonable to keep trying to make them stick. The points I'm assigning now might not correlate to the xp my character gets later. Tea Goal: make tea: 9 points drink tea: 1 point I'm not sure how to score this if I end up not drinking the tea until the next day. I have a little trouble with getting dehydrated and tea's about the healthiest thing I like. Cumulative Chore List: Dishwasher: ready to receive dirty dishes first thing in the morning: 10 points ready to receive dirty dishes by noon: 5 points ready to receive dirty dishes the previous night but forgot to check in the morning: 5 points Build the rest of the chore chart When I was doing Chore Wars, I was a bit better about working on the house. Things are a bit out of hand and chaotic so it's not going to be as easy as seeing a chore and doing the chore yet, but hopefully I'll be able to get one of those tasks into an easy category. The dishwasher thing is one thing that I've noticed that can keep the chaos down. If it's receiving dirty dishes, that means I have a place to put most of the dirty dishes, and the kitchen doesn't become a disaster area. Use the paper planner: No points because it's a soft goal. I printed out a month of the Passion Planner and now I have to figure out what to do with it. Probably not my long-running to-do list because I think a whiteboard would be better. Less procrastination on the computer: I tend to lose time while hanging out on the internet. It actually gave me anxiety when hubby half-suggested that he lock down the internet connection while he's at work. There is now a remote lamp-control module on the network switch, we just need to figure out how to program it. I'll still be able to use Netflix and look up stuff on my tablet, but I won't be hampster-wheeling on websites. Pay attention to the frogs: If you eat a live frog first thing in the morning, that's probably the worst thing that's going to happen to you that day. If you wait and leave it on your plate, it's going to be lurking there all day and distracting you from simpler tasks. http://play.simpletruths.com/movie/eat-that-frog/ I don't necessarily have to do the most unpleasant thing first, especially if freezing up about it keeps me from doing other stuff. I just can't let it bother me at all whether I do it or not.

Foo rose up early to greet the dawn. As he stepped out of his hut and looked across the temple grounds, he noticed the abbot waving him down. “Foo, I have a mission for you to undertake. I was approached by some villagers from the Wuxi province, and their small farming community has been under attack by a group of 5 demons every year for the past 4 planting seasons. As the ground is to be tilled in about 30 moons from now, they came to ask for our help in ridding them of these monsters.†“Master,†said Foo with some curiosity “that's terrible. I will certainly do what I can to help the village, but I do not know much of demons. Also, I know only my meager kung fu, and have no magical weapons to defeat a demon horde.†The abbot stroked his wispy beard slowly as he spoke. “Well, your kung fu should have all the answers you should ever need for any battle in heaven or earth, but what you will need to know is that the land of Wuxi is riddled with dangerous cliffs. One must have the firmest of stances to hope to do battle there. You should be certain that your training has covered that before your go. Also, the 5 demons do battle by harnessing the 5 elements into their attacks. You would be wise to be certain that your knowledge of alchemy is worked into your kung fu so that you have an answer to any elemental attacks. Last, only a fool would battle demons at night, so you must be certain to be at your peak as soon as you rise in the morning. With these 3 things and keeping yourself well, I believe that you are ready for your first real mission outside of the temple.†Foo bowed deeply, “I'll get to work immediately, sifu.†So, for my upcoming challenge, I have 3 primary additions to add to my normal training. 1. Make sure my footing is steady. During a seminar in the United States, Chen Qingzhou was asked: what was the most important thing that someone could do to improve their tai chi. He Responded “I will tell you exactly what to do and it will improve your health, tai chi, your martial and mental abilities, and will only take you three minutes a day, but you won't do it.†“Why won't I do it?†He was asked. “Because I've said this many time and no one follows through.†“Well, what is it?†“Stand,†and he assumed a Zhan Zhuang (post stance) The first part of my challenge will be to stand in a deep Zhan Zhuang stance, and attempt a standing meditation for just 3 minutes a day. This will be in addition to my normal seated meditation, but with a heavy emphasis on holding a 90-degree knee position. I'm sore just thinking about it. 2. Answer for the 5 elemental attacks: If you have much knowledge of taoist philosophy or Chinese medicine, then you're sure to know of how the 5 elements support or destroy each other. Over the next 4 weeks, I plan to learn the 5 elemental fists and the linking sequence for them from Xingyiquan. (Actually, I already have learned the basics for the first two, but should be able to get the other 3 by the end of the challenge.) This is to make sure that I don't slouch on what is a non-primary art for me. 3. Be ready to fight early in the day: This is a modification from my last challenge which included waking up every day and immediately doing Wudang 5-animal qigong. This time, let's summon the sun with a bit of Surya Namaskara A & B (Sun Salutation A & B ). I think that a A, A, B, A pattern upon waking will get the inner fire going in my body, so before I even get dressed in the mornings, I'll be doing this every day. *these are to be done in addition to my circuit training, tai chi training, and now...regular vinyasa class. Still abstaining from alcohol and eating a paleo diet with heavy focus on raw vegetables. ...and best of luck to my fellow druids. *bows deeply*

For the February challenge I am adding two components to the continuation of my tea work: Ringing the Temple Bell and my meditation practice. Some of this is left over from last month, but I wanted to record things here. First: Tea Having done Black and Green in January, this month it is White and Oolong. Again it will be 5 teas of each type within 2 weeks, with full write-up. Expect more of the same. Second: Ringing the Temple Bell The Kuchinawa is a large Mushi that looks like a white serpent. It has a voice that sounds like the large Buddhist temple bells of Japan. This inspired an idea of strength training using these bells. They are large and very heavy. As a serrogate I am using kettle bells for my workout. I may, if I do well and keep at it for a year, buy myself one of those temple bells (a smaller one, not the ones the size of a house) and have it as a meditative focus and a reminder of my strength practice. I begin this with a 12 week workout regimen on basic kettle bell workouts. No need to rush. For this month, my quest is to get through the first 4 weeks. (I started this last week so I am already complete with week one) Third: Meditation Last month I built up my meditation to be able to last 30 minutes, and then I began a quest to get in 300 minutes of meditation (30 min/day at 10 days. Seemed legit). That was not finished in time, so I am going to finish that one off. Once that is done I will be adding another meditation journey for this month. I am not sure what it should be though. If anyone has suggestions, by all means let me know. May try pushing it out to 45 min, but that is a lot of time that I may not have as the exercise routine gets more time consuming (which it does).

Well, this is my first official challenge, so to the Rebels it is! Goal #1: -All snacks are to be a fresh/raw vegetable. Part of detachment from my very cushy lifestyle into the realm of mountain-dwelling taoist should certainly be in the form of replacing the easily obtained "Chip's Ahoy" with a carrot or broccoli or celery. I am getting enough calories from my meals, and I snack out of habit. Goal #2: -All Alcohol is now to be herbal tea One of my many weaknesses has been having a glass of wine or couple of beers almost daily. While in and of themselves, in moderation, these aren't that bad, but the caloric values add up over time. Also, it's banned from one of the schools I plan to study at in the near future, so might as well adjust now. Goal #3: -Every Morning, Wudang 5 Animals Qigong Immediately upon rising out of my bed, I will do the Dragon, Tiger, Leopard, Snake, and Crane Qigong forms. I've been doing them randomly throughout the day, but tried this a few times over the last couple of days, and found that I pop like bubble-wrap if I do them as soon as I wake up. Seems like a good way to set the tone for the rest of the day. Life Goal: -Walk 4 weeks in different shoes My wife is a yogi, and for the last few days, I've done one of her vinyasa flows. They're interesting and often quite challenging physically. I don't see any reason that these can't be added to my normal tai chi, changquan, and qigong practices...and I certainly could hope to learn a few things. *I'll try to keep up my Battle Log as well, it's just that I get distracted from my own work from reading too much.

A few years ago, I took up an informal Japanese tea ceremony as a way of relieving stress. To be fair, it is not the formal ceremony, as I have far too much respect for the actual ceremony to claim that I have any formal ability. I read in my research that one of the styles was originally an emulation of a mountain hermit offering tea to a guest in his tiny hut. I ran with this and cultivated my own ceremony that I use as a meditation. In the process I got pretty familar with Matcha, a powdered green tea used in tea ceremony and used to make green tea ice cream. A couple years later, our office moved to a new location next to a shopping mall, which had a tiny tea store called Bird Pick, a lovely tea chop with over a hundred varieties of tea and a bar that you can sit and order any tea you like. I made myself a regular here, and over time, taught each of the staff things about matcha they did not know about preparation, chemical effects, and some history. Some took on the challenge of making Matcha well very seriously and in the process, I was dubbed "Matcha-Sensei". Honestly I don;t think anyone actually knows my name there, but I do like the title. Last week, I was thinking about Ginko, the lead(?) in the Anime Mushishi, which is the inspiration for my Epic Quest. He carries a box on his back as a backpack which he keeps all his tools of his trade and strange ingredients for his Mushi cures. I got to thinking, while looking at the wall of large jars of tea all gathered from around the world, that I should put together a collection of teas and my equipment. It would be quite charming. The problem is, I really only know about a few of them, matcha most of all. So ... here starts the first Epic Quest item that isn't training (as I am still in the evaluating and restructuring my life stage of the process). I am going to learn about those teas. And I am going to record my findings here. I have three quests to start wtih: White teas, Green Teas and Black Teas. I will learn five of each and write up some kind of reflective wirteup or maybe a meditaiton or story on each. When I have 5 written up here in this thread, I can mark the appropriate one complete in my Epic Quest log. I hope that the journey goes well, and that I am able to find a collection I would like to have with me. I expect the full study to take at least six months, but for now, I begin with 2 weeks. When I feel I am well versed and I know what I need, I will make the backpack. It will be epic loot for an epic undertaking. Walk in happiness.

Well, been a few days now and I am enjoying the journey. Just getting my start on the forums so let's see where this goes. To start off, this is my attempt at cultivating a Mushishi training regimen. I have a range of interests, that tend to focus into four areas: First is a love of Mushishi and by extention the quiet and meditative imagining I have to the Japanese mountain hermit. It is the idealized representation that makes up the druid/monk I am to become that I am striving toward. The second is a close relationship to the mythology of the Icelandic Sagas and the wisdom of the Eddas. This combined with masonic studies guides my communion with spirit. The third is my love of the German long sword. Years of historical reenactment, study and practice of the techniques left to us in historical manuscripts, have made the sword an extension of my life. It is hard to explain. The last is the endless study and application of Management/Team Building/Executive Leadership training that has made up the lion's share of my career over the last 7 years. Of all the areas, the one that I could afford to focus less on is the last. So here I start this journal. It will be a bit rambly for a bit. I want to get down all my thoughts, but this is new so there are a lot and they don't always connect just yet. So, I guess I will start with the current state of being Diet I have a long history with Atkins, and have a lot of experience with the transition into this in a cold-turkey way. I generally do this every January in order to recover from the feasting (the primary way I celebrate winter holidays) and to prep for the Renaissance Festival season. Steel armor does not stretch, so I have to adjust to it if I want to wear it. The up side is that Level 7 (my healthy target for new living) is actually less strict than my old Atkins regimen, so this is really nice! I don't feel as though I am suffering at all, and adopting the phrase "I don't do that very often" as I walk by the doughnuts in the office on Wednesdays has actually turned it into a choice rather than a restriction. Honestly that one trick alone has made this experiment worth while. I love to cook for others, and though I like to cook for myself, I do hate cleanup. I am looking at the cleanup as part of a discipline regimen that will go with my meditation. We will see if that helps. My stress level is best when everything is very clean at my apartment. So, I have been cooking almost all my meals for two weeks. I cooked a lot of the meals before that too, but this is more of a concious effort. I am dialing in what ingredients I need to prep on Sunday in order to make cooking easier during the week. I am also dialing in the basic menu based on enjoyment, flavor, nutrition, fullness and ease of cooking/cleanup. If I can do everything in my wok (the single greatest multi-purpose frying pan in my arsenal), then I am very happy. This Saturday will make 2 weeks of actively tracking my meals, which I do through Instagram (if anyone is interested let me know), and once that is done, then I can look and check the various levels to see what level I am at. I expect once I settle into a routine that Level 8 will be my norm. It is essentially Atkins + Rice which is truly lovely! So with this being my regular diet anyway, any food quests will be around optimizing the menu for ease of use. My big kitchen at home on the weekends is not available to me during the week. I work about 4 hours from my home so I have two places: one for during the week (it's my monastic space) and one for the weekend with family (it's the great hall). Perhaps the Mushishi diet is a good idea to make into a quest. Physical Training I have learned something important recently. I'm 43, and injuries take a while before they go away again, if ever. Hurt my knee a month ago and it still gives me problems. I also have some wear and tear left over from my time in the Army, and that needs to be watched out for. Add this to being a few years out of shape, and not flexible at all, and I am a bit concerned about the wrong kind of pain. I am pretty familiar with the right kind, and have never enjoyed it, but I understand the benefit. But this age thing is a new consideration. I have a shoulder I need to watch out for because of a martial arts injury and my knee. So, the question is how do I move my physical training forward. Well, first off: Slow down to go fast. This is a concept I learned in Agile management, that careful and complete leads to more efficient results in the long term. I am easing my way into things. I am playing a bit. I hate "exercise" but I like using my body. So this is what I am doing so far. I walk to work from the appartment to the office. This is about a mile. This morning I extended it to 1.5 miles at a brisk pace (14:50). I have happy high pace music I listen to on the way that elevates my mood and pushes my pace along. I like it. I will eventually build this up to greater distances. My hope is to get up to a 5K regular daily walk to work, but time constraints are getting in the way. I do what random quests I can trying to add a little XP every day from one or more categories in my character. This keeps pushing me but I am not in any way undergoing a regular regimen. I am supposed to start selecting my warm-up this week. I am finding myself very resistant to it emotionally, so while I work through that, I am continuing to push myself in the walking. That way I am increasing something that little bit every day. The sword thing has come up again. I have offered to help a certain paladin with using the sword as a way to encourage and support her character growth and leveling, and last night, a friend from years ago called me out of the blue asking if I still had my class and if I still taught. We are getting together Wednesday to see if that is something we want to take on. It will be my standard demo class so that shouldn't be too great an issue. So I am starting to consider ... if I start doing classes again, maybe just starting at once a week, I have a warm up routine that we always do there to get things started. It has more stretching than the demos shown here on NF, but it might work out. This could sidestep my resistance to "exercising" and shift it to "Combat training prep" which for some reason is entirely different in my mind. I will experiment on Wednesday and see how it goes. I do love me some sword drills, and with low stance, they just about kill the thighs. Mental I have to admit, meditation caught me off guard. I am enjoying that. They tie in very will with the Mushishi idea and it is coming along very well. I am tracking my progress there in my sig and on my Character Sheet, and have been very happy with it so far. This will be growing well. I expect that this will be the active focus for my personal work. Wrap-up So there it is, the first initial introduction post. We will see how it goes from here. Not sure how much time I have to spend on maintaining a journal. It is a bit of a luxury and I am unfortunately a guy with a fairly tight schedule, and if it comes between maintaining a journal and getting another mile in, then the journal is going to lose. If you made it this far, I am impressed and thank you for the time. This is mostly for me to focus my thoughts and I do that really well in forums. Talk to you later. Again, thank you everyone at NF for your hospitality and for setting all this up. It is amazing and I appreciate all the time and energy you put in.

[NEW USER ONLINE. VITAL SIGNS WITHIN NORMAL RANGE. CONDITIONING REGIMENT INITIATED.] Welp, the holidays were a complete gong-show where I pretty much forgot all my healthy eating rules. 4 months til my annual climb up the CN Tower, so now is a good time to get back in the zone. My Rebel Challenge: Quest #1 – Substitute one sugary drink per day for herbal tea (chocolate chai or toasted walnut, yum!) Quest #2 - Take one processed snack each day and replace it with a healthy protein smoothie (can’t wait to bust out my new blender!) Quest #3 - Complete the NF bodyweight workout at least 1x a week (this is such a lowkey goal, super realistic for my lazy ass) Quest #4 – Daily 5 minute dance minute partaaaaaay (more motivation to find THE BEST deep house on YouTube) I’m printing my quests out so that I can carry them with me at all times as a physical reminder of what I’m doing. Regarding my smoothie; there’s a smoothie wave going around work that started with my team and is spreading throughout the department! I’ve been inspired by my coworkers and plan on making a smoothie that contains… Spinach leavesFrozen mango and blueberriesRipe bananas (if I’ve got them on hand)Chia seedsAlmond milkProtein powderCan’t wait to try it out! To be honest I have always sucked at being healthy/active and I am swimming through a garbage pile of self-doubt right now. Fingers crossed the sweet siren call of SWGoH doesn’t sabotage my goals entirely.

INTRODUCTION: My name is Ted and this is my first challenge. I joined the academy first. I was searching for how to build intrinsic motivation into a fitness routine and Nerd Fitness came across my path. I soon stumbled upon the Rebel Forums and have been finding my way around here. I love the positive energy and the team atmosphere. I am a 33 year old English and History teacher and live in San Francisco, CA with my husband and our orange bob-tail cat named Cha-cha. We have been in the Bay Area for about a year. Before California, my husband and I were living in Japan (I was there for seven years and he was there for his whole life). Getting settled into a new country, job, and way of life caused my fitness to not be a priority. This is my way of taking back control and making fitness and health a priority in my life. I am excited about doing this for myself and possibly gaining some friends and strong support along the way. MAIN QUEST: I will have an active life full of movement and activities I find joy in so I can live a life of peace and adventure with my husband. CHALLENGE GOAL 1: “YOU LOOK LIKE A TALL GLASS OF WATER†GOAL: During this six week challenge, 14 September 2015 to 25 October 2015, I will choose only between water and tea for my beverages. Reasoning: Drinking, in my mind, has always had a social component. When friends are having a drink, or go out for a cup of coffee, I always join them and drink as well. I found in August that I was dependent on caffeine more than I would like. I would enjoy drinking black coffee and would often get too much caffeine as I drank several cups throughout the day. Alcohol has begun to make me too tired. Even after one or two glasses of wine or beer, I would be so tired I would just need to take a nap. I do not like this after effect and feel I would be happier without alcohol. Though I am not abstaining from coffee or alcohol permanently, this challenge will help me see my life without these two liquids for an extended period of time. I will also be able to see how I can socialize without drinking the same beverage as everyone else. Means of Evaluation: My daily logs on the NF forums will have a reflection component about beverages. If all 42 of these logs show that I have only consumed water and tea as my beverage choices during the challenge, I will have met my goal. [Attribute: Constitution A=+2 B=+1 C=+.5] CHALLENGE GOAL 2: “DON’T WORRY, I’M FLEXIBLE†GOAL: During this six week challenge, 14 September 2015 to 25 October 2015, I will complete at least three yoga classes a week, from the website YogaToday, for a total of at least 18 classes during the challenge. Reasoning: I am on the quest to build a fitness routine that becomes intrinsically motivated. Yoga, along with bouldering, are one of the activities I am drawn to. Unfortunately, I have not made my practice of yoga a priority. Setting this goal will allow me to show myself that I am making yoga a priority in my life. Means of Evaluation: I will report each yoga class I take on the NF forum by posting a link to the class I did in my daily log. If I have at least 18 classes recorded, at least three a week, I will have met my goal. [Attribute: Dexterity A=+3 B=+2 C=+1] QUEST GOAL 3: “EVERY THING WILL WORK OUT!†GOAL: During this six week challenge, 14 September 2015 to 25 October 2015, I will work out at least four times a week, for a total of at least 24 workouts during the challenge. Reasoning: As with my yoga goal, I am working on building an intrinsically motivated fitness routine. Needing to build strength through self-efficacy, this goal will allow me to get closer to my ultimate goal. I want to do most of my workouts in the morning with the possibility of working out in the late afternoon. Means of Evaluation: I will log my progress on the NF forums and give the details of each workout on my NF challenge thread. If I have logged at least 24 workouts, at least four weekly, by the end of the six week challenge, I will have met this goal. [Attribute: Stamina A=+3 B=+2 C=+1] LIFE QUEST: “YOU’RE HISTORY!†GOAL: I will study world history for at least 30 minutes a day during the six week challenge which takes place from 14 September 2015 to 25 October 2015. Reasoning: I am an English and History teacher and constantly want to improve my knowledge of history to help my teacher practice as well as my own research. I am working on studying for exams in order to add specific items to my current teaching certification. Means of Evaluation: I will keep track of my studying through daily logs on NF forums detailing what subject I have studied. I will also register for a history exam by the end of the six week challenge. If I studied for at least for at least 42 session, at least 30 minutes a day, I will have met my goal. [Attribute: Wisdom A=+3 B=+2 C=+1] I am excited to get started and join everyone!

Main Quest: Complete the Coast to Coast Challenge! Goal #1: I am training for my first half marathon which will take place on September 6th at Disneyland. So I have decided to start running more frequently. STR +2, DEX +1 Mondays: 6:30AM for 4 Miles Tuesday: 5:30AM for 4 Miles Wednesday: 5:30AM for 4 Miles Thursday: 5:30AM for 4 Miles Friday: 5:30AM for 4 Miles Saturday: 5:30AM for 4 Miles A >32 B >29 C >25 D >22 F <16 Goal #2: Sunday is increasing my miles. I can run up to 6 miles but I have never pushed myself to go past that. So I must!!! STA +2, DEX +1 June 14 = 7 Miles June 21 = 7 Miles June 28 = 8 Miles July 5 = 8 Miles July 12 = 8 Miles July 19 = 9 Miles A >6 B >5 D >4 F <3 Goal #3: I've decided to stop drinking coffee and soda and begin drinking tea. Problem is that I really, really hate tea. But I figured I would give it a shot. This will have a cheat based system for this goal because I tend to fail when I don't have it. Now I don't have to drink tea if I don't want to. BUT if there is a day that I want a coffee or a soda I will be going for tea. CON +1 Grade Scale: Week 1: 3 cheats Week 2: 2 cheats Week 3: 2 cheats Week 4: 1 cheats Week 5: 1 cheats Week 6: 0 cheats A >33 B > 30 C > 27 D > 24 F <21 Life Goal: Since I will be running a lot I will need to care for my face and my feet. I don't want nasty feet or pimples. So for the next 42 days I will learn to care for my body. This means cleaning my face before bed, brushing my teeth, and putting crème and socks before bed. CON +2, CHA +2 A >38 B >34 C >30 D >26 F <25

Main Quest: Complete the Coast to Coast Challenge! Goal #1: I am training for my first half marathon which will take place on September 6th at Disneyland. So I have decided to start running more frequently. STR +2, DEX +1 Mondays: 6:30AM for 4 Miles Tuesday: 5:30AM for 4 Miles Wednesday: 5:30AM for 4 Miles Thursday: 5:30AM for 4 Miles Friday: 5:30AM for 4 Miles Saturday: 5:30AM for 4 Miles A >32 B >29 C >25 D >22 F <16 Goal #2: Sunday is increasing my miles. I can run up to 6 miles but I have never pushed myself to go past that. So I must!!! STA +2, DEX +1 April 19 = 5 Miles April 26 = 6 Miles May 3 = 6 Miles May 10 = 7 Miles May 17 = 7 Miles May 24 = 7 Miles A >6 B >5 D >4 F <3 Goal #3: I've decided to stop drinking coffee and soda and begin drinking tea. Problem is that I really, really hate tea. But I figured I would give it a shot. This will have a cheat based system for this goal because I tend to fail when I don't have it. Now I don't have to drink tea if I don't want to. BUT if there is a day that I want a coffee or a soda I will be going for tea. CON +1 Grade Scale: Week 1: 3 cheats Week 2: 2 cheats Week 3: 2 cheats Week 4: 1 cheats Week 5: 1 cheats Week 6: 0 cheats A >33 B > 30 C > 27 D > 24 F <21 Life Goal: Since I will be running a lot I will need to care for my face and my feet. I don't want nasty feet or pimples. So for the next 42 days I will learn to care for my body. This means cleaning my face before bed, brushing my teeth, and putting crème and socks before bed. CON +2, CHA +2 A >38 B >34 C >30 D >26 F <25

Apfelstrudi apprenticizes with the Starks Quick TL;DR: Main goal: Study with Tony Sub-Goal 1: The path to MIT (Ace all my exams (Grades allowed: 1/A and in emergencies 2/B)) Sub-Goal 2: Take care of Tony's law suits (Study for English exam (6 units in 6 weeks)) Bonus Goal: Join Tony's research and invention team (Write down 5 ideas about something every day) Side Goal 1:Own your body with Arya Sub-Goal 1: Dine with the Hound (Breakfast and tea, every day.) Sub-Goal 2: Water dancing with Syrio Forel (Funcercise) Sub-Goal 3: Deep, calm breaths (Continue easing off of smoking) Side Goal 2: Off to King's Landing with Sansa Sub-Goal 1: Embrace the traditions (Keep up with the skin care) Sub-Goal 2: Make demands (Assemble (and share) skin-care wish list) Sub-Goal 3: Quality time with Shae (regular salon visits) Here's my story: After mixing up with pokémon and Hogwarts witches and wizards, a recent break-up has left me trying to hold it together, and failing utterly. My last challenge has been relatively successful - in fact, I only really sucked a bit at the fitness goal, but I'm still having a super hard time commenting and supporting others. It feels to me like nothing makes sense, and as I have to be super friendly at work all day, I'm exhausted and not in a good mood by the time I'm home. And if I can't support other people, then I feel bad for posting on my own thread - thus it all fails. Here goes another try. This time, since my dual education has to be a raging success this time around, I need to focus on just that - and still feel good about myself, my body and all that jazz as well. So one teacher/role model isn't gonna cut it this time. I need a whole (extended) family - the Starks! Long version of my goals: Main goal: Study with Tony Sub-Goal 1: Path to MIT I'm the nerd in my class. Seriously, all the girls come to me for help. It's mildly annoying but also proves I've been working my butt off. I need to continue with that. I have the habit of starting out super strong and then getting lazy. This can't happen. I'll have a big, big exam in almost exactly 11 months - this exam will decide how long I have to do this apprenticeship. If I get a good grade, I can shorten it by half a year, or perhaps even a whole year, which I'd absolutely love to do. This semester is really short. We've already had one exam (I'll know the grade after fall holidays) and there are 8 more to go. Here's the schedule so far: Nov 20: People & Companies (seriously that's what it's called) Nov 24: Politics Dec 1: Payments Dec 4: Economy Dec 11: Typing & Editing And there's also criminal law, excel and German exams coming up. All of this between the start of this challenge and christmas. Ideally I want to be the best in class for every single one of those exams. I'll settle for having a 1 (German equivalent of A) in every exam. And if all goes wrong, I'll be kinda okay-ish with a 2 (German equivalent for . If it gets any worse than that you may as well just shoot me. This may sound harsh, but seriously we just started this, we've got 1 lesson per class per week, there's not much that we can even have the exam about and it should be fairly easy, I can't get a bad grade and miss this opportunity. Sub-Goal 2: Take care of Tony's law suits There's an English exam specifically for apprentices. You cannot take this exam after or before an apprenticeship, it must happen during it. There are a ton of different ones, for different jobs and stages. I'm currently preparing for Legal English Stage 2 (out of 3 stages). I'll take the exam end of Jan/start of Feb and I've got a book called Legal Matter for preparation. It has 10 units and I want to work through 1 unit per week. It should be easily doable as I reckon I could get a pretty good grade even without preparation, as stage 2 isn't exactly hard. But I want to ace this as well, so preparation can't hurt! Bonus Goal: Join Tony's research and invention team I read this thing about how it'd be super useful to write down 5 ideas regarding one topic/matter/whatever every day. So that's what I'm gonna do, only I'll tone it down to 5 instead of twenty. I'll get a notebook and fill it with 5 ideas every day = 35 every week = 245 during the challenge. I'll at least try This is a bonus goal that I'd love to do, but won't force myself or feel bad about it should it fail. Also making a spreadsheet for topics to have ideas about, as 42 topics seem just a little much right now! So if there's a topic you want me to think about, please put it riiiiiiight here! Side Goal 1: Own your body with Arya Sub-Goal 1: Dine with the Hound Two habits I'm already getting into. I drink tea at work every day, and I also eat breakfast. Now, I've never been a breakfaster, so this makes me ultra happy. I gotta stick with it! Sub-Goal 2: Water dancing with Syrio Forel Can be done with the hoop or other things. I just need to find joy in movement again because I'm currently lacking both. There's no set parameters for this, as I want it to be fun and not because I need to do a certain number of sets. Side Goal 3: Deep, calm breaths I recently tried to stop smoking. My blood pressure didn't like it and I very nearly fainted. I had to leave work early because I was seeing black spots until I couldn't even make out words anymore. It was bad. So, cold turkey is obviously not for me. However, I've transitioned to an E-cigarette. It tastes sucky, but it's cheap and doesn't stink/make a mess, plus you can lower the nicotine-percentage. I'm at 12mg currently, and would like to be at 6mg or at least 9mg by the end of the challenge (ideally I'll not smoke at all, but as this is my side goal, I don't want to set myself up for failure). Side Goal 2: Off to King's Landing with Sansa Sub-Goal 1: Embrace the traditions I'm doing great with this and I'm feeling it turn into a habit - and I love it so much. I'm also starting to see changes - good changes - and need to keep doing this. I also like the ritual-feeling it gives me every evening before going to bed. Sub-Goal 2: Make demands My grandmas each give me 50€ for christmas. They give it to my mom before christmas so that she can buy me something that they can then give to me so they're not empty-handed. This year, I'm ordering more Korean beauty products. I've assembled a wish list on amazon, but I'm at something over 150€ at the moment, which is too much. So my small sub-goal is trimming this down to what I need most/what's best for my skin and what isn't just "omg a face spray in a kitty container I so need this" and then ordering it so it arrives in time for christmas! Sub-Goal 3: Quality time with Shae This includes: Getting eyebrows plucked and lady-stache waxed. But it also includes modeling. I'm the model for this super nice girl who's a first year apprentice (just like me!) in my hair salon. She did my eyebrows the other day and then asked if I'd like to model for her - because she can't do anything on customers but needs someone she can try things on. This will mostly be make-up and waxing/plucking right now, as she's not advanced enough for hair-cutting yet, but she might dye my lashes or something like that. Either way, it'll be loads of fun, it will most likely make me feel good and it'll be nice social interaction - all things I can use really well at the moment. I want to go to the salon at least 3 times during the challenge, no matter what for. This looks extensive. But it really isn't. Apart from the third sub-goal, my main quest consists of things I need to do anyways. The first side goal is just the same - maybe apart from sub goal 2. And the second side goal is seriously just for making myself feel good. Have a happy challenge, guys and gals.

Yep.. I crossed that all out. I am not happy with these quests. Starting a new one on monday - with quests and a story I like ... makes another attempt Today is my second day of fasting – not including the pre-fasting day. So the second day without eating. I only “ate†rice-soup and drank water and teas (unsweetened of course). For those who don’t know me by now: I am suffering from health problems for about 2.5 years now and I am trying out different things in order to get rid of those problems. The fasting is going to be continued till the fifth day (Monday) and then I start eating again. I guess now that this is said my motivation for this challenge is clear: L i v i n g w i t h o u t h e a l t h p r o b l e m s a g a i n . MAIN CHALLENGE: CLEAN UP NUTRITION 1) Follow the plan for the first days after the fasting & each day half an hour workout (Mon - Fri) For the following list: risotto = one cup of rice boiled in beef broth omelet = 2 eggs, ¼ bell pepper, salt, pepper, dried basil Mon, September 15: eat nothing Tues, September 16: one apple Wed, September 17: one banana and one bell pepper edited on September 14 Thu, September 18: risotto Fri, September 19: one apple + risotto Sat, September 20: 100 g turkey meat roasted with peach + vegetables / salad + risotto Son, September 21: same as yesterday Mon, September 22: two breakfast eggs / omelet + the same as the two days ago Edit: My boyfriend is cooking once in that week so one of the days after the 12th I won't be eating what's on the list but take care that the portion fits to the day. After that I can eat whatever I want again. Of course I try to eat healthy but I won't try to fulfil a certain diet like vegan for example and I don’t have to follow a meal plan anymore. The plan above is just to make sure my body has enough time to get used to eating again. In the apothecary I got some tipps for fasting. One of them is that I should take a certain probiotic which they showed me after I finished fasting (so after the fifth day in my case). Edit on September 15: I am taking probiotics for building up the inestinal flora and I have to take one each day till September 27. Want to have this here to make sure I remember it. Sept 17: Added the workout stuff because this quest would be over on Sept 19 and I also need enough exercise so my body's inner life can work like it should be. Workout can be cardio kickboxing, a walk, the beginner bodyweight workout, and so on. 2) Eat properly take my time for eatingchew enoughconcentrate on eating – not be distracted by watching series or playing games (this will be the most difficult for me I guess)small portions 3) Eat at certain times Of course it doesn’t have to be at minute but the closer to the set target the better. This could be also rather difficult because my lecture times are very, very different from day to day and from week to week. This is only for the days Mon-Fri. 06.00 AM09.00 AM12.00 PM03.00 PM06.00 PM(08.00 PM) I do not take any side quests or life quests this time. I messed up so many challenges by now that I have to take it even more to the basics than before. Exercising and studying enough is of course very important, but it’s not what I want to concentrate on this challenge. If I cannot get rid of the health problems, all the efforts of studying and exercising won't be useful. During the fasting I have to concentrate on exercising because otherwise my body will take the protein from my muscles and use it because he thinks he wouldn't need it. This time I also don’t set the attribute points now. Last time it was kind of motivating for me but it’s difficult to set them this time. I will simply decide which attribute points and how many I receive when the challenge is completed. Man I really hope that at least this time I can complete it.

Apfelstrudi sets out to find the moonstone! Brock has been beaten to a bloody pulp. Yes, after his pokemon were defeated and I got my badge, I may have kicked him in the face a bit. Or a lot. Anyways! The next stop on my journey is Mt. Moon. And there are quite a few adventures to be had there! It’s a long hike to even get close to Mt. Moon. The road is laced with trainers and tall grass full of wild, rabid pokémon. Mt. Moon is said to have drawn the attention of Team Rocket, and we all know they’re up to something evil. Not to mention the mountain itself is a labyrinth of rocks. There are no pokécenters on the way to the top, either! Many obstacles are between me and the moonstone, and I must train hard to get it! Obstacle 1: The way to Mt. Moon (+2STA + 1DEX) Even without the trainers, it’s a long way to and up the mountain. In order to prepare myself, I must get moving, and specifically run. If Team Rocket is already stationed on the top, I have to hurry to get there in time. Zombie runs and sprints are in order! Obstacle 2: Trainers and wild pokémon (+1STR +1STA +1CON) This obstacle is fairly easy to avoid on the way to the mountain, but if I want to beat Team Rocket, I have to gather experience points, and the trainers and wild pokémon are just the way to do it. There are still many challenges on my spreadsheet, and you guys can add more if you’d like, that will help me level up my pokémon. Additionally, you can set me challenges for my other goals, if you come up with a hooping or kettlebell or running challenge. Spreadsheet's here. Obstacle 3: Rock labyrinth (+2STR +1STA) I don’t like labyrinths. But it’s impossible to get past those rocks if you don’t walk around them until you finally reach the end! Unless… Unless you just get rid of those rocks. But what’s good enough to get rid of those rocks? My kettlebell, of course! When I swing it, those rocks will crumble, and my way ahead will be so much shorter and easier! Obstacle 4: Don’t you die on me (+2CON +1CHA) Without a pokécenter to heal my pokémon, I’ll have to do it myself. And for that, I need potions. Since my potion-making-skills in RL aren’t exactly up to par, and I don’t necessarily want to become a witch anytime soon, I’ll use tea instead. One tea a day keeps the doctor away, right? Obstacle 5: Team Rocket (+2 DEX +1 WIS) This is it. The big one. The main focus of the challenge, the boss battle and everything I work towards. Team Rocket. Jessie & James are the most evil henchmen Giovanni can send my way, but they have one crucial weakness: If I can just manage to fling them off before they can cause much damage, I’ll be safe. And my best bet here is my hoop. I must train my hooping on the way, get better, stronger and learn more tricks so I can confuse them and use their confusion to fling them away. Only then will my path to the moonstone finally be free. Now, this may seem like a lot to do. But neither of these points are very big. I have no set number of workouts, don’t have to do them for a set time, and apart from the daily tea, there are no restrictions at all. For example: A day where I hoop to a song, do 5 KB swings on each arm and drink a tea would be a pretty good day, and it’d take me all of five minutes to do that. Of course, I want to be better than that! But for the sake of not sabotaging myself, I’m keeping that wide open! And now off to Mt. Moon I go!

Hello! I'm finally trying to clean up my act and get back into healthy eating and fitness, after a several-month-long hiatus induced by major life changes and busy schedules. I shouldn't have let it happen, I know, but here I am again, back at step 1 with a poor diet and not working out at all. One baby step challenge I'm making for myself this month is finding some kind of alternative for my daily latte habit. Right now, I drink one large vanilla skim latte every morning. I drink it more for the taste and because I just like a warm cuppa than for the caffeine. I think a healthy change I could make is to switch from my ~240 calorie/day latte habit to tea. But I'm not a tea drinker, never been a tea drinker... So I know next to nothing about tea. Tea Drinkers -- do you have any recommendations for a "beginners tea" that's both healthy and tasty?

I am trying to cut out soda, and I am trying to increase my water intake. Here's the problem: water is rough to drink. Is it acceptable to replace hot tea without anything added, or is water really the only healthy choice?