Search the Community

Hey guys, your favorite ADHD wannabe bard is back in the house. If we haven't met, I'm a married teacher/dog mom who dreams of being an author, and I am also diagnosed with Inattentive type ADHD and anxiety. Thanks to my mental health challenges, and a late diagnosis (28), I have struggled with general adulting for most of my adult life, including finishing most anything (including challenges, novels, to do lists, etc) and being consistent with just about anything, including taking my meds which does not help the situation in the least bit. I decided about mid last year that my creative soul needed to be a bard. but according to my therapist (new to me, but specializes in my specific issues), I need to multi-class, so while my creative spirit will remain a proud bard, but I'm going to be trying to gain some monk skills as well. So goals... I promised myself that I would create goals in under 10 minutes to keep things from getting too complicated. Goal #1: Mental Space Show up every day. Don't quit. Even if it feels like I'm failing and all I do is post a lame meme. Make a list of 3 priorities a day. Specific things you want to get done. If all else fails, get those done Goal #2: Baby Body Steps Practice SLOW eating at least one meal a day. Put the fork down between bites. Have a food journal Workout three times a week. 30 minutes of whatever, as long as it's movement. Goal #3: Therapy Homework (subject to evolution) Mediate x3 a week (2 minutes)/Grounding Activities for anxiety Write things on calendars and to do lists that are out in the open Take. my. fucking. meds. for. fucks. sake. Anyhoo, I have already started paving the way for some of this, unsure if I was going to come back to NF or not, but ADHD and intrinsic motivation don't mix, so I tried it my way, but I really want to start fresh and recapture the progress and success I had here in the past. I have created a space in my house for lists and other things (if you want to make your own, everything here cost me like 30 dollars (minus the metal thing I already owned) the hangers being the most expensive part). The papers are in plastic sleeves so they can be crossed off daily/weekly/whatever I love break, but I am never as productive as I need to be. I'm a little annoyed with myself currently because my emotions have been all over the place and my focus and motivation are shot (no thanks to my terrible med habit). I struggle to relax in general, so hopefully the meditation will help with that. I dunno. I'm not great at being here, historically, but I'm worse on my own.

Who Am I?: Hi, I'm Rubble. I like cats, musical theater, coffee (way too much coffee), plants, and dumb movies. I'm a teacher who won't return to school until the end of August, and I have no idea what my district's plan will be. As you might imagine, I'm nervous as all hell. I'm currently teaching summer school (live Zoom classes, remotely) and trying to spend as much time in my little bubble with my immediate family until... well, I won't be able to see my parents if I'm teaching in person. So, I'm soaking it up now. About My Journey: I've lost 100+ pounds over the last two years. Before *gestures vaguely* happened, I was at -120 pounds. Now I'm at -105. I'm still proud, and not terribly concerned; we are in the midst of a crisis, after all. However, I do want to get back on track. My loose goal is to lose another 50 pounds or so (I am still "obese" by BMI standards... which we know are bull.) In general, I am going to try to build up my DnD stats for myself with 1 goal for each stat. I will award myself +1-5 for completing that goal, depending on how challenging it is for me and if I meet the goal completely). Physical Fitness = STRENGTH Stretching/Dance/ = DEXTERITY Food/Diet/Wellness = CONSTITUTION Personal Growth/Learning = INTELLIGENCE Organization/Surroundings = WISDOM Relationships/Self Care = CHARISMA My Goals: Physical Health (STR, DEX, CON) Move/Work Out for 20-30 minutes 3x per week (STR + 3) Stretch for 10-15 minutes 5x per week (DEX +2) Track my food intake daily on my app (completely) (CON +3) Mental Health (INT, WIS, CHA) Continue reading anti-racist literature / articles daily (INT +2) Adhere to my weekly cleaning/organizing schedule (WIS +5) Check in to NF at least 3x per week to update progress (CHA +4) I hope some of you will join me on my journey! I used to be an NF member, and I'm glad to be back (with a new account because I felt like a fresh start). #AssassinForLife.

All around us, it was as if the universe were holding its breath . . . waiting. All of life can be broken down into moments of transition or moments of revelation. This had the feeling of both. G'Quon wrote, "There is a greater darkness than the one we fight. It is the darkness of the soul that has lost its way. The war we fight is not against powers and principalities – it is against chaos and despair. Greater than the death of flesh is the death of hope, the death of dreams. Against this peril we can never surrender." The future is all around us, waiting in moments of transition, to be born in moments of revelation. No one knows the shape of that future, or where it will take us. We know only that it is always born in pain. Big Why I have respawned more times than I can count. And I think the main reason is that my big why wasn't strong enough, or big enough, or revisited often enough. I always start out strong but then something happens to disrupt the routine, or I get distracted, or lose focus, and it all comes crumbling down again. I was having a deep conversation with my partner and he said, "I wish you could just be happy with yourself the way you are, and I think you would be happier overall if you just accepted yourself as you are, instead of constantly trying and failing." I understand what he was trying to say, but I think there is a fundamental part of me that says, "You could be better." It says, "You weren't always like this, and staying this way is a failure." There's a logical part of it that says, "A healthier lifestyle would be good for your mental health because endorphins are a great remedy for depression," and "Most of your depression and insecurity comes from being unhappy with the state of your health and appearance, your inability to buy clothes, the loss of looks you once had under pounds of extra flesh, and being too unfit to do things you used to be able to do so easily." So, while I appreciate that he was saying what he said from a place of love and with the hope that I would love myself as much as he loves me, and be happy with myself in who I am now, I think that I will respectfully disagree. I deserve to be in the best condition I can be. I owe it to myself to look after my body. When I know what the right choices are, it makes no sense that I keep making the wrong choices. SMART Goals/Quest list This is a master list; I won't work on them all at once but I will work towards these big goals with the challenges. Nutrition: 1. Eating planned meals according to macros: 33P/29C/38F 2. Weighing and tracking food on MFP for at least 30 consecutive days 3. Phasing out carbonated drinks (including diet soda) in favour of water, tea and black coffee. 4. Cutting down on sugar and processed foods over time. 5. Reducing take-out meals to 3 times a week. Mental: 1. Getting control of my depression through meds and therapy. 2. Improving self-care such as brushing my teeth at least twice a day for a month. 3. Meditating every day for a month. 4. Overcoming social media addiction. 5. Updating progress here at least once a day. 6. Using my bullet journal to manage my time effectively. 7. Doing deep thinking about relationship stuff to improve our communication. 8. Tidying the apartment for 30 minutes every day. 9. Completing a konmari of the apartment before we move to Ecuador. 10. Quit smoking. 11. Developing real life, sincere friendships. Fitness 1. Exercising every day (30 day fitness challenge app). 2. Building a regular workout routine (on paper and in practice). 3. Developing a yoga practice routine on my rest days. 4. Spending at least 30 minutes outside each day (once I have left China and its air pollution). 5. Swimming at least once a week. 6. Do a 2 minute plank. 7. Do a pull up. 8. Run a 5k. 9. Climb a volcano. And if anything pops up to throw me off track, I will be prepared. After all,

Fnnngh. FNNNNGH. FNNNNNNGHHHH SIZZLE POP! Ah, that's better. Salambander here, although I guess I'm Gurdris now. Named after my most recent D&D character, Gurdris Frostbeard. I have respawned as Salambander so many times I felt like a fresher start. So, not a respawn but a regeneration entirely. All knobs have been twisted back to zero, and the neutrinos have mutated back to their original states. Long time no see! Things have happened. I'm engaged! And the ring didn't fit a month ago but now, 5kg down later, it does. It's a handy () reminder of my weight goals. I have a personal trainer! And he is a wizard with a foam roller. DOMS fear me now. But he can't speak any English so it's a little tricky. I got promoted! And now I'm in a leadership role and have to control my emotions much better. Eep. So, respawn. New goals, new 4 week quest. I'm starting early and I figured I'd keep things simple by having it all in one battle log, since I don't want to burn out and disappear again. I think I'm going to run this planning week as a tutorial level though. Oh, hey, have you met Kaeilia? She's awesome; we live in the same city and today I introduced her to NF, and now we're accountibilibuddies and eagerly anticipating this challenge. Without further ado, les goals for le now Fitness - complete a streak of 10 unmissed workouts, totalling 20 with my trainer Nutrition - track every bite on MFP and follow my trainer's diet plan Mental - read before bed every day Life - do laundry twice a week (folded and put away) Tracking them in my spreadsheet. Starting small and planning to go big. July is going to be much harder as I'll be in Dallas and everything usually falls apart around then.

Hey y'all I've been a member of NF since 2013 but I usually stick to the Facebook group. Well, I introduced a friend to NF last night and we decided we're going to rock the next challenge together. Since I've hardly ever been active on the boards over the past four years, and because people change over time, I figure I might as well reintroduce myself. I used to be "salambander" but I've been using that name since I was 14 and I'm a little tired of it. I'm a kindergarten teacher in China, and I review books on my blog in my free time so that I can read for free. I'm into scifi (these days the Expanse, Legion and Black Mirror are my favourites although I'm pretty happy with the new season of Doctor Who). My non-NF Texan fiance is a gamer, and I dabble in a bit of Stardew Valley and some Lego games but never very seriously. I do counted cross stitch, knitted a 14ft Doctor Who (Tom Baker) scarf, and I have been an expat since I was 3 years old so home is... somewhere. I like art and making stuff. I was born in Johannesburg, grew up in Mauritius, lived in South Korea where I met my Texan (on a trip to Japan) and we moved to China together so he could teach music. He proposed last spring in Malaysia. I've eaten a lot of really weird food (including bullfrog, live sea urchin, dog, duck intestine, cow butt, silkworm pupae, mopani worms, warthog (YUM), and crocodile). I speak English, French, basic Korean and toddler Chinese. Working on my Texan metaphors, and sweating for the wedding dress (date to be determined).

Okay then. November was . . . rough. There were some incredibly wonderful moments, but a lot of very difficult moments as well. I let go of things for a while just to keep my head on straight. I woke up this morning feeling ready to get back into a challenge, and am excited to see that one hast just begun! I'm keeping this one pretty simple. There are about a million things I want to do yet I know that picking a few essentials will be best. Here's a really great thing that I've realized about myself: I don't need to look at exercise as purely for weight loss, muscle building, getting in shape, etc. I can look at it as a form of staying healthy, regardless of whether I see noticeable physical changes. I recently turned 30. I want to set up a healthy lifestyle, which means building habits before worrying about what change will come from them. And as much as I look back and reflect on how many times I've started over with habits, I also know that the ones that work have stuck. I just need to keep moving forward one step at a time. Stretching: I plan to stretch for five minutes each day. I fully believe one of the reasons I've had a difficult fall/winter is because I'm no longer doing a regular yoga practice. I loved the studio that I found after the summer but it has become challenging (and expensive!) to get over to each class that I want to take. The bottom line is that my body desperately needs to stretch regularly, and I'd love to build a habit that I can easily do each day without making it a big deal. Bodyweight Exercise: I plan to start with ONE MINUTE of bodyweight exercise each day. I have a set of bodyweight FitDeck exercise cards -- I'll pick a random one each day and complete that exercise for 60 seconds. I know this won't do a whole lot for me in the grand scheme of health, but I need to gently start building this habit.

Do not feel lonely, the entire universe is inside you. Stop acting so small. You are the universe in ecstatic motion. Set your life on fire. Seek those who fan your flames. --Rumi After writing and re-reading this intro it feels somewhat heavy and serious. Which it is. But not in a sad way. Rather in the way of opening and expanding and becoming stronger. In the way of taking this moment and using it to grow. What I'm trying to recognize in life is this: I am the strength that I seek. I spend so much time reaching outward for appreciation, acknowledgment, courage, permission, justification, and empowerment that I have missed entirely that I am capable of all that -- and more -- within myself. I am so afraid of making a mistake that I often don't trust myself with my own intuition, aspirations, and beliefs. Even when the pain of staying quiet and stagnant becomes all-consuming. I can count on half of one hand the number of decisions I've made just for me and nobody else; without influence or response to judgement. And though what resulted wasn't always easy and never perfect, those decisions opened doors to a better, more confident me. This challenge is about not losing myself to the start of the school year. It's about putting myself first while deepening my compassion toward others, two things I've struggled to do for the past several years. It's about respecting the slow process. Health Goals: Yoga 3x/week. During this challenge I will start my search for a new yoga class or studio. I have a few in mind that I would like to visit -- it's just a matter of pushing aside my worries and doing it. I learned last challenge that I like going to a class with a teacher and other students. It gives me skills that I can practice more easily at home. Ideally I would like to take a class once a week and then commit to practicing at home at least twice a week. Eat mindfully: 1) 2 servings of fruit and/or veggies each day; 2) no chips. The ban on chips is an extension of last challenge, and I want to keep going with it and know if I don't make it an official goal I'll likely fall off the wagon. And although I was doing really well with my freggie intake during this past school year, this summer turned into a long break and I'm cringing as I realize just how little I've eaten over the past few months. So, starting back up small and manageable. Limit Facebook scrolling to 1x/day. For me this is most certainly a health goal. Staring at the computer or my phone hurts my eyes and my brain and my shoulders; Facebook seems to be my biggest weakness. Last summer I was trying out being an online health coach and was instructed to post on Facebook several times a day, so I started to get used to (and enjoy) using social media as a tool for sharing interesting information. However, over the course of the year it turned into a tool for distraction and although I do often find good tidbits posted, more often I just end up falling down a frustrating rabbit hole. My goal is to give myself one time during the day to check and scroll through Facebook. I'll have to sort of "see where it goes" and figure out how to manage this. Life Goals: Focus on honesty + voice. This is a goal without parameters or guidelines. Simply, I want to stop being so afraid to speak and honor my truth. Whether it's sharing an idea during a staff meeting, asking for what I need at home, or following a pursuit I feel passionate about, I need to start cultivating the ability to be honest. I don't take this to mean that I need to start opening up and sharing everything about myself all the time; I am still and will always be an introvert with a very capital I, and I love that about myself. But staying closed up and silent all the time isn't working for me anymore. It leads me to feel resentment, passive aggressiveness, anger, and hopelessness. I direct frustrations at people I shouldn't and allow myself to get wrapped up in negative, spinning thoughts. Consider life outside of teaching. Welp, this is a big, scary goal that I've sort of been dreaming of since I started teaching 4 years ago. Almost immediately after I started my first year I knew wholeheartedly that teaching wasn't for me. There are many things I love about teaching, but being a teacher in a public school just doesn't fit. I lost control of myself so quickly. I gained 30 pounds, got really sick really often, fell into deep depression, and stopped connecting with my friends and family. I wasn't me anymore; I would look in the mirror and not see my face. I told myself that I would make it to 5 years, and now I'm about to start my 5th year. Last year was a lot better and I felt mostly successful and confident, but I still didn't feel very happy. What has kept me tied to the job is the money and insurance and vacation time, I started to worry that I wouldn't be able to find something that would support me as well. So I want to really think about what might come next and ease some of my fears: show myself that this isn't the end of the road.

Hi there from Germany! Guess what - I am new here. I found this forum and page by accident. We do not have pages like that in Germany - at least AFAIK. I am 30 (going to be 31 in a few months), female and have to cats and a boyfriend. My weight is currently too high to mention *lol* no seriously - it is somewhere around 83kg and I my height is about 171cm give or take one centimeter... I started losing some weight a few weeks ago but as I got older since the last time I tried (I was 16 back then and lost about 18kg withing like NO time...) I just realized it got harder as well - not only is it harder to stick to my diet but I have something called a working-life as well that tends to fuck with my goals regularly (I am a teacher and there is LOTS OF CHOCOLATE and stuff lying around in the staff-room) *lol* I wanna be honest - I need some encouragement to stick to that goal of getting back to about 70-72kg... Especially because I actually LIKE myself the way I am - I just do not like how unsporty I am (and the fact that every kilo I put on makes the motorbike suit fit worse and the motorbike slower!). I did running a few years ago and I loved it - but my knees are giving up on me, so I am afraid I will have to stick to short distances here... I might need to find another sport to do here... Another goal would be to create something like a work-life-balance. I tend to work A LOT (talking about 10-12 hours a day here...) and my friends started to complain about that months ago - but I did not listen. It did not do me any good. The next year will not be the easiest one, because I was asked and so am going to become class teacher of a really difficult class - what means even more workload... I need to learn to focus on relaxing again or I am pretty sure it will burn me out one day - just because I love my work that much... I don't know if you know what I mean...? TL/DR: My goals are... ...getting fit again ...create a work-life-balance Cheers! Mieze

Level one challenge: Diet: Eat a vegetable with one meal everyday. Two coffees per day and lots more water. Fitness: Walk every day (5 minutes) - this could even be in the form of standing up at your desk and walking around the office. Level Up Your Life: #100happydays Take a picture of one thing that makes me happy everyday.

Greetings, As I wander around trying to find my way... I don't know if I'd be considered a nerd but I like this program and am ready to give it a try. My name is Sheila, I'm 60 years young and a first time grandma. I managed to lose 50 pounds three years ago following the typlical restrictive diet and cardio but it has been creeping back up much to my chagrin. ugh! I discovered the Paleo lifestyle last year and am hooked but, have a hard time taming the sugar dragon. Ice cream is my go to food when it's hot and I'm stressed, then there's bread and butter which is hard to resist period. Soft drinks are a thing of the past, going on 3+ years. I indulge in a sip or two once in a blue moon and it doesn't do anything for me anymore so it's easy now. I've completed one Whole30 back in January 2015 and was successful, I found dairy didn't have any ill affects on me but bread did give me indigestion and acid reflux. Crazy. I also completed a beginners squat challenge for the month of March; love squats and feeling stronger. My main quest for this 6 week challenge is to comfortably fit into a size 14 pair of jeans; I'm currently wearing a size 16. (I can get the size 14's on but, they are too tight and I cannot get them zipped.) It's been a year since I was able to wear them. They are fairly new so I didn't get to wear them long. To accomplish this quest I shall: 1. Drink a minimum of four 16.9oz bottles of water per day. This can be a challenge in and of itself as I am a high school teacher and going to the bathroom during the day is problematic. 2. I will walk a minimum of 10 minutes a day five days a week during my planning period, Monday through Friday. I need to fiocus on me, school can wait a few mins. 3. I shall workout 4X a week at home for a minimum of 35 minutes per day. I will warm up using a stationary bike and stretches then complete some body weight strength training exercises followed up with stretches. My side quest began last month when I made it a priority to get my student loan paid off within the next 18 months instead of 28. I've upped my payments and anything extra goes toward paying it down. (I would like to retire one day. )

The story so far: I completed my BA and earned my teaching credential back in December, 2013, but I did not want to trade my full-time job with benefits for the crap shoot that is substitute teaching. So I stayed where I was and waited for the schools to post their openings for the 2014-15 school year. Tonights Episode: I have been hired as a Kindergarten teacher at a charter school, The school is only a mile from my house and it is supposed to be a project-based curriculum that integrates art, dance and music in the lessons. I start training and orientation on August 1st, first day of school is August 18th. I have been grinning like an idiot for a week now!

MY MAIN QUEST: I will be a stronger person - physically, financially, and mentally.I will lift weights following the Nerd Fitness plan 3 xs a week. I will eat paleo 80% of the time, EVERY day. I will do cardio using the interval training method 2 - 3 xs a week. MY SIDE QUESTS 1. Become credit- card debt free in the next two years 2. Travel abroad MY MOTIVATION I am competing in my FIRST challenge to commit 100% to both Nerd Fitness and to the Paleo lifestyle SO I can be happier, live longer, and be a better role model to my two baby nerds.

YOUR MAIN QUEST: I will be a stronger person - physically, financially, and mentally.I will lift weights following the Nerd Fitness plan 3 xs a week. I will eat paleo 80% of the time, EVERY day. I will do cardio using the interval training method 2 - 3 xs a week. SIDE QUESTS 1. Become credit- card debt free in the next two year 2. Travel abroad DECLARE YOUR MOTIVATION I am competing in my FIRST challenge to commit 100% to both Nerd Fitness and to the Paleo lifestyle SO I can be happier, live longer, and be a better role model to my two baby nerds.