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I really want to try out the whole foods, plant based diet. I heard so much about it and watch " forks over knives", "food matters" and "hungry for change " and it seems like the best diet out there. Basically its adopting a vegan paleo diet. Completely plant based, no animal produces, refined sugars or processed foods. I already cut meat from my diet( sometimes I have fish). And can't eat dairy. Fast food makes me sick. And I'm really good for not buying processed. My only problem will be sugar. Which I'm trying really hard to cut out. Has anyone here tried it before?

Hi, -My name is Rachel, aka, CircusGirl, and my main quest is to lose 5% of body fat in the next 6 weeks. -To do this, I WILL eat all of my protein and carbs, and stop with the slacking. -I will also do my cardio, ballet (yes, ballet), ab work, and pilates EVERY day. -Lastly, I WILL get at least 7 hours of sleep per night. -As a life quest, I would like to smile more. I feel very task oriented in my life, and I'm ready to enjoy it again. So now is the time. -I'm doing this so I can stop fighting with myself, and stop criticizing my performances and body. My body deserves better. I deserve better. I deserve to give myself credit. It's really that simple. Here we go. Day 1. Signed, CircusGirl PS: If you're interested in helping me achieve my goals, any thoughts on vegan/vegetarian protein snacks and meals that are easy would be fabulous! Also, ideas for cardio and abs help too! Let's do this business.

Is anyone else doing Raw Till 4? I started it about 10 days ago and I can see a slight difference and I feel less bloated. Lately though, I have been having intense sugar cravings. I was wondering if anyone else in doing it too and what do you do when the cravings for human blood..... I mean sugar hit? Also, what do you eat after 4pm?

Raw Coconut Macaroons Yield: Approx 10 Macaroons 2 cups coconut flakes ½ cup raw Cacao Powder ½ tsp Vanilla Extract 1/8 tsp Sea Salt ½ tsp Powdered Stevia ½ cup Maple Syrup Mix all the ingredients together in a large mixing bowl, adding the maple syrup last. Scoop out small mounts and place on a cookie sheet. Place in the freezer for at least 3-4 hours before serving.

Sweet Potato Enchiladas Yield: 6-8 Servings ½ cup Vegetable Broth, divided 1 medium Onion, diced 5 cloves Garlic, minced 1 tsp Coriander 2 tsp ground Cumin 2 cups fresh Spinach, chopped 2 cups Black Beans, chopped in a food processor 4 tbsp Soy Sauce 3 cups cooked, mashed Sweet Potatoes Sea Salt, to taste Large tortillas Favourite Salsa Preheat oven to 350F Heat 2 tbsp vegetable broth in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic. Sauté until onion is translucent. Add coriander and cumin. Cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add remaining vegetable broth, spinach, black beans, soy sauce, and mashed sweet potatoes. Cook for 3-5 minutes. Remove from heat and season with salt. Place ¼ - ½ cup of mixture in center of tortilla. Roll into a burrito and place in a baking dish. Once all the burritos are assembled, pour your favourite salsa on top and cover with aluminum foil. Bake for 25 minutes. Enchilada Sauce Yield: 2 ½ Cups ½ small Yellow Onion, peeled and diced small 3 cloves Garlic, peeled and minced ¼ cup Ancho Chile Powder, toasted 1 tsp Cumin, toasted 1 cup Tomato Sauce 1 ½ cups Vegetable Stock Sea Salt, to taste Place the onion in a large saucepan and saute for 5 minutes over medium heat. Add the garlic and toasted spices and cook for another minute. Add the tomato sauce and vegetable stock and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes. Season with salt.

Baked Falafel Yield: Approx 15 Balls Coconut Oil 2 cups cooked Chickpeas 1 tbsp Vegetable Broth 1 cup finely chopped Onions 2 small Garlic Cloves, minced 3 tbsp chopped fresh Parsley 1 tbsp chopped fresh Cilantro 1 tsp Lemon Juice 1 tsp Olive Oil 1 tsp Coriander 1 tsp Cumin 1/8 tsp Cayenne Pepper 2 tbsp Chickpea Flour 1 tsp Baking Powder ½ tsp Sea Salt ¼ tsp Black Pepper Oil free garlic, Raw Cider Vinegar, Tahini, and Almond Butter Dressing. Preheat the oven to 375F. Oil a baking sheet with coconut oil or use parchment paper Mash the chickpeas in a food processor, or place the chickpeas in a medium sized bowl and smash with a fork, Place into a large mixing bowl. Heat the vegetable broth in a small pan and gently cook the onions for a few minutes until translucent. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Add to the mixing bowl. Add the rest of the ingredients, except the dressing, and mix well. Put in a small amount of coconut oil on your hands and form the mixture into small balls. Place onto the oiled baking pan. Bake for 22 minutes, then flip with a spatula and bake on the other side for another 22 minutes, until slightly brown. Serve in pita pockets or over a green salad, with Raw Chickpea-less Hummus, or Oil Free Garlic, Raw Apple Cider Vinegar, Tahini, and Almond Butter Dressing, along with cucumbers, tomatoes, and lettuce.

Simple Daal Yield: Approx 2/3 Cup 1 ½ cups dry Red Lentils, rinsed 4 cups Vegetable Stock or Water 2 while dried Chilies, or ½ tsp crushed 2 tsp Turmeric 1 tsp Sea Salt 2 tbsp Coconut Oil or Olive Oil 1 tsp Cumin Seeds 1 medium Onion, chopped 2 cloves Garlic, minced or grated 1 tbsp grated Ginger Root (or an additional clove of garlic) 1 cup chopped Tomato (optional) 1 tbsp Lemon Juice 1 tsp Garam Masala Combine the lentils, stock or water, chilies, turmeric, and salt in a soup pot on high heat. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer for about 30 minutes, until lentils are tender, stirring continuously. You may add up to an additional cup of water or stock to adjust to desired consistency. Heat the oil in a small skillet on medium-high. Add the cumin seeds and sauté for about 15-30 seconds, until seeds are fragrant but not burning, then stir in the onions, garlic, and ginger. Reduce heat to medium and sauté for about 5 minutes, until onions begin to brown. Add tomato and sauté for another 7 minutes. Discard chilies once lentils are tender. Stir in the onion mixture, lemon juice garam masala, and additional salt if desired.

Lentil Chili Yield: 6-8 Servings 3 medium Yellow Onions, peeled and chopped 1 ½ cups chopped Celery 2 medium Carrots, peeled and sliced 2 medium Bell Peppers, seeded and chopped 1-2 cloves Garlic, peeled and minced 6 cups Veggie Broth 1 ½ tbsp. Chili Powder 1 tsp ground Cumin 1 tsp Paprika ½ tsp Chipotle Powder or Smoked Paprika ½ tsp Cayenne Pepper 2 cups Red Lentils, rinsed One can crushed Tomatoes One can Kidney Beans, rinsed Zest and juice of 1 Lime Sea Salt, to taste Black Pepper, to taste Place the onions, celery, carrots, bell peppers, garlic, and 1 cup veggie broth in a large pot over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the veggies soften, 5-7 minutes. Add the chili powder, cumin, paprika, chipotle powder, and cayenne pepper and cook for 1 more minute, stirring well. Add the lentils, tomatoes, kidney beans, and remaining veggie stock to the pot. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer until lentils are soft, about 45 minutes. Add the lime zest and juice, and season with salt and pepper.

Taco Salad with Cilantro-Lime Dressing Yield: 6 Servings For the Salad: 4 Corn Tortillas 6 cups chopped Romaine Lettuce 1 ½ cups seeded and chopped Cucumber 1 ½ cups seeded and chopped Tomato 1 ½ cups chopped Broccoli Florets One can Black Beans, drained and rinsed One can Pinto Beans, drained and rinsed 2 Cups Corn For the Dressing: One can Cannellini Beans, drained and rinsed 2 cups Cilantro 1 cup Italian Parsley Leaves ¼ cup Tahini One 4-oz can diced Green Chilies, drained 2 tbsp Soy Sauce 1 tsp Chili Powder ¼ tsp crushed Red Pepper Flakes 1-2 cloves Garlic, peeled and minced (optional) Zest and juice of 2 Limes To Make the Salad: Cut the corn tortillas into thin slices. Place the slices on a small baking sheet and toast in a toaster oven for 3-5 minutes, or until crispy. Place the lettuce in the bottom of a large serving bowl. Add the cucumber, tomatoes, broccoli, black beans, pinto beans, and corn. Set aside. To Make the Dressing: In a blender, combine the cannellini beans, cilantro, parsley, tahini, green chilies, soy sauce, chili powder, crushed red pepper flakes, garlic, lime zest and juice and 1 cup of water. Blend on high until smooth. To Serve: Place the tortilla strips over the salad in the bowl and, if serving immediately, pour the dressing on top. Alternatively, if the entire salad will not be eaten at once, keep the dressing on the side to prevent the vegetables from wilting. You will have leftover dressing; store it in an airtight container for 4-6 days in the refrigerator and use it on another salad or as a dip for vegetables.

Garlic, Vinegar, Tahini, and Almond Butter Dressing Yield: Approx 1 ½ Cups 2 cloves Garlic 1 tbsp Tamari 3 tbsp Raw Apple Cider Vinegar ¼ tsp Sea Salt ½ cup Water 2 tbsp Nutritional Yeast 1/3 cup Tahini 2 tbsp Almond Butter Put all the ingredients, except for the tahini and almond butter, in a blender until smooth. Add the tahini and almond butter and blend again until the dressing is thoroughly combined. **works great on falafels in place of yogurt or dairy-based sauces

Creamy Dijon Tahini Dressing Yield: Approx 2 ¼ Cups 2 ½ tbsp low-sodium Tamari 2 tbsp raw Apple Cider Vinegar 1 clove Garlic, minced 1/3 cup chopped White Onion 1/3 cup raw Tahini ¼ tsp Black Pepper 1/3 cup Dijon Mustard ¼ cup Nutritional Yeast 2/3 cup Water Put all of the ingredients into a blender until smooth

No-Cheese Sauce Yield: 2 ½ Cups 1 large Yellow Onion, peeled and coarsely chopped 1 large Red Pepper, seeded and coarsely chopped 3 tbsp Cashews, toasted (optional) 1 tbsp Tahini (optional) 1 cup Nutritional Yeast Sea Salt, to taste Combine all ingredients in a blender in the order given and puree until smooth and creamy, adding up to ½ cup of water if necessary to achieve a smooth consistence. Variations: Use an equal amount of roasted red peppers in place of the raw pepper Combine the prepared sauce with salsa, and use it as a dip for vegetables Add ½ tsp of nutmeg with salt

Scrambled Tofu Yield: 4 Servings 2 tbsp Vegetable Broth ½ large Onion, diced ½ large Carrot, grated 2 cloves Garlic, minced 1 tsp Curry Powder 1 ½ tsp light Miso 1 pkg firm Tofu, crumbled Sea Salt, to taste Black Pepper, to taste 8 chopped Cherry Tomatoes (optional) Gently sauté onion, carrot, and garlic in 2 tbsp vegetable broth in a pan on medium-high heat until onion is translucent. Reduce heat to medium and add curry powder, miso, and tofu. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. If desired, top with cherry tomatoes and serve hot.

Whole Wheat Berry Muffins Yield: 12 Muffins 2/3 cup unsweetened Plant-based Milk 1 tbsp ground Flax Seeds 1 tsp Apple Cider Vinegar 2 cups Whole Wheat Pastry Flour 2 tsp Baking Powder ¼ tsp Baking Soda ¾ tsp Sea Salt ½ cup Unsweetened Applesauce ½ cup Maple Syrup 1 ½ tsp Vanilla Extract 1 cup Berries Preheat the oven to 350F. In a large measuring cup, use a fork to vigorously mix together the plant-based Milk, flax seeds, and vinegar. Mix for about 1 minute, until it appears foamy. Set aside. In a medium mixing bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Make a well in the center of the mixture and pour in the milk mixture. Add the applesauce, maple syrup, and vanilla and stir together the wet ingredients in the well. Incorporate the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until the dry ingredients are moistened (do not over mix). Fold in the berries. Fill each of the muffin cups three-quarters of the way to the top and bake for 22-26 minutes, or until a fork comes out clean. Let the muffins cool completely, about 20 minutes, before removing from wrapper and eating.

Apple Cinnamon Muffins Yields: 12 Muffins 2 cups Spelt Flour 1 tsp Baking Soda ¾ tsp Cinnamon ½ tsp Sea Salt 1 medium apple, peeled and diced 1 cup applesauce ¾ cup Raisins/Cranberries 1/3 cup Non-dairy Milk 1/3 cup Maple Syrup 3 tbsp Sunflower or Olive Oil 1 tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar ½ cup Flax seeds Preheat the oven to 375F. Whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt in a large bowl. Add the apple, apple sauce, cranberries, milk, syrup, oil, vinegar, and seeds or nuts. Stir just until all flour is absorbed. Portion the batter into muffin cups and bake for 20-22 minutes, until the tops are domed and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Stores in an airtight contained for up to 3 days.

This is my second attempt at the 6 week challenge. Last time I fell through due to lack of motivation, but this time is going to be different! Main Quest: Increase weight & build muscle - I lost almost 10 lb. this past semester due to switching to a vegan diet and just plain forgetting to eat due to heavy work loads. My BMI was just barely above underweight, so I hope to gain the muscle lost and increase my strength as well. Goal weight 135 lb. Eat more - I have a tendency to lose weight pretty easily if I'm not careful, so eating more than what I burn in a day is KEY. I'm not going to meticulously count every single calorie I consume or burn because that takes all the fun out of eating. I will however keep a rough estimate of how many I have consumed and eat more when I feel I'm lagging. Work Out - Includes strength training at the gym 3 days a week, working on exercises that focus on arm, leg, and core strength. I will do little if any cardio than needed to maximize gains. Sleep more - A good night's sleep is necessary after a rough workout or a long day, plus beneficial to overall health and much needed beauty sleep.Life Quest: Maintain my school life alongside with working out - A main reason that I lost weight & muscle was that I simply stopped going to the gym. I thought that I couldn't balance my school life with such activities. After 2 weeks of going to the gym on a regular basis, I realize that I can have both! So this goal is completed by studying, doing projects & scholarships, and being involved in my school organization. Diet Quest: To continue with vegan diet & lifestyle - I want to continue getting a lot of my nutrients from whole foods and to avoid purchasing anything non-vegan as well (as much as I can). I also want to prove to my family (who is not very supportive of my vegan transition) that it can be a healthy lifestyle if followed correctly, as well as prove that not all vegans are a bunch of sticks! Grading: How well I'm doing will be dependent on two things; Weight: I'll weigh myself once a week. Gain weight = Great! . Maintaim weight = OK . Lose weight = Bad! Strength: Increase or decrease in the weights used or reps in strength training. Increase Weights = Good! . No Change/Decrease in Weight = Bad! I hope to continue to stay positive everyday that I work toward my goals, and by the end of these 6 weeks, I'll be stronger, healthier, and feeling pretty darn good about it!

I'm brand spankin' new, so please excuse my utterly low IQ when it come to weightlifting and balancing diet. I eat well (primarily raw fruits and vegetables, brown rice, beans, no processed foods, low fat intake by means of avocado/nuts). I find tons of great diet info out there for weight-lifting meat-eaters but it's quite difficult to find good resources about vegans who lift. My main question is: how do I know how much protein I need? I'm happy to use protein powders. Do I need to know how many calories I'm burning per workout? I have no idea. Again, I'm a beginner. Have not yet done a deadlift (yep, newbie). But I've been doing lots with 35lb dumbbells and bodyweight workouts. Next purchase is a bench and barbell of course. Any vegans out there that can help point me in the right direction? Thank you!

The Druid life suits me. I feel that my approach to coming into tune with nature is through physical meditation. I have noticed that working out and exercising in general has been helping me sharpen my relationship with my surroundings and myself! I looked through my Pathfinder rulebooks and found a level 2 Druid Spell that I love! Aspect of the Bear grants the Druid a bonus to his Armor Class and Combat Maneuver rolls. Armor Class isn't necessarily how much armor you are wearing, it's more about how hard you are to hit. I'm not looking at physical combat here, more like Metaphysical Combat. I am at war with my old habits and lack of discipline. I need to be harder to hit, more evasive in the battles to come. I need to be able to slip out of the grasp of my old nature as I seek the path to my Grove. The specters of my old habits are many, and litter the road ahead of me with the bones of past attempts. I need to hone my skills to better fight them off! My Goals will be summarized by three spells that encompass what I am trying to learn. SPELL ONE: BEAR'S ENDURANCE Right now I am working to cast off the abuses of my old life and shed some fat. I am working on strength training, but the way I am approaching my workouts lends itself more to better Endurance. If I reach this goal, I will grant myself +4 to Constitution. Spell Components: 6 Day Split workout, divided between upper body and lower body workouts. A: Not skipping any workouts, and adding intensity to those workouts B: Not skipping any workouts C: Miss one workout D: Miss two workouts F: Miss three workouts SPELL TWO: SLIPSTREAM I am assisting my primary goal (fat loss and health) by increasing my cardio workouts. I started my quest earlier this year through walks and working on the stationary bike. Now, I will be adding daily Interval workouts to help myself travel more in tune with nature. If I achieve this goal, I will grant myself additional Dexterity and Wisdom. Spell Components: Couch to 10K training program A: At least 60 minutes of Interval Training/Cardio every day of the week B: At least 30 minutes of Interval Training/Cardio every day of the week C: Miss one day training D: Miss two days training F: Miss three days training SPELL THREE: ASPECT OF THE BEAR Since the beginning of December I have been focusing on how, and what, I eat. I have practically eliminated processed foods from my diet, and I want to continue this. Not eating my "trigger" foods of pasta, breads, and sugars has greatly reduced my weight, and is really helping me understand a lot about other aspects of my nature. By reducing my size, I will increase my Armor Class and Combat skills in general, making me better suited for battling the Specters on my path to the Grove. I am also focusing on reducing portion sizes by not having seconds on meals, if I am still hungry in an hour, so be it. Have an apple, dammit! Spell Components: Eliminate Processed Foods A: No processed foods B: One Day processed foods C: Two days processed foods D: Three days processed foods F: Four Days processed foods Spell Failure: If portion size exceeds one big bowl or plate, spell loses intensity and slips a grade. CAMPAIGN: The Lych King of Azum Ghul Thousands of years ago, there was a mighty sorcerer who, in his heart, was a Champion to the People. He could create amazing works and conjure objects of great beauty. Over time, the sorcerer grew arrogant about his power, and began to lose his connection with the mystical energy within the earth from which he drew his power. His body began to warp and distort, and his mind, now full of loathing and seething with hatred, began to snap. The People grew wary and fled his realm. Soon, he was a mere Shade of himself, and passed from the Mortal Realm. But his ravaged spirit lived on, and began to warp and twist the land around his crypt. The forest began to fester, and the ponds and rivers became stagnant and fetid swamps. The animals of the land started to avoid the Blighted Woods, and the peasants of the area began to whisper of evil spirits haunting those once sacred lands, now called Azum Ghul, or the Cursed Land. Adventurous souls took it upon themselves to rid Azum Ghul of evil, and were seldom seen again. Those that did survive spoke of terrors beyond comprehension, and roads littered with the bones of the dead. One adventurer claimed that he was attacked by these very same bones and barely escaped with his life. Another spoke of a bloodthirsty Gnoll that guards the path halfway through Azum Ghul and feasts upon the remains of those who have fallen before him. This is where I come in. I am an initiate in an ancient Order of Druids, and I have been entrusted with Hallowed Secrets about the true nature of Azum Ghul. I have been charged with a quest to enter these haunted woods and to vanquish those spirits that have sullied the land. My Order believes that a portal to one of our Sacred Groves lies deep within the woods, and only by restoring Azum Ghul to its pristine state will we be able to visit that grove again. I will have to face the Specters of those that have fallen before me, and face the true evil that has corrupted these lands to be successful. MINI-BOSS FIGHT: Rottgutt the Gnoll Rottgutt has grown fat over the centuries by feeding off of the corpses of the fallen. He lurks in the shadows by the road, using his knowledge of the land to trick his prey off the road, where they become easy targets. I will defeat Rottgutt by avoiding him altogether. I am going to go OVER him. Success: I will need to have much better upper body strength to pull this off. I will train daily to be able to do at least 4 full chin-ups by the half-way point of the six week challenge. Anything less than 4 full chin-ups is defeat for the week, I will need to defeat Rottgutt to move on to the Lych King's crypt. If I make this goal before the third week, I will continue to train chin-ups, since the more I can do the less likely Roattgutt will find me in the first place! BOSS FIGHT: Consumuerte, the Lych-King of Azum Ghul Consumuerte (the Eating Death) has made a palace in the twisted ruins of his crypt and the swamps around it. Facing the Lych directly is dangerous, since he can corrupt anything he sets his gaze upon. His crypt lies within a stagnant pool a little over 3 miles across. Consumuerte will attack anything that comes through the clearing, but he tires easily due to the enormity of his corpse. Success: Again, I am avoiding direct confrontation with the Fiend. I will cast Aspect of the Bear when I enter the swamps to make myself more effective at avoiding his attacks. I will then cast Slipstream to increase my speed over the swamps, and then Bear's Endurance to push my body farther than it has ever gone. If I can run through the swamps fast enough to evade the Lych King, I will be able to enter his Crypt and destroy his Animus Foci, which should hopefully break his Spell of Corruption over the land. The distance I will need to run is 3.10 miles. COMPLETION: The Portal If I make it to the Portal, I will seek guidance through meditation and communion with the land. I have no idea what lies beyond the Portal, but my Order needs to find our Grove soon. Only by completing my quest will we be able to find the answers we need! I have companions of a sort, a group of Knights that I have grown to rely on in times of need. They will not be joining me on this quest, but through the use of Waygates we can communicate with each other to offer encouragement and support. I think I will be relying on them more than ever!

Who am I? My name is Mia! I'm a grad student with too many hobbies. I'm a geek of all trades - I love fantasy, anime, video games, whatever! I also love to cosplay. I want to lose weight then switch to weight training. I've lost weight before then gained it back; I have a hard time remaining consistent. I'm also a vegan, so that means I have to make some adjustments from traditional nutrition advice. I've lost ~10-15 lb already, but now my weight loss is stalling. I'm also working on going to the gym regularly. I'm hoping the Nerd Fitness Rebellion will give me a place to be accountable, seek advice, and overall have a support system. If you are looking to chat with me on other channels, my Twitter is here, and my blog is here. Measurements Height: 5'6'' Starting Measurements: 36-30-42 Current Measurements: 35.5-29-42 Starting Weight: 185 Current Weight: 168 Goal Weight 1: 160 Goal Weight 2: 150 Intake As stated earlier, I'm a vegan, so I don't eat any animal products. I aim for 1400-1500 calories (1600 on days I exercise) and 100g of protein. On average, I get closer to 80-90g. My macros end up around 40% carbs/30% fat/30% protein. I'm not losing as much weight as I was on a severe deficit, but I recalculated and found that my goals should be to eat much more than 1200. Exercise I have been going to the gym 2-3 times a week, doing 30-40 minutes of cardio. I'm a little bored of cardio, but I feel like I should wait to lift weights until I've lost my excess body fat.

If it had a face, we don't eat it. For one reason or another you have eliminated the meat from your diet, and are now looking to live a healthy meatless lifestyle. Awesome! With a heavy emphasis on the Paleo lifestyle, Nerd Fitness can sometimes leave us herbivores feeling a little on the fringe. In Meat-Free Trainees we get where you are coming from, and we got your back. We keep tabs on one another to support diet, life, and fitness goals. We show the world that meat-free is a viable way to be! Nerdtastic Veggie Munchers Big Hearted Vegans and Vegetarians Brussels Sprout Newbies and Tofu Veterans You Are Welcome Here! SIGN UP HERE After you sign up, introduce yourself, give us the link to your challenge, and follow other peoples' challenges. Be sure tell us your favorite animal, and favorite fruit or vegetable so you can get a spot on our current members board! Harnvin Ginn Lantana's Night Vale Community Radio Intern Challenge [Leithient] Keep it simple Preparing myself for the possible thatgirlwrites a ranger challenge! Pearlescence Defeats the Huns charlotte's first challenge

I haven't completed an entire quest yet, but I've been participating with NF since the day after Thanksgiving, and want to throw my lot in with the Druids. I've seen a lot of positive change over the last 33 days, and I'm really enjoying the challenge of getting up and hitting the workout every day! These goals are adapted from the ones I set out with at the end of November; I'm making a few changes to incorporate changes to my health and fitness levels since i started! A little backgournd: I'm 44 years old, own my own restaurant, and have a lifetime addiction to eating a lot of food and moving about as little as possible. I was up to 350 pounds in my 30's, then went on Weight Watchers in 2006 and got down to 215. Since opening the restaurant, I've been fluctuating a lot, and really don't want to keel over dead from a heart attack. I am an ethical Vegan, and cook a lot. This puts me around a lot of food, and that can be challenging. Vegan cuisine can be very nutritious, but eat enough of anything, you're going to put on the fat. I also draw and sculpt, and am part of the Geekshow Podcast, a weekly show with a bunch of geeks getting drunk and talking about geeky goodness. We do get a little vulgar, though! Motivation: I want to be fit, healthy, and a good provider to my wife and kids. I don't want to feel ashamed about my gut. I want to be able to take off my shirt and not feel awkward. I want to be around when my kids are adults, and be an active part of their lives! Goal 1: Cardio I need to get at least an hour of cardio four days a week: Either walking or riding the stationary bike at home. Bonus points for extra walks! A: 5 Hours of Cardio a week B: 4 Hours of Cardio a week C: 3 Hours of Cardio a week D: 2 Hours of Cardio a week F: 1 Hour of Cardio or less a week Goal 2: Body Weight Exercise I will continue doing the Basic Body Weight Workout three days a week. I have been able to finish three circuits and add additional exercises into the workout. A: Push and add additional difficulty to workouts B: Workout 3 times a week C: Workout 2 times a week D: Workout 1 times a week F: Punk out and not work out Goal 3: Nutrition I don't eat anything sourced from animals, and I'm surrounded by veggies every day. Problem is, I had been skipping the veggies and eating a lot of processed garbage. Tortillas, chips, deserts. I need to focus on clean, plant based food without processed foods. I finished reading the Thrive Forward book from Brendan Brazier, I will be using this as my guideline for how I would like to eat. I've managed to stay off the chips, bread, and sugar for over a month, but it is a weakness, so I will continue to keep this as a goal. A: No processed foods B: 1 day with processed foods C: 2 days with processed foods D: 3 days with processed foods F: 4 days with processed foods I managed to keep on the straight and narrow during the Holidays, but it's easy to fall off. Life Quest: I need to draw more! All work and no play makes me something something; I love to draw, so I am going to set aside a little time every day to draw! Life Quest 2: I'm a creative person, my house can get cluttered up. I need to work on keeping the house tidier. I will spend 15 minutes before my workouts cleaning up and putting my dojo in order. Side Quest: I will post updates daily to the Daily Battle Report. I am putting the scale away except at the beginning of the challenge, the halfway point, and the end. I will take a progress picture on the first of each month. I will not give up! Starting Weight: Will update on the 6th.

Hi Everyone I'm currently trying to summon focus and determination to get into a good fitness routine. apologies if anyone is friends with me on myfitnesspal (blunder_bolt) or posts on vegan bodybuilding as I may doublepost there. I'm 6'6 and 192lbs and this is a weight I'm happy with. However I'd like to have better muscular size and tone. The main focus of this is my arms as due to a combination of unfitness and developmental dyspraxia I have very thin arms and if I'm insecure about any body part, its my arms! I'm a keen skater and roller derby fanatic. I'm a trainee referee (Baby Zebra) for Severn Roller Torrent (Gloucestershire's roller derby league) and my long term goal would be to skate for a team (either travel to one or form one here). I've also rediscovered that I quite like lifting! I'm awful at it but it's my preferred form of excercise (outside of skating). It also allows me to work out my arms, back and chest, which are generally ignored by skating! I'd also like to focus more on what I eat with regards to fitness. I think I could improve my fitness a lot with a few changes to diet. I also want to cook more and more varied meals. I skate 2-3 times a week and am aiming to go to the gym 2-3 times a week . If I have any long term goals they are Perform a push up!! (doesn't sound much but I've never been able to do one due to poor upper body strength and general unfitness)Pass 25 in 5 (skate 25 laps or 0.9 miles in five minutes) I'll post photos soon, any questions? Any suggestions? this is a bit meandery but I wanted to get it all down.

Aaargh! As some of you might know, my laptop burned some time ago, and I had no chance to start my Challenge earlier. Now it's finaly repaired and I'm back. This my first Challenge as a Monk, and I'm excited to join you all, awesome people. Normally, when starting late I would work hard and catch up. But I think I'm putting too much pressure on myself and my plan is usually so overfilled with to-do things that I can't find time to sit back and look at everything from wider perspective. During this Challenge I will ignore White Rabbit.What does it mean? I'm going to try new things and do the ones I never had time to do before. Fitness goals:- Learn new exercise every week.- Find sparring partner to train with- Train with my langsax when I need to blow off some steam- Find new route for running Diet goals:- Try at least one new recipe and one new ingredient per week- Write down what and when I'm eating Mind goals:- Define things that are outside my comfort zone and try to deal with at least one per week- Read at least one book that could help me with my goals per week Life goals:- Start saving- Find new people who will help me and Zorion with training - we need helper (the "victim") with rescue training

Hey everyone! This will be my second challenge, but my first was a bit of a wash unfortunately so hopefully this one goes better! My goals this challenge will be more based around keeping habits than actually getting to a specific place in my health/fitness journey so all I have to do is keep doing what I'm doing. I couldn't wait for the challenge to start forming new habits so this will be an accountability exercise more than anything else. I'm so glad I've got you guys to cheer me on! I was with the Scouts my first time around but I want to focus on a more rounded fitness journey so I thought I'd poke around here with the Rangers and see what this is all about. Thanks for being around. GOAL ONE: The Vegan Challenge I've been vegetarian for eight years now and I really feel like it's time to up the challenge, diet wise. This is mainly a moral/ethical choice for me but I'm also interested to see how it will affect my health. It took me a while when I first became vegetarian to be healthy and disciplined and so I've decided to step it up. So, my goal: to be vegan for six weeks and see how it affects my health/weight/wellbeing. GOAL TWO: The Documentation Challenge Because I'm working out quite a bit, I feel it may be a challenge to get enough (healthy) calories being vegan so this is my challenge to write down everything I eat and figure out if I'm eating enough and what I need to eat more of. I'll also be writing down my workouts. GOAL THREE: The Running Challenge I've just purchased the Rebel Running and Strength Guides and I'd like to sign up for a 15 km charity run in March. I've been running on and off for the past few years so this is me stepping it up (once again) and getting back into the swing of running regularly. The last time I was training for a fun run I mostly neglected strength work and I fell off the wagon pretty soon after the race so hopefully this time I'll stick to my guns and be more disciplined. I'll be following the Rebel Running guide, using the bodyweight workouts from the Strength guide for my gym days. GOAL FOUR: [LIFE] The Guitar Challenge I like knowing how to do things, but I'm often too impatient to learn how to do them. I just started getting guitar lessons from a friend of mine and I want to challenge myself to practise every day, even if it's just for five minutes. Apparently it takes just 20 hours of dedicated work to learn how to do something on a basic, just-for-fun level, and that's where I want to get with guitar.

I've tried to look and didn't see any topic threads about this, so I figured I'd ask: Anyone out there changed/modified/revamped their diet to combat depression? What worked? What didn't work? What tips can you give others in the same boat, because, let's face it, there's probably a lot of us here who do/have. I've dealt with depression for a number of years (10+) and am sick and tired of it. The technical term for it at this point is Dysthymia. Irregardless, it's single-handedly ruined my life and I need to do something to change. I know people will say it's a matter of being determined enough to make changes to your life to get over it, and they're right, but only to a degree. Anyone who's seriously depressed knows that the depression cripples you to the point that you don't want to do jack squat about anything. I'm hoping to make some slight changes to my diet in order to kick things up a bit. Tips? Advice? Any other threads I should take note of? I'm hoping to really get a conversation going about this. Thanks, and all the best!!! (soundtrack of the day: Siouxsie and the Banshees - Hyaena)