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Hey y'all! This is my first challenge at Nerd Fitness. I've been getting the emails for a couple months and decided that it was time to try a challenge. I'm 23 and graduated college with a degree in Environmental Science last year. I wasn't having any luck with finding a job and spent a lot of time lounging around my parents' house eating junk food. I've since moved out and gotten a job. Though it's not my ideal job, and it's not even in my field, that was the sort of kick in the butt I needed to start putting effort into my health and my life. My main quests is to lose ten pounds in three months, before starting to improve my strength and flexibility. I'm also pursuing a side quest to keep up writing momentum between National Novel Writing Month events. From my previous attempts to make changes in my life, I realize that the biggest thing I can do is make small changes and make myself accountable. I need to focus on building momentum and maintaining it for more than a couple weeks at a time. And I need people to know, so that I can't just back out when the going gets tough or I get bored. So with that in mind, here are my goals for this challenge: MY MAIN QUEST GOALS Eat at least one serving of vegetables and a significant vegetarian source of protein in each meal.Track food consumption in a diary to cut down on mindless snacking. This will also give me a baseline for improving on my calorie and nutrient intake.Do some kind of exercise for at least 15 minutes a day, at least three days a week. Find out what exercises I like and which ones just don't work for me.MY SIDE QUEST GOALS Write at least 500 words everyday.Spend at least one hour editing a completed project each week.In addition to the above goals, I will post a weekly update on my progress here.

Alright so for my last challenge I ran into some difficulties. The main one being I did not really put in anytime for active recovery (who needs to recover right?!) When I did take some time off, I ended up making huge improvements on my running time. So this challenge I am going to build recovery time into my workout plan. I am also noticing that nutrition is..... lacking. I am also going to try a point system for tracking my progress this challenge. Goal #1 - Create a workout plan, and stick to it, that involves a recovery week. The plan will focus on time active, with a couple specific workouts done on certain days. Each week the amount of daily active time will increase, and than drop for a week of recovery. It might be 2 hours a day week 1, 3 hours week 2, 4 hours week 3, and than 1.5 hours week 4. The point is recovery, but it is called ACTIVE recovery for a reason. Each week I stick to my plan = 100 points! Total possible score = 600 points! STA = +3 STR = +2 Goal #2 - Pick 1 day each week, track my calories, and find 1 thing to improve. For me I just feel better when I am eating healthier, and it turns out you can still be unhealthy when your a vegetarian! I want to be able to know what is healthy, but teach myself to do it intuitively. Every day I track, I need to pick one thing I could have improved, and post about what I have decided to improve. Each day tracked = 100 points! Each improvement = 100 points! total possible score = 1200 points! CON = +2 Goal #3 - Reduce weekly screen time (not related to fitness goals) If I am going to be spending more time active, I need to cut out time somewhere. Each week I will monitor the amount of time I spend in front of screens (not bug screens) and reduce that by 15 minutes. Reading books on kindle does not count towards screen time, as long I only read 1 book every 3 weeks. each 15 minutes reduced = 100 points! total possible score = 600 points! Wis = +3 There's no major changes here really, which is what I am going for. Although I do have a goal I am working towards, part of the point of this is to be healthy, and smaller changes will be easier to try and sustain than larger changes.

do you add supplemental protein in your diet? i've used Vega One for that last couple of months, and i like it well enough. the vanilla chai has an interesting flavor, the chocolate is pretty great. it seems to be pretty complete and mixes well with just about anything (as long as it's cold). for the love of God don't heat it, or let it get warm after mixing. i just ordered a free sample of this Aloha stuff, seems to be pretty solid, but it's stupid expensive. not that Vega One is super cheap, but comparing the two got out of hand, and i started looking at everything i could find. so... what's your go to? favorites? are you anti-protein supplement and need to tell me?

Something I love about hero stories is that typically the main character gets knocked down (sometimes very hard), but they have the resilience and ability to get back up. I posted my story in the Respawn forum, but figured I would start a daily log here to track as I work on getting back up. Since I'm coming back between challenges, my goals here are a bit more long term than the focused 6 week challenge goals. Inspirations: Black Canary - Yeah she has sonic super powers, but she trained in classical boxing techniques, and was the hand-to-hand combat instructor in "Young Justice". She can go up against tough villains, and kicks serious butt.Xena - Need I say more? I grew up on those shows, and "warrior woman" is tots my jam.Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson - Do yourself a favor, and check out his twitter or Instagram. He's always so positive about his workouts, and just exudes "can do" spirit.Nikkita - International spy/assassin trying to make past wrongs right, fighting the good fight, and protecting the people she cares about. Heck yeah!The Flash - Regardless of super speed, he's another all around positive dude, who takes care of his enemies with an inspiring level of compassion. Villains: Darth Desk Job - I sit. A lot. I'm an engineer and spend my 8-5 behind a computer.Sally Sweet-Tooth - DAMN YOU SALLY!Theodore Travel Bottom - I have to travel for work quite a bit in the summer, and am usually headed to areas with limited food options.The Stressinator - In addition to travel, my job can be hella stressful, and I'm shit about self care when work hits critical mass. Allies: Husband Man - Not every epic tale needs a love story, but mine has one. Husband Man has my back in any fight, and I have his.Perpetual Motion Puppy - Some side kicks fight crime, others chase squirrels.The Extraordinary League of Family Peeps - We team up from time to time to fight crime, bag summits, and see exotic locales. Goals: Food goals - I've been an ovo/lacto vegetarian for about a year. I'm sticking with that and would like to continue working on reducing the presence of animal products in my meals. I'm also working on eating more fresh prepared meals as opposed to pre-packaged or restaurant meals. Specifics: Reduce meals out to 2 or fewer per week.Only have dairy or eggs in one meal per day.Do weekly meal planning with Husband Man.Hit up the farmer's market at least every other week (when I'm in town) for a veggie I wouldn't normally buy at the super market.Stop visiting the snack drawer at work by planning breakfasts and lunches.Fitness goals - Kick it Canary style! There is a boxing gym near my work, that I'm going to check out.Start lifting at the rec center with Husband Man.Take Perpetual Motion Puppy for a walk before work every day. Bonus mode: get a hike in with her on weekends as the weather warms up.Take lunch walks during the day to get away from my computer (even for just 15-20 minutes).Adventure goals - More hiking, fun travel and playing outside. Non-negotiable quality of life vices: Scotch/whisky/bourbon - I have a couple of fingers of one of these less than once per week (every other week - monthly would probably be more accurate).Ice cream - One scoop or less per week (at least in the summer the ice cream parlor in our town is the best thing ever). Game plan is to earn it throughout the week via workouts and otherwise clean eating. Teaming up with Sally Sweet-Tooth from time to time keeps her in line overall.Video games - FFXIV is my jam, Husband Man and I play with friends near and far, and it's an important part of our social schedule. With the right attitude gaming doesn't have to be a destructive pursuit. I'm a little nervous posting all of this, but being accountable is important, and solidifying and tracking goals is the name of the game. Let's do this!

So I am very new to this, like 10 mins kinda new. But so far so good! I am 32, and recently discovered rock climbing, and have become a bit addicted. Main Quest Be able to lead climb 7a (currently top roping 6a) Quests Climbing is hard, and even harder when you carry a few extra pounds, so I am hoping to build strength and lose weight in a manageable way.. Lose weight I am currently 5'4 and 155lbs, within the 6 week challenge I would like to be 145lbs, I am going to hopefully achieve this by cutting out all junk food and increasing my protein - decreasing my carb intake (I am vegetarian so any advice on meat free protein would be great) Start running I have started the couch to 5k and am on week 2, ideally by the end of week 6 I would like to be able to run for at least 20 mins, even if its slowly, my dog will thank me for it too! Make time to climb My local climbing wall offers women's only bouldering on a Monday night, at the moment I am so busy with work (queue excuses here) that I rarely make it in, and it can be intimidating when they all are strong climbers, so by week six I want to have it ingrained in my routine. Monday nights sorted. Any and all advice welcome!

Hi, I'm Dartoo and this is my first challenge. I found the site in November 2014 but my forum membership didn't go through right away (which is what I discovered when I tried to join the challenge on time!) But they got me in fine and fixed me up so here I am. I'm in okay shape I would say; I used to play roller derby and recently retired. Without the group motivation it can be difficult to keep a routine. I like riding my bike (but could definitely up my maintenance skills). I work at home so it's easy to sit around in my jammies all day... uhhh. Main Quest: Ride 50 miles at a time at an average speed of at least 18 mi/hr. Maybe fit in my 2009 jeans. My 6-week goals are in fun little increments of 5: - 5 glasses of water/day - 5 dog walks (of at least .5 miles each) - 5 REAL pushups by the end of the challenge - 5 minute dance party for every hour at work and this one doesn't fit the 5s, but getting in bed by 10:30 and up by 6:30. Life Quest: - practice my clarinet at least 30 minutes/day at least 5 days/week So... hi everybody! I need buddies, right? Hullo...

(Thread under construction. I decided to make it Pokemon-themed before I realized I don't actually know how to Pokemon. Derp.) Sara Bareilles' "I Choose You" always makes me think of Pokemon, for obvious reasons. I know it's a love song, but I've decided it's a love song to the Flea I want to be. So of course I had to use that for a challenge. And then the Pokemanz demanded to be included so... yeah. Welcome to my brain. Challenge Goal: Level the fuck up Flea's moves 1: Quick Attack Use c25k to start running 3 times a week (and not freeze to death in the process). 2: Grassy Terrain Eat a vegetarian diet. Bonus points for entirely vegan days.3: Rest Get 7 hours of sleep, minimum. Go to bed by 11. 4: Recover 30 minutes every day for Flea-things. Journaling, extra language study, reading a real book (no fanfic!), extra meditating, whatever. *Running was a goal in like, 3 of my challenges last year? And I sucked at it each and every time. But I got all the way to week 7 of c25k at one point and it felt awesome, so now I have something to reach for instead of just "running is a good idea." Evolution: She needs a name. Fleaball evolves into...? Pretty!Flea? idk. I want to be this Flea again! This picture is from August 2010, at the end of two months studying in Jordan. I weighed a good 25-30 pounds less than I do now, was eating much better, felt better, was happier, baaaasically a polar opposite of who I am today. (Except for the fact that I was out of shape there as well.) I miss this Flea. She's not my final evolution, but for now leveling up until I get to that point again is a perfectly good goal. Where do I buy the rare candy?

Since there was some demand for it in the veg*an forum, I've taken the initiative to make a new accountability squad for vegetarians and vegans (and if any reduced meat eaters want to come along, they're welcome too as well)! We shall call ourselves: The Veggies! Anyway, the sign up for the squad is here (you might have to scroll down a bit), but if you introduce yourself and provide a link to your challenge thread, I'll put a list in the OP so we can all pop into each other's threads to say hi and lend support. If there's some enthusiasm for mini-challenges, we can try some of those as well. I was thinking that week 1 could be a good time to try a new (to you) vegetable. Members - Challenge thread Sterre - Sterre strikes a balance Brekketechie - Brekktechie takes flight! Tzippie Longstockings - Tzippie | Adapting to Arborea - A Ranger enters the forest yllwrssr4me - Slow Recovery From Evil Curse Raxie - Raxie's Holiday Calm Ocelot - Simplicity's Strength kaelvan Side Challenges Week 1 - Try a new (to you) veggie! Week 2 - Post one of your favourite meals from your cookbook (or wherever you store your recipes)! Week 3 - No challenge. Week 4 - Try a new recipe!

What's up, Rangers? I choose YOU for my first ever NF Challenge. (Please love me?) It's a long, long walk to Tar Valon, but every sheepherder's got to make it past Devon's Ferry at some point in their life, and I've got dreams of tall spires, heavy objects, and maybe even one day becoming the Dragon Reborn - but you know they're all false, right? They have to be. As far as where I'm starting, in race types, I'm a half-ogre - I gain muscle easily, I'm a little bigger/heavier than I want to be. I have a background in both agility sports (tennis, frisbee) and strength sports (rugby), but thanks to a nice little case of sciatica I haven't lifted in forever. I've selected the Rangers because y'all best fit the first part of my journey to becoming a Warder: a TOTAL BADASS (Birgitte-level) who's ready for anything and isn't afraid to undertake any challenge. I won't need to be able to bench press an Ogier, but I may need enough power to push a belligerent blacksmith up a hill. I'll also need to be prepared to work out anywhere, as I never know where my bonded Aes Sedai (or my work) will take me next. I'm considering Army OCS for the future and I really don't want to embarrass myself, so this is also my test to see whether or not I can make myself have what it takes to do the thing and win the points. Or at least prove to myself that I can do the thing I've always dreamed of doing. Of course, since I'm starting with Kabe-the-half-ogre-who-really-likes-cake-and-Netflix, my Warder quest is going to be a long journey, whether on horseback or on foot. Goal 1: Get in touch with the True Source. I've got some serious healing to do, and in order to get my back back and my strength stronger, I'm setting a goal to do at least 45 minutes of yoga at least twice a week. Currently I do it about once a week for only 30 minutes, and I think I need a little more dedication and a little more consistency. One of these days will be on Mondays, where there's a kick-ass free class that I know of that will give me a really great and varied workout, and my plan is for the other day to be either solo practice or a detox class. Weekly grades: A - 45 minutes 2x/week. B - Less than 45 minutes 2x/week. C - 1x/week. F - No yoga done this week. 2. Bond myself to Squat Rack Sedai. It's cold as the void in Wisconsin, so I'm backing off my running for the next couple months. However, it's been too long since I've gotten back in touch with the reassuring heaviness of my heron-marked barbells. I'd love to work my way back into a lift-based regimen at least until my couple more weeks of Almost Free Gym Membership run out and I move, and at that point I'll probably shift into bodyweight. Or who knows, maybe I'll be motivated to get a gym membership right away! For that matter... -starts furtively googlemapsing gyms near new house- The explicit goal is 3 workouts/week of strength training. (And no, future self, that 7-minute-not-scientific-workout thing doesn't count.) Weekly grades: A - 3 workouts of 30+ min/week. B - 1 or 2 workouts of 30+ min/week, or at least one workout of 30+ min with 2 of <30 min. C - 2-3 workouts of <30 min. D - only 1 workout, <30 min. F - No workouts. 3. Cleanse the (internal) taint. I'm a sugar addict. Okay, I'm a food addict, but sugar is a huge part of this. So in order to get back in control of my bodily components, I'm going to try to cut back on my processed-sugar intake. Fruits? Great. Build that Warder body. Baked goods? Warders ain't got time for that. To achieve this goal, I'm going to start with limiting myself to 1 article of processed sugar per day for the first week, 1 article every 2 days for the second week, and so on down to the last week, where I plan on consuming NO ARTIFICIAL SUGARS. This seems impossible from where I'm standing right now, but maybe in 5 weeks it won't seem so hard. Weekly grades: A - met goal for the week. B - had only 1-2 sugary snacks over goal. F - 3+ sugary objects over goal. 4. Life Goal: record my journey. The Wheel of Time turns and days come and pass, leaving memories that become legend when I remember them at all. I want to get a handle on the passage of time and fight the sameness of days that professional life seems to be all about. I'd like to keep a journal every or every other night - not just of my workouts (which I'll journal here!) but of the rest of my life. I'll probably try to do so before bed as a way to fight the blue screen sleeplessness of pre-sleep Netflix. I should buy a nice notebook. Things I need your help with, fellow Rangers: - Good online yoga workouts. My personal practice will only get me so far. If any of y'all want to drop your favorite Youtube links here, that would be totally amazing. - Tips for working out while traveling. I'm still new to professional life and I'm on a little bit of a budget until I get my first raise, so your favorite hotel-gym and hotel-room-floor workouts would save my life. - Tips for soldiering on. This is my first challenge and I'm really nervous! I'm worried that, like almost every other grand project that I undertake, I'll get really depressed if I don't live up to my own expectations. - Anything else you think of, really. Thank you for your support! <3

As a vegetarian soy makes up a huge part of my diet, particularly as I'm trying to consume a reasonable amount of protein. It's usually in the form of tofu, quorn (or similar meat replacements) and soy beans. I've heard a lot of kinda non-specific criticism of soy without anyone ever giving me a compelling reason to give it up (at least none that would outweigh the resulting protein deficit). Having said that, I've got no great love for fake meat and tofu doesn't do much for me when I cook it myself, so I could give it up if it came to it. Does anyone here avoid soy? Why? I'd love to get some better insight into this.

Now, I reckon after all this hard work, y'all might be a bit hungry. Well, we're fresh out of Alliance Grade A food stuffs. Even if we did and I liked you all less, it still wouldn't go very far. This week, we need to go out and find something mighty tasty to fill our galley. Go out, purchase a food item you never have purchased before. Doesn't matter if it's a veggie or meat, a grain or a spice. Go out, buy it, and use it for a meal this week. Post the recipe here, and maybe some Companion-approved food images. Try to keep it healthy! We don't want 4 pounds of chocolate covered over a mound of french toast! That won't fuel your ship for long! And we need to keep flying.

As a student, I eat most of my lunches on the go. When I get up to pack a lunch in the morning, it's all too easy to just go for a sandwich or something tht might not be the best option for my body. Any advice/recipes on quick and easy packed lunches?

Dear Nerd Fitness, I could really, really use some help. I've been a member of Nerdfitness since April... I love the site and feel like it is an amazing resource... like, potentially life-changing. I just can't get my act together. I am constantly switching up my vision, my fitness goals, my approach to nutrition. I try something for a bit, then falter, then get frustrated and discouraged, then go back to doing NOTHING. Then a few days/weeks later, I take a different approach, then falter, get frustrated, give up, etc. etc. I have literally been doing this for years. Depression and anxiety are factors, as is an all-or-nothing attitude that interprets every blip as an epic disaster marking the end of that particular attempt at getting healthier. I guess the good news is that I'm still trying. I think what needs to happen at this point is to aim for an attitude-shift, and to develop a super solid, basic, realistic plan for getting healthy, and stick with it. The constant changes in approach are not helpful, and partially borne out a sense that I'm not really sure what the hell I'm doing. This is where I would be very grateful for some guidance/ideas/words-of-wisdom/encouragement/and or telling-it-like-it-is. Relevant information: I'm a 25 year old female, 5'6†and 217 pounds. Vegetarian: I eat eggs and dairy, but no meat/fish. I hatehatehate counting calories, but haven't figured out a way to eat healthily that doesn't involve it. I feel torn between 'if you hatehatehate it, it's not a sustainable option' and 'suck it up'. No gym membership. Looong walks are in my future... I have a pup who needs lots of exercise. He hasn't been able to walk outdoors due to lack of vaccinations, but got the green light yesterday. Once I get him used to walking on leash, this will be good regular exercise. Ultimately, I want to lose weight and be really fit... strong, lean, flexible, and capable of the outdoor activities I dream of. Backpacking, rock climbing, bike touring, epic hikes, long swims. I would greatly appreciate any input, suggestions, or rough drafts of a plan that can start me down this path. Muchas Gracias!

Well helloooooo there, NerdFitness! Yep, I’m a little late to the party this time around, but I’m ready for another challenge! This last week has been chock-full of work panic, ending in the massive and glorious panic that is a Comic Con… so, I just decided to start a week late. But here we go! I have focused on some gentle, frequent goals over the last couple challenges, but I’m going to kick my training up a notch and see how it goes. After all, I’m getting out of the newb zone, and there’s no telling what’s in that tall grass! Goal 1: Super Training Well, it’s that time again where I’ve got to be putting on some weight, according to the doctors. Fortunately though, my body fat is at a high enough percentage that I don’t have to worry about increasing that too much, so I’m going to get back to trying to build a bit of muscle! My gym doesn’t have barbells, but I’m going to try and stick to a dumbbell routine. Everyone tells me consistency is key, which I have trouble with; I don’t enjoy weightlifting. But I need to gain mass, and I’m kind of over increasing my BF %. I'm thinking of going off of the routine suggestion I found here: Dynamite Dumbbell Workouts. So- Lift weights 4x per week. Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays. Goal 2: Mediation Training Continuing on with this one! But instead of my 10 minutes a day, I’m bumping it up to 15 minutes. Time to get those stamina stats up! Meditate for 15 minutes, every day. Also, keep up with my meditation instructor, have at least two meetings. Goal 3: Art Master Training Of course, it wouldn’t be a ‘Master Quest’ without my favorite training challenge! I do this last Life Goal in every one of my Master challenges. It's a long process! This has expanded to include anything that increases my ability to be awesome in art, design, or my job (promotional design). So it could be tutorials, sketching, reading books on marketing, doing industry research… basically anything that’s going to help me level up! Train in art/design/promo for 1 hour every day. That about sums it up for this challenge! Sketches will be coming soon. I can’t stand this post looking so un-artsy, I simply can’t. Also yes, I did my classic Catwoman thing last weekend, and it was super awesome. Pics to come. ;D

Hello Druid guild! I'm Leo, and I believe I've been here briefly before; but today I'm settling down in the forest to journey with you guys! I'm carrying my challenge theme over from my last one, which is namely my Master Quest challenge. My Master Goal is the same, but my others have taken a bit of tweaking- I've been really interested in yoga and meditation for a long time now, but I'm ready for them to take a spotlight in the wellness part of my life, instead of a sidebar! I'm a newbie at all of this, so I'm really looking forward to learning more. Without further ado- my Pokemon-ified challenge goals, (what better theme for a master quest?) complete with silly doodles. Of course the doodles are a must. I'm that kid just noodling away in the margins of my class notes, I can't stop! Goal 1: Mindful Training Mindfulness training (meditation) is something that I got into last year when learning how to best manage stress and unpleasant thoughts I was having. It really made an impact on me, and it's something I want to continue deeper with. I'm managing 10 min a day, but I'm not very consistent, and want to progress more. I plan on finding a mentor during this challenge! But, I think a regular, daily practice is an essential habit to build. Target: Meditate for 10 minutes per day. Score out of 42 +4 WIS, +1 STA Goal 2: Limber Training A goal I'm carrying over from my last challenge (and from before that as well) is stretching for 15 minutes a day. Doesn't matter how, just doing it is important! I was very humbled in a yoga class over the Christmas season when I was the least flexible member of the class (and of my family), and realized I simply didn't want it to be that way. I do yoga at home on occasion (when I make the time), and want to continue getting bendier! Plus, I'm cosplaying as Catwoman this June. A Catwoman who can't bend and stretch is no proper Catwoman at all. Target: Stretch 15 minutes a day Score out of 42 +3 DEX, +1 STA, +1 CON Master Goal: Artistic Training Ahh, the grandaddy goal of them all! This goal is the Life Quest fulfiller that was the focus of my last challenge (and will be for all the Master Quest themed challenges I do). I'm a visual designer by trade, and I wouldn't want it any other way; the only thing I would like to change, is I would like to improve! The goal is to spend one hour a day doing something that furthers my career in a design, artistic or business sense. I have a full-time gig as a video game graphic artist, so extra practice on top of the work I do is daunting. But, I'm determined! Target: Practice art/design for 1 hour a day Score out of 42 +2 WIS, +2 CHA, +1 STA I do have this awful habit of thinking 'oh sure, I'll update today!' thing, and then poof, half the challenge is done and I never get on NF. SO- Mini-Challenge: Updates! I solemnly swear, if I update every day, I will buy myself a lovely meditation cushion at the end of this challenge. :3 So my little throw pillow can have its life back on my bed where it belongs! Anyways, I'm really excited to be testing out my new Druid moves, and I'm looking forward to the next six weeks! Good luck everyone!

So then. I feel like I've rather reached the point where 6-week challenges are becoming monotonous and not motivating at all. I figured steady accountability will do better for me at this point, since the maintenance of habits is what I need to improve rather than acquiring new ones. A General Statement of Intent so that you can hold me to it 1. Go to gym, lift heavy things, and sprint 3x per week Exception: unless I break something or fall dreadfully ill. 2. Eat meat only once a week Exception: minor amounts of meat, such as bits of bacon in soup, are acceptable 3. No more than 3 alcoholic drinks per week Exception: if I am attending a wedding with an open bar (this does not happen frequently) 4. No more than 1 sugary thing per week Exception: if it is the only thing available to eat for an 8-hour period OR: If my parents have us over for dinner and Mama makes dessert. 5. To someday meet the aggregate Highest Standards for the Armed Forces. Suitable responses to the breaking of these guidelines include but are not limited to: comparing my excuses to some off-putting character via quotes or gifs, contrasting excuses with a vaguely-comparable but inspiring scenario involving Black Widow, shaming me in light of general badassery. For a bit of clarification on point 5: "Someday" is defined as before I have children, which is a nebulous time period that is, at minimum, 3-5 years off. "Aggregate Highest Standards" would be the highest score on the PFT with all branches taken into account. For example, if the Army's highest possible score is a 6.5 minute mile and the Marines' is a 6 minute mile (for example), I would be aiming for the Marines' number. This also means that if one branch requires push-ups but does not require pull-ups, and a second branch requires pull-ups but doesn't require push-ups, I have to do both push-ups and pull-ups for this to count. Also, all of this would be scored against the male standard, not the female one. Let it be noted that I have absolutely no desire whatsoever to join any branch of the armed forces, but that the PFT makes for an excellent objective standard and conveys decent bragging rights.

Hey all I am a vegetarian and am needing some help with cutting my carbs. Which carbs can I totally cut out & which will I need to keep in my diet? I struggle with cutting them all out completely and my with my family I pretty much grew up on carbs.. haha. Please help!

Anybody know where to buy these things? I saw this dude in a youtube video talking about them. He was showing how low calorie they are, and they have protein, and they look awesome. But I can't find them. I live in a pretty big city so you would think I would be able to find them somwhere. Does anyone eat them? Are they decent?

Hey guys! So after bailing on the last two weeks of the previous challenge, I'm back! I'm glad to be here with the Rangers again, I just loved the mini missions last challenge Motivation/Life Quest: I've had a really rough time the past 4-ish months due to a death in the family. I've been letting myself go because of it, making excuses to not do anything, and basically just moping around. I know this is normal, but I need to stop throwing myself a pity party with a pizza every time I get upset. I need to take care of myself. This is a big portion of my "life" side mission, and part of my overall life quest. I need to value my health and myself in general more, I want to take pride in my life and how I eat and live. I shouldn't want to have a clean apartment so I'm not embarassed when I have guests. I should want a clean apartment because when I wake up to a clean apartment I'm happier. Why should I not value this happiness and make myself happier each morning with just a few quick cleaning sessions? My other main mission has been the same for a while... I want to get my back walkover back! I used to be able to do it... now I can't. I'm working on it. I got a wall handstand last challenge, and a backbend the challenge before that.... this challenge I'll be building more specifically towards a backwalkover progression. Main Missions: Be strong! I will strength train twice a week. One of these will be the ABWW, the other will be some heavy lifting. Same dumbbell olympic lifts I started working on last challenge. I can get a max of 3 +STR, and it is based on percentage of workouts completed gets me that percentage of 3 possible points, rounded to the nearest 0.25 points. Be Relaxed! Two yoga or cardio sessions a week. Both of these things help me relax in different ways, depending on my stress level (running helps relieve angry stress, yoga helps relieve sad stress). So I'll pick depending on my mood and get two sessions of one or the other done twice a week. Points are a possible +3 STA, same as above, based on percentage of level of effort. Be Bendy! Back walkover progression exercises 3 times a week. These can be quick 5 minute things tacked onto the end of another work out, or their own thing before I go to bed or when I wake up. I'll be doing rocking back bends and walking up the wall while in a backbend and eventually kicking over. 3 points of DEX. Same award system as above. Diet Side Mission: Eat Cleanly Eat whole food based, gluten free & cheese free. Cheese makes my tummy go ow. And I've discovered gluten makes me feel really bloated and lethargic by cutting it out for the most part last challenge. So I'm moving forward with this and going to try to go all the way these next weeks. Possible +3 CON. Same percentage points based on number of meals following these restrictions. Lift Side Mission: Take Pride in Myself & My Surroundings This ones kind of complicated. Basically, I want to do each of the following each weekday day to increase my pride, and happiness in myself and my surroundings: --Fly Lady Daily Mission --Scoop Cat Litter --Swish & Swipe Bathroom --Prep Breakfast & Lunch for the next day --Brush AND FLOSS my teeth --Wash my face before I go to bed --Moisturize before I go to bed. My face & my body. And here's my spreadsheet for the challenge with points broken up and pre-calculated as I fill it in over the challenge: *Notes* Since I'm starting this late, and my whole life if kind of a wreck (I need to go massively grocery shopping, set up a meal plan and get the mounds of clothes and shopping bags off my floor), I am using the remainder of this first week to get to base zero. Next week I will start really doing everything I listed above, and I will extend the challenge into the extra week between challenges. I will post every day here this week to say how I worked towards getting back into the swing of things though, so I won't just be slacking off this week! Anyway, it feels great to be back. And I can't wait to go catch up on everyones threads

Hallo I am an 18 year old female vegetarian who is just pushing the boundary between being a healthy weight and being overweight. I need advice in a couple areas. The first is free weights. I've only really done machine workouts and I feel like they're just not very effective. I want to try working with free weights put I'm not really sure to how to start. The second thing is my diet. After a workout, I tend to feel really shaky. Not the i've-just-had-a-really-good-workout type shakes, but...dizzy shakes. I'm sorry, that made no sense. Any idea what that's all about? Thank you!!

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'm really excited to be joining Rangers this challenge! Woot! I'm coming over from Adventurer's for my third challenge because I think my goals are pretty ranger-like. I want to be flexible and do backwalkovers ninja style, but I also want to kickbox and be strong like bull and be able to squat heavy. I also enjoy the occasional run. So, here I am! First off, Happy New Year everyone!!! I'm really looking forward to kicking some major butt his year as only a nerd can. Anyway, last challenge I began my battle for recovering my backwalkover. For those of you who don't know, the first half of this is a back walkover: Last challenge I just foucsed on getting stronger and more flexy. I succeeded, and can now do a backbend without fear of falling on my head! This challenge I want to work on handstands. They use pretty much the same muscles as a backbend kickover (which will be my next phase to backwalkover awesomeness) and will get me used to the feeling of being inverted again. In order to do this I'll be doing the 28 day handstand challenge, and I'll also continue to work on my cardio, strength and flexiness... Cleaning has also been a big part of my past two challenges and I am going to continue with that since I am really happy with the results I am seeing so far in my sparkly apartment. I started using FlyLady last challenge and am going to keep with it for this one. I whittled down what parts of FlyLady I'm going to focus on a little more than last challenge, because even my already mini-Fly-Lady-ing was a bit much. I gained a bunch of weight over the holidays, despite my holiday mini challenge to not over eat and to exercise a bit. I guess it could have been worse, but I am seriously teetering on the edge of 200 lbs (199.6!). I've never actually gotten on the scale and seen 200, and I feel like as much as I don't care about weight and only care about how I feel that would make me feel completely awful. So here's to the new year and getting far far away from 200! Anyway, on to the specifics of my challenge! MAIN MISSIONS: GET STRONGER I have aspriations to eventually start doing some real weight lifting (probably next challenge!) so I want to build up my strength even more with body weight work outs before moving up to the next level in the strength training world. I'm also having trouble finding a gym near me that doesn't charge $8 billion a month due to the fact that it offers yoga/pilates/kickboxing/whatever classes included in its fee. I just want to lift things up and put them down! Hopefully by the next challenge I'll have some success with that. So, I am going to continue with my ABWW routine, modified with assisted pull ups and chin ups, and replacing the one legged squats with sumo squats. This time around I'm only going to do it twice a week, but with 3 circuits per work out. That's the same amount of circuits just crammed into less days. I'm hoping to be more motivated to actually work on the other physical aspects of my challenge with the extra free day every week, since they definitely fizzled last challenge. And here is my motivation, the ever adorable Samantha Wright: What a bad ass. This mission can get me a potential +3 STR. It is based on purely percentage completed, but I rounded off boundaries for points earned so I don't end up with crazy decimals like I did last challenge. 90-100% = 3 points 75-89% = 2 points 50-74% = 1 point 25-49% = 0.5 points 0-24% = 0 points GET MOVING I will do yoga or cardio 2x a week, depending on my mood and schedule. That can be two cardios in one week, two yogas, one of each, whatever. Just get moving! This mission can earn me a possible +3 STA. Same percentage system as above. GET INVERTED 28 day handstand challenge. It will happen. I can do this for the last 28 days straight, or spread it out as the challenge goes on (obviously what I'm going to try to do). But by the end of the challenge, I should have 28 days on handstand practice behind me! Grading will be in 2 parts. First, just a pure percentage of if I completed all 28 days. This is a potential +2 DEX. 90-100% = 2 points 75-89% = 1.5 points 50-74% = 1 point 25-49% = 0.5 points 0-24% = 0 points The second part is if I can successfully do a "good" wall handstand by the end of this challenge. This is purely pass/fail. If I can do it, I get +1 CHA. If not, I don't. Hey, if a cat can do it I feel like I should be able to, too. SIDE QUESTS: Diet Side Quest: Get 11,200 healthy calories a week. This is an average on 1,600 calories a day. I am going to grade myself by week because I don't mind if I eat a little over one day and fast a bit the next, as long as I am on target for the week I'll pass. For now, healthy = no obvious cheese and no obvious bread. I am not going read ingredients, if a jarred tomato sauce happens to contain parmesan or something that doesn't count. I will eventually take it that far, but not yet. "Obvious" bread means something clearly bread-like as a part of my meal. This includes bagels, pasta, pizza dough, etc. Again, not checking labels just yet. I will allow myself 3 cheat meals a week to include one of both of these items (read: PIZZA), but only if this does not put me over my weekly calorie goal. So the grading for this is in two parts, for a total of a possible +3 CON.The first part is worth +2 CON, and is based on the number of the weeks I hit my calorie goal. 6 weeks met = 2 points 5 weeks met = 1.5 points 4 weeks met = 1 point 3 weeks met = 0.5 points 2 weeks met = 0.25 points 1 or 0 weeks met = 0 points The second half of this grade is based on the healthiness of my meals and is worth +1 CON. Basically, if I limit myself to my 3 cheat meals a week, and therfore have 108 or more healthy meals under my belt at the end of the challenge, I will get the whole point. The amount of points earned is based on the number of healthy meals I eat during the challenge, the maximum being 126 (which is 3 meals x 7 days x 6 weeks). 108-126 healthy meals = 1 point 87-107 healthy meals = 0.75 points 65-86 healthy meals = 0.5 points 42-64 healthy meals = 0.25 points 0-41 healthy meals = 0 points Hopefully the healthies plus the staying more on track with calories will make me feel fresh and not so bloated and awful, as I have been the past few weeks. By the end of the challenge me and my tummy will feel fabulous. Life Side Quest: Fly Lady it up! I will do the weekly home blessing, and the week's zone detail cleaning each week for +1 WIS, based on the same point to percentages as the above missions. I will do at least one load of laundry each week and fold/put it away within 24 hours of getting it out of the drier for +1 CHA, and do the week day daily missions and swish & swipe each weekday for a total of +1 WIS. Here's my grading spreadsheet that I will update throughout the challenge, which will automatically calcuate my grades at the end: And that's that. I'm out.

Fall is a time for pumpkin and a time for soups. I love this soup so much, and it is one of the very few recipes that I've altered then perfected off of an inspiring recipe, so I feel that it is truly my own. I MUCH prefer fresh pumpkin for about everything, but this recipe is one that I truly don't mind canned pumpkin in. I could eat it all week, it would not be a mistake to make a double batch in order to use the whole can of pumpkin. Curried Pumpkin Soup Makes: serves 4 - 6 Ingredients: 1/3 cup chopped onion 1/3 cup chopped carrots 1/3 cup chopped celery 1 tsp. minced garlic 1 tsp. curry powder 2 tbsp butter or your favorite oil 1 cup pureed pumpkin (or about 1/2 can of pumpkin) 1/4 tsp nutmeg 1/8 tsp. sugar 2 cups veggie broth (or can use chicken broth) 1 1/2 cups milk 1 tbsp cornstarch or arrow root or tapioca powder (use as thickening agent) 2 tbsp heavy cream (optional) chopped chives (as decoration) Preparation Directions: 1. In large pan cook onion, carrots, celery, garlic, and curry in the butter or margarine for a few minutes until onion is tender. 2. Add pumpkin, nutmeg, sugar, the bay leaf and the broth. Stir and bring to a boil. 3. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for about 15 minutes. 4. Take out the bay leaf. 5. Stir in 1 cup of the milk and cook over low heat for a few minutes. 6. In another bowl, stir together the remaining milk and the cornstarch until dissolved, then add it to the pan. 7. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Then cook a couple more minutes. Add more curry and some salt to taste. To serve: Swirl the cream on top, and garnish with chives.

Backstory I've been working on my fitness and health levels for about a year now. I've dropped over 20 lbs from my heaviest (185) to now (160ish). I'm a nerd at heart, working on my dissertation (sometimes) and working in health and health policy (mostly). Before the Holidays went crazy, I was regularly going to the gym 5 days a week and working out for 45min- 1hr. I was getting stronger and looking a little better. However, I wasn't giving the workouts my all. I go to a pretty busy gym and would do whatever was available. I started with 80% free weights, but by the end of December, I was doing 80% weight machines. I've spent over a week reading like crazy on NF and you guys seem like my workout soulmates! Woo hoo! After reading the 13 mistakes, I found myself. I'm an emotional rationalizer. I take the ER route for EVERYTHING... spending, jobs, working out, eating right, you name it! I hope to find my super hero during this quest. The idea of transforming into my hero before even walking into the gym... Done! Plus, I wouldn't mind looking decent in a costume. My measurements. I'll try to keep this updated. Starting pic My Reason: I'm marrying the love my of my life Aug 31. And, I can do better and should look better! Strategy I'm starting a new job Jan 6. I'll be starting a new gym too. My gym has multiple locations throughout the District and I'll be moving to a gym right around the corner from my office. No more weight machines My weaknesses: (1) not working out hard enough and (2) not maintaining a solid, healthy, natural diet. Main Quest Lose 2" off navel measurement, maintain weight. Goals Decrease carb intake to 1 serving per day Grades A: 1 serving of carbs per day for a week B: 1 serving of carbs for 6/7 days C: 1 serving of carbs for 5/7 days D: 1 serving of carbs for 4/7 days F: 1 serving of carbs for 3/7 days Modify workout to 3 days body weight strength (S) & 2 days Interval (I) Training per week Grades A: Completed 5 day workout: 3S and 2I and finished with a wet shirt each day B: Completed 5 day workout: 3S and 2I and half assed it only 1 day C: Completed 4 day workout and finished with a wet shirt each day D: Skipping this letter F: Missed more than 1 day or half assed it more than 1 day Stop drinking soda Grades A: 0 sodas in 7 days B: 1 soda in 7 days C: 2 sodas in 7 days D: 3 sodas in 7 days F: 4 sodas in 7 days Life Side Quest Start new job and maintain a regular schedule Grades A: Get an avg of 8 hours of sleep, wake up at a consistent time, go to bed at a consistent time B: Get an avg of 8 hours of sleep, wake and sleep at mostly a consistent time C: Get less than 8 hours of sleep, wake and sleep at mostly a consistent time D: Sometimes get 8 hours of sleep and sometimes wake and sleep at a consistent time F: Get less than 8 hours and rarely wake and sleep at a consistent time

Hey everyone! I'm very new to this community and wanted to take a chance to say hello! I'm Ashley and I'm 25. I don't generally like to define myself by my food choices but if I had to I'd say I eat mostly vegan and mostly raw. I juice and/or blend on a daily basis and just don't enjoy eating meats. I have a stomach condition called gastroparesis which means my stomach is paryially paralyzed and doesnt contract to digest food properly. Because of this I try my hardest to eat as healthy and clean as possible and do whatever I can to make digestion easier. My history: November 2012 I started my weight loss journey. Like many it comprised of lots of cardio and scant calories. My body wasnt getting the nutirtion it needed and I was literally making my gastroparesis worse to the point where I was having aversions to food and becoming malnourished with talk of feeding tubes by my doctors. Needless to say, in the calorie counting community I was involved in, I was look at as 'lucky' for having this condition and difficulties eating because of it...can we say 'INSENSITIVE?!" So 20lbs down and unhealtheir than ever I decided to stop with all the weight loss garbage and 'learn to love myself' which, in regards to me personally, ment I was giving myself an excuse to be fat. I was 'sick', my body hated food, give myself a break right? I have enough to deal with just with the gastroparesis right...WRONG! Letting myself get laxed on fitness or nutrition are both very bad things for me. I either put myself into a flare with my gastroparesis where I can't eat anything and end up with low potassium in the hospital, or I end up stuck in a flare gaining weight because all I can bring myself to eat is processed carbs. At my lowest weight of 138 back in August 2013 I was not eating enough food and working out way too much. Since then I have tried to increase my calories but then holidays happened and life happened (including my dad having a stroke when he was staying with me for the holidays) and I've ballooned back up to 158lbs...my starting weight in November 2012 was 160lbs. So we've come over a year and I have lost and gained 20lbs. I'd be lying if I said I didnt know what I needed to do to make lasting improvements; my problem is not sticking with them. But, giving myself some credit, i've come a long ways learning new habits to incorporate...i just need to stick with them for extended periods of time. Which leads me to here...Nerd Fitness...not sure how I happened upon this site, but I love it so far and hope to become an active and motivating part of the community. My husband has a goal of gaining about 50lbs and my goal is to lose about 40lbs. Hopefully with us pushing each other, and having the resources of this community, we can be successful. He will be increasing his protein, calories, and lifting weights (LiveFit Program). I've been eating clean (but the goal is to do this on a regular), lifting weights (already a few weeks into LiveFit program), light yoga 3x/week, and running weekly for long term marathon training. Hoping to find some friends on here to help encourange and motivate each other!